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fig1 represents schematic view of a motor vehicle 1 with a drive source 2 , such as an internal combustion engine . the vehicle has an rpm - restricting protection device as indicated schematically by the box 2 a . the protection device 2 a cooperates with components of the vehicle , as indicated by the arrow 2 b . alternatively , or in addition , the device 2 a can also function as a failure detector for the wheel rpm - sensor ( s ). the power train of the motor vehicle further contains a torque - transmitting system 3 ( typically a clutch ) and a transmission 4 . in the illustrated example , the torque - transmitting system 3 is interposed in the torque flow between the engine and the transmission . the drive torque produced by the engine 2 flows through the torque - transmitting system 3 , the transmission 4 , the drive shaft 5 , and the driving axle 6 to the wheels 6 a . the torque - transmitting system 3 is configured as a clutch , typically a friction clutch , laminar - disc clutch , magnet powder clutch , or a converter - bypass clutch , including self - adjusting and wear - compensating types of clutches . the transmission 4 is represented as a manual - shift transmission . however , the scope of the invention also extends to automated shift transmissions of a type where wheel traction is interrupted during gear shifts and in which gears are changed automatically by means of at least one actuator . the invention is also applicable to vehicles with an automatic transmission that typically consists of planetary gear stages and performs gear shifts while maintaining essentially uninterrupted traction . the invention can further be used in vehicles with a continuously variable transmission such as a chain - belt transmission with adjustable cone pulleys . a torque - transmitting system 3 such as a clutch or friction clutch can also be arranged on the output side of an automatic transmission . the torque - transmitting system can further be designed to work as a start - up clutch and / or a reverse - gear clutch and / or a safety clutch with a regulated torque - transmitting engagement that is governed by a control device . the torque - transmitting system can be a dry - friction clutch or a wet - friction clutch that runs in a fluid , or it can also be a torque converter . the torque - transmitting system 3 has an input side 7 and an output side 8 . to transmit a torque between the input side and the output side , a force is applied to the clutch disc 3 a by means of the pressure plate 3 b , the diaphragm spring 3 c , the release bearing 3 e , and the flywheel 3 d . the application of the force is controlled by an actuator through the release lever 20 . the torque - transmitting system 3 runs under the control of a control unit 13 , which may include the electronic control module 13 a and the actuator 13 b . the electronic control module 13 a and the actuator 13 b may also be accommodated in physically separate units or enclosures . the control unit 13 can include the control circuit as well as the power circuit for the electric motor 12 of the actuator 13 b . this has the advantage that the actuator and electronic circuit can be accommodated within a single portion of space . the actuator consists of a drive motor 12 , such as an electric motor , acting on a master cylinder 11 through a gear arrangement such as a worm - gear , spur - gear , crank mechanism , or a threaded spindle . the connection to the master cylinder can be direct or through a rod mechanism . the movement of the actuator output , i . e ., of the master cylinder piston hla is detected by a clutch displacement sensor 14 which senses the position , speed , or acceleration of a quantity that is proportionally dependent on the amount , speed , or acceleration of clutch engagement . the master cylinder 11 is connected to the slave cylinder 10 through a pressure medium conduit 9 . the output element 10 a of the slave cylinder is connected to the release lever 20 ( or an equivalent release element ), so that the movement of the output part 10 a of the slave cylinder 10 causes the release element 20 to be moved or swivelled , whereby the amount of torque flowing through the clutch is being regulated . the actuator 13 b for regulating the torque flowing through the clutch 3 can be a pressure - based actuator , i . e ., equipped with a master cylinder and a slave cylinder . the pressure medium can be a hydraulic fluid or a pneumatic medium . the master cylinder may be powered by an electric motor 12 with an electronic control . the driving element of the actuator 13 b could also be a device other than an electric motor , e . g ., a pressure - operated device . as a further possibility , one could use magnet actuators to set the position of an element . the amount of torque flowing through a friction clutch is regulated by the amount of pressure exerted on the friction linings of the clutch disc between the flywheel 3 d and the pressure plate 3 b . the force on the pressure plate 3 b is controlled through the position of the release element 20 , which may be a release fork or a concentric slave cylinder . the pressure plate is movable so that it can be set and held at any position within a limited range . one end position in the range represents a completely engaged condition of the clutch , while the other end position represents a completely disengaged condition . to regulate the clutch so that it will transmit less than the full amount of torque applied to the input side of the clutch by the engine , the clutch plate 3 b is set to an intermediate position between the two limits . the clutch can be held fixed at the set position through an appropriate control of the release device 20 . the clutch can also be set for a clutch torque that exceeds the current engine torque by a controlled amount . this allows the full amount of the currently available engine torque to be transmitted , while temporary torque fluctuations or shocks in the power train are absorbed and / or isolated in the clutch . the arrangement for controlling and regulating the torque - transmitting system further includes sensors by which the relevant operating variables of the entire system are monitored continuously or at certain times . the sensor signals are processed by the control unit which may also be equipped to exchange signals with other electronic units , e . g ., of the engine , an anti - lock braking system , or an anti - slip regulating system . the sensors serve to detect , e . g ., rpm - rates of the wheels and the engine , the gas - pedal position , the throttle - valve position , the currently used gear level of the transmission , a signal that indicates the driver &# 39 ; s intent to shift gears , and other data that characterize the momentary operating state of the vehicle . fig1 shows a throttle valve sensor 15 , an engine rpm - sensor 16 , and a vehicle - speed sensor 17 , which are used to collect information in the form of sensing and measuring signals and send the information to the control unit 13 . the electronic module 13 a , typically a computer unit that is part of the control unit 13 , serves to process the information received from the sensors and to send control commands to the actuator 13 b . the transmission is a gear - shifting transmission in which the gear ratio is changed in discrete steps by means of a shift lever . furthermore , at least one sensor 19 b is arranged at the shift lever 18 for the purpose of detecting a condition that would indicate the driver &# 39 ; s intention to shift gears and / or detecting the current gear level set in the transmission . a sensor 19 a is coupled directly to the transmission to also perform at least one of the functions of detecting the driver &# 39 ; s intent to shift gears and / or the current gear level set in the transmission . to perform the function of detecting an intent to shift gears , at least one of the sensors 19 a , 19 b can be a force sensor responsive to a force acting on the shift lever . a displacement sensor or position sensor can likewise be used for this purpose , if the control unit is designed to interpret a change in the position sensor signal as an indication that the driver intends to shift gears . the control unit is connected for signal communication with all sensors and is designed to evaluate the sensor signals and other input variables and to control or regulate the at least one actuator through command signals dependent on the results of the evaluation . the drive element 12 of the actuator , e . g ., an electric motor , receives from the control unit a control input dependent on the measurement values , system inputs , or other signals that the control unit receives from the sensors . the control unit contains a control program that can be implemented in hardware or software , to evaluate the incoming signals and to calculate or determine the output quantities based on comparisons , functions , and / or system characteristics . it is advantageous if the hardware and / or software implemented in the control unit 13 includes functional modules , or if the control unit 13 is connected to functional modules , to determine torque , gear - shift position , slippage , and / or other conditions that are indicative of the operating state of the vehicle . the functional modules can be implemented as control programs in hardware and / or software in which the torque of the drive source 2 , the gear position of the transmission 4 , the slip in the torque - transmitting system 3 , and the current operating state of the vehicle 1 are determined from the incoming sensor signals . the gear - position module determines the currently set gear level based on signals received from the sensors 19 a and 19 b . the sensors 19 a , 19 b are coupled to the shift lever and / or to actuator elements inside the transmission such as , e . g ., a central shift - actuator shaft or shift - actuator rod , to detect the position , speed or other operating variable of the shift lever or actuator element . there can further be a sensor 31 coupled to the engine - load control lever 30 , typically the gas pedal of the vehicle , to detect the position of the lever 30 . in addition , there can be an on / off sensor 32 arranged at the gas pedal , sending an “ on ” signal when the gas pedal is depressed and an “ off ” signal when it is not depressed . the sensor 31 , in contrast , serves to detect the degree of depression of the gas pedal . also shown in fig1 is a brake actuator element 40 to operate the main brake or the parking brake , such as a brake pedal , a parking brake lever or a hand - or foot - operated actuating element of the parking brake . at least one sensor 41 is arranged at the actuating element 40 to monitor its state of actuation . the sensor 41 can , e . g ., be a digital on / off sensor , such as a switch , to detect whether or not the brake - actuating element 40 has been applied . the sensor can be connected to a signal device such as a brake light that signals that the brake is being actuated . this kind of arrangement can be used for the main brake as well as the parking brake . the sensor can also be configured as an analog sensor , such as a potentiometer , to detect the degree of actuation of the brake - actuating element . this sensor , too , can be connected to a signal device . fig2 represents schematic view of a power train of a motor vehicle with a drive source 100 , a torque - transmitting system 102 , a transmission 103 , a differential 104 , as well as driving axles 105 and wheels 106 . the vehicle has an rpm - restricting protection device 106 a cooperating with components of the vehicle as indicated by the arrow 106 b . alternatively , or in addition , the device 106 a can also function as a failure detector for the wheel rpm - sensor ( s ). the torque - transmitting system 102 is attached to a flywheel 102 a . the latter typically carries an external tooth profile 102 b that is engaged by the starter pinion in the starting process of the combustion engine . the torque - transmitting device includes a pressure plate 102 d , a clutch cover 102 e , a diaphragm spring 102 f , and a clutch disc 102 c with friction linings . the clutch disc 102 c and in some cases a damper are arranged between the pressure plate 102 d and the flywheel 102 a . an energy - storing device such as a diaphragm spring 102 f applies an axial force to the pressure plate , pushing the latter towards the clutch disc . an actuating element 109 such as , e . g ., a concentric slave cylinder serves to actuate the torque - transmitting system . a release bearing 110 is arranged between the concentric slave cylinder an the tongues of the diaphragm spring 102 f . when the release bearing moves along the axial direction , it pushed against the tongues of the diaphragm and thereby disengages the clutch . the clutch can be configured as either a push - or pull - actuated clutch . the actuator 108 performs the actuating functions of an automated shift transmission , and it also includes the actuator unit for the torque - transmitting system . the actuator 108 drives internal shifter elements of the transmission such as , e . g ., a shift - actuating cylinder or shift - actuating rods or a central shift - actuating shaft of the transmission . the gears can be shifted , e . g ., in the sequential order of the gear levels , or also in an arbitrary order . the connection 111 serves to operate the clutch - actuating element 109 . the control unit 107 is connected to the actuator 108 through the signal connection 112 . the three connector lines 113 to 115 are representative of three types of signal communication to and from the control unit 107 : line 113 carries control commands from the control unit ; line 114 carries incoming signals ; and line 115 connects to other electronic units , e . g ., by means of a data bus . to set the vehicle into motion from standstill or from a slow crawl , i . e ., to positively initiate an acceleration , the driver essentially does nothing but depress the gas pedal 122 , as the controlled or regulated automatic clutch - actuating system controls the amount of torque flowing through the torque - transmitting system during a start - up phase . the driver &# 39 ; s desire for more or less pick - up acceleration is communicated through the load control lever or gas pedal 122 , detected by the sensor 123 , and transmitted to the control unit . thus , the gas pedal position which is detected by the sensor 123 is used as a control input for the start - up process of the vehicle . during a start - up process , the amount of torque passing through the clutch into the drive train is determined , e . g . in the form of a target value m c , target that is calculated by means of a prescribed function or characteristic relationship , e . g ., as a function of the engine rpm - rate . as the gas pedal is depressed by a certain amount ( a ) during a start - up from standstill or from a slow crawl , an engine control unit directs the engine to generate a certain amount of engine torque . the control unit 107 regulates or controls the amount of torque flowing through the clutch according to prescribed functions or characteristic relationships , so that a stable equilibrium condition is set up between the engine torque and the clutch torque . in this state of equilibrium , a given gas pedal position ( a ) produces defined levels of start - up rpm - rate , engine torque , clutch torque , and wheel torque at the driven wheels of the vehicle . the functional relationship between engine torque and rpm - rate during the start - up phase will herein be referred to as start - up characteristic . the aperture position of the throttle valve is proportional to the gas pedal position ( a ). also shown in fig2 is a brake actuator element 120 to operate the main brake or the parking brake , such as a brake pedal , a parking brake lever or a hand - or foot - operated actuating element of the parking brake . at least one sensor 121 is arranged at the actuating element 120 to monitor its state of actuation . the sensor 121 can , e . g ., be a digital on / off sensor , such as a switch , to detect whether or not the brake - actuating element 120 has been applied . the sensor can be connected to a signal device such as a brake light that signals that the brake is being actuated . this kind of arrangement can be used for the main brake as well as the parking brake . the sensor can also be configured as an analog sensor , such as a potentiometer , to detect the degree of actuation of the brake - actuating element . this sensor , too , can be connected to a signal device . to summarize , fig1 and 2 represent two presently preferred power trains equipped with an rpm - restricting protection device 2 a , 106 a in accordance with the present invention . a preferred embodiment of the improved method will now be described in detail with reference to the flow chart of fig3 representing the method in terms of individual steps , as follows : in step 210 , a test is performed , whether or not a correlation error , i . e ., an incompatible or non - correlatable value has been detected in an rpm - rate of one of the wheels of the vehicle . if no correlation error is present , the method proceeds to step 212 , where the change of the wheel rpm - rate is registered as the difference between the current rpm - value and the previously detected rpm - value , i . e ., δn = n new − n old . next , in step 214 , a test is performed , whether the rpm - changes δn of three consecutive cycles are equal to a set of predetermined decreasing values δn 1 , δn 2 , δn 3 , e . g ., 60 rpm , 30 rpm , and 15 rpm , respectively . these numerical values , as well as the choice of using a set of three , represent only illustrative examples . if the values δn 1 , an 2 , δn 3 have been detected in the prescribed sequence and numerical amounts , the method proceeds to step 216 , where the presence of an error in the time gradient of the rpm - rates is registered and a failure flag is set . the method then proceeds to step 218 , where a test is performed whether or not a gear is engaged in the transmission . however , if the pattern of consecutive decreases δn 1 , δn 2 , δn 3 according to the criterion of step 214 is not found to be present , the method proceeds to step 220 representing a test whether the rpm - rate is increasing while at the same time there is no correlation error present . in the negative case , the method proceeds to step 218 ( described above ). in the affirmative case of step 220 , the method proceeds to step 222 where the absence of an error in the time gradient of the rpm - rate is registered and the failure flag is cancelled . the method proceeds to step 218 ( described above ). in the affirmative case of step 218 , i . e ., if a gear is engaged in the transmission , the method proceeds to step 224 representing a test for the simultaneous presence of a signal indicating slippage in the clutch and a signal indicating an essentially engaged condition of the clutch during a set observation interval . in the affirmative case of step 224 , the method proceeds to step 226 , where the presence of a correlation error is registered . in the negative case of step 224 , the method proceeds to step 228 representing a test for the simultaneous presence of signals indicating the absence of slippage and an essentially engaged condition of the clutch during a set observation interval . in the affirmative case of step 228 , the method proceeds to step 230 , where the absence of a correlation error is registered , and the method proceeds to step 232 . in the negative case of step 228 , the method proceeds directly to step 232 , where the rpm - rate is mirrored , if the outcome of step 228 was negative . the term “ mirrored ” in the present context means that the rpm - rate of the wheel with the correlation error is replaced by the rpm - rate of the wheel on the opposite side of the same axle . the method proceed to step 234 , representing a test whether the slippage in the clutch is essentially small , the clutch is engaged , a gear is engaged in the transmission , and the rpm - rate of the vehicle wheels exceeds 200 rpm . in the affirmative case of step 234 , the method proceeds to step 236 , where the error flag for the time gradient of the rpm - rate is cancelled . the method proceeds to step 238 , where a test is made for a correlation error between the rpm - rates of both driven wheels . in the affirmative case of step 238 , the method proceeds to step 240 , where a failure flag is set . the next step , 242 , represents a test whether any failure flag remains set . in the affirmative case , the method proceeds to step 244 where a pending gear shift is prevented from being executed or from being completed . thus , the method ensures that the engine is not caused to run at impermissibly high rpm - rates . the graph in fig4 represents an example of a time profile with a sudden breakdown and subsequent asymptotic decay of the rpm - rate which , according to the inventive method , would be indicative of a sensor failure . each of the data points ( represented by small circles ) in the graph represents an rpm - value , typically determined by counting pulses generated by the individual teeth of a gear as they pass by a pulse sensor during a given time interval . if no pulse was sensed during a time interval , the inventive method uses an assumed pulse count of 1 rather than 0 . accordingly , if the time interval t is measured in seconds , the gear has x teeth , and a number p of pulses has been received during the time t , the wheel rpm - rate n is calculated as n = 60 * p /( x * t ). if no pulses have been counted during the time period t , the wheel rpm - rate according to the assumption stated above is calculated as n = 60 /( x * t ). the first segment of the curve 252 plotted in fig4 represents a sequence of substantially constant values of about 500 rpm . at the point 254 , there is a discontinuity in the form of a pronounced drop in the rpm - rate as represented by the portion 256 of the curve 252 . between the points 258 and 260 of the graph , the curve progressively flattens out and continues asymptotically towards zero . this decay profile also applies if an absence of pulses is detected over a prolonged time period . according to the inventive method , this characteristic decay profile of the rpm - rate is used to identify the presence of a wheel rpm - sensor . as a general note , wherever the word “ or ” is used in the present context in reference to features of the invention , it may be used either in the boolean sense ( one or the other or both ) or as an exclusive “ or ” ( one or the other but not both ). as a further general note , where the terms “ control ” and “ regulation ” are used within the context of the present invention , they should be understood in a broad sense , i . e ., encompassing closed - loop types of regulation and / or control as well as open - loop controls in the sense of the relevant din standards . without further analysis , the foregoing will so full 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 and specific aspects of the above outlined contribution to the art of motor vehicles and controlling the rpm - rates of its prime mover and , therefore , such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the appended claims .	5
a . cable modem system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention b . example cable modem system components in accordance with embodiments of the present invention 1 . example initialization method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention 2 . example ranging request and example ranging response in accordance with embodiments of the present invention 3 . timing adjustment in accordance with embodiments of the present invention 4 . power adjustment in accordance with embodiments of the present invention 5 . carrier frequency adjustment in accordance with embodiments of the present invention 6 . pre - equalization ( a ) example delay offset calculation method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention ( b ) example convolution method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention ( c ) example coefficient clipping method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention ( d ) example coefficient scaling method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention ( e ) example power correction method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention while the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications , it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . those skilled in the art with access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications , applications , and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility . a . cable modem system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention fig1 is a high level block diagram of an example cable modem system 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention . the cable modem system 100 enables voice communications , video and data services based on a bi - directional transfer of packet - based traffic , such as internet protocol ( ip ) traffic , between a cable system headend 102 and a plurality of cable modems over a hybrid fiber - coaxial ( hfc ) cable network 110 . in the example cable modem system 100 , only two cable modems 106 and 108 are shown for clarity . in general , any number of cable modems may be included in the cable modem system of the present invention . the cable headend 102 is comprised of at least one cable modem termination system ( cmts ) 104 . the cmts 104 is the portion of the cable headend 102 that manages the upstream and downstream transfer of data between the cable headend 102 and the cable modems 106 and 108 , which are located at the customer premises . the cmts 104 broadcasts information downstream to the cable modems 106 and 108 as a continuous transmitted signal in accordance with a time division multiplexing ( tdm ) technique . additionally , the cmts 104 controls the upstream transmission of data from the cable modems 106 and 108 to itself by assigning to each cable modem 106 and 108 short grants of time within which to transfer data . in accordance with this time division multiple access ( tdma ) technique , each cable modem 106 and 108 may only send information upstream as short burst signals during a transmission opportunity allocated to it by the cmts 104 . the hfc network 110 provides a point - to - multipoint topology for the high - speed , reliable , and secure transport of data between the cable headend 102 and the cable modems 106 and 108 at the customer premises . as will be appreciated by persons skilled in the relevant art ( s ), the hfc network 110 may comprise coaxial cable , fiberoptic cable , or a combination of coaxial cable and fiberoptic cable linked via one or more fiber nodes . each of the cable modems 106 and 108 operates as an interface between the hfc network 110 and at least one attached user device . in particular , the cable modems 106 and 108 perform the functions necessary to convert downstream signals received over the hfc network 110 into ip data packets for receipt by an attached user device . additionally , the cable modems 106 and 108 perform the functions necessary to convert ip data packets received from the attached user device into upstream burst signals suitable for transfer over the hfc network 110 . for clarity , in the example cable modem system 100 , each cable modem 106 and 108 is shown supporting only a single user device 114 . in general , each cable modem 106 and 108 is capable of supporting a plurality of user devices for communication over the cable modem system 100 . user devices may include personal computers , data terminal equipment , telephony devices , broadband media players , network - controlled appliances , or any other device capable of transmitting or receiving data over a packet - switched network . in the example cable modem system 100 , cable modem 106 and 108 represent a conventional docsis - compliant cable modem . in other words , cable modem 106 and 108 transmit data packets to the cmts 104 in formats that adhere to the protocols set forth in the docsis specification . furthermore , in the example cable modem system 100 , the cmts 104 operates to receive and process data packets transmitted to it in accordance with the protocols set forth in the docsis specification . the manner in which the cmts 104 operates to receive and process data will be described in further detail herein . b . example cable modem system components in accordance with embodiments of the present invention fig2 depicts a schematic block diagram of an implementation of the cmts 104 of cable modem system 100 , which is presented by way of example , and is not intended to limit the present invention . the cmts 104 is configured to receive and transmit signals to and from the hfc network 110 , a portion of which is represented by the optical fiber 202 of fig2 . accordingly , the cmts 104 will be described in terms of a receiver portion and a transmitter portion . the receiver portion includes an optical - to - coax stage 204 , an rf input 206 , a splitter 214 , and a plurality of burst receivers 216 . reception begins with the receipt of upstream burst signals originating from one or more cable modems by the optical - to - coax stage 204 via the optical fiber 202 . the optical - to - coax stage 204 routes the received burst signals to the radio frequency ( rf ) input 206 via coaxial cable 208 . in embodiments , these upstream burst signals having spectral characteristics within the frequency range of roughly 5 - 42 mhz . the received signals are provided by the rf input 206 to the splitter 214 of the cmts 104 , which separates the rf input signals into n separate channels . each of the n separate channels is then provided to a separate burst receiver 216 which operates to demodulate the received signals on each channel in accordance with either a quadrature phase shift key ( qpsk ) or quadrature amplitude modulation ( qam ) technique to recover the underlying information signals . the burst receiver 216 contains an equalizer which estimates channel distortions . each burst receiver 216 also converts the underlying information signals from an analog form to digital form . this digital data is subsequently provided to the headend media access control ( mac ) 218 . the headend mac 218 operates to process the digital data in accordance with the docsis specification . the functions of the headend mac 218 may be implemented in hardware or in software . in the example implementation of fig2 , the functions of the headend mac 218 are implemented both in hardware and software . software functions of the headend mac 218 may be stored in either the random access memory ( ram ) 220 or the read - only memory ( rom ) 218 and executed by the cpu 222 . the headend mac is in electrical communication with these elements via a backplane interface 221 and a shared communications medium 232 . in embodiments , the shared communications medium 232 may comprise a computer bus or a multiple access data network . the headend mac 218 is also in electrical communication with the ethernet interface 224 via both the backplane interface 221 and the shared communications medium 232 . when appropriate , ethernet packets recovered by the headend mac 218 are transferred to the ethernet interface 224 for delivery to a packet - switched network via a router . the transmitter portion of the cmts 104 includes a downstream modulator 226 , a surface acoustic wave ( saw ) filter 228 , an amplifier 230 , an intermediate frequency ( if ) output 212 , a radio frequency ( rf ) upconverter 210 and the optical - to - coax stage 204 . transmission begins with the generation of a digital broadcast signal by the headend mac 218 . the digital broadcast signal may include data originally received from the packet - switched network via the ethernet interface 224 . the headend mac 218 outputs the digital broadcast signal to the downstream modulator 226 which converts it into an analog form and modulates it onto a carrier signal in accordance with either a 64 - qam or 256 - qam technique . the modulated carrier signal output by the downstream modulator 256 is input to the saw filter 228 which passes only spectral components of the signal that are within a desired bandwidth . the filtered signal is then output to an amplifier 230 which amplifies it and outputs it to the if output 212 . the if output 212 routes the signal to the rf upconverter 210 , which upconverts the signal . in embodiments , the upconverted signal has spectral characteristics in the frequency range of approximately 54 - 860 mhz . the upconverted signal is then output to the optical - to - coax stage 204 over the coaxial cable 208 . the optical - to - coax stage 204 broadcasts the signal via the optical fiber 202 of the hfc network 110 . fig3 depicts a schematic block diagram of an implementation of the cable modem 106 of cable modem system 100 , which is presented by way of example , and is not intended to limit the present invention . the cable modem 106 is configured to receive and transmit signals to and from the hfc network 110 via the coaxial connector 332 of fig3 . accordingly , the cable modem 106 will be described in terms of a receiver portion and a transmitter portion . the receiver portion includes a diplex filter 302 , an rf tuner 304 , a saw filter 306 , and amplifier 308 , and a downstream receiver 310 . reception begins with the receipt of a downstream signal originating from the cmts 104 by the diplex filter 302 . the diplex filter 302 operates to isolate the downstream signal and route it to the rf tuner 304 . in embodiments , the downstream signal has spectral characteristics in the frequency range of roughly 54 - 860 mhz . the rf tuner 304 downconverts the signal and outputs it to the saw filter 306 , which passes only spectral components of the downconverted signal that are within a desired bandwidth . the filtered signal is output to the amplifier 308 which amplifies it and passes it to the downstream receiver 310 . automatic gain controls are provided from the downstream receiver 310 to the rf tuner 304 . the downstream receiver 310 demodulates the amplified signal in accordance with either a 64 - qam or 256 - qam technique to recover the underlying information signal . the downstream receiver 310 also converts the underlying information signal from an analog form to digital form . this digital data is subsequently provided to the media access control ( mac ) 314 . the mac 314 processes the digital data , which may include , for example , ethernet packets for transfer to an attached user device . the functions of the mac 314 may be implemented in hardware or in software . in the example implementation of fig3 , the functions of the mac 314 are implemented in both hardware and software . software functions of the mac 314 may be stored in either the ram 322 or the rom 324 and executed by the cpu 320 . the mac 314 is in electrical communication with these elements via a shared communications medium 316 . in embodiments , the shared communications medium may comprise a computer bus or a multiple access data network . the mac 314 is also in electrical communication with the ethernet interface 318 via the shared communications medium 316 . when appropriate , ethernet packets recovered by the mac 314 are transferred to the ethernet interface 318 for transfer to an attached user device . the transmitter portion of the cable modem 108 includes an upstream burst modulator 326 , a digital to analog converter 327 , a low pass filter 328 , a power amplifier 330 , and the diplex filter 302 . transmission begins with the construction of a data packet by the mac 314 . the data packet may include data originally received from an attached user device via the ethernet interface 318 . in accordance with embodiments of the present invention , the mac 314 may format the data packet in compliance with the protocols set forth in the docsis specification . the mac 314 outputs the data packet to the upstream burst modulator 326 which converts it into analog form and modulates it onto a carrier signal in accordance with either a qpsk or qam technique . the upstream burst modulator 326 also performs pre - equalization of the modulated carrier signal using a pre - equalizer 325 . the pre - equalizer 325 is provided with a number of filter “ taps ” through which the modulated carrier signal is passed . one tap is designated the main tap . the remaining taps are referred to as non - main taps . each tap has both a real part and an imaginary part . each real part and each imaginary part are assigned equalizer coefficients that are used to cancel inter - symbol interference within the modulated carrier signal . the modulated carrier signal is passed from the pre - equalizer 325 to the low pass filter 328 which passes signals with spectral characteristics in a desired bandwidth . in embodiments , the desired bandwidth is within the frequency range of approximately 5 - 42 mhz . the filtered signals are then introduced to the power amplifier 330 which amplifies the signal and provides it to the diplex filter 302 . the gain in the power amplifier 330 is regulated by the burst modulator 326 . the diplex filter 302 isolates the amplified signal and transmits it upstream over the hfc network 110 during a scheduled burst opportunity . when a new cable modem is added to the network and periodically thereafter , a ranging process is performed to determine the network delay between the cable modem and the cable modem termination system . this ranging process is also used to establish and maintain the power transmission level , carrier frequency , and transmission times used by the cable modem . fig4 a depicts a flowchart 400 of a method for performing ranging operations in a cable modem system comprised of multiple cable modems and a cable modem termination system in accordance with embodiments of the present invention . the invention , however , is not limited to the description provided by the flowchart 400 . rather , it will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art ( s ) from the teachings provided herein that other functional flows are within the scope and spirit of the present invention . the flowchart 400 will be described with continued reference to the example cmts 104 and cable modem 106 of the cable modem system 100 , as well as in reference to the example hardware implementation of the cable modem 106 of fig3 . prior to making an initial ranging request , a cable modem that is newly added to the cable modem system 100 must first be initialized ( step 405 ). 1 . example initialization method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention fig5 illustrates an initialization routine 500 for initializing the cm 106 according to an embodiment of the present invention . in step 505 , the modulator of the cm 106 is preset according to default settings determined during manufacture . the pre - equalizer 325 has a number of taps designated herein as f 1 to f n . one tap is designated as the main tap and the others are referred to as non - main taps . each tap has both a real part and an imaginary part to which a pre - equalizer coefficient is assigned for performing filtering of the carrier signal . the cm must initialize the pre - equalizer coefficients to a default setting prior to making an initial ranging request . therefore , in step 510 , the coefficient value of the real part of the first tap ( f 1real ) is set equal to one ( 1 ). following step 510 , in a next step 515 , the remaining pre - equalizer coefficients ( f 1imaginary ) to ( f n ) are set equal to zero ( 0 ). finally , in a step 520 , the first tap ( f 1 ) is stored as the current main tap location . as would be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art , the main tap location refers to the position of the zero delay tap between 1 and n . 2 . example ranging request and example ranging response in accordance with embodiments of the present invention referring again to fig4 a , following the initialization step 405 , in step 410 , a ranging request ( rng - req ) is transmitted by the cm 106 to the cmts 104 . the rng - req is comprised of a long preamble portion and a payload portion which includes mac headers , transmitted at default settings for the power transmission level , carrier frequency , and pre - equalizer coefficients . the default settings for the pre - equalizer coefficients for the main tap and non - main taps are set during the initialization routine 500 . upon receiving the rng - req , the cmts 104 generates a ranging response ( rng - rsp ). fig6 a provides an illustration of the rng - rsp message encoding according to the docsis specification . the rng - rsp includes parameters addressing , among other things , upstream communications channels , timing , power , frequency , and equalization . the upstream communications parameter 605 is used to indicate the upstream channel on which the cm 106 must transmit . the timing adjust parameter 610 is used to indicate the time amount by which the cm 106 must advance or delay its transmissions so that subsequent bursts will arrive at the cmts 104 at the appropriate times . the power level adjust parameter 615 is used to indicate the change in transmission power level that is required in order for transmissions from the cm 106 to arrive at the cmts 104 at the proper power level . the carrier frequency offset parameter 620 is used to indicate any changes in the transmission frequency that are needed to ensure that the cm 106 and cmts 104 are properly aligned . the equalization parameters 625 provide the equalization coefficients used by the cm 106 to perform pre - equalization . referring to fig6 b , as required by the docsis specification , the number of forward taps per symbol 630 must be either 1 , 2 , or 4 . the main tap location 635 refers to the position of the zero delay tap , between 1 and n . for a symbol - spaced equalizer , the number of forward taps per symbol field 630 must be set to one ( 1 ). the number of reverse taps 640 ( m ) must be set to zero ( 0 ) for a linear equalizer . the total number of taps 645 may range up to sixty - four ( 64 ). as stated above , each tap ( f 1 - f n ) consists of a real coefficient 650 and an imaginary coefficient 655 entry in the table . an exemplary method for generating the rng - rsp in accordance with embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig4 b . in a step 415 , cmts 104 receives the rng - req from the cm 106 . in response , a timing adjust parameter is determined ( step 420 ). following step , 420 , in a step 425 , a power level adjust parameter is determined . once the power level adjust parameter has been determined , in a step 430 , a carrier frequency offset parameter is determined . upon the completion of step 430 , in a step 435 , equalization coefficients are determined . in an embodiment of the present invention , the ranging response is set according to the docsis 1 . 1 specification requirements . accordingly , the following parameters and values are used : the main tap location ( k ) is set equal to four ( 4 ); the number of forward taps per symbol is set equal to one ( 1 ); the number of forward taps ( n ) is set equal to eight ( 8 ); and the number of reverse taps ( m ) is set equal to zero ( 0 ). further , the equalizer coefficients for the taps ( f 1 - f n ) are determined by the equalizer of the burst receiver 216 by estimating the overall channel response . in an alternative embodiment , where there is spectrum inversion in the up / down conversion path , the imaginary parts of the equalizer coefficients are negated . once the rng - rsp is generated , it is transmitted to the cm 106 ( step 440 ). returning to fig4 a , the rng - rsp is subsequently received by the cm 106 ( step 445 ). 3 . timing adjustment in accordance with embodiments of the present invention the cmts 104 requires that transmissions from each cable modem in the cable modem system 100 be received at a specified time . in a step 450 , initial and periodic timing adjustments are made to maintain the timing sequence between the cm 106 and the cmts 104 . the ranging response sent to the cable modem 106 includes a timing adjust parameter . the transmission time parameter in the cable modem 106 is adjusted by an amount equal to the timing adjust parameter . by transmitting in accordance with the adjusted transmission time parameter , the cable modem 106 can expect that its subsequent transmissions will arrive at the cmts 104 at the appropriate times . 4 . power level adjustment in accordance with embodiments of the present invention the cmts 104 also requires that transmissions from each cable modem in the cable modem system 100 be received at a specified power level . in a step 455 , initial and periodic power level adjustments are made to maintain the appropriate power level at the cm 106 . the ranging response sent to the cable modem 106 includes a power level adjust parameter . the power transmission level parameter in the cable modem 106 is adjusted by an amount equal to the power level adjust parameter . by transmitting in accordance with the adjusted power transmission level parameter , the cable modem 106 can expect that its transmissions will arrive at the cmts 104 at the appropriate power level . 5 . carrier frequency adjustment in accordance with embodiments of the present invention the cmts 104 also requires that transmissions from each cable modem in the cable modem system 100 be received at a specified upstream carrier frequency . in a step 460 , initial and periodic carrier frequency adjustments are made to maintain the appropriate carrier frequency settings . the ranging response sent to the cable modem 106 includes a carrier frequency offset parameter . the upstream carrier frequency parameter in the cable modem 106 is adjusted by an amount equal to the carrier frequency offset parameter . in an embodiment of the present invention , the carrier frequency offset parameter can be averaged over multiple periodic ranging iterations in either the cm 106 or the cmts 104 in order to improve the accuracy of the carrier frequency offset parameter . in a step , 465 , pre - equalization is performed . pre - equalization is used to reduce noise and improve the overall quality of transmissions exchanged between the cable modem 106 and the cmts 104 . fig7 provides an exemplary pre - equalization routine in accordance with embodiments of the present invention . ( a ) example delay offset calculation method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention in step 715 , the cm 106 determines a delay offset . the delay offset represents the time by which frame transmission should be offset so that frames transmitted by the cm 106 arrive at the cmts 104 at the appropriate time . referring to fig8 , if this is the first rng - rsp received by the cm 106 after initialization ( step 805 ), then in a step 810 , the delay offset is calculated as —( main tap location − 1 )( 10 . 24 mhz / sym_rate ). in a step 815 , the delay offset value determined in step 810 is added to the timing adjust parameter provided in the rng - rsp message . when a subsequent rng - rsp message is received , in a step 820 , the delay offset is calculated as the ( current main tap location - the main tap location specified in the ranging response )( 10 . 24 mhz / sym_rate ). in a step 825 , the current main tap location is set equal to the main tap location specified in the subsequent rng - rsp message . ( b ) example convolution method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention once the delay offset has been determined , convolution is performed ( fig7 , step 720 ). an exemplary convolution routine in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig9 . in a step 905 , a determination is made as to whether the rng - rsp message is the first ranging response received since the cm 106 was initialized . in response to receiving the first rng - rsp the current pre - equalizer coefficients are set equal to the ranging response equalizer coefficients transmitted in the rng - rsp ( step 910 ). as subsequent rng - rsp messages are received , the cm 106 must convolve the current pre - equalizer coefficients set during initialization or previous ranging iterations with the ranging request equalizer coefficients received in the rng - rsp message . accordingly , in a step 915 , the current pre - equalizer coefficients are convolved in an embodiment of the present invention using the equation : c j ′ = ∑ i = 1 n ⁢ f i ⁢ c j - i + k ( eq1 ) where cj and cj ′ are the respective current and new pre - equalizer coefficients . k is the main tap location , n is the number of feedforward taps ( for example , n = 8 ), and f ( i ) are the ranging request equalizer coefficients in the rng - rsp message sent by the cmts 104 and i and j are integers . in the present example where n = 8 , the value of c i outside the range ( i = 1 − 8 ) of the equalizer tap span should be set to zero ( 0 ). it therefore follows that the coefficients c − 6 to c 0 and c 9 to c 15 would be set equal to zero ( 0 ). phase noise in the vector summation occurring during the convolution process produces phase rotation . therefore , after each convolution ( step 910 or 915 ), the main tap must be derotated so that the imaginary part of the main tap = 0 . in this way the gain loss is minimized . thus , in a step 920 , where the value of the imaginary part of the main tap is small , the imaginary value is simply reset to zero ( 0 ). alternatively , where the imaginary part value is not small , the main tap angle must be calculated and derotated according to steps that would be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art after reading the disclosure provided herein . ( c ) example coefficient clipping method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention referring again to fig7 , once convolution has been completed , in a step 725 , coefficient clipping is performed . coefficient clipping is used to reduce the self noise effect resulting from the convolution process . an exemplary routine for performing coefficient clipping in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig1 . referring to fig1 , in an embodiment of the present invention , the magnitude squared value from both the real and imaginary parts of any non - main taps is determined ( step 1005 ). next , in step 1010 , for all non - main tap values of the real and imaginary parts of the new pre - equalizer coefficients whose magnitude squared value ( f ireal 2 + f i imaginary 2 ) is less than a determined threshold ( for example , − 36 db , 0 . 00025 in linear representation ) is reset to zero ( 0 ). in this way any noise resulting from the new pre - equalizer coefficients and the convolution process is reduced . ( d ) example coefficient scaling method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention referring again to fig7 , in a step 730 , coefficient scaling is performed . coefficient scaling is used to prevent overloading of the cm modulator . an exemplary routine for performing coefficient scaling according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig1 . in a step 1105 , scaled coefficients are determined using the equation : c _ i = ( c i ) / ∑ i = 1 n ⁢ (  c i real  +  c i imag  ) ( eq2a ) where c i refers to either the real or imaginary part of the new equalizer coefficients . in this way the new pre - equalizer coefficients are normalized in an absolute - sum sense . in an alternative embodiment , root mean squared ( rms ) or equivalently l ( 2 )- norm scaling is used . accordingly , scaled coefficients can also be determined using the equation : once the scaled coefficients c i have been determined , they are loaded into the pre - equalizer 325 of cm 106 ( step 1110 ). next , in a step 1115 , the current coefficient values are set equal to the scaled coefficients . the current coefficient values are then used for subsequent convolution iterations . ( e ) example power correction method in accordance with embodiments of the present invention following step 730 , power correction is performed . ( step 735 ) the equalizer coefficients produce a change in the overall transmit power of the cm . this change needs to be compensated for in the output power of the cm . the changes made to the output power to compensate for the equalizer coefficients are in addition to any power adjustments indicated in the power level adjust field of the received rng - rsp message . an exemplary method for performing power correction is explained with reference to fig1 . referring to fig1 , in an embodiment of the present invention , in step 1205 , output power change corresponding to an equalizer coefficient gain change value ( δp ) is calculated in db using the equation : δ p ( db )= 10 log 10 ( p cur / p new ) ( eq3 ) where p new represents a new equalizer coefficient gain value and is derived from the equation : p cur is a current equalizer gain value and c i refers to the final , scaled coefficients . in an embodiment , p cur is set to be one ( 1 ) during initial ranging or whenever the pre - equalizer is reset to a default setting . otherwise , p cur refers to the equalizer coefficient gain value determined in a previous iteration . in step 1210 , the new equalizer coefficient gain value is stored along with the new pre - equalizer coefficients . the absolute transmit power level may need to be calculated or tabulated during each ranging to make sure that its level does not exceed the maximum limit allowed in the specification ( e . g . 58 dbmv for qpsk and 55 dbmv for 16 qam . for the overall power calculation , the new equalizer coefficient gain value determined above should also be accounted for along with the power amp gain in the rf section . accordingly , the overall transmission power ( overall_tx_power ) is set as the result of new equalizer coefficient gain value + the power amp gain in db . in an embodiment of the present invention , the ranging process 400 should be performed in accordance with the order presented ( i . e ., time , power , carrier frequency , and pre - equalization ). one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the operations can be performed in a different sequential order . for example , time and power can be corrected in parallel with carrier frequency and pre - equalization . however , the pre - equalizer coefficient routine should follow after the carrier frequency correction . further , in an embodiment , the pre - equalization step should be performed for at least two iterations . the previous description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
the novel aliphatic diisocyanate of the invention is prepared conveniently from the known compound 1 , 4 - bis ( hydroxymethyl ) cyclohexane by the combination of steps shown schematically as follows : ## str1 ## in accordance with the above reaction scheme the starting diol ( ii ) is reacted with phosgene , advantageously in the presence of an inert organic solvent , to form the corresponding bis ( chloroformate ) using procedures well - known in the art ; see , for example , s . petersen , in houben - weyl , methoden der organischen chemie , vol . viii , part 3 , p . 101 , georg thieme verlag , stuttgart , 1952 . the term &# 34 ; inert organic solvent &# 34 ; means organic solvents which do not enter into reaction with any of the reactants employed in the process or interfere in any other way with the desired course of the reaction . illustrative of inert organic solvents are chloroform , dichloroethane , benzene , toluene , chlorobenzene and the like . the phosgenation is generally conducted at temperatures which , advantageously , are in the range of about 10 ° c . to about 120 ° c ., and preferably in the range of about 60 ° c . to about 90 ° c . the progress of the reaction can be followed by conventional analytical techniques such as infrared spectroscopy and the like . when the reaction is judged to be complete the bis ( chloroformate ) ( iii ) can , if desired , be isolated from the reaction mixture , for example , by removing the inert organic solvent and any excess phosgene by distillation . however , it is generally unnecessary to isolate the bis ( chloroformate ) ( iii ) since it is found that the reaction product from the first step can , after purging any excess phosgene therefrom , be used as such in the next step of the process . in the second step of the process the bis ( chloroformate ), advantageously in the form of the reaction mixture obtained in the first step , is heated in the presence of a catalytic amount of an n , n - disubstituted - formamide such as dimethylformamide , diethylformamide and the like using the process for the preparation of aliphatic hydrocarbyl chlorides which is described in the application of reinhard h . richter et al which is being filed on an even date herewith . the reaction is conducted at a temperature in the range of about 40 ° c . to about 150 ° c . and preferably in the range of about 60 ° c . to about 100 ° c . and the decarboxylation of the bis ( chloroformate ) ( iii ) to the corresponding 1 , 4 - bis ( chloromethyl ) cyclohexane ( iv ) proceeds smoothly and in high yield . the progress of the reaction can be followed by routine analytical procedures such as infrared spectroscopic analysis or by measuring the amount of carbon dioxide eliminated from the reaction mixture . the compound ( iv ) can be isolated from the reaction mixture by any convenient means , if so desired . for example , the inert organic solvent and the n , n - disubstitutedformamide catalyst can be removed by distillation and the compound ( iv ) can , if desired , be purified by distillation under reduced pressure or by chromatography or like means . alternatively , for use in the next step of the process , the compound ( iv ) can be kept in solution in the reaction product and the n , n - disubstitutedformamide used as catalyst can be removed by distillation or by extraction with water before proceeding to the next step of the process . the bis ( chloromethyl ) cyclohexane ( iv ) obtained as described above is then reacted in the presence of an inert organic solvent ( the reaction solution derived from the previous step without isolation of the compound iv can be used ) with an alkali metal cyanide such as sodium , potassium , lithium and the like cyanides using procedures well - known in the art , such as described by r . a . smiley and c . arnold , j . org . chem ., 25 , 257 ,( 1960 ) and l . friedman and h . shechter , j . org . chem ., 25 , 877 , ( 1960 ). the reaction is conducted at temperatures in the range of about 70 ° c . to about 180 ° c . and preferably about 80 ° c . to about 140 ° c . advantageously , the alkali metal cyanide is added portionwise , with vigorous agitation , in the solid state to the solution of dichloride ( iv ) in the inert organic solvent . the reactants are employed in at least stoichiometric proportions and advantageously with the alkali metal cyanide present in slight excess over the stoichiometric amount . the reaction proceeds smoothly and gives the desired dinitrile ( v ) in high yield . the resulting reaction product is a mixture of alkali metal chloride ( as a precipitate ) and a solution of the dinitrile ( v ) in inert organic solvent . the alkali metal chloride is removed by filtration , centrifugation and the like and the dinitrile ( v ) is isolated readily by evaporation of the solvent . the dinitrile ( v ) can be purified , if desired , by conventional techniques such as crystallization , before being subjected to the next step in the process of the invention . the dinitrile ( v ) is then hydrogenated to the corresponding diamine ( vi ) using any of the procedures known in the art for the reduction of a nitrile to the corresponding amine ; see , for example , chemistry of carbon compounds , edited by e . h . rodd , volume iiia , p . 488 , elsevier , new york , 1954 . such techniques include reduction using sodium in the presence of a lower aliphatic alcohol such as methanol , ethanol , and the like as well as hydrogenation in the presence of a catalyst such as supported platinum and palladium catalysts , raney nickel and the like . the diamine ( vi ) so obtained can be purified , if desired , by conventional procedures ; for example , the diamine can be converted to its salt with a mineral or organic acid and the salt can be purified by recrystallization before being converted back to the free diamine by reaction with the appropriate base such as an alkali metal hydroxide . in the final step of the process the diamine ( vi ) is converted to the desired diisocyanate ( i ) by phosgenation using procedures well - known in the art . the phosgenation is carried out advantageously using procedures described by siefken , annalen , 562 , 75 et seq ., 1949 . illustratively , the diamine ( vi ) or an acid addition salt thereof such as the dihydrochloride , dihydrobromide , and the like , is treated with phosgene in the presence of an inert organic solvent such as benzene , toluene , anisole , xylene , naphthalene , decalin , chlorobenzene , dichlorobenzene , bromobenzene , chlorotoluene and the like . the reaction is conducted initially at ambient or below ambient temperatures such as about - 10 ° c . to about 20 ° c . and subsequently at elevated temperatures , preferably at temperatures of the order of 100 ° c . to 200 ° c . the phosgene is conveniently employed in approximately stoichiometric proportions but an excess of phosgene can be employed if desired . the resulting diisocyanate ( i ) is isolated from the reaction mixture by conventional procedures . for example , the excess phosgene is purged from the reaction mixture using a stream of nitrogen or other inert gas and the inert solvent is removed by distillation under reduced pressure . the residual diisocyanate ( i ) can be purified , if desired , by conventional procedures such as by distillation and the like . the diisocyanate ( i ) is a colorless liquid . as will be readily apparent the diisocyanate ( i ) can exist in a number of stereoisomeric forms . while theoretically more than two stereoisomeric forms are possible , it is found in practice that the cyclohexane ring tends to assume the &# 34 ; chair &# 34 ; configuration rather than the &# 34 ; boat &# 34 ; configuration at least at room temperature and that , with the cyclohexane ring in the &# 34 ; chair &# 34 ; form , the two stereoisomers present in the diisocyanate ( i ) are the cis - and the trans - isomer . the above two isomers in the diisocyanate ( i ) can vary in proportion depending principally on the proportion of these isomers present in the starting diol ( ii ) unless specific steps are taken to separate the two isomers or enhance the proportion of one isomer with respect to the other at some stage in the conversion of the starting diol ( ii ) to the diisocyanate ( i ). if desired , the stereoisomers can be separated by known procedures , such as fractional crystallization or distillation or after derivatization , i . e . conversion of ( vi ) into a bis ( imine ) followed by fractional crystallization . thus , the diisocyanate ( i ) can be prepared in the form of the pure trans - isomer or the pure cis - isomer or a mixture of these two isomers in any proportion . depending upon the particular use for which the diisocyanate ( i ) is to be employed it may be important to select a particular isomer or mixture of isomers as discussed in more detail below . however , it is to be understood that any and all such isomers and mixtures of isomers are included within the present invention . the diisocyanate ( i ) can be employed in the preparation of polyurethanes , both cellular and non - cellular , which have hitherto been prepared from closely related aliphatic diisocyanates . in common with the known aliphatic isocyanates the diisocyanate ( i ) of the invention gives rise to polyurethanes which do not suffer discoloration on aging , i . e . do not give rise to the brown color which is a characteristic of aged polyurethanes prepared from aromatic polyisocyanates . this property makes the diisocyanate ( i ) advantageous in the preparation of polyurethanes for coating compositions which are water - white , transparent and resistant to color formation on aging . the diisocyanate ( i ) is also highly advantageous in the preparation of elastomers which are generally prepared by reaction with polymeric diols and low molecular weight extender diols in accordance with methods well - known in the art . it is found that the elastomers so prepared exhibit significantly improved resilience properties ( as measured by astm - d2632 test for resilience ) when compared with elastomers prepared in exactly the same manner using the next lower homologue , namely 1 , 4 - bis ( isocyanatomethyl ) cyclohexane , of the diisocyanate ( i ); see the data set forth in example 2 below . in this type of application the proportion of stereoisomers in the diisocyanate ( i ) plays a role . thus the properties , particularly the resilience , of the elastomers in question is enhanced to the greatest extent when the pure trans - isomer is employed and , when a mixture of stereoisomers is used , the degree of enhancement of properties is substantially directly proportional to the proportion of trans - isomer present in the starting diisocyanate . the following examples describe the manner and process of making and using the invention and set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out the invention but are not to be construed as limiting . a charge of 250 ml . of 1 , 2 - dichloroethane was heated under reflux while a stream of phosgene was bubbled into the liquid and a total of 58 g . ( 0 . 4 mole ) of 1 , 4 - bis ( hydroxymethyl ) cyclohexane was added in small portions over a period of 1 hour , allowing the material added in each portion to dissolve before the next portion was added . shortly after the addition was completed , the introduction of phosgene was terminated and the excess phosgene was purged from the reaction mixture using a stream of nitrogen . when the purging was complete , part of the dichloroethane solvent was removed by evaporation . to the concentrate was added 10 ml . ( 0 . 13 mole ) of dimethylformamide and the resulting mixture was heated under reflux for approximately eight hours . at the end of this time the excess solvent and dimethylformamide were removed by distillation under low vacuum and the residue was distilled in vacuo to obtain 66 . 93 g . ( 92 percent theoretical yield ) of 1 , 4 - bis ( chloromethyl ) cyclohexane in the form of a colorless liquid having a boiling point of 65 ° to 70 ° c . at 0 . 1 mm . of mercury . a suspension of 70 g . ( 1 . 4 mole ) of sodium cyanide in 200 ml . of dimethyl sulfoxide was heated with stirring to 90 ° c . and a total of 108 . 6 g . ( 0 . 6 mole ) of 1 , 4 - bis ( chloromethyl ) cyclohexane ewas added over a period of approximately 1 hour . the temperature of the reaction mixture reached a maximum of 168 ° c . shortly after addition commenced but levelled off at 130 °- 132 ° c . towards the end of the addition . after the addition was complete , the resulting mixture was maintained at 115 ° c . with continuous stirring for a further 1 . 5 hr . and was then cooled to room temperature ( circa 20 ° c .). the cooled mixture was filtered and the insoluble material was washed on the filter with dimethyl sulfoxide . the combined filtrate and washings were distilled to remove the major portion of the solvent and the undistilled residue was allowed to cool to room temperature whereupon it crystallized . the residue was dissolved in 200 ml . of toluene and the solution so obtained was extracted 5 times with 40 ml . portions of water to remove the last traces of dimethyl sulfoxide . the washed toluene solution was dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate and the toluene was then removed by distillation . the residue crystallized in the form of a honey - colored solid . there was thus obtained 92 . 5 g . ( 94 percent theoretical yield ) of 1 , 4 - bis ( cyanomethyl ) cyclohexane . the identity and purity of the product was confirmed by gel permeation chromatography and by infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra . a total of 50 g . of 1 , 4 - bis ( cyanomethyl ) cyclohexane ( prepared as described above ), 100 ml . of toluene , and 8 g . of raney nickel ( previously washed with methanol and toluene ) was charged to a parr bomb hydrogenation apparatus . the bomb was cooled in dry ice and pressured with anhydrous ammonia followed by hydrogen to a pressure of 800 psi . the bomb was then heated to 90 °- 100 ° c . at which point the pressure reached 1040 psi . after about 1 hour of heating the uptake of hydrogen began . when the pressure had fallen to 400 psi the bomb was charged with additional hydrogen to a pressure of 820 psi . the pressure fell to 500 psi over a period of 2 . 75 hours and the bomb was again repressured to 800 psi and hydrogenation was continued for a further 1 hour at the end of which time the pressure had fallen to 770 psi . the hydrogenation was then stopped and the reaction product was cooled to room temperature ( circa 20 ° c .) and allowed to stand overnight . the reaction product was then filtered and the insoluble material was washed on the filter with toluene . the combined filtrate and washings were then distilled under reduced pressure to remove the toluene and the residue was distilled in vacuo to yield 48 . 8 g . ( 93 percent theoretical yield ) of 1 , 4 - bis ( 2 - aminoethyl ) cyclohexane ( vi ) in the form of an oil having a boiling point of 86 °- 92 ° c . at 0 . 1 mm . of mercury . this diamine was shown by c - 13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectral analysis to contain the cis - to trans - isomers of ( vi ) in a ratio of approximately 1 : 2 . 5 . a total of 160 g . ( 1 . 62 mole ) of phosgene was dissolved in 400 ml . of anisole maintained in a cooling bath at 8 °- 10 ° c . the resulting solution was maintained at the same temperature and stirred while a solution of 48 g . ( 0 . 28 mole ) of 1 , 4 - bis ( 2 - aminoethyl ) cyclohexane ( prepared as described above ) in 275 ml . of anisole was added dropwise under an atmosphere of nitrogen . the addition took place in 1 hour and 10 minutes . after the addition was complete , the resulting mixture was heated gradually to 112 °- 115 ° c . and finally to a temperature of 131 to 135 ° c . over a total time of 5 hours . during the heating period a stream of phosgene was bubbled through the reaction mixture . at the end of the heating period the reaction mixture was purged of excess phosgene using a stream of nitrogen and was then evaporated on a rotary evaporator to remove the bulk of the solvent . the remainder of the solvent was removed by distillation and the residue was distilled under reduced pressure to obtain 54 . 6 g . ( 87 percent theoretical yield ) of 1 , 4 - bis ( 2 - isocyanatoethyl ) cyclohexane in the form of an oil having a boiling point of 130 °- 133 ° c . at 0 . 1 mm . of mercury . the material was found to have an isocyanate equivalent of 113 . the identity of the material was confirmed by the infrared spectrum and the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum . this example shows a direct comparison of two elastomers made under identical conditions and using the same reactants in the same proportions by equivalents , the sole difference being that in one case the isocyanate used was 1 , 4 - bis ( 2 - isocyanatoethyl ) cyclohexane and , in the other case , was 1 , 4 - bis ( isocyanatomethyl ) cyclohexane . the latter diisocyanate was prepared from the corresponding diamine ( eastman kodak ) by phosgenation using the same procedure as that described in example 1 , part d . the starting diamine was found to have a ratio of content of cis - to trans - isomer of 1 : 3 . 3 ; i . e . the 1 , 4 - bis ( isocyanatomethyl ) cyclohexane derived therefrom had a significantly greater trans - isomer content than the diisocyanate of example 1 above . the procedure employed to prepare both elastomers was as follows . the reactants and proportions ( by equivalents or by weight where indicated ) of each were : ______________________________________ proportion______________________________________polytetramethylene glycol 1 . 0 equivs . eq . wt . = 488 . 7 ( teracol 1000 : dupont ) 1 , 4 - butanediol 2 . 25 equivs . diisocyanate 3 . 25 × 1 . 02 ( index ) antioxidant ( irganox 1010 ) 0 . 25 % w / w * lubricant ( advawax 280 ) 0 . 5 % w / w * catalyst ( 50 % solution of stannous 0 . 025 % w / w * octoate in dioctyl phthalate ) ______________________________________ * proportions based on total weight of reactants . the polytetramethylene glycol , 1 , 4 - butanediol , antioxidant , catalyst and lubricant were mixed and the mixture was degassed by heating at 90 ° to 100 ° c . for 2 hours at a pressure of about 0 . 1 mm . of mercury . the diisocyanate was added to the degassed mixture with vigorous stirring and the mixed reactants were poured into a teflon lined pan and reaction was allowed to proceed to completion . the resulting polyurethane was then granulated , dried at 90 ° c . for 4 hrs . and subjected to injection molding using a barrel temperature of 200 ° to 210 ° c . and a mold temperature of 50 ° c ., to form test sheets ( 43 / 4 &# 34 ;× 43 / 4 &# 34 ;× 1 / 16 &# 34 ;) for determination of physical properties . the physical properties so determined for the two elastomers were as follows . ______________________________________ elastomer from elastomer from 1 , 4 - bis ( isocyanato - diisocyanate of methyl ) cyclohexane example 1______________________________________tensile strength : psi 4700 2550 . sup . 1elongation at break : % 630 840hardness : shore a 93 91clashberg modulus t . sub . c - 64 ° c . - 66 ° c . bayshore rebound 29 35 ( astm - d2632 ) density g / cc 1 . 094 1 . 084______________________________________ footnote : . sup . 1 the test bars showed &# 34 ; necking &# 34 ;, i . e . stretching at approximately the midpoint rather than uniformly throughout the bar . the above results demonstrate that the elastomer prepared from the diisocyanate of example 1 possessed significantly superior elongation and resiliency as compared with the elastomer from the prior art diisocyanate in spite of the higher trans - isomer content of the latter . the higher trans content would be expected to enhance the resiliency of the elastomer . the difference in resiliency as measured by the above test confirmed an observation made in a simple manual test in which it was observed that the elastomer prepared from the diisocyanate of example 1 had a much &# 34 ; snappier &# 34 ; feel , i . e . upon flexing the test sheet of the elastomer the return to original configuration upon release was very rapid in the case of the elastomer prepared from the diisocyanate of example 1 but much more sluggish in the case of the elastomer prepared from the prior art diisocyanate .	2
while this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms , there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail preferred embodiments of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to the embodiments illustrated . this invention is directed to transmitting an object from a function block diagram 11 , e . g ., international electrotechnical commission ( iec ) 1131 ofb , dfb , and efb , etc . ; to a receiving or display device 16 , such as a monitor , for requesting human intervention with an automation network 10 . specifically , the function block cons an object , preferably a java - like module , that is transmitted to , and activated at , its destination receiving device 16 . the receiving device 16 will launch the java - like object to notify an operator of a situation affecting the automation network 10 . alternatively , the object can be transmitted to interact with another network or software module . this invention allows operator personnel to be notified of a network event requesting human intervention without requiring operator personnel to continuously maintain an active alarm handling application for the automation network 10 . an object is transmitted by the program application , i . e ., function block diagram , of an intelligent automation device 12 to notify and request intervention by an operator . this is useful in alarm applications and when occasional intervention by an operator is required in an automation process . in addition , a programmer can create an object that is integrated within the intelligent automation devices &# 39 ; s application program and thus , able to be easily modified at the same time the controller &# 39 ; s program is edited . preferably , the invention is used with a programmable logic controller 12 ( plc ), but any other intelligent automation device can be used , i . e ., ac - inverter , motion controller , drives , circuit breakers , etc . in fig1 , a function block 14 resides within a controller &# 39 ; s application program and is energized or activated through a function block diagram 11 . the function block 14 includes an object that is transmitted to a receiving device 16 for notifying operator personnel . the receiving device 16 has means for receiving and displaying the object , e . g ., a computer having a web browser . the object has a defined data type and data structure that includes both data and functions . the object can be a file containing extensible markup language ( xml ), hyper text markup language ( html ), wireless application protocol ( wap ) or wml ( an xml application ) that is specifically devised for small screens and navigation without a keyboard . wml is found on devices such as smart phones and communicators with simple mail transfer protocol ( smtp ), or java code . some object oriented programming languages are java , c ++ and smalltalk . fig3 is an illustration of a block diagram representing a portion of the function block diagram 11 . an input from a network device ( not shown ) on the network is monitored , preferably through polling , by sensing a signal from the network device . in response to the signal from the network device 20 , the function block 14 can transmit an object containing a java - like code to the display device 16 . an agent residing at the display device 16 can be activated to display the object to request intervention by an operator . in another embodiment of the invention , the object activates the agent on the display device 16 . upon receipt of a java , html or wml based object , the receiving device 16 stores the object in a temporary location of the receiving device 16 . the receiving device 16 displays the object for notification to an operator . preferably , a web browser displays an image on the screen of the receiving device 16 . however , it is to be understood that audible notification or any other type of sensory notification to the receiving device 16 is also contemplated by this invention . if the intervention request is transmitted by a network device 20 in java , html or wml , the receiving device 16 displays a graphic image related to the network device 20 that initiated the controller &# 39 ; s request for intervention . the receiving device 16 then waits for the operator personnel to intervene . if desired , an operator can send a message response back to the function block 14 , efb , through the receiving device 16 . the function block diagram waits for a message response from the receiving device 16 . the response can close the connection or abort it by setting a bit or flag within the function block 14 . if the operator transmits a return message , the information is placed in a location specified by the function block diagram 11 . other messages having different protocols can also be sent to various other receiving devices 16 ; such as xml to computers ; wml to cell phones ; wireless application protocol ( wap ) to mobile phones , pagers , two - way radios , smartphones and communicators ; hyper text markup language ( html ) to web browsers ; simple mail transfer protocol ( smtp ) to electronic mail boxes , etc . in addition , a handheld device such as a personal digital assistant ( pda ) that combines computing , telephone / fax , and networking features can also be used as a receiving device 16 . a pda can function as a cellular phone , fax , and personal organizer . unlike portable computers , most pdas are pen - based , using a stylus rather than a keyboard for input . pdas can incorporate handwriting recognition features and some pdas can also react to voice input by using voice recognition technologies . thus , operator personal can provide a written or oral response to the controller 12 requesting intervention . fig2 represents an alternate embodiment of the present invention wherein transmission of an object to the receiving device 16 is wireless . a receiving device 16 having an agent , preferably a computer with a browser , monitors network events on a predetermined port . a function block code 14 i . e ., ebd , efb , ofb , is energized through a function block diagram 11 and connects to the agent at a predetermined receiving device 16 , e . g ., computer , pager , cell phone , etc . the function block 14 sends the object to the agent or an other server , such as a smtp server . the object can contain any markup language , e . g ., xml , html , wml or java code . if the object contains smtp , the object is e - mailed without awaiting a reply from the receiving device 16 . the agent initiates a web browser on the receiving device 16 if the message is java , html , xml or wml . the object executes at the receiving device 16 , perhaps displaying a graphic image of a network device 20 that requires attention . the browser waits for operator personnel to intervene . if an operator enters a response message , the response message is sent back to the function block 14 wherein the controller 12 can act in accordance with the response message . the message response is placed in a location specified by the function block 14 . while specific embodiments have been illustrated and described , numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying claims .	7
referring to fig1 the numeral 10 refers to a vacuum cleaner having a main body 11 , a floor and carpet pickup head 12 and an extension handle 13 . as is illustrated in fig2 both the extension handle 13 and the pickup head 12 can be detached from the main body 11 . the main body 11 has a two piece housing 14 with a front portion 15 and a rear portion 16 which are detachably latched together by an interfitting latch 17 at the bottom ( fig8 ) and a locking latch 18 at the top ( fig1 ). the locking latch has an operating lever which when depressed by the operator at its rear end releases the front portion providing access to the interior of the front portion . the interior of the front portion 15 serves as a collection chamber for the material such as dirt etc . picked up by the vacuum . the vacuum is created by a motor driven air impeller housed in the front part of the rear portion 16 powered by a rechargeable battery pack also housed in the rear portion . the operation of the motor is controlled by a switch 19 . the rear end of the rear portion is shaped to provide a rearwardly extending primary handle 20 of a length and cross - sectional size and shape to be conveniently and comfortably held in the user &# 39 ; s hand . the motor control switch 19 is mounted in the forward portion of this handle where the operator can maneuver it by use of the thumb . an opening 30 is provided in the rear end of the primary handle 20 of a size to telescopically receive the end of the wand - like secondary or extension handle 13 ( fig6 ). within the handle 20 , a plurality of spaced , circumferential ribs 32 and longitudinal stiffeners 33 form an elongated circular passageway or tunnel closely fitting about the extension handle 13 , so that the extension handle , when fully inserted can firmly support the main body without conveying to the user any sense of looseness ( fig9 and 9a ). a latch 34 is pivotally mounted to the handle 20 and is provided with a finger 35 which seats in the latch opening 36 in the extension handle 13 ( fig9 ). the latch 34 is pivoted into locking engagement with the handle by a spring 37 ( fig9 a ). to facilitate entry of the end of the extension handle into the passageway at the top and bottom of the entry path inclined guide surfaces 38 are provided . the length of the extension handle 13 is a matter of choice . a convenient length for normal household usage would be that which would make it easy to use the vacuum cleaner , with carpet head removed , to remove cobwebs at the ceiling / wall juncture in a room of standard ceiling height of eight feet as illustrated in fig1 without requiring the operator to grip the handle at a point above the operator &# 39 ; s head . it will be recognized that for use in older houses and some commercial facilities having higher ceilings such as 10 or 12 feet either a longer or a sectional handle could be provided and such would be within the scope of this invention . the end of the handle is provided with a suitable grip 39 . the front or bottom face 50 of the main body is inclined rearwardly and downwardly from the upper or front face of the main body at an angle of about 45 ° ( fig7 and 10 ). this inclination is such that the front face is generally parallel to the floor when the machine is being used to pick up dirt without use of the carpet head and with the operator holding the handle at a convenient angle while standing erect . it also permits this face to be generally parallel to a wall surface when the equipment is used to clean the upper portion of a wall surface in the manner illustrated in fig1 . it will also be observed from fig1 that by inverting the vacuum cleaner about its longitudinal axis the inclination of the front face makes it convenient to use the machine for removing material clinging to the ceiling . this arrangement also makes the machine particularly effective for picking up floor spills such as cereal , ashes , crumbs or the like . the face 50 has a central opening 51 which provides a restricted opening to the internal dirt collection chamber . opening 51 is laterally elongated , specifically preferably rectangular , so as to improve the pick up characteristics when using face 50 and opening 51 as a pick up tool . the rectangular opening provides good equivalent orifice relative to the floor . thus , when used for picking up spilled materials , a strong air current is generated in a small area capable of picking up relatively heavy items . also , this type of strong air current is effective for removing lint and embedded dirt which tends to cling tenaciously to fabric surfaces such as pillow covers and upholstery . opening 51 is framed by a generally rounded lip 58 and on three sides by inwardly beveled walls 59 ( fig4 and 11 ). rounded lip 58 helps prevent the apparatus from scratching hard surfaces or becoming nagged in drapes or fabric , as often happens when one attempts to use the metal pipe of a canister vacuum as a tool . preferably , walls 59 are beveled at a relatively shallow angle , preferably less than 45 ° but more than 15 ° to the plane of face 50 , to enhance the rapid flow of air around edge 58 and into the generally rectangular throat 54 surrounding opening 51 , which serves as a passageway for air being drawn into the interior dirt collection chamber of the apparatus . to adapt the equipment to general use on floor surfaces , a pickup head attachment 12 equipped with a rectangular , tubular nozzle or coupling 52 is provided . the tubular nozzle is pivotally mounted to the floor engaging body of the head in a conventional manner . the tubular nozzle is coupled to the main body 11 by being telescopically inserted into the opening 51 where it presses firmly against the ribs 53 projecting from the walls of the throat 54 extending inwardly from the opening 51 ( fig4 and 7 ). the engagement between the ribs 53 and the sides of the nozzle together with a small taper in the walls of the throat provide a firm but slidably disengageable anchor for the pickup head 12 . insertion of the nozzle is limited by the stops 55 . at the inner end of the throat a flapper valve 56 is provided to prevent escape of the material collected in the dirt chamber when the motor is turned off . the flapper valve 56 is secured to the plastic posts 57 which are integral with the molded housing . the pickup head is conventional in providing a means for causing a high velocity stream of air to pass through or close to the surface to be cleaned to entrain dirt and other materials on or in that surface . all of the various parts of the main body 11 except the motor , the battery , the extension handle , wiring and incidental fasteners used for assembly are of molded plastic , thus , minimizing weight . the handle is preferably metal tubing for rigidity . the result is a very light weight machine which can be easily used without fatigue even when it is entirely supported by the operator as indicated in fig1 . the invention provides a compact , unitized vacuum cleaner which the user carries as a single , light weight unit to the place where it is to be used . at the point of use , the operator adapts the machine to the particular requirements of the job . if it is removing a spill from the carpet the operator simply turns on the motor and uses the machine as is . if the spill has been embedded in a carpet surface , by removing the head 12 , the displacement force of the vacuum can be concentrated by exposing the carpet surface to the opening 51 only . if it is to be used to remove a spider web or dust from a valance or the top of a picture or the top rail of panelling , the operator simply removes the carpet head 12 and proceeds with the job . if the job objective is vacuuming upholstery , such as to remove something spilled on it , in addition to removal of the carpet head 12 , the extension handle 31 is removed and the main body of the machine is used as a compact hand vacuum while gripping it by the primary handle 20 . in each case no accessories or extra equipment has to be brought with the machine . being of the cordless type , the accessibility of electrical power is irrelevant . the absence of extension cords significantly reduces the weight and pull exerted by the machine which must be supported by the operator . when the clean up is complete , if the machine has been taken apart , it can be reassembled for storage simply by reattaching the carpet head and the extension handle . when returned to storage , it is again recharged by inserting the charging unit in the charger connection 21 ( fig8 ). further , because the machine is a simple integrated , compact unit which is neither bulky nor of a complex shape , it occupies a minimum of storage space , an important feature in many homes , condominiums and apartments . having described a preferred embodiment of the invention , it will be understood that various modifications of it can be made without departing from the principles of the invention . such modifications are to be considered as included in the hereinafter appended claims unless these claims , by their language , expressly state otherwise .	0
the present invention will be described in combination with ultrasonic instruments as described herein . such description is exemplary only , and is not intended to limit the scope and applications of the invention . for example , the invention is useful in combination with a multitude of ultrasonic instruments including those described in , for example , u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 938 , 633 ; 5 , 935 , 144 ; 5 , 944 , 737 ; 5 , 322 , 055 , 5 , 630 , 420 ; and 5 , 449 , 370 . [ 0058 ] fig1 illustrates ultrasonic system 10 comprising an ultrasonic signal generator 15 with ultrasonic transducer 82 , hand piece housing 20 , and clamp coagulator 120 in accordance with the present invention . clamp coagulator 120 may be used for open or laparoscopic surgery . the ultrasonic transducer 82 , which is known as a “ langevin stack ”, generally includes a transduction portion 90 , a first resonator or end - bell 92 , and a second resonator or fore - bell 94 , and ancillary components . the ultrasonic transducer 82 is preferably an integral number of one - half system wavelengths ( nλ / 2 ) in length as will be described in more detail later . an acoustic assembly 80 includes the ultrasonic transducer 82 , mount 36 , velocity transformer 64 and surface 95 . the distal end of end - bell 92 is connected to the proximal end of transduction portion 90 , and the proximal end of fore - bell 94 is connected to the distal end of transduction portion 90 . fore - bell 94 and end - bell 92 have a length determined by a number of variables , including the thickness of the transduction portion 90 , the density and modulus of elasticity of the material used to manufacture end - bell 92 and fore - bell 94 , and the resonant frequency of the ultrasonic transducer 82 . the fore - bell 94 may be tapered inwardly from its proximal end to its distal end to amplify the ultrasonic vibration amplitude as velocity transformer 64 , or alternately may have no amplification . the piezoelectric elements 100 may be fabricated from any suitable material , such as , for example , lead zirconate - titanate , lead meta - niobate , lead titanate , or other piezoelectric crystal material . each of the positive electrodes 96 , negative electrodes 98 , and piezoelectric elements 100 has a bore extending through the center . the positive and negative electrodes 96 and 98 are electrically coupled to wires 102 and 104 , respectively . wires 102 and 104 are encased within cable 25 and electrically connectable to ultrasonic signal generator 15 of ultrasonic system 10 . ultrasonic transducer 82 of the acoustic assembly 80 converts the electrical signal from ultrasonic signal generator 15 into mechanical energy that results in primarily longitudinal vibratory motion of the ultrasonic transducer 82 and an end - effector 180 at ultrasonic frequencies . a suitable generator is available as model number gen01 , from ethicon endo - surgery , inc ., cincinnati , ohio . when the acoustic assembly 80 is energized , a vibratory motion standing wave is generated through the acoustic assembly 80 . the amplitude of the vibratory motion at any point along the acoustic assembly 80 depends on the location along the acoustic assembly 80 at which the vibratory motion is measured . a minimum or zero crossing in the vibratory motion standing wave is generally referred to as a node ( i . e ., where motion is usually minimal ), and an absolute value maximum or peak in the standing wave is generally referred to as an anti - node . the distance between an anti - node and its nearest node is one - quarter wavelength ( λ / 4 ). wires 102 and 104 transmit the electrical signal from the ultrasonic signal generator 15 to positive electrodes 96 and negative electrodes 98 . the piezoelectric elements 100 are energized by an electrical signal supplied from the ultrasonic signal generator 15 in response to a foot switch 118 to produce an acoustic standing wave in the acoustic assembly 80 . the electrical signal causes disturbances in the piezoelectric elements 100 in the form of repeated small displacements resulting in large compression forces within the material . the repeated small displacements cause the piezoelectric elements 100 to expand and contract in a continuous manner along the axis of the voltage gradient , producing longitudinal waves of ultrasonic energy . the ultrasonic energy is transmitted through the acoustic assembly 80 to the end - effector 180 . in order for the acoustic assembly 80 to deliver energy to end - effector 180 , all components of acoustic assembly 80 must be acoustically coupled to the ultrasonically active portions of clamp coagulator 120 . the distal end of the ultrasonic transducer 82 may be acoustically coupled at surface 95 to the proximal end of an ultrasonic waveguide 179 by a threaded connection such as stud 50 . the components of the acoustic assembly 80 are preferably acoustically tuned such that the length of any assembly is an integral number of one - half wavelengths ( nλ / 22 ), where the wavelength λ is the wavelength of a pre - selected or operating longitudinal vibration drive frequency f d of the acoustic assembly 80 , and where n is any positive integer . it is also contemplated that the acoustic assembly 80 may incorporate any suitable arrangement of acoustic elements . referring now to fig2 a and 2b , a clamp coagulator 120 of the surgical system 10 in accordance with the present invention is illustrated . the clamp coagulator 120 is preferably attached to and removed from the acoustic assembly 80 as a unit . the proximal end of the clamp coagulator 120 preferably acoustically couples to the distal surface 95 of the acoustic assembly 80 as shown in fig1 . it will be recognized that the clamp coagulator 120 may be coupled to the acoustic assembly 80 by any suitable means . the clamp coagulator 120 preferably includes an instrument housing 130 , and an elongated member 150 . the elongated member 150 can be selectively rotated with respect to the instrument housing 130 as further described below . the instrument housing 130 includes a pivoting handle portion 136 , and a fixed handle 132 a and 132 b , coupled to a left shroud 134 and a right shroud 138 respectively . the right shroud 138 is adapted to snap fit on the left shroud 134 . the right shroud 138 is preferably coupled to the left shroud 134 by a plurality of inwardly facing prongs 70 formed on the right shroud 138 . the plurality of prongs 70 are arranged for engagement in corresponding holes or apertures 140 , which are formed in the left shroud 134 . when the left shroud 134 is attached to the right shroud 138 , a cavity is formed therebetween to accommodate various components , such as an indexing mechanism 255 as further described below . the left shroud 134 , and the right shroud 138 of the clamp coagulator 120 are preferably fabricated from polycarbonate . it is contemplated that these components may be made from any suitable material without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . indexing mechanism 255 is disposed in the cavity of the instrument housing 130 . the indexing mechanism 255 is preferably coupled or attached on inner tube 170 to translate movement of the handle portion 136 to linear motion of the inner tube 170 to open and close the clamp arm assembly 300 . when the pivoting handle portion 136 is moved toward the fixed handle portion 130 , the indexing mechanism 255 slides the inner tube 170 rearwardly to pivot the clamp arm assembly 300 into a closed position . the movement of the pivoting handle portion 136 in the opposite direction slides the indexing mechanism 255 to displace the inner tube 170 in the opposite direction , i . e ., forwardly , and hence pivot the clamp arm assembly 300 into its open position . the indexing mechanism 255 also provides a ratcheting mechanism to allow the elongated member 150 to rotate about its longitudinal axis relative to instrument housing 130 . the rotation of the elongated member 150 enables the clamp arm assembly 300 to be turned to a selected or desired angular position . the indexing mechanism 255 preferably includes a tubular collar 260 and yoke 280 . the tubular collar 260 of the indexing mechanism 255 is preferably snapped onto the proximal end of the inner tube 170 and keyed into opposing openings 168 . the tubular collar 260 is preferably fabricated from polyetherimide . it is contemplated that the tubular collar 260 may be constructed from any suitable material . tubular collar 260 is shown in greater detail in fig1 through 13 . the tubular collar 260 preferably includes an enlarged section 262 , and a bore 266 extending therethrough . the enlarged section 262 preferably includes a ring 272 formed around the periphery of the tubular collar 260 to form groove 268 . the groove 268 has a plurality of detents or teeth 269 for retaining the elongated member 150 in different rotational positions as the elongated member 150 is rotated about its longitudinal axis . preferably , the groove 268 has twelve ratchet teeth to allow the elongated portion to be rotated in twelve equal angular increments of approximately 30 degrees . it is contemplated that the tubular collar 260 may have any number of teeth - like members . it will be recognized that the teeth - like members may be disposed on any suitable part of the tubular collar 260 without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention . referring back now to fig2 a through 4 , the pivoting handle portion 136 includes a thumb loop 142 , a first hole 124 , and a second hole 126 . a pivot pin 153 is disposed through first hole 124 of handle portion 136 to allow pivoting as shown by arrow 121 in fig3 . as thumb loop 142 of pivoting handle portion 136 is moved in the direction of arrow 121 , away from instrument housing 130 , a link 128 applies a forward force to yoke 280 , causing yoke 280 to move forward . link 128 is connected to pivoting handle portion 136 by a pin 129 , and link 128 is connected to base 284 by a pin 127 . referring back now to fig2 a , yoke 280 generally includes a holding or supporting member 282 and a base 284 . the supporting member 282 is preferably semi - circular and has a pair of opposing pawls 286 that extend inwardly to engage with the teeth 269 of the tubular collar 260 . it is contemplated that the pawls 286 may be disposed on any suitable part of the yoke 280 for engagement with the teeth 269 of the tubular collar 260 without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . it will also be recognized that the yoke 280 may have any number of ratchet arms . yoke 280 is shown in greater detail in fig1 through 22 . the pivoting handle portion 136 preferably is partially disposed in a slot 147 of the base 284 of the yoke 280 . the base 284 also includes a base opening 287 , an actuator travel stop 290 , and a base pin - hole 288 . the pivot pin 153 is disposed through the base opening 287 . yoke 280 pawls 286 transfer opening force to inner tube 170 through tubular collar 260 , resulting in the opening of clamp arm assembly 300 . the yoke 280 of the clamp coagulator 120 is preferably fabricated from polycarbonate . the yoke 280 may also be made from a variety of materials including other plastics , such as abs , nylon , or polyetherimide . it is contemplated that the yoke 280 may be constructed from any suitable material without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . as illustrated in fig3 and 4 , yoke 280 also transfers a closing force to clamp arm assembly 300 as pivoting handle portion 136 is moved toward instrument housing 130 . actuator travel stop 290 contacts pivot pin 153 at the bottom of the stroke of pivoting handle portion 136 , stopping any further movement , or overtravel , of pivoting handle portion 136 . pawls 286 of yoke 280 transfer force to tubular collar 260 through a washer 151 , a force limiting spring 155 , and collar cap 152 . collar cap 152 is rigidly attached to tubular collar 260 after washer 151 and force limiting spring 155 have been assembled onto tubular collar 260 proximal to enlarged section 262 . collar cap 152 is illustrated in greater detail in fig5 and 6 . force limiting spring 155 is illustrated in greater detail in fig7 and 8 , and washer 151 is illustrated in greater detail in fig9 and 10 . thickness of washer 151 may be adjusted during design or manufacturing of clamp coagulator 120 to alter the pre - load of force limiting spring 155 . collar cap 152 is attached to tubular collar 260 by ultrasonic welding , but may alternately be press fit , snap fit or attached with an adhesive . referring to fig5 through 10 , tubular collar 260 , washer 151 , force limiting spring 155 , and collar cap 152 provide a force limiting feature to clamp arm assembly 300 . as pivoting handle portion 136 is moved toward instrument housing 130 , clamp arm assembly 300 is rotated toward ultrasonic blade 88 . in order to provide both ultrasonic cutting , and hemostasis , it is desirable to limit the maximum force of clamp arm assembly 300 to 0 . 5 to 3 . 0 lbs . [ 0079 ] fig5 and 6 illustrate collar cap 152 including a spring surface 158 . fig7 and 8 illustrate force limiting spring 155 including a cap surface 156 , a washer surface 157 , and a plurality of spring elements 159 . force limiting spring 155 is described in the art as a wave spring , due to the shape of spring elements 159 . it is advantageous to use a wave spring for force limiting spring 155 because it provides a high spring rate in a small physical size well suited to an ultrasonic surgical instrument application where a central area is open for ultrasonic waveguide 179 . force limiting spring 155 is biased between spring surface 158 of collar cap 152 and spring face 165 of washer 151 . washer 151 includes a pawl face 167 ( fig9 and 10 ) that contacts pawls 286 of yoke 280 after assembly of clamp coagulator 120 ( see fig2 through 4 ). referring now to fig2 a , 2b , and fig1 through 18 , a rotational knob 190 is mounted on the elongated member 150 to turn the elongated member 150 so that the tubular collar 260 rotates with respect to the yoke 280 . the rotational knob 190 may be fabricated from polycarbonate . the rotational knob 190 may also be made from a variety of materials including other plastics , such as a polyetherimide , nylon , or any other suitable material . the rotational knob 190 preferably has an enlarged section or outer knob 192 , an inner knob 194 , and an axial bore 196 extending therethrough . inner knob 194 includes keys 191 that attach cooperatively to keyways 189 of outer knob 192 . the outer knob 192 includes alternating longitudinal ridges 197 and grooves 198 that facilitate the orientation of the rotational knob 190 and the elongated member 150 by a surgeon . the axial bore 196 of the rotational knob 190 is configured to snugly fit over the proximal end of the elongated member 150 . the inner knob 194 extends through an opening 139 in the distal end of the instrument housing 130 . inner knob 194 includes a channel 193 to rotatably attach inner knob 194 into opening 139 . the inner knob 194 of the rotational knob 190 has a pair of opposing holes 199 . the opposing holes 199 are aligned as part of a passageway 195 that extends through the elongated member 150 , as will be described later . a coupling member , such as , for example , pin 163 , may be positioned through opposing holes 199 of the passageway 195 . the pin 163 may be held in the passageway 195 of the elongated member 150 by any suitable means , such as , for example , trapped between ribs in housing 130 , or a silicone or cyanoacrylate adhesive . the pin 163 allows rotational torque to be applied to the elongated member 150 from the rotational knob 190 in order to rotate the elongated member 150 . when the rotational knob 190 is rotated , the teeth 269 of the tubular collar 260 engage and ride up slightly on the corresponding pawls 286 of the yoke 280 . as the pawls 286 ride up on the teeth 269 , the supporting member 282 of the yoke 280 deflects outwardly to allow pawls 286 to slip or pass over the teeth 269 of the tubular collar 260 . in one embodiment , the teeth 269 of the tubular collar 260 are configured as ramps or wedges , and the pawls 286 of the yoke 280 are configured as posts . the teeth 269 of the tubular collar 260 and the pawls 286 of the yoke 280 may be reversed so that the teeth 269 of the tubular collar 260 are posts , and the pawls 286 of the yoke 280 are ramps or wedges . it is contemplated that the teeth 269 may be integrally formed or coupled directly to the periphery of the elongated member 150 . it will also be recognized that the teeth 269 and the pawls 286 may be cooperating projections , wedges , cam surfaces , ratchet - like teeth , serrations , wedges , flanges , or the like which cooperate to allow the elongated member 150 to be indexed at selective angular positions , without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . as illustrated in fig2 b , the elongated member 150 of the clamp coagulator 120 extends from the instrument housing 130 . as shown in fig2 b through 4 , the elongated member 150 preferably includes an outer member or outer tube 160 , an inner member or inner tube 170 , and a transmission component or ultrasonic waveguide 179 . the outer tube 160 of the elongated member 150 preferably includes a hub 162 , a tubular member 164 , and a longitudinal opening or aperture 166 extending therethrough . the outer tube 160 preferably has a substantially circular cross - section and may be fabricated from stainless steel . it will be recognized that the outer tube 160 may be constructed from any suitable material and may have any suitable cross - sectional shape . the hub 162 of the outer tube 160 preferably has a larger diameter than the tubular member 164 does . the hub 162 has a pair of outer tube holes 161 to receive pin 163 to allow the hub 162 to be coupled to rotational knob 190 . as a result , the outer tube 160 will rotate when the rotational knob 190 is turned or rotated . the hub 162 of the outer tube 160 also includes wrench flats 169 on opposite sides of the hub 162 . the wrench flats 169 are preferably formed near the distal end of the hub 162 . the wrench flats 169 allow torque to be applied by a torque wrench to the hub 162 to tighten the ultrasonic waveguide 179 to the stud 50 of the acoustic assembly 80 . for example , u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 059 , 210 and 5 , 057 , 119 , which are hereby incorporated herein by reference , disclose torque wrenches for attaching and detaching a transmission component to a mounting device of a hand piece assembly . located at the distal end of the tubular member 164 of the outer tube 160 is an end - effector 180 for performing various tasks , such as , for example , grasping tissue , cutting tissue and the like . it is contemplated that the end - effector 180 may be formed in any suitable configuration . end - effector 180 and its components are shown in greater detail in fig2 through 33 . the end - effector 180 generally includes a non - vibrating clamp arm assembly 300 to , for example , grip tissue or compress tissue against the ultrasonic blade 88 . the end - effector 180 is illustrated in fig2 and 26 in a clamp open position , and clamp arm assembly 300 is preferably pivotally attached to the distal end of the outer tube 160 . looking first to fig2 through 26 , the clamp arm assembly 300 preferably includes a clamp arm 202 , a jaw aperture 204 , a first post 206 a , a second post 206 b , and a tissue pad 208 . the clamp arm 202 is pivotally mounted about a pivot pin 207 a and pivot pin 207 b to rotate in the direction of arrow 122 in fig3 when thumb loop 142 is moved in the direction indicated by arrow 121 in fig3 . by advancing the pivoting handle portion 136 toward the instrument housing 130 , the clamp arm 202 is pivoted about the pivot pin 207 a and pivot pin 207 b into a closed position . retracting the pivoting handle portion 136 away from the instrument housing 130 pivots the clamp arm 202 into an open position . the clamp arm 202 has tissue pad 208 attached thereto for squeezing tissue between the ultrasonic blade 88 and clamp arm assembly 300 . the tissue pad 208 is preferably formed of a polymeric or other compliant material and engages the ultrasonic blade 88 when the clamp arm 202 is in its closed position . preferably , the tissue pad 208 is formed of a material having a low coefficient of friction but which has substantial rigidity to provide tissue - grasping capability , such as , for example , teflon , a trademark name of e . i . du pont de nemours and company for the polymer polytetraflouroethylene ( ptfe ). the tissue pad 208 may be mounted to the clamp arm 202 by an adhesive , or preferably by a mechanical fastening arrangement as will be described below . as illustrated in fig2 , 26 and 28 , serrations 210 are formed in the clamping surfaces of the tissue pad 208 and extend perpendicular to the axis of the ultrasonic blade 88 to allow tissue to be grasped , manipulated , coagulated and cut without slipping between the clamp arm 202 and the ultrasonic blade 88 . tissue pad 208 is illustrated in greater detail in fig2 through 29 . tissue pad 208 includes a t - shaped protrusion 212 , a left protrusion surface 214 , a right protrusion surface 216 , a top surface 218 , and a bottom surface 219 . bottom surface 219 includes the serrations 210 previously described . tissue pad 208 also includes a beveled front end 209 to ease insertion during assembly as will be described below . referring now to fig2 , the distal end of the tubular member 174 of the inner tube 170 preferably includes a finger or flange 171 that extends therefrom . the flange 171 has an opening 173 a and an opening 173 b ( not shown ) to receive the first post 206 a and second post 206 b of the clamp arm 202 . when the inner tube 170 of the elongated member 150 is moved axially , the flange 171 moves forwardly or rearwardly while engaging the first post 206 a and second post 206 b of the clamp arm assembly 300 to open and close the clamp arm 202 . referring now to fig2 , 25 , and 31 through 33 , the clamp arm 202 of end - effector 180 is shown in greater detail . clamp arm 202 includes an arm top 228 and an arm bottom 230 , as well as a straight portion 235 and a curved portion 236 . straight portion 235 includes a straight t - slot 226 . curved portion 236 includes a first top hole 231 , a second top hole 232 , a third top hole 233 , a fourth top hole 234 , a first bottom cut - out 241 , a second bottom cut - out 242 , a third bottom cut - out 243 , a forth bottom cut - out 244 , a first ledge 221 , a second ledge 222 , a third ledge 223 , a fourth ledge 224 , and a fifth ledge 225 . top hole 231 extends from arm top 228 through clamp arm 202 to second ledge 222 . top hole 232 extends from arm top 228 through clamp arm 202 to third ledge 223 . top hole 233 extends from arm top 228 through clamp arm 202 to fourth ledge 224 . top hole 234 extends from arm top 228 through clamp arm 202 to fifth ledge 225 . the arrangement of holes 231 through 234 and ledges 211 through 225 enables clamp arm 202 to include both the straight portion 235 and the curved portion 236 , while being moldable from a process such as , for example , metal injection molding ( mim ). clamp arm 202 may be made out of stainless steel or other suitable metal utilizing the mim process . referring to fig3 and 31 , tissue pad 208 t - shaped protrusion 212 is insertable into clamp arm 202 straight t - slot 226 . clamp arm 202 is designed such that tissue pad 208 may be manufactured as a straight component by , for example , injection molding , machining , or extrusion . as clamp arm 202 is inserted into straight t - slot 226 and moved progressively through curved portion 236 , beveled front edge 209 facilitates bending of tissue pad 208 to conform to the curvature of clamp arm 202 . the arrangement of holes 231 through 234 and ledges 211 through 225 enables clamp arm 202 to bend and hold tissue pad 208 . [ 0100 ] fig3 and 33 illustrate how clamp arm 202 holds tissue pad 208 in place while maintaining a bend in tissue pad 208 that conforms to curved portion 236 of clamp arm 202 . as illustrated in fig3 , third ledge 223 contacts right protrusion surface 216 providing a contact edge 238 , while left protrusion surface 214 is unsupported at this position . at a distal location , illustrated in fig3 , fourth ledge 224 contacts left protrusion surface 214 providing a contact edge 239 , while right protrusion surface 216 is unsupported at this location . referring back now to fig2 again , the inner tube 170 of the elongated member 150 fits snugly within the opening 166 of the outer tube 160 . the inner tube 170 preferably includes an inner hub 172 , a tubular member 174 , a circumferential groove 176 , a pair of opposing openings 178 , a pair of opposing openings 178 , and a longitudinal opening or aperture 175 extending therethrough . the inner tube 170 preferably has a substantially circular cross - section , and may be fabricated from stainless steel . it will be recognized that the inner tube 170 may be constructed from any suitable material and may be any suitable shape . the inner hub 172 of the inner tube 170 preferably has a larger diameter than the tubular member 174 does . the pair of opposing openings 178 of the inner hub 172 allow the inner hub 172 to receive the pin 163 to allow the inner tube 170 and the ultrasonic waveguide 179 to transfer torque for attaching ultrasonic waveguide 179 to stud 50 as previously described . an o - ring 220 is preferably disposed in the circumferential groove 176 of the inner hub 172 . the ultrasonic waveguide 179 of the elongated member 150 extends through aperture 175 of the inner tube 170 . the ultrasonic waveguide 179 is preferably substantially semi - flexible . it will be recognized that the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may be substantially rigid or may be a flexible wire . ultrasonic vibrations are transmitted along the ultrasonic waveguide 179 in a longitudinal direction to vibrate the ultrasonic blade 88 . the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may , for example , have a length substantially equal to an integral number of one - half system wavelengths ( nλ / 2 ). the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may be preferably fabricated from a solid core shaft constructed out of material which propagates ultrasonic energy efficiently , such as titanium alloy ( i . e ., ti - 6al - 4v ) or an aluminum alloy . it is contemplated that the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may be fabricated from any other suitable material . the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may also amplify the mechanical vibrations transmitted to the ultrasonic blade 88 as is well known in the art . as illustrated in fig2 the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may include one or more stabilizing silicone rings or damping sheaths 110 ( one being shown ) positioned at various locations around the periphery of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 . the damping sheaths 110 dampen undesirable vibration and isolate the ultrasonic energy from the inner tube 170 assuring the flow of ultrasonic energy in a longitudinal direction to the distal end of the ultrasonic blade 88 with maximum efficiency . the damping sheaths 110 may be secured to the ultrasonic waveguide 179 by an interference fit such as , for example , a damping sheath described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 808 , 652 hereby incorporated herein by reference . referring again to fig2 the ultrasonic waveguide 179 generally has a first section 182 , a second section 184 , and a third section 186 . the first section 182 of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 extends distally from the proximal end of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 . the first section 182 has a substantially continuous cross - section dimension . the first section 182 preferably has at least one radial waveguide hole 188 extending therethrough . the waveguide hole 188 extends substantially perpendicular to the axis of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 . the waveguide hole 188 is preferably positioned at a node but may be positioned at any other suitable point along the ultrasonic waveguide 179 . it will be recognized that the waveguide hole 188 may have any suitable depth and may be any suitable shape . the waveguide hole 188 of the first section 182 is aligned with the opposing openings 178 of the hub 172 and outer tube holes 161 of hub 162 to receive the pin 163 . the pin 163 allows rotational torque to be applied to the ultrasonic waveguide 179 from the rotational knob 190 in order to rotate the elongated member 150 . passageway 195 of elongated member 150 includes opposing openings 178 , outer tube holes 161 , waveguide hole 188 , and opposing holes 199 . the second section 184 of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 extends distally from the first section 182 . the second section 184 has a substantially continuous cross - section dimension . the diameter of the second section 184 is smaller than the diameter of the first section 182 . as ultrasonic energy passes from the first section 182 of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 into the second section 184 , the narrowing of the second section 184 will result in an increased amplitude of the ultrasonic energy passing therethrough . the third section 186 extends distally from the distal end of the second section 184 . the third section 186 has a substantially continuous cross - section dimension . the third section 186 may also include small diameter changes along its length . the third section preferably includes a seal 187 formed around the outer periphery of the third section 186 . as ultrasonic energy passes from the second section 184 of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 into the third section 186 , the narrowing of the third section 186 will result in an increased amplitude of the ultrasonic energy passing therethrough . the third section 186 may have a plurality of grooves or notches ( not shown ) formed in its outer circumference . the grooves may be located at nodes of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 or any other suitable point along the ultrasonic waveguide 179 to act as alignment indicators for the installation of a damping sheath 110 during manufacturing . still referring to fig2 damping sheath 110 of the surgical instrument 150 surrounds at least a portion of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 . the damping sheath 110 may be positioned around the ultrasonic waveguide 179 to dampen or limit transverse side - to - side vibration of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 during operation . the damping sheath 110 preferably surrounds part of the second section 184 of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 . it is contemplated that the damping sheath 110 may be positioned around any suitable portion of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 . the damping sheath 110 preferably extends over at least one antinode of transverse vibration , and more preferably , a plurality of antinodes of transverse vibration . the damping sheath 110 preferably has a substantially circular cross - section . it will be recognized that the damping sheath 110 may have any suitable shape to fit over the ultrasonic waveguide 179 and may be any suitable length . the damping sheath 110 is preferably in light contact with the ultrasonic waveguide 179 to absorb unwanted ultrasonic energy from the ultrasonic waveguide 179 . the damping sheath 110 reduces the amplitude of non - axial vibrations of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 , such as , unwanted transverse vibrations associated with the longitudinal frequency of 55 , 500 hz as well as other higher and lower frequencies . the damping sheath 110 is constructed of a polymeric material , preferably with a low coefficient of friction to minimize dissipation of energy from the axial motion or longitudinal vibration of the ultrasonic waveguide 179 . the polymeric material is preferably floura - ethylene propene ( fep ) which resists degradation when sterilied using gamma radiation . it will be recognized that the damping sheath 110 may be fabricated from any suitable material , such as , for example , the damping sheath 110 preferably has an opening extending therethrough , and a longitudinal slit 111 . the slit 111 of the damping sheath 110 allows the damping sheath 110 to be assembled over the ultrasonic waveguide 179 from either end . it will be recognized that the damping sheath 110 may have any suitable configuration to allow the damping sheath 110 to fit over the ultrasonic waveguide 179 . for example , the damping sheath 110 may be formed as a coil or spiral or may have patterns of longitudinal and / or circumferential slits or slots . it is also contemplated that the damping sheath 110 may be fabricated without a slit 111 and the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may be fabricated from two or more parts to fit within the damping sheath 110 . it will be recognized that the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may have any suitable cross - sectional dimension . for example , the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may have a substantially uniform cross - section or the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may be tapered at various sections or may be tapered along its entire length . the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may also amplify the mechanical vibrations transmitted through the ultrasonic waveguide 179 to the ultrasonic blade 88 as is well known in the art . the ultrasonic waveguide 179 may further have features to control the gain of the longitudinal vibration along the ultrasonic waveguide 179 and features to tune the ultrasonic waveguide 179 to the resonant frequency of the system . the proximal end of the third section 186 of ultrasonic waveguide 179 may be coupled to the distal end of the second section 184 by an internal threaded connection , preferably near an antinode . it is contemplated that the third section 186 may be attached to the second section 184 by any suitable means , such as a welded joint or the like . third section 186 includes ultrasonic blade 88 . although the ultrasonic blade 88 may be detachable from the ultrasonic waveguide 179 , the ultrasonic blade 88 and ultrasonic waveguide 179 are preferably formed as a single unit . the ultrasonic blade 88 may have a length substantially equal to an integral multiple of one - half system wavelengths ( nλ / 2 ). the distal end of ultrasonic blade 88 may be disposed near an antinode in order to provide the maximum longitudinal excursion of the distal end . when the transducer assembly is energized , the distal end of the ultrasonic blade 88 is configured to move in the range of , for example , approximately 10 to 500 microns peak - to - peak , and preferably in the range of about 30 to 150 microns at a predetermined vibrational frequency . the ultrasonic blade 88 is preferably made from a solid core shaft constructed of material which propagates ultrasonic energy , such as a titanium alloy ( i . e ., ti - 6al - 4v ) or an aluminum alloy . it will be recognized that the ultrasonic blade 88 may be fabricated from any other suitable material . it is also contemplated that the ultrasonic blade 88 may have a surface treatment to improve the delivery of energy and desired tissue effect . for example , the ultrasonic blade 88 may be micro - finished , coated , plated , etched , grit - blasted , roughened or scored to enhance coagulation and cutting of tissue and / or reduce adherence of tissue and blood to the end - effector . additionally , the ultrasonic blade 88 may be sharpened or shaped to enhance its characteristics . for example , the ultrasonic blade 88 may be blade shaped , hook shaped , or ball shaped . as illustrated in fig3 , 35 and 36 , the geometry of the ultrasonic blade 88 in accordance with the present invention delivers ultrasonic power more uniformly to clamped tissue than predicate devices . the end - effector 180 provides for improved visibility of the blade tip so that a surgeon can verify that the blade 88 extends across the structure being cut or coagulated . this is especially important in verifying margins for large blood vessels . the geometry also provides for improved tissue access by more closely replicating the curvature of biological structures . blade 88 provides a multitude of edges and surfaces , designed to provide a multitude of tissue effects : clamped coagulation , clamped cutting , grasping , back - cutting , dissection , spot coagulation , tip penetration and tip scoring . the distal most tip of blade 88 has a surface 54 perpendicular to tangent 63 , a line tangent to the curvature at the distal tip . two fillet - like features 61 a and 61 b are used to blend surfaces 51 , 52 and 54 , thus giving a blunt tip that can be utilized for spot coagulation . the top of the blade 88 is radiused and blunt , providing a broad edge , or surface 56 , for clamping tissues between it and clamp arm assembly 300 . surface 56 is used for clamped cutting and coagulation as well as manipulating tissues while the blade is inactive . the bottom surface has a spherical cut 53 that provides a narrow edge , or sharp edge 55 , along the bottom of blade 88 . the material cut is accomplished by , for example , sweeping a spherical end mill through an arc of radius r 1 and then finishing the cut using a second , tighter radius r 2 that blends the cut with a bottom surface 58 of the blade 88 . radius r 1 is preferably within the range of 0 . 5 inches to 2 inches , more preferably within the range of 0 . 9 inches to 1 . 1 inches , and most preferably about 1 . 068 inches . radius r 2 is preferably within the range of 0 . 125 inches to 0 . 5 inches , and most preferably about 0 . 25 inches . the second radius r 2 and the corresponding blend with the bottom surface 58 of blade 88 diminishes the stress concentrated at the end of the spherical cut relative to stopping the cut without this blend . the sharp edge 55 facilitates dissection and unclamped cutting ( back - cutting ) through less vascular tissues . spherical cut 53 on bottom surface 58 of blade 88 creates sharp edge 55 while removing a minimal amount of material from blade 88 . spherical cut 53 on the bottom of blade 88 creates a sharp edge 55 with an angle of α as described below . this angle a may be similar to predicate shears devices such as , for example , the lcs - k5 manufactured by ethicon endo - surgery , inc ., cincinnati , ohio . however the blade 88 of the present invention cuts faster than predicate devices by virtue of the orientation of the angle α with respect to the typical application force . for the predicate shears devices , the edges are symmetric , spanning the application force equally . the edges for the present invention are asymmetric , with the asymmetry of the edges dictating how quickly tissue is separated or cut . the asymmetry is important in that it provides for an effectively sharper edge when ultrasonically activated , without removing a significant volume of material , while maintaining blunt geometry . this asymmetric angle as well as the curvature of the blade act to self tension tissue during back - cutting utilizing a slight hook - like or wedge - like action . sharp edge 55 of ultrasonic blade 88 is defined by the intersection of surface 53 and a second surface 57 left after bottom surface 58 has received spherical cut 53 . clamp arm assembly 300 is pivotally mounted on said distal end of outer tube 160 for pivotal movement with respect to ultrasonic blade 88 , for clamping tissue between clamp arm assembly 300 and ultrasonic blade 88 . reciprocal movement of inner tube 170 pivots clamp arm assembly 300 through an arc of movement , defining a vertical plane 181 . a tangent 60 of spherical cut 53 at sharp edge 55 defines an angle α with a tangent 62 of second surface 57 , as illustrated in fig3 . the bisection 59 of angle a preferably does not lie in vertical plane 181 , but is offset by an angle β . preferably the tangent 60 of spherical cut 53 lies within about 5 to 50 degrees of vertical plane 181 , and most preferably the tangent of spherical cut 53 lies about 38 . 8 degrees from vertical plane 181 . preferably angle a is within the range of about 90 to 150 degrees , and most preferably angle a is about 121 . 6 degrees . looking to fig3 a , an alternate embodiment of the present invention is illustrated with an asymmetric narrow edge . a tangent 60 a of a spherical cut 53 a at a sharp edge 55 a defines an angle αa with a tangent 62 a of a second surface 57 a , as illustrated in fig3 a . a bisection 59 a of angle αa preferably does not lie in a vertical plane 181 a , but is offset by an angle βa . the curved shape of the design of ultrasonic blade 88 also results in a more uniformly distributed energy delivery to tissue as it is clamped against the blade 88 . uniform energy delivery is desired so that a consistent tissue effect ( thermal and transection effect ) along the length of end - effector 180 is achieved . the distal most 15 millimeters of blade 88 is the working portion , used to achieve a tissue effect . as will be further described below , the displacement vectors for locations along the curved shears blade 88 have directions that , by virtue of the improvements of the present invention over predicate instruments , lie largely in the x - y plane illustrated in fig3 and 35 . the motion , therefore , of blade 88 lies within a plane ( the x - y plane ) that is perpendicular to the direction of the clamping force from clamp arm assembly 300 . straight symmetric ultrasonic blades in general have tip excursions that lie along the longitudinal axis , designated the x - axis in fig3 and 35 . transverse motion is usually undesirable because it results in undesirable heat generation in inner tube 170 . when a functional asymmetry is added to an ultrasonic blade , such as a curved end - effector as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 106 , 686 previously incorporated herein by reference , the functional asymmetry creates an imbalance in the ultrasonic waveguide . if the imbalance is not corrected , then undesirable heat , noise , and compromised tissue effect occur . although u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 106 , 686 teaches how to provide ultrasonic blades that are balanced proximal to the balance asymmetry , the distal portion of the end - effector has an excursion in at least two axes . if the end - effector has a single plane of functional asymmetry , such as a curved end - effector , but the blade is otherwise symmetric , then the excursion will lie in a plane at the distal most end . it is often desirable to minimize any ultrasonic blade 88 excursion in the z - axis direction . excursion of ultrasonic blade 88 in the z - axis direction causes system inefficiencies , resulting in undesirable heating , power loss , and possibly noise . excursion of ultrasonic blade 88 in the z - axis direction at end - effector 180 causes the ultrasonic blade 88 to impact tissue lying between ultrasonic blade 88 and clamp arm assembly 300 . it is desirable to limit ultrasonic blade 88 excursion to the x - y plane shown in fig3 and 35 . this allows ultrasonic blade 88 to rub tissue lying between ultrasonic blade 88 and clamp arm assembly 300 without impact , which optimizes heating of the tissue , and thus provides optimal coagulation . minimizing z - axis excursion both proximal to the end - effector 180 , and in ultrasonic blade 88 , may be accomplished by proper selection of a spherical cut 53 . however , an ultrasonic end - effector 180 with an ultrasonic blade 88 that has multiple functional asymmetries , such as ultrasonic blade 88 as illustrated in fig3 through 36 , will naturally have a tendency to include tip excursion in all three axes , x , y , and z if not balanced properly . for example , ultrasonic blade 88 as illustrated in fig3 is curved in the y direction at its distal end . this curvature , although balanced proximal to end - effector 180 , will cause ultrasonic blade 88 to have excursions in both the x and y directions when activated . adding spherical cut 53 subsequently adds another level of asymmetry to ultrasonic blade 88 , causing tip excursion in all three axes if not corrected , and also causing z - axis imbalances in ultrasonic waveguide 179 which decreases efficiency . it is possible to minimize z - axis tip excursion proximal to the functional asymmetry , and therefore maximize efficiency with improved tissue effect , by providing a functional asymmetry optimized to minimize z - axis excursion in ultrasonic waveguide 179 . as illustrated in fig3 , spherical cut 53 may extend proximally into ultrasonic blade 88 , from the most distal end , to any position . for example , fig3 illustrates a first position 66 , a second position 67 , and a third position 68 , for spherical cut 53 to extend into ultrasonic blade 88 . table 1 below describes three possible lengths of spherical cuts 53 for ultrasonic blade 88 illustrated in fig3 as first position 66 , second position 67 , and third position 68 . the rows of table 1 correspond to the length of cut into the ultrasonic blade 88 , and the columns of table 1 correspond to the balance condition and excursions along each axis for each cut length . it can be appreciated from table 1 that providing spherical cut 53 to a length corresponding to first position 68 minimizes the z axis excursion proximal to the functional asymmetry . it is preferable to balance ultrasonic blade 88 below 15 % z axis excursion proximal to the functional asymmetry and it is most preferable to balance ultrasonic blade 88 below 5 % z axis excursion proximal to the functional asymmetry . preferably clamp coagulator 120 is designed to be balanced when activated in air ( loaded only by air ), and then balance is verified under other load conditions . in table 1 , a normalized excursion percentage (% z ) in a clamping instrument at the end - effector 88 is calculated by taking the magnitude of the excursion in the direction normal to the clamp arm when the clamp arm is in its fully closed position , and dividing that magnitude by the magnitude of the maximum tip vibration excursion ( also called the primary tip vibration excursion ), and then multiplying the dividend by one hundred . primary tip vibration excursion is the magnitude of the major axis of the ellipse or ellipsoid created by a point on the distal most end of ultrasonic blade 88 when the ultrasonic blade 88 is activated . the measurement of excursions is more fully explained in iec international standard 61847 , titled measurement and declaration of the basic output characteristics of ultrasonic surgical systems , hereby incorporated herein by reference . a normalized excursion percentage (% x , % y , % z ) in ultrasonic blade 88 or ultrasonic waveguide 179 is calculated by taking the magnitude of a secondary vibration excursion , and dividing that magnitude by the magnitude of the primary tip vibration excursion , and then multiplying the dividend by one hundred . secondary tip vibration excursion is the magnitude of a minor axis , or other arbitrary axis , of the ellipse or ellipsoid created by a point on the distal most end of ultrasonic blade 88 when the ultrasonic blade 88 is activated . table 1 . three possible lengths to provide a range of balances for a 0 . 946 inch long blade with a radius of r 1 manufactured from ti6al - 4v with the blade including a functional asymmetry . % x at distal % y at distal % z at distal end of blade end of blade end of blade % z proximal 88 88 88 to blade 88 cut length = 71 . 83 69 . 47 4 . 15 0 . 40 12 . 8 mm , location at first position 68 cut length = 14 . 8 72 . 49 68 . 87 1 . 60 12 . 43 mm , location at second position 67 cut length = 8 . 2 74 . 54 66 . 03 9 . 21 8 . 25 mm , location at third position 66 5 referring now to fig1 - 4 , the procedure to attach and detach the clamp coagulator 120 from the acoustic assembly 80 will be described below . when the physician is ready to use the clamp coagulator 120 , the physician simply attaches the clamp coagulator 120 onto the acoustic assembly 80 . to attach the clamp coagulator 120 to acoustic assembly 80 , the distal end of stud 50 is threadedly connected to the proximal end of the transmission component or ultrasonic waveguide 179 . the clamp coagulator 120 is then manually rotated in a conventional screw - threading direction to interlock the threaded connection between the stud 50 and the ultrasonic waveguide 179 . once the ultrasonic waveguide 179 is threaded onto the stud 50 , a tool , such as , for example , a torque wrench , may be placed over the elongated member 150 of the clamp coagulator 120 to tighten the ultrasonic waveguide 179 to the stud 50 . the tool may be configured to engage the wrench flats 169 of the hub 162 of the outer tube 160 in order to tighten the ultrasonic waveguide 179 onto the stud 50 . as a result , the rotation of the hub 162 will rotate the elongated member 150 until the ultrasonic waveguide 179 is tightened against the stud 50 at a desired and predetermined torque . it is contemplated that the torque wrench may alternately be manufactured as part of the clamp coagulator 120 , or as part of the hand piece housing 20 , such as the torque wrench described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 776 , 155 hereby incorporated herein by reference . once the clamp coagulator 120 is attached to the acoustic assembly 80 , the surgeon can rotate the rotational knob 190 to adjust the elongated member 150 at a desired angular position . as the rotational knob 190 is rotated , the teeth 269 of the tubular collar 260 slip over the pawls 286 of the yoke 280 into the adjacent notch or valley . as a result , the surgeon can position the end - effector 180 at a desired orientation . rotational knob 190 may incorporate an indicator to indicate the rotational relationship between instrument housing 130 and clamp arm 202 . as illustrated in fig1 and 18 , one of the ridges 197 of rotational knob 190 may be used to indicate the rotational position of clamp arm 202 with respect to instrument housing 130 by utilizing , for example , an enlarged ridge 200 . it is also contemplated that alternate indications such as the use of coloring , symbols , textures , or the like may also be used on rotational knob 190 to indicate position similarly to the use of enlarged ridge 200 . to detach the clamp coagulator 120 from the stud 50 of the acoustic assembly 80 , the tool may be slipped over the elongated member 150 of the surgical tool 120 and rotated in the opposite direction , i . e ., in a direction to unthread the ultrasonic waveguide 179 from the stud 50 . when the tool is rotated , the hub 162 of the outer tube 160 allows torque to be applied to the ultrasonic waveguide 179 through the pin 163 to allow a relatively high disengaging torque to be applied to rotate the ultrasonic waveguide 179 in the unthreading direction . as a result , the ultrasonic waveguide 179 loosens from the stud 50 . once the ultrasonic waveguide 179 is removed from the stud 50 , the entire clamp coagulator 120 may be thrown away . while preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only . numerous variations , changes , and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only by the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	0
turning to the figures , there is shown generally at 10 a container according to the disclosed embodiment , fitted with a closure shown generally at 11 . both the container and closure preferably are made of a suitable molded plastic material such as polyethylene or the like . the container 10 and its closure are generally rectangular in overall configuration , although it should be understood that other shapes may be utilized in the practice of the present invention . the container has a bottom wall 12 and unitary side walls 13 and 14 extending upwardly from the bottom wall to terminate at an upper edge 15 which defines the open mouth 16 of the container . the container 10 further includes a pair of end walls 17 and 18 unitary with the bottom wall 12 , and extending upwardly from the bottom wall to terminate at the upper edge 15 . a skirt 19 having a downwardly - facing open channel surrounds the container 10 a short distance below the open mouth 16 , and it will be appreciated that the skirt preferably is molded as a unitary part of the container . as best seen in fig3 and 5 , the bottom wall 12 includes a substantially flat central panel 23 flanked by a pair of end panels 24a and 24b which are formed to be beveled upwardly at an acute angle to join the respective end walls 17 and 18 . the beveled end panels 24a and 24b , as best seen in fig3 occupy but a relatively small proportion of the overall length of the bottom wall 12 , so that the flat central panel 23 making up the greater portion of the bottom wall provides a flat , relatively stable support for the closure 10 on a flat supporting surface such as a countertop or the like . it is also seen from fig3 and 5 that the end walls 17 and 18 are tilted outwardly a slight extent relative to vertical ; the same nonperpendicular attitude exists with the side walls 13 and 14 , as seen in fig2 and 6 . this nonperpendicularity of the side walls and end walls is not essential to the present invention , although present in the disclosed embodiment . the downwardly - facing exterior surface 23a of the bottom wall central panel 23 may be recessed slightly above the nominal surface of the container bottom wall 12 , as best seen in fig5 and 6 . this recessed feature of the bottom wall 12 produces the slight longitudinally - extending channels 25 , fig6 flanking the interior surface of the central panel 23 within the container 10 . the closure 11 has a peripheral upstanding rim 29 provided by an interior wall 30 , an end wall 31 , and an exterior wall 32 combined to form an annular downwardly - facing channel 33 configured to removably fit onto the upper edge 15 of the container 10 . a skirt 34 surrounds the periphery of the outer wall 32 , and the skirt includes a down - turned flange 35 positioned to extend outwardly a short distance from the side walls and end walls of the closed container 10 , as best illustrated in fig5 . the flange 35 of the closure is located a short distance above the top of the skirt 19 on the container , when the closure is in place . the closure 11 includes a central panel 38 flanked by a pair of ramp - defining surfaces 39a and 39b near the respective longitudinal ends of the central panel . the upper edges 40 of the ramp surfaces 39a and 39b are spaced inwardly a short distance from the confronting portion 29 &# 39 ; of the rim 29 surrounding the closure , as most clearly shown in fig5 so that a panel end portion 41 is present between the rim portion 29 &# 39 ; and the upper edge 40 of each shoulder . each ramp surface 39a and 39b thus is separate from the rim 29 , which can function in the conventional manner to secure the closure 11 to the container 10 without interference from the structure making up the ramp surface . the central panel 38 , as best seen in fig1 and 6 , is elevated slightly above the surrounding longitudinal side portions 42 and end portions 41 of the closure , defining a slight depression 43 in the underside of the closure . the upper edge 40 of each ramp preferably is slightly lower in elevation than the rim 29 of the closure . it should now be apparent that the ramp surfaces 39a and 39b on the closure 11 are complementary to the beveled surfaces of the end panels 24a and 24b on the bottom of the container 10 . as a container 10 is stacked on the closure 11 &# 39 ; of a like container 10 &# 39 ;, fig5 the beveled end panels 24a and 24b of the upper container rest on the respective ramp surfaces 39a and 39b ( not shown in fig5 ) of the supporting closure . the angles of the end panels 24a , 24b preferably are the same as the angles of the ramp surfaces 39a , 39b , so that the complementary engaging end panels and ramp surfaces provide a relatively stable stacking of two or more containers so equipped . because the ramps 39a , 39b are shorter than the end panels 24a , 24b as best seen in fig5 the outermost extent 45 of each end panel ( joining the respective end wall 17 or 18 of the container ) extends outwardly beyond the upper edge 40 of the corresponding ramp surface and is substantially aligned with the confronting portion 29 &# 39 ; of the closure rim . this aligned relation of each stacked container , relative to the peripheral rim on the closure of the subjacent supporting container , facilitates removing one such container from its position in a vertical stack of like containers , inasmuch as a person can easily grasp the selected container at the open spaces provided between the ends of that container and the rim of the closure on the lower supporting container . moreover , the beveled ends of the container 10 enhance unstackability even when the container rests on a flat closure lacking ramp surfaces or the like , inasmuch as the outermost extent of each beveled end is aligned with the closure rim and guides the container over the peripheral rim of the closure . the enhanced unstackability of the present container is illustrated in fig7 where several stacked containers a , b , c , d , and e are shown as they might be placed on a shelf . the middle container c , for example , is withdrawn from the stack simply by grasping the container end and pulling away from the stack , while simultaneously placing a hand against the upper containers d and e to hold the upper containers in place in the stack . the beveled end surface 24b of container c rides up and over the confronting rim 29 &# 39 ; of the lower container b , enabling the container c to be removed from the stack without interference from the rim of the lower container . it should now be evident that the present storage container offers enhanced unstackability over previous such containers , without sacrificing the desirable feature normally associated with such containers . the ramp surfaces formed on the closure of the present container engage the beveled end panels of a like container to support that container with enhanced stability , tending to prevent the supported container from sliding or other unwanted movement in stacked relation . at the same time , the central panel 38 between the ramp surfaces on the closure receives the central panel 23 on the bottom of the container , thereby providing a relatively broad supporting surface to receive the weight of the above container . as a result , containers according to the present invention tend to remain nested or stacked together notwithstanding some degree of jostling or movement , until it is desired to separate the containers by lifting one off another . it should also be apparent that the foregoing relates to but a disclosed embodiment of the present invention , and that numerous modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .	1
the description that follows describes , illustrates and exemplifies one or more particular embodiments of the present invention in accordance with its principles . this description is not provided to limit the invention to the embodiments described herein , but rather to explain and teach the principles of the invention in such a way as to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to understand these principles and , with that understanding , be able to apply to practice not only the embodiments described herein , but also other embodiments that may come to mind in accordance with these principles . the scope of the present invention is intended to cover all such embodiments that may fall within the scope of the appended claims , either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents . it should be noted that in the description and drawings , like or substantially similar elements or steps may be labeled with the same reference numerals . however , sometimes these elements or steps may be labeled with differing numbers , such as , for example , in cases where such labeling facilitates a more clear description . such labeling and drawing practices do not necessarily implicate an underlying substantive purpose . as stated above , the present specification is intended to be taken as a whole and interpreted in accordance with the principles of the present invention as taught herein and understood to one of ordinary skill in the art . the present invention relates to a software application , and its associated functionality . while the invention will always require a user interface of some sort ( e . g ., inputs and outputs ), and access to a memory and processor to operate the application and underlying system , the invention can be practiced using different hardware scenarios . for example , the application could be stored in a memory at a remote server or otherwise operate through the “ cloud ” in a distributed network system . in this case , the user would merely have the interface which would receive all commands and executions from a remote processor . in other scenarios , the application and all associated data in memory could be stored on a single hardware device in the possession of the user . in still other scenarios , a user could have a device , such as a mobile smartphone , that comprises the user interface , a memory , and a processor , but is in contact with a remote server that has access to additional data stored in a central memory . though the application described herein can operate in any such hardware configuration , it is explained herein as used in association with a mobile device ( such as a smart phone or tablet ) so that a user can access the software wherever needed . though the invention is explained using mobile device 140 as an exemplary device , it will be understood that use of the system need not be on such a device and the specific type of device used does not limit the scope of the claimed invention . for example , the mobile device could be a smart watch , google glasses , or some other such wearable device . referring to fig1 , a schematic diagram of certain aspects of a mobile device 140 is provided . this exemplary mobile device 140 includes an interactive hardware portion 204 and a computer portion 206 . the interactive hardware portion 204 can include one or more of a touch screen , a keyboard , a stylus , a joystick , a microphone and the like , which can be arranged in various manners and have different shapes without changing the spirit of the interaction of the hardware portion 204 with the computer portion 206 . the touch screen can be a liquid display crystal ( lcd ), display screen , a plasma screen , a light emitting diode ( led ), or any other screen capable of displaying text and images . the computer portion 206 includes an input / output ( i / o ) portion 208 , a central processing unit ( cpu ) portion 210 ( i . e ., a microprocessor ), and a memory 212 . the cpu portion 210 can be any computer - processing unit from a singular microchip to extensive microchip configurations . the memory portion 212 can include , without limitation , any one or a combination of volatile memory elements ( e . g ., random access memory ( ram , such as dram , sram , sdram , etc .)) and nonvolatile memory elements ( e . g ., rom , hard drive , tape , cdrom , etc .). moreover , the memory portion 212 may incorporate electronic , magnetic , optical , and / or other types of storage media , and can have a distributed architecture where various components are situated remote from one another , but are still accessed by cpu portion 210 . the interactive hardware portion 204 is coupled to the i / o portion 208 such that a command entered by a user or customer through the interactive hardware portion 204 will be forwarded to the i / o portion 208 , to the processor portion 210 and then to memory portion 212 . the input / output portion 208 may provide , for example , a keyboard for text input , a digital recording device for capturing music or voice input , cursors , touch screens , etc . it may also include speakers , audio ports , lcd screens , etc ., for output to the user . as illustrated in fig2 , a schematic diagram of the memory portion 212 of fig1 is shown . the memory portion 212 can include or store a database 314 , executable programs 300 , 326 , and 324 , and an operating system 322 . the database 314 can store data related to prior use of the self sedation and suggestion system application 300 by a user , such as , for example , the user &# 39 ; s username , password , preferences , saved scripts , or other data as discussed below . the executable programs include the self sedation and suggestion system application 300 , a touch screen interface application 326 , and a wireless network communication software application 324 such as a common browser like internet explorer . various other executable programs may also be stored in memory 212 that are unrelated to the present invention . verification data reader application 320 may be a sub - code segment or part of the oms application component 318 , or may be a separate , callable application residing independently in memory 212 . when the mobile device 140 is in operation , the processor 210 is configured to execute software stored within the memory 212 to communicate data to and from memory 212 and to generally control operations of mobile device 140 pursuant to the software . the self sedation and suggestion system application 300 and the operating system 322 , in whole or in part but typically the latter , are read by the processor 210 , perhaps buffered within the processor 210 , and then executed . when the hypnosis application 300 is implemented in software , it can be stored on any computer readable medium for use by or in connection with any computer related system or method . the self sedation and suggestion system application 300 can be embodied in any computer - readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system , apparatus , or device , such as a computer - based system , processor - containing system , or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device and execute the instructions . in the context of this document , a “ computer - readable medium ” can be any means that can store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the computer readable medium can be for example , but not limited to , an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system , apparatus , device , or propagation medium . more specific examples ( a non - exhaustive list ) of the computer - readable medium would include the following : an electrical connection ( electronic ) having one or more wires , a portable computer diskette ( magnetic ), a random access memory ( ram ) ( electronic ), a read - only memory ( rom ) ( electronic ), an erasable programmable read - only memory ( eprom , eeprom , or flash memory ) ( electronic ), an optical fiber ( optical ), and a portable compact disc read - only memory ( cdrom ) ( optical ). in another embodiment , where the self sedation and suggestion system application 300 is implemented in hardware , it can be implemented with any , or a combination of , the following technologies , which are each well known in the art : a discrete logic circuit ( s ) having logic gates for implementing logic functions upon data signals , an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ) having appropriate combinational logic gates , a programmable gate array ( s ) ( pga ), a field programmable gate array ( fpga ), etc . before proceeding to a discussion of the function of the self sedation and suggestion system application 300 , it will be understood that the application is designed to function as a stand - alone application that does not require external network access to operate . initially , the application 300 must be loaded onto the mobile device 140 , such as , for example , by downloading the application 300 from a network . however , once downloaded , the application can be launched and can function without remotely - accessed information . however , it will also be understood that users may access additional content , such as pre - recorded reminders , screen display ( still pictures or scrolling video ), background music , or full scripts , as will be further discussed below , by connecting to the cloud or to a remote server where such additional content may be acquired for use with the application 300 . turning to fig3 , a user of the mobile device 140 has elected to launch self sedation and suggestion system application 300 and has arrived at a welcome screen 150 . it will be understood that the display screens of the illustrated embodiment are non - limiting in their screen design , layout , or naming of particular options or selections . rather , it is the functionality of the application and interaction with the user through the interface screens that defines the invention . the welcome screen may offer information or advertising such as advertising text 151 , instructions , disclaimers or warnings such as instructional text 152 , and a start or sign in execution such as sign in button 153 . though a sign - in feature is not necessary in all embodiments , it allows the application 300 to access material specific to the user ( whether present in memory 212 on device 140 or remotely via network communication from a remote server ). this material is then used by the application to call upon information saved from past sessions with the user , as described below . in the illustrated embodiment , if a user has never used application 300 , they will not have a password and will be prompted for startup account information . fig4 and 5 illustrate exemplary flow charts that walk through certain functional steps of operation of application 300 . both figures start at step 10 from the sign - in screen ( such as that of fig3 ). fig4 focuses on a scenario where a user opts to create a new script , while fig5 focuses on a scenario where a user selects from a pre - existing or pre - assembled script . exemplary screen shots showing interfaces that a user might experience as they step through the application will be discussed concurrently with the flow charts . from the sign in screen , the flow of fig4 moves to step 12 where a user opts to create a new , customized script . the user already having logged in , application 300 checks to see whether the user has any pre - set preferences on file ( step 13 ). though a user may diverge from their preferences , these are features of a script that a user typically prefers regardless of the purpose of a particular script , the time the user has available , or other aspects that may vary more frequently . if preferences exist , flow moves to step 20 and the preferences are adopted automatically . if they do not exist , the user is prompted to enter them at step 14 . this may launch a new screen , such as preferences screen 160 shown in fig6 . here , preferences are entered via , for example , drop down option boxes 162 for script characteristics such as narrator voice , screen display and style . in some cases , a sample button 163 will be provided for users to help select their preferences . for example , several voices may be pre - loaded in the system application 300 and given names such as cindy , joanne , or robert . each might use a different pitch , accent , or even volume . a user may want no screen display at all , in which case they would select & lt ; none & gt ; as an option . however , they may want some type of calming visual effect to assist with them reaching the desired state of focused attention . such visual effects can also be sampled , in which case the screen will temporarily change and then revert to the preference selection . in the case of style , a user may opt for the system application to select the best style of script presentation , or may select a style from among pre - set options ( such as , e . g ., & lt ; direct formal & gt ;). generally , prior art systems were designed for use by trained therapists who could analyze patient responses and make proper style selections based on those responses . if a system places that responsibility in the hands of the patient , the patient is likely not going to have the training to make the proper selection . most users will not understand the different style possibilities and which to choose from . for example , a person might believe they like “ straight talk ” and being told something directly in a strict subject , predicate format . however , that may not be the style description that most conforms to their individual needs and preferences . because the proper style varies based on several personality characteristics of the user , the present invention offers a style analysis module 171 that helps determine the proper style for delivery of the script . in other words , it removes the need for the user or patient to have professional training or understanding in neurolinguistic customization . assuming the user requests the system to select the style , the module 171 launches and produces a series of question and answer screens such as style analysis screen 170 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig7 , this screen queries a user to rate certain statements that attempt to describe facts or characteristics about the user . the answers to questions of this variety typically do not change for a given user from one situation to another . for purposes of this application , such questions are referred to as situation independent questions . the module 171 may cycle through several such screens , and statements may be presented in a pre - set order , or may be dynamically selected or formed by the module 171 based on responses to prior questions . while fig7 features statements , the style analysis module could also present questions , and could include example presentation snippets . for example , the module might ask a user to rate how favorable a particular snippet is that , when selected , plays back a short segment of a script that describes a scene in a particular manner . in this manner , the module 171 can perform an automatic sensory selection for the user . based on the responses , the module selects a particular style most appropriate for the user and stores it in the preferences for that user . returning to fig4 , a user may save their preferences on preferences screen 160 ( step 16 ) by selecting button 165 and flow proceeds to step 20 . if they have requested that the system select the style ( step 17 ), the system first proceeds to style analysis at step 18 , as discussed above , and then stores the result and proceeds to step 20 . ordinarily , though a user may change preferences , they will not request that the system re - evaluate their style again . accordingly , the style selection ( if system selected ) may be assigned a name that the user can recognize and use as a default preference selection . the selected preferences will be used by the system application 300 as inputs in generating a tailored , customized script , as discussed below . at step 20 , the system application 300 gathers information from the user about the script that is to be created . unlike preference information , the data collected at step 20 is likely to vary even for a particular user from one use to the next . a sample script setup screen 180 such as might be used in association with step 20 is shown in fig8 . the questions 181 , 182 and 183 shown in fig8 are unique to the user &# 39 ; s particular situation at that time ( or at some future time and place where the user expects to be using the script being generated ). it will be understood that these are merely exemplary questions , and that others relating to a unique situation could be used . these may be referred to as situation dependent questions . by answering these questions , the user provides additional inputs used by the system application to generate the personalized script . for example , say a user wants to create a script to help them deal with back pain prior to visiting with a prospective client . they are already in the proper mental state , but they want to help remove the pain from their mind to help them focus . this would be the goal they input into the system . options might be selected such as “ pain ,” “ wait rm ,” and “ relaxed ” to help the application build in appropriate messages , tones , music , and other script features . next , at step 22 , the user proceeds to script setup screen 190 . it will be understood that the setup screens such as screens 180 and 190 may vary and may be broken up into more or less input screens to accomplish the task of gathering the desired input for the application to generate the script . in the illustrated embodiment of fig9 , the application asks the user for a desired length of the script at time entry 191 . while the length may not be exactly the length of time selected , the application 300 will target this length and choose script components so as to deliver the desired message in a meaningful manner , while allowing for proper introduction and reorientation . for example , the total script playback will be within , say , a minute of the desired length . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , an effective script must generally include an introduction , a message portion , and a reorientation portion . the length and content of the introduction will depend on the experience of the user , and the time available . the general purpose of the introduction is simply to initiate the session , to provide an explanation of what is forthcoming in the script , and to provide directions for entering a proper state to receive the message and later to remove oneself from that state . for example , it might include a simple counting routine , or a more elaborate description of levels of focused attention . the introduction will also include certain triggers to help facilitate reorientation . once the introduction is complete , the script delivers the message portion of the script , which may include sub - parts , one or more reminders and suggestions towards achieving a desired goal using different types of metaphors , and may be short or long . after the message is effectively delivered , the script concludes with a reorientation portion that helps gently bring the user back to a full state of awareness . because a script must generally have these three components , it must be of a certain length to be effective . however , as users become more accustomed to a script , or to use of the sedation and suggestion system generally , they may be able to achieve their goals with a shorter introduction , and to return to full awareness with less reorientation . on the other hand , they may wish to fill longer periods of time remaining in the desired state of focused attention . accordingly , as described below , the length of a script may be altered by the user even after its initial creation . however , originally , a target length is selected based on factors such as the amount of time a user has available to listen to the script and the receptiveness ( and experience ) the user has with reaching the desired state of focused attention . also at step 22 and on screen 190 , a user may elect to insert “ favorites ” from the menu at selection box 192 . these “ favorites ” would be stored in a user profile , and would correspond to specific snippets , or collections of snippets that comprise a message component that the user has identified from a different script in a previous session . a user could select stop and start points in a script ( using the interface shown in fig1 , for example ) to identify a portion as a “ favorite ” and supply it a name of the user &# 39 ; s preference . this “ favorite ” would then be available through screen 9 at box 192 for automatic insertion by the system into the new script being developed . once the user has entered the desired length of their script and any favorites , screen 190 gives a user a chance to alter their preferences . recall that , if preferences were already loaded at step 13 , the user would immediately move to step 20 ( fig4 ). however , for any number of reasons , the user may , in a particular instance , wish to divert from one or more of their present preferences without permanently changing them . at step 23 of fig4 , the user gets this chance , for example , by selecting “ yes ” at preference buttons 194 on fig9 . if “ yes ” is selected , the application 300 proceeds to step 24 ( fig4 ) where changes to the present preferences are taken using a screen similar to that of fig6 . finally , at step 25 , screen 190 provides an opportunity for a user to insert reminders at reminder selection box 196 . reminders are components of the message to be delivered in between the introduction and the reorientation . how they are delivered will depend on other inputs , such as , for example , the style . reminders may be pre - existing or may be user created . they may also be pulled from reminders that the user has created and saved in the past . for example , the reminder “ smoking ” may comprise a pre - set message that a user has created to help them quit smoking , or may use such a reminder that the system already contained . thus , the user either selects from a pre - existing reminder at step 28 or opts to create a new one at step 26 . fig1 depicts a reminder creation screen 410 that is used to record new reminders . here , application 300 has a record and playback feature that allows a user to speak a new reminder into the mobile device 140 ( using , for example , and input / output microphone ). the reminder is given a unique name in box 412 , and then controls 414 are manipulated to record and play back the reminder . once the user is happy with the newly recorded reminder , it is saved and will appear as an option in the reminder selection box 196 in future uses . notably , reminders will be recorded in a user &# 39 ; s voice instead of the voice selected in preferences . however , because the reminder is delivered during a state of focused attention , and because a user is typically accustomed to hearing his or her own voice , this is less concerning . however , in some embodiments , application 300 may utilize a separate module to translate the user &# 39 ; s spoken message to text , and then convert the text back into script to be read by the selected voice . in still other embodiments , the user could provide a text string by typing the reminder in to a text box , which could then be converted to a sound file by the application 300 . allowing for these alternate features requires a large repository of snippet . avi or other sound files by the recorded voice , and thus , may benefit from a remote call to a server with a larger , centralized storage capability . at this point in the process of fig4 , according to the illustrated embodiment , the application 300 has all of the inputs required to generate the customized script . thus , at step 30 , the application proceeds to generate the script using the inputs . this step uses a script generation engine that compiles a media file of ( or approximately of ) the desired script length using a variety of snippets ( mini - files ) stored in , for example , database 314 of fig2 on the mobile device 140 . in some cases , the snippets may be many seconds or even several minutes long . for example , typically the beginning part of the message ( the initial relaxation instructions ) does not vary significantly once certain options are selected . if a user selects a standard theme and a particular voice , for example , there may be little need to vary this component of the script . however , answers to other questions and inputs in setting up the script will call for higher levels of variation where shorter snippets of a few to several seconds or less may be used . for example , a shorter snippet and a longer snippet may both convey the same message component , but one may be selected in lieu of the other so as to comply with the user &# 39 ; s requested playback time length . as used herein , “ play time ” or “ playback time ” is the amount of time it takes for the file in question to be listened to at its intended pace . the collection of snippets can be logically organized in the database 314 by the characteristics they are designed to address , such as , for example , pain or anxiety management . they may also be recorded in different ways so as to present according to the proper style for the individual user . not only does application 300 select voice / message snippets , background or transition music / sound snippets are also selected and synthesized together ( including overlaid so that they play simultaneously ) with the voice / message snippets by application 300 at step 30 to create the customized script . in addition , user snippets can be inserted into the script by the generation engine where appropriate . selected reminders will be inserted within the message portion of the script at effective locations based on programming directives of the application supplied , for example , by a seasoned therapist . in this manner , critical elements of script formation are not left in the hands of the user , but yet the user has ultimate control over the messaging and the general content . the target time length of the script is also a factor in snippet selection and synthesis by the application , so as to attain a total script length at or near the target , insuring a proper amount of introduction and reorientation . any visual component of the script , such as those offered as a sample on fig6 and discussed above , will typically be part of a separate , looping video file that the application will play on the screen of mobile device 140 concurrently as the audio script file is being played . thus , there is no need to synthesize audio and video . once synthesis of the new script is complete , the user samples the script at step 32 , modifies it if necessary ( such as by returning to one or more of the steps above ), and saves it once satisfied . fig1 shows a sampling screen 510 where the script can be sampled , edited , and saved . again , the screen 512 of fig1 may remain blank during play of the script , or may show a looping video file , depending on the screen display selection . in order to allow a user to form imagery in their mind based on the audio content of the script , most users will listen to scripts with their eyes closed , either from the beginning of playback or from a point somewhere into playback . we have just explored use of the system application 300 to create a new , fully customized script . however , a user may want to simply use a script they have already created , or use a non - customized script that was pre - recorded for a particular issue they are experiencing and is available on database 314 ( or on a remote server , available through wireless connection ). turning to fig5 , a process flow is shown where a user again starts by logging in to the system at step 10 , but then selects to play a pre - existing script at step 50 . in the illustrated , embodiment , the user is then provided with a topical directory to help narrow down the list of potentially appropriate script files available . an example of such a directory is shown in fig1 . directory screen 1200 has four category options 1201 based on the goal the user seeks to achieve through use of the script . however , it will be understood that there could be more or less options , or the options could be topically divided based on other script characteristics such as , for example , date created , length , reminder content , etc . in other embodiments , the user could simply be provided with an alphabetical list in a file directory format from which they could select a particular script and begin playback . at step 52 , a user negotiates the directory to select a particular script and arrives at a screen such as playback screen 1300 of fig1 . here , the user has selected a script with the saved name “ julie &# 39 ; s monday script ” appearing in the name field 1308 . playback screen 1300 is similar to the sampling screen of fig1 , except that it offers a couple of unique capabilities . first , track bar 1302 is provided at the bottom of the screen . this track bar monitors the progress of the script as it plays back and , though not done in typical playback , allows a user to jump into a script at a certain point , such as , for example , to verify its contents at a time prior to or otherwise when not actually using the script to assist with goal achievement . in the case of actual use by a user that has reached a state of focused attention during use of the script , the track bar allows someone nearby to quickly estimate when the user will return to a full state of awareness . the application 300 may operate to maintain this track bar on screen , overriding any default “ screen saver ” or “ screen hibernate ” setting . finally , time adjustment module 1310 allows a user to dynamically adjust the set length of a pre - existing or pre - assembled script just prior to playback ( step 53 ). for example , say a pre - existing script that a user wants to hear is at a recorded length of 8 minutes . as shown in the example of fig1 , this length will be displayed when the script is loaded for playback on the playback screen 1300 . however , say the user is in a hurry , and wants to play a shortened version of the script . in this case , the user can use time adjustment module 1310 to shorten the length of the script . alternatively , if the user wishes to experience a longer , slower version of the script , she may lengthen its playback time . if playback time is altered using time adjustment module 1310 , the application 300 dynamically adjusts the script to conform more closely to the desired length at step 54 . in a case where a shorter playback time is desired , this is done by substituting shorter snippets for longer ones , removing or reducing the length of pauses where only relaxing music is played , substituting a shorter introduction or reorientation , etc . however , certain elements of the script must remain in place to effectively and safely deliver the message and any reminders contained therein , so the time adjustment function is limited in its ability to shorten a script . for example , an 8 minutes pre - recorded script may be able to be dynamically modified to , say 6 minutes . but not to 2 minutes . in the case where a user wishes to extend playback , application 300 performs opposite types of script modification , such as , for example , adding new or longer “ music pauses ” or “ reflection pauses ” in where only relaxing music or relaxing word syllables are played , using a longer , slower introduction or reorientation snippet , etc . though the edited length can be saved as a new script , the original pre - recorded script is unaffected by the dynamic modification of its length and playback of the modified version . once the user has made any adjustments desired , the script is played by pressing play 1304 at step 56 . in some embodiments there may be a “ reorient ” button available on the screen during playback . because of the application 300 &# 39 ; s capability for dynamic modification of the script , the reorient button can be selected by a third party monitoring the user , such as in a case where it is required that the user return to a state of alertness quickly . in this manner , instead of simply interrupting playback abruptly , the third party can allow the application to alter the playback during use so as to quickly move ( skip ) to a short but safe and practical reorientation snippet . in this case , reminders and the message may be truncated or not fully delivered , but the user will exit the script in a more fully aware and prepared state than if simply interrupted . as a user spends more time operating the self sedation and suggestion system , the application 300 will become more accustomed to the user &# 39 ; s preferences that may not be directly collected at preferences screen 160 . information about the user may be determined inductively by such things as the user &# 39 ; s age , sex or other demographics , the type of mobile device 140 or other computer the person uses to operate the application 300 , etc . this material may be stored in database 314 as customer profile information . in addition , the application 300 may provide an option for the user to “ like ” or “ dislike ” certain scripts or snippets that the user comes across during operation of script setup so as to help recommend material that will be more favorable to the user . this data may also be stored in association with the customer profile . while it has been shown how to generate a new script and how to playback an existing script , it will be understood that the application 300 also can allow for modifying an existing script through a combination of the above disclosure . for example , a user may start at step 50 and proceed to isolate a particular pre - existing script , but may want to , for whatever reason , change the voice reading the script . in this case , once at playback screen 1300 , the user could select the modify 1313 button . this would take the user through screens similar to those of fig6 and 9 , but where the defaults are set to what already exists in the selected script . the user may then alter those pre - set selections ( such as , for example , input a new reminder , or change out the introduction ) and return to playback using the modified script . accordingly , it should now be clear how self sedation and suggestion system application 300 can be used to generate truly customized hypnotic scripts . the application does not simply mechanically include pre - recorded selections based on direct user input . rather , it selects snippets of pre - recordings that fit an analysis of the user based on indirect questioning and analysis . it can also customize by including preferences set by the user , content and even recordings generated by the user . any order or process descriptions or input selections in the figures should be understood as representing modules , segments , or portions of code which include one or more executable instructions for implementing specific logical functions or steps in the process , and alternate implementations are included within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention in which functions may be executed out of order from that shown or discussed , including substantially concurrently or in reverse order , depending on the functionality involved , as would be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art . it should be emphasized that the above - described exemplary embodiments of the present invention , and particularly any “ preferred ” embodiments , are possible examples of implementations , merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the invention . many other variations and modifications may be made to the above - described embodiments of the invention without substantially departing from the spirit and principles of the invention . all such modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present invention and protected by the following claims .	6
fig1 a - 1f show various views of an embodiment of a guidewire 1 according to the present invention . guidewire 1 , shown fragmented in fig1 a to permit the entirety of the guidewire to be shown in one figure , comprises three main sections . guidewire 1 includes an elongate , tubular structure , having a proximal end 6 ( see fig1 f ) which resides exterior to the body of a patient ( or other passageway with which guidewire 1 is being used ) and physically handled by a practitioner , and distal end , which in use will be within the passageway , having an actuator portion 2 . the actuator portion 2 at a most distal portion of the guidewire 1 comprises a shape memory alloy ( sma ) 12 or other suitable component adapted to introduce a deflection in a tip of guidewire 1 , when activated . a third , central or mid - portion 4 of guidewire 1 is that section of the guidewire 1 between , and coupling , the distal and proximal portions and contains an inner , centrally disposed , electrically insulated , conductive wire 8 . this wire , according to an aspect of the present invention , may be provided with a gradually tapered diameter as it progresses toward the distal tip of the guidewire . in the presently illustrated embodiment , the proximal end 6 of the guidewire 1 demonstrates where the inner wire 8 extends beyond the outer wrapped wire 10 and is exposed so as to be available for electrical connection to the controller device 46 and 150 as described below and illustrated in the accompanying figures . fig1 a includes a more focused view of the mid - portion 4 of the guidewire 1 in an embodiment of an aspect of the present invention . the inner core wire 8 is a centrally disposed , electrically insulated , conductive wire having a gradually tapered diameter as it progresses toward the distal tip of the guidewire . electrical insulation for the inner core wire 8 can be any of a variety of different suitable materials , but , in an embodiment of this aspect of the present invention , the insulation is preferably provided with a very low profile to accommodate the small diameter of the guidewire 1 . in one embodiment , the insulation may be of a paralyene or polyamide coating of the type often used in medical indications . in another , an enamel coating similar to that used on magnet - wire could be used , as could other suitable materials . in another aspect of the present invention , core wire 8 eventually tapers from a cross - section dimension that almost entirely fills the lumen of the outer wrapped wire 10 near the proximal end 6 of the wire to an appreciably smaller diameter as it progresses toward the distal end . core wire 8 , however , in this embodiment , may not necessarily extend to the most distal extent of the outer wrapped wire 10 . moreover , the full extent of the inner wire 8 , its tapering characteristics and the selection of its composition can be varied to form embodiments exhibiting differing mechanical behavior at the tip of the guidewire 1 , including but not limited to the magnitude and speed of deflection , stiffness , resiliency , and other characteristics . some candidates for core wire 8 include , without limitation : niti based wires or steel musical wires with variable material characteristics of elasticity , resilience and ductility . in an embodiment of one aspect of the present invention , the outer wrapped wire 10 serves dual functions . first , it provides a support layer which happens to be on the exterior of the guidewire 1 . in this capacity , it provides mechanical structure sufficient for the wire to provide pushability , torquability and flexibility for proper use . in this embodiment , the outer wrapped wire 10 is constructed of a single filament wire , capable of electrical conduction , yet insulated in a similar fashion to the inner core wire 8 . in one embodiment , the filament is a 304v stainless steel filament with a paralyene or similar insulating coating . in another embodiment , the filament is an approximately 34 to 36 awg tin or copper wire , with an enamel insulating cover . other suitable filaments , with or without coatings , may also be appropriate . when in a helical configuration according to one aspect of the present invention , the outer wrapped wire 10 forms a tubular structure having a hollow lumen arising from its being wrapped / coiled in a tight , uniform diameter , helical fashion . in one example , our wrapped wire 10 is sufficiently tightly coiled to possess a final maximal diameter less than or equal to about 0 . 035 ″. other arrangements of the outer wrapped wire 10 , whether modified helical or non - helical arrangements , or even if tubular , woven or of other outer surface layer configuration , are also possible and within the scope of the present invention . regardless of the precise wrapping configuration , the outer wrapped wire 10 in one embodiment extends from the most distal extent of the guidewire almost to the proximal portion of the guidewire . secondly , the outer wrapped wire 10 in an embodiment of an aspect of the present invention serves as an electrical path ( e . g ., return ) for the actuator 12 . the outer wrapped wire 10 forms an electrical connection with the distal end of actuator 12 at the end cap 18 as described below . being electrically insulated , as described above , outer wrapped wire 10 remains electrically separated from the actuator 12 and the inner core wire 8 , preventing short circuiting . at or near a proximal attachment site 14 of actuator 12 , described below , the insulation of the - outer wrapped wire 10 is selectively removed , exposing an electrically conductive portion of this wire 10 . the outer surface of this insulation can be selectively removed in the manufacturing process by direct abrasion , chemical dissolution or other suitable process . the result of such process is an electrically conductive exposed surface , that nevertheless maintains electrical separation from any inner structures . in another embodiment , the connection points of the actuator 12 could be reversed , such that the proximal attachment site 14 connects the outer wrapped wire 10 with the proximal end of actuator 12 while the distal end of actuator 12 is connected to the inner core wire 8 . the described embodiment provides an actuator 12 that is straight when in a resting , unactuated state . this arrangement accommodates insertion and navigation of the guidewire 1 through the vasculature to a point where the sort of precise control enabled by the various aspects of the present invention can be deployed . in an alternative embodiment , not shown , that is also within the scope of the present invention , the actuator 12 could be in a non - straight or flexed condition when in a resting or non - energized state , and then return to a straightened position as the actuator 12 is energized by the user . in another embodiment , shown in fig1 f , the guidewire 1 includes an inner core wire 8 ( which , per fig1 a - 1c is connected at its distal end with the actuator 12 ) as well as a separate inner conducting wire 11 . inner conducting wire 11 is distinct from the inner core wire 8 and connects the proximal end of the actuator 12 to the proximal end of the outer wrapped wire 10 , effectively bypassing a portion of the outer wrapped wire 10 in order to provide a decreased electrical resistance for the guidewire and actuator assembly . at the proximal portion 6 of the guidewire 1 , this inner conducting wire 11 may be attached ( e . g ., without limitation , via soldering ) or otherwise placed in direct or indirect electrical communication with the outer wrapped wire 10 , such that a complete electrical connection can be made at the proximal portion 6 of the guidewire 1 , e . g ., at the proximal tip 17 , via the energizer and switch . fig1 f shows the extension of inner core wire 8 beyond the most proximal portion of the outer wrapped wire 10 , in an embodiment of an aspect of the present invention . the exposed inner wire 8 , with its insulation removed at this location , facilitates attachment of the an electrical contact 20 , such as an alligator clip , of a controller ( described below ) in order to complete an electrical circuit for the guidewire tip actuator 12 . outer wire 10 includes insulation 9 that is removed in a proximal portion 11 . in use , the portion labeled 13 , uninsulated , would serve as an electrically negative ( or positive ) connection point , while the uninsulated portion of the exposed inner core wire 8 , to which the reference numeral is directed in fig1 f , would serve as an electrically positive ( or negative ) connection point . fig1 b and 1c show , among other features , the variable tip portion of the guidewire 1 in an embodiment of the present invention . the actuator 12 is a portion of the guidewire 1 that provides a mechanical force for deflecting the distal tip 2 of the guidewire 1 . in this embodiment , actuator 12 comprises a fine wire constructed of a shape memory alloy ( sma ). these alloys , as discussed above , most typically consist of a nickel - titanium ( niti ) based metal wire having a negative coefficient of thermal expansion , but may consist of different alloys . when heated , these alloys may contract a certain percentage of their overall length . being electrically conductive , but having a comparatively high electrical resistance , they become heated when an electrical current passes through them and so contract linearly . when an applied current is switched off , the alloy cools and returns to its prior length . typically , an alloy of this sort can tolerate thousands of repeated contraction and expansion cycles . in addition , smas are available in various diameters , lengths , surface coatings and characteristics . in one embodiment , a guidewire actuator 12 according to the present invention comprises a wire of sma having a diameter of about 0 . 004 ″. other dimensions are possible and may be selected for particular guidewire characteristics . by altering the actual length and diameter of the actuator 12 , different tip deflections can be configured to meet specific clinical situations . fig1 d demonstrates an overall view of the distal tip 2 with an enlarged view of its proximal portion in an embodiment of an aspect of the present invention showing the the actuator &# 39 ; s proximal attachment site 14 . the insulation on the inner core wire 8 is removed at this attachment site to provide an electrical contact with the actuator 12 . the surface coating of the proximal actuator 12 is also removed to improve the connection . niti — and possibly other sma - based wires may be difficult to attach via standard solder / weld methods and appear to be best connected via a mechanical means such as crimping or tying . in an embodiment of this sort , a fine mechanical crimp may be applied to attach the actuator to the inner core wire . an alternative embodiment would involve creating a divot in the inner core wire 8 , about which the actuator 12 could be knotted . in yet another embodiment , a spot weld or conductive epoxy would fix the wire 8 at this site . various methods for attaching actuators 12 to inner core wires 8 , outer wrapped wire 10 or inner conducting wire 11 , may provide a suitable a mechanical and electrical connection between the components of the guidewire 1 . in an embodiment of another aspect of the present invention , referring again to fig1 b and 1c , the distal end of the actuator 12 is mechanically and electrically coupled at its distal attachment site 16 to the outer wrapped wire 10 in an eccentric ( i . e ., off - center ) fashion . as shown in fig1 b , actuator 12 progresses from a central location 15 on the inner core wire 8 at its proximal attachment site 14 , to an eccentric location at its distal attachment site 16 to the distal outer wrapped wire 10 . this slight offset facilitates a mechanical advantage by which the actuator 12 can impart a deflection in the distal tip 2 of the guidewire 1 . at the point of connection 16 between the outer wrapped wire 10 and the actuator 12 , the insulation is removed from the outer wrapped wire to facilitate the electrical connection with the actuator 12 . the mechanical connection is accomplished by crimping / compressing the actuator 12 to the outer wrapped wire 10 with the end cap 18 ( shown in fig1 a ). alternative means of connection as listed above for the proximal attachment site could also apply to the distal attachment site . fig2 a - 2g depict various views of a variable tip guidewire control mechanism ( controller ) 46 in an embodiment of another aspect of the present invention . the illustrated embodiment of the controller 46 provides a self - contained , dual purpose device capable of controlling the deflection of the guidewire tip 2 while also serving as a torque controller . in addition , as described below , the controller can be placed or repositioned anywhere along the length of the proximal end of the guidewire 1 to permit control of the axial progression or withdrawal of the guidewire 1 . controller 46 thus enables direct , inline , single - handed , fingertip control of the guidewire 1 at any point along the proximal portion of the guidewire 1 and external to the object , or medical subject , undergoing a procedure with the guidewire 1 . fig2 a provides a plan view of controller 46 and fig2 b and 2 c - 2 f side and end sectional views , which are exploded views to detail the interior of the device . the long axis of the controller 46 runs parallel with and is adapted to receive the guidewire 1 in a lateral fashion . when the controller 46 is in use , the guidewire 1 is seated in the guidewire channel 22 . guidewire channel 22 runs the full length of the controller 46 and its diameter is commensurate with the diameter of the guidewire 1 being used to permit an effective mating fit of the guidewire 1 within the controller 46 , as elaborated upon below . with a latch 24 in an open position , access to the guidewire channel 22 is achieved via slot 26 . this slot 26 extends the full length of the controller 46 , with the exception of the region of a grasper swing door 28 . the grasper swing door 28 is mounted via hinges 30 and fastened in a closed position by latch 24 . with the guidewire 1 seated in place in the guidewire channel 22 , the grasper swing door 28 can be placed in a closed position . in the closed position , a grasper mechanism 32 is placed firmly in contact with the guidewire 1 , to permit torquing or linearly loading the guidewire 1 . as seen in fig2 g , the grasper mechanism 32 includes a set of metal prongs 34 , e . g ., without limitation , three in this embodiment , which may be of any suitable material , including but not limited to copper , brass , steel or other suitable electrically conductive material ( if it is to provide an electrical connection in accordance with an aspect of the invention in the presently illustrated embodiment ). in other embodiments where the actuator 12 will be energized by other means , the prongs may be of plastic , resinous or other suitable non - electrically conductive material . the prongs 34 may be positioned in order to circumferentially surround the guidewire 1 and thereby allow firm contact and grasping of the guidewire 1 . prongs 34 may be buttressed at their respective bases 52 , such that they protrude slightly into the lumen of the guidewire channel 22 . therefore , when the grasper swing door 28 is closed , the prongs 34 are urged into contact with the guidewire 1 . this arrangement serves two key functions . by firmly grasping the guidewire 1 , controller 46 permits a torque to be applied to the guidewire 1 surface allowing the guidewire tip 2 to be rotated through 360 degrees in order to facilitate negotiation of obstacles . additionally , the positioning of a grasper mechanism prong 34 at a 12 : 00 position on guidewire 1 facilitates an electrical connection with the exposed surface of outer wrapped wire 10 . thus , when slide switch 36 is moved forward by the user , switch contact 38 on the switch 36 touches contact 40 , which is connected to the 12 : 00 grasper prong 34 . the slide switch contact 38 is in electrical communication with the positive pole of battery 42 via an insulated , flexible wire 44 . the negative pole of battery 42 is then connected to the attachment wire 48 . the attachment wire 48 then extends from the controller 46 as a flexible external wire connected to attachment device 20 ( such as an alligator clip ). this attachment device 20 may then be clipped or otherwise electrically and mechanically coupled to the exposed portion of inner core wire 8 . the slide switch 36 is therefore the means for activating the deflection of the guidewire tip 2 . when slid into the forward position , slide switch 36 causes a complete electrical connection to be set up between the battery 42 and the actuator 12 . fig2 g depicts a method for operation a guidewire 1 system in an embodiment of another aspect of the present invention . the controller 46 , described above , is a separate physical entity from the guidewire 1 . the distal portion and then the body portion of the guidewire 1 are introduced into the vasculature ( or other passage way , for non - vascular guidewires ) at a point of entry 60 in any of the standard ways known to those familiar with these techniques . the guidewire 1 can be manipulated by itself without the need for the control mechanism according to the present invention until the user reaches a point where the guidewire 1 can not be further negotiated through the vasculature , either secondary to the nature of the native anatomy or due to a diseased state such as a stenosis or obstruction . at this point the user has the option of using the controller 46 according to the present invention . referring to fig2 b , the controller &# 39 ; s connection wire 48 is first attached to the exposed portion of the inner core wire 8 via attachment 20 . the user can then attach the controller at any point along the guidewire 1 that is convenient . as discussed above , the side entry feature of the controller 46 enables a user attach and remove the controller 46 from the guidewire 1 without needing to do so coaxially . in order to attach the controller 46 to the guidewire 1 , the grasper swing door 28 is unlatched and placed in the open position . the controller 46 is then placed on the guidewire 1 by means of the side - entry feature provided by the slot 26 . the slot 26 directs the guidewire 1 into the guidewire channel 22 . the guidewire channel is formed proximal as well as distal to the grasper mechanism 32 , ensuring that the guidewire 1 is adequately supported until the grasper swing door 28 is closed . when the user is satisfied with the location of the controller , the grasper swing door 28 is closed and latched by means of the latch 24 . the guidewire 1 is now firmly grasped in position . when the user slides the switch 36 forward , the actuator is energized as described above . this energized state permits current to flow to , and through , the actuator 2 , thereby imparting a deflection on the guidewire tip 2 . the degree and ultimate configuration of the deflection depends on several factors , including : the duration of activation , power source characteristics , and design considerations of the guidewire tip 2 ( e . g ., the length and diameter of actuator 12 and length of inner core wire 8 ). in an embodiment of another aspect of the present invention , by rotating an attached controller 46 , while simultaneously energizing the actuator 12 ( by moving switch 36 in an on position ), the user can manipulate the guidewire tip 2 through the anatomy or past an area of disease . the same can be done with alternative embodiments , including such as are described below . when the slide switch 36 is returned to its off position , the actuator 12 is de - energized , allowing the guidewire tip 2 to return to its original position . this procedure can be repeated for thousands of cycles . the controller 46 can easily be repositioned on the guidewire 1 by releasing the latch 24 , sliding the controller to the desired position and then re - latching the grasper swing door 28 ( or as otherwise permitted by the particular mechanical design of the detachable controller , including one or more configurations described below ). when it is not needed , the controller 46 can be removed entirely from the guidewire 1 without difficulty . in an alternative embodiment illustrated in fig2 a ( shown in dashed lines ) the power source 56 for the controller 46 can be housed in apparatus separate from the controller device 46 . another aspect of the present invention concerns the profile of the distal tip of the actuator 12 , which in an embodiment of this aspect of the present invention is tapered . a wide variety of profiles are possible , and may be selected among to arrive at configurations suitable for particular design criteria for the guidewire 1 . the deflection characteristics of the distal end of the guidewire 1 can be altered by appropriate selection of the design parameters of the distal tapered portion of the inner core wire 8 . see , for example , fig1 e . narrowing the distal taper , for example , will generally impart a tighter curve radius . this design principle according to the present invention can be used for different guidewires 1 as well as for differing uses , such as for accessing the renal arteries versus the carotid arteries . a set of profile geometries that have been considered , but without limitation , are set forth in the table below . included are two predominant cross - sectional shapes , oval and d - shaped ( here , semicircular ), with a listing of widths , heights ( for the oval profiles ), cross - sectional areas and lengths . actuator tip profiles cross - sectional dimen - width height length area sions ( inches ) ( inches ) ( inches ) ( inches ) oval 1 0 . 010 0 . 0039 0 . 25 3 . 9e − 5 2 0 . 010 0 . 0039 0 . 5 3 . 9e − 5 d - shaped / semicircular 1 0 . 008 see width 0 . 25 2 . 5e − 5 2 0 . 10 see width 0 . 25 3 . 92e − 5 3 0 . 008 see width 0 . 25 2 . 5e − 5 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , an actuator tip having a d - shaped cross - sectional profile advantageously permits onset of curvature of the tip in a preselected direction . actuator tips having an asymmetrical cross section have a preferential direction of curvature when subjected to axial loading upon energizing of the actuator . d - shaped or semicircular cross sections tend to initiate curvature consistently about the flat side of the d or semicircle . among other advantages , a profile having this general configuration will tend to repeatedly curve in the same direction , so that a user that happens to be holding the guidewire 1 in a particular orientation need not “ recalibrate ” with each energizing of the actuator 2 . many alternative embodiments of the actuator 2 are within the scope of the present invention . in one example , an actuator wire 12 according to the present invention makes use of a pulley - type of mechanism , whereby an end of the actuator 2 is attached to the inner core wire 8 as before . the insulated wire 12 is then looped around the distal end of the outerwrapped wire 10 , rather than being fixed at that location . insulated wire 12 is then run in parallel to itself and attached more proximally 54 to the outer wrapped wire 10 , as shown . this arrangement enables a doubling effect of the actuator force as it shortens over a given distance . a greater degree of force can then be used to impart different configurations on the guidewire tip 2 than might be possible other embodiments of this aspect of the present invention . fig2 b - 2f show an embodiment of a latch mechanism for controller 46 according to the present invention . this embodiment involves a compressive internal latch mechanism rather than an external latch as described above . this embodiment could offer improved single - handed operation of the controller 46 an guidewire 1 . the latch is engaged in a simple manner by closing and squeezing the grasper swing door 28 , that is , with guidewire 1 mounted in the controller 46 . to release the latch , the door is compressed a second time , thereby releasing the hooking mechanism and allowing the grasper swing door 28 to open again . in still another embodiment , fig2 g shows an integrated “ all - in - one ” system that does not require an external connection wire 48 . the controller 46 uses the outer wrapped wire 10 in a similar fashion to the embodiment described above , while a second , pointed , penetrating contact point 58 on the controller penetrates in - between the coils of the outer wrapped wire and makes contact with the inner core wire 8 . this contact is connected to the opposite pole of the battery by a wire . this would allow a complete electrical circuit to occur when the slide switch 36 is activated , thereby facilitating deflection of the guidewire tip . yet another embodiment of various aspects of the present invention are shown in figure additional and improved embodiment might be the following . as shown in the upper portion of fig1 d a fine inner conducting wire 11 is provided in coaxial location within the outer coil 10 , permitting the electrical return current to be transmitted with less resistance , lowering the total power necessary to activate the actuator 12 at the distal end of the guidewire 1 . this electrically insulated inner conducting wire 11 is electrically connected to the proximal end of the actuator 12 via an electrical connection that is insulated from the inner core wire 8 . this inner conducting wire 11 tracks along the surface of the inner core wire 8 and is electrically coupled to the proximal end of the outer coil 10 . the attachment of the proximal end of the wire 11 to the power source ( not shown ) can then still be made using the outer coil 10 as the conducting surface . this inner conducting wire 1 1 may be composed of a highly conductive material capable of transmitting a current with very little drop in resistance , despite its fine diameter . an example of this material , without limitation , would be a mp35n - dft having a silver core . an potentially suitable diameter , without limitation , would be in the range of 0 . 002 ″. both of the electrical connections of the guidewire 1 to the external power source can occur at the proximal end of the guidewire 1 . another aspect of the present invention concerns an energizer and connection system 100 providing a mechanism for attaching the proximal portion of the guidewire 1 to a power source , the energizer 110 . in order to obtain a completely coaxial system , the proximal portion or end of the guidewire 1 should preferably fall within design tolerances , e . g ., diameter , for the remainder of the wire . this arrangement allows for therapeutic and diagnostic catheters and devices to be axially or coaxially mounted over the ( free ) proximal end and coaxially track over or ensheathe the guidewire 10 . an embodiment of this aspect of the present invention , is shown in fig3 a - 3d and fig4 . the proximal portion 6 of the guidewire 1 is formed of an outer wrapped wire 10 , having a protruding inner core wire 8 . the inner core wire 8 is electrically insulated from the outer core wire 10 . the proximal tip 17 ( as seen , e . g ., in fig1 f ) of the inner core wire 8 has little or no insulation , such that it may make electrical connection with a connection jack 120 . the proximal portion of the outer wrapped wire 10 also lacks insulation , such that it may also make electrical contact with a different portion of the connection jack 120 . therefore , these two distinct connection points on the guidewire are able to make an electrical connection between the guidewire 1 and the connection jack 120 in order to allow delivery and return of electrical current while still meeting the design requirements of a low profile , coaxial system . thus , this embodiment of a connection system 100 according to the present invention still employs the essential characteristics of the guidewire 1 described above , namely using of the inner core wire 8 and the outer coil wire 10 . the inner conducting wire 11 , in an embodiment of this aspect of the present invention , merely provides a more efficient transmission of power from the distal actuator 12 to the proximal end 17 of the outer coil 10 . an embodiment of another , related aspect of the present invention , a power source for activation of the guidewire 1 is shown in fig3 a - 3d . a controller 46 ( or , per the description below , 150 ) provides improved tactile feedback and ease of manipulation of the guidewire 1 when it is as light as possible . therefore , housing a battery - type power source within the housing of the controller 46 itself may not be preferred , though it is within the scope of the present invention . a power source or energizer 110 , in an embodiment of an aspect of the present invention , may be separate from the controller 46 or 150 itself in a fashion similar to that described in the embodiment shown in fig2 a . the power source or energizer 110 , shown in fig3 a - 3d , includes a connection jack 120 to accept the positive and negative terminals of the guidewire 1 , a power source in the form of one or more batteries 130 , and connecting wires that couple a detachable switch on the controller 46 or 150 to the power source or energizer 110 . in an embodiment of this aspect of the present invention , the connecting jack 120 of this system allows insertion of a length of the proximal end 17 and a proximal portion of the guidewire 1 so that an electrical connection can be made between the outer core wire 10 and the inner core wire 8 . other arrangements are also possible , including but not limited to a distinct connector element adapted to mate with jack 120 , but should preferably have an external diameter not substantially greater than a maximal diameter of the guidewire 1 . the power source or energizer 110 also provides a means to mechanically grasp and stabilize the proximal portion or end 17 of the guidewire 1 during use . in an embodiment of this engagement mechanism 112 according to the present invention , the mechanism is slidably operable with a thumb or finger to releasably engage the proximal end or tip of the guidewire . the power source or energizer 110 is light enough such that as the guidewire 1 is advanced , the power source or energizer 110 is easily pulled with the guidewire 1 . or , the guidewire 1 may be looped around the power source or energizer 110 to build slack into the guidewire 1 and reduce or minimize the necessary movement of the power source or energizer 110 . the power source or energizer may be provided with a recess or slot 124 , or other suitable mechanism , for receiving a portion of the guidewire 1 in order to enhance stability of the guidewire 1 during its use . the power source of energizer 110 may also be provided with a mechanism 114 ( which as shown may , but need not , be on the engagement mechanism 112 ) for temporarily gripping the proximal portion or end of the guidewire . the connection jack 120 also allows 360 degrees rotation of the guidewire 1 within the power source or energizer 110 to allow the user , via controller 46 or 150 , to torque the guidewire 1 without limitation . the mechanical connection may occur in a variety of means including through the use of an electrically conductive gripping spring , socket or latch . this jack 120 is electrically connected to the power source or energizer 110 . based on the anticipated power requirements , the power source or energizer 110 may be varied . in one embodiment , two wires exit the energizer 110 and are connected via wire ( s ) 122 to the switch , e . g ., 26 or 160 . when the switch 36 or 160 is closed , electrical current flows from the battery , e . g ., 130 , through wire ( s ) 122 and the switch , e . g ., 160 , to the guidewire 1 with the resultant activation of the distal tip . in another embodiment , the switch 160 may be configured to be attachable to the controller 150 . the switch 160 may be of circumferential geometry , with a slot provided along one side . this slot is sized to accommodate the side - entry ability of the controller 150 . the switch 160 could be placed over the guidewire 1 and then advanced onto the back end of the controller 150 , where it would lock into position on the controller 150 . when the switch 160 is not necessary for use of the guidewire 1 during a particular procedure , the switch 160 can be removed from the controller 46 and be placed or stored elsewhere . this removability , in this embodiment , may permit greater versatility of use . in various embodiments , the switch 160 may , for example , incorporate a rubberized , bladder type switch with two near - circumferential contacts . this embodiment , shown in fig4 and 5 a - 5 c , allows a user to activate the switch 160 at any point on its circumference , providing the user with simple , ergonomic control of the switch 160 . in another embodiment of the switch 160 , the switch 160 is not configured to be attachable to the controller 150 . rather , it is ergonomically designed to be separate from the controller 150 and held in the practitioner &# 39 ; s hand in conjunction with , but separate from , the controller . this still allows single - handed control of the distal tip of the guidewire 1 . another embodiment of the controller 150 according to the present invention is shown in fig4 and 5 a - 5 c . this embodiment employs a side - entry slot mechanism , like the embodiment described above . rather than the latch type closing mechanism disclosed in that example , however , this embodiment employs a screw - down collet configuration , which may permit a mechanical advantage relative to the illustrated latch - type mechanism . the controller 46 in this embodiment includes three components . the first , shown in fig6 a and 6b , is a housing , body or shaft 200 having an inner lumen 210 and a side slot 220 along its length . the slot 220 allows for side - entry of the guidewire 1 into the shaft lumen 210 . the distal end 230 of the shaft 200 is provided with external screw - threads 240 for adequate mechanical advantage when engaging a mating , internally threaded cap 300 having mating threads 310 . the shaft 200 may be formed of any number of suitable materials including , without limitation , nylon - based , high grade medical plastics having a comparatively stiff modulus of elasticity . the second component of the controller 150 is a collet 400 , shown in fig8 a - 8c and 9 a - 9 c . the collet 400 is configured to slide in an axial fashion within the lumen 210 of the shaft 200 . the collet 400 is also provided with a side slot 420 to allow the guidewire 1 to pass within its lumen 410 . on the opposite side of the slot 220 of shaft 200 is a spline 250 that fits within a groove on the inner surface of the shaft 200 . therefore , when the collet 400 is within the shaft 200 , the collet 400 will not rotate , but will maintain an alignment of the slots 420 and 220 , respectively , of the collet 400 and the shaft 200 . the distal end 430 of the collet 400 includes at least two prongs . in the illustrated embodiment , but without limitation , the prongs 442 , 444 , 446 , 448 , of which there are 4 , are formed as part of the collet 400 , which slides within the lumen 210 of the shaft or housing 200 . therefore , as the cap 300 is tightened , it compresses the prongs 442 , 444 , 446 , 448 on the front end radially inwardly toward the guidewire 1 in order to grip it . the cap 300 also drives the sliding collet 400 into the shaft 200 as it is tightened . the distal or leading end 230 of the shaft or housing 200 is provided with a reverse bevel 235 so that , as the collet 400 is driven into the shaft 200 , the prongs 442 , 444 , 446 , 448 , which are provided with respective complementary bevels 460 at their proximal end , are also compressed by this bevel 235 of the shaft or housing 200 . this bevel arrangement increases the mechanical advantage of the collet 200 and also allows the prongs 442 , 444 , 446 , 448 to grip the guidewire 1 with a more evenly distributed gripping surface — rather than being gripped at only one point , which can rotate the prongs and cause them to impart undue and damaging point stresses on the guidewire 1 or its components . distribution of the prongs 442 , 444 , 446 , 448 around the lumen 410 permits their compression to impart a grip on the guidewire 1 when the cap 300 is tightened to engage the bevels 350 of the cap 300 and shaft 200 with the complementary bevels of the prongs 435 of the collet 400 . a gripping surface 470 on each prong 442 , 444 , 446 , 448 may be curved , concavely with respect to the guidewire 1 , to disperse the compression forces of the respective prong 442 , 444 , 446 , 448 along the surface of the guidewire 1 . this dispersion reduces or eliminates a focused , high - pressure contact that could potentially damage underlying electrical components of the guidewire 1 . further , the shaft in this embodiment incorporates a means to lock the removable switch 160 in place . a third component of the controller 150 is the cap 300 , shown in fig5 a , 7 a - 7 c and 8 a - 8 c . as shown in fig8 a - 8c , the cap 300 mates with the shaft 200 . inner threads 310 of the cap 300 allow for longitudinal motion of the cap 300 along the shaft 200 . the cap 300 also is provided with a slot 320 that is aligned with the shaft slot 220 and collet slot 420 during insertion and removal of the guidewire 1 . as the cap 300 is tightened , the inner bevel 350 of the cap 300 compresses the prongs 442 , 444 , 446 , 448 of the collet 400 down and onto the guidewire 1 . furthermore , as the collet 400 is driven into the shaft 200 , the proximal bevel 460 of the collet prongs 442 , 444 , 446 , 448 abutting bevel 235 of the shaft 200 provide additional mechanical advantage to compress the prongs onto the guidewire 1 . the cap 300 is constructed of any suitable material having a sufficiently stiff modulus of elasticity in order to prevent outward deflection of the cap 300 as it is tightened on the shaft 200 . the outer configuration of the shaft 200 incorporates a proximal tapered end that allows for advancement of the switch 160 from the back end and onto the controller 150 . the switch 160 may snap into position ( engaging with means 260 ) when desired . an additional embodiment of the switch and connection system according to an aspect of the present invention may utilize a wireless system . in this wireless embodiment a transmitter within the switch is configured to transmit a signal to the power source or energizer 110 at the proximal end of the guidewire 1 . when the power source or energizer 110 receives the signal , a circuit is closed within the power source or energizer 110 , thereby allowing deflection to occur at the distal end of the guidewire 1 . this wireless embodiment may incorporate a small scale wireless device , such as ( but not limited to ) a zigbee or bluetooth wireless protocol system , which permits the system to be implemented within the design constraints of the switch and connection system . the various aspects of the present invention not only permit the use of a steerable or controllable guidewire having advantages over previous systems , but also allow the guidewire to be controlled at or near the point - of - access into the vasculature . it also enables on - the - wire control while leaving the proximal end of the guidewire 1 to be selectably and easily freed to permit coaxial loading of other interventional radiology devices on the guidewire 1 ( e . g ., catheters , angioplasty balloons and other devices ). the various apparatuses and methods according to the present invention , and the principles that make them possible , may be applied in any fields requiring a steerable guidewire . such fields include not only the vascular field of medicine , but also to additional medical fields including , but not limited to , urology , general surgery and gynecology . furthermore , these principles could also be applied to areas outside the medical field , such as veterinary medicine , inspection , mining , telecommunications ( e . g ., conduit ), water distribution , security , national defense , electrical , entertainment and other systems . while the various aspects of the present invention have been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments , persons skilled in the art will understand that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . the many details and specifics should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the invention as claimed , but rather as exemplifications , and the scope of the invention should be determined not by these illustrated embodiment ( s ), but rather by the appended claims and their legal equivalents .	0
a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 . the ultraviolet light ( uv ) reactor preferably comprises tubular uv quartz element 22 , which preferably is centrally located within annular reactor housing 20 . element 22 is preferably powered by electrical power circuit 24 . electrolytic anode wire 30 is preferably spirally wrapped around element 22 . electrolytic cathode wire 32 is preferably spirally wrapped within annular reactor housing 20 forming annular space 36 between electrolytic anode wire 30 and electrolytic cathode wire 32 . optionally a set of electrolytic cathode wires 32 is used . raw untreated or otherwise contaminated water or other fluid enters annular reactor housing 20 through inlet port 26 , and treated water is discharged from exit port 28 . the solution to be treated preferably flows longitudinally in annular space 36 . the appropriate power is applied to the anode and cathode wires to set up an electrolytic field to produce a low ph oxidant solution at the anode , and a high ph solution in proximity to the cathode wire or wires . low ph acidic conditions stimulated by the electrolytic reaction thus occur at surface 34 of element 22 . the acidic conditions at surface 34 preclude formation of calcium carbonate ( or other forms of carbonates ), or dissolve carbonate scale which has already formed , thereby keeping surface 34 clean so that uv radiation is not blocked by calcium carbonate scale and uv energy is efficiently transferred to the water or other fluid . uv energy destroys microorganisms and biofilms at surface 34 as well as in the water to be treated in annular space 36 . microorganism and organic destruction is further facilitated by production of oxidants in close proximity to electrolytic anode wire 30 . oxidants are further diffused into the bulk solution within annular space 36 providing additional disinfection or organic destruction for the solution to be treated . the combination of uv radiation and oxidants , preferably mixed oxidants , generated by the anode surface in the aqueous stream ensures organisms are destroyed and biofilm and algae are prevented from forming on the uv tube . this process is very effective for maintaining clean uv tubes with no maintenance for periods greater than one year . in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , shown in fig2 , annular reactor housing 40 comprises a metal suitably compatible with an electrolytic cell . examples of compatible materials include titanium , hastalloy , stainless steel , or other electrically conductive materials . in this embodiment , annular reactor housing 40 acts as the cathode , thereby eliminating the need for a separate cathode wire . in this configuration , direct current electrical power is preferably applied to anode wire 30 and directly to annular reactor housing 40 , which acts as the cathode . this embodiment is most useful for treating relatively soft flowing water or aqueous solution , where the ph on the cathode surface does not rise above approximately 8 . 3 to 8 . 4 , the scaling point of calcium salts , due to the amperage being less than approximately 0 . 13 amps per inch of cathode surface area . with the ph below the scaling point , the cathode surface can remain clean for months of service . when the cathode surface begins to scale over , it is preferably cleaned with a dilute acidic solution . another alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig3 , which is a cross section of a contaminated fluid 46 flowing within trough 48 . two or more uv element quartz tubes 54 a , 54 b are preferably aligned in parallel within trough 30 . anode wire 56 is preferably spirally wrapped immediately adjacent to quartz tubes 54 a , 54 b . cathode wire 58 is spirally wrapped outside the circumference of anode wire 56 , preferably concentrically , and is supported by non - electrically conductive spacers 59 . spacers 59 can be supported from quartz tubes 54 a , 54 b or from anode wire 56 . optionally a set of cathode wires may be used . cathode wires 38 may optionally be replaced with longitudinal plates within trough 48 , or trough 48 may optionally be constructed of suitable electrically conductive material to act as the cathode in the process . the use of open flow spacers allows contaminated fluid 46 to be treated in open trough 48 or a large pipe with multiple uv tubes within the trough or pipe . in an alternative embodiment of the present invention , shown in fig4 , fluid flow stream 60 is tangent to direction of uv tube or lamp 64 . anode wire 66 is disposed on the upstream side of uv lamp 64 and is preferably aligned parallel to uv lamp 64 ( i . e . the length of the wire is perpendicular to the plane of the figure ). acid solution 67 generated at anode wire 66 and comprising one or more oxidants washes around uv lamp 64 as the fluid flow stream flow tangent to the orientation of uv lamp 64 , thereby keeping the surface of uv lamp 64 clean of carbonate scale and biofilm . one or more cathode wires 68 are preferably aligned parallel to anode wire 66 and uv lamp 64 . dissolved solids in fluid stream 60 allow for an electrical conduction path between anode wire 66 and cathode wires 68 to facilitate production of acid fluids at anode wire 66 . anode wire 66 and cathode wires 68 are preferably held in position with respect to uv lamp 64 by virtue of non - conductive retainer 62 spaced along the length of uv lamp 64 . the anode and cathodes may comprise conductive traces rather than wires , and the polarity may be reversed as desired to clean scale and biofilms from the cathodes . the descaling process of the present invention is typically continuous when the water is treated by oxidants produced by electrolysis in addition to uv radiation , since the anode and cathode are being used continuously in that application . however , the present invention may also be used to periodically clean the surface of a uv tube , or other surface , if electrolysis is not part of the decontamination process , for example by applying power to the anode only during an automatic cleaning cycle . according to the previous embodiments , the anode may be suitably wrapped around any desired part to prevent surface build - up of undesirable materials such as scale . alternatively the anode may be placed on any surface in the electrolytic cell for the same purpose , even if wrapping is not possible or desirable . fig5 depicts a preferred embodiment of the present invention . anode 52 , which preferably comprises a wire , is placed adjacent to surface 50 in such a way as to ensure that a low ph conditions exist along substantially the entirety of surface 50 . anode 52 may alternatively comprise any conductive structure . surface 50 may comprise any material , including but not limited to metal , glass , sapphire , quartz , and silicon . anode 52 may be placed directly on surface 50 or may be separated from surface 50 by one or more spacers . for example , if surface 50 comprises an electrically conducting material , the spacers would preferably be electrically insulating . anode 52 may alternatively be deposited directly on surface 50 by evaporation , ink jet printing , direct writing , cold spray processing , or any other means known in the art . any electrolytic anode material may be utilized for this purpose . for example , a diamond coating could be evaporated in a desired pattern on surface 50 . alternatively , a desired pattern is photo - etched on surface 50 , titanium is deposited so as to conform to the etched pattern , and ruthenium is then deposited to form anode 52 . any combination of metals may be used as desired ; for example , copper may first be deposited , conforming to the etched pattern , followed by plating or otherwise depositing titanium . alternatively , the anode may be created when the surface is treated with ion bombardment . for example , a glass surface can be bombarded with a metal ion beam , either substantially completely or in a desired pattern , to create an anode that is still transparent to uv light but is conductive to electricity . for larger anode currents , surface 50 is preferably striped with heavy ion bombardment , which creates high conductivity paths for electricity that are reflective or otherwise block the uv light . any of these processes may be extended to three dimensions so that an anode is deposited on all sides of a desired object , analogous to wrapping a wire around a tubular or cylindrical object as disclosed above , preferably by relative rotation of the part during deposition . an example of such a surface is that of a water quality monitor , probe , or sensor , which may be used to measure ph , oxidation reduction potential , chlorine concentration , total dissolved solids ( tds ), etc . it is common that sensors of this type become fouled by carbonate scale and biofilms , and eventually must be cleaned . by depositing or otherwise disposing an anode on or sufficiently near the surface of the sensor , scale and biofilms may either be periodically removed from the surface by activating the anode , for example during an automatic cleaning cycle , or be continuously cleaned to prevent scale and biofilms from forming . another application of directly depositing a conductive material on a surface to be descaled is shown in fig6 . fluid flow stream 70 is flowing perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of uv tubes 72 , 74 , which are preferably coated with uv - transparent electrically conductive film 76 . uv - transparent electrically conductive film 76 comprises , for example , a diamond film which is deposited on the surface of the uv lamps or tubes by a suitable means . initially , uv - transparent electrically conductive film 76 acts as the anode on uv tubes 72 , and as the cathode on uv tubes 74 , when the appropriate relative voltages are applied . alternatively , the cathodes may be wires or other conductive tracers , preferably separated from the anodic tubes at an appropriate spacing via one or more insulated spacers affixed to the uv tubes . in this configuration , uv tubes 72 are cleaned by the formation of acid solution at the surface of optically transparent electrically conductive film 76 . after a desired period of time , the electrical polarity on optically transparent electrically conductive film 76 is reversed for uv tubes 72 and uv tubes 74 . in this manner , film 76 on uv tubes 74 then acts as the anode and is cleaned by the anodic formation of acid solution , while film 76 on uv tubes 72 now acts as the cathode in the reaction . at prescribed intervals , the electrical polarity of film 76 is again preferably switched to alternately allow uv tubes 72 and uv tubes 74 to be cleaned . for hard water , alternating asymmetric current is preferably used , with periods ranging preferably from about 1 hz to about 400 hz . in any of the above embodiments , two ( or more ) cathode wires or other cathodic traces or coated surfaces may optionally be used . different voltages are applied to the cathode wires , both of which remain more negative with respect to the anode voltage . at the higher voltage cathode , a slightly acidic solution is produced which has a low enough ph to prevent scale formation , and a high ph solution is produced at the other cathode wire . by alternating the drip anode current and the return cathode current ( i . e ., reversing the polarity ) on the set of cathode wires , the scale such as calcium carbonate or calcium sulfate is cleaned off both cathode wires alternately . polarity reversal may be initiated when an additional voltage build up between the drip anode wire and return current wire due to scale build up is detected . for use in very hard water , the cathode surface may be allowed to soak in a dilute solution of hydrochloric acid or a weak solution of organic acid to dissolve the barium - or sulfate - based salt scale build up . thus this system has the advantage that it can continue to be used as cleaning of one or the other cathode wires is occurring . although the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to these preferred embodiments , other embodiments can achieve the same results . variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover all such modifications and equivalents . the entire disclosures of all patents and publications cited above are hereby incorporated by reference .	2
the present invention is an evolution of current systems for categorisation , ordering , systemisation , sectoring and segmentation of the information ( hereinafter “ cosss ”), facilitating and improving the creation , categorisation , presentation and search of the information , as well as broadening the possibilities of advertising and promotion within a system for searching and accessing information . the dynamic navigation interface of the present invention is composed of three main elements : its basic mission consists of effectively distributing and representing in a navigation map all the necessary - and helpful elements for accessing the information : information access nodes ( which not only allow individual access to the information that each represents , but also , the possibility of pre - selecting a plurality of said nodes , so all information regarding a set ( union , intersection , selective , etc .) of said nodes can be accessed . multiple categories ( or multiple “ dimensions ”) and subsequent subcategories to which each of the said nodes is associated . sensory motifs or designs ( graphical , auditory , tactile , olfactory ) or sensory affinities required to associate each node by means of said graphic designs or sensory affinities with each and every one of the categories to which said node belongs , and optionally , the symbols corresponding to the operators ( algebraic , boolean , venn , conditional or of any other type ) which allow the pre - selecting one , part or all of the information access nodes as well as their categories and / or subcategories , so that the result of the search will not consider elements which point to undesired information . with the inclusion of categories related to the information access nodes within the navigation map itself , knowledge of part of the nodes information is possible without having to access it , since in the same navigation map the categories with which each node has been associated are shown implicitly . the methods for implementing the multidimensional ordering and presentation system to generate a navigation map include , optionally , linear programming algorithms and tools which take into consideration all the nodes , categories , subcategories , the operators associated to each node , as well as their parameters , constraints and restrictions , and also graphic , sensory , mathematical , ideographic , semantic , symbolic , artistic or marketing criteria . after it is created the navigation map is downloaded by means of computer files in a format compatible with the user &# 39 ; s browser . its basic mission is to endow the operators ( algebraic , boolean , venn , conditional or any other type ) whether located on the navigation map or implicit in the operation of the mouse pointer ( or equivalent element ) with the necessary functionality to allow pre - selecting one , part or all of the information access nodes as well as one , part or all categories and / or subcategories before accessing the information indicated by said elements . the pre - selection the user carries out is displayed on the navigation map by means of sensory intensification or dimming ( visual , auditory , olfactory ) in varying degrees of intensities of the elements pre - selected or un - selected ( elements such as information nodes , categories and / or subcategories contained in the navigation map ). the methods for implementing the system for pre - selection and visual search of information consist of routines or programs written in event - oriented programming languages , so that they are ruled , optionally , by the pre - selection events activated by the user , by the position of the mouse pointer ( or equivalent element ) and , optionally , depend on a time function . said routines or programmes can be either contained in the layer of the navigation interface residing in the user &# 39 ; s terminal , or can be downloaded to said terminal from the navigation interface layer residing in the information provider &# 39 ; s system . an optional element of the system for pre - selection and visual search of information is a “ go !” button which , when activated by the user , sends the query itself according to the pre - selected elements ( information nodes , categories and / or subcategories ). the query consists of the sending a computer file ( to the information provider ) containing all the requirements for the search . the means to carry out said query are routines or programmes which ( in a language compatible with the database to be accessed ) write a file with all the pre - selected elements ( as well as any other information which may considered of interest ), so that the information requested from said database can be extracted and sent to the user who requested it to be displayed , with all search and cosss criteria and their relationships remaining implicit and / or explicit . ( the process of extracting the information from the database is not part of the present invention ). ( once the navigation interface &# 39 ; s layer residing in the user terminal receives all the information supplied by the provider ), its basic purpose is presenting to the user : the information extracted ( which conforms to the criteria defined by the system for pre - selection and visual search of information ). a new navigation map ( to configure a deeper categorisation ) again invoking the multidimensional ordering and presentation system to generate the subsequent navigation map , or a combination thereof ( the extracted information and a new navigation map ). the means for implementing the presentation of requested information system include a routine or program which operates as a sequential state machine and , as such , operates in view of the present state of the search , of previous states of the search and of the type of information extracted . dealing in greater depth with each of the aforementioned elements of the invention , it is worth nothing that the dynamic navigation interface allows navigation based on a sensory interface ( graphic , auditory , etc . ), where : can represent information of different nature within a same navigation map , and are presented in form of shapes , images or geometrical or sensory images , by means of their spatial distribution , affinity or sensory association , using analogies with real or abstract representations of elements such as : logos , corporate images or elements thereof , general representation of systems , whether natural or artificial , figurative or conceptual , simple or complex , random , cause - effect or within appreciable ranges of other sensory stimuli . furthermore , and as an aid prior to searching for information , the user can optionally use additional information elements which appear when positioning the mouse pointer ( or equivalent element ) over certain elements ( nodes , category or subcategory ), providing ( in one of the embodiments of the present invention ) additional information regarding the content of said element , sub - maps and , in general , time and / or sequential routines , if in the end the search were to take place ; this makes it possible to save time since it allows discriminating information before accessing it , or accessing it more selectively due to the optional activation of deeper cosse layers and possibilities of pre - selection and selection . the information access nodes are organized within open or closed categories : this is , their categorisation is according to one or various criteria , dependent , related or independent of each other . this is a multidimensional categorisation , where said dimensions or categories may overlap with each other and may or may not be linearly independent . categorisation of the information access nodes takes place by means of graphic elements according to one or more simultaneous criteria or dimensions ( multi - dimensional ): said categorisation criteria are based on relations between the elements to be classified . these relations may be of various types : mathematical , of order , geometrical , spatial , affinity , chronological , alphabetical , priority , qualitative , quantitative , sequential , methodological , by group , ideological , functional , temporary , numerical , physical , chemical , by venn relations , simple or complex , conditional , functional , constructive , by origin , by brand , limited , unlimited , by criteria , relations or characteristics of the elements or by their relationship amongst each other inferred directly or indirectly from the graphical - visual content supporting it , directly or by analogy , etc . to implement a graphic distinction or categorisation of the access nodes : elements of the euclidean space of any dimension are used , combining them with any type of graphic or sensory resources , particularly colour codes , textures , patterns , thickness , flashing , resources to increase or reduce general visibility , sensory visual - graphic relationships between elements ( geometrical , by contrast , by analogy , etc .) and euclidean geometry in general . likewise used are sensory inputs such as sounds , associated frequencies and sequences and combinations thereof . it also includes the use of sensory impulses associated with pre - selection levels in the sensory fields of taste , smell and touch , already being developed in the field of virtual reality and “ mmi ” ( man machine interface ). although the method of implementing said sensory impulses is not part of the present invention , sensory impulses are perfectly manageable by the present invention as long as the adequate transducers are available to allow transforming informatic contents ( 1 &# 39 ; s and 0 &# 39 ; s ) into elements appreciable by the human being ( images , sounds , smells , etc .) the multidimensional ordering and presentation system to generate a navigation map in which access nodes are shown categorised or differentiated from the rest . said navigation map can be generated automatically ( through programming ) according to the type of information to be shown , to the previous search states or to certain configuration parameters established by the user , the provider or both . the methods to implement said graphic differentiation or categorisation in an automated manner include linear programming algorithms and tools which allow a graphical representation of multidimensional euclidean and algebraic spaces such as flat surfaces , surfaces of revolution , ruled surfaces , complex curves , imaginary spaces , infinite and discontinuous functions , etc ., so that the overlaps and dependence constraints among categories , subcategories and information access nodes are included in the navigation map . all or some of the elements which comprise the multidimensional ordering and presentation system can be either contained in the navigation interface layer residing in the user &# 39 ; s terminal , or be downloaded to said terminal from the navigation interface layer residing in the information provider &# 39 ; s system . the multidimensional ordering and presentation system to generate the navigation map also allows the inclusion of advertising or commercials in certain areas according to the segmentation carried out for each user profile ( using files known as “ cookies ” which contain information about the user &# 39 ; s search habits and which are read by servers called “ ad - servers ” in charge of inserting adequate advertising elements in the areas of the navigation map intended for this purpose ). as mentioned when describing the multidimensional ordering and presentation system to generate the navigation map , the symbols corresponding to the operators ( algebraic , boolean , venn , conditional or of any other type ) which allow pre - selecting the desired elements , do not necessarily have to be displayed in said navigation map . in such a case , and according to one of the possible embodiments of the information visual search and pre - election system to pre - select , unselect or carry out any operation with a given information element , it is enough to approach the mouse pointer ( or equivalent element ) to said element and use one of the buttons of said mouse ( or any input peripheral associated to a man - machine interface or sensory user interface ) by means of different combinations ( click , double - click , sequence and / or operating frequency of said buttons ) corresponding to each of the possible operations on each of the elements ( category and information access nodes ). the means in charge of supporting all of this functionality include routines and programs written in event - oriented programming languages residing within the pre - selection system . in one of the possible embodiments of the invention , the information visual search and pre - selection system has event - oriented routines or programmes which , when positioning the mouse pointer ( or equivalent element ) on a certain category or information access node , will endow the element with mathematical functions which could be operated like the rest of the operator of said pre - selection system . in this way it is possible to select nodes or categories along with quantitative entities ( such as price , number , weight , etc .). in another of the possible embodiments of the invention , when prioritising , ordering or weighting the importance of the different extracted information elements after the search is carried out , the information visual search and pre - selection system has routines and programmes which allow ( separately or in combined manner ): the user to establish the order in which the information ( result of the search ) should be displayed by establishing a sequence or order of priority for each of the information access nodes ( or a subset of these ). the system itself to order or truncate ( up to a maximum number ) the information ( result of the search ) by means of a series of evaluation criteria ( configurable or fixed ) among which are : the content of the information heading , the content of the sections or categories in which said information is classified , “ key ” words ( visible or not ) contained in said information , discrimination by plurals , capital letters , accents , etc . in both cases , the means supporting said functionality include routines and programmes which attach to the text file containing the rest of the query data , the ordering , prioritisation or sequencing data written in a language compatible with the database to be accessed . in this way , when the database receives said file it will have all the necessary information to extract the requested information in an orderly and / or prioritised manner , in accordance with the specifications established by the user or the system . as previously described , while the user is carrying out the pre - selection of the elements ( categories and information access nodes ) with which to carry out the search , the pre - selection system displays the elements the user is pre - selecting ( or unselecting ) in the navigation page by a sensory intensification or dimming ( visual , auditory , olfactory , etc .) of said elements in varying degrees or states . said states include , at least : total or partial illumination , total or partial shut - off , total or partial enabling or disabling , etc . and direct access to the information pointed to by an information access node . the dynamic navigation interface also has editable configuration files allowing the user to select among different sensory levels of man - machine accessibility , both qualitative ( visual , auditory , etc .) and quantitative ( sizes , colour , brightness , contrast , volume , language , etc .) to be used depending on the user &# 39 ; s preferences or handicaps . the dynamic navigation interface may be integrated within a traditional browser endowed with the “ bookmarks ” function , so that accessing this function of the traditional browser would invoke routines and programmes for calling the dynamic navigation interface of the present invention , which would either be directly executed ( if the interface resides within the user &# 39 ; s system ), or would connect with the navigator &# 39 ; s provider system for downloading to the user &# 39 ; s system ( if the interface does not reside within the user &# 39 ; s system ). finally , it should be highlighted that as the dynamic navigation interface manages information stored in a digitalised form ( 1 &# 39 ; s and 0 &# 39 ; s ), the type of information that said interface is able to manage includes , among others : text , images , audio , video or any other type of information that can be transported by electronic , magnetic , optical , radio - frequency means or by any other method . as an extension of the basic operation of the invention described at the beginning of the present section , the following dynamic navigation interface operation models can also be described : whenever two or more navigation maps allow selecting elements according to multiple types of categories or selection criteria . as this is a multidimensional system , these categories may be categorised themselves into super - categories ( with their corresponding overlaps and dependency relationships ), and so on . in this way , a combined search can be carried out according to the criteria specified in one , several or all of the navigation maps available simultaneously . this leads to a greater searching power . corresponds to a dynamic system where a selection of information elements ( nodes or categories ) activates , in turn , another navigation map , which depends on the selection . this second navigation map is generated by the multidimensional ordering and presentation system once it has been invoked , in turn , by the requested information presentation system , which as previously explained is implemented by means of a sequential state machine or program which , as such , operates according to the type of information extracted , the current previous search states and other parameters such as configurable and fixed parameters , depending on time elapsed , on position of the mouse pointer ( or equivalent element ), etc . whenever two or more navigation maps or sub - maps operate simultaneously in a conditioned manner ; that is , whenever one or several such navigation maps change content depending on the pre - selection state of the elements ( category and information access nodes ) established by the user in one of the other maps . allows the combination of any of the previously described operations and the implementation of multiple combined complex dynamic systems , provided with a capacity to calculate , pre - select , select and categorise with an exponentionally growing search power . the previously - described means for implementing the operation models are identical to those described above for the operation of the system based on a single navigation map , with the exception that each of the sub - systems that include each of the said navigation maps communicates with the rest by means of a system of interruptions and / or message queue which manages the messages between said sub - systems . these messages consist of text files specifying at least one of the following elements : subsystem of origin of the message , destination subsystem of the message , information to be provided to the destination subsystem and queries sent to the destination subsystem of the message . next are provided a set of drawings meant to aid a better understanding of the text , which form an integral part of it and , for purposes of illustration only in a non - limiting sense , show certain aspects of the invention . [ 0132 ] fig1 shows a navigation map created for a restaurant chain offering chinese and indonesian cuisine , in which graphic designs display the relations existing between the various dishes ( information access nodes ) and the various ingredients , types of cuisine , etc . ( categories ), as well as several search operators . [ 0133 ] fig2 shows the navigation map of fig1 where the user has pre - selected the ingredients “ vegetables ” and “ duck ” with the intersection search operator , and where the dish “ 3 delights rice ” has also been individually pre - selected . [ 0134 ] fig3 shows a flow chart showing the part of the information request , search and presentation process within the scope of the present invention , as well as the basic processes involved . [ 0135 ] fig4 shows a navigation map created for a brand of watches , in turn divided into two navigation sub - maps . as there are go ! operators for activating the search process for each navigation sub - map and for the navigation map encompassing both it is possible to carry out searches according to the criteria established in one , the other or both navigation sub - maps . as the present invention is applicable to a great variety of areas or systems ( listed above at the end of the “ object of the invention ” section ), this section describes one of the possible embodiments of the present invention , applied to the internet , without this implying any limitation of other embodiments of the invention . in order to aid the understanding of an embodiment of the invention corresponding to a dynamic navigation interface for using the internet to access information regarding the dishes offered by a chain of restaurants serving indonesian and chinese cuisine , the following are taken as premises : 3 delights rice ( made with rice and vegetables ; this is a vegetarian dish and it is possible to order half a portion ) roasted pig ( made with pork , rice and vegetables ; it is possible to order half a portion ) the information to be displayed ( not represented in the figures ) can consist of a more detailed description of each dish ( calories , etc .) together with its price and various methods of payment , if finally ordered . the dynamic navigation interface ( see fig3 ) of the present invention ( known as “ visual finder ”) consists of three main elements : a multidimensional ordering and presentation system ( 1 ) for generating the navigation map ( 2 ): its main purpose is to distribute and display effectively on the navigation map ( 2 ) of the restaurant &# 39 ; s web page ( shown in fig1 ) all information and help elements ( 3 , 4 ) for accessing the information , to wit : the nodes ( 3 ) for accessing the information , or the menu dishes ( which allow both individual access to the information represented by each one and the possibility of pre - selecting a plurality of such nodes ( 3 ) ( or menu dishes ), so that all the information regarding a set ( union , intersection , selective , etc .) of such dishes can be accessed . the various categories ( 4 ) or dimensions , such as ingredients ( rice , duck , etc . ), type of cuisine ( chinese or indonesian ), possibility of ordering half a portion , and the subsequent subcategories ( 5 ) associated to each dish ( 3 ) ( see fig1 ). the sensory designs ( 6 ) ( graphical , auditory , olfactory , tactile , etc .) required for each node ( 3 ) or menu dish to be related by said sensory designs ( 6 ) ( in this case graphical designs ) with each and every category ( 4 ) to which said dish ( 3 ) belongs ( as its ingredients , type of cuisine , etc . ), and optionally , the symbols corresponding to search operators ( 13 ) ( algebraic , boolean , venn , conditional or any other type ) allowing to select one , part or all dishes or information access nodes ( 3 ), as well as their categories ( 4 ) and / pr subcategories ( 5 ), so that the result of the search does not include the information elements ( 3 , 4 ) leading to a menu information that is not wanted . including categories ( 4 ) relative to information access nodes ( 3 ) within the navigation map ( 2 ) of the restaurant chain allows knowing part of the information on the dish without having to access it , as the navigation map ( 2 ) shows implicitly the ingredients , the type of cuisine , etc . associated to each dish . the means for implementing the multidimensional ordering and presentation system ( 1 ) used to generate the navigation map ( 2 ) include algorithms and linear programming tools which consider all nodes ( 3 ), categories ( 4 ), subcategories ( 5 ), the operators ( 13 ) associated with each node ( 3 ) ( menu dish ) and their parameters , constraints and restrictions , as well as graphical , sensory , mathematical ideographical , semantic , symbolic , artistic or marketing criteria . after the navigation map ( 2 ) for the restaurant chain has been created it is downloaded by means of computer files in a format compatible with the user &# 39 ; s browser . these files can be written in the formats html , xml , wml , jpeg , gif , bmp , mov , avi , mp3 , mpeg , wav , java , text , image , sound , video , smell and touch . system for pre - selection and visual search of information ( 9 ) ( see fig1 and 2 ): its basic purpose is to endow search operators ( 13 ) ( algebraic , boolean , venn , conditional or any other type ), whether located in the navigation map ( 2 ) or implicit in the operation of the mouse pointer ( 23 ) ( or equivalent element ), with the required operability to allow pre - selection of one , some or all information access nodes ( 3 ) ( or menu dishes ) as well as of one , some or all categories ( 4 ) and / or subcategories ( 5 ) before proceeding to the information access pointed to by said elements . the pre - selection made by the user is presented in the navigation map ( 2 ) by means of a sensory intensification or dimming ( visual , auditory , olfactory , etc .) in varying degrees of intensity , of the pre - selected information elements ( 10 ) or unselected ( information elements such as menu dishes ( 3 ), categories ( 4 ) ( ingredients , etc .) and / or subcategories ( 5 ) contained in said navigation map ( 2 )). [ 0160 ] fig2 shows the same navigation map ( 2 ) as in fig1 in which the user has pre - selected the ingredients “ vegetables ” and “ duck ” operated by the intersection search operator ( 13 ) and where , in addition , the user has pre - selected the dish “ 3 - seasons rice ” individually . the result of said pre - selection includes the dishes ( 10 ): “ imperial duck ”, “ peasant &# 39 ; s duck ” and “ 3 - seasons rice ”. once this pre - selection has taken place if the user activates the “ go !” search process activation operator ( 11 ), a more exhaustive information on the 3 previously mentioned dishes ( 10 ) will be shown , since said dishes are the only ones which satisfy all search criteria . the means to implement the information visual search and pre - selection system ( 9 ) consist of routine or programs written in event - oriented programming languages , so that they are governed by pre - selected events activated by the user and , optionally , depend on a time function . to this end , programming languages such as visual basic , visual c , c and java could be used . said routines or programs may be either contained in the layer of the navigation interface which resides in the user &# 39 ; s terminal ( 14 ), or can be downloaded to said terminal from the layer of the navigation interface which resides in the information provider system ( 16 ). an optional element of the information visual search and pre - selection system ( 9 ) consists of an activation button or operator ( 11 ) belonging to the “ go !” search process which , when activated by the user , proceeds to send the search request itself according to the information elements that have been previously pre - selected ( 10 ) ( menu dishes , ingredients , etc .) the query ( 12 ) ( see fig3 ) consists of sending a computer file ( to the information provider ) containing all the requirements for the search . the means to carry out said query ( 12 ) are routines or programmes ( written in visual basic , visual c , c , java , or any other language ) which write a file , in a language compatible with the database to be accessed , containing all the information elements ( 3 , 4 ) that have been pre - selected ( as well as any other information which could be considered of interest ) to be able to extract the requested information ( 8 ) from said database ( 17 ) and send it to the user who requested it for presentation , with all the search and cosss criteria , as well as their relationships , remaining implicitly and / or explicitly present . said query ( 12 ) could be written in sql , db2 , access , text or any other access language for databases ( 17 ). ( the information extraction process form the database ( 17 ) itself is not a part of the present invention ). presentation system ( 7 ) for the requested information ( 8 ): once the navigation interface layer residing in the user &# 39 ; s terminal ( 14 ) receives all the information found ( 18 ) by the provider ( in this case the restaurant chain ), its basic mission consists of presenting the user with the following : the extracted information ( which obeys the criteria as defined by the system for pre - selection and visual search of information ( 9 )), a new navigation map ( 2 ) ( to carry out a more in - depth categorization , for example to select to which restaurant in question the order will be made , or select the method of payment , etc .) invoking once again the multidimensional ordering and presentation system ( 1 ) to generate the subsequent navigation map , or a combination of both ( the extracted information and a new navigation map ). the means for implementing the presentation system ( 7 ) for the requested information ( 6 ) include a routine or program which operates as a sequential state machine and , as such , operates in accordance to the current search state , previous search states ( 19 ) and to the type of information extracted . said routine or program may be implemented in a programming language such as visual basic , visual c , c or java ; so that it can process data files ( 8 ) which contain the request information in a language such as sql , db 2 , access , text or any other language oriented to accessing databases ( 17 ). considering each of the previously mentioned elements of the invention in greater detail , it should be remarked that the dynamic navigation interface allows navigation based on a sensory interface ( graphic , auditory , etc .) in which : the menu dishes , ingredients , etc . or information elements ( 3 , 4 ): can represent information of different nature in a same navigation map ; these are displayed as shapes , images or geometric or sensory elements , by means of their spatial distribution , affinity or sensory association , using analogies with real or abstract displays of elements such as : logos , corporate images or elements of the former , display of systems in general , natural or artificial , figurative or conceptual , simple or complex , random , cause - effect or with perceivable ranges of other sensory stimuli . in addition , and as an aid prior to the information search , ( see fig4 ), the user has extra information areas ( 24 ) available which are displayed when positioning the mouse pointer ( 23 ) ( or equivalent element ) on a certain element ( such as the “ weight ” category ( 4 ) of a clock ) and which supply additional information about the content of said element ; this makes saving time possible as it allows information to be discriminated before accessing it , or accessing it in a more selective manner as the deeper layers of cosss and pre - selection and selection possibilities can be optionally activated . this functionality is performed by one or various computer routines written in an event - oriented programming language of choice , such as visual basic , visual c , java or any other event oriented code . information access nodes ( 3 ) are organised in open or closed categories ( 4 ): this is , they are categorised according to one or more criteria which can be dependent , related or independent of each other . this is a multi - dimensional categorisation in which the dimensions or categories ( 4 ) can overlap each other and be linearly independent or not . categorization of the information access nodes ( 3 ) is achieved by sensory designs ( 6 ) ( graphic , auditory , tactile , olfactory , etc . ), in accordance to one or more simultaneous criteria or dimensions ( multi - dimensional ): these categorisation criteria are based on relationships between the elements to be classified . these relationships may be of different kinds : mathematical , by order , alphabetical , by priority , qualitative , quantitative , sequential , methodological , by group , ideological , functional , temporary , numerical , physical , chemical , by venn sets , simple or complex , conditional , functional , constructive , by origin , by brand , limited , unlimited , by criteria , relationships or characteristics of the elements or of the relationship among them inferred directly or indirectly from the same graphic - visual content which supports it , whether directly or by analogy . to implement a graphic distinction or categorisation of the information access nodes ( 3 ): euclidean space elements of any dimension are used , combining them with any type of graphic or sensory resources , especially colour codes , textures , patterns , thickness , flashing , resources to increase or reduce visibility in general , sensory - visual - graphic relationships between elements ( geometric , contrast , by analogies , . . . ) and euclidean geometry in general . also used are associated sensory impulses , such as sounds , associated frequencies and sequencing and combination of the same . it also considers the use of sensory impulses associated with pre - selection levels in the sensory fields of taste , smell and touch , already in development in the area of virtual reality and “ mmi ” ( man - machine interface ). although the implementation method of said sensory impulses are not part of the present invention , said sensory impulses are perfectly manageable by the present invention as long as the adequate transducers allowing transformation of digitalised data ( 1 &# 39 ; s and 0 &# 39 ; s ) into elements appreciable to the human being ( images , sounds , smells . . . ) are available . the multidimensional ordering and presentation system ( 1 ) for generating a navigation map ( 2 ) in which the information access nodes ( 3 ) ( or menu dishes ) are displayed in a distinguishable and categorized manner . this navigation map ( 3 ) can be generated automatically ( by programming ) according to the type of information to be shown , from the previous search states ( 19 ) or from specific parameters of configuration established by the user , the provider or both . the means to implement said graphic distinction or categorisation automatically include lineal programming tools and algorithms which allow the graphic representation of multidimensional euclidean and algebraic spaces , such as flat surfaces , surfaces of revolution , ruled surfaces , complex curves , imaginary spaces , infinite and discontinuous functions , etc . so that all the overlapping and dependency constraints between categories ( 4 ), subcategories ( 5 ) and the information access nodes ( 3 ) are included in the navigation map ( 2 ). all or some of the elements which form the multidimensional ordering and presentation system ( 1 ) may either be contained in the navigation interface layer residing in the user &# 39 ; s terminal ( 14 ), or be downloaded to said terminal from the navigation interface layer residing in the information provider &# 39 ; s remote system ( 16 ). the multidimensional ordering and presentation system ( 1 ) for generating a navigation map ( 2 ) also allows the inclusion of advertising ( 25 ) in determined areas in accordance to the segmentation ( 20 ) carried out for each user profile in question ( by means of one of the files known “ cookies ” which contains information about the search routines of the user and which are read by servers called “ ad - servers ” in charge of inserting the adequate advertising elements ( 25 ) in the areas provided for this purpose in the navigation map ( 2 )). as mentioned when describing the multidimensional ordering and presentation system ( 1 ) for generating a navigation map ( 2 ), the symbols which correspond to the search operators ( 13 ) ( algebraic , boolean , venn , conditional or of any other kind ) which allow pre - selecting the desired elements , do not have to be displayed in said navigation map ( 2 ). in this case , and according to one of the possible embodiments of the information visual search and pre - selection system ( 9 ), in order to pre - select , unselect , or carry out any operation with a given element of information ( 3 , 4 ,) it is enough to approach the mouse pointer ( 23 ) ( or equivalent element ) to said element and use one of the buttons of said mouse ( or any input peripheral associated to any man - machine interface or sensory user interface ) by means of different combinations ( click , double - click , activation sequence and / or frequency of said buttons ) which respond to each one of the possible operations on each of the elements ( category and information access nodes ). the means in charge of supporting this entire functionality include routines or programmes written in event - oriented programming languages resident in the pre - selection system ( 9 ). in one of the possible embodiments of the invention , the information visual search and pre - selection system ( 9 ) has event - oriented routines or programmes which , when positioning the mouse pointer ( 23 ) ( or equivalent element ) on a certain category ( 4 ) or information access node ( 3 ), will endow the element with mathematical functions which could be operated like the rest of the operator of said pre - selection system ( 9 ). in this way it is possible to select information access nodes ( 3 ) or categories ( 4 ) along with quantitative entities ( such as price , number , weight , etc .). in another of the possible embodiments of the invention , when prioritising , ordering or weighting the importance of the different extracted information elements after the search is carried out , the information visual search and pre - selection system ( 9 ) has routines and programmes which allow ( separately or in combined manner ): the user to establish the order in which the information ( result of the search ) should be displayed by establishing a sequence or order of priority for each of the information access nodes ( 3 ) ( or a subset of these ). the system itself to order or truncate ( up to a maximum number ) the information ( result of the search ) by means of a series of evaluation criteria ( configurable or fixed ) among which are : the content of the information heading , the content of the sections or categories in which said information is classified , “ key ” words ( visible or not ) contained in said information , discrimination by plurals , capital letters , accents , etc . in both cases , the means supporting said functionality include routines and programmes which attach to the text file containing the rest of the query data , the ordering , prioritisation or sequencing data written in a language compatible with the database ( 17 ) to be accessed . in this way , when the database receives said file it will have all the necessary information to extract the requested information ( 8 ) in an orderly and / or prioritised manner , in accordance with the specifications established by the user and / or the system . as previously described ( see fig2 ), while the user is pre - selecting the information elements ( 3 , 4 ) ( dishes , ingredients , type of cuisine , etc .) with which to carry out the search , the pre - selection system ( 9 ) displays the information elements ( 3 , 4 ) ( dishes , ingredients , type of cuisine , etc .) which the user is pre - selecting ( or unselecting ) in the navigation map ( 2 ) by a sensory intensification or dimming ( visual , auditory , olfactory , etc .) of said elements ( 3 , 4 ) in varying degrees or states . these states include , at least : total or partial illumination , total or partial shut - off , total or partial enabling or disabling , etc . and direct access to the information pointed to by an information access node ( 3 ). the dynamic navigation interface also has editable configuration files allowing the user to select among different sensory levels of man - machine accessibility , both qualitative ( visual , auditory , etc .) and quantitative ( sizes , colour , brightness , contrast , volume , language , etc .) to be used depending on the user &# 39 ; s preferences or handicaps . the dynamic navigation interface may be integrated within a traditional browser endowed with the “ bookmarks ” function , so that accessing this function of the traditional browser would invoke routines and programmes for calling the dynamic navigation interface of the present invention , which would either be directly executed ( if the interface resides within the user &# 39 ; s system ( 14 ) or pc ), or would connect with the remote system ( 16 ) of the navigator provider for its download to the user &# 39 ; s pc ( if the interface does not reside within the user &# 39 ; s pc ). the multidimensional ordering and presentation system ( 1 ) for the navigation map ( 2 ) can additionally have means to allow the user to move all or part of the navigation map ( 2 ), in order to reveal or conceal certain parts of it . this movement can involve translation , rotation , approaching , distancing , separation , union , etc . these functionalities would be useful , for example , when the navigation map ( 2 ) adopts a spheroid shape . to support this movement functionality the multidimensional ordering and presentation system for the navigation map will have computer routines written in visual basic , visual c , c , java or any other computer language allowing to process information graphically . finally , it should be highlighted that as the dynamic navigation interface manages information stored in a digitalised form ( 1 &# 39 ; s and 0 &# 39 ; s ), the type of information that said interface is able to manage includes , among others : text , images , audio , video or any other type of information that can be transported by electronic , magnetic , optical , radio - frequency means or by any other method . as an extension of the basic operation of the invention described at the beginning of the present section , the following dynamic navigation interface operation models can also be described : whenever two or more navigation maps ( 2 , 21 , 22 ) allow selecting information elements ( 3 , 4 ) according to multiple types of categories ( 4 ) or selection criteria . as this is a multidimensional system , these categories ( 4 ) may be categorised themselves into super - categories ( with their corresponding overlaps and dependency relationships ), and so on . in this way , a combined search can be carried out according to the criteria specified in one , several or all of the navigation maps ( 2 , 21 , 22 ) available simultaneously . this leads to a greater searching power . in the case shown in fig4 and depending on the search process activation operator ( 11 ) “ go !” activated by the user , the search process will consider the criteria specified in the navigation submap on the left ( 21 ) ( left - hand go ! operator ), the criteria specified in the navigation submap on the right ( 22 ) ( right - hand go ! operator ), or the criteria specified in both navigation submaps ( 2 , 21 , 22 ) ( central go ! operator ). corresponds to a dynamic system where a selection of information elements ( 3 , 4 ) ( information access nodes ( 3 ) or categories ( 4 )) activates , in turn , another navigation map ( 2 ) which depends on the selection . this second navigation map is generated by the multidimensional ordering and presentation system ( 1 ) after being invoked , in turn , by the requested information ( 8 ) presentation system ( 7 ), which as previously explained is implemented by means of a sequential state machine or program which , as such , operates according to the type of information extracted , the current search state , previous search states ( 19 ) and other parameters such as configurable and fixed parameters , depending on time elapsed , on position of the mouse pointer ( 23 ) ( or equivalent element ), etc . whenever two or more navigation maps ( 2 ) or sub - maps operate simultaneously in a conditioned manner ; that is , whenever one or several such navigation maps change content depending on the pre - selection state of the information elements ( 3 , 4 ) ( categories ( 4 ) or information access nodes ( 3 )) established by the user in one of the other maps . allows the combination of any of the previously described operations and the implementation of multiple combined complex dynamic systems , provided with a capacity to calculate , pre - select , select and categorise with an exponentionally growing search power . the previously - described means for implementing the operation models are identical to those described above for the operation of the system based on a single navigation map , with the exception that each of the sub - systems that include each of the said navigation maps communicates with the rest by means of a system of interruptions and / or message queue which manages the messages between said sub - systems . these messages consist of text files specifying at least one of the following elements : subsystem of origin of the message , destination subsystem of the message , information to be provided to the destination subsystem and queries sent to the destination subsystem of the message .	6
in the following discussion , numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough explanation . however , such specific details are not essential . additionally , for the most part , specific details within the understanding of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art have been omitted . referring to fig1 - 9 , a coupon envelope , including the enclosed coupon , may be made from a single rectangular card . the card may be cut out from a larger card using a steel rule cutting die . views 100 a - 900 a show one side of the card , which may be referred to as side a . views 100 b - 900 b show the other side of the card , which may be referred to as side b . views 100 b - 900 b show the card flipped horizontally with respect to its position in views 100 a - 900 a . referring to views 100 a and 100 b in fig1 , the card may be divided into three sections numbered 1 , 2 , and 3 . each section has one side on side a and one side on side b . in the drawings , reference numbers 1 a and 1 b respectively refer to sides a and b of section 1 , reference numbers 2 a and 2 b respectively refer to sides a and b of section 2 , and reference numbers 3 a and 3 b respectively refer to sides a and b of section 3 . in this discussion , the dimension of the card extending across sections 1 , 2 , and 3 is assumed to be the length of the card , as is shown in the drawings . however , this dimension could also be the width of the card if desired for the shape of the coupon envelope . when the coupon envelope is completed , section 3 may be folded between section 1 and section 2 . it is therefore preferable that sections 1 and 2 consume substantially equal portions of the length of the card . it is also preferable that section 3 consume a slightly smaller portion of the length so that section 3 will fit between sections 1 and 2 . in some embodiments , section 3 may consume 98 % of the length of the card consumed by each of sections 1 and 2 . fold lines dividing the sections may be produced with a steel rule cutting die . as one example of possible dimensions , a card may be 4⅜th inches wide and 8 15 / 16th inches long . sections 1 and 2 may be 3 inches wide and section 3 may be 2 15 / 16th inches wide . as another example of possible dimensions , a card may be 9 inches wide and 9 5 / 16th inches long . sections 1 and 2 may be 3⅛th inches wide and section 3 may be 3 1 / 16th inches wide . an image may be printed on the coupon envelope , to be later cut out from the excess card surrounding it . the example card envelope in fig1 - 8 has a coffee cup image 101 printed on it , as represented by the gray outline . other card envelopes may have other images printed on them , such as a beer bottle . the coupon 102 may also be printed on the card as a portion of section 3 . when the coupon envelope is completed , only side a of section 1 and side a of section 2 face outward . thus , printing the image 101 on other sides and sections may be unnecessary . nonetheless , in the drawings the image 101 is shown on both sides of all sections for reference . different images may be used on different sides and sections . for example , image 101 may appear on side a of section 1 and a different image may appear on side a of section 2 . referring to views 200 a and 200 b in fig2 , section 1 may receive cut 201 , denoted by a dotted line , to divide the section into an upper portion 202 and a lower portion 203 . cut 201 is interrupted by “ nicks ” 204 and 205 . a nick is a break in a cut which leaves a thin connection between the two sides of the cut . section 2 may receive a substantially identical cut 206 , also denoted by a dotted line , to divide section 2 into an upper portion 207 and a lower portion 208 . similar to cut 201 , cut 204 is interrupted by nicks 209 and 210 . section 3 may receive cut 211 . unlike cuts 201 and 204 , cut 211 divides section 3 into three portions : a coupon portion 212 , an upper portion 213 , and a lower portion 214 . nick 215 connects upper portion 213 to coupon portion 212 , and nick 216 connects coupon portion 212 to lower portion 216 . one method for creating a nick is to use a grinding disk to grind a gap into a steel rule cutting die . when the cutting die makes a cut in the card , the portion of the card at the gap is spared . typically , a nick is between one - half and one millimeter . nicks of different widths can be created by using grinding disks of different widths . cuts 201 , 206 , and 211 may not extend across the entire widths of their respective sections . instead , bridges 217 , 218 , 219 , and 220 may remain to hold the various portions 202 , 203 , 207 , 208 , 213 , and 214 together in addition to the nicks . in the drawings , a solid vertical line denotes the border between a cut and a bridge . bridges 218 and 219 may extend laterally across , spanning the longitudinal fold lines shown running vertically from top to bottom of the card . the bridges 217 , 218 , 219 , and 220 may hold the upper portions 202 , 207 and 213 of the card against separation from lower portions 203 208 , and 214 , during at least a portion of the manufacturing process and possibly until the desired shape of the image , for example , is cut . bridge 217 may hold the upper and lower portions 202 , 203 of section 1 together , bridge 218 may hold the upper and lower portions 202 , 203 , 207 and 208 of sections 1 and 2 together , bridge 219 may hold the upper and lower portions 207 , 208 , 213 and 214 of sections 2 and 3 together , and bridge 220 may hold the upper and lower portions 213 and 214 of section 3 together . the bridges may subsequently be cut away as described below with reference to fig9 . cuts 201 and 204 are curved to match the lid of the coffee cup in the image , so that upper portions 202 and 207 include the lid of the cup and lower portions 203 and 208 include the remainder of the cup . this curvature is arbitrary ; another coupon envelope could have cuts 201 and 204 dividing the upper and lower portions in a different manner . however , cuts 201 and 204 are preferably identical . cut 211 is also preferably identical to cuts 201 and 204 , except that cut 211 should cut around the coupon portion 212 , and nicks 215 and 216 should respectively attach upper portion 213 to coupon portion 212 and coupon portion 212 to lower portion 214 . additionally , only two nicks are used in each section in the embodiment shown , but more or fewer nicks could be used depending on the size of the envelope . referring to views 300 a and 300 b in fig3 , side a of section 3 may have a layer of glue 301 applied to it . side b of section 2 may have layer of glue 302 applied to it . layer of glue 301 may be limited to the interior of image , excluding the coupon itself . layer of glue 302 may likewise be limited to the interior of the image , excluding the portion of section 2 which will come into contact with the coupon when the card is folded as shown in views 400 a and 400 b . referring to views 400 a and 400 b in fig4 , side b of section 3 may be folded against side b of section 2 . referring to views 500 a and 500 b in fig5 , layer of glue 302 may hold sections 2 and 3 together . referring to views 600 a and 600 b in fig6 , side a of section 3 may be folded against side b of section 1 . referring to views 700 a and 700 b in fig7 , layer of glue 301 may hold sections 1 and 3 together . referring to view 800 a in fig8 , when the folded coupon envelope is placed face up side a of section 1 is on top , followed by side a of section 3 , and then side b of section 2 . referring to view 800 b , when the folded coupon envelope is placed face down , side a of section 2 is on top , followed by side b of section 3 , and then side b of section 1 . referring to views 900 a and 900 b in fig9 , the excess card around the image may be cut away , leaving a completed coupon envelope in the shape of the image . this cutting may be performed with a hollow ground die . this form of cutting is sometimes called pmc die - cutting after a commonly used “ pmc ” brand of die cutter . in section 1 , upper portion 202 and lower portion 203 are held together only by nicks 204 and 205 . likewise , in section 2 , upper portion 207 and lower portion 208 are held together only by nicks 209 and 210 . in section 3 , upper portion 213 and coupon portion 212 may be held together by nick 215 , and coupon portion 212 and lower portion 214 may be held together by nick 216 . the layer of glue on side a of section 3 holds sections 1 and 3 together . the layer of glue on side b of section 2 holds sections 2 and 3 together . referring to view 1000 in fig1 , coupon portion 212 , the coupon , may be retrieved from the completed coupon envelope by pulling upper portions 202 , 207 , and 213 and lower portions 203 , 208 , and 214 apart . referring to view 1100 in fig1 , all nicks 204 , 205 , 209 , and 210 in sections 1 and 2 may separate , along with one of the nicks 215 or 216 in section 3 . coupon portion 212 may thus be attached to the coupon envelope only by the remaining nick 215 or 216 in section 3 . in the drawings , it is assumed nick 215 separated , leaving coupon portion 212 attached only by nick 216 . referring to view 1200 in fig1 , coupon portion 212 may be pulled away from the remaining portion of the coupon envelope it is attached to , until the remaining nick separates . referring to view 1300 in fig1 , coupon portion 212 will then be separate from both the upper portions 202 , 207 , and 213 and the lower portions 203 , 208 , and 214 of the coupon envelope . in one alternative embodiment of the production of the coupon envelope , the excess card around the image may be cut away as described with reference to fig9 prior to the cuts dividing the sections into portions as described with reference to fig2 . however , this approach removes the bridges 217 , 218 , 219 , and 220 holding the upper and lower portions together during other steps in the manufacturing . it is noted that the embodiments disclosed are illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range of variations , modifications , changes , and substitutions are contemplated in the foregoing disclosure and , in some instances , some features of the present invention may be employed without a corresponding use of the other features . many such variations and modifications may be considered desirable by those skilled in the art based upon a review of the foregoing description of various embodiments .	1
the following description refers to the accompanying drawings that illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention . other embodiments are possible and modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , the following detailed description is not meant to limit the present invention . rather , the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims . it should be understood that the order of the steps of the methods of the invention is immaterial so long as the invention remains operable . moreover , two or more steps may be conducted simultaneously or in a different order than recited herein unless otherwise specified . fig1 a illustrates a portion of an imaging probe 10 a , using a conventional ivus ultrasonic transducer 12 , an optical transducer 14 which includes an angled - tip optical lens assembly 16 attached to a single mode fiber 18 , a standard miniature rf cable 20 delivering power to the ivus ultrasonic transducer , and a torque cable 22 providing a stable revolution rate to the assembly . torque cables are generally preferred in this dual probe catheter as the optical fiber is known to have a very low torsional ( rotational ) stiffness . for example , a 1 cm length of standard telecomm fiber 125 μm in diameter with approximately 1 millionth of a n - m of applied torque will twist one degree . therefore , it is unrealistic to expect the fiber to be sufficiently torsionally rigid to drive the complete assembly . in fig1 a , both the optical transducer 12 and the ivus ultrasonic transducer 14 are angled to minimize unwanted parasitic reflections from reaching the respective transducers , and to create an aligned cross - sectional “ cut ” through the tissue . as shown , the acoustic beam ( ab ) emanating from the transducer is parallel to optical beam ( ob ) emanating from the fiber . the direction of these two parallel beams is rotated by an angle α relative to the longitudinal axis of the probe . as shown in the figure , a small amount of longitudinal displacement is acceptable . as a first order approximation , this allowable displacement is the approximate maximum beam width of the combined probe 10 a . in most cases , this will be the width of the ultrasound beam , which typically has a width of ˜ 100 to 300 um ( the oct beam width is typically 25 um ). keeping the longitudinal displacement below this longitudinal displacement limit ensures the beams remain overlapped . furthermore , having the two beams at 180 degrees opposite to each other ensures easier real - time or post - processing alignment of the two images for an overlay display . fig1 b depicts a probe 10 b for imaging whereby the overall diameter is reduced . here , a metal coated fiber 24 is shown inside an insulated tube 26 . these two cylindrical surfaces ( tube and coating ), the dielectric constant of the insulation , and the insulation thickness can be configured to form a simple coaxial transmission line for the rf signals . such rf signals may vary from 10 to 60 mhz depending on the ivus ultrasonic transducer design . fig1 c illustrates another probe embodiment 10 c with a different conduction mechanism . specifically , in the probe 10 c shown , the inner 28 and outer 30 coils of a torque cable 22 form a coaxial transmission line 32 . an insulated spacer 34 is inserted between the inner and outer coils to prevent a short circuit condition . the embodiment shown in fig1 c allows rf power to be transmitted using an integral torque wire . in one embodiment , the transducer is coated with epoxy . in one embodiment , both the ultrasound transducer and the optical fiber rotate together , being driven by the same torque wire . the distal tip epoxy encases the optical fiber , the ultrasound transducer and its associated supply wires . hence , the epoxy is selected for suitable optical and acoustic properties , as well as the required electrical insulation . various epoxies and silicon compounds can be purchased and / or specifically tailored that meet these requirements . fig1 d illustrates a cross - section of the embodiment of fig1 c . the two wires connected to the transducer shown in fig1 c and 1d are rigid and rotate with the transducer . fig1 e illustrates another optical probe embodiment wherein two ivus ultrasonic transducers t 1 , t 2 operating at different frequencies are integrated in the device . the lower frequency transducer t 1 allows for ultrasound with s deeper scanning range , but lower resolution . conversely , the higher frequency t 2 transducer allows for ultrasound with increased resolution but less depth penetration . in one embodiment , one transducer operates at about 5 mhz and the other transducer operates at about 60 mhz . by using transducers with differing frequency ranges , an optical probe gains the advantages of both transducers , and mitigates disadvantages of each transducer , respectively . this dual transducer probe achieves the same overall goals as the combined oct / ivus catheter in the case where very high resolution (˜ 10 um , oct ) is not needed in favor of very high penetration (˜ 3 - 5 cm ) offered by a lower frequency ultrasound transducer . fig2 depicts a probe embodiment 40 that incorporates a mechanism for transmitting both rf energy and optical energy to the rotating assembly . specifically , a transformer scheme is used wherein a first coil 42 is attached to the rotating assembly 44 , and a second coil 46 is integrated with the connector 48 of the optical probe . this configuration has the advantage that both coils move with the assembly during a ‘ pull - back ’ ( longitudinal ) scan operation . such pullbacks are used in both oct and ivus scans . when coupled with a rotation , a spiral scan pattern is created inside the arterial lumen . however , this approach results in an increased cost for a one - time - use catheter . fig3 illustrates an alternative coupling scheme wherein the fixed coil 42 is part of the drive unit 50 ( motorized assembly providing rotational and longitudinal motions ). in this embodiment , the fixed coil is permanent , and must be long enough to efficiently couple the rf energy into the rotating catheter coil over the entire pullback length . although incorporating the fixed coil to the drive unit imposes additional requirements to the drive electronics , the decrease in catheter usage provides an overall cost savings . currently , conventional slip - ring technology is widely used in the field of optical imaging . alternatively to fig2 and 3 , slip - ring technology can be used in ivus probes described herein . however , for a probe with a centered optics configuration , the slip - ring is more difficult to manufacture than in the ivus - only case . fig4 illustrates an embodiment that includes capacitive micro - machined ultrasonic transducers ( cmut ) 52 integrated in a coronary imaging probe 54 . the advantage of the cmut is the small size of the transducer , which is fabricated via conventional electronic cmos processes . the small size and photolithographic fabrication allows customized arrays of transducers to be built with the drive electronics on the same substrate . in this example , an array is formed in an annular region around the optical transducer . as a result , a co - focused , aligned and combined beam can be formed , which eliminates the need for software registration and removes a potential source of error . however , this probe tip may be larger than the embodiment shown in fig1 . fig5 a illustrates a fused oct - ivus image 56 , wherein the demarcation line 58 is chosen near the oct penetration limit . as shown , by registering the relative images of the ultrasound 60 and the oct scans 62 , it is possible for a clinician to view a composite image that shows additional physiological data . this approach can be used to image subsurface lipid pools . fig5 b illustrates a fused oct / ivus image wherein the oct portion appears in the image center and the ivus portion appears in the periphery . the outer boundary indicates approximately the boundary where the two regions intersect . not shown in the embodiments depicted in the figures is a guide catheter . typically , the guide catheter is a larger bore catheter used to introduce the smaller imaging catheter into the main arterial trunk . from the guide catheter , a flush solution can be expelled to create a clear , blood - free imaging region when oct imaging is performed . alternative embodiments may include a flush lumen within the imaging catheter whereby the flush solution is ejected at the imaging tip rather than from the guide catheter . the aspects and embodiments of the invention can incorporate various components of varying dimension and materials as is known to one of ordinary skill . various specific dimensions and materials are described herein , however , these exemplary materials are not meant to be limiting , but only to evidence additional more specific embodiments . for all of the measurements discussed below , the dimension given also includes a range of greater than about 10 - 20 % of the dimension given and less than about 10 %- 20 % of the dimension given . in addition , for all of the measurements discussed below , the dimension given also includes a range of greater than about 20 - 50 % of the dimension given and less than about 20 %- 50 % of the dimension given . further , in addition , for all of the measurements discussed below , the dimension given also includes a range of greater than about 50 - 100 % of the dimension given and less than about 50 %- 100 % of the dimension given . in one probe embodiment , the viewing window used is a transparent epoxy - based window . further , in another embodiment , the transducers used have a first dimension of about 0 . 1 mm and a second dimension of about 0 . 5 mm . the forward viewing angle is about 10 degrees in one embodiment of the probe . the end - cap used in one probe embodiment includes a metal . the probe can include a hollow core that is substantially filled with an epoxy material in some embodiments . in one embodiment , the width of the shield rf cable is about 0 . 18 mm . it should be appreciated that various aspects of the claimed invention are directed to subsets and substeps of the techniques disclosed herein . further , the terms and expressions employed herein are used as terms of description and not of limitation , and there is no intention , in the use of such terms and expressions , of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof , but it is recognized that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed . accordingly , what is desired to be secured by letters patent is the invention as defined and differentiated in the following claims , including all equivalents .	0
in accordance with the present invention , the resinous component of the developer powder or toner is composed , in at least a major part , of polyamide resins having a low melt viscosity and sharp melting points within the range of from about 70 ° up to about 165 ° c ., preferably within the range of from about 97 ° up to 107 ° c . as used herein , the term polyamide resin refers to the polymerization product resulting from the condensation of polyamines with polybasic acids . in general , any polyamide resin produced according to the reaction set forth above may be used in the present invention , providing the melting point of the final resin composition is within the range specified , preferably within the range of 97 ° to 107 ° c . below 70 ° c . there is a danger of the resin melting at the normal operating temperature of the electrophotographic apparatus , bearing in mind also that the toner compositions must withstand any high temperature that may be encountered during shipping without producing cold flowing . the sharp melting point polyamide resins reduce this cold flow tendency inasmuch as they do not soften unless the environmental temperature approaches very near to their melting temperature . thus , the melt temperature of the polyamide resin utilized is maintained substantially above any shipping temperature which is contemplated . temperatures above the upper limit would generally lead to charring of the imaged copy sheets and are obviously undesirable . any suitable polyamide resin which satisfies the above requirements may be used in the course of the present invention . typical polyamide resins are the versamid 335 , 712 , 750 , 930 , 940 and 950 resins commercially available from henkel corporation and polymid p - 1155 , p - 4771 and p - 1074 , commercially available from the lawter chemical company . it should also be appreciated that polyamides having melting points outside the stated range , such as polymid 1084 available from the lawter chemical company , may be used if combined with other polyamides so that the final resin composition has the desired melting point . thus , a versamid 100 resin , which has a melting point of 43 ° to 53 ° c ., or a versamid 900 resin , which has a melting point of 180 ° to 190 ° c ., may be combined with other polyamides to produce a polyamide composition having a melting point within the operating range of 70 ° to 165 ° c . the low melt viscosity resins , such as the p - 4771 resin , are preferred for their flow characteristics including viscosities of 1000 centipoises or less at their melting temperatures . the low melt viscosity resins greatly aid in the fusing of toner images at surface temperatures of from 215 ° to 225 ° f . as referred to above , a highly conductive carbon pigment is added to the developer powder or toner in order to provide the particles with a surface coating which will render them somewhat conductive so as to decrease the resistivity of the particle and enhance powder flow during processing . other pigment materials may be used in combination with the conductive carbon pigment in order to produce various desired effects . the carbon particles will generally have a size ranging from 12 mμ to 22 mμ and will be added to the toner composition in an amount ranging from 0 . 5 to 4 . 0 percent , preferably 0 . 75 to 1 . 2 percent , by weight based on the total weight of the toner . the conductive carbon is added to the toner or developer composition to impart thereto a resistivity ranging from 50 ohm - cm to 1 × 10 5 ohm - cm and preferably 1 . 0 × 10 2 ohm - cm to 1 . 0 × 10 3 ohm - cm , to achieve the desired conductivity . typical highly conductive carbon particles suitable for use in the present invention include columbian cc40 - 220 commercially available from the columbian chemicals co ., vulcan xc - 72r commercially available from the cabot corp ., and printex l commercially available from the degussa corp . any suitable magnetic oxide component may be added to the resinous toner composition which imparts the desired effect to the single component developer of the present invention . typical magnetic oxide materials include fe 2 o 3 , fe 3 o 4 and various other forms of magnetite . the magnetic oxide component is present in the toner composition in an amount ranging from about 40 to 75 percent by weight , and preferably from about 50 to about 70 percent , in order to achieve effective development and wetting properties . in such formulations the amount of polyamide resin present will range from about 60 to 25 percent by weight , and preferably 40 to 30 percent , always allowing for the presence of the pigment component for control of conductivity as described above . the resulting developer or toner particles of the present invention are preferably classified so as to be present in the final developer composition in a size range ranging from 8 . 0 to 40 . 0 microns , and preferably 12 . 0 to 35 . 0 microns in diameter . particle sizes ranging from 6 to 8 microns may be present up to a maximum of about 1 percent , and it is preferred that at least 90 percent of the final developer composition have a toner particle size in the 12 to 35 micron range . as previously discussed , the carbon is blended with the crushed particles for a period of time which allows for the desired coating of the surface of the particles , a period generally of about 20 seconds . adding the conductive carbon significantly aids in the processing steps to follow in decreasing resistance to flow as the carbon imparts the desired conductivity requirements by decreasing the resistivity of the resulting particles . the resulting blend is then introduced into a pulverizer for reducing the toner composition to the desired particle size while , at the same time , effectively embedding the carbon material in the surface of the toner particles by impaction . the pulverizing step reduces the particle size of the toner particles to a desired range of between about 8 to 40 microns , with a range of 12 to 35 microns being the most desirable . the resulting pulverized toner particles are passed through a classification system , wherein the finer toner particles , that is , those less than about 8 microns , are removed so as to present in the final developer composition a content of less than 1 percent by weight of particles ranging from 6 to 8 microns . this classification step is highly significant inasmuch as the resulting classified particles are then introduced into a blender to which is added additional conductive carbon particles , which are effectively applied to the surface of the toner particles of the desired particle size . the smaller , undesirable particles , having been substantially removed , are not present during the final carbon additive step and , thus , are not present to interfere with the final deposition of carbon on the particle surface of the selected toner particles . the final carbon additive is applied to the toner system by blending for about 2 minutes in a high intensive blender , and then the resulting blend reclassified so as to remove excess carbon particles . thus , according to the present invention , the toner fines are classified out of the developer blend before the final addition of carbon to the toner particles and then classified once again after the carbon addition to eliminate any excess , unattached carbon . it has been determined that the preliminary classification step is essential to the improvement of performance of the single - component toner system . as a result thereof , there is an increase in density of the image , the results thereof being attributed to the fact that the carbon additive is applied almost exclusively to particles useful in the development system , that is , those of the preferred particle size and is most effective in improving powder flow and the conductivity requirements of the resulting toner powder . the greater portion of the small unwanted toner particles having been removed , they are not present so as to interfere with the carbon addition to the surfaces of the larger magnetic oxide - resin toner particles . this procedure also generally reduces background in the ensuing development process and increases image density and sharpness , particularly with the addition of the further classification step following the carbon addition . the disclosed process eliminates heretofore utilized time - consuming and costly procedural requirements in producing increased powder flow and increasing the amount of conductive carbon attached to the desired toner particle surface . the process of the present invention in the preparation of the developer composition is further illustrated by way of the accompanying drawing . referring now to the instant process 10 , the polyamide resin of the present invention is blended with the magnetic oxide particles , which have been previously reduced to the desired particle size , by blender 11 wherein they are thoroughly mixed and then introduced into compounder 12 , where the resulting mixture is heated to a temperature of about 105 ° to 124 ° c . to melt the polyamide resin and form a homogeneous melt of the resin and magnetic oxide . the mixture is next directed to a chilled roll 13 which cools and hardens the resin - oxide mixture which is then introduced to a crusher 14 for grinding to the initial crushed particle size , ranging up to about one - eighth of an inch in diameter . the crushed particles are then introduced into a dry blender 15 to which a conductive carbon 16 is blended . the resulting pigmented developer composition is next introduced into a pulverizer 17 and the developer particles ground to a size of less than 45 microns . the pulverized particles are then introduced into a series 18 of classifiers so as to substantially remove small particles of toner less than 8 microns . the classified product is then introduced into blender 19 to which additional conductive carbon particles 20 are added to finalize or adjust the toner particles to the proper resistivity . the particles are then reintroduced into the classification system via channel 21 to remove and eliminate any excess unattached carbon . the first classification step is highly significant in that the toner fines are classified out of the composition which enhances the addition of the carbon to the toner particles of desired size and further reclassified to remove the excess carbon particles which , if present , would increase the observed background of the developed image . the final product is discharged into tank 22 . the process as above illustrated may be modified in such a way so that the toner fines are classified out of the magnetic oxide - resin blend prior to the addition of any of the conductive carbon particles to the toner particles , thus eliminating blender 15 and carbon 16 . in addition , polyamide resins of varying melting points may be blended such that a polyamide having a melting point which is generally considered outside of the operable range may be blended with a polyamide resin suitably within the desirable range , such that the resulting resin mixture exhibits a melting point within the operable range . the invention being thus described , it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art intended to be included within the scope of the following claims .	8
as shown in the drawings , batches 10 of biscuits are advanced to a horizontal tube former 11 by an infeed conveyor , which includes regularly spaced pusher bars 13 which span a pair of chains 12 running over end sprockets 14 , the advancing batches being supported on a dead plate 15 . the tube former 11 consists of a pair of upstanding side members 16 having wings 16a , which extend towards the infeed conveyor and are joined by a rod 17 , and outturned top flanges 16c . the tube former has a flat horizontal base , constituted by inturned portions 16b of the side members 16 and a triangular portion 18 which are separated by a forwardly converging v - shaped slot 19 and an adjoining longitudinal slot 19a formed between downturned flanges 19b on the portions 16b . the flanges 16c of the side members 16 are mounted on supporting pillars 21 which extend upwardly from the machine frame as shown in fig3 and the triangular portion 18 is mounted on the machine frame by a central support 22 . between the base of the tube former 11 and the dead plate 15 is a u - shaped platform 24 , which is disposed at the same level as the dead plate with its base spaced 2 mm above the base of the tube former to allow the wrapping material to pass beneath it . a web 26 of wrapping material is drawn continuously towards the tube former by the traction of a pair of traction rollers 20 . as shown in fig5 the web 26 passes beneath the rod 17 and its central portion drapes over the top and sides of an advancing batch 10 of biscuits while its edge portions are drawn down through gaps 27 between the wings 16a and the platform 24 and then through the v slots 19 , which initially folds these portions against the base of the article . the edges of the web are finally brought together in the slot 19a to form fins which are engaged by the rollers 20 . the web is thus formed continuously into a tube 50 having a bottom fin seal 51 . the entubing action is assisted by brushes 23 which extend inwardly from the side members 16 . during the formation of the tube the edge portions of the web move inwardly between the base of the platform 24 and the base of the tube former 11 prior to passage into the slot 19 as shown in fig1 . as will be seen from fig5 the width of the web 26 exceeds the length of the rod 17 and in fig5 the edges of the web are marked i and ii and folds formed in the web as it passes under the rod 17 are marked iii and iv . the pusher bars 13 push the batches 10 of biscuits in succession onto the platform 24 , where each batch dwells until it is pushed off by arrival of the next batch onto the base of the tube former 11 along which it is advanced by the traction of the tube of wrapping material . when the batch has arrived there the entubing action of the wrapper and the tightness of wrap achieved by the brushes 23 and the bottom sealing at the fin seal 51 ensure that the batch will be carried forward at the same speed as the wrapping material towards crimping and severing dies , not shown , which form transverse seals in the tube 50 between the batches 10 and sever the tube 50 into individual packages in the conventional manner . the sprockets 14 are secured to a shaft 28 , rotatably mounted in side plates 29 and driven from a shaft ( not shown ) by a chain 31 passing over sprockets 32 , 33 , 34 and 35 . the sprockets 32 are secured to the framework of the machine , the sprocket 33 is secured in one of the side plates 29 , the sprocket 34 is adjustably mounted in a slot 36 formed in the side plate 29 and the sprocket 35 is secured to the shaft 28 . the side plates 29 form part of an assembly for adjusting the position of the sprockets 14 in relation to the platform 24 . the side plates are secured to a carrier 37 provided with depending lugs 38 and resting on a slideway 39 secured to a framework 41 . the slideway 39 is provided with grooves 42 which are engaged by screws 43 mounted in the lugs 38 which serves to lock the assembly in the desired position . thus , when it is desired to adjust the assembly it is a simple matter to release the screws 43 from contact with the grooves 42 , slide the assembly to the required position , and then re - tighten the screws to lock the assembly in position . when such adjustment is made , the tension in the drive chain 31 is maintained by adjustment of the sprocket 34 in the slot 36 . similarly the tension in the infeed conveyor chains 12 is maintained by an adjustable sprocket ( not shown ) incorporated in the conveyor 12 . if desired the platform 24 between the infeed conveyor and the tube former 11 may be arranged to hold more than one batch 10 of biscuits prior to successive release of the batches to the tube 50 of wrapping material . the infeed conveyor may operate continuously or intermittently and the apparatus can be used to wrap individual solid products as well as batches of biscuits or the like . obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein .	1
referring now more particularly to the drawings and especially to fig1 and 2 thereof , the illustrated punching apparatus 10 comprises a punch retainer 12 and a punch 14 . the retainer 12 is made of a ferrous material such as iron or steel , or any other suitable material to which a magnet is attracted . the punch 14 is an elongated cylindrical member of uniform circular cross - section throughout its length which is rigidly secured by any suitable means in a cylindrical hole 16 in the retainer 12 with a portion 17 of the punch projecting downwardly beyond the retainer . a backing plate 18 rigidly mounted on the retainer 12 covers the upper end of the hole 16 . the retainer 12 is supported for movement by power means ( not shown ) in a direction parallel to the axis of the punch which , in the illustration , is vertical . the punch is designed to punch a hole in a workpiece which in this instance is a sheet metal plate p supported on a die 20 having an opening 22 aligned with and of substantially the same diameter as the punch . a slug 23 punched from the plate p drops through the die opening 22 . a stripper 24 is supported on the projecting portion 17 of the punch . the stripper is an elongated tubular member preferably made of a flexible , stretchable , compressible elastomeric material such as rubber . the ends of the tubular stripper are preferably cut perpendicular to the longitudinal center line thereof . the stripper has in its natural or freestate condition an inside diameter which is the same as or slightly less than the diameter of the punch and is sleeved on the punch preferably with a slight friction grip . normally the upper end of the stripper 24 contacts the bottom surface 25 of the retainer 12 , and the lower end of the stripper projects downward a short distance beyond the lower end of the punch , as shown in fig1 . at the top of the stripper 24 there is a magnet in the form of an annular ring or disc 26 which has a central opening adapted to clear the punch and which is flat throughout the full 360 ° of its extent . the upper end of the stripper is formed with a concentric annular recess 28 . preferably , the recess 28 has a radially outwardly facing circular wall 30 which is vertical and is spaced radially outwardly from the radially inner surface of the stripper . a horizontal upwardly facing wall 32 extends from the vertical wall 30 to the radially outer surface of the stripper . the vertical dimension of the recess 28 preferably is equal to the thickness of the disc 26 and its horizontal dimension is equal to the difference between the inner radius and outer radius of the disc . the disc is secured in the recess in concentric relation to the stripper by any suitable means , such , for example , as an adhesive , with its upper surface flush with the upper end of the stripper and its radially outer edge flush with the radially outer surface of the stripper . with the stripper 24 sleeved on the projecting portion 17 of the punch , and with its upper end in contact with the downwardly facing surface 25 of the punch retainer , it will be noted that the upper surface of the magnetic disc 26 is also in contact with the downwardly facing surface 25 of the punch retainer . hence , the disc 26 serves as a means for magnetically retaining the stripper on the punch , strongly resisting any tendency of the stripper to drop off of the punch . in operation , the punch 14 is retracted upwardly , somewhat above the fig1 position , and the plate p is inserted under the punch and over the die 20 . the punch passes downward through the plate p and into the opening in the die , but the stripper is compressed between the plate p and the retainer 12 , and bulges outwardly . when the punch is again retracted to a position above that shown in fig1 the stripper returns to the fig1 shape . the stripper will not fall off the punch because of the holding power of the magnetic disc 26 on retainer 12 . also , the outward bulging of the stripper in the fig2 position , presses the disc 26 , which is on the outer edge portion of the stripper , even more firmly against the surface 25 of retainer 12 each time the punch is operated . fig3 shows a modification in which the magnetic disc 40 is exactly like the disc 26 except that its radially inner edge portion is extended and turned axially inwardly and then radially outwardly to provide an annular flange 42 embedded in the material of the stripper 24 to anchor the disc . fig4 shows a modification in which the magnetic disc 50 is exactly like disc 26 except that it is cut along lines extending radially outwardly from its radially inner edge to provide angularly spaced tabs 52 which are turned axially inwardly and embedded in the material of the stripper 24 to anchor the disc . in both fig3 and 4 , the top surface of the disc is exposed and flush with the upper end of the stripper , and the radially outer surface of the disc is exposed and flush with the radially outer surface of the stripper . fig5 shows a modification in which the magnetic disc 60 is like the disc 50 except that the angularly spaced tabs 62 which are turned axially inwardly and embedded in the material of the stripper 24 are formed by cutting the disc along line extending radially inwardly from the radially outer edge portion of the disc . the top surface of the disc is exposed and flush with the upper end of the stripper , and the radially outer surface of the disc between the tabs is exposed and flush with the radially outer surface of the stripper . fig6 shows a modification in which , instead of a disc , the magnetic holder consists of particulate material 70 embedded in the upper end portion of the stripper . some of these magnetic particles either project through , or are close enough to the surface to magnetically attract retainer 12 through the upper end and radially outer surface of the stripper .	1
the method of the invention is based on the magnetocaloric heat pump technology , the main advantages of which are its great energy efficiency , its low electric energy consumption , an environmentally and atmospherically friendly mode of operation , and the absence of gas . the process consists of performing an integrated thermal control , called thermostatting , of the battery , with a high energy efficiency and low consumption , environmentally friendly , in order to achieve an accurate , autonomous and continuous or permanent thermal control of the battery or group of batteries , whether the battery or group of batteries is active or passive . the process has the double function of balancing the heat exchanges with the outside environment at very low energy cost , and of dissipating the internal heat inputs of the battery in service , when the vehicle is used and when the battery is recharging . this balancing of heat exchanges and evacuation of excess internal heat inputs are preferably spread out over a cycle of 24 hrs by taking advantage of the battery &# 39 ; s thermal inertia . the process does not only apply to batteries or groups of batteries intended for the traction of electric or hybrid vehicles , but also to any transportable or stationary battery of a certain size and power or energy density , the operating conditions of which justify an active thermal control , both permanent and efficient . one of these conditions is that the battery cannot thermally exchange , in the phases where it needs to , with external heat sources whose temperatures are compatible with a direct heat transfer . in other words , the process according to the present invention allows the thermostatting of at least one battery , whatever the environment in which the battery is integrated . this temperature control of the battery is carried out permanently and autonomously . as a result , when the battery is a vehicle battery for example , this control is performed even when the engine of the vehicle is stopped , so as to extend the battery &# 39 ; s service life and optimize its performances . similarly , the thermostatting of a battery via the process according to the invention shall be performed when this battery is charging as well as when it is being stored , for example . this process thus allows a battery - pack to be made which comprises an integrated , continuous and autonomous control of the battery (- ies ). evidently , the process according to the invention is not limited to the control of the temperature of a vehicle battery . it can be used for any type of battery (- ies ) ( domestic or industrial , for example ) whose performance and durability , in particular , can be increased via the implementation of the process that allows the temperature to be controlled constantly and advantageously in terms of energy consumption . the active cooling with regeneration through magnetocaloric effect used in the magnetocaloric heat pump is based on the capacity of components called “ magnetocaloric materials ” to heat up and cool down when they are placed in or removed from a magnetic field and , more generally , when they are subjected to a variation in magnetic field . this effect is known in itself , but it is mainly used to for cooling in air - conditioning or refrigerating units , because it allows a result to be achieved in a non - polluting manner , which is usually achieved using refrigerating equipment with compressors that use polluting greenhouse gases . regarding magnetocaloric heat pumps , and unlike traditional refrigerating machines and heat pumps , which use cooling gases with a significant greenhouse effect or which are harmful for the ozone layer ( cfc , hfc ), they use heat transfer fluids which are harmless to the environment , especially brine or water with added glycol . fluid - related problems therefore no longer arise . indeed , the functions of transport of calories and temperature variation are dissociated , unlike traditional machines where they are carried out by the refrigerant . the exploitation of magnetocaloric phenomena is based on the simultaneous interaction of magnetic fields and heat transfers within a volume of magnetocaloric material . the cohabitation of these contiguous phenomena is faced with contradictory requirements in terms of fluid flow , magnetic permeability , thermal conductivity , corrosion resistance , viscous friction and electromagnetic pressure . recent scientific advances on these apparatuses concern heat exchanges with a high exchange coefficient ( h & gt ; 40000 w / m 2 k ) for high frequencies ( 50 to 100 hz ) between a solid which is the magnetocaloric material and a heat transfer fluid which is , for example , brine or water with additives so as to achieve the objectives of low energy consumption and advanced mechanical integration in a group of batteries . regarding the batteries , many theoretical and experimental results on high energy and power density batteries , the most advanced of which are currently the lithium - polymer type electrochemistries , establish the relationship between the thermal conditions of the electrochemical components of the batteries and their performances in charging and discharging , as well as their aging . it has been noted that temperature is exponentially related to the calendar aging of the electrochemical components of batteries , which results in an increase of its internal resistance , and a decrease of its capacity and dischargeable power . it is the cumulated time of exposure to irregular and high temperatures , in particular in a charged state , which contributes to aging , whether the battery is active or passive . in charge and discharge , internal heat losses contribute to a temperature rise in the battery , which is all the more significant as the charge or discharge power is high . from a certain mass internal temperature of the battery , there is risk of local temperature rise inside the electrochemical components of the batteries when high power demands occur , which can lead to a thermal runaway . various increasingly exothermic chemical reactions may occur successively as the temperature rises , until the destruction of the battery if nothing is designed to prevent the phenomenon . in practice , when the internal temperature of the battery reaches a potentially risky level , the battery &# 39 ; s control system limits the recoverable power , until the immobilization of the vehicle if the temperature continues to rise . the dischargeable capacity is notably dependent on the internal temperature of the battery , so that the autonomy of the vehicle may markedly vary between winter and summer if the battery is left to thermally balance with the outside environment . at low temperature , the allowed maximum and continuous recharge powers decrease strongly , until the inability to recharge below a temperature threshold which depends on the electrochemistries , though they are often above the minimum winter temperatures of continental and northern europe . at low temperature , the dischargeable energy and recoverable power also decrease markedly , and consequently the performance of the vehicle and its autonomy , and can lead to the inability to start at very low temperatures , which also vary according to the electrochemistries . substantial gains in the durability of the battery , a service availability equivalent to that of current vehicles with thermal engines at nominal service level , under any operating and storage conditions of the vehicle , as long as the battery is not discharged , an optimized use of the battery which guarantees the stability of performances , maximizes the dischargeable energy and ensures the reliability of the indication of remaining autonomy , significant gains in electric energy consumption at the outlet . the thermal control or thermostatting device 10 , according to the invention , integrated , with high energy efficiency and low consumption based on the technology of magnetic cooling with no cooling gas , constitutes an alternative that is both technically and economically viable compared to ventilation or compression systems with cooling gases used in applications for the thermostatting of the rechargeable battery - packs of hybrid and electric vehicles at non limiting operating temperatures ranging from − 30 ° c . to + 60 ° c . the thermal control device 10 operates autonomously and permanently . the storage battery or batteries are permanently temperature controlled , which allows their service life and performances to be increased . in the case of vehicle batteries , this control is permanent and is performed even after the engine has been stopped , since the mechanical energy of the latter is not used . the thermal control device 10 can be regarded as a battery - pack that comprises an integrated control of the battery (- ies ). evidently , the control device according to the invention is not limited to the control of the temperature of a vehicle battery . it may comprise any type of battery (- ies ) whose performances and durability one wishes to increase by implementing the process according to the invention . the device 10 of fig1 comprises a group of rechargeable batteries 11 housed in a receptacle 12 , at least one magnetocaloric heat pump 13 , but in the example illustrated two magnetocaloric heat pumps 13 and 23 , one heat exchanger 14 and one heat transfer fluid circulating circuit 15 that connects these various components . one or more separating valves 16 are mounted on the heat transfer fluid circulating circuit 15 to operate the magnetocaloric heat pump 13 or the magnetocaloric heat pump 23 according to the information given by a heat sensor placed inside the battery - pack . the magnetocaloric heat pump 13 , 23 is only fed by the battery - pack in which it is integrated . in practice , each magnetocaloric heat pump 13 , 23 is adapted to a temperature range in which the magnetocaloric materials used are operational . hence one of the pumps , for example pump 13 , is arranged to operate in a temperature gradient of about 50 k , for example between a minimum exchanger temperature of about − 30 ° c . and an inside temperature of about + 20 ° c ., which correspond to winter conditions in cold countries . the other pump , for example pump 23 , is arranged to operate between a maximum exchanger temperature of about + 70 ° c . and an inside temperature of about + 20 ° c ., which correspond to summer conditions in hot countries . in terms of operation , the device 10 of the invention is designed to significantly push back the compromises tolerated with the first generation of vehicles , in terms of service availability and stability of the performances . it is apt to considerably reduce the issues of premature aging of the battery and additionally allows the optimum performance and autonomy of the vehicle to be permanently available . moreover , this device 10 draws less energy from the battery , and frees up autonomy , while consuming less electric energy at the outlet when recharging the batteries .	8
the prior invention is fully described in the inventor &# 39 ; s prior u . s . pat . no . 6 , 170 , 444 , which can be referred to for additional information . however , the prior invention is summarized below for convenience . in the prior invention , air intake valves 1 provide passageways between each cylinder 2 and an air supply chamber 3 . the air intake valves are activated and controlled solely by air pressure differentials created by fluctuating pressure inside the cylinder on one side of the valves , and in the air supply chamber on the other side of the valves . a scavenging blower 4 is provided to purge the exhaust gases and , at the same time , to charge the engine with air . depending on the desired characteristics for the engine , the scavenging blower can be a low pressure type which is just able to overcome the resistances of the air and gas flow channels in order to provide proper scavenging only . alternatively , a high pressure scavenging blower could be used to provide for pre - compression in the cylinder , for enhanced power output . this high pressure scavenging blower could be coupled with a conventional intercooler 5 to enhance the pre - charging effect . because the expansion phase must provide the working stroke in a two - stroke engine , it is desirable to leave the exhaust ports closed for as much of the downstroke as possible . the use of a blower for scavenging improves performance by permitting the opening of the exhaust ports to be delayed without resulting in ineffective scavenging . the scavenging blower 4 is driven by an electrical servo motor 9 which allows the scavenging blower to immediately respond to changing operating conditions of the engine without being dependent on engine operating conditions such as the revolutions of the crankshaft or the energy content of the exhaust gas . accordingly , the scavenging blower is driven by the servo motor and is controlled , for example , by a computer program designed to optimize the function of the scavenging blower . the servo motor provides the necessary electronic feedback to the computer program . as shown in fig1 , the air drawn into the scavenging blower preferably first passes through a conventional air filter 6 and a check valve 7 . before the air reaches the three - way diverter valve 8 , the air may pass through a conventional intercooler 5 if increased power output from the engine is desired . the three - way diverter valve 8 is located between the intercooler 5 and the air supply chamber 3 . alternatively , if the engine does not include an intercooler , the three - way diverter valve will be located between the outlet of the blower 4 and the air supply chamber . the three - way diverter valve allows more efficient management of the interaction between the scavenging blower and the combustion engine . the three - way diverter valve is linked to the accelerator 10 , such that when the accelerator is depressed and full power is called for , the three - way diverter valve offers unrestricted air flow to the air supply chamber , and when the engine is idling , the air flow is partially directed back to the suction side of the scavenging blower . alternatively , transducers ( not shown ) for air pressure and air flow may be incorporated as part of the air supply system to provide feedback to the electronic control system . in an alternative embodiment , the variable position of the three - way diverter valve can be controlled by a second small servo motor ( not shown ). the control system for this second servo motor receives feedback from an electronic position encoder configured to detect the position of the accelerator . fig2 shows the air supply chamber 3 with a multitude of identical air intake valves 1 arranged in concentric circles around the top of each cylinder . the air intake valves penetrate the divider wall 15 in the cylinder head between the air supply chamber and the cylinders . as seen in fig3 , the air intake valves encircle the combustion chamber 20 located at the center of each cylinder . fig3 also shows that an air intake valve consists of an inlet bore 21 with rounded bore edges 22 and an outlet bore 24 . in the preferred embodiment , the inlet bore has a diameter of 7 mm and the outlet bore has a diameter of 11 mm . a ring - shaped seat 23 is located in the outlet bore adjacent to the inlet bore . a check body 25 floats freely in the outlet bore and is retained by the seat ring 23 in the up direction and by concentric retainer rings 26 in the downward direction . the check body is allowed freedom to move axially away from the ring - shaped seat by a sufficient distance to open a channel to permit air flow . in the closed position , the check body abuts against the ring - shaped seat , essentially eliminating air flow . the retainer rings concentric to the cylinder axis have a trapezoidal cross - section , and are fitted within grooves of a complementary trapezoidal shape in the lower plain of the cylinder head . two bores 27 and 28 penetrate the dividing wall between the air supply chamber and the cylinder to accommodate a spark plug and fuel injection nozzle , respectively . the check body 25 in the prior invention has a mushroom shape , with a semi - spherical head facing the inlet bore , attached to a conical stem . in addition to locating the air intake valves in the cylinder head , as described above , exhaust gas openings must be located near the bottom of the cylinder in order to achieve the straight flow scavenging system . as depicted schematically in fig1 , exhaust ports 51 are located through the lower cylinder walls near the lowest position of the upper rim 54 of the piston 53 , when the crankshaft 52 is around the bottom dead center . the exhaust ports preferably are in the shape of radial slots , although that is not specifically illustrated in fig1 . when the upper piston rim clears these exhaust ports on the down - stroke , the pressure in the cylinder will decrease below the pressure in the air supply chamber , causing the air intake valves to open and allow the scavenging air to enter the cylinder . the scavenging air will drive the exhaust gases out of the cylinder via the exhaust ports . because at least 50 % of a cylinder &# 39 ; s circumference remains available for scavenging even in an engine with more than one cylinder , the height of the exhaust ports can be quite small so that , unlike a conventional two - stroke engine , little of the crankshaft angle has to be sacrificed to scavenging . this , in turn , contributes to improved overall engine performance . in the prior invention , there are multiple valve check bodies in the cylinder head of the engine . in a one - cylinder test engine produced in accordance with the prior invention , there are sixteen check valve bodies , for example . given their locations , and their arrangement in two concentric circles , it would be quite complicated and expensive to actuate them mechanically . in the present invention , it has been recognized that a boost provided by vacuum is sufficient to assist in closing the valves at the optimal time in the cycle . in the preferred embodiment , the vacuum boost is provided by modifying some components of the prior invention , to make additional use of its blower for generating vacuum as well . of course , the addition of a separate vacuum pump , although more expensive , would be a viable alternative to making use of the blower . fig4 illustrates the modifications brought about by this invention relative to the prior invention . the principal parts are listed below : intake filter 6 scavenging blower 4 venturi nozzle 70 pressure chamber of venturi nozzle 71 ring chamber of venturi nozzle 72 diffusor of venturi nozzle 73 dark arrows 75 , denoting the flow of pressurized air light arrows 76 , denoting the flow direction of “ vacuum ” vacuum duct 77 air supply duct 78 switch valve 8 solenoid coil 80 electronic control unit 81 multi - valve module , partial cross section ; “ replaceable unit ” 40 cover lid 83 vacuum plenum 84 air supply chamber 3 valve bore and seat 1 check bodies 25 ′ valve disk 85 valve shaft 86 lower and upper guide disks 87 , 88 guide bore 89 locator pins 90 the functions of the air intake filter 6 and the scavenging blower 4 are apparent . a variety of blower types can be used , e . g . high speed radial fans as in turbochargers , but powered by a dc electrical motor , as originally suggested in the prior invention , or electrically - powered side channel blowers . other options are standard exhaust driven turbo chargers or roots - type blowers , etc . the latter have been around for more than 100 years and have come a long way in terms of available sizes , reliability , efficiency and last but not least , price . further , two specific properties make the roots - type blower the preferred choice : first , it has no built - in compression ratio but pressurizes the air “ on demand ”, which means that it automatically adjusts to the resistance built up in the engine ; second , it can be powered by the engine itself via simple means , e . g . a belt drive . the ducts for pressurized air are denoted by dark arrows 75 , indicating the flow direction . the ducts for “ vacuum ”, actually air with pressure below atmosphere , are denoted by light arrows 76 , also indicating flow direction . the venturi type nozzle 70 is a simple , cost - effective way for generating the vacuum . in its narrowest section after its pressure chamber 71 , it features the ring chamber 72 which the vacuum duct 77 connects to . the diffusor 73 partially re - establishes the overpressure of the air flowing through and continuing on via air supply duct 78 towards the air supply chamber 3 , a part of the multi - valve module 40 . the multi - valve module 40 further accommodates the check bodies 25 ′ ( corresponding to but differently configured from the check bodies 25 in the prior invention ), the valve bores and seats 1 , the guide bores 89 , the locator pins 90 , the cover lid 83 , which establishes the vacuum plenum 84 . not shown in fig4 , the multi - valve module 40 features also the threaded bores 27 , 28 for the spark plug and the fuel injection nozzle . however , the fuel injector could also be positioned to reach the combustion chamber from the side at the top of the cylinder , thereby not passing through the valve module . for purposes of illustration , the check bodies 25 ′ are depicted in two positions in fig4 , though in operation all check bodies associated with a given cylinder of course would be in the same position at any given time . two are shown closed , and the other open , with arrows 75 indicating the air flow during the scavenging phase . fig5 illustrates a single check body 25 ′. the essential component assisting with these position changes is the switch valve 8 . it is a three - way two - position valve , actuated by the solenoid coil 80 , which in turn is controlled by the electronic control unit ( ecu ) 81 . the three - way configuration makes it possible to manipulate the valve opening as well in a controlled and even programmable manner . according to the invention , the preferred check bodies have the shape of mini poppet valves with a spherical segment as the valve disk 85 , the valve shaft 86 and the lower and upper guide disks 87 and 88 respectively , the guide disks acting in pairs also as actuating pneumatic pistons . the guide bores 89 act as pneumatic cylinders . the clearance between a pair of guide disks 87 , 88 and the guide bore 89 can be made quite generous due to the self - aligning effect of the valve disks 85 , allowing for some minor air leakage between the air supply chamber 3 and the vacuum plenum 84 . this in turn provides for lubrication by air of the guide disks 87 , 88 , allowing for their simple and low cost design . the scavenging blower 4 runs all the time with the engine , generating the scavenging air flow . if directly driven , its delivery is governed by the engine ; if indirectly driven , e . g . by a dc motor , it is speed controlled by the ecu 81 . the venturi nozzle 70 , with its ring chamber 72 , generates the required vacuum . the diffusor 73 partially restores the overpressure of the air and delivers it , via duct 7 to the air supply chamber 3 . when a check body 25 is open , scavenging air flows into the cylinder as indicated by arrows 75 . of course , the sequence of events is controlled by the ecu 81 , with particular events , parameters or set points programmable . thus for instance , the timing for the valves to open and close , and the times for fuel injection and ignition can be optimized so that power output , fuel economy and emissions will be optimized . with the valve disks 85 of the check bodies 25 ′ shaped like spherical segments , a self - aligning effect will be achieved , which allows for the low cost design already mentioned . at the same time a perfectly smooth surface of the cylinder head is achieved , contributing to a “ clean ” combustion chamber when the valves are closed . the locator pins 90 limit the down travel of the check bodies 25 ′, when they are hit by the upper guide disks 88 . the uppermost position of the check bodies 25 ′ is defined by the valve disks 85 settling into their seats 1 , with the valve shaft 86 providing the necessary firm connection . in a one - cylinder engine there is only one of each item as listed above , except for the multitude of check bodies 25 ′. in engines with x number of cylinders , there will be x number of each item on the above list , except the intake filter 6 , blower 4 , venturi nozzle 70 and ecu 81 . further variations may be apparent or become apparent to those knowledgeable in the field of the invention , and are within the scope of the invention as defined by the claims which follow . the invention will facilitate the creation of a two - stroke engine which should be able to compete with the most modern four - stroke engines in terms of performance , emission standards , specific fuel consumption and other relevant parameters , while retaining the traditional advantages of the two - stroke engine : smaller , lighter , simpler , more cost - effective . the addition of a controlled and programmable valve activating system to the prior invention , according to this invention , will facilitate variable valve timing and partial selective cylinder cut - off . the engine , with very flexible valve timing , will also be able to operate with variable displacement according to load conditions further improving overall fuel economy . to save fuel during extreme low load application , it could also switch from two - stroke to four - stroke mode operation with great advantages over the individual cylinder shut - off methods currently developed / implemented by manufacturers of large displacement four - stroke engines . the programmable check valve activation will provide for outstanding engine flexibility . the invention allows a two - stroke engine to arrive at a level of efficiency , fuel economy , and emission quality of a comparable four - cycle engine , but with a smaller , simpler , lighter , and more economical power plant .	5
the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments refers to the accompanying drawings . the same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements . also , the following detailed description does not limit the invention . instead , the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims . looking first to fig1 , a heterogeneous network 100 of two neighboring base stations 102 , 104 is depicted . as those skilled in the art will appreciate , a typical heterogeneous radio communication network will include more than two base stations , however only two are shown here to simplify the figure and description . it should also be noted in the exemplary embodiment of fig1 that while in this example enb1 102 is a macro base station and enb2 104 is a micro base station , it will be appreciated that other types of base stations , e . g ., pico base stations , etc ., are also possible as neighboring base stations and that other neighboring base stations ( not shown ) surround enb1 102 and enb2 104 . of particular interest for the present discussion , enb1 102 and enb2 104 are different types of base stations , i . e ., include one or more different components which impact their relative transmit and / or receive characteristics so as to generate a systematic imbalance there between , as discussed in more detail below . continuing with the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , the signal area of enb1 102 is represented by the hexagonally shaped coverage area 106 and the signal area of enb2 104 is represented by the hexagonally shaped coverage area 108 , which coverage areas are sometimes also referred to as “ cells ”. next in the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , a user equipment 114 , e . g ., cell phone , laptop , tv , or any device which can be connected to a radio communication system , is currently attached to enb1 102 as indicated by connection signal 110 but transmissions from user equipment 114 are receivable by , and interfere with , enb2 104 as indicated by interference signal 112 . in terms of nomenclature , enb1 102 is sometimes referred to as the “ serving base station ” and enb2 104 is sometimes referred to as a “ neighboring base station ” or a “ candidate base station ” in the context of handover procedures . as mentioned above , the heterogeneous nature of the radio communication system of fig1 gives rise to different systematic imbalances within the different cells of the system , such as cells 106 and 108 . for example , a systematic uplink - downlink imbalance in each cell , e . g ., cells 106 and 108 , can be detected when the measurements of signal strengths , signal to interference and noise ratio ( sinr ), signal to leakage and noise ratio ( slnr ), and / or gain over interference plus noise ratio ( ginr ) etc ., are collected at the base station point where the impact of the tower mounted amplifier ( tma ) and feeder losses are included . for example , consider an exemplary embodiment where the illustrated base stations in fig1 are a macro base station enb1 102 and an open access ( oa ) micro base station enb2 104 . in this exemplary embodiment , neighbor base stations enb1 102 and enb2 104 will typically display significant differences in terms of transmission power , the number of transmitter and receiver antennas , as well as the types of receivers . further in the exemplary embodiment , it should be noted that in enb1 102 ( macro base station ) the systematic uplink - downlink imbalance is high based on high fiber loss in connecting the antenna with the tma at the point when the received sinr is measured at the base station and subsequently used for the decoding . conversely in the exemplary embodiment , the enb2 104 ( oa micro base station ) does not exhibit any systematic uplink - downlink imbalance because of the lack of a fiber - based antenna connection . thus , this provides an example in which adjacent or neighboring cells in a heterogeneous radio communication network may exhibit a substantial difference in terms of the systematic uplink - downlink imbalance which those cells present to user equipment which are being served by those cells and / or which may be candidate cells for handover . exemplary embodiments propose the selective usage of uplink measurements for handover decisions in heterogeneous radio communication systems . more specifically , according to exemplary embodiments , when the difference in the systematic imbalance between a serving cell and one or more neighbor cells is greater than a predefined threshold , the exemplary embodiment extends the handover mechanism to include uplink measurements . alternatively , when the systematic imbalance between the serving cell and one or more neighbor cells does not exceed the predefined threshold , the handover decision can be made solely based on downlink measurements . it should be noted in the exemplary embodiment that the uplink measurements can include , but are not limited to , one or more of sinr , slnr or ginr information . it should further be noted that methods and structures for measuring sinr , slnr , ginr , etc . are known by one skilled in the art and are only briefly discussed below to provide context . sinr for the uplink can be measured or estimated at the base station using the received signal strength from the uplink pilot channels . for example , in a long term evolution ( lte ) network , the uplink pilot channels are either the uplink sounding reference signals , or the uplink demodulation reference signals for either the physical uplink shared channel ( pusch ) or the physical uplink control channel ( pucch ), as described in 3 rd generation partnership project ( 3gpp ) technical specification ( ts ) section 36 . 211 . sinr can be estimated by combining the measurements on the reference signals and the measurements of the total received interference in the uplink at the base station . applying appropriate filters and processing at the base station , the interference on the reference signals i rs is estimated by subtracting the power received from the reference signals p rc from the total interference received i totalrc received on the same single - carrier frequency division multiple access ( sc - fdma ) symbols where uplink reference signals are transmitted : and the uplink sinr at the reference signals sinr rc can be estimated by the equation : where n is the thermal noise present with the received reference signals . alternatively , or additionally , slnr can be measured for uplink signals . for slnr measurement , the leakage to other base stations can be estimated by measuring the uplink interference at the neighbor base stations which are affected by the uplink transmissions of the users within the subject cell . as yet another alternative , or in addition to sinr and / or slnr measurements , ginr for the uplink can be determined . the ginr is the ratio of the uplink path loss to the interference plus noise . it should be noted that no ue uplink power is considered in the ginr measurement . the measurement or detection of systematic imbalance in each cell can be made , for example , when base stations are brought online in a heterogeneous radio communication system , when changes are made to a base station , and / or periodically to take into account that some base station components &# 39 ; radio characteristics may vary over time . according to an embodiment , each base station , e . g ., enb1 102 and enb 104 , can store values associated with its own systematic imbalance , as well as that of each of its neighboring cells , for use in determining when to incorporate uplink information into its handover mechanism . these imbalance values , which can be specified in a number of decibels ( dbs ), can be updated periodicially and exchanged with other base stations , so that the stored systematic imbalance values are accurate when they are used in ongoing determinations associated with handover decisions as will be described next below . exemplary techniques for exchanging systematic imbalance values are described , for example , in u . s . published patent application 2010 / 0184437 , to konstantinos dimou et al ., published on jul . 22 , 2012 , the disclosure of which is incorporated here by reference . when triggered due to a sufficient difference in systematic imbalances , including these uplink measurements and calculations into the handover decisions according to exemplary embodiments involves , for example , their incorporation into existing events triggering mobility procedures . for example , an existing downlink - based event or criteria for triggering a mobility procedure , as described in section 5 . 5 . 4 . 4 of the 3gpp ts 36 . 331 , states that when the reference signal received power ( rsrp ), or the reference signal received quality ( rsrq ), from a neighbor cell rsrp neighbor is greater than a quantity of a rsrp , or rsrq , from a serving cell rsrps serving plus a handover hysteresis ( ho ) plus an offset , i . e ., when then a handover from the serving cell to that neighbor cell is triggered ( initiated ). according to an exemplary embodiment , an uplink - based event or criteria for triggering a mobility procedure can be used in addition to the foregoing downlink - based criteria such as : wherein a handover event is triggered when both the downlink based event and the uplink based event are true , i . e ., when both equations ( 3 ) and ( 4 ) are satisfied . it should be noted in the exemplary embodiment that the uplink based event represented by the exemplary equation ( 4 ) can be based on other measurements such as , but not limited to , slnr and ginr , or can be entirely different equations . numerous variants are contemplated . for example , in another aspect of the exemplary embodiment , the uplink based event or trigger can be based on selective combinations of measurements associated with an uplink signal , i . e ., sinr , slnr , and / or ginr , received signal strength in the uplink , etc . in a further aspect of the exemplary embodiment , the uplink and downlink triggering events can have different weighting factors applied before comparing the results to a threshold triggering value . for example , a handover triggering event could occur when : where “ x ” and “ y ” are binary values taking the value of either zero ( 0 ) or one ( 1 ), depending on whether the uplink or downlink equations , e . g ., equations ( 3 ) and ( 4 ), are satisfied respectively and “ a ” and “ b ” are different weighting factors . in this context , a determination of whether the downlink - based criteria and the uplink - based criteria are met is performed jointly by , e . g ., evaluating equation ( 5 ), to determine whether to initiate the handover process . in another aspect of the exemplary embodiment , the weighting factor assigned to the uplink - based criteria can be based on the ue location . according to other embodiments , different handover hysteresis values and different offsets can be used in the downlink - based criteria and uplink - based criteria . in a further aspect of the embodiments , different weights in the uplink measurements are used for indoor / outdoor distributed antenna systems because of the different size and types of feeders and accordingly , different levels of systematic uplink - downlink imbalance . according to other embodiments , uplink measurements are used with specific weighting factors in the mobility decision based on a shared cell concept . for example , a common cell identity is shared between cells within a predefined geographic area wherein these cells could be , but are not limited to , a large macro cell and a number of pico cells controlled by a macro base station or a number of surrounding interconnected pico base stations . under the circumstances of this common cell exemplary embodiment , the pico cells associated with the common cell identity could have a greater weighting factor in the handover decision algorithm than similar pico cells which are not associated with the common cell identity , thus extending the range and allowing easier attachment to the pico cells in the common cell arrangement . as yet another alternative , different weighting factors in the uplink measurements can be used for different carriers in systems which employ carrier aggregation , such as lte systems . for example , suppose that an operator reserves different carriers for users communicating at different speeds wherein the higher speed users have a greater probability to attach to macro cells than to pico cells and , conversely , the lower speed users have a greater probability to attach to pico cells than to macro cells based on the different weights of uplink measurements in handover decisions . in another carrier aggregation embodiment , overlap of cells with different coverage areas or quality if signal at the cell edge , resulting in a systematic imbalance at the cell edge , based on different carrier frequencies , can have different thresholds base on the carrier frequency . for example , the threshold for a handover would be higher for the lower frequency component carrier . having discussed various usages of uplink measurements , estimates or more generally “ uplink information ” in making handover decisions , the discussion now turns again to the selective nature of the usage of uplink information in making handover decisions in heterogeneous networks according to these embodiments . for example , according to an embodiment , an uplink measurement will be considered as part of the handover decision making process only when a particular pair of serving and neighbor cells exhibit sufficiently different value ( s ) in terms of cell specific systematic uplink - downlink imbalance , e . g ., which can occur when one cell is a macro cell and the other cell is a pico cell . stated differently , uplink information is considered in the handover mechanism when the difference between a systematic - imbalance associated with a serving base station or cell and the systematic imbalance associated with a candidate ( neighbor ) base station or cell exceeds a predetermined threshold . to better under understand this , and other , aspects of the embodiments and looking now to fig2 , a flowchart for an exemplary method embodiment 200 of a method for handover of user equipment in a heterogeneous radio communication network is depicted therein . therein , at step 202 , the systematic uplink - downlink imbalance difference between the serving cell or base station and the target cell or base station is determined . this can be accomplished in any desired manner , e . g ., by obtaining a previously calculated and stored value or by obtaining new information associated with the systematic imbalance difference and calculating the systematic imbalance difference . as shown in step 204 , if a systematic imbalance difference between a serving base station in the heterogeneous network and a candidate base station in the heterogeneous network exceeds a predetermined threshold , then it is determined whether a combined uplink - based and downlink - based handover criterion is met , e . g ., that specified in equation ( 4 ) above or another combined uplink - based / downlink - based handover criterion , as shown in step 206 if the combined uplink and downlink handover ( ho ) criterion is met , then a handover can be initiated toward the target or candidate base station or cell ( step 208 ), otherwise a handover to that candidate or target is not performed ( step 210 ). the selective usage of uplink information in the handover mechanism according to these embodiments is illustrated in steps 206 and 212 . if the result of the threshold check performed in step 204 is negative , i . e ., the systematic imbalance difference is less than the threshold ( thresh ), then the flow proceeds to step 212 . therein , it is determined whether a downlink only - based handover criterion is met , e . g ., that specified in equation ( 3 ) above or another downlink only - based handover criterion . if the downlink only - based ho criterion is met , then a handover can be initiated toward the target or candidate base station ( step 208 ), otherwise a handover to that candidate or target is not performed ( step 210 ). thus , as illustrated in the exemplary embodiment of fig2 , a handover procedure for the user equipment from the serving base station in the heterogeneous network to the candidate base station in the heterogeneous network is initiated based either : ( a ) only on the determination that a downlink handover criteria is met if the systematic imbalance difference does not exceed the predetermined threshold , or ( b ) on the determination that a combined downlink and uplink handover criteria is met is met if the systematic imbalance difference exceeds the predetermined threshold . various implementations of the embodiment of fig2 are contemplated . for example , note that the steps illustrated in fig2 need not necessarily be performed in the order illustrated . additionally , the collection of uplink information can be performed at any time as part of the step 206 determination . moreover , the selective collection and usage of uplink information in the handover mechanism can be associated only with a candidate or neighboring cell for which the systematic imbalance difference exceeds the predetermined threshold . alternatively , if the systematic imbalance difference associated with any one ( or more ) of the cells in a neighbor list which are candidates for handover exceeds the threshold , then uplink information may be collected and used to evaluate all of the handover candidates in any of the aforedescribed manners . the method illustrated in fig2 , or other methods according to these embodiments can be performed by the node in the heterogeneous radio communication system which is responsible for making handover decisions . depending upon the type of radio communication in which embodiments are implemented , this node can , for example , be a core network node or the serving base station . thus , all of the steps illustrated in fig2 can , for example , be performed by element ( s ) of either a core network node or a serving base station . an exemplary base station is illustrated and described below with respect to fig5 . as a purely illustrative example of how a node can implement embodiments described herein , and turning now to fig3 , an exemplary embodiment of a systematic imbalance based downlink - uplink handover event generator 300 is depicted . the systematic imbalance based downlink - uplink handover event generator 300 in this embodiment includes a systematic imbalance dataset 302 , a requestor component 304 and an engine component 306 . in one aspect of exemplary embodiment 300 , the systematic imbalance information dataset 302 contains information allowing the determination of the systematic imbalance difference between a serving cell and one or more neighboring or candidate cells . continuing with the exemplary embodiment , the systematic imbalance information dataset 302 can be semi - static and unique for each cell and is based , at least in part , on the type and configuration of the cell , i . e ., each cell has its own systematic imbalance information dataset 302 . in this example , the dataset 302 is said to be semi - static as it is likely to be updated somewhat less frequently than handover decisions are being made , however this characteristic is not a requirement of the invention . as mentioned above , various mechanisms are available for obtaining information associated with the systematic imbalance information of neighboring cells / base stations , which information can be used to update the dataset 302 , which can be stored in a memory device of the responsible handover decision node . next in the exemplary embodiment , the requestor component 304 is responsible for requesting / updating the systematic imbalance information dataset 302 for the neighboring cell ( s ) of interest . continuing with the exemplary embodiment , the requestor component 304 forwards the systematic imbalance information dataset 302 to the engine component 306 for further processing . it should be noted in the exemplary embodiment that the requestor component 304 may request systematic imbalance information datasets from other neighboring cells not currently identified in a neighbor cell list or handover candidate list associated with a particular ue . it should further be noted that because the systematic imbalance information for each cell is typically static or semi - static , the systematic imbalance information dataset 302 can comprise the result of a comparison between the serving cell &# 39 ; s systematic imbalance and the neighboring cell &# 39 ; s systematic imbalance or the serving cell can maintain the results of the comparison or difference between systematic imbalances of any given cells until such time as , for example , a type or configuration change occurs at the serving cell or the neighboring cell . continuing with the exemplary embodiment , the engine component 306 processes the systematic imbalance information dataset 302 provided by the requestor component 304 to determine if a preconfigured threshold value is exceeded . in this embodiment , the engine component 306 compares the systematic imbalance information dataset 302 from the neighboring cell to the systematic imbalance information dataset 302 associated with the serving cell containing the engine component 306 to determine if the preconfigured threshold is exceeded . if the preconfigured threshold is exceeded , then the engine component 306 collects uplink information for determining if an uplink - based triggering event has occurred . it should be noted that , at least for this embodiment , if the preconfigured threshold for the systematic imbalance has been exceeded and the uplink - based triggering event has not occurred then the handover event for the user equipment from the serving cell to the neighboring cell will not occur even if the downlink - based triggering event has occurred . turning now to fig4 , another exemplary implementation of the afore - described methods for performing handover in heterogeneous networks is illustrated . therein , an exemplary embodiment of a systematic imbalance based downlink - uplink handover event generator 400 is depicted , wherein components 302 , 304 and 306 operate substantially as described above with respect to the embodiment of fig3 , with exceptions noted below . in this embodiment , the engine component 306 includes a weighting component 402 . the weighting component 402 applies different weights to the downlink measurements and the uplink measurements based on , for example , characteristics of the serving cell and the neighboring or candidate cell . various examples were described above , some of which include : the greater the systematic imbalance between the serving cell and the neighboring cell , the greater the weighting factor placed on the uplink measurements , specific combinations of cell types , i . e ., a macro serving cell and a pico neighboring cell would result in a greater weighting factor placed on the uplink measurements while a pico serving cell to a pico neighboring cell would result in a smaller weighting factor on the uplink measurements , in configurations using carrier aggregation a carrier assigned higher speed traffic would result in a greater weighting factor on uplink measurements while a carrier assigned lower speed traffic would result in a smaller weighting factor for the uplink measurements , and specific user equipment geographic locations can result in predefined weightings for uplink measurements . fig5 illustrates an example of a base station 500 in which these embodiments can be implemented , although as made clear above , a base station is only one example of a suitable node in which such embodiments can be implemented . this exemplary base station 500 includes radio circuitry 510 operatively connected to one or more antennas ( or antenna arrays ) 515 and to processing circuitry 520 and memory 530 , which are disposed within a housing 535 . in some variants , the radio circuitry 510 is located within the housing 535 , whereas in other variants , the radio circuitry 510 is external to the housing 535 . a network interface 540 is provided to enable the base station 500 to communicate with other network nodes ( not shown ), including other base stations . the processing circuitry 520 is configured to transmit and receive , for example and via the radio circuitry 510 , radio signals toward and from ues ( not shown ), and can include one or more processors . base station 500 can include a variety of computer readable media . computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by processing circuitry 520 . by way of example , and not limitation , computer readable media can comprise computer storage media and communication media . computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile as well as removable and non - removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules or other data . computer storage media includes , but is not limited to , ram , rom , eeprom , flash memory or other memory technology , cdrom , digital versatile disks ( dvd ) or other optical disk storage , magnetic cassettes , magnetic tape , magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices , or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by processing circuitry 520 . communication media can embody computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules and can include any suitable information delivery media . the above - described exemplary embodiments are intended to be illustrative in all respects , rather than restrictive , of the present innovation . thus the present innovation is capable of many variations in detailed implementation that can be derived from the description contained herein by a person skilled in the art . for example , the foregoing discusses selective usage of uplink information when a predetermined threshold is exceeded . those skilled in the art will appreciate that other implementations could involve using a threshold condition implemented such that the trigger occurs when the difference is equal to or greater than a threshold , less than a threshold , less than or equal to a threshold , etc ., rather than greater than the threshold . all such variations and modifications are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present innovation as defined by the following claims . no element , act , or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such . also , as used herein , the article “ a ” is intended to include one or more items .	7
various embodiments are described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings , which form a part hereof , and which show specific embodiments of the invention . however , embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein ; rather , these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete , and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense . referring now to the figures , fig1 , 2 , and 3 depict an assembly 100 configured to inject a fluid into a system . fig2 depicts a cross - section of the assembly 100 . fig3 depicts a detailed view of the functioning end of the assembly 100 . the assembly 100 includes a container 102 , a capillary tube 104 , and a bladder 106 . during operation , water enters orifices 108 located in the container 102 . the water in the container 102 may apply pressure to the bladder 106 . the pressure exerted on the bladder 106 causes scale inhibitor to flow through the capillary tube 104 into a system . the flow rate of the scale inhibitor is controlled by a pressure difference from the inlet and the exit of the capillary tube 104 . the pressure drop across the capillary tube 104 may be controlled by the diameter and / or length of the capillary tube 104 . alternate method for controlling the flow rate of the scale inhibitor may be to control the pressure applied to the bladder 106 . the assembly 100 may further include a perforated tube 116 . the perforated tube 116 may act to help maintain the capillary tube 104 in a desired shape . for example , the perforated tube 116 may act to keep the capillary tube 104 straight and / or keep it from kinking . in addition , the perforated tube 116 may act to keep the inlet of the capillary tube 104 from becoming blocked by the bladder 106 . furthermore , the perforated tube 116 may also prevent part of the bladder 106 from “ pinching off .” pinching off is the trapping of fluid ( e . g . scale inhibitor ) in a lower portion of the bladder 106 . for example , without the perforated tube 116 , the bladder 106 may be squeezed at an upper portion versus the lower portion thereby pinching off the bladder 106 so that scale inhibitor will not flow . this would be akin to squeezing a tube of toothpaste from the top . furthermore , the bladder 106 may be connected to the perforated tube 116 by a clamp 120 . in addition , the assembly 100 may include o - rings 110 and 112 for forming a seal between the assembly 100 and a fixture 114 ( see fig4 ). furthermore , the assembly 100 may include a plug 118 . the plug 118 may be used to connect the capillary tube 104 , the perforated tube 116 , and / or other components to the container 102 . for example , assembly 100 may be assembled as follows . the perforated tube 116 may be attached to a container cap 130 . by way of example and not limitation , the perforated tube 116 may be attached to the container cap 130 by plastic weld , ultrasonic weld , spin weld , glue , etc . in is contemplated that the perforated tube 116 and the container cap 130 may be a single piece manufactured by methods including but not limited to injection molding and casting . bladder 106 may be attached to the perforated tube 116 with the clamp 120 or other suitable attachment methods including but not limited to plastic weld , melting , adhesive , etc .). the container 102 may be attached to container cap 130 via plastic weld , utrasonic weld , spin weld , glue , screws , etc . bladder 106 may then be filled with scale inhibitor . a subassembly consisting of the plug 118 and the capillary tube 104 may be assembled thru an interference fit , inserting a hot capillary into the plastic plug , etc . finally , the plug 118 may be inserted into the container cap 130 to complete the assembly . turning now to fig4 , a cross - section of the assembly in fig1 is shown configured for installation in a piping system . the assembly 100 is connected to the fixture 114 . water flows into the fixture 114 ( as symbolized by arrow 122 ) where a portion of the water flow is diverted through orifices 108 into the container 102 ( as symbolized by arrow 124 ). the portion of the water flow diverted into the assembly 100 applies a pressure to the bladder 106 . the pressure exerted on the bladder 106 causes scale inhibitor to flow through the perforated tube 116 and into the capillary tube 104 ( as symbolized by arrow 126 ). the capillary tube 104 regulates the flow of scale inhibitor based on the pressure difference between the inlet and exit of the capillary tube 104 . upon exiting the capillary tube 104 the scale inhibitor is carried out of the fixture 114 ( as symbolized by arrow 128 ). referring now to fig5 - 9 , fig5 depicts an assembly 200 configured to inject a fluid into a system . the assembly includes a filter sump 220 . the filter sump 220 may be a standard cartridge filter housing such as those distributed by grainger and macmaster - carr . fig6 depicts an insert 222 which may be used with the filter sump 220 . insert 222 includes a container 202 , a deformable bladder ( not shown ), and a capillary tube ( not shown ). during operation , water enters orifices 208 located in the container 202 . the water in the container 202 may apply pressure to the bladder . the pressure exerted on the bladder ( not shown ) causes scale inhibitor to flow through the capillary tube ( not shown ) into a system . as with assembly 100 , the flow rate of the scale inhibitor is controlled by a pressure difference from the inlet and the exit of the capillary tube . the pressure drop across the capillary tube may be controlled by the diameter and / or length of the capillary tube . other ways to control the flow rate of the scale inhibitor may be to control the pressure applied to the bladder . the insert 222 further includes a perforated tube 216 . the perforated tube 216 may act to help maintain the capillary tube in a desired shape . for example , the perforated tube 216 may act to keep the capillary tube straight and / or keep it from kinking . in addition , the perforated tube 216 may act to keep the inlet of the capillary tube from becoming blocked by the bladder . in addition , the assembly 200 may include a gasket ( not shown ) for forming a seal between the insert 222 and a filter sump 220 . it is further contemplated that a top portion of the insert , 222 , may be made from a rubber or santoprene material . this may form a seal between the container 202 and the assembly 200 . turning now to fig8 and 9 , a partial cross - section of the assembly in fig5 is shown configured for installation in a piping system . the insert 222 is housed within filter sump 220 . during operation , water flows into the filter sump 220 ( as symbolized by arrow 230 ) where all of the water flow is diverted through orifices 208 into the container 202 ( as symbolized by arrow 232 ). the water flow diverted into the container 202 applies a pressure to the bladder . the pressure exerted on the bladder causes scale inhibitor to flow through the perforated tube 216 and into the capillary tube . the capillary tube regulates the flow of scale inhibitor based on the pressure difference between the inlet and exit of the capillary tube . upon exiting the capillary tube the scale inhibitor is carried out of the insert 222 ( as symbolized by arrow 234 ). the water that entered the container 202 exits the container 202 through an opening proximate the exit of the insert 222 ( as symbolized by arrow 236 ) and exits the filter sump 220 ( as symbolized by arrow 238 ). the embodiments described in fig1 - 9 are continuous flow systems . continuous flow indicates that when there is fluid flow within the system to which embodiments of the invention are connected , the fluid within the bladder will be injected into the system . the embodiments described in fig1 - 9 may be compact systems which may be utilized in various contexts . for example , the embodiments described in fig1 - 9 may be utilized in a residential setting , a laboratory setting , and / or a medical / dental setting . for example , if an embodiment of the invention is utilized in a dental setting , the fluid in the bladder may be a fluoride solution to be administered to patients . in another embodiment , the fluid flow may be air and the fluid in the bladder may be a medication ( e . g . an asthma medication ) which when injected into the fluid flow may atomize and be respired by a patient . furthermore , the embodiments described in fig1 - 9 may be large scale systems utilized in water treatment plants , chemical plants where the injection of a fluid is needed , etc . fig1 depicts a schematic of a system 300 for injecting a fluid into a reverse osmosis system . the system 300 includes a container 302 , a capillary tube 304 , a bladder 306 , a valve 340 and a valve 342 . valve 342 may be a dispensing valve . in addition , while not shown , the embodiments of fig1 may include a perforate tube for helping to maintain the capillary tube 304 in a desired shape , act to keep the inlet of the capillary tube 304 from becoming blocked by the bladder 306 . furthermore , the perforated tube may also prevent part of the bladder 306 from pinching off as described with reference to fig1 - 9 . during operation , a portion of water flows into container 302 and may apply pressure to the bladder 306 . the pressure exerted on the bladder 306 causes scale inhibitor to flow through the capillary tube 304 into the reverse osmosis system . valve 340 may be configured to restrict the water flow resulting in a pressure difference between points 330 and 332 . the pressure at point 330 is approximately equal to that of the pressure applied to the bladder 306 . the pressure at point 332 is lower than the pressure at point 330 resulting inflow of the scale inhibitor . as with continuous flow embodiments , the flow rate of the scale inhibitor may be controlled by a pressure difference from the inlet and the exit of the capillary tube 304 . the pressure drop across the capillary tube 304 may be controlled by the diameter and / or length of the capillary tube 304 . other ways to control the flow rate of the scale inhibitor may be to control the pressure applied to the bladder 306 . the pressure applied may be controlled by the valve 340 . furthermore , the flow of scale inhibitor may further be controlled by valve 342 . valve 340 may be a pressure differential valve . for example , a sensor may monitor the concentration of scale inhibitor within the reverse osmosis system . upon detecting that the concentration of scale inhibitor has fallen below or exceeded preset levels , the sensor may send a signal to valve 342 . the signal may cause valve 342 to open and / or close thereby dosing and / or halting flow of scale inhibitor into the reverse osmosis system . in other embodiments , the sensor may send a signal to valve 340 . the signal may cause valve 340 to open and / or close thereby adjusting the pressure applied to the bladder 306 . this adjustment of pressure may cause the flow of scale inhibitor to increase and / or decrease . while fig1 depicts two valves 340 and 342 being used to control the pressure applied to the bladder 306 and the flow of fluid from the bladder 306 . it is contemplated that either and / or both valves 340 and 342 may be removed from the system . for example , in an embodiment of the present invention , valve 342 may be removed and valve 340 may be adjusted to control the flow of fluid from the bladder 306 . still consistent with embodiments of the present invention , valve 340 may be removed and valve 342 may be adjusted to control the flow of fluid from the bladder 306 . still further consistent with embodiments of the present invention , both valves 340 and 342 may be removed from the system 300 and the diameter and / or length of circulation loop 344 may be used to control the pressure applied to the bladder 306 ( i . e . the flow of fluid from the bladder 306 ). in addition , regardless of the valve combination being implemented , a pump ( not shown ) may be located in circulation loop 344 or elsewhere within the system 300 to control the pressure applied to the bladder 306 . circulation loop 344 may be a plumbing loop or other piping configuration to divert a portion such that the fluid applies pressure to the bladder 306 . the embodiments described in fig1 may be compact systems which may be utilized in various contexts . for example , the embodiments described in fig1 may be utilized in a residential setting , a laboratory setting , and / or a medical / dental setting . furthermore , the embodiments described in fig1 may be large scale systems utilized in water treatment plants , chemical plants where the injection of a fluid is needed , etc . fig1 depicts a schematic of a system 400 for injecting a fluid into a system . the system 400 includes a container assembly 450 ( see fig1 ), a capillary tube 404 , a bladder 406 , a valve 454 and a pump 456 . in addition , while not shown , the embodiments of fig1 may include a perforated tube for helping to maintain the capillary tube 404 in a desired shape , act to keep the inlet of the capillary tube 404 from becoming blocked by the bladder 406 . furthermore , the perforated tube may also prevent part of the bladder 406 from pinching off as described with refernece to fig1 - 9 . during operation , incoming water pressure is increased by the pump 456 . the increased pressure is symbolized by reference numerals 430 and 432 , where the pressure at point 430 is less than 432 . the increase in pressure may be adjusted depending on operation conditions , performance requirements , etc . the water may be separated by a membrane 458 . a portion of the water recirculates through pipe 434 into the container assembly 450 . the water in the container assembly 450 applies a pressure approximately equal to the increase in pressure ( point 452 ) to the bladder 406 . as with continuous flow embodiments , the flow rate of the scale inhibitor is controlled by a pressure difference from the inlet and the exit of the capillary tube 404 . the pressure drop across the capillary tube 404 may be controlled by the diameter and / or length of the capillary tube 404 . for example , the pressure difference may be 10 . 89 atm ( 160 psi ) or more , and may require the capillary tube 404 to have small inside diameter ( e . g . 0 . 127 mm ( 5 mils )) and a length of 1 . 0 meters (˜ 3 ft ) or greater . other ways to control the flow rate of the scale inhibitor may be to control the pressure applied to the bladder 406 . the pressure applied to the bladder 406 may be controlled by the valve 454 . valve 454 may be used to reduce the pressure to a pressure approximately equal to that of point 430 prior to introduction back into a main flow . the pressure applied to the bladder 406 causes the scale inhibitor to flow into the system . furthermore , the valve 454 and / or the pump 456 may be controlled by a sensor . the sensor may monitor the pressure and / or the concentration of scale inhibitor within the system and adjust the valve and / or the pump accordingly . for example , a sensor may monitor the concentration of scale inhibitor within a reverse osmosis system . upon detecting that the concentration of scale inhibitor has fallen below or exceeded preset levels , the sensor may send a signal to the valve 454 . the signal may cause the valve 454 to open and / or close thereby dosing and / or halting flow of scale inhibitor into the reverse osmosis system . in other embodiments , the sensor may send a signal to the pump 456 . the signal may cause the pump 456 to increase and / or decrease the pressure thereby adjusting the pressure applied to the bladder 406 . this adjustment of pressure may cause the flow of scale inhibitor to increase and / or decrease . the embodiments described in fig1 may be compact systems which may be utilized in various contexts . for example , the embodiments described in fig1 may be utilized in a residential setting , a laboratory setting , and / or a medical / dental setting . furthermore , the embodiments described in fig1 may be large scale systems utilized in water treatment plants , chemical plants where the injection of a fluid is needed , etc . while the embodiments described in this specification depict the capillary tube being partially located inside the container and / or bladder , it is contemplated that the in various embodiments of the invention , capillary tube may be located completely inside the container and completely exterior to the bladder . still consistent with embodiments of the present invention , the capillary tube may be located completely exterior to both the container and the bladder . furthermore , it is contemplated that the capillary tube may be completely located inside the container and the bladder . the general principle is that the fluid flows through the capillary tube before being injected into the system . the actual location and method by which the capillary tube is connected to the bladder is inconsequential . the desired length , diameter , and / or applied pressure may vary depending upon a desired scale inhibitor flow rate . the pressures are independent of the systems size . a small system may have a high pressure and a large system may have a low pressure . the key is the pressure differential , not the absolute pressure . for example , in systems with a low pressure differential ( e . g . 0 . 07 to 0 . 34 atm ( 1 to 5 psi )) the capillary tube may have a length from 2 . 54 - 15 . 25 cm ( 1 to 6 inches ) and a diameter of around 0 . 127 mm ( 5 mil ). in a system with a high differential pressure ( 8 . 17 atm ( 120 psi )) the capillary length may be 1 . 83 m ( 6 ft ) or longer . moreover , while the capillary tubes in this specification have been described as straight tubes , it is contemplated that the capillary tube may be a variety of shapes . for example , the capillary tube may be a coil . furthermore , the diameter of the capillary tube may range from 0 . 1 mm and up . the desired length , diameter , and / or applied pressure may be determined using standard equations found in a standard text on fluid mechanics . throughout this specification , the container that houses the fluid to be injected into a system is referred to as a bladder . however , the term bladder is intended to imply that the container is any container that deforms upon the application of pressure . the deformation causes the fluid within the bladder to flow from the bladder . this written description uses examples to disclose the invention , including the best mode , and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention . the patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims , and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art . such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims , or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims .	2
fig1 shows a snowshoe 10 having a frame 12 and deck portions 14 , 16 and 18 , in a first embodiment of a snowshoe / crampon combination . a boot 20 with an attached crampon or terrain - engaging cleat 22 is secured to the snowshoe by a front harness assembly of the snowshoe , generally identified by 24 . as can be seen in the drawing , the snowshoe deck portions 16 and 18 have relatively large openings 26 and 28 , and these accommodate rear and front groups of crampon teeth , as further explained below . fig2 shows the snowshoe 10 alone . the decking areas 14 , 16 and 18 in this preferred embodiment are retained to the snowshoe frame 12 by sections of decking material which extend around the frame and are riveted together to the main body of decking , as at 30 , for example , and as shown in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 440 , 827 . the snowshoe &# 39 ; s decking can be comprised of fewer pieces if desired . as fig2 reveals , the snowshoe 10 has a front harness assembly 24 , preferably pivotable about a horizontal axis which can be provided by one or more resilient straps 32 wrapped around the frame and retaining the harness assembly preferably in a toe - down biased position , as shown in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 253 , 437 , 5 , 440 , 827 , 5 , 699 , 630 and 5 , 687 , 491 . however , the front harness and pivot assembly is without a front claw or cleat , nor does the snowshoe have any rear cleat . instead , the open areas 28 and 26 provide space for a user wearing a boot and a crampon such as the crampon 22 to step into the snowshoe and lock the crampon to the snowshoe , after which the teeth of the crampon can be used as front and rear cleats for the snowshoe . fig3 and 6 show a crampon or terrain - engaging cleat 22 which is configured for use with the snowshoe of the invention . important features of the cleat device 22 are that its rear group 34 of teeth is positioned to pass through the rear , generally heel - located opening 26 of the snowshoe , that its front group 36 of teeth is positioned to pass through the opening 28 at the front of the snowshoe , and that the front group 36 of teeth be configured to straddle over and engage with a front harness plate or registry plate 38 which is an important feature of the snowshoe . as seen in fig2 and 3 , the crampon 22 can be attached to the snowshoe via the harness mounting plate 38 , by simply stepping into the snowshoe in a toe - down position when the crampon is worn on the user &# 39 ; s boot . with the strap assembly 24 in a loosened or released position , the user inclines the boot with the toe downward , at a steeper angle than the orientation of the mounting plate 38 itself , inserting a pair of opposed , left and right side teeth 40 ( the left tooth 40 is visible in fig3 and 6 ) down through a clearance 42 provided at each side of a front portion of the mounting plate 38 . the opposed crampon teeth 40 have inclined front surfaces so as to extend under tip structure 44 at each side of the front end of the mounting plate , the tip structures comprising a front bar across the front end of the plate 38 . the crampon teeth 40 each comprise a part of a side protrusion 46 , which may also include another tooth 48 just behind the tooth 40 , and which has a width w ( fig6 ) at its upper end , near a deck or frame 50 of the crampon , which is matched to the length of the clearance 42 in the harness plate 38 . the forward side of the tooth 40 , that is , of each side protrusion 46 , is inclined forwardly / downwardly as shown , so that it engages under the structure 44 of the plate 38 and then locks the crampon in place after the crampon has been rotated such that its back end 52 is downward and the front portion 54 , with the front group 36 of teeth , is in contact with the surface of the harness plate 38 . fig6 shows the crampon 22 in side view , with bales 56 and 58 removed ( shown in fig3 ). the illustrated crampon is of a known configuration , marketed as the sabre tooth crampon by black diamond equipt . ltd . of salt lake city , utah . fig5 shows in plan , developed view the harness registry plate 38 which cooperates with the crampon 22 . the clearance 42 at each side of the front end of the harness plate is shown as formed between the tip structure 44 and a wing extension 60 at each side , spaced back from the tips 44 . the harness plate 38 in this embodiment is further configured to provide adequate spaces 61 for a further posterior pair of crampon teeth 62 , still in the forward set 36 of teeth , as seen in fig3 and 6 . another pair of teeth 64 , the most posterior of the forward set of teeth 36 , are received in clearances 66 of the harness plate as shown in fig5 . at the rear end of the harness plate 38 are a pair of arms 68 , each of which has a tab 69 at its end , to be bent upward approximately at right angles along a line indicated by dashes 70 in fig5 . these tabs , as seen in fig2 provide a mounting for the strap assembly 24 which extends over the user &# 39 ; s boot after the user steps into the snowshoe with the crampon . the strap assembly 24 is adjustable , and preferably has a ratchet - type buckle known as a ladder lock buckle , of the type that tightens a strap by one or more notches in a rack of notches with each pivot stroke of a buckle lever , and which allows easy release by lifting the lever to a full - back position . fig4 a bottom view of the snowshoe with the crampon attached , illustrates the engagement of the front end of the crampon with the snowshoe &# 39 ; s harness assembly , and particularly with the harness plate 38 . fig4 reveals that the side protrusion 46 at each side of the crampon has been closely engaged within the clearance 42 at each side of the mounting plate 38 . also , the drawing shows the other pairs of teeth 62 and 64 as residing in the side clearances 61 and 66 of the harness plate . in this position the frame or deck 50 of the crampon is against the upper surface of the harness plate 38 . the crampon teeth generally surround the plate 38 , by which is meant that teeth extend down alongside the plate at least at front and sides . as can be appreciated from fig4 the act of stepping into the front harness of the snowshoe with the crampon teeth 40 engaging as discussed above and shown in the drawings , locates the crampon precisely relative to the harness assembly and the snowshoe , establishing proper rotational orientation between the crampon and the snowshoe , such that the snowshoe is firmly secured to the crampon against left or right rotation . for this purpose , as shown in fig5 and also seen in fig4 the mounting and registry plate 38 has angled surfaces 72 just aft of the tips 44 , so that when the crampon teeth are inserted into and under the tips 44 , these obliquely angled surfaces 72 guide the crampon into the precise position , particularly when the heel is rotated down to closely engage the crampon &# 39 ; s side protrusions in the clearances 42 . fig7 - 12 show another form of terrain - engaging cleat or crampon 80 which can be used on a boot for enhancing traction such as in icy or semi - icy conditions , or in combination with a snowshoe wherein the device 80 provides a cleat for the snowshoe , as illustrated . fig7 shows a cleat plate or base plate 82 which is a principal component of the terrain - engaging cleat or crampon 80 shown in fig8 . the base 82 has a generally flat platform 84 , a pair of front end teeth 86 integrally formed with and extending downwardly / forwardly from the platform 84 , and further pairs of teeth 88 and 90 . the two teeth 88 are angled teeth in this preferred embodiment , just aft of the two frontal teeth 86 as shown . the angled teeth 88 are angled relative to the forward / aft direction of movement of the crampon and relative to the transverse direction of the cleat device 82 . thus , these teeth 88 provide traction for the crampon in both the forward / back directions and in lateral directions . the additional teeth 90 are side teeth , further aft on the crampon or terrain - engaging cleat . the base member also preferably includes a tail extension 92 , defining a rear attachment point 94 for a part of the harness assembly 96 shown in fig8 . the cleat base 82 in a preferred embodiment is formed as a stainless steel stamping . as shown , the teeth 86 , 88 and 90 bend downwardly from edges of the platform 84 , in bends 98 , 100 and 102 . each of these bends may include a stiffener pleat 104 , comprising an indentation formed into the metal for stiffening the teeth at each of these bends . stiffener pleats are also shown at 105 in the platform 84 . the frontal teeth 86 are tapered , generally triangular as shown and are angled down about 45 ° in the embodiment shown . this angle preferably is between about 40 ° and 50 °, or more broadly , between about 35 ° and 55 °. fig7 also shows various holes through the deck or platform portion of the stamping 82 , four of which identified as 106 are used for attaching a footbed 110 and the harness assembly 96 to the base 82 . this can be a contoured footbed as in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 687 , 491 . as also seen in fig7 and 8 , each of the angled teeth 88 and the side teeth 90 comprises a relatively narrow neck 112 , which extends from the platform 84 down through the bend 102 , into a flat area 113 , 114 of the tooth , substantially wider than the neck portion . the flat face area 113 , 114 of the tooth , with its larger width , provides good gripping traction in penetrable terrain . as seen in the drawings , the maximum width of this flat face area , in each tooth 88 and 90 , preferably is at least 50 % wider than the narrower neck 112 . the drawings also show that each tooth 88 , 90 defines a point 116 at its bottom , for engaging ice when encountered . importantly , these ice points 116 are substantially directly beneath the stiffener pleats 104 , so that if the terrain - engaging device 80 is used on rigid ice , the stress of supporting the weight of the user through the bends 100 , 102 in the base portion is efficiently resisted by the stiffeners . the assembled terrain - engaging cleat device or crampon 80 as shown in fig8 has a harness assembly 96 which can be similar to those produced by atlas snow - shoe company and incorporated as the front harness assembly of a snowshoe , such as on atlas models nos . 1022 and 1033 . the harness includes a web which has a central , bottom section or harness shell 120 that is secured to the metal platform 84 , preferably being positioned beneath the platform 84 as shown . with reference to all of fig7 - 12 , this harness 96 has forward harness legs 122 and rear harness legs 124 extending up and outwardly from the harness shell 120 , as shown . these discrete legs of the harness web are positioned to extend over the ball of the foot , or essentially between the toe area and the ball area , with the legs 122 ; and from the arch area or slightly forward of the arch area , over the top of the foot generally as seen in fig9 . straps 126 , 127 extend between the webs to closely retain the web and the crampon device 80 on the foot . these straps 126 and 127 , in a preferred embodiment , can comprise a single strap connected in a “ z ” type arrangement as described in copending application ser . no . 10 , 199 , filed jan . 21 , 1998 and incorporated herein by reference . as in that copending application , the strap arrangement employed in the crampon device 80 provides for easy adjustment and quick and easy attachment of the crampon or cleat device 80 to the shoe or boot . in addition , there is preferably included a heel strap 130 for increased stability and torsion resistance , this strap preferably extending from rear extensions 132 of the harness web 96 . as seen in the drawings , the tail extension 92 and rear attachment point 94 of the main base member 82 ( fig7 ) is important in providing an attachment point as far back on the crampon device 80 as needed for good binding and stability . that rear attachment point 94 is located in the arch area of the boot , slightly forward of the heel , as can be seen in fig9 . as indicated in the drawings , the footbed 110 can be secured to the base member 82 by rivets 134 , but also by gluing . the rivets 134 also serve to secure the harness shell 120 to the platform 84 of the metal base member 82 . fig9 shows the user &# 39 ; s shoe or boot 136 , wearing the crampon device 80 of the invention , and also engaged in a snowshoe 140 . as also seen in fig1 , the snowshoe has decking 142 which preferably includes a rear cleat at 144 ( the cleat actually extends below the decking ), and the snowshoe has a front boot binding assembly 146 that includes a registry plate 148 for the crampon , which may be supported on tensioned straps 150 that afford a biased pivoting movement of the toe , and which includes a single strap 152 for extending over the top of the foot area of the boot , but which does not include a front cleat . see also fig1 a - 12 . the terrain - engaging cleat or crampon 80 of the invention supplies the front cleat , since the teeth 86 , 88 and 90 extend down and around the registry plate 148 . this is similar to the registry of the front portion 54 of the full - foot crampon 22 into a snowshoe in the earlier described embodiment . fig9 - 12 show one form of registry plate 148 for use with the crampon device 80 in this embodiment of the invention . fig1 - 15 show alternatives , described below . the registry plate 148 has a front bar 155 which extends across a forward end 156 of the plate and has extending tips 158 at left and right . these , as seen in fig9 and 12 , are to be engaged between back sides of the front end teeth 86 and forward edges 159 of the angled teeth 88 that serve as protrusions similar to the protrusions 46 in fig3 and 4 . since the teeth 88 themselves are angled preferably downwardly and outwardly at an angle relative to the lateral and straight - ahead directions , this inclined forward edge 159 has a forward component to its orientation , so that when the front bar 155 is in place under the crampon , with the tips 158 between the teeth 86 and the inclined edges 159 , the crampon cannot be lifted straight up at its front end , being confined by the front bar 155 interacting with the inclined edge 159 . thus , when the user wearing the crampon device 80 steps into the snowshoe , this must be done with the toe tipped downwardly , until the frontal bar 155 of the registry plate is correctly in position between the teeth 86 and the teeth 88 . at that point , the user can pivot the foot downwardly onto the plate , then attach a pair of straps 161 to the harness via securing hooks 163 , as seen particularly in fig8 and 10 . this is one preferred system for holding the boot down against the plate . the straps 161 can be of an elastic polymer that flexes somewhat but exerts enough force to keep the boot against the plate . by this arrangement the user can conveniently pull up on the two straps 161 and hook them on the hooks 163 , avoiding additional straps over the top of the foot . the registry plate 148 shown in fig1 a and 11b , as well as in fig9 and 12 , has side stabilizers formed as projections 160 on each side , somewhat aft of the middle of the plate . these are bent downwardly ( fig1 b and 12 ) and positioned to engage against inner sides of the side teeth 90 , and they are preferably located so as to engage between the stiffener pleats 104 on the base cleat device 82 shown in fig7 . when the user engages the front bar 155 in place , with the toe of the boot and crampon tipped down , and positions the front bar correctly between the crampon teeth 86 and 88 , then rotates the foot downwardly , these side stabilizers 160 then engage inside surfaces of the teeth 90 to lock the cleat in place on the registry plate 148 . from fig1 and 11 a - b can be seen one preferred method of securement of the registry plate 148 to the snowshoe . the plate has holes 164 through which rivets pass to secure the plate to the snowshoe &# 39 ; s tensioned front straps 150 , as in fig1 . the tensioned straps 150 in this embodiment are spaced apart sufficiently to allow the side teeth 90 of the crampon device ( fig7 and 8 ) to pass down between the straps , one such tooth at each side of the registry plate 148 . this is best seen in the bottom view of fig1 , which also reveals the side stabilizers 160 as engaging against inside surfaces of the side teeth 190 . this tight engagement is made as the wearer rotates the cleat down onto the registry plate 148 . fig1 - 15 show alternative configurations of registry plates 170 , 180 and 190 . in fig1 and 13a , the registry plate 170 is quite similar to the plate 148 , except at the front end . there , a front finger 172 extends forwardly and is formed into a somewhat downwardly dipping hook , in position to be engaged in a v notch 173 between the front teeth 86 of the crampon , as seen particularly in fig7 . this helps the user place the crampon correctly on the registry plate , since the registry plate is not visible beneath the foot and boot . with the central hooked finger 172 extending forward as a tactile guide , the user can feel it between the frontal crampon teeth 86 , in the notch 173 , then step down with the toe , causing the hooked finger 122 to shift the cleat &# 39 ; s frontal teeth 86 left or right as needed and back against the front to position the front of the cleat correctly . again , side stabilizers 160 center the aft parts of the cleat or crampon by engagement between the structure of the side teeth 90 as the foot is rotated down . although not shown in fig1 a - 13b , the plate 170 can have a front bar similar to the front bar 155 of fig1 - 12 , in addition to the hook 172 . fig1 a - b again show a registry plate 180 which is similar to the plates 148 and 170 , except at the front end . here , a slot 182 is formed by front end structure 184 , and this slot is positioned to receive the frontal crampon teeth 86 . again , this gives a tactile indicator for the user to locate the front of the pleat or crampon correctly , prior to rotating the arch of the foot downwardly to engage the crampon with the outboard side stabilizers 160 . in this case , the user again preferably tips the crampon down slightly , to best insert the frontal teeth 86 down through the slot 182 , prior to rotating the arch downward . as indicated , the front end structure 184 on this plate 180 preferably is angled upwardly somewhat , to better catch the frontal teeth 86 . if the user is off - center with the crampon , the tapered outside edges of the teeth guide the crampon to the correct position . fig1 a - b show a registry plate 190 which is again similar to the other plates described above in many respects . at the front of the registry plate 190 is a tapering frontal apex 192 with a raised disk 194 similar to a rivet head , spaced upwardly by a narrow neck 195 from the surface of the frontal apex 192 . the frontal apex 192 is angled downwardly from a bend 193 . again , a tactile indicator is provided for the user in placing the toe end of the cleat or crampon 80 correctly . the frontal teeth 86 of the crampon are moved downwardly and forwardly against the neck of the rivet head or locator disk 194 , such that the neck 195 of the disk becomes positioned in the v notch 173 between the frontal teeth 86 . as in the last described embodiment , even if the user holds the foot laterally left or right to some extent , the downward engagement of the frontal teeth 86 will become self - centering of the crampon relative to the registry plate 190 . fig1 shows another embodiment of a terrain engaging cleat or crampon 200 according to the invention . this cleat or crampon 200 is similar in many respects to the previously described crampon 80 , but employs a different cleat base 202 , not specifically designed to engage with a snowshoe . the simpler cleat base 202 has a rack of front teeth 204 , positioned at the bottom of a downwardly / forwardly angled frontal bend 206 , and has a pair of side teeth 208 . its harness 210 may be essentially the same as described previously , but in this embodiment the crampon omits the tail extension 92 ( fig7 ) of the earlier embodiment , thus providing a less bulky terrain - engaging cleat or crampon . the crampon device 200 includes a rear strap 210 for extending around the back of the user &# 39 ; s boot or shoe . again , a footbed 212 , which may be a flexible , rubbery footbed and which may be contoured as in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 687 , 491 , is secured down to the platform of the cleat base 202 . the above described preferred embodiments are intended to illustrate the principles of the invention , but not to limit its scope . other embodiments and variations to this preferred embodiment will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	0
the following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings . the same reference numbers in different drawings identifies the same or similar elements . also , the following detailed description does not limit the invention . the present invention aims to improve and quicken the user &# 39 ; s ability to discover relevant information from large data files containing several pages . this may be accomplished by creating and possibly caching visual presentations of data file pages for quick content preview . in that respect the invention is a tool that makes the handling of information and particularly the handling of search results easier and faster compared to conventional solutions . the arrangement according to the present invention enhances information discovery by displaying differently sized visual presentations of individual data file pages . this provides the user with ability to quickly review and verify the relevancy of the data file content as well as view readable previews of the selected matching pages inside the data file . the user can verify the relevancy of several data files content concurrently because the arrangement provides simultaneously previews from several data files to the output device . the server may use a caching mechanism to store the visual presentations of the data files into a cache so that users who later access the same document do not require system to regenerate the visual presentations . the cache may be programmed to store the visual presentations for a specific amount of time and then delete the presentations to conserve storage space . the cache may also be programmed to optimize the visual presentation file size in means of bitmap graphics optimization and a graphics format compression to conserve storage space . fig2 is an exemplary diagram of a network in which arrangements and methods consistent with the principles of the invention may be implemented . network may include multiple clients 210 connected to multiple servers 220 - 240 via a network 260 . as an example , three clients 210 and five servers 220 - 240 have been illustrated as connected to a network 260 . in practice , there may be more or fewer clients and servers . the client may be defined as a device , such as a wireless telephone , a personal computer , a personal digital assistant ( pda ), a laptop , or another type of computation or communication device or process running on one of these devices , and / or an object executable by one of these devices , or a process or a function running in an industrial process . servers 220 - 240 may include server and storage entities that gather , process , search , and / or cache data files in a manner that is consistent with the principles of the invention . in an implementation consistent with the principles of the invention , server 220 represents a search engine usable by the clients 210 via the server 230 that acts as a preview engine . server 220 may find and identify data files and web documents located in the content servers 240 , index the data files and web documents , and store information associated with the data files and web documents in a data repository . server 220 may use other servers or alternative data repositories to store information associated to the data files or web documents that it may have crawled or analyzed from the content servers 240 . server 230 runs the preview engine to generate and cache previews of the data file pages into the content storage 250 according to the principles of the invention . the content storage 250 may be part of the preview engine or it could be a separate server entity depending on the infrastructure requirements and deployment . while servers 220 - 240 are shown as separate entities , it may be possible for one or more of servers 220 - 240 to perform one or more of the functions of another one or more of servers 220 - 240 . it may be possible that several servers are clustered to run the search engine , and / or preview engine and / or content server as a single entity . it may also be possible that parts of the search engine , and / or preview engine and / or content server tasks are distributed to several servers . network 260 may include a local area network ( lan ), a wireless local area network ( wlan ) a wide area network ( wan ), a wireless communication network , such as global system for mobile communications ( gsm ), an intranet , the internet , or a combination of networks . clients 210 and servers 220 - 240 may connect to network 260 via wired , wireless , and / or optical connections . fig2 a describes main modules of the preview engine 230 . in an implementation consistent with methods and arrangements of the innovation the preview engine 230 may include at least the following modules : a user interface manager 270 , connectors 275 , a content converter 280 , a page indexer 285 , a highlighter 290 and a cache manager 295 . the interface manager 270 is equipped with means to interact with the user through the client 210 , to receive a search query and to provide search results with the data file page previews . the connectors 275 are a set of application program interfaces to connect the preview engine 230 to the other servers 220 and 240 . the connectors 275 have means for sending a user search query to the search engine 220 , receiving a search result list from the search engine 220 and downloading the data files from the content servers 240 to the preview engine 230 . the content converter 280 has paginating means for paginating data files content and rendering page previews from the data files . the page indexer 285 has means for indexing the data file pages for filtering purposes , and means for searching and selecting the matching pages from the data files . the highlighter module 290 is arranged to highlight the search query text in the preview pages . the cache manager 295 has means for storing and retrieving data files page previews into the storage 250 and crawling the data files page previews in the storage 250 according to the specified rules . fig3 is an exemplary diagram of a client or server entity ( hereinafter called “ the client / server entity ”), which may correspond to one or more of clients 210 and servers 220 - 240 , according to an implementation consistent with the principles of the invention . the client / server entity may include a bus 310 , a processor 320 , a main memory 330 , a read only memory ( rom ) 340 , storage medium 350 , input means 360 , output means 370 , and a communication interface 380 to the network 260 . the bus 310 may include means or methods that permit communication among the elements of the client / server entity . the processor 320 may include a conventional processor , microprocessor , or processing logic that interprets and executes instructions . the main memory 330 may include a random access memory ( ram ) or another type of dynamic storage device that may store information and instructions for execution by the processor 320 . the rom 340 may include a conventional rom device or another type of a static storage device that may store static information and instructions for use by the processor 320 . the storage medium 350 may be a magnetic , electronic or optical medium , including needed drivers and devices . the input means 360 may include a conventional mechanism that permits a user to input information to the client / server entity , such as a keyboard , a mouse , a pen , a touch screen , voice recognition and / or biometric mechanisms , etc . the output device 370 may include a conventional mechanism that outputs information to the user , including a display , a printer , a speaker , etc . the communication interface 380 enables the client / server entity to communicate with other devices and / or systems over the network 260 . for example , the communication interface 380 may include mechanisms for communicating with another device or system via a network 260 . as it will be described in detail below , the client / server entity described in fig2 , consistent with the principles of the invention , has equipped with means to perform certain search - related operations . the client / server entity may perform these operations in response to the processor 320 executing software instructions contained in the computer - readable medium , such as memory 330 . a computer - readable medium may be defined as a physical or logical memory device . the software instructions may be read into the memory 330 from another computer - readable medium , such as a data storage device 350 , or from another device via the communication interface 380 . the software instructions contained in the memory 330 may cause the processor 320 to perform processes that will be described later . alternatively , a hardwired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions to implement processes consistent with the principles of the invention . thus , implementations consistent with the principles of the invention are not limited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software . fig4 describes an exemplary procedure 400 of a search query 420 related to the data files preview according to an implementation consistent with the principles of the invention . the procedure may begin with a user providing a search keyword ( s ) or phrase and selecting data file type ( s ) ( e . g . pdf , doc , ppt , xsl ) as a search query 420 . the preview engine 230 receives the search query 430 and sends the search query 430 over the network 260 to the search engine 220 . the search engine 220 may be a publicly available service such as google or microsoft live or alternatively the search engine 220 may locate inside company network accessing internal data repositories or the search engine 220 could be embedded functionality of an application . the search query 420 is received by the search engine 220 from the preview engine 230 . the search engine 220 is used to identify files ( e . g . white papers , presentations , research papers , etc .) related to the search query 420 . a number of techniques exist for identifying data files related to a search query 440 . the techniques are known to those skilled in the art . the data files identified by the search engine 220 are scored in some known manner in the step 450 of the procedure 400 . the score for a data file may be based on an information retrieval ( ir ) score or a similar relevancy ranking value . several techniques exist for generating an ir score . for example , one simple method for an ir score for a data file may be generated based on the number of occurrences of the search terms inside data files . other techniques are known to those skilled in the art . a list of search results 460 is formed by the search engine 220 based on the identified data files 440 and their scoring 450 . in one implementation , the search results list 460 may include information associated with the data files , such as url of the data file and the data file type and textual abstract of the data file . the search results list 460 may be provided as an html document , similar to the search results provided by the conventional search engines 220 . alternatively , the search results list 460 may be provided according to another format agreed upon by the search engine 220 and the preview engine 230 , e . g . extensible markup language ( xml ). the list of search results 460 formed by the search engine 220 will be provided to the preview engine 230 for further processing . fig5 describes an exemplary procedure 500 of the data file preview creation with keyword ( s ) highlighting . the preview engine 230 has means for running the procedure 500 on the preview engine 230 . the list of search results 460 that may be listed according to the scoring 450 is received from the search engine 220 to the preview engine 230 . the search result may include search hits range from 1 to as many as the search engine 220 finds from the index . for the sake of preparing convenient output for the end user the entire search result list 460 is divided in k pages containing n hits according to resource constraints . the number of n may be 10 in one embodiment . the step 520 in the procedure 500 running in the preview engine 230 is arranged to read the first hit from the search result list 460 and to look up if the corresponding data file previews already exists in the storage 250 , and if it does , the procedure 500 is fitted to proceed directly to the data file filtering phase 560 . in case the data file is not cached in the storage 250 the preview engine 230 downloads the data file from the content server 240 according to the url associated to the data file . when the preview engine 230 has retrieved the data file the content converter module 280 paginates and renders the data file page previews 550 . the content converter 280 paginates the data file as accurately as possible according to the original appearance of the data file . in one embodiment the original appearance means the visual layout the data file may have when it is opened with the program it was originally produced , e . g . the microsoft word document opened with the microsoft word program . the visual layout information coupled with the pagination data is used to create one or more versions of preview pages from the data file . in one embodiment , one version may be a small size preview page and other version a larger , more readable preview of the page . yet in another embodiment , the size and visual dimensions of different versions of the preview pages can be fixed sizes specified by the user , the output display device or the system , or can be based on the size of the window used to view the data file preview pages . in one embodiment , the content converter 280 has separating means to separate text and graphical information from the data file pages . the text information may be stored as a html content file and graphical information may be stored as a background image file . in one embodiment there may be several background image files and one html text content file for a data file page . a preview page may be a combination of a layered html text and background image . one result of the data file rendering 550 may be several print sizes of the preview presentations from the data file pages . yet in another embodiment , the content converter 280 has means to transcode the data file pages into vector formats such as but not limited to pdf or svg . the result of the data file rendering 550 may be vector files of preview pages . the original downloaded data file and the preview files may be cached and stored into the storage 250 by the cache manager 295 once the data file rendering is completed for further usage to reduce the preview processing time in case the same data file is requested by another search query . the data file filtering stage 560 is executed by the page indexer module 285 that has means for indexing , searching and selecting those html text files and associated image files that match the search query keyword ( s ) or search phrase provided by the user . in one embodiment the page indexer 285 generates an index of the data file pages . this index is used for searching and selecting the matching pages from the data file . the index of data file pages may also be cached into the storage 250 for further retrieval and usage . in another embodiment the background of the word ( s ) matching to the user search query 420 are colored differently from the rest of the text in the filtered data file pages . yet in another embodiment , the highlighting of keyword ( s ) 570 may be a part of the html text presentations of the data file page that matches to the user search query 420 . the user interface manager 270 has displaying means for displaying the preview ( s ) of the data file page ( s ) that contains user search query keyword ( s ) or phrase to the end user . one data file may contain several page hits . in one embodiment , the matching pages may be grouped together based on a relevancy order or some alternative criteria , and displayed as page level search results . in such embodiment this procedure may be repeated since n data file hits provided by the search engine 220 will be processed by the user interface manager 270 for an output device in the client 210 to preview concurrently multiple data file content . the procedure 500 may be repeated on a user request to display search results on any page between 1 and k . the user may also provide a new search keyword ( s ) or phrase when the control is returned back to the procedure 400 . fig6 a - 6c are exemplary diagrams of data file preview output implementations in a browser consistent with the principles of the invention . the user interface manager module 270 controls output for the user in the client 210 . in one implementation , as shown in fig6 a a data file preview output 600 may include the data file type and name as a hyperlink to download the data file 610 and a textual abstract of the data and its url 620 . this data file information may be provided by the search engine 220 or other system , as a part of the search result data . the data file preview may include a set of pages associated with the data file search results 630 . the data file pages that match to the user search query are laid out in a preview section in the m by n matrix 630 . the matrix 630 and the size of the preview pages may be a fixed size specified by the user or the system , or can be based on the size of the window used to view the data file pages . in one embodiment the m by n may be 3 by 2 . yet in another embodiment , the preview pages may contain highlighting of the keyword ( s ) or phrase used by the user in the search query . in case the data file contains more than preset m by n page hits , ( e . g . the system or the user has defined the present matrix size to six but there are fifteen pages for the preview ), for user search query there may be a link for other set of page previews 635 . in another implementation of the data file page preview , as shown in fig6 b , a page may include link to a larger preview page 640 of the small preview page . the selected small preview page 645 that is zoomed in for better readability may have matching search keyword ( s ) highlighted . the bigger preview page 640 may be opened when the cursor or client pointer moves on the top of the small size preview page 645 or the small size page 645 is clicked with the client pointer or cursor action . the large preview page 640 may be closed by a pointer click or moving the client pointer outside the large page area . in one embodiment , both the small and the large preview pages may have similar text highlighting method 650 of the search key word ( s ) or phrase . the preview engine has also means to display meta data of the data file such as but not limited to data file properties or slide notes information . in yet another implementation , as shown in fig6 c , the data file may contain more than preset m by n page hits . the small page preview matrix section 630 of data file may include link 635 . by clicking the link 635 with the client pointer or cursor action a new output screen 660 opens with a matrix of i by j small preview pages . the size of i by j matrix may be a fixed specified by the user or the system according to system resource constraints . in one embodiment , the window may have navigation links 680 to the previous or next set of small preview pages 660 according to data file page hits . in one implementation there may be means for navigating in the search results listing 460 . there may be links to the previous or next set of the small preview pages 600 , there may also be numeric or other links to directly jump into another set of the small preview pages 600 inside the search result listing 460 . in another implementation the present innovation may be used to reduce downtime of complex industrial machines , e . g . paper machines by providing accurate information about recovery actions to the operators in unexpected situations . the complex machines come with a large set of unstructured documentation containing drawings , manuals , maintenance guides , operating procedures , part lists , audit material , etc . the documentation is typically dispread in several hundreds data files . in addition a document may contain several hundred pages . thus it may be very time consuming to find information about relevant correction and recovery actions from this volume of unstructured data . in case of an unexpected situation ( e . g . bearings of calandering machine are over heated ) the system is arranged to generate automatic search query triggered by an alarm to provide an immediate correction and recovery suggestion to the operators from the documentation available in the data files . the arrangement is for example fitted so that the connector module 275 in the preview engine 230 has means for integrating to the alarm system and generating a search query for the search engine 220 when an alarm has occurred . the conventional search engine 220 may be used to find the relevant data files containing information about correction and recovery actions from the content server 240 . the preview engine 230 takes those data files for further processing to provide more accurate results for the operators . the relevant data files are paginated and rendered by the preview engine 230 . the content converter 280 separates textual information from the graphical information from the data file pages . the textual information is used to create an index of the data file pages . this index is used to search and select those pages from the data file that are relevant to the alarm . once the relevant data files and associated pages are identified the user interface manager 270 provides the relevant data file pages for the operators in the client 210 output device for further viewing . the relevant data may be e . g . pages from the maintenance documentation to explain typical reasons for overheating , a page of the bearing spare part list from the parts list data file , change instructions pages for the bearings from the drawings data file , etc . the preview engine 230 is used to provide accurate and timely information for the operators to correct and recover from unexpected situations in order to reduce production downtime . the invention is adapted to be suitably used in all the analog cases where relevant information is essential and there is a need to get that information as soon as possible . the invention must be understood as a tool and method to improve the user &# 39 ; s ability to discover relevant information from large amount of decentrally stored data . the methods and arrangements consistent with the principles of the invention will improve information discovery efficiency with the instant access to the accurate page level data file previews . the invention may be used in the context of existing or new network based data search solutions and services , as well as to discover local data repositories with and within a single or clustered computer system . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention provides illustration and description , but is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the invention . for example , while series of acts have been described with regard to fig4 - 5 , the order of the acts may be modified in other implementations consistent with the principles of the invention . further , non - dependent acts may be performed in parallel . it has been described that data files in the search result list are received from the search engine . in other implementations , however , the data files may be identified in other ways , such as from a directory , category , data repository or another listing of data files . yet in another implementation the search may be done to local data file repositories located in the client device . in one implementation the client 210 , the search engine 220 , the preview engine 230 and the content server 240 may be a single entity accessing local data files in the client 210 using a bus 310 and other possible distributed data files using the network 260 . this arrangement is commonly known as local search . also , exemplary graphical user interfaces have been described with respect to fig6 a - 6c . in other implementations consistent with the principles of the invention , the graphical user interfaces may include more , fewer , or different pieces of information , arranged in different order and visual orientation than what has been defined as exemplary implementation . for instance the m by n matrix mentioned earlier can be smaller or bigger that mentioned 3 by 2 matrix . the characters m and n can be for example any integer numbers between 1 and 20 . it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that aspects of the invention , as described above , may be implemented in many different forms of software , firmware , and hardware in the implementations illustrated in the figures . thus , the operation and behavior of the aspects were described without reference to the specific software code — it being understood that one of ordinary skilled in the art would be able to design software and control hardware to implement the aspects based on the description herein .	6
the following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . additionally , the selective laser sintering process is well known by those having ordinary skill in the art and is not described herein in detail for purposes of clarity . referring to fig1 , a process of fabricating , or forming , at least one aerospace part according to the present invention is represented in a flow diagram format as indicated by reference numeral 10 . as shown , the process generally comprises the steps of preparing a powder material 12 , loading the powder material 14 into a laser sintering machine , warming up the powder material 16 , building the part 18 , and cooling down the part 20 . additionally , the process 10 includes several build and part parameters , which are characterized as either “ hidden ,” “ fixed ,” or “ variable .” the hidden and fixed parameters are generally provided by the equipment manufacturer and are also a part of the operating software for the laser sintering machine . preferably , a 2500 plus sintering machine from dtm corporation , austin , tex ., is used to fabricate parts in accordance with the present invention . however , the variable parameters are critical parameters that have been developed through extensive research and testing according to the present invention in order to produce parts that are capable of direct application in aerospace structures and systems . stage height — positional z height for a given stage of the build ( i . e ., warm up stage , build stage , cool down stage ). left feed distance — an input parameter that controls the distance that the left feed cylinder platen is driven up to eject fresh feed powder to be rolled out across the part bed . left feed heater set point — an input parameter that sets the temperature that the left feed bed closed loop control system ( infra - red sensor and plate heater ) will maintain . minimum layer time — an input parameter that controls the minimum amount of time between movements of the roller across the part bed . part heater set point — an input parameter that sets the temperature that the part bed closed loop control system ( ir sensor and plate heater ) will maintain . part heater inner outer ratio — the part bed heater is made up of two individual elements an inner element and an outer element , the i / o ratio is a parameter that controls the percentage of the outer element that the inner element is running at ( i . e . 0 . 7 ˜ 70 %). since there is must be a hole in the part heater for the laser to pass through , the center element must be angled to give good thermal coverage . right feed distance — an input parameter that controls the distance that the right feed cylinder platen is driven up to eject fresh feed powder to be rolled out across the part bed . right feed heater set point — an input parameter that sets the temperature that the right feed bed closed loop control system ( infra - red sensor and plate heater ) will maintain . fill beam x offset — the offset amount adjusts the positional commands to accommodate the laser beam diameter in the x direction only . this increases the dimensional accuracy of the system in the x direction . fill beam y offset — the offset amount adjusts the positional commands to accommodate the laser beam diameter in the y direction only . this increases the dimensional accuracy of the system in the y direction . fill laser power — a parameter that controls the laser wattage used when scanning the interior of a part on a given layer . sorted fill jump — this is a parameter that controls the opening that the scanner will continue to scan across and consider continuous when the sorted fill parameter is enabled . tqlaze — the temperature of the part bed when the first signs of melting ( glazing ) begins to occur . build temperatures are based on this . build warm - up parameter — the temperature parameter set point used during the build warm - up stage . build cool - down parameter — the temperature parameter set point used during the build cool - down stage . each of the hidden , fixed , and variable parameters are listed below in table i , which include both build parameters and part parameters for each phase of the process 10 . each of the parameters is a function of the specific sintering machine being used , which is the 2500 plus sintering machine from dtm corporation , austin , tex . as previously set forth . generally , the phases of the process 10 are characterized as a warm - up phase ( 16 ), a part build phase ( 18 ), and a cool - down phase ( 20 ), each of which has separate parameters as listed below . table i build and part sintering parameters classification warm - up build cool - down build parameter ( units ) stage height ( in .) variable 0 . 500 - 0 . 855 n / a 0 . 015 - 0 . 200 blower speed ( n / a ) hidden 0 0 0 fast add powder layer ( 1 - on , 0 - off ) hidden 0 0 0 left feed distance ( in .) variable 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 left feed heater output limit (%) fixed 80 60 60 left feed heater set point (° celsius ) variable 100 - 140 100 - 140 100 - 140 left feed heater wait for temp ( 1 - on , 0 - off ) fixed 1 0 0 minimum layer time ( sec .) variable 30 20 - 30 10 part cylinder heater enable ( 1 - on , 0 - off ) fixed 1 1 1 part cylinder heater output limit (%) fixed 100 100 100 part cylinder heater set point (° celsius ) fixed 140 140 140 part heater pid output limit (%) fixed 60 50 50 part heater set point variable t glaze - 2 ° to t glaze - 2 ° to t glaze - 6 ° to (° celsius ) t glaze - 4 ° c . t glaze - 6 ° c . 45 ° c . 1 / part heater wait for temp ( 1 - on , 0 - off ) fixed 0 0 1 part heater inner / outer ratio (%) variable 0 . 70 - 1 . 0 0 . 70 - 1 . 0 0 . 70 - 1 . 0 piston heater enable ( 1 - on , 0 - off ) hidden 0 0 0 piston heater output limit (%) hidden 100 100 100 piston heater set point (° celsius ) hidden 150 150 150 powder layer delay ( sec .) hidden 0 0 0 powder layer thickness ( in .) fixed 0 . 005 0 . 005 0 . 005 right feed distance ( in .) variable 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 right feed heater output limit (%) fixed 80 60 60 right feed heater set point (° celsius ) variable 100 - 140 100 - 140 100 - 140 right feed heater wait for temp ( 1 - on , 0 - off ) fixed 1 0 0 roller speed ( in ./ sec .) fixed 7 7 7 rotate scan order ( 1 - on , 0 - off ) fixed 0 0 0 vector bloom elimination ( 1 - on , 0 - off ) fixed n / a 1 n / a maximum gap distance ( in .) hidden n / a 0 . 1 n / a fill beam offset x ( in .) variable n / a − 0 . 005 - 0 . 01 n / a outline beam offset x ( in .) hidden n / a 0 n / a fill beam offset y ( in .) variable n / a − 0 . 005 - 0 . 01 n / a outline beam offset y ( in .) hidden n / a o n / a fill laser power ( watts ) variable n / a 15 - 20 w n / a fill scan count ( 1 - on , 0 - off ) hidden n / a 1 n / a fill jump delay ( n / a ) hidden n / a 1000 n / a fill jump speed ( n / a ) hidden n / a 200 n / a part parameter ( units ) fill laser off ( n / a ) hidden n / a 1750 n / a fill laser on ( n / a ) hidden n / a 750 n / a fill stroke delay ( n / a ) ( n / a ) hidden n / a 1900 n / a fill scan speed ( n / a ) fixed n / a 200 n / a outline laser power ( watts ) hidden n / a 0 n / a outline scan count ( 1 - on , 0 - off ) hidden n / a 0 n / a outline jump delay ( n / a ) hidden n / a . 1000 n / a outline jump speed ( n / a ) hidden n / a 66 n / a outline laser off ( n / a ) hidden n / a 1400 n / a outline laser on ( n / a ) hidden n / a 985 n / a outline stroke delay ( n / a ) hidden n / a 1800 n / a outline scan speed ( n / a ) hidden n / a 14 n / a slicer fill first ( n / a ) hidden n / a 1 n / a slicer fill scan spacing ( in .) fixed n / a 0 . 006 n / a sorted fill enabled ( 1 - on , 0 - off ) fixed n / a 1 n / a sorted fill max jump ( in .) variable n / a 0 . 25 - 0 . 5 n / a note : 1 / if a part cake must be removed from the machine at a set temperature , there is no control system to maintain the 45 ° c . part bed temperature during cool down and turn off of the machine . therefore , in this case , the operator will have to change the wait - for - temperature during cool down to 0 ° c . and manually stop the build when the set - point has been reached . additionally , the variable parameters that have been developed according to the present invention are listed below in table ii for each of the process phases for both individual parts or parts in a nested part build ( more than one part ). table ii important ( variable ) build and part sintering parameters cool - build parameter ( units ) classification warm - up build down stage height ( in .) variable 0 . 500 to 0 . 855 n / a 0 . 015 - 0 . 200 left feed distance ( in .) variable 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 left feed heater set point (° celsius ) variable 100 - 140 100 - 140 100 - 140 minimum layer time ( sec .) variable 30 20 - 30 10 part heater set point variable t glaze - 2 ° to t glaze - 2 ° to t glaze - 6 ° to (° celsius ) t glaze - 4 ° c . t glaze - 6 ° c . 45 ° c . 1 / part heater inner / outer ratio (%) variable 0 . 70 - 1 . 0 0 . 70 - 1 . 0 0 . 70 - 1 . 0 right feed distance ( in .) variable 0 . 01 0 . 01 0 . 01 right feed heater set point (° celsius ) variable 100 - 140 100 - 140 100 - 140 fill beam offset x ( in .) variable n / a − 0 . 005 - 0 . 01 n / a fill beam offset y ( in .) variable n / a − 0 . 005 - 0 . 01 n / a fill laser power ( watts ) variable n / a 15 - 20 n / a watts sorted fill max jump ( in .) variable n / a 0 . 25 - 0 . 5 n / a note : 1 / if a part cake must be removed from the machine at a set temperature , there is no control system to maintain the 45 ° c . part bed temperature during cool down and turn off of the machine . therefore , in this case , the operator will have to change the wait - for - temperature during cool down to 0 ° c . and manually stop the build when the set - point has been reached . preferably , the powder material used to fabricate parts according to the present invention is nylon - 11 that contains no additives or fillers . aerospace parts fabricated from such a nylon material are capable of operating within a temperature range of approximately − 65 ° f . to approximately 215 ° f . as previously set forth , the process of fabricating at least one production grade part , and particularly a production grade aerospace part , generally comprises preparing the powder material , loading the powder material into a laser sintering machine , warming up the powder material ( warm - up phase ), building the part ( build phase ), and cooling down the part ( cool - down phase ). prior to preparing the powder material , thermal characterization tests of the sintering bed are preferably conducted to characterize temperature uniformity over the surface of the sintering bed . one thermal characterization test is a thermal profile test , wherein an aluminum plate with thermocouples is placed in a sintering or part bed and feed heaters are operating at a set - point of 100 ° c . or greater . preferably , the temperatures should not vary by more than 4 ° c . across the part bed . a second thermal characterization test is a thermpat test , wherein an approximate 0 . 050 inch thick layer of powder material is sintered over the entire surface of the part bed . the thermpat test thus provides an indication of any localized areas that are warmer than surrounding areas . accordingly , both the thermal profile test and the thermpat test are conducted for each sintering machine that is used to fabricate aerospace parts . prior to preparing the powder , the sintering machine is preferably cleaned prior to each build . the cleaning comprises removal and wipe - down of dirt , dust , residue , fused powder , and other types of contamination that might adversely affect proper operation of the sintering machine . more specifically , parts of the sintering machine that are preferably cleaned include a powder feed , the part bed , a laser window and housing , ir ( infrared ) sensors for both the feed and part bed control , heat deflector shields , roller and roller scraper assemblies , interior walls , and a table top . additionally , monthly checks of the equipment are conducted that include checking scrapers for wear , checking filters , verifying scale and offset values for the machine , and checking coolant level and operation of an external chiller . the step of preparing the powder material comprises selecting an appropriate material type and quantity and moving the material to a weighing area , where the material is weighed and recorded , along with a lot number , in a log book . the powder material is then placed in a mixer and blended thoroughly for a minimum of approximately 20 minutes . the blended material is then sifted with an approximate 30 mesh screen and packed into a load container until the container is filled to capacity . next , the container is placed on a vibration table and vibrated until no powder settling is evident . the packed material is then weighed and moved to the laser sintering machine for loading . prior to loading the powder material into the machine , the feed pistons are preferably at an upper limit and a load container is placed on top of one feed chamber . the powder is then loaded into the feed chamber and the process is repeated for a second feed chamber . after filling each feed chamber , the excess material not loaded is removed and preferably weighed and recorded . additionally , the part bed is prepared prior to the warm - up phase , wherein a material roller is moved to an extreme right or left position , as necessary , to clear the part bed for the introduction of material . the sifted and packed powder is then added to the part bed and feed bed boundaries , as required , to achieve a uniform distribution of material . the material roller is then activated to move across the build and feed chambers . further , right and left chamber swing gates are reinstalled , a process chamber door and latch are closed , and the part and feed chambers are then inerted with nitrogen until a targeted oxygen level is attained in accordance with settings of the equipment . once the chambers are inert , the heaters will begin to heat the powder in the feeds and the part bed to temperatures defined by the process parameters as previously set forth in table i . when the temperatures are reached , the warm - up phase then begins . referring now to fig2 , a preferred layout for a part bed 22 is illustrated . according to the process of the present invention , layers of powder are first applied by a roller to create a warm - up stage 24 , which comprises approximately 0 . 500 inch to approximately 0 . 885 inch of powder . further , temperatures are ramped up until a warm - up height is reached and endpoint temperatures in feeds and the part bed 22 are set to starting temperatures of the build phase . additionally , the hidden , fixed , and variable parameters according to table i as previously set forth are used for the warm - up phase . the first step in the build phase is a laser re - fire sequence , during which glazing of the entire surface of the sintering bed occurs and a buffer for laser re - fire 26 is created . if glazing occurs , an additional four layers of powder , approximately 0 . 020 inch total thickness , is applied over the sintering bed to create the buffer for laser re - fire 26 . generally , the purpose of the buffer layer is to provide a buffer to prevent the re - fire laser from fusing to a subsequent layer of sacrificial tensile bars 28 , which are formed after the buffer layer 26 . the tensile bars , which are fabricated in accordance with astm d638 type i , are tested after part fabrication to verify required physical and mechanical properties of the aerospace parts . these target physical and mechanical properties for a production grade aerospace part made from nylon - 11 are listed below in table iii , and are given across a plurality of temperatures . table iii target material properties for production grade nylon - 11 temperature property ( units ) − 65 ° f . − 40 ° f . 0 ° f . 35 ° f . 70 ° f . 135 ° f . 165 ° f . 215 ° f . min . ultimate tensile strength , f tu ( psi ) 5900 5600 5000 4800 4000 3000 2600 1700 min . tensile yield strength , f ty ( psi ) 3500 3400 3000 2900 2400 1800 1600 1000 min . compression yield strength , f cy ( psi ) 3500 3400 3000 2900 2400 1800 1600 1000 min . ultimate shear strength , f su ( psi ) 3500 3400 3000 2900 2400 1800 1600 1000 min . ultimate bearing strength , f bru ( psi ) 11200 10700 9900 9200 7600 5700 5000 3200 typ . young &# 39 ; s modulus , e ( ksi ) 275 283 295 260 220 100 45 40 typ . coefficient of thermal expansion , 95 e − 6 95 e − 6 95 e − 6 95 e − 6 95 e − 6 203 e − 6 203 e − 6 203 e − 6 cte ( in ./ in ./° f .) typ . strain energy , u ( in ./ in .) — — — — 0 . 40 — — min . elongation % for parts sintered in 1 — 2 — 12 — 25 30 z direction , e z (%) min . elongation % for parts sintered in 2 — 5 — 29 — 50 50 x - y direction , e xy (%) note : elongation for parts sintered in the z - direction relative to the part build is preferably a minimum of about 10 %- 15 %, and more preferably about 12 %. the next step of the build phase is forming a pre - part layer 30 of approximately 0 . 100 inch . the pre - part layer 30 serves as a buffer before sintering the actual aerospace parts . next , fabrication of the aerospace parts is conducted within the part build zone 32 according to the hidden , fixed , and variable parameters in table i , and the variable parameters as established by the present invention according to table ii , as previously set forth . a further description of the selective laser sintering process is not detailed herein , as the process is well known by those skilled in the art . the cool - down phase begins with the deposition of a buffer layer of powder over the part build , which serves as a thermal cap . during the cool - down phase , the nitrogen purge continues to maintain an inert atmosphere in the build chamber at no greater than approximately 0 . 2 % oxygen volume content . then , the part bed is allowed to cool to approximately 40 ° c . to approximately 45 ° c ., after which time the sintering machine is opened and the part cake ( the fabricated part and excess powder material ) is removed . after the part cake is removed from the machine , “ breakout ” of the part from the part cake is conducted within a breakout station ( bos ). after “ breakout ,” unsintered material is removed from interior surfaces of the parts using clean instruments such as a flexible metal spatula or a stiff nylon bristle brush . excess unsintered material is preferably removed from exterior surfaces by wiping or brushing . after the excess material is removed from exterior and interior surfaces , the part is preferably bead blasted using glass beads and a nozzle pressure of approximately 65 psi to approximately 75 psi ( pounds per square inch ). finally , all surfaces are blown off using filtered , dry , compressed air , and each part is placed in a polyethylene bag with proper identification and is sealed for further inspection , processing , and subsequent installation into an aircraft or aerospace system . for example , subsequent processing may include applying at least one seal coat and a second seal coat for subsequent bonding purposes . additionally , seal coats are preferably applied to interior surfaces of aerospace parts that carry pressurized air , such as ecs ( environmental control system ) ducts , among others . a working zone or build envelope used for building parts is approximately 13 . 5 inches long × 11 . 5 inches wide × 17 inches high with the equipment used with the present invention . although parts may be fabricated beyond the dimensional constraints of the equipment and subsequently joined using methods such as mechanical fastening or bonding , the process according to the present invention preferably includes fabricating tensile specimens , according to astm d638 type i , to verify consistent mechanical properties in accordance with the mechanical properties listed above in table iii . in another form of the present invention , recycled material may be used to fabricate the parts . generally , recycled material is defined as powder that has been used previously in one or more part build processes . preferably , the material may be reused up to a level of approximately 70 % with approximately 30 % being unused material . once a part is fabricated using the recycled material , however , any powder remaining from the part build is preferably not reused unless further testing is conducted to demonstrate that mechanical and physical properties are adequate . additionally , powder material that is reused is preferably sifted prior to use using a 30 mesh sieve . referring to fig3 , aerospace parts that have to be fabricated using a nylon powder material in the process according to the present invention include ducts 40 , electrical shrouds 42 , power distribution panels 44 , fittings 46 , closures 48 , and conduits 50 , among others . it should be understood by those skilled in the art that other types of powder material other than nylon may also be employed to fabricate the aerospace parts as shown in fig3 , in addition to other types of aerospace parts . accordingly , a unique set of variable parameters would be established for such a material system . therefore , the reference to a nylon powder material and specific aerospace parts should not be construed as necessarily limiting the scope of the present invention . for the nylon powder material as described herein , the present invention further comprises general design configurations for environmental control system ( ecs ) ducts used in aerospace vehicles . generally , the ecs ducts provide passageways for temperature - controlled airflow , or other ventilation as required for systems or personnel onboard the aerospace vehicle . generally , the present invention enables duct configurations that are optimized to reduce internal pressure drop and to hold system pressures . as shown in fig4 , a typical ecs duct is illustrated and indicated by reference numeral 60 . the ecs duct 60 comprises at least one stiffener 62 having a thickness 64 , a wall 66 having a thickness 68 , and a plurality of stiffener fillets 70 having radii 72 . however , in another form , the ecs duct 60 does not include any stiffeners 62 . preferably , the minimum wall thickness 68 is approximately 0 . 080 inch , although thinner walls may be employed based on the location of the wall 66 relative to the stiffeners 62 and susceptibility to damage . although the wall 66 is illustrated as having a constant thickness , the ecs duct 60 may also define walls 66 having a non - constant thickness while remaining within the scope of the present invention . additionally , the minimum stiffener fillet radii 72 is approximately 0 . 150 inch , and the minimum stiffener thickness 64 is approximately 0 . 080 inch . further , the wall thickness 68 is a function of a stiffener spacing 74 , and sample wall thicknesses 68 for a given stiffener spacing 74 with a burst pressure of 14 . 1 psi ( pounds per square inch ) at 165 ° f . are shown below in table iv . table iv duct wall thickness and stiffener spacing wall thickness 68 ( in .) stiffener spacing 74 ( in .) 0 . 070 1 . 00 0 . 090 1 . 25 0 . 125 1 . 92 0 . 300 3 . 84 for pressures other than 14 . 1 psi , the wall thickness 68 is multiplied by the square root of the ratio of the pressure ( p ) to a pressure of 14 . 1 psi as follows : wall thickness ( 64 )=({ square root }{ square root over ( p / 14 . 1 )})× wall thickness in table i . referring now to fig5 , lengthwise spacing 76 of the stiffeners 62 is illustrated , wherein the lengthwise spacing 76 is a function of burst pressure . an example of lengthwise spacing 76 versus burst pressure is shown below in fig6 , which is based on a wall thickness 68 of approximately 0 . 080 inch , a stiffener thickness 64 of approximately 0 . 080 inch , and fillet radii 72 of approximately 0 . 15 inch . lengthwise spacing 76 for the wall thicknesses 68 , stiffener thicknesses 64 , and fillet radii 72 other that those corresponding to fig6 are determined through strength analysis techniques commonly known in the art . as shown in fig7 a , the ecs duct 60 is typically fastened to adjacent structure through an integral mounting lug 80 . alternately , the ecs duct 60 may comprise an airflow - internal mounting lug 82 as shown in fig7 b . accordingly , the number of fasteners and associated installation time is reduced through the use of the mounting lugs 80 and 82 . preferably , the airflow - internal mounting lug 82 is symmetrical across its section to minimize thermal effects and is further slotted . moreover , the mounting lug 80 and the airflow - internal mounting lug 82 are preferably offset from the wall 66 approximately 0 . 060 inch as shown to allow for duct distortion during pressurization . referring to fig8 , a bonded joint for aerospace parts fabricated using sls is illustrated and indicated by reference numeral 90 . the bonded joint 90 comprises an overlap 92 , a bondline offset 94 , a fillet radii offset 96 , and an oml gap 98 . preferably , the overlap 92 is approximately 0 . 75 inch , the bondline offset 94 is approximately 0 . 020 inch , the fillet radii offset 96 is a minimum of approximately 0 . 05 inch , and the oml gap 98 is a minimum of approximately 0 . 10 inch in one form of the present invention . as additional design guidelines , rivets that are installed through the ecs duct 60 are preferably squeezed and not vibration driven in order to reduce the likelihood of cracking . further , the ecs duct 60 may be restrained with a maximum of approximately 5 lbs . to dimensionally conform to an engineering master model definition . further , the production grade parts , and especially production grade aerospace parts , according to the present invention may be bonded together or to an adjacent metal or rubber part using an epoxy adhesive , a silicone adhesive / sealant , or a rubber based contact cement . additionally , the production grade parts may be coated with a seal coat to seal the aerospace part as required . generally , three parts by volume of a base is mixed with one part by volume of an activator to form the seal coat material , which typically has a pot life of approximately 2 . 5 to 3 hours . the seal coat material is then applied in either one or two coats to surfaces of the aerospace part as required by an engineering definition . further , the seal coat material is preferably applied by spraying , brushing , dipping , or flow coating . for internal surfaces such as internal walls of ducts , one end of the duct is capped off and a quantity of the seal coat material is poured into another end , which is subsequently capped off . then , the duct is rotated in all directions until all surfaces are coated ( as typically indicated by a darker color change ). further , the excess seal coat material is drained form the part for a minimum of approximately ten ( 10 ) minutes . seal coated parts are preferably air dried for a minimum of approximately sixty ( 60 ) minutes and are force dried for approximately 2 hours at approximately 140 ± 10 ° f . generally , when bonding an aerospace part according to the present invention to another aerospace part , whether nylon , metal , rubber , or other , the mating surfaces are solvent cleaned , sanded , and solvent cleaned again after sanding . then , an appropriate adhesive is mixed and applied to the mating surfaces , which is followed by assembling the parts immediately . the excess adhesive is squeezed out using a wiper or spatula and the adhesive is allowed to cure for a specific period of time and according to a specific cure profile according to the type of adhesive . further , an adhesion promoting primer may also be applied prior to bonding , such as when a nylon part is bonded to a rubber part using a silicone adhesive / sealant . the production grade parts , and production grade aerospace parts , produced by this process generally exhibit superior uniformity of material strength , density , and dimensional control characteristics as compared with prototype parts produced using prior art sintering methods . additionally , the production grade parts produced by this process from nylon - 11 will generally exhibit a part density of about 0 . 038 lb ./ in . 3 in the uncoated state . a surface coating weight may comprise an additional 10 %, depending on the part geometry . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and , thus , variations that do not depart from the substance of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .	1
fig1 shows a wind power system including a wind rotor in association with a building in which thermal energy is extracted from the system . the wind power unit generally indicated at 2 includes a wind rotor 4 mounted for rotation on a rotor shaft 6 which has a bevel gear 8 fixed thereto . rotor 4 and rotor shaft 6 are mounted for rotation on a suitable carriage 10 which is in turn mounted for rotation relative to a drive shaft 12 which includes a bevel gear 14 in engagement with bevel gear 8 . rotor shaft 6 is horizontal ; drive shaft 12 is vertical . wind rotor 4 and its carriage 10 are supported at an elevation from ground level on a suitable tower structure 16 . drive shaft 12 is operatively connected to a positive displacement hydraulic pump 18 . pump 18 is connected to a discharge line 20 and a return line 22 , extending respectively to and from a heat exchanger 24 within the building 26 . heat exchanger 24 is schematically represented as giving up heat q to the building space . in fact , the heat q might be used in many ways , more likely stored in a liquid heat reservoir for circulation within the building as needed . the q heat extraction shown in fig1 is only schematic , shown that way for simplicity , and not really germane to the present invention . it is only important that heat q be in some manner extracted or &# 34 ; exchanged &# 34 ; from the system . fig2 is another schematic diagram representing the wind rotor 4 as operatively connected to drive the hydraulic pump 18 . the hydraulic system is shown in more detail to include discharge line 20 , an orifice 28 , heat exchanger 24 , and return line 22 , all in a closed loop with pump 18 . when pump 18 is operating , driven by the wind rotor , it motivates hyraulic fluid through the hydraulic system . the term &# 34 ; hydraulic fluid &# 34 ; is used herein generically to include oil , water emulsions , or any suitable liquid . the constriction at orifice 28 causes a fluid pressure drop where the energy is transformed to heat in quantity as determined by the product of flow rate and pressure drop . the size of the constriction of orifice 28 determines the loading on the pump 18 and this , in turn , on the wind rotor . high speed wind rotors develop maximum power and maximum efficiency at a rotor tip speed of some certain value in the range of 5 - 10 times wind velocity . this factor is called the tip speed ratio and is a constant , characteristic of a particular rotor . conversely , optimum load on the wind rotor allows it to reach its optimum tip speed ratio . at tip speeds above and below this range the power from the wind rotor decreases . by providing a pump - orifice combination for maximum pump pressure , optimum load will be applied to the wind rotor . note that this is true for all wind velocities . the discharge and return lines 20 , 22 are relatively large in inside area compared to the orifice 28 so that pipe friction is negligible . with this and the fact that the hydraulic fluid is practically incompressible , bernoulli &# 39 ; s theorem will apply so that the hydraulic fluid , while traversing the orifice , will increase velocity head while losing pressure head , the sum of the two remaining constant . the pump will develop a pressure difference δp across orifice 28 proportional to the square of the volume flowrate . that is , by the law of energy conservation and because the orifice is the only load , all of the pump output must be converted to heat , and this occurs when the fluid emerges from the orifice at zero gage pressure . because of the increase in cross - sectional area downstream of the orifice , the fluid will lose its orifice - induced velocity and corresponding kinetic energy with no compensating increase in pressure head . therefore the fluid temperature must increase . power w , which is the rate at which energy is converted into other forms ( in this case heat ) is proportional to the product of flowrate q and pressure drop δp . that is , for the hydraulic loop , by substituting q 2 from relationship ( 1 ) for p in relationship ( 2 ), it follows that because the pump is a positive displacement pump , the volume flowrate q directly follows the pump rotating speed n in revolutions per unit time . that is , therefore relationship ( 3 ) can be expressed in terms of pump speed n , substituting n for q as follows : the cubic nature of the relationship ( 5 ) is fortuitous because the power derived from the wind by the wind rotor also follows a cubic relationship to the wind velocity v as follows : any wind rotor subjected to a given wind will turn at some speed , determined by the wind and by the load on the rotor . however the rotor efficiency will be at maximum when the tip speed ratio attains some certain value . this optimum tip speed ratio differs among various rotor types and designs ; it is usually in the 5 - 10 range in the case of high speed , two blade type rotors . but for any given design , the optimum tip speed ratio is independent of wind velocity . therefore , the rotor speed n of an optimally loaded wind rotor will directly follow the wind velocity v so that the tip speed ratio holds at its optimum value . thus , at optimal loading , substituting n for v in relationship ( 6 ) it is seen that relationship ( 8 ) states that rotor power w is proportional to the cube of rotor speed n and this corresponds with relationship ( 5 ) which states that pump power w is proportional to the cube of pump speed n . pump and rotor are directly connected so that n is a common parameter . this can be stated another way : the rotor delivers a drive power on the shaft always proportional to n 3 , while the pump reacts with an opposite brake power on the shaft always proportional to n 3 . thus the rotor drive power and the pump brake power are always inherently in proportion to each other , and this irrespective of wind velocity . it remains only to fit a particular pump and orifice combination with its characteristic parameters of size and the like , to a particular wind rotor , with its characteristic parameters , to match the pump load to the rotor power at its optimal level . the orifice 28 may be a fixed orifice , for indeed it will have but one size to produce , in a given system , the optimum effects described . however , orifice 28 may also be a variable orifice in the form of a spool valve or the like . the valve can be adjusted once for optimal loading of the system , and then set . a variable orifice 28 provides the additional benefit of a safety and equipment protection device . in excessive wind conditions , the variable orifice 28 can be closed in order to dead end the hydraulic system and stall the wind rotor . for this purpose , variable orifice 28 may be manually adjustable with an automatic override , responsive to extraordinary wind conditions to either close down the hydraulic system and thus the wind rotor , or to increase the hydraulic load to hold rotor speed at a maximum &# 34 ; red line &# 34 ; level . fig3 is a family of curves , each curve showing rotor power vs . rotor speed at a constant wind velocity . these curves and the accompanying data are experimental and are reported in the kansas state college bulletin , volume xxx , sept . 1 , 1946 at pages 15 - 19 . it will be seen that each of the curves has a maximum which indicates maximum rotor power and corresponds to a certain rotor speed for a given wind velocity . a tabulation of the data at each maximum point is as follows : ______________________________________power ( watts ) 100 160 242 355 485rotor speed ( rpm ) 200 235 271 307 344wind velocity ( mph ) 10 . 11 11 . 75 13 . 55 15 . 35 17 . 20tip speed ratio 5 . 71 5 . 71 5 . 71 5 . 71 5 . 71______________________________________ from this tabulation it is readily seen that the optimum power level corresponds to the same tip speed ratio for all of the several wind velocities . this substantiates the premise that the rotor speed of an optimally loaded wind rotor will directly follow the wind velocity so that the tip speed ratio holds at its optimum value . the curve extending upward to the right , connecting all the maximum points , is the optimum load line of the wind rotor from which the data were taken . the empirical equation of this load line then is derived as in other words , the optimum points on this curve do follow the proportionality relationship of power to the cube of rotor speed . referring back to fig1 and to fig4 the rotor steering system of this invention will now be described . the wind power unit includes a tail 30 mounted to the carriage 10 for rotation with carriage 10 on the tower . tail 30 lies in the plane of the axis of the wind rotor . tail 30 includes a trim tab 32 which is inclined to the plane of tail 30 in a direction such that it reacts to an axial wind to balance the effect of the reactive torque on the drive shaft resulting from power applied to drive the pump . fig4 represents a wind rotor at an equilibrium condition , facing an on - axis wind and with load - reaction torque t equal to restoring torque t &# 39 ; produced by the tail . the reaction torque t of the pump on the drive shaft is proportional to pump pressure , and by relationship ( 1 ) is therefore proportional to the square of the flowrate q 2 . because flowrate q follows pump speed n ( relationship 4 ) and n follows wind velocity v ( 7 ), torque t is therefore also proportional to the square of wind velocity , now , the restoring torque t &# 39 ; from the windmill tail is also proportional to v 2 , so that a single trim setting on the tail surface can balance t with t &# 39 ;, thus orienting the wind rotor into the wind at all wind velocities . this is highly advantageous because it eliminates sliding hydraulic connections to the pump and permits placement of the pump at the bottom of the tower where it is accessible . to summarize the steering system , the energy transducer ( pump ) produces a load - reaction torque t proportional to v 2 . at the same time , the rotor trim tab produces a restoring torque proportional to v 2 . thus by design in any such system , the proportionality can be matched to produce an inherently stable steering system for all wind speeds . as for the rotor - pump system , by virtue of the fact that the pump orifice absorbs energy from the rotor at the very same rate as the rotor absorbs energy from the wind , irrespective of wind speeds , a truly synergistic combination of wind rotor and load has been provided by this invention , providing a wind power system which is inherently self - regulating at its optimum power level . another type of flow device which generates heat is a length of tubing with turbulent fluid flow . such a tube would fulfill the same mathematical function as the orifice , but it is not so precise and predictable . the characteristics of such a tube as a heat generator depend on fluid velocity , roughness of the flow surface , and reynolds number . it would work as desired only at high fluid velocity ; a pump loaded with this tube would reflect a no - load condition to the wind rotor at low wind velocities . this is undesirable .	8
it is the object of the present invention pharmaceutical compositions for intranasal administration consisting of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride solutions in water with having ph suitable for said administration . particularly , said cyclobenzaprine pharmaceutical compositions , are characterized by a ph value in the range 6 - 7 . 4 . in said range of ph are particularly preferred those ph values comprised between 7 , 0 and 7 , 4 to which corresponds an optimized partial presence of the active principle in a not ionized form , therefore able to go through the mucosa . at a ph higher than 7 . 4 the cyclobenzaprine aqueous solution shows an opalescence formation due to the cyclobenzaprine base not soluble in the buffer solution : to the purpose , to the ph 7 . 4 formulation a small quantity of ethanol has been poured in to avoid the formation of said opalescence . the aqueous solutions containing 5 % of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride are practically isotonic ( 400 mosmol / l or 0 . 88 g - eq di nacl ), while those at 10 and 15 % are ipertonic , being the contribution of the buffer solutions nearly negligible . combining the concentrations of the indicated range and the possible volume of the pumps available on the market ( 50 - 70 - 100 μl ), various administration posologies can be proposed , for instance : 5 % aqueous cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride solution with 100 μl pump : one supply corresponds to 5 mg active product ; 10 % aqueous cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride solution with 50 μl pump : one supply corresponds to 5 mg active product ; 15 % acqueous cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride solution with 70 μl pump : one supply corresponds to 10 . 5 mg active product and other at intermediate concentrations . the final choice is made on the basis of the local tolerability / plasmatic levels ratio . the compositions object of the invention can also include buffer agents , preservatives , mucoadhesive and absorption enhancer substances . said substances are of the kind traditionally used in the art and , in case of buffer agents , they are preferably selected among phosphates and acetates ; in case of absorption enhancer substances , the preferred ones are chitosan , methylpyrrolidone and sodium cholate ; in case of preservatives the preferred ones are selected among benzyl alcohol , quaternary ammonium salts , hydroxybenzoic esters , such as benzalkonium chloride , methyl and propyl parahydroxybenzoate , while the preferred mucoadhesive substance is sodium hyaluronate . the cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride formulations for intranasal route object of the invention have absorption rapidity , bypass the first hepatic passage and have an excellent tolerability with low tonicity formulations . they do not show any contraindication for the administration of a few days short period . the following examples have the purpose of better illustrate the invention without in any case limiting it . grams 150 . 00 of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride , to which 300 . 00 ml of purified water and 50 . 00 ml of 95 % ethanol were added , are put under magnetic stirring and further added with 2 . 00 g of benzalkonium chloride . the limpid solution by adding 70 . 00 ml 1n sodium hydroxide is brought to about the final ph value by means of a phmeter and , then , added with 500 , 00 ml of a buffer solution . the ph is adjusted to the desired value by 1n sodium hydroxide and the solution brought to 1 . 00 l final volume with purified water . the resulting solution is limpid and has a ph that may differ , from the desired value , in the range of ± 0 . 2 units . alternatively , the above described process can be carried out substituting the benzalkonium chloride with 10 . 00 g benzyl alcohol . operation is carried out as per the prevoiusly described example 1 , to obtain the below indicated solutions for intranasal use ( 100 ml ). grams 150 . 00 of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride , added with 300 . 00 ml purified water and 50 . 00 ml 95 % ethanol , are put under magnetic stirring and added with 2 . 00 g benzalkonium chloride and 5 . 00g chitosan . the solution is left under slow stirring for at least six hours , then the limpid solution by adding 70 . 00 ml sodium hydroxide 1n is adjusted to about the final ph value by means of a phmeter and then added with 500 . 00 ml buffer solution . the ph is then adjusted to the desired value with 1n sodium bydroxide and the solution is brought to 1 . 00 l final volume with purified water . the resulting solution is limpid and has a ph that can differ , from the ph desired value , in the range of ± 0 . 2 units . alternatively , the above described process can be carried out replacing the benzalkonium chloride with 10 . 00 g of benzyl alcohol . in order to evaluate the activity of the composition of the invention administered by intranasal route the following texts have been carried out . the plasma levels of cyclobenzaprine ( cbz ) were determined after a single intranasal dose of 1 . 5 mg / kg in a volume of 10 μl , and 3 . 0 mg / kg in a volume of 20 μl , and after a single oral dose of 1 . 5 mg / kg in new zealand albino male rabbits . 1 . the oral administration was performed with a 0 . 15 % solution , the intranasal administration with a 15 % solution . 2 . six male animals / group were treated with a single dose by intranasal or oral route . 3 . fifteen minutes before the drug administration the central artery of the ear was cannulated with a 25 - gauge needle catheter and for each animal 7 blood collections at time 0 ( to , before drug administration ) and at 15 , 30 , 60 , 90 , 120 , 180 minutes after drug administration were performed . three ml of blood sample were collected in heparinized tubes and the volume replaced with a ringer - lactate solution . the plasma samples were obtained from blood samples by centrifugation at 3000 g for 5 min . the plasma samples were be stored at − 20 ± 2 ° c . until the lc / ms / ms analysis . 4 . rabbit plasma concentrations of cbz were determined using a validated lc - ms / ms method in the calibration range of 0 . 25 - 300 ng / ml . aliquots of 250 μl of rabbit plasma were spiked with 5 μl of internal standard ( is ) solution ( containing approximately 5000 ng / ml of is , imipramine hydrochloride ) in water : methanol ( 50 / 50 , v / v ), after vortex - mixing , 250 μl of borate buffer were added . after vortex - mixing , 3 . 5 ml of hexane were added . after vortex - mixing for 10 minutes and centrifugation at 10 . 000 rpm at + 4 ° c . for 10 minutes , aliquots of 3 ml of organic phase were transferred into a single glass tube and dried under vacuum at 40 ° c . using a büchi vacuum system . the residues were re - constituted with 100 μl of 20 mm ammonium acetate buffer solution , 0 . 1 %: acetonitrile ( 50 / 50 , v / v ) solution . the tubes were then capped , vortex - mixed and centrifugated at 4100 rpm at + 4 ° c . for 10 minutes . the final extracts were transferred into an autosampler vial and 4 μl were injected into the lc - ms / ms system . positive ion mode using a api / esi interface and multiple reaction monitoring ( mrm ). calibration curves plot the ratio of the area of the compound and the is ( y ) against the analyte concentration ( x ). a weighted linear regression function ( 1 / x ) is used to fit calibration lines and consequently to calculate cbz concentrations . the lower and upper limits of quantification are 0 . 25 and 300 ng / ml of plasma samples . mean plasma levels (± sd ) after treatments are reported ( fig1 each data is the mean of six rabbits ) the plasma levels of single animals are closed to the mean profile for each treatment ( fig2 - 4 ). the main pk parameters after dose adjusted 3 . 0 mg / kg values resulted as follows . cyclobenzaprine is well absorbed by intranasal route and its rate of absorption is higher compared with oral route . c max and auc resulted linear with the dose by intranasal route , but much higher than by oral route . the results obtained by intranasal administration of the proposed formulations of cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride show a clear enhancement of its therapeutic performance when compared to those obtained by the oral administration .	0
the structure and construction of the desired model of the levelling wheel 11 b of the present invention is illustrated in fig1 b . the levelling wheel 11 b contains a conventional tire rim 13 in which perimeter a psemineumatic treading band 15 b is fitted . the width of the levelling wheel 11 b may be between 65 and 115 mm , preferably between 90 and 100 mm for most machines available in the market . the treading band 15 b has an inside toroidal hollow 21 to absorb unevenness of the terrain and mulching . the treading band has an inner rib to bear vibrations transmitted to the furrow opener 25 due to uneven surfaces of the terrain and bound a treading band per se 17 b on its inner side . a perimetral area of the treading band 15 b is made up of the contact surface 17 b — or treading surface in itself — to contact soil 19 and receive the load state fb represented in fig2 b , able to generate a pressure that fluctuates between 1 and 2 kg / sq cm . if the pressure is too weak ( less than 0 , 8 kg / sq . cm . ), the porous characteristic of the mulch makes the wheel 115 lose contact with the soil 19 modifying the seed depth at random according to the type and thickness of vegetation residues that sometimes cover the soil surface . the other perimetral area of the treading band 15 b , which in the assembling stage is fitted next to the furrow - opener 25 as illustrated in fig3 b , shows an alveolar depression 31 in all its perimeter , with a width and depth enough to house all the residue and soil left aside 27 b by the furrow opener disk 25 for a medium - major sowing depth , approximately 5 cm . from there the treading surface 17 b per se joins depression 31 displaying a typical bell - shaped or sine - wave form that has to do with the shape naturally adopted by the upraised ridge remains of the open soil of the furrow on which the covering wheel will operate , reaching the maximum depth of depression or alveolus 41 prior to finishing off in a clearing tab 32 bearing against the furrow - opener disk 25 . use on a no - till planter generates an upraised loose soil strip 27 b on the side of the furrow 29 , facilitating the closure of the furrow following sowing of the seed at the furrow bottom , even in soils with a humidity higher than desired . it helps disk 25 to cut the mulch when the distance between the cutting edge 33 and the soil surface 27 b is increased which raises when it is put aside . by the same principle , the disk edge 25 , when it rotates and comes out of the furrow 29 , pulls out semi - buried mulching residues , leaving it with less residue and thus improving soil - seed contact . reducing the width of the contact band 17 b on the natural soil 19 ( fig2 b ), the possibility of stub , cane , etc . interference from previous harvest is equally decreased , which affects proper copying of the soil as well as uniformity in sowing depth , thus improving its control . all this is carried out by the depressed profile of a side area 31 of the treading band in all the perimeter of the levelling wheel 11 b , that allows that , during the sowing task , the soil volume 27 b left aside by the furrow - opener disk 25 is placed under the levelling wheel 11 b without being pressed , avoiding in this way the undesirable effects already mentioned that result from the levelling wheel 11 a , even in soils with excessive humidity . the shape , place and size of alveolar depression 31 in the treading band is determined in such a way that the soil volume 27 b left aside is not greater than the room provided by the depression of the wheel 11 b and the width of the treading band in itself 17 b so that the resulting load generates a pressure on the soil between 1 and 2 kg / sq . cm . in accordance with the model of the sowing set . more precisely , the width of the treading band 15 b is calculated according to the furrow - opener disk 25 , as the width of the contact band 17 b according to the load transmitted and depth and the width of the depressed band 31 according to the soil left aside by the furrow - opener disk plus a 30 %, taking as a reference a medium working load fb that could transmit a pressure on the soil 19 of 1 . 5 kg / sq . cm . and a soil movement that could carry out at the medium - major sowing depth — depending on type and design of the furrow - opener disk 25 and for the seed type that the seeder is prepared for — determined by the transversal area of the sowing furrow 29 . [ 0040 ] fig5 is a schematic of a covering wheel 35 arranged in the sowing furrow behind the sowing pipe that follows the above mentioned furrow - opener set 25 - 11 b . it has an iron tire 37 supplied with a treading band 39 of trapezoidal section supplied with an air hollow 41 , as illustrated figure cut 6 b . this trapezoidal section defines a slanted face 43 in relation to the horizontal with an optimum degree of 30 °, without taking into account the anchoring angle of the covering wheel 35 axle with the mobile bearing included in the furrow - opener set of the sowing set . conical studs 45 project from the treading band 39 in a radially even distribution around the entire circular perimeter that loosens and presses the soil 27 b conveniently in the sowing line , forming a smooth furrow ridge on the surface over the seed deposited in the furrow 29 , while operating on smooth or rough bulk residues , closing the sowing furrow in all possible soil conditions . the number of conical studs 45 is related to the perimeter of the band 39 and its size , on its base and height , with the width of the same band 39 that at the same time correlates with the depressed treading band 31 of the levelling wheel 11 b . the width of the band of the covering wheel 39 spans a proportion of 70 % of the width of band 31 of the levelling wheel 11 b . the number of studs that the treading band 39 has in its perimeter will result from the division of this into spaces that measure between 1 . 7 and 2 times the square root of the radius of the wheel 35 . the base of the cone of the studs occupies around 90 % of the treading band width 39 and the height of cone is within 1 and 1 . 2 times the base diameter . the oval air hollow 41 gives enough resiliency to the treading band 39 and to the studs 45 to free them from soil stuck by humidity or vegetable residues that could tack between them . this is why its transversal area must be of 20 - 25 % of the transversal area of the trapeze formed by the treading band . it has been found by means of field samples that the radial conical studs 45 of the closing wheel 35 bring pressure on the potential soil clods or crust that could be originated by the furrow - opener disk 25 in a soil previously compacted , leaving it smooth and improving the seed - soil contact . in loose soil , the studs 45 easily penetrate , allowing the flat band 39 to make proper contact with the surface and applying enough pressure on the soil to avoid water loss that could affect germination . they can also work among abundant smooth and rough mulching and stalks , perfectly closing the the sowing furrow 29 . it may be wet , loose or dry soil , hardened or covered by abundant smooth or rough mulching , the conical studs 45 in the treading band 39 crumble , press the soil and close the furrow 29 in different mulching amounts and volumes . the above - described wheels 11 b and 35 are also applicable as depth leveller and sowing furrow closer , respectively , not only in furrow - opener monodisk but also in the one illustrated in fig7 as well as in the bidisk ones represented in fig4 b . in all cases , the shape and profile on the treading band 15 b , 39 of both wheels 11 b , 35 combined with the psemineumatic quality of the respective treading band 15 b , 39 . on the levelling wheel 11 b , the treading band itself 17 b ( between one - and two - thirds of the width of the wheel 11 b ) steadily supporting on the soil 19 e copies the latter level to determine sowing depth , while its pseminuematic composition gives enough resiliency to prevent wet soil adherence and absorb terrain unevennesses without transmitting vibrations to the sowing assembly that could disturb the seed distribution . in the covering wheel , the studs 45 with a conical shape form a suitable angle in relation to the wheel plane 35 , with the height and diameter of the base in accordance with the treading band width 39 and the number of these contained in the perimeter , exert a favourable influence on hard soil with clods , excess humidity and abundant surface mulching , optimizing the sowing furrow closure in different soil conditions . of course , changes , variations and aggregations may be made to any of the above - detailed embodiments , without departing from the scope nor the spirit of the invention . the same has been described by way of preferred embodiments , however those skilled in the art may suit it to other applications or introduce modifications without departing from the purview of the invention as set forth in the appended claims .	8
in fig1 an internal combustion engine 10 is connected with a battery 13 through a starter 11 and an ignition switch 12 . the generator 14 which is driven by it during running of the internal combustion engine supplies the electrical energy which is required for the vehicle electrical system . in a control device 15 the computations required for the control and regulation of the internal combustion engine are performed . a voltage measuring device 16 , for example a volt meter , or a voltage measuring device integrated in the control device measures the vehicle electrical system voltage u b at any location or the battery voltage between the battery terminals and supplies a voltage measuring value to the control device 15 . a rotational speed sensor 17 , for example a non - inductive rotational speed sensor , measures the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine and supplies to the control device 15 a signal which depends on this rotational speed . after closing of the ignition switch 12 , the starter 11 rotates a not shown crank shaft of the internal combustion engine 10 . simultaneously , the generator 14 starts to rotate . during engagement of the starter it requires a great electrical energy . the vehicle electrical system voltage u b which normally is regulated to a constant value exhibits a steep break due to the high load . it however increases more or less depending on the outer conditions such as temperature and charging condition of the battery . in a further course of the starting process , the vehicle electrical system u b shows pronounced oscillations with voltage maximum and voltage minimum . when the motor is started , the starting process is ended and the vehicle electrical system voltage increases . the generator 14 outputs power to the system , up to the nominal value . in fig2 a typical course of the vehicle electrical system voltage u b is shown before and after an unsuccessful starting process . fig2 shows voltage values and respectively voltage differences as well as different times required for the evaluation . u1 identifies a first voltage difference . its value is selected so that it is smaller than an expected voltage break but greater than expected voltage changes during switching - on of another electrical consumer which loads the battery . u2 identifies a second voltage difference which is selected so that it is reliably greater than the expected voltage difference between two successive voltage measuring values in time sequence of the testing , during the testing of the oscillating voltage . u3 identifies a voltage difference which is reliably smaller than the difference between a maximum and subsequent minimum of the voltage oscillations . the times requires for the evaluation are identified with t0 to t3 . t0 is a waiting time within which the voltage break of the vehicle electrical system must decrease by the amount u1 ( steepness ). t1 is a delay time which starts running after the recognition of the first voltage break . the time t2 starts after elapsing of the time t1 . within the time t2 it is tested whether a maximum of the voltage oscillations occurs . after recognizing such a maximum the time t3 starts to run . the times t2 and t3 overlap . within the time t3 it is tested whether a maximum of the voltage oscillations occurs . the times t2 and t3 are waiting times . with the help of the so defined voltage differences and respectively times , an evaluation of the battery voltage course is possible . suitable values for the voltage differences and the times are fixed as below : the testing rate for the vehicle electrical system voltage amounts to 10 milliseconds . the operation of the device for monitoring a rotational speed sensor can be understood from the flow diagram shown in fig3 . in the step 24 the program is started . in the step 25 it is tested whether sufficient rotational speed signals are recognized . when sufficient rotational speed signals are recognized , the rotational speed sensor operates in an orderly fashion . it is decided with &# 34 ; yes &# 34 ; and with a step 26 and eventually inputted rotational speed sensor error is cleared from the error storage . in a subsequent step 27 the testing ends . if in the step 25 &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; is recognized , the rotational speed sensor 17 supplies no rotational signal or at least a not sufficient rotational signal . in a step 28 the battery voltage u b is read , the last three values are stored . in the step 29 it is verified whether the voltage break of the starting process was already recognized . for this purpose it is verified in the step 29 whether the vehicle electrical system voltage lowers from its normal value u b over the time period t0 by at least a value u1 ( steepness ). if in the step 29 it is determined that the voltage break was not recognized , &# 34 ; no &# 34 ; is decided . by a step 30 which activates the testing due to the time sequence the maximum 10 ms is expected , and the program is again restarted . if to the contrary in the step 29 the voltage break is already recognized , a step 31 is activated . in this step it is inquired whether the delay time t1 was started . if it is not the case , in a step 32 the delay time t1 is started . then in a step 33 it is verified whether the delay time is already elapsed . when the step 21 recognizes that the delay time was already once started , the direct step 33 is activated . in the step 33 it is recognized that the delay time is not expired . by step 30 the step 25 is again activated , and it is inquired whether sufficient rotational speed signals are recognized meantime . when the step 33 determines that the delay time t1 expired , it is tested in the step 34 whether the waiting time for the recognition of a voltage maximum is once started . if it is not the case , in the step 35 the waiting time t2 for the occurrence of a voltage maximum is started . if in the step 34 it is recognized that the waiting time t2 for the recognition of a voltage maximum is already started or this time t2 was started in the step 35 , it is tested in the step 36 whether the waiting time t2 for the maximum speed is expired . if in the step 36 it is recognized that the waiting time t2 for the occurrence of voltage maximum is expired , the further program run ends . a reset in the step 37 is performed . the rotational speed sensor test is again started by the step 30 after maximum 10 ms . if , to the contrary , in the step 36 it is recognized that the waiting time t2 is not expired , in the step 38 it is tested whether the voltage difference of both stored voltage values is greater than u2 . when this is the case , a reset is performed , and by step 39 and 30 the rotational speed sensor test is again started . if in the step 38 it is recognized that the voltage change is not too high , in the step 40 it is tested whether a valid voltage maximum is found . for this purpose it is tested whether a voltage value u b0 is smaller than the next u b1 and is greater than the next voltage value u b2 . if a valid voltage maximum is found , in the step 41 it is tested whether the waiting time t3 for a voltage maximum runs . if to the contrary in step 40 no valid voltage maximum was recognized , in the step 30 the step 25 is again started and it is tested whether sufficient rotational speed signals were recognized . if in the step 41 it is determined that the waiting time t2 for the occurrence of a voltage minimum does not run , then in the step 42 the time t3 for the occurrence of a voltage minimum is started and simultaneously the waiting time t2 for the occurrence of a voltage maximum is maintained . when the waiting time for a voltage minimum runs , it is tested in the step 43 whether the waiting time t2 is expired . if this time expired , a reset is performed in the step 47 and the rotational speed test is again started by the step 30 . if the waiting time t3 for a voltage minimum is not expired , in the step 44 it is tested whether a valid voltage minimum is found . for this purpose it is tested whether the condition that the vehicle electrical system voltage u b0 is greater than the next value of the vehicle electrical system voltage u b1 and this is smaller than the next value of the vehicle electrical system voltage u b2 . when this condition is not fulfilled , the rotational speed sensor test starts again by the step 30 . if this condition is fulfilled , then a valid voltage minimum is found . it is recognized in a step 45 as rotational speed sensor error and in some cases is inputted in the error storage . the rotational speed sensor test is ended after this in the step 46 . in the flow diagram shown in fig3 for the rotational speed sensor test , for the recognition of a rotational speed sensor error , the following conditions must be fulfilled : in the step 25 it must be recognized that not sufficient rotational speed signals are supplied to the control device . in the step 29 a voltage break must be recognized , which lasts no longer than the time t0 and is greater than the voltage u1 . however , after expiration of a delay time t1 at least a voltage maximum of the oscillating vehicle electrical system voltage u b is recognized . this voltage maximum must occur within a further time t2 ( step 40 ). in the step 42 within a further time t3 a minimum of the oscillating vehicle electrical system voltage must be recognized . simultaneously , by the step 38 it is insured that during the recognition of the voltage maxima and respectively voltage minima of the oscillating vehicle electrical system voltage , a voltage difference u2 between two successive measurements in the time sequence of the testing is not exceeded . the rotational speed sensor diagnosis described in the flow diagram in fig3 or in other words the rotational speed sensor monitoring is performed in a computer device inside the control device and is conventionally performed during each starting process of the internal combustion engine . 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 a device for monitoring rotational speed sensor , 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 . what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by letters patent is set forth in the appended claims .	6
the present invention will be described more detailedly with reference to the following embodiments . it is to be noted that the following descriptions of the preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for the purpose of illustration and description only . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed . please refer to fig3 which is a schematic diagram showing some preferred embodiments of a scanner according to the present invention . it is found that the scanner has two lens sets 321 and 322 which are mounted in specific locations so that the ratio of image distance to object distance of lens set 321 is the same as that of lens set 322 according to the lens maker &# 39 ; s equation . in this diagram , the image distance and object distance of the lens set 321 is the same as that of the lens set 322 . hence , the magnifying power of lens set 321 , defined as the ratio of image distance to object distance , is the same as that of lens set 322 . an article is placed on the scanner and is lit by a light source to generate an initial image . the initial image is divided into two sections 311 and 312 to be scanned sequentially . the light - reflecting unit 34 includes a dichroic mirror 343 and three reflective mirrors 341 , 342 , and 344 . the so - called dichroic mirror can transmit or reflect light at both sides . the reflectance and the transmittance at each side of a dichroic mirror can be modified according to the requirement of users . the first initial image section 311 is focused by the lens set 321 for generating a first focused image section , while the second initial image section 312 is focused by the other lens set 322 for generating a second focused image section . since the magnifying powers of the lens sets 321 and 322 are the same , the full image will not be distorted when these two focused image sections are combined together . there are three light shades as shown in this figure . one is a movable light shade 351 , another is a movable light shade 352 , and the other is a rotatable light shade 353 . only one of them is needed in a preferred embodiment . the light shades are defined as &# 34 ; switching unit &# 34 ; because they are used for obstructing undesired initial image sections or undesired focused image sections , or as &# 34 ; switching &# 34 ; among the lens sets to make only one initial image section reach the corresponding lens set or have only one focused image section sensed by the charge coupled device . there are three preferred embodiments shown in fig3 and they are respectively described in brief in the following paragraphs . the movable light shade 351 is selected as the switching unit . at first , the movable light shade 341 is moved to be located in front of lens set 322 so that the initial image section 312 can not be received by the lens set 322 . the initial image section 311 is focused by the lens set 321 to generate a first focused image section . the first focused image section is transmitted from the lens set 321 to the charge coupled device 33 through the reflective mirror 341 , the reflective mirror 342 , and the dichroic mirror 343 in sequence . thereafter , the first focused image section is received and converted to electronic signals by the charge coupled device 33 . second , the movable light shade 351 is moved leftwardly to be located in front of lens set 321 . the initial image section 311 is obstructed by the movable light shade 351 so that it can not be focused by the lens set 321 . the initial image section 312 is focused by the lens set 322 to generate a second focused image section . the second focused image section is transmitted to the charge coupled device 33 by way of the reflective mirror 344 and the dichroic mirror 343 in sequence . thereafter , it is converted to electronic signals by the charge coupled device 33 . at last , both of the electronic signals generated from the first and second instances will be combined together . it is noted that the optical path length of image distance plus object distance corresponding to lens set 321 is the same as that corresponding to the other lens set 322 . in this preferred embodiment , the movable light shade 351 is displaced by another movable light shade 352 mounted between the light - reflecting unit 34 and the lens sets 321 and 322 . at first , the movable light shade 352 is moved to be located in back of lens 322 so the second focused image section generated by the lens set 322 is obstructed . only the first focused image section generated by the lens set 321 can be transmitted to the charge coupled device 33 by way of the reflective mirrors 341 and 342 and dichroic mirror 343 in sequence to be converted to electronic signals . second , the movable light shade 352 is moved leftwardly to be located in back of lens set 321 . the second focused image section , but not the first focused image section , is transmitted to the charge coupled device 33 through the reflective mirror 344 and dichroic mirror 343 to be converted to electronic signals . the following steps are the same as those described in the above - mentioned preferred embodiment and will not be explained tautologically . in stead of the movable light shade 352 , the rotatable light shade 353 is equipped within the light - reflecting unit 34 . first of all , the rotatable light shade 343 is rotated to be in a vertical direction between the dichroic mirror 343 and the reflective mirror 344 to obstruct the second focused image section . the first focused image section is transmitted from the lens set 321 to the charge coupled device 33 through the light - reflecting unit 34 . thereafter , the rotatable light shade 353 is rotated to be in a horizontal direction to obstruct the first focused image section . only the second focused image section is transmitted to the charge coupled device 33 through the light - reflecting unit 34 . the other steps and the light path of image sections are already shown in the detailed description of the preceding preferred embodiments and are not illustrated again . it should be noted that the words &# 34 ; leftwardly &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; horizontal &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; vertical &# 34 ; are not essential . they are just used for illustrating these embodiments according to the diagram . the light shades can be rotated to be in any directions when the undesired image sections are completely obstructed . moreover , the scanning sequence of the initial image sections also can be modified for the manufactures and users . the number of divided initial image sections can be increased to meet one &# 39 ; s requirement . the number from two to four is especially preferred . their operating functions are similar to those as described above . please refer to fig4 which is a schematic diagram showing another preferred embodiments of a scanner according to the present invention . the initial image is divided into three sections consisting of a left initial image section 411 , a middle initial image section 412 , and a right initial image section 413 . they are focused by the lens sets 421 , 422 , and 423 respectively for generating a left focused image section , a middle focused image section , and a right focused image section correspondingly . the light - reflecting unit 44 includes two dichroic mirrors 442 and 444 and five reflective mirrors 441 , 443 , 445 , 446 , and 447 . there are two types of applications in this diagram . one utilizes the movable light shades , and the other utilizes the rotatable light shades . the operating processes are described in brief as follows . when utilizing movable light shades , each lens set is accompanied by only one movable light shade . in other words , only one of the movable light shades 4511 and 4512 is adopted to match the lens set 421 . by the same token , only one of the movable light shades 4521 and 4522 , and only one of the movable light shades 4531 and 4532 are needed . all possible movable light shades shown in the diagram are not essential . they are shown in order to indicate all the possibilities . we suppose that the movable light shades 4511 , 4521 , and 4531 are adopted . at the first step , the movable light shade 4511 is dislodged from the lens set 421 ( hereafter called &# 34 ; non - obstructive state &# 34 ;), and other movable light shades 4521 and 4531 are provided in front of lens sets 422 and 423 ( hereafter called &# 34 ; obstructive state &# 34 ;). the left initial image section 411 is focused by the lens set 421 for generating a left focused image section , but other initial image sections 412 and 413 are obstructed . the left focused image section is transmitted from the lens set 421 to the charge coupled device 43 through the reflective mirror 441 , dichroic mirror 442 , reflective mirror 443 , and dichroic mirror 444 in sequence , and then is converted to electronic signal . at the second step , the movable light shade 4511 is moved back to the obstructive state , another movable light shade 4521 is in the non - obstructive state , and the other movable light shade 4531 keeps in the obstructive state . the middle focused image section generated by the lens set 422 responding to the middle initial image section 412 is converted to electronic signals by the charge coupled device 43 after it is transmitted through the reflective mirror 445 , the reflective mirror 446 , the dichroic mirror 442 , the reflective mirror 443 , and the dichroic mirror 444 in sequence . at the third step , the movable light shade 4511 keeps in the obstructive state , another movable light shade 4521 is moved back to the obstructive state , and the other movable light shade 4531 is in the non - obstructive state . the right initial image section 413 is focused by lens 423 to generate a right focused image section , but the other initial image sections 411 and 413 are obstructed . after the right initial image section is transmitted through the reflective mirror 447 and the dichroic mirror 444 , it is received by the charge coupled device 43 and is converted to electronic signals . all the electronic signals generated at any steps are combined together to form an entire image which will be processed later . the magnifying powers of lens sets 421 , 422 , and 423 must be the same such that the formed image is not distorted . in stead of movable light shades , two rotatable light shades 4541 and 4542 are mounted within the light - reflecting unit 44 . at first , the rotatable light shade 4541 is rotated to be in a horizontal direction between the reflective mirror 446 and the dichroic mirror 442 , and the other rotatable light shade 4542 is rotated to be in a vertical direction between the dichroic mirror 444 and the reflective mirror 447 . hence , only the left focused image section generated by the lens set 421 responding to the left initial image section 411 can be received and converted by the charge coupled device 43 . second , the rotatable light shade 4541 is rotated to be in a vertical direction between the reflective mirror 441 and the dichroic mirror 442 , and the other rotatable light shade 4542 keeps in the vertical direction between the dichroic mirror 444 and the reflective mirror 447 . hence , only the middle focused image section generated by the lens set 422 in response to the middle initial image section 412 can be received and converted by the charge coupled device 43 . at last , the rotatable light shade 4542 is rotated to be in a horizontal direction between the reflective mirror 443 and the dichroic mirror 444 . hence , only the right focused image section generated by the lens set 423 corresponding to the right initial image section 413 can be received and converted by the charge coupled device 43 . the light paths of image sections and the following steps are the same as those described in embodiment 4 . please refer to fig5 showing other preferred embodiments of the present invention . the light - reflecting unit 54 including a dichroic mirror 543 and three reflective mirrors 541 , 542 , and 544 is mounted in the light path of initial image for transmitting the initial image sections 511 and 512 to the only one lens set 52 . only one of the movable light shade 551 and the rotatable light shade 552 is required so there are two preferred embodiments shown in this diagram . the movable light shade 551 is equipped in the scanner . first of all , the movable light shade 551 is moved to be located in the light path of the second initial image section 512 so the second initial image section 512 is obstructed by the movable light shade 551 . the first initial image section 511 is transmitted to the lens set 52 through the reflective mirrors 541 , 542 and the dichroic mirror 543 in sequence , and is focused by the lens set 53 to generate a first focused image section . the first focused image section is then received by the charge coupled device 53 and is converted to electronic signals . afterward , the movable light shade 551 is moved leftward to be located in the light path of the first initial image section 511 so that the first initial image section 511 is obstructed , but not the second initial image section 512 . therefore , the second initial image section 512 is transmitted to the lens set 52 by way of the reflective mirror 544 and the dichroic mirror 543 . the second initial image section 512 is focused by the lens set 52 for generating a second focused image section . the second focused image is then converted to electronic signals by the charge coupled device 53 . all the generated electronic signals will be combined together to form a full image shown on the computer screen . it should be noted that the optical path length of the initial image sections must be the same , so the magnifying ratio of the corresponding focused image sections is the same . therefore , the obtained full image shown on the computer screen will not be distorted . if the rotatable light shade 552 is selected as the switching unit , the scanning process is described as follows . at first , the rotatable light shade 552 is rotated to be in a vertical direction between the dichroic mirror 543 and the reflective mirror 544 . thus , the second initial image section 512 is obstructed , but not the first initial image section 511 . thereafter , the first initial image section 511 is transmitted to the lens set 52 by the light - reflecting unit 54 . afterward , the rotatable light shade 552 is rotated to be in a horizontal direction between the reflective mirror 542 and the dichroic mirror 543 . the first initial image section 511 is obstructed , but not the second initial image section 512 . thereafter , the second initial image section 512 is transmitted to the lens set 52 by the light - reflecting unit 54 . the light paths of initial image sections and other steps have been shown in embodiment 6 . the number of divided initial image sections can be increased to meet one &# 39 ; s requirement , especially from two to four . their operating functions are similar to those as described above . please refer to fig6 showing other preferred embodiments of a scanner according to the present invention . the initial image is divided into three sections . a left initial image section 611 , a middle initial image section 612 , and a right initial image section 613 are required to be scanned one by one . the light - reflecting unit 64 includes two dichroic mirrors 642 and 644 and five reflective mirrors 641 , 643 , 645 , 646 , and 647 . there are two types of applications in this diagram . among these applications , one utilizes movable light shades , and the other utilizes rotatable light shades . the scanning processes are described in brief as follows . the movable light shades 6511 , 6512 , and 6513 are mounted within the light path of the initial image . at first , the movable light shade 6511 is dislodged from the light path of the left initial image section 611 ( hereafter called &# 34 ; non - obstructive state &# 34 ;), and other movable light shades 6512 and 6513 are placed in the light paths of the middle and right initial image sections 612 and 613 respectively ( hereafter called &# 34 ; obstructive state &# 34 ;). the left initial image section 611 is transmitted to the lens set 62 by way of the reflective mirror 641 , the dichroic mirror 642 , the reflective mirror 643 , and the dichroic mirror 644 in sequence . the left initial image section 611 is focused by the lens set 62 to generate a left focused image section . the left focused image section is transmitted to the charge coupled device 63 and is converted to electronic signals . second , the movable light shade 6511 is moved back to the obstructive state , another movable light shade 6512 is in the non - obstructive state , and the other movable light shade 6513 keeps in the obstructive state . the middle initial image section 612 , but not the left initial image section 611 and the right initial image section 613 , is transmitted to the lens set 62 . after being transmitted to the lens set 62 through the reflective mirror 645 , the reflective mirror 646 , the dichroic mirror 642 , the reflective mirror 643 , and the dichroic mirror 644 , the middle initial image section 612 is focused by the lens set 62 for generating a middle focused image section which will be converted to electronic signals by the charge coupled device 63 . afterward , the movable light shade 6511 keeps in the obstructive state , another movable light shade 6512 is moved back to be in the obstructive state , and the other movable light shade 6513 is in the non - obstructive state . the right initial image section 613 is transmitted to the lens set 62 by way of the reflective mirror 647 and the dichroic mirror 644 , but other initial image sections 611 and 612 are obstructed . after the right initial image section 613 is focused by the lens set 62 for generating a right focused image section , it is received by the charge coupled device 63 and is converted to electronic signals . at last , all the electronic signals generated in the first , second , and third instances will be combined together to form a full image which will be processed later . the optical path lengths of the initial image sections must be the same so that the magnifying ratio of the corresponding focused image sections will not be changed . therefore , the obtained fill image is not distorted . in stead of the - movable light shades , two rotatable light shades 6521 and 6522 are mounted within the light - reflecting unit 64 . at first , the rotatable light shade 6521 is rotated to be in a horizontal direction between the reflective mirror 646 and the dichroic mirror 642 , and the other rotatable light shade 6522 is rotated to be in a vertical direction between the dichroic mirror 644 and the reflective mirror 647 . hence , only the left initial image section 611 is transmitted to the lens set 62 . second , the rotatable light shade 6521 is rotated to be in a vertical direction between the reflective mirror 641 and the dichroic mirror 642 , and the other rotatable light shade 6522 keeps in the vertical direction between the dichroic mirror 644 and the reflective mirror 647 . hence , only the middle initial image section 612 can be transmitted to the lens set 62 . thereafter , the rotatable light shade 6522 is rotated to be in a horizontal direction between the reflective mirror 643 and the dichroic mirror 644 . hence , only the right initial image section 613 can be transmitted to the lens set 62 . the light paths of each image sections and other relevant steps are the same as those described in embodiment 8 and will not be explained again . the words &# 34 ; left &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; middle &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; right &# 34 ; in the forgoing paragraphs should not be used to limit the scope of the present invention , because they are only used to illustrate the preferred embodiment more clearly . likewise , the operating sequence also can be modified to make the method more convenient for the manufacturers and users . the feature of the present invention is that the initial image is divided into more sections to be scanned in sequence . less charge coupled devices or less pixels for a charge coupled device are required for this case without reducing resolution . additional light - reflecting unit and switching unit required for the embodiment according to the present invention are relatively cheaper than the charge coupled device . therefore , the cost can be highly reduced without influencing the quality . for example , if an image of a 600 dpi ( dot per inch ) resolution is required , a charge coupled device of 600 dpi must be equipped in the scanner according to the prior art . however , according to the present invention , a charge coupled device of 300 dpi is sufficient when the initial image is divided into two sections . moreover , a charge coupled device of 200 dpi can provide an image data with a resolution of 600 dpi if the initial image is divided into three sections . besides , another feature of the present invention is that the optical elements such as lens sets , light - reflecting unit , and the charge coupled device are immobily fixed in the housing . the method of the present invention is to obstruct the undesired image sections substituted for capturing the desired image section . the precision of the scanner according to the present invention keeps unerring because the positions of other optical elements are not affected by rotating or moving the light shades . the other driving elements for the precision according to the present invention are not necessary so that the size and the production cost can be reduced significantly . accordingly , the present invention really conforms to the genius of modern technology . while the invention has been described in terms of what are presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention need not be limited to the disclosed embodiment . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures .	7
all the data within the wireless network system are delivered in the form of a packet . in the standard definition of ieee 802 . 11 , the media access control layer ( mac layer ) transmits the packet by the way of the carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance ( csma / ca ), namely the design of “ saying after listening ”. before a transmitting end , which can be a user or an access point , transmits a packet to a receiving end , which can be a user or an access point , the network system should detect if there is any idle channel in the wireless network system . the existence of an idle channel indicates there is no packet delivered in that channel at this moment . the detecting procedure ensures collision avoidance during the transmission of the packet in the idle channel . if the result of the idle - channel detection is “ yes ”, the transmitting end can make use of the idle channel to transmit the packet . on the contrary , if the result of the idle - channel detection is “ none ”, it represents that all the channels in the wireless network system are occupied at this moment . thus the transmitting end has to temporally wait and checks for an idle channel again after a period of waiting time . the period of waiting time can be called as “ backoff ”. after the transmitting end waits for one or a plurality of backoffs , if an idle channel appears , the transmitting end can make use of that idle channel to transmit the packet . however , in the above - mentioned process , the packet also probably collides with other packet in the idle channel . therefore , for avoiding the loss of data due to the collision or interruption of the packet in the process of delivering the packet , the receiving end will deliver an acknowledge signal ack to the transmitting end immediately after the receiving end receives the packet from the transmitting end successfully . if the transmitting end does not receive the acknowledge signal ack from the receiving end for a certain period of time after the transmitting end makes use of an idle channel to transmit the packet to the receiving end , the transmitting end will know that the previously delivered packet is not transmitted to the receiving end successfully . therefore , the transmitting end has to wait for one or a plurality of backoffs for another idle channel to transmit the packet . after the receiving end successfully receives all the packets transmitted from the transmitting end , the receiving end can integrate all kinds of data inside of the packets into an integrated data set , or deliver the packets to the other receiving end . please refer to fig2 . fig2 is a schematic diagram of a packet 30 used in the method for filtering packets in a wireless network system of the present invention . the packet 30 comprises a header 32 , a data body 34 , and an fcs 36 . the header 32 comprises a source address column 42 used to indicate the source address of the packet 30 that comprises the header 32 , and a destination address column 44 used to indicate the destination address by which the packet 30 can be transmitted to the destination . the data body 34 stores the data of different lengths . the main function of the fcs 36 lies in the inspection of packet 30 in the process of transmission to avoid the occurrence of bugs . the method for inspection adopts the skill of cyclic redundancy check ( crc - 32 ). please refer to the fig3 . fig3 is a schematic diagram of a wireless network system 50 used in the method for filtering packets in the wireless network system of the present invention . the wireless network system 50 comprises a wireless access point 52 in the media access control layer ( mac layer ) 52 of the wireless network system 50 , and a plurality of first nodes 60 in the physical layer of the wireless network system 50 . the system wirelessly transmits packet 30 so as to deliver the data to the wireless access point 52 . a source catalog 70 is installed in the wireless access point 52 for storing a plurality of sets of source address codes , and a destination catalog 72 is installed for storing a plurality of sets of destination address codes . the wireless access point 52 also comprises a receiving module 54 , an identifying module 56 , and a transmitting module 58 . the receiving module 54 is used to receive a plurality of the packets transmitted from the first nodes 60 and 62 . the identifying module 56 is used to compare the source address codes and the destination address codes inside the packets received by the receiving module 54 with a plurality of sets of the source address codes inside the source catalog 70 of the wireless access point 52 and a plurality of sets of the destination address codes inside the destination catalog 72 . the transmitting module 58 delivers the data via a local area network 64 to a plurality of second nodes 66 and 68 in the mac layer of the wireless network system 50 . as each piece of network equipment , such as a network interface card or a router , has a specific ip address , the source address code and the destination address codes inside the header 32 of the packet 30 can be set to be equal to the ip address of any network equipment . when the first node 60 would like to transmit the packet through the wireless network system 50 , the administrator of the wireless network system 50 can ask the first node 60 to register in advance . according to the registering procedure , the ip address of the network equipment in the first node 60 will be stored in the source catalog 70 or the destination catalog 72 of the wireless access point 52 in advance . the wireless access point 52 also may auto - search the ip address of the network equipment in the first node 60 or auto - record the ip address to the source catalog 70 or the destination catalog 72 of the wireless access point 52 . after that , when the network equipment of the first node 60 wirelessly connects to the wireless access point 52 , the wireless access point 52 will read the relevant ip addresses from the packet 30 transmitted from the first node 60 . according to a certain identifying procedure in the wireless access point 52 , then the identifying module 56 will compare the ip address of the network equipment in the first node 60 read by the wireless access point 52 with all the address codes inside the destination catalog 72 or the source catalog 70 of the wireless access point 52 to see if there is any identical address . if the result is “ yes ”, the consumer is legal and the packet is allowed to pass . if the result shows “ no ”, the consumer is not legal and the packet is not allowed to pass . please refer to the fig4 . fig4 is a flowchart of the methods for filtering the packet of the present invention . the present invention comprises the following steps : begin ; ( at this moment , the source catalog 70 and the destination catalog 72 inside the wireless access point 52 are stored with a plurality of sets of the address codes , and these address codes are the ip addresses of the network equipments of the legal users registered by the administrator of the wireless network system 50 .) make use of one of a plurality of the first nodes to deliver the packet 30 to the wireless access point 52 ; ( the packet 30 comprises the ip address of the network equipment in the first node 30 and the destination address codes inside the packet 30 .) make use of the receiving module 54 of the wireless access point 52 to receive the packet 30 ; make use of the identifying module 56 of the wireless access point 52 to compare the source address code inside the packet 30 with all the source address codes inside the source catalog 70 of the wireless access point 52 to see if there is any identical address code . if the result is “ yes ”, the procedure goes to step 140 . if the result shows “ no ”, the procedure goes to step 200 ; make use of the identifying module 56 of the wireless access point 52 to compare the destination address code inside the packet 30 with all the destination address codes inside the destination catalog 72 of the wireless access point 52 to see if there is any identical address code . if the result is “ yes ”, the procedure goes to step 150 . if the result shows “ no ”, the procedure goes to step 200 ; according to the destination address inside of the packet 30 , make use of the transmitting module 58 to deliver the packet 30 to the second node matching the destination address in the local area network ; ( the user of the first node for delivering the packet 30 should be the registered user of the wireless network system 50 , and the address , where the packet 30 is transmitted to , should be the address allowed for transmission in the wireless network system 50 . the ip address of the network equipment in the second node 30 should be identical to the destination address inside the packet 30 .) step 130 or step 140 can be omitted in the method for filtering packets in the wireless network system 50 of the present invention . if step 130 is omitted in the method of the invention , the identifying module 56 of the wireless access point 52 only compares the destination address codes inside the packet 30 with all the destination address codes inside the destination catalog 72 of the wireless access point 52 to see if there is any identical address code . that is , no matter what the destination address inside the packet 30 is , the transmitting module 58 of the wireless access point 52 will transmit the packet 30 to the corresponding node according to the destination address of the packet 30 , as long as the destination address inside the packet 30 is identical to any one of the destination address codes in the destination catalog 72 . if step 140 is omitted in the method of the invention , the identifying module 56 of the wireless access point 52 only compares the source address codes inside the packet 30 with all the source address codes inside the source catalog 72 of the wireless access point 52 to see if there is any identical address code . that is , no matter what the destination address inside the packet 30 is , the transmitting module 58 of the wireless access point 52 will transmit the packet 30 to the corresponding node according to the destination address of the packet 30 , as long as the source address inside the packet 30 is identical to any one of the source address codes in the source catalog 70 . in contrast to the prior art of encryption of the document with a wep key system , the method of the present invention for filtering packets will increase the speed of transmission and maintain the security of the transmitted document because the method only checks the source address code or the destination address code in the header of the packet without the complicated operations , such as the calculations of encryption and decryption , toward the data body of the packet . furthermore , since the main steps of the present invention , such as the procedure of data identification by the identifying module , can be achieved with a hardware structure , the efficiency of the present invention can be greatly raised . those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention . accordingly , the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims .	7
a detailed view of an exemplary embodiment of a supersonic compressor rotor wheel 20 designed for utilization of axial supersonic shock patterns is provided in fig7 . rotor disc portion 18 of wheel 20 supports a plurality of rim segments m 1 through m 52 mounted thereon , as further indicated in fig8 and 15 . in fig8 , a series from 1 to 52 of rim segments ( m 1 through m 52 ) are described in a circumferential manner as if looking radially face down toward the center 21 of rotor 20 . inlet fluid ( such as air ) as indicated by reference arrow 22 is supplied to the pre - inlet flow surface 24 at the outer periphery of the rotor wheel 20 . the inlet fluid encounters a compression ramp 26 provided as a part of downstream strake 28 . a profiled , preferably smoothly curved cowl portion 30 of upstream strake 32 , and having a strake shock capture inlet lip s in , is provided to capture a series of axially extending oblique shocks ( see discussion below in conjunction with fig9 ). the compression ramp 26 provided as a part of downstream strake 20 serves to laterally compress inlet air and direct it primarily ( substantially uni - directionally ) in the direction of reference arrow 34 . under design supersonic speed inlet conditions , lip s in of upstream , inlet strake 32 captures the oblique shockwave and directs entering air between inner wall 40 of upstream strake 30 strake and inner wall 42 of compression ramp 26 . captured , compressed fluid is eventually diffused via use of diffuser centerbody 44 . in one embodiment , diffuser 44 comprises a substantially triangular structure having a leading edge 46 . a first diffuser sidewall 48 and a second diffuser sidewall 50 act , in conjunction with inner wall portion 52 of upstream strake 32 and inner wall portion 54 of downstream strake 26 , respectively , to provide first 56 and second 58 diffusion channels for the compressed fluid . a rear wall 60 is provided for diffuser 44 . behind the rear wall 60 , the speed of captured fluid decreases and pressure increases . compressed fluid is dumped at the exhaust outlet s ex of the downstream strake 28 . note that the inlet end s in of the upstream , or inlet strake 32 is preferably slightly inward of the outermost point 64 of the strake 30 toward the lateral edge 70 of rotor 20 . this provides a unique contoured inlet cowl shape 30 to capture and compress inlet air , more specifically in the form of a mixed compression supersonic inlet . such a shape provides for easier self starting and capture of the supersonic shock structure . the compressor design taught herein uniquely applies various techniques of flight inlet design , in order to achieve performance optimization , with the advantages of high single stage pressure ratios , simplicity , and low cost of supersonic compressors to provide a high efficiency , low cost compression system especially adapted for ground based ( stationary or mobile ) compressor applications . such a combination requires many novel , unique mechanical and aerodynamic features in order to achieve the aerodynamic requirements for a particular system design , without violating the mechanical design limits necessary to provide a safe , durable , robust compression system that can be manufactured utilizing proven and cost effective manufacturing techniques . one of the primary techniques utilized in the design of the compressors taught herein is to employ certain optimization techniques heretofore employed in supersonic flight inlets within the architecture of an enclosed , rotating disc system . thus , one common element is to utilize a non - rotating compressor case or housing . as represented in fig1 , a substantially cylindrical stationary housing 80 having an interior peripheral wall 82 is utilized as one of the boundaries for the gas dynamic flow path . basically , in the most simple terms , three of the surfaces of the supersonic inlet are formed by the moving surfaces integrated onto the rim of a high speed rotor 20 , and one of the surfaces is the interior peripheral wall 82 of the non - rotating housing 80 . in another design for a compressor , the generated supersonic shocks are generally radial in nature , as is illustrated in fig6 . in that design , the shocks generated by the compression ramp 90 on the rotor rim 92 coalesce and / or reflect off of the stationary interior wall 94 , as illustrated in fig6 a . however , it has now been found that it is possible to advantageously configure the compressive surfaces in a supersonic compressor so that an oblique shock system is provided that creates a compressive field in the axis of rotation , rather than against the outer stationary wall . the apparatus described above with respect to fig7 , 8 , and 13 - 15 show a suitable mixed compression inlet for use with an axial compression system . such a mixed compression inlet is shown in additional detail in fig9 . a mixed compression inlet is one in which part of the shock system is external to the fully enclosed portion of the aerodynamic duct defining the inlet flow path . as was earlier illustrated in fig3 , mixed compression inlets can be designed to operate with greater efficiencies at higher mach numbers than normal shock inlets or external compression inlets . also , operation at higher mach numbers results in greater compression ratios than internal compression inlets ( where all the contraction occurs within the fully enclosed part of the aerodynamic duct defining the inlet flow path ), while preserving the ability to swallow the shock system , or “ start ” without the need for complex variable geometry features . in fig9 , the downstream strake 28 is provided with compression ramp 26 . a plurality of oblique shock structures 100 , 102 , 104 , 106 , are generated at the design mach number , which in this case is m = 2 . 5 . these shocks 100 , 102 , 104 , and 106 are captured by shock lip 30 at the inlet to the upstream strake 32 . a plurality of reflected oblique shocks 110 , 112 , 114 , 116 , and 118 are illustrated downstream . finally , a normal shock 120 is shown , after which the flow stream is operating at a mach number of about m = 0 . 75 . as shown in fig9 a and 9 b , the oblique shocks generated , i . e ., 122 , 124 , and 126 , are not captured , or are not completely captured , when compressor design first illustrated in fig7 , 8 , and 14 is operated at less than design mach number . turning now to fig1 , the use of an internal compression inlet is illustrated . here , the downstream strake 128 does not include a compression ramp . rather , the upstream strake 132 incorporates a compression ramp 134 having an inlet lip 136 , which generates an oblique shock 138 that is captured by sidewall 140 of downstream strake 128 , and reflected back against compression ramp 134 . after a normal shock 142 , the mach number is reduced to about m = 0 . 5 . in fig1 , an internal compression inlet is provided . here , the downstream strake 128 includes a compression ramp 131 . upstream strake 132 has an inlet lip 136 which captures the oblique shock 144 that is generated by compression ramp 131 . after normal shock 146 , the mach number is reduced to about m = 0 . 5 . in fig1 , an internal compression inlet is provided where compression ramps 131 and 134 are both provided , incorporated into the downstream 128 and upstream 132 strake walls , respectively . compression ramps 131 and 134 generate opposing oblique shocks 150 and 152 , which in turn are reflected in shocks 154 and 156 . after normal shock 148 , the mach number is reduced to about m = 0 . 5 . finally , in fig1 , a vertical cross section of a portion of one embodiment for a supersonic compressor 200 is provided . the gas compressor 200 includes a circumferential housing 202 having a stationary peripheral wall 204 with an inner surface portion 206 defined by a surface of rotation . an inlet 210 is provided for supply of gas to be compressed . a rotor 20 is provided having a central axis 212 adapted for rotary motion within housing 202 by application of mechanical energy to driving shaft 213 . the rotor 20 extends radially outward from the central axis 212 to an outer surface portion 214 . one or more strakes , and , as illustrated an upstream stake 32 and a downstream stake 28 extend outward from the outer surface portion 214 of the rotor 20 to a tip end 28 t and 32 t , respectively . each of the tip ends 28 t and 32 t are adjacent the inner surface portion 206 of the stationary peripheral wall 204 . as better seen in fig8 , at least one of the one or more strakes 28 and 32 further include ( i ) an upstream end having an inlet s in , ( ii ) a supersonic compression ramp 26 , wherein the ramp 26 is oriented to develop an axially oriented supersonic shock ( see fig9 ) during compression of an inlet gas g i . a shock capture lip 30 is provided , axially displaced from the supersonic compression ramp 26 and positioned at a location on the outer surface 24 of the rotor 20 so that the shock compression ramp 26 and the shock capture lip 30 effectively contain a supersonic shock wave 100 ( see fig9 ) therebetween at a selected design mach number . an outlet diffuser 44 is optionally provided , situated downstream of the supersonic compression ramp 26 . the one or more strakes 28 , 32 , etc . operate as a helical screw to separate the inlet gas g i from compressed gas g p downstream of each one of the supersonic gas compression ramps 26 . each one of the one or more strakes 28 , 32 , etc ., in one embodiment are configured as a helical structure extending substantially radially from the outer surface portion 214 of the rotor 20 to their respective tip end 28 t or 32 t . as illustrated , the number of the one or more helical strakes is n , and the number of said one or more supersonic gas compression ramps is x , and n and x are equal — i . e . one gas compression ramp is provided on a downstream portion of each strake . each one of the one or more gas compression ramps 26 includes an axially directed portion that provides an upstream narrowing gas compression ramp face 220 . as further illustrated in fig1 , in one configuration each of the one or more gas compression ramps 26 further include one or more boundary layer bleed or holes 230 . in such a configuration , at least one of the one or more boundary bleed holes 230 is located at said base 232 of a gas compression ramp 26 . also , at least one of the one or more boundary layer bleed holes 230 can be located along the working face 220 portion of the compression ramp 26 . and , at least one or more of the boundary layer bleed holes 230 can be located in the throat 236 area of the compression ramp 26 adjacent the closest approach to the upstream strake 32 . in still another variation , it is advantageous to include at least one of a plurality of bleed holes in the outer surface portion of 24 of the rotor , at a location adjacent each one of the locations of bleed holes in the compression ramp , namely the base 232 , the face 220 , or the throat 236 . additionally shown in fig1 are the use of hollow rotor segments m 8 , m 16 , m 17 , and m 18 , which allow passage of bleed gas out into the adjacent wheel space via outlet passages b 9 , - b 12 , b 16 , b 17 , and b 18 , respectively in the direction of reference arrows g b so that accumulated bleed gas from within a rim segment passes to the adjacent wheel space . especially where an inlet body diffuser 44 is not utilized , the gas compression ramps 26 may further include ( a ) a throat 240 , and ( b ) an inwardly sloping gas deceleration ramp 244 , as indicated in fig1 , for example . also , each of the gas compression ramps 26 may further form , adjacent thereto and in corporation with one of said at least one strakes 28 or 32 , a bleed air receiving chamber 250 . each of the bleed air receiving chambers 250 effectively contains therein , for ejection therefrom , bleed air routed thereto from the bleed ports 230 , such as located on face 220 . returning now to fig1 , the apparatus also includes a gas outlet 252 for receiving and passing therethrough high pressure outlet gas g p resulting from compression of inlet gas g i . the apparatus just described includes supersonic shock compression of inlet gas g i , utilizing the apparent velocity of gas entering the one or more gas compression ramps in excess of mach 1 . in another embodiment , the apparent velocity of gas entering the one or more gas compression ramps is in excess of mach 2 . in another embodiment , the design apparent velocity of gas entering the one or more gas compression ramps is between about mach 1 . 5 and mach 3 . 5 . a gas compressor configured as described herein may be provided specifically engineered to compress any selected gas , including a gas selected from the group consisting of ( a ) air , ( b ) refrigerant , ( c ) steam , and ( d ) hydrocarbons . importantly , the compressor may compress such gases at a selected isentropic efficiency in excess of ninety ( 90 ) percent . in some cases , the compressor will compress a selected gas at an isentropic efficiency in excess of ninety five ( 95 ) percent . again , as noted in fig1 , part of the reason that such high efficiency can be attained is that the rotor includes a central disc portion that is confined within a close fitting housing having a minimal distance d between the rotor 20 the housing 260 , so as to minimize aerodynamic drag on the rotor 20 . in an advantageous method of compressing gas , one or more gas compression ramps are provided on a rotor which is rotatably secured with respect to stationary housing having an inner surface . each of the gas compression ramps is provided with an inlet gas stream , which stream is compressed by one or more gas compression ramps and contained by a stationary housing , to generate a high pressure gas g p therefrom ; the high pressure gas is effectively separated from low pressure inlet gas g i by using one or more strakes along the periphery of a rotor . the strakes are helically offset by an angle delta ( δ ), as indicated in fig8 . each one of the one or more strakes are provided adjacent to one of one or more gas compression ramps . at least a portion of each of the one or more strakes extend outward from at least a portion of an outer surface portion of the rotor to a point adjacent an inner surface of a stationary housing . mechanical power is applied to an input shaft that operatively drives the rotor and thus drives the one or more gas compression ramps . in practice of the method , the apparent inlet velocity of the one or more gas compression ramps is at least mach 1 . 0 . in one aspect of the method , the apparent inlet velocity of the one or more gas compression ramps is at least mach 2 . 5 . in another embodiment of the method , the inlet velocity of the one or more gas compression ramps is between mach 2 . 5 and mach 4 . in yet another embodiment , the apparent inlet velocity of the gas compression ramps is approximately mach 3 . 5 . in practice of the method , a gas being compressed can be selected from the group consisting of ( a ) air , ( b ) steam , ( c ) refrigerant , and ( d ) hydrocarbons . in one embodiment the gas is essentially natural gas . in another embodiment , the method can be practiced to compress air . in yet another embodiment , the method can be practiced to compress a refrigerant . in a still further embodiment , the method can be practiced to compress steam . for aerodynamic and acoustic purposes , the compression ramps can be arranged and spaced equally apart circumferentially about a rotor so as to engage a supplied gas stream substantially free of turbulence from the previous passage through a given circumferential location of any one of the one or more gas compression ramps . in design of a suitable supersonic gas compressor as taught herein , the cross sectional areas of each of the throat resulting at one of the one or more gas compression ramps is sized and shaped to provide a desired compression ratio . turning now to fig1 , a partially cut away perspective view of one embodiment of a compressor 21 utilizing opposing rotors mounted on a common shaft is provided . here , each rotor has axial compression ramps 26 as described herein , but mounted in opposing fashion along a common shaft for thrust balancing . major components shown in this fig1 include a stationary housing or case 322 having first 324 and second 326 inlets for supply of low pressure gas to be compressed , and a high pressure compressed gas outlet nozzle 328 . in this dual unit design , a first rotor 330 and a second rotor 332 are provided , each having a central axis defined along centerline 334 , here shown defined by common shaft 336 , and adapted for rotary motion therewith , in case 322 . each one of the first 330 and second 332 rotors extends radially outward from its central axis to an outer surface portion 338 , and further to an outer extremity 340 on the strakes s . on each one of first 330 and second 332 rotors , one or more axially directed supersonic shock compression ramps 26 are provided . each one of the axially directed supersonic shock compression ramps 26 forms a feature extending outward from the outer surface portion 338 of its respective first 330 or second 332 rotor . within housing 322 , a first circumferential stationary interior peripheral wall 342 is provided radially outward from first rotor 330 . likewise a second circumferential stationary interior peripheral wall 344 is provided radially outward from second rotor 332 . each one of the stationary peripheral walls 342 and 344 are positioned radially outward from the central axis defined by centerline 334 , and are positioned very slightly radially outward from the outer extremity 340 of first 330 and second 332 rotors ( i . e . tips of strakes ) respectively . each one of the first and second stationary peripheral walls 342 and 344 have interior surface portion 352 and 354 , respectively . each one of the one or more supersonic shock compression ramps 346 cooperates with the interior surface portion 352 and 354 of one of the stationary peripheral walls 342 or 344 to contain gas which has been compressed by the axially directed compression ramp 346 . one or more helical strakes 28 and 32 are provided adjacent each one of the one or more supersonic compression ramps 26 . an outwardly extending wall portion 28 w or 32 w of each of the one or more strakes 28 or 32 extends outward from at least a portion of the outer surface portion 338 of its respective rotor 330 or 332 along a height hh to a point adjacent the respective interior surface portion 352 or 354 of the peripheral wall 342 or 344 . the upstream strakes 32 and the downstream strakes 28 effectively separate the low pressure inlet gas g i from high pressure compressed gas g p downstream of each one of the supersonic gas compression ramps 26 . strakes 28 and 32 are , in the embodiment illustrated by the circumferential flow paths depicted in fig7 and 8 , provided in a helical structure extending substantially radially outward from the outer surface portion 24 of its respective rotor 330 or 332 . in one embodiment , such as is shown in fig9 , the number of the one or more helical strakes is n , and the number of the one or more supersonic gas compression ramps is x , and the number n of strakes s is equal to the number x of compression ramps r . in another embodiment , as is shown in fig1 , the number of helical strakes is n , and the number of the one or more supersonic gas compression ramps is equal to 2 n . when strakes are designated by the reference numeral s , the strakes s 1 through s n partition entering gas so that the gas flows to the respective gas compression ramp then incident to the inlet area for that rotor . as can be appreciated from fig8 , the preferably helical strakes , such as strakes s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 as shown in fig7 , are thin walled , with about 0 . 15 ″ width ( axially ) at the root , and about 0 . 10 ″ width at the tip . with the design illustrated herein , it is believed that leakage of compressed gases will be minimal . thus , the strakes s 1 through s n allow feed of gas to each gas compression ramp without appreciable bypass of the compressed high pressure gas to the entering low pressure gas . that is , the compressed gas is effectively prevented by the arrangement of strakes s from “ short circuiting ” and thus avoids appreciable efficiency losses . this strake feature can be better appreciated by evaluating the details shown in fig1 , where strakes 28 and 32 revolves in close proximity to the interior wall surface 352 . the strakes 28 and 32 have a localized height hs 1 and a localized height hs 2 , respectively , which extends to a tip end ts 1 and ts 2 respectively , that is designed for rotation very near to the interior peripheral wall surface of housing 22 , to allow for fitting in close proximity to the tip end ts 1 or ts 2 with the adjacent wall . as depicted in fig1 downstream of each of first 330 and second 332 rotors is a first 390 and second 392 high pressure outlet , respectively , each configured to receive and pass therethrough high pressure outlet gas resulting from compression of gas by the one or more gas compression ramps 26 on the respective rotor 330 or 332 . one or more combined high pressure gas outlet nozzles 328 can be utilized , as shown in fig1 , to receive the combined output from the first and second high pressure outlets 390 and 392 from rotors 330 and 332 . for improved efficiency and operational flexibility , the compressor 20 may be designed to further include a first inlet casing 400 and a second inlet casing 402 having therein , respectively , first 404 and second 406 pre - swirl impellers . these pre - swirl impellers 404 and 406 are located intermediate the low pressure gas inlets 324 and 326 , and their respective first 330 or second 332 rotors . each of the pre - swirl impellers 404 and 406 are configured for compressing the low pressure inlet gas g i to provide an intermediate pressure gas stream ip at a pressure intermediate the pressure of the low pressure inlet gas g i and the high pressure outlet gas g p , as noted in fig1 . in one application for the apparatus depicted , air at ambient atmospheric conditions of 14 . 7 psig is compressed to about 20 psig by the pre - swirl impellers 404 and 406 . however , such pre - swirl impellers can be configured to provide a compression ratio of up to about 2 : 1 . more broadly , the pre - swirl impellers can be configured to provide a compression ratio from about 1 . 3 : 1 to about 2 : 1 . also , for improving efficiency , the gas compressor 21 can be provided in a configuration wherein , downstream of the pre - swirl impellers 404 and 406 , but upstream of the one or more gas compression ramps 26 on the respective rotors 330 and 332 , a plurality of inlet guide vanes , are provided , a first set 410 or 410 ′ before first rotor 330 and a second set 412 or 412 ′ before second rotor 332 . the inlet guide vanes 410 ′ and 412 ′ impart a spin on gas passing therethrough so as to increase the apparent inflow velocity of gas entering the one or more gas compression ramps 26 . additionally , such inlet guide vanes 410 ′ and 412 ′ assist in directing incoming gas in a trajectory which more closely matches gas flow path through the ramps 26 , to allow gas entering the one or more gas compression ramps 26 to be at a suitable angle , given the design rotating speed , to minimize inlet losses . in one embodiment , as illustrated , the pre - swirl impellers 404 and 406 can be provided in the form of a centrifugal compressor wheel . as illustrated in fig1 , pre - swirl impellers 404 and 406 can be mounted on a common shaft 336 with the rotor 330 and 332 . it is possible to customize the design of the pre - swirl impeller and the inlet guide vane set to result in a supersonic gas compression ramp inlet inflow condition with the same pre - swirl velocity or mach number but a super - atmospheric pressure . since the supersonic compression ramp inlet basically multiples the pressure based on the inflow pressure and mach number , a small amount of supercharging at the pre - swirl impellers can result in a significant increase in cycle compression ratio . with ( or without ) the aid of pre - swirl impellers 404 and 406 , it is important that the apparent velocity of gas entering the one or more gas compression ramps 26 is in excess of mach 1 , so that the efficiency of supersonic shock compression can be exploited . however , to increase efficiency , it would be desirable that the apparent velocity of gas entering the one or more gas compression ramps 26 be in excess of mach 2 . more broadly , the apparent velocity of gas entering the one or more gas compression ramps 26 can currently practically be between about mach 1 . 5 and mach 3 . 5 , although wider ranges are certainly possible within the teachings hereof . it is to be appreciated that the various aspects and embodiments of the supersonic compressor designs described herein are an important improvement in the state of the art of gas compressors . although only a few exemplary embodiments have been described in detail , various details are sufficiently set forth in the drawings and in the specification provided herein to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention ( s ), which need not be further described by additional writing in this detailed description . importantly , the aspects and embodiments described and claimed herein may be modified from those shown without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages provided by this invention , and may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . therefore , the embodiments presented herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive . this disclosure is intended to cover the structures described herein and not only structural equivalents thereof , but also equivalent structures . numerous modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention ( s ) may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . thus , the scope of the invention ( s ), as set forth in the appended claims , and as indicated by the drawing and by the foregoing description , is intended to include variations from the embodiments provided which are nevertheless described by the broad interpretation and range properly afforded to the plain meaning of the claims set forth below .	5
referring now to fig1 , a laser 10 may provide a stream of pulses 12 directed to a beam splitter 14 directing part of the energy of each of the pulses 12 both to a first optical system 16 and second optical system 18 to develop probe and pump pulses respectively . pulses 12 output from the beam splitter 14 are received by a first and second spectrum - broadening crystal 20 and 22 each producing a supercontinuum white light pulse 24 . a wavelength bandwidth of the white light pulses 24 , for example , may range from wavelength between 400 - 1400 nanometers ( and hence having a bandwidth of no less than 1000 nanometers ). the invention contemplates a bandwidth of no less than 900 nanometers or no less than 700 nanometers . generally the bandwidth will exceed 1½ octaves and will include the wavelength of 1000 nanometers . in the first optical system 16 , the white light pulse 24 may be received by a pulse splitter 28 which controllably splits the white light pulse 24 into first and second pump pulses 30 and 32 of substantially equal energy and frequency profile but separated in time by a time value τ . the pump pulses 30 and 32 are directed through a sample volume 34 holding a sample to be analyzed ( either by absorption or reflection ). pump pulses 30 and 32 leaving the sample volume 34 may be absorbed by an absorber 36 . in the second optical system 18 , the white light pulse 24 is used as a probe pulse 24 ′ and may pass through the sample volume 34 to be received by a detector 38 , for example , a spectroscope , after stimulation of the material in the sample volume 34 by the pump pulses 30 and 32 . a signal from the detector 38 after receipt of the probe pulse 24 ′ is received by an electronic computer 40 which may also control the pulse splitter 28 to change the value of τ . generally electronic computer 40 will execute a stored , program 42 held in solid state memory or other non - transient memory structure to perform repeated “ experiments ” in which pump pulses 30 and 32 are used to excite material within the sample volume 34 , which material is then analyzed by a probe pulse 24 ′ ( substantially identical in spectrum to white light pulse 24 ). successive experiments may provide for different values oft so as to generate information necessary to produce a two - dimensional spectrogram 44 of a type generally understood in the art . individual experiments with the same value of τ may also be repeated and aggregated for the purpose of reducing measurement noise . referring now to fig2 , in one embodiment the pulse splitter 28 may provide a translating , wedge - based , identical pulse encoding system ( twins ), for example , as described in d . brida , c . manzoni , g . cerullo , “ phase - locked pulses for two - dimensional spectroscopy by a birefringent delay line ”, optics letters 37 , 3027 ( aug . 1 , 2012 ) hereby incorporated by reference . in this system , a white light pulse 24 having a first polarization of 45 degrees with respect to a surface such as an optical table 50 ( indicated in the figure by an arrow ) is generated by a wave plate 46 . the polarized white light pulse 24 is then received by an σ - bbo crystal 52 with an optical axis cut perpendicular to the surface of the table 50 . the crystal 52 splits the white light pulse 24 into vertically and horizontally polarized pulses 54 and 56 with some fixed time delay between them . next a pair of α - bbo wedges 58 and 60 with optical axes cut parallel to the surface of the table 50 and perpendicular to the beam propagation axis are used to adjust the separation between pulses 54 and 56 by selectively delaying one pulse . this adjustment may be used to change value oft in the pump pulses 30 and 32 . generally this adjustment is provided by physically moving one of the wedges ( e . g . 58 ) by attachment of the wedge to the mechanical stage ( not shown ) controllable by the computer 40 ( shown in fig1 ) to change a thickness of the wedge intersecting the path of the pulses 54 and 56 . a second pair of wedges 62 and 64 downstream from wedges 58 and 60 , with the optical axis cut parallel to both the surface of the table 50 and to the beam propagation , is used to fix the relative timing between the second pump pulse 32 and the probe pulse 24 ′, as will be discussed below , as well as partially correcting the frequency dispersion of the two pump pulses 30 and 32 that would otherwise be generated by changing of the amount of material in the beam path with the first two wedges 58 and 60 . a polarizer 70 is used after the wedges 58 , 60 , 62 and 64 to realign the polarization of the pump pulses 30 and 32 to a common polarization and to set the final polarization of the pump pulses 30 and 32 , for example , to be either parallel or perpendicular to the probe pulse 24 ′. referring now to fig3 , the laser 10 , for example , may in one example produce narrow spectrum pulses 12 having a center frequency of 800 nanometers and a duration of 150 femtoseconds with a one kilohertz repetition rate and a per pulse energy of 300 μj . a laser suitable for this purpose is commercially available from spectra physics of california , united states under the trade name spitfire . after passing through the beam splitter 14 , narrow spectrum pulses 12 may be received along the first optical path through a polarizing wave plate 71 , collimating lens assembly 72 and spectrum - broadening crystal 20 . the white light pulse 24 is then received by a mirror array 74 providing an adjustable path length by means of a mechanically movable stage 76 controllable by the computer 40 as may be used to arbitrarily delay the white light pulse 24 with respect to the pump pulses 30 and 32 to produce the probe pulse 24 ′. the delay may be adjusted as necessary to capture the desired chemical phenomenon by the spectroscope . after the beam splitter 14 , narrow spectrum pulse 12 may also be received by a collimating optical assembly 80 on the second optical system 18 and by the second spectrum - broadening crystal 20 to produce white light pulse 24 . both spectral broadening crystals 20 and 22 may , for example , be four millimeter thick yttrium aluminum garnet ( yag ) crystal . a prism compressor 84 may then precompensate the white light pulse 24 against dispersion introduced by the pulse splitter 28 . the white light pulse 24 is then is split into two pump pulses 30 and 32 following the pulse splitter 28 . the pump pulses 30 and 32 and probe pulse 24 are then received by a mirror array 86 to be focused through the sample volume 34 with light from the probe pulse 24 ′ only being directed to the detector 38 . the detector , for example , may be a 150 mm focal length spectrometer 90 , for example , the acton sp - 2150 spectrograph commercially available from princeton instruments of new jersey , united states , coupled with a light detector using an ingaas photodiode array 92 , for example , the oma - v : 512 - 1 . 7 also commercially available from princeton instruments . referring now to fig3 , it will be appreciated that an alternative method of generating the white light pulses 24 may direct the laser pulses 12 through collimating optical assembly 80 and a single spectrum - broadening crystal 20 before the beam splitter 14 . the beam splitter may then split a single white light pulse 24 into two white light pulses 24 . certain terminology is used herein for purposes of reference only , and thus is not intended to be limiting . for example , terms such as “ upper ”, “ lower ”, “ above ”, and “ below ” refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made . terms such as “ front ”, “ back ”, “ rear ”, “ bottom ” and “ side ”, describe the orientation of portions of the component within a consistent but arbitrary frame of reference which is made clear by reference to the text and the associated drawings describing the component under discussion . such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above , derivatives thereof , and words of similar import . similarly , the terms “ first ”, “ second ” and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context . when introducing elements or features of the present disclosure and the exemplary embodiments , the articles “ a ”, “ an ”, “ the ” and “ said ” are intended to mean that there are one or more of such elements or features . the terms “ comprising ”, “ including ” and “ having ” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements or features other than those specifically noted . it is further to be understood that the method steps , processes , and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated , unless specifically identified as an order of performance . it is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed . references in the claims and specification to a first and second modulator should not be interpreted as limited to two devices in separate housings or to two devices having separate components but may be realized with any device , including a single device , operating to provide independent modulation of two different light beams according to independent modulation signals . likewise , each of the first and second modulators may be composed of multiple modulators . references to “ a controller ” and “ a processor ” can be understood to include one or more controllers or processors that can communicate in a stand - alone and / or a distributed environment ( s ), and can thus be configured to communicate via wired or wireless communications with other processors , where such one or more processor can be configured to operate on one or more processor - controlled devices that can be similar or different devices . furthermore , references to memory , unless otherwise specified , can include one or more processor - readable and accessible memory elements and / or components that can be internal to the processor - controlled device , external to the processor - controlled device , and can be accessed via a wired or wireless network . it is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein and the claims should be understood to include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims . all of the publications described herein , including patents and non - patent publications , are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties .	6
referring now to the figure , there is illustrated therein a schematic representation of a series of reaction vessels and associated apparatus useful in the practice f styrene polymerization and more particularly in the production of rubber - modified styrene using the process of the present invention . in the manufacture of hips material using this process , styrene , polybutadiene , a free - radical initiator , and additional components such as solvents , anti - oxidants , and other additives are usually fed to a polymerization reactor indicated at cstr through a feed line or multiple feed lines generally indicated at f1 . the polymerization reactor cstr is of the type commonly referred to as a continuous stirred tank reactor . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; styrene &# 34 ; includes a variety of substituted styrenes , e . g . alpha - methylstyrene , ring - substituted styrenes , such as p - methylstyrene and p - chlorostyrene , as well as unsubstituted styrene . typically , the mixture in polymerization reactor cstr will comprise about 75 to 99 % by weight styrene , about 1 to 15 % by weight polybutadiene , about 0 . 001 to 0 . 2 % by weight free - radical initiator , and about 0 . 1 to about 6 % by weight additional components . the reactor cstr , as previously mentioned , is a continuously stirred tank reactor which operates at a percent solids level above the inversion of the polymer system . that is , the polymerization reactor operates at a percent solids level such that the system has a continuous phase of polystyrene and a discontinuous phase of dispersed droplets of rubber ; or preferably , the droplets are a mixture of polystyrene and rubber . the cstr reactor is sometimes also referred to as a &# 34 ; boiling reactor &# 34 ; which means that the styrene / polystyrene / rubber mixture therein is allowed to &# 34 ; boil &# 34 ; by vaporization of the lighter components ( styrene monomer , ethylbenzene , for example ). this vaporizing of lighter compounds serves to remove a large amount of the heat of polymerization , and allows the operator to better control the rate of polymerization in the cstr vessel . the vapor components from the cstr reactor are drawn off of the vessel and piped via line f13 to the main condenser as described hereinbelow , there to be condensed for return to the reactor via the recycle stream . in this preferred embodiment , the vaporized volatiles from the reactor cstr , which comprise desirable lower boiling point volatiles such as unreacted monomer and ethylbenzene for example , and undesirable volatiles such as acid species and other higher boiling point volatiles , are drawn off of the upper part of the cstr reactor to allow the heat of polymerization to be controlled by removing it in the form of these vaporized volatiles . in conventional polymerization systems these total volatiles would be piped to the main condenser cond for condensation and then filtration in a filter system cbt for removal of the undesirables . the filtered condensate would then be recycled back into the reactor system . in the present embodiment , it has been found that the total burden on the condenser cond and the filter system cbt can be reduced substantially be inserting a partial condenser pc in the vapor line f13 , which partial condenser is operated at partial condensing conditions just severe enough to condense primarily only the desirable , lower boiling point volatiles such as unreacted monomer and ethylbenzene . these condensed volatiles are returned directly from the partial condenser pc to the reactor cstr via return line f15 . the remaining uncondensed volatiles , consisting primarily of the undesirable , higher boiling point compounds , are transported from the partial condenser pc to the main condenser cond for condensation and removal of undesirable compounds in filter system cbt , before adding them to the normal recycle stream . preferably , the apparatus used in practicing the present invention may additionally comprise a second polymerization reactor of the continuous stirred tank reactor type which is operated at a preinversion condition , ie the continuous phase therein is a styrene - rubber solution and the discontinuous phase is polystyrene . the preinversion reactor ( not shown ) is usually located directly ahead of , or upstream of , the polymerization reactor cstr such that the styrene , polybutadiene , free - radical initiator , and other components are fed to the preinversion reactor first and the mixture exiting the preinversion reactor is then fed to the cstr reactor . the preinversion reactor is also preferably a continuous stirred tank reactor . the liquids / solids output from the polymerization reactor cstr is fed to another polymerization reactor through flow line f2 where post - inversion stage polymerization occurs . preferably this next polymerization reactor is a linear - flow reactor , such as a plug flow reactor , but may also be a tower - type reactor or other known reactor configuration . the figure indicates a single linear - flow reactor pfr , whereas more than one linear - flow reactor may be utilized , placed in serial connection with the pfr reactor . this achieves increased polymerization in each subsequent horizontal reactor . the output from the plug flow horizontal polymerization reactors is at a temperature of around 340 ° f . and is directed to a preheater ph and from there to a conventional devolatilizer dv1 through flow lines f3 and f4 , respectively . the temperature of the material leaving the preheater is preferably in the range of about 480 ° f . unreacted styrene monomer and other volatile residual components leave devolatilizer dv1 through overhead line f5 as a recycle stream component . this recycle stream is preferably returned to the present system after condensation in condenser cond and further treatment in clay bed treater cbt via flow line f6 . the treated recycled stream then flows through flow line f7 back to the polymerization reactor cstr . periodically the absorbent material , whether it be clay or alumina , or other suitable material , in the treater cbt is backflushed and regenerated , with the waste material being transported via flow line f8 to waste storage tank wst . referring back to the output of devolatilizer dv1 , in addition to the overhead recycle stream containing the aforementioned volatile components flowing through f5 , the polymerization reactants , at about 99 . 5 % solids and comprising polymerized high impact polystyrene and nonvolatile components at a temperature of about 440 ° f ., flow out the lower end of dv1 through flow line f9 to a second devolatilizer dv2 . in devolatilizer dv2 additional volatile components are separated and flowed out through line f10 , and finished polystyrene or high impact polystyrene moves through product line f11 at a temperature of about 440 ° f . to a pelletizer or other type of finished product formulation unit . the devolatilizer dv1 and dv2 preferably have conventional heating elements , such as external heater coils , arranged to maintain the reactant stream therein at a relatively constant temperature in the range of about 440 ° f . the devolatilizers use a combination of the heat already in the material , heat added by the heater coils , and a vacuum in the range of about 1 to 10 mm hg to vaporize or &# 34 ; boil - off &# 34 ; the volatiles in the stream . preferably the first devol unit dv1 maintains a low pressure ( vacuum ) of around 5 - 10 mm hg and the second devol a lower pressure ( higher vacuum ), in the range of only about 1 mm hg . this higher pressure ( lower vacuum ) in dv1 then preferentially vaporizes the desirable lower boiling point volatiles such as styrene monomer , ethylbenzene , and other aromatics and vinyl structures . on the other hand , the greater vacuum in dv2 allows the undesirable , higher boiling point volatiles to be boiled off therein , such as the oxygenated species , acids , quinones , phenols , etc . the volatile components from dv2 flowing through line f10 are then passed through a total condenser tc which totally condenses these volatile components by means of a cooling medium cm flowing thereacross , and these condensed components are then flowed through waste line f14 to waste sump w . a pump p then pumps the waste components through line f12 to the waste storage tank wst . the recycle streams coming off of the devolatilizers dv1 and dv2 contain a variety of impurities . the major impurities in these streams can be traced to products of reactions between species necessarily present in the recycle stream , such as styrene monomer and anti - oxidant , impurities from the rubber , and unwanted species in the systems , such as oxygen . although some of the recycle stream impurities are innocuous , it has been unexpectedly discovered that certain impurities in the recycle stream adversely affect the polymerization process and / or the resultant hips product when the recycle stream is introduced back into the system . in the continuous process of the present invention , polymerization of the styrene monomer is initiated by the decomposition of a free - radical initiator . initiating radicals for the polymerization reaction are generated by the decomposition of the free - radical initiator into one or more primary radicals . the primary radical then reacts with styrene monomer to initiate polymerization . typically , the free - radical initiator is fed to the first polymerization reactor cstr which is maintained at conditions under which the free - radical initiator decomposes , although it may also be provided to the aforementioned preinversion reactor ahead of the cstr reactor or it may be introduced at the linear flow reactor pfr . the free - radical initiator may alternatively be selected such that it will not decompose in the first polymerization reactor and rather will decompose under the conditions maintained in some subsequent polymerization reactor such as the pfr or subsequent linear flow reactor . in this case , polymerization of styrene monomer in polymerization reactors can be thermally initiated . alternatively , a combination or two or more free - radical initiators can be used , such that one free - radical initiator decomposes in the polymerization reactor cstr and another free - radical initiator decomposes in the linear flow reactor pfr . decomposition of the free - radical initiator , which initiates polymerization of the styrene monomer , also produces decomposition by - products which do not participate in the polymerization reaction . in the present continuous flow process , these decomposition by - products of the free - radical initiator are removed from the hips polymer in the devolatilizers dvi and dv2 and , unless removed from the recycle stream , would be reintroduced into the polymerization reactors . investigation of the effects of various recycle stream components upon styrene polymerization has shown that acid decomposition by - products of free - radical initiators react with such initiators , thereby inhibiting styrene polymerization . it is believed that these acidic decomposition by - products adversely affect free - radical initiator efficiency by inducing decomposition of the free - radical initiator and / or trapping free - radicals produced by spontaneous ( as opposed to induced ) decomposition of the free - radical initiator . thus , the acidic decomposition by - products decrease the number of free - radicals available to initiate polymerization of the styrene monomer , which in turn decreases the efficiency of the free - radical initiator . benzoic acid is one example of an acid decomposition by - product having such an adverse effect . the realization that benzoic acid in the recycle stream inhibits styrene polymerization in the presence of free - radical initiators is particularly significant since benzoic acid is a decomposition by - product of t - butyl peroxybenzoate and dibenzyl peroxide , two of the most commonly used free - radical initiators in the continuous process production of hips . benzoic acid is also produced from the air oxidation of benzylaldehyde , which in turn is produced from the oxidation of styrene . other acidic specie may be present in the polybutadiene rubber . it is well known that phenolic anti - oxidants , sulphur components , and substituted phosphites are added to protect the rubber from oxidation . the aforementioned incorporated patent u . s . pat . no . 4 , 857 , 587 lists several acid - producing free - radical initiators and their corresponding acid decomposition by - products . also shown therein is a graphical illustration of the detrimental effects of benzoic acid on styrene polymerization when using the free - radical initiator t - butyl peroxybenzoate . according to the process of the aforementioned incorporated &# 39 ; 587 patent , the adverse effects of acid decomposition by - products of free - radical initiators are avoided by directing the recycle stream through a recycle treatment vessel cbt interposed between the devolatilizer dvi and the recycle stream return line f7 . the recycle treatment vessel cbt , preferably comprises at least one adsorbent material , such as alumina or clay , which is capable of removing acid components from the recycle stream . other examples of specific adsorbent materials include alumina , attapulgus clay , carbon , silica gels , and porocel ( trademark for an alumina ). the size and shape of the recycle treatment vessel is determined according to standard engineering practices . preferably the cbt is a clay - filled tower , maintained at approximately 80 ° to 120 ° c . and about 20 to 25 psi pressure . while the recycle treatment vessel cbt must be capable of removing substantially all of the acid components from the recycle stream , it is highly desirable that the adsorbent used also be capable of removing other impurities , both identified and unknown , from the recycle stream . the combined effects of all impurities , including acid decomposition by - products , upon styrene polymerization reaction rate and the average rubber particle size in the resultant hips polymer are significantly detrimental , and increase with an increase of the amount of impurities . in addition to the removal of some of the acid by - products species from the volatile line off of devolatilizer dv1 , it has further been found that by proper selection of vacuum levels in the devolatilizers , a larger percentage of the undesirable products can be made to pass out through product line f9 from dv1 and into the second devolatilizer dv2 where those undesirable volatile components can be removed from the polymerized material thereby preventing overburdening of the clay bed treater while obtaining a further protection of the initial free - radical initiators . in the present invention , the major portion ( approximately 80 %) of the volatile components leading from the preheater ph are removed in devolatilizer dv1 and passed through flow line f5 . approximately 20 % of the removable volatiles are then removed from the polymer stream in devolatilizer dv2 . originally the volatile components from dv2 were added back into the recycle stream f5 through flow line f10 . it has been found however that a major portion of the undesirable acidic by - products are removed in the volatiles of dv2 rather than dv1 . more than 80 % of the total volatiles are removed in dv1 and added to the recycle stream and less than 20 % of the total volatiles are removed from dv2 , yet the low volatile output of dv2 comprises a major portion of the acidic by - products which destroy the free - radical initiators . therefore , it was found that rather than adding the output of devolatilizer dv2 back into the recycle stream , the clay bed treatment vessel life can be extended significantly by routing the volatiles from dv2 into a total condenser tc through flow line f10 , totally condensing all of the volatiles , and removing them to a waste sump w whereupon they are pumped by pump p to the waste storage tank wst . thus , the loss of less than 20 % of the volatiles from the recycle stream results in removal of more than half of the undesirable acid decomposition by - products from the recycle stream , which greatly extends the life of the adsorbent material in the treatment vessel cbt . the present invention comprises a process , and apparatus for performing the process , for manufacturing polymerized styrenics , which process includes the steps of utilizing a composition of devolatilizers and a partial condenser to remove volatile components from the polymerized styrene material and filtering the volatile components to remove destructive acid by - products . the process further encompasses a second devolatilizer downstream of a first devolatilizer for selectively removing undesirable volatile components from the finished polystyrene and , instead of recycling these undesirable volatile components , condensing them in a total condenser and pumping them to a waste storage tank . the removal of all of the volatile components from the second devolatilizer results in a loss of less than 20 % of the total volatiles but also results in removal of more than half of the destructive acid by - product components and a resulting decrease in the burden on the filter treatment vessel cbt . an additional decrease in the burden on the condenser and filter system is achieved using a partial condenser in the reactor vessel vapor recycle stream . although the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments thereof , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modification can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims .	2
with reference to fig1 there is shown a first embodiment of the present invention , an electrical fitting 30 having an improved arrangement for the securing of electrical cables thereto . the electrical fitting 30 includes a continuous tubular body 32 including a leading portion 34 , a trailing portion 36 , and a bore 38 . a raised area 39 extends in one direction from the tubular body 32 . secured externally to the trailing portion 36 of the tubular body 32 is a clip member 40 , with the clip member 40 including a base portion 42 at which it is secured to the tubular body 32 . referring to fig1 , the bore 38 of the tubular body 32 includes a central axis 44 defined by the leading portion 34 . the central axis 44 of the bore 38 is the axial center of the leading portion 34 . a cylindrical volume 45 surrounds the central axis 44 within the leading portion 34 . within the raised area 39 of the trailing portion 36 is a cavity 47 . the cavity 47 provides additional volume between the raised area 39 and the central axis 44 and thereby creates a larger volume within the trailing portion 36 than the cylindrical volume 45 of the leading portion 34 . at least one leg 46 extends from the base portion 42 of the clip member 40 . the leg 46 extends from the raised area 39 of the tubular body 32 into the bore 38 . the leg 46 is cantilevered from a point 48 exterior of the tubular body 32 , which is the cantilever point 48 where the base portion 42 of the clip member 40 joins the leg 46 . the leg 46 extends substantially to the central axis 44 of the tubular body 32 . the leg 46 includes an end portion 50 with the end portion 50 being preferably within 30 degrees of perpendicular with respect to the central axis 44 of the tubular body 32 . each leg 46 includes a top portion 52 and an intermediate portion 54 . the intermediate portion 54 of each leg 46 is preferably at an angle θ of between 20 and 60 degrees with respect to the central axis 44 of the bore 38 , and , more preferably , at an angle θ of 40 degrees with respect to the central axis 44 of the bore 38 . as shown in fig1 – 14 , the clip member 40 has two legs 46 , including a first leg 46 a and a second leg 46 b . the base portion 42 of the clip member 40 includes an aperture 56 therein . additionally , as shown in fig6 , the trailing portion 36 of the tubular body 32 includes an aperture 58 therein , which may be a smooth aperture or threaded , and an opening 60 positioned near the aperture 58 . with reference to fig1 , the clip member 40 is secured to the tubular body 32 by a fastener 62 secured through the aperture 56 in the clip member 40 into the aperture 58 in the trailing portion 36 of the tubular body 32 . the tubular body 32 includes a leading end 64 and a trailing end 66 . when the preferred embodiment of the clip member 40 is secured to the tubular body 32 , the first leg 46 a extends directly into the bore 38 of the tubular body 32 at the trailing end 66 . the second leg 46 b extends through the opening 60 and into the bore 38 of the tubular body 32 . with the clip member 40 secured to the tubular body 32 to form the electrical fitting 30 of the present invention , as shown in fig1 , the base portion 42 extends between the first leg 46 a and the second leg 46 b and the first leg 46 a and the second leg 46 b extend from the base portion 42 at a substantially constant distance from each other thereby forming parallel legs 46 a and 46 b . the raised area 39 of the tubular body 32 enables the electrical fitting 30 to accommodate legs 46 a and 46 b of longer length than comparable prior art fittings , and the greater length increases the flexibility of the legs 46 a and 46 b thereby allowing them to flex upwards when contacted by a cable inserted therein ( not shown ) and admit passage of the cable while imparting very little resistance to its forward advance into the bore 38 . referring to fig4 and 5 , the tubular body 32 includes a top wall 68 on the trailing portion 36 and a top wall 70 on the leading portion 34 with the top wall 68 of the trailing portion 36 extending farther from the central axis 44 than the top wall 70 of the leading portion 34 . as shown in fig4 , the top wall 68 of the trailing portion 36 is substantially flat . the tubular body 32 further includes a central flange 72 between the trailing portion 36 and the leading portion 34 and an end flange 74 on the leading end 64 of the tubular body 32 . as shown in fig5 , the aperture 58 in the trailing portion 36 of the tubular body 32 is formed in a thick wall section 76 . with reference to fig7 , the tubular body 32 further includes a partial closure 78 on the leading end 64 . the partial closure 78 includes an opening 80 therein . edges 82 on the partial closure 78 surround the opening 80 . a tubular insert 84 which may be used with the electrical fitting of the present invention is depicted in fig8 and 9 . the insert 84 includes an end flange 86 , a smooth seat 88 , a necked - down nose section 90 , and a center bore 91 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the insert 84 may be pressed into the opening 80 of the partial closure 78 on the leading end 64 of the tubular body 32 to substantially cover the edges 82 of the opening 80 . the insert 84 acts to protect the outer sheaths of any wiring ( not shown ) that is later advanced through the opening 80 within the partial closure 78 of the tubular body 32 . the insert 84 is preferably molded of plastic . as shown in fig1 and 20 , the thick wall section 76 including the aperture 58 therein is located at the trailing end 66 of the tubular body 32 . as depicted in fig1 , the plastic insert 84 is secured in the leading end 64 of the tubular body 32 . the tubular body 32 is constructed of a conductive metal such as steel , zinc , galvanized steel , or aluminum . the tubular body 32 of the present invention is typically formed by die - casting and die - casting alloys are the most preferred material of construction . a most preferred material of construction for the tubular body is zamak ™, a casting alloy comprised mainly of zinc alloyed with aluminum , magnesium , and copper and available from eastern alloys , maybrook , n . y . by constructing the tubular body of zamak ™ or other appropriate metals , the tubular body will be electrically conductive and provide good continuity throughout the fitting . referring to fig1 , the lower end 100 of each leg 46 of the clip member 40 includes a semicircular notch 102 . the semicircular notch 102 is centered on the lower end 100 of the leg 46 and approximates the outer curvature of the portion of a cable ( not shown ) that the lower end 100 of the leg 46 will seat within . the leg 46 seats in a groove of the cable ( see fig1 ). with reference to fig1 , the clip member is preferably formed from a blank 104 of metal . bend lines 106 are shown on the blank 104 to depict the areas in which the blank 104 will be bent to form the preferred embodiment of the clip member having the shape shown in fig1 . the clip member 40 is preferably constructed of spring steel and is electrically conductive . constructing the tubular body 32 of zinc alloy and the clip member 40 of spring steel enables the electrical fitting 30 to establish electrical continuity between the metallic - sheathed cable or conduit and the panel or electrical box to which it is attached . for operation of the present invention , the reader is directed to fig1 and 18 . as previously mentioned in the objects and advantages section , the electrical fitting 30 of the present invention will typically accommodate two trade sizes of cable , which has several advantages in production and stocking requirements . the electrical fitting is especially useful for securing mc ( metal clad ) or armored cable to a panel or electrical box . mc or armored cables include a convoluted outer surface 92 consisting of peaks 93 and grooves 94 such as shown in fig1 . as the electrical fitting is capable of accepting two trade sizes of cable , the parallel legs 46 are capable of engaging one or more of the grooves 94 of the electrical cable depending on the trade size . with reference to fig1 , a first cable 96 is inserted within the bore 38 of the tubular body 32 and , as a result of the flexibility imparted to the legs 46 a and 46 b by the length and angle of the legs , is engaged by at least one of the legs 46 a of the electrical fitting 30 in one of the grooves 94 of the first cable 96 . the legs 46 a and 46 b have a certain degree of flexibility , have a certain length , and are at an angle that allows them to flex upwards as a cable is inserted into the fitting 30 . as the cable 96 is pushed into the fitting 30 , the length and angle of the legs 46 a and 46 b with respect to the central axis 44 impart enhanced flexibility to the legs 46 a and 46 b and enables the first leg 46 a to flex upwards and admit passage of the cable 96 with very slight resistance . forward insertion of the cable 96 is limited by the partial closure 78 at the leading end 64 of the fitting 30 . once the cable 96 is fully inserted into the fitting 30 , as shown in fig1 , the cable 96 is securely held by the first leg 46 a . as a result of the first leg 46 a seating in a groove 94 , and the angle of the first leg 46 a with respect to the central axis 44 , the cable 96 is held very securely and cannot be removed by a backward force placed upon the cable 96 . the electrical fitting 30 of the present invention effectively grasps a cable 96 by the use of a single leg 46 a and 46 b from one side of the fitting 30 , versus prior art connectors ( not shown ) that employ multiple gripping members from multiple sides of the fitting . the legs 46 a and 46 b contact with the cable 96 and 98 provides the necessary electrical continuity from the cable 96 , 98 to the electrical fitting 30 and to the panel or electrical box ( not shown ). with reference to fig1 , an electrical fitting 30 of the same size as that shown in fig1 is capable of accommodating a second cable 98 of a larger trade size . the larger trade size or smaller gauge cable 98 is of a larger diameter than that shown in the previous example . the second cable 98 is inserted within the bore 38 of the tubular body 32 and , as a result of the flexibility imparted to the legs by the length and angle of the legs , is engaged by both legs 46 a and 46 b of the electrical fitting 30 . as the distance between the parallel legs 46 a and 46 b substantially matches the distance between successive grooves 94 of the electrical cable 98 , the two legs 46 a and 46 b seat in successive grooves 94 of the cable 98 . the flexibility of the legs 46 a and 46 b and the spacing between them enables each leg to find a groove 94 on the cable 98 . as the cable 98 is pushed into the fitting 30 , the length and angle of the legs 46 a and 46 b with respect to the central axis 44 impart enhanced flexibility to the legs 46 a and 46 b and enables both legs 46 a and 46 b to flex upwards and admit passage of the cable 98 with very slight resistance . forward insertion of the cable 98 is again limited by the partial closure 78 at the leading end of the fitting 30 . once the cable 98 is fully inserted into the fitting 30 , as shown in fig1 , the cable 98 is securely held by both legs 46 a and 46 b . as a result of the legs 46 a and 46 b seating in the grooves 94 , and the angle of the legs 46 a and 46 b with respect to the central axis 44 , the cable 98 is held very securely and cannot be removed by a backward force applied thereto . however , if it is necessary to remove the cable from the fitting , the cable 98 can easily be removed by unscrewing the fastener 62 and removing the clip member 40 . as compared to prior art fittings , the clip member 40 of the present invention is thicker and more stable , and the legs 46 a and 46 b are longer so that the electrical fitting 30 of the present invention will accommodate two sizes of cable . the length of the legs 46 a and 46 b ensures that they are cantilevered over a longer distance than the analogous gripping members of prior art connectors . the leading end of the electrical fitting can be secured to a panel ( not shown ) by an attachment arrangement such as the spring steel adapter ( 14 ) disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 335 , 488 or the spring steel adapter ( 20 ) disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 266 , 050 , commonly referred to as snap fittings , both of which patents their entireties are incorporated herein by reference . alternatively , the attachment arrangement may include threads on the leading portion of the tubular body and a nut ( not shown ) for engaging the threads such as the standard lock nut ( 70 ) disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 596 , 939 , the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference . referring to fig2 , there is shown a preferred embodiment of an electrical fitting 110 for connecting electrical cable to a panel or an electrical box ( not shown ). the electrical fitting 110 includes a connector body 112 including a leading end 114 and a trailing end 116 separated by an intermediate flange 118 . the connector body 112 includes a leading opening 120 ( see fig2 ) at the leading end 114 and a trailing opening 122 at the trailing end 116 . the intermediate flange 118 extends transversely beyond the connector body 112 by an amount sufficient to prevent the fitting from going into an electrical box outlet hole ( not shown ) when the leading end 114 of the connector body 112 is inserted therein . the electrical fitting 110 includes a tandem tang 124 is secured thereto by a fastener 126 . the leading end 114 of the electrical fitting 110 can be secured to a panel or an electrical box ( not shown ) by an attachment arrangement such as the aforementioned spring steel adapters disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 335 , 488 or u . s . pat . no . 5 , 266 , 050 or by the threaded nose portion and locknut shown in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 596 , 939 . with reference to fig2 and 25 , the trailing end 116 of the connector body 112 includes an open channel 128 that extends from the trailing opening 122 to the flange 118 . the open channel 128 includes a bottom 130 therein . the connector body 112 further includes a bridge 132 adjacent the trailing opening 122 . two outwardly extending ramps 133 extend from the part of the open channel 128 adjacent the flange 118 outwardly and rearwardly to provide the support for bridge 132 . adjacent the trailing end opening 122 bridge 132 extends transversely at the top of the outermost part of the ramp 133 to bridge the open channel 128 . the bridge 132 bridges the open channel 128 and extends transversely beyond the outer dimension d 1 of the intermediate flange 118 . the bridge 132 includes an inclined surface 134 and an aperture 136 therein . the connector body 112 also includes a bore 138 extending from the flange 118 to the leading opening 120 . referring to fig3 – 34 , the tandem tang 124 includes a leading tang 140 , a trailing tang 142 , and a common middle section 144 . the leading tang 140 and trailing tang 142 each include a cable grabbing end 146 . an aperture 148 is provided in the common middle section 144 of the tandem tang 124 for receiving a fastener ( see fig2 ) therein for securing the tandem tang 124 to the connector body 112 . the common middle section 144 of the tandem tang 124 is bent at one end at a first right angle 150 to form the leading tang 140 and at the opposite end at a second right angle 154 to the trailing tang 142 . the leading tang 140 and the trailing tang 142 each include a bend line 158 as shown in fig3 . with reference to fig2 – 27 , the bend lines 158 on both the leading tang 140 and the trailing tang 142 direct the cable grabbing end 146 towards the cable 92 thereby holding the cable against the bottom 130 of the open channel 128 . the inclined surface 134 of the bridge 132 is included on the connector body 112 for receiving and attaching the common middle section 144 of the tandem tang 124 . the leading tang 140 and trailing tang 142 each include a cable grabbing end 146 for contacting and holding a cable 96 against the bottom 130 of the open channel 128 . although the description above contains many specific descriptions , materials , and dimensions , 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 . thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents , rather than by the examples given .	8
referring to fig1 a typical navigation system 10 of an aircraft 26 is shown . a commanded position for a desired flight path position is coupled over lead 12 to an input of adder 14 . the position of aircraft 26 is sensed by radio navigation aids such as distance measuring equipment ( dme ) or very high frequency omnirange ( vor ). radio navaid 16 has an input from aircraft 26 over lead 18 indicative of aircraft position and an output over lead 20 which may provide a plurality of samples indicative of the position of aircraft 26 at respective times . lead 20 is coupled to an input of airborne position estimator 21 which functions to receive the plurality of samples indicative of the position of aircraft 26 at respective times and to generate an estimate of position and velocity of the aircraft . airborne position estimator 21 typically is a least mean square ( lms ) estimator . the output of airborne position estimator is coupled over lead 22 to a second input of adder 14 . adder 14 functions to combine mathematically the commanded position on lead 12 with the estimated position on lead 22 to provide a steering command or error signal over lead 23 to an input of controller 24 . controller 24 may be , for example , an autopilot or human pilot which couples a correction signal to the aircraft . the correction signal is maintained near its null position by changing the direction of the aircraft &# 39 ; s velocity vector by controlling the attitude of the aircraft . inducing a roll angle command causes the aircraft to turn left or right from its flight path . similarly , a change in its pitch angle causes the aircraft to fly above or below its intended flight path . the correction signal is coupled over lead 25 to aircraft 26 . the attitude of aircraft 26 is sensed by airframe attitude sensors 27 which may have an input over lead 28 from aircraft 26 . the output of airframe attitude sensors 27 are coupled over lead 29 to a second input of controller 24 . in fig1 the control loop shown by leads 28 and 29 provide feedback to controller 24 and is commonly known as the flight control system loop . the outer loop shown by leads 18 , 20 and 22 provide feedback information to adder 14 as to the position of the aircraft and is commonly known as the guidance control loop . the output of airborne position estimator 21 on lead 22 is dependent upon the performance of radio navaid 16 and airborne position estimator 21 . as determined by the desired flight path or track over the earth &# 39 ; s surface and the position of other distant portions of radio navaid 16 which may have transmitter locations on the earth &# 39 ; s surface , the performance of radio navaid 16 may be degraded due to collinearity of the distant portions of radio navaid 16 and aircraft 26 . for example , radio navaid 16 may provide two lines of position ( lop ) from two transmitters having respective locations on the earth &# 39 ; s surface . the lops may intersect at either a large angle greater than 150 ° or at a small angle less that 30 ° which results in nearly collinear measurement geometry termed the general dilution of precision ( gdop ). the degraded performance from radio navaid 16 on line 20 is processed by airborne position estimator 21 to provide degraded position information on lead 22 at times collinear measurement geometry or gdop is present . the degraded position information on lead 22 results in degraded steering commands on lead 23 to controller 24 causing controller 24 to vary the velocity vector of aircraft 26 away from the desired flight path at times gdop is present . referring to fig2 a block diagram of position estimator 31 is shown suitable for use in place of airborne position estimator 21 shown in fig1 . radio navaid 16 which may have at least three physical portions , two of which are distant from the aircraft and which have a known position such as a respective transmitter location on the earth &# 39 ; s surface . a third position of navaid 16 is positioned on the aircraft or other platform such as a helicopter , ship , land vehicle , etc . the output of radio navaid 16 provides a plurality of samples indicative of the position of the aircraft at respective times which may be , for example , spaced apart in time by an intersample period δt s the plurality of samples may all be taken within a time interval δt m . lead 20 is coupled to an input of geometric collinear estimator 34 which has stored therein the known positions of the radio navaid 16 portions which are distant from aircraft 26 . geometric collinear estimator 34 functions to calculate the angle between intersecting lines of position from at least two distant portions of radio navaid 16 and aircraft 26 . at time the angle γ between the intersecting lines of position at aircraft 26 is less than or equal to , for example , 30 ° or greater than or equal to 150 °, the output of the geometric collinear estimator 34 on lead 31 will go high causing switch 36 to couple lead 38 to lead 22 . at other times switch 36 will couple lead 40 to lead 22 . the output of radio navaid 16 is also coupled over lead 20 to an input of biased estimator 42 and to an input of unbiased estimator 43 . unbiased estimator 43 may be , for example , a least mean square estimator to provide position and velocity estimates as a function of time over lead 40 to an input of switch 36 and to an input of k parameter 44 . k parameter 44 functions to provide a bias value k over lead 46 to an input of biased estimator 42 . an optimum k value may be derived , for example , from equation 6 . ## equ2 ## in equation 6 , p is the number of variables and s 2 is the sample standard deviation . biased estimator 42 may be , for example , a ridge estimator having a bias value k as shown in equation 7 . as noted previously , k is called the ridge parameter in the literature . a biased estimator 42 or ridge estimator can have a smaller mean square error than an unbiased estimator 43 , because the biased estimator 42 relaxes the unbiased condition . it allows a small bias error in order to achieve a large variance reduction . the result is a smaller mean square error than that achieved by conventional least mean square ( lms ) estimation . fig3 is a diagram showing the intersection of two lines of position ( lops ) 48 and 49 in a position - fix navigation system having distance measuring equipment 50 and 51 spaced apart from one another by a distance shown by arrow 52 . in fig3 the lops intersect at an angle γ which is optimum for precise measurement when γ is equal to or near 90 °. the angle γ is shown by arrow 53 . lop 49 traces on an arc 54 having a spread in possible values of measurement shown by lines 55 and 56 . lop 48 traces on an arc 57 having a spread in possibles values of measurement shown by arcs 58 and 59 . the point of intersection of arcs 54 and 57 show the position of aircraft 26 and the area enclosed by line 55 , 58 , 56 and 59 shown as area 60 shows the area of possible values of position measurement of aircraft 26 . fig4 is a diagram showing the intersection of two lines of position 48 and 49 at a small angle γ in a position - fix navigation system . in fig4 like references are used for lines of position and apparatus as used in fig3 . fig4 shows an x and y horizontal coordinate system having an origin 0 , 0 . dme 50 is located at (- 150000 ; 0 ). dme 51 is located at 150 , 000 &# 39 ;. the lines of position 48 and 49 are shown intersecting at aircraft 26 at an angle of 6 . 1 ° as shown by arrow 53 . radio navaid 16 would provide n samples in time interval δt m while aircraft 26 travels a short distance shown by arrow 61 . aircraft 26 may be , for example , at an initial horizontal position of x =- 400 , 000 &# 39 ; and y = 50 , 000 &# 39 ;. aircraft 26 may be flying on a straight course at constant velocity v over the time interval δt m . fig4 also shows aircraft 26 at a later time at a position x , y of (- 141 , 061 ; 50 , 000 ). lines of position of 48 &# 39 ; and 49 &# 39 ; to aircraft 26 from dme 50 and 51 , respectively form an angle of 90 ° at their intersection at aircraft 26 . an angle of 90 ° provides the most favorable measurement conditions for measuring aircraft position . subsequent in time as aircraft 26 flies along to position x , y of ( 400 , 000 ; 50 , 000 ) the lines of position 48 &# 34 ; and 49 &# 34 ; will again intersect at an angle of 6 . 1 °. as the aircraft continues to fly in the direction past 400 , 000 &# 39 ;, the angle γ will continue to decrease . the intersection of the lines of position 48 and 49 shown in fig4 may be found by solving equations 8 and 9 for x 0 and y 0 . the solution for x 0 and x 0 is shown in equations 10 and 11 where r 1 is the distance to dme 50 and r 2 is the distance to dme 51 and x c1 is the position of dme 50 . ## equ3 ## by utilizing equations 10 and 11 , the initial position of aircraft 26 may be determined and geometric collinear estimator 34 shown in fig2 may calculate the angle formed by the intersection of the lines of position 48 and 49 . fig5 is a diagram showing the position of aircraft 26 along a desired flight path 63 . dme 50 and dme 51 enable radio navaid 16 to generate position samples 47 , and 64 - 72 shown along flight path 63 having an intersample time δt s shown by arrow 73 . the number of samples that may be processed at one time may be , for example , sixteen samples associated with dme 50 and sixteen samples associated with dme 51 . these samples are taken over a time interval δt m with the assumption that the partial derivatives of r 1 and r 2 with respect to x do not change appreciatively . for processing the block of data , 32 samples , it is further assumed that the aircraft is flying a straight course at constant velocity over the measurement interval δt m . additional blocks of data later in time may be obtained by radio navaid 16 for aircraft 26 at positions 72 , 74 , 75 along flight path 63 . referring to fig6 a diagram showing two position samples 76 and 47 is shown along with lines of position 77 and 48 from dme 50 . the flight path segment 78 extends between position sample 76 and 47 . flight path segment 78 is more generally described as r . by using the well known taylor series linearization of non - linear geometry , r may be expressed as shown in equation 12 . in equation 12 , 1 is shown in fig6 by arrow 79 which is measured from a horizontal line in a counterclockwise direction to flight path segment 78 , r . ## equ4 ## a linear model of aircraft position and movement is obtained by differentiating equations 8 and 9 to obtain equation 13 . ## equ5 ## in equation 13 ## equ6 ## is the noise source ## equ7 ## is the known deterministic part . the aircraft position at the ith measurement is given by equation 14 and 15 . x . sub . i = x . sub . 1 + iv . sub . x δt . sub . s ; i = 0 , 1 , 2 . . . n - 1 ( 14 ) after n measurements the initial estimate position is given by equations 16 and 17 . the estimated position at t o + t m is given by equations 18 and 19 . the estimated aircraft speed is given by equation 20 . ## equ8 ## for the ith measurement let δr i1 = r i1 - r 01 and δr i2 = r i2 - r 02 . after n pairs of measurements the linear model equation is given by equation 21 . ## equ9 ## where [ e 11 , e 12 . . . e n1 , e n2 ]= e t is the error vector . the error vector has a covariance given by equations 22 and 23 . ## equ10 ## equation 21 may be rewritten as equation 24 . in equation 24 δr is the 2n × 1 measurement vector , h is the 2n × 4 predicator matrix , β is the 4 × 1 regression coefficient vector . the notation has changed from the usual statistical symbols as used in equation ( 1 ) to avoid confusion with the notation used in the navigation geometry . using fig5 and 6 and equation 12 , the taylor coefficients are given in equations 25 - 28 . ## equ11 ## the average of 30 pairs of range measurements ( r 01 , r 02 ), as shown n fig5 using dme 50 and dme 51 may be made to determine the initial point x o y o at t = t 1 using equations 10 and 11 . the unbiased estimator 42 shown in fig2 may use a least mean square ( lms ) solution to equation 21 which was rewritten as equation 24 . the lms solution to equation 21 or 24 is given by equation 29 . in equation 29 the conditions shown in equation 30 are assumed . ## equ12 ## in equation 29 , h t h will now be given in equation 31 using equations 21 and 25 - 28 and assuming , ## equ13 ## from equations 21 and 25 - 28 , h t r is given in equation 32 . ## equ14 ## in equations 29 - 31 and by letting the covariance w equal i the identity matrix , equation 29 may be rewritten as equation 33 . wherein the calculation of equation 33 may be facilitated by using equations 31 and 32 . in equation 33 β ols is the ordinary least square solution for the vector as shown in equation 34 . the vector given in equation 34 is provided on line 40 from unbiased estimator 43 shown in fig2 . biased estimator 42 may use a ridge regression solution to solve equations 21 or 24 as shown in equation 35 . by letting the covariance w equal i where i is the identify matrix , equation 35 may be written as shown in equation 36 . in equation 36 , k is supplied by k parameter 44 over line 46 which is shown in fig2 . i is the identity matrix which is a square matrix with zeros except along the diagonal which are ones . equation 36 may now be solved using equations 31 and 32 . the solution of equation 36 is a vector shown in equation 35 . k parameter 44 functions to supply a value k to biased estimator 42 which is used when biased estimator 42 solves equation 36 . k parameter 44 may be , for example , the ridge parameter k . an automatic method for choosing k op is given in equation 38 . ## equ15 ## in equation 38 p is the number of variables in the linear model ( p = 4 ) and s 2 is the sample standard deviation based upon ( n - p ) samples ( i . e . 28 ). s 2 may be determined using equation 39 . ## equ16 ## alternatively , k parameter 44 may select a k value which is passed on to biased estimator 42 to calculate the corresponding ridge estimates β r . the k parameter 44 may submit incrementally increasing k values to biased estimator 42 which will calculate the corresponding ridge estimates β r . the optimum k value would be the one at which the ridge estimates stabilize with small changes is k as shown in fig7 . the results are plotted in fig8 ; note that as expected k = 0 . 1 is near the minimum mse . the data for fig8 is given in table ia . table 1a______________________________________ δx 1 . 0e = 003 * δy v . sub . x v . sub . y______________________________________k = 0 . 00 - 0 . 7868 0 . 9910 3 . 7272 0 . 3047 0 . 1787 0 . 8507 1 . 6541 0 . 6055 0 . 3610 0 . 8246 1 . 1636 0 . 6754 0 . 4205 0 . 8164 0 . 9357 0 . 7070 0 . 4410 0 . 8138 0 . 8003 0 . 7252k = 0 . 05 0 . 4453 0 . 8137 0 . 7090 0 . 7369 0 . 4422 0 . 8146 0 . 6422 0 . 7451 0 . 4356 0 . 8160 0 . 5907 0 . 7510 0 . 4272 0 . 8177 0 . 5495 0 . 7555 0 . 4181 0 . 8195 0 . 5156 0 . 7589k = 0 . 10 0 . 4087 0 . 8213 0 . 4871 0 . 7615 0 . 3995 0 . 8230 0 . 4627 0 . 7636______________________________________ the contour ellipsoid for the position coordinates can be determined using h p which is a partition of the matrix h as given by equation 21 . the details are given in fig9 . the subspace for the velocity estimates can also be analyzed using fig9 . table ib summarizes the results wherein the ridge regression technique yielded useable position estimates where γ = 6 . 1 °, whereas the lms estimates given in table ib are not operationally useable . table ib__________________________________________________________________________γ = 6 . 1 ° lms estimate ridge estimatetrue value k = 0 k = 0 . 1__________________________________________________________________________δ . sub . x1000 ft - 786 ft 418 ftδ . sub . y1000 ft 991 ft 819 ftv . sub . x727 ft / sec 3727 ft / sec 515 ft / secv . sub . y420 ft / sec 304 ft / sec 758 ft / secnoisestandard deviation samplemodel ( sd ) = 600 sd = 550 . 4 ft mean = 100 . 7 ft__________________________________________________________________________ in fact , even though the lms condition index was moderate ( 19 . 8 ), one of the position estimates had the wrong sign . table ii summarizes the results wherein the ridge regression technique and the lms technique yielded useable position estimates where γ = 90 °. table ii__________________________________________________________________________γ = 90 ° lms estimate ridge estimatetrue value k = 0 k = 0 . 1__________________________________________________________________________δ . sub . x1000 ft 1045 ft 1043 ftδ . sub . y1000 ft 717 ft 718 ftv . sub . x727 ft / sec 625 ft / sec 616 ft / secv . sub . y420 ft / sec 504 ft / sec 493 ft / secnoisestandard deviation sd = 550 . 4 ft ( sd ) = 600 mean = 100 . 7 ft__________________________________________________________________________ a computer simulation was performed in which 1000 sample pairs of size n = 16 were taken . from these samples 1000 estimates were determined and plotted in fig1 - 13 . fig1 and 11 show a plot of the ordinary lms estimate for δx , δy , v x and v y while fig1 and 13 show the ridge estimates for k = 0 . 1 . fig1 - 13 were obtained using equation 39 . 5 where q is a general point in the estimation space . the four dimension estimation space has been partitional into an initial position space shown in fig1 and 12 and the velocity space shown in fig1 and 13 . these scatter plots are computer simulation realizations of the concept illustrated in fig1 . for these simulations the true position of the aircraft was at (- 400 , 000 &# 39 ;, 50 , 000 &# 39 ;) the combined calibration and initial position errors were [ δx , δy ]=[ 2500 , 2200 ] and the noise standard deviation was 600 feet . the aircraft was flying from the (- 400 , 000 &# 39 ;, 50 , 000 &# 39 ;) waypoint at 30 ° with a velocity of 840 feet / second . thus , the true speeds were v x = 727 feet / second and v y = 420 feet / second . as is evident in the scatter plots of fig1 and 13 , the gdop has been reduced without introducing unacceptable bias . equally important they demonstrate that the ridge estimates confidence region are well within the lms confidence regions . the scatter plots of fig1 and 13 support the major result of ridge analysis , that is by selecting the ridge parameter k at that point where the β r estimates are stable estimates will be produced whose variances ( and mse ) are less than or equal to the lms estimates . the above analysis addressed the estimates of δx , δy , v x and v y . these estimates are then inserted into equations 14 and 15 to obtain the aircraft &# 39 ; s position at δt m . an analysis of these final position estimates x n , y n was not performed . the calculations , however , are straight - forward . the model described and analyzed above is valid wherever the aircraft velocity has a constant direction and its speed remains essentially constant over the measurement interval of δt m . the model can be generalized to include acceleration maneuvers . the second case will now be analyzed . when the aircraft position is at position 47 (- 400 , 000 , 50 , 000 ) as indicated in fig4 multicollinearity ( gdop ) should be clearly present because γ = 6 . 1 °. table iii presents the first four terms ( out of 16 ) of the h matrix given by equation 21 . table iii______________________________________ δ . sub . x δ . sub . y v . sub . x v . sub . y______________________________________h = predictor matrixfirst 4 pairs of 0 . 1959 0 . 9806 0 0measurements 0 . 0924 0 . 9957 0 0 0 . 1959 0 . 9806 0 . 0122 0 . 0613h = 0 . 0924 0 . 9957 0 . 0058 0 . 0622 0 . 1959 0 . 9806 0 . 0245 0 . 1226 0 . 0924 0 . 9957 0 . 0115 0 . 1245 0 . 1959 0 . 9806 0 . 0367 0 . 1839 0 . 0924 0 . 9957 0 . 0173 0 . 1867 0 . 7508 4 . 5460 0 . 3520 2 . 1309 4 . 5460 31 . 2492 2 . 1309 14 . 6480h . sup . t h = 0 . 3520 2 . 1309 0 . 2273 1 . 3762 2 . 1309 14 . 6480 1 . 3762 9 . 4602v = eigenvector 0 . 1459 1 . 0000 - 0 . 5025 - 0 . 0733v = 1 . 0000 - 0 . 1459 0 . 0733 - 0 . 5025 0 . 0733 0 . 5025 1 . 0000 0 . 1459 0 . 5025 - 0 . 0733 - 0 . 1459 1 . 0000l = eigenvalues 39 . 4294 0 0 0l = 0 0 . 1083 0 0 0 0 0 . 0059 0 0 0 0 2 . 1440eigenvalues ofunit scaled x &# 39 ; x 3 . 590 0 . 287 0 . 114 0 . 009conditionindices 1 . 000 3 . 537 5 . 614 19 . 856______________________________________ also shown are the values for the h t h matrix , its eigenvectors v and its eigenvalues l . the matrix h t was calculated using equation 31 . a sample of 16 pairs of range measurements ( r 1 and r 2 ) were taken to determine b r . the true initial correction is x , y = 1000 , 1000 . ( table iii ) the regression coefficients were calculated for values of k ranging from k = 0 ( lms ) to k = 0 . 5 . clearly , the optimum choice for minimum bias , is k = 0 . 1 as shown in fig7 . at this value the ridge traces have just stabilized and the variance improvement with increasing k is still overcoming the rate of bias increase . this point is evident when the mse is plotted as a function of k . the bias ( β r ), √ variance ( β r ) and √ mse ( β r ) were calculated using equations 40 and 44 where mse [ β . sub . r ]= trace [ σ . sup . 2 x . sup . t x [ x . sup . t x + ki ]. sup .- 2 ]+ k . sup . 2 β . sup . t [ x . sup . t x + ki ]. sup .- 2 β ( 44 ) a method and apparatus has been described for determining the position and velocity of a moving platform comprising a radio navigation aid having at least three portions , two of which are distant from the platform and having respective positions for providing to the platform a plurality of samples indicative of the position of the platform at respective times , a position estimator for receiving the plurality of samples for generating an estimate of position and velocity both with an unbiased estimator and with a biased estimator and selecting the estimate of position and velocity from the biased estimator at times the spatial geometry of the moving platform is substantially collinear with the two portions of the distant radio navigation aid . due to the complexity of the subject , additional information is provided below as an aid to understanding the properties of a biased estimator . the discussion below will , ( a ) assume the aircraft speed is small so that velocity calculations are not necessary . this will simplify equation 21 . ( d ) determine whether gdop exists ; if gdop is present , use the biased estimator ( i . e ., the ridge estimator ) ( e ) in the context of the simple example , perform the detailed calculations to obtain the results . ( 2 ) determine initial aircraft position using dms estimation on 30 second of data . ( 3 ) estimate aircraft position using ridge regression in one second estimates using previous estimates as the new approximate position of the aircraft . the equations of position are given in ( 8 and 9 ). their linearized models in terms of a . c range ( r 1 , r 2 ) and its displacement ( δx , δy ) from an initial position ( x o , y o ) are : ## equ17 ## r 01 and r o2 are the initial approximate ranges to the aircraft . from the navigation geometry shown in fig1 , the partial derivatives in ( 48 ) and ( 49 ) are : ## equ18 ## equation ( 51 ) constitutes one pair of measurements . the example navigation system repeats these measurements 16 times in one second , therefore , ## equ20 ## δr is a 32 × 1 vector , h p is a 32 × 2 matrix and δβ is a 2 × 1 vector . as noted earlier , equation ( 51 ) only incorporates the position information , so that the essential ridge regression ideas become more visible . the complete expression including the velocity terms is given in ( 21 ). the aircraft position is determined by first guessing the aircraft &# 39 ; s position and then using the unbiased or biased algorithm depending upon the existence gdop ( see fig2 ) ( e . g . ridge regression ) to calculate the correction δβ to the initial guess to determine the aircraft &# 39 ; s true position . since the aircraft &# 39 ; s velocity is not being determined at this time , it is assumed that its speed is small . therefore , ( a ) guess the aircraft &# 39 ; s present position using ( x o , y o ) where ( x t , y t ) is its true position . ( x o , y o ) is approximated by taking 30 apirs of range measurements and calculating the sample means r o1 and r o2 . ( b ) insert r o1 and r o2 into equations 53a and 53b to obtain ( x o , y o ). the equations relating to r o1 , r o2 , x cl , y cl , x c2 , y c2 to ( x o , y o ) ## equ21 ## ( c ) r o1 and r o2 are next subtracted from the 16 pairs of measured values to obtain δr as indicated in ( 52 ). ( d ) since h p is given by the coordinate geometry and δr has been determined from ( c ) above , equation 52 can be solved to obtain δβ . the computed values of ## equ22 ## are then added to ( x o , y o ) to obtain the true position estimate of the aircraft ( x t , y t ). this position estimate is then used as the &# 34 ; next &# 34 ; guess of the aircraft &# 39 ; s position , and &# 34 ; new &# 34 ; correction terms are then estimated to calculate the &# 34 ; nest &# 34 ; position of the aircraft as it flies along its intended course . a detailed example will now be given which demonstrates the improved performance of ridge regression over lms . assume the aircraft is at the position given in fig1 , aircraft coordinates are (- 262 , 448 , 50 , 000 ). assumes further that the pilot assumes his position at (- 270 , 148 , 51 , 500 ) which is offset by (- 7700 , 1500 ) from the aircraft &# 39 ; s actual position . the problem then is to estimate the (- 7700 , 1500 ) offset and subtract it from (- 270 , 148 , 15 , 500 ) to obtain the correct position of (- 262 , 448 , 50 , 000 ). these calculations are repeated using the next sequence of measurements . the error model is equation ( 51 ) wherein 16 pairs of measurements have been made in one second . using fig1 , the data matrix h p has the value , ## equ23 ## it is at this point that the check for gdop is made . as will be noted later , this check embodies calculating the determinant of ( h p t h p ) - 1 . that is , gdop is present if , ## equ24 ## and are proportional to the major and minor axis of the error ellipsoid as shown in fig9 ( note \| h p t h p \| is the determinant of the matrix [ h p t h p ] it will be shown later that ## equ25 ## when there is no gdo , \| h p t h p \| - 1 = 1 because when there is gdop , and . this means that 1 / λ 2 & gt ;& gt ; 1 , and consequently \| h p t h p \| - 1 & gt ;& gt ; 1 . as shown in fig1 a , the no gdop condition results in a circular error ellipse . when gdop is present , 1 / λ 2 & gt ;& gt ; 1 and the error ellipsoid becomes elongated . using equation ( 54 ), the system model is ## equ26 ## equation 57 will be used to determine the error ellipsoid ( scatter plot ) of 1000 position estimate trails . the scatter plot shape also reveals whether gdop is present . assuming the initial position of the aircraft to be (- 7700 , 1500 ), 1000 sets of 16 pairs of measurements were made . the results are shown in fig1 a . fig1 b is a rotated version of fig1 a with expanded scales so that analysis results can be clearly indicated . the ratio of major ellipse axis to the minor ellipse axis is 115 : 1 . the no - gdop condition is 1 : 1 . the results are shown in fig1 b . as shown , the errors due to gdop are very large (± 80 , 000 . ± 15 , 000 ). that is , the correction estimate of the true offset (- 7700 , 1500 ) can be as much as 10 times the magnitude of the true correction . it is the intent of the ridge estimates to reduce this wide variation of the estimates . recall that the scatter plot ( fig1 a ) is what one can expect for the model assumed . before presenting the ridge regression alogrithm it is necessary to determine a method for estimating the initial aircraft position . this is an important consideration because the ridge estimator is a biased estimator . clearly , one should use an unbiased estimator such as the lms estimator . but , as shown in fig1 , the initial estimate could , for example , be (- 87 , 700 , 16 , 500 ) which because of the gdop is much too gross an estimate , particularly for a biased estimator . below it will be shown that the estimation bias is proportional to the error of the initial guess . an analysis below will illustrate this point . the idea is to average the one second estimates over a 30 second time interval , each individual estimate may have 16 pairs of measurements . a 30 second time interval is operationally permissible when the aircraft is beginning its mission . moreover , the estimate will improve as the flight continues . namely , the measurement process is convergent . the results of a 30 second average are shown in fig1 using the lms data of fig1 a . the range of the 33 sets of measurements have been reduced from (± - 80 , 000 , 15000 to ± 7700 , ± 1500 ). the reduction is consistent with the sample variance reduction factor which is proportional to 1 / 30 . the standard deviation reduction is √ 1 / 30 ≃ 1 / 5 5 one of the worst case values will be used as the initial guess of the aircraft &# 39 ; s position , namely , (- 7700 , 1500 ). since severe gdop has been detected , the switch in fig1 selects the biased estimator ( ridge estimator ). the ridge estimate is given by the analysis will proceed inserting the same data as used in the fig1 experiment . the results are given in fig1 . as indicated , the variance has shrunk considerably . see fig1 which is a &# 34 ; blow up &# 34 ; of the 1000 ridge measurements . the price for this variance shrinkage was a bias error of ( 7343 , - 1402 ). that is , the average estimate of the offset (- 7700 , 1500 ) was ( 357 , 92 ), but the individual measurements were greatly improved because the total error is the sum of the bias component and a fluctuating component ( variance ). the bias error will , however , decrease with each one second measurement . after about 30 seconds , the error will be reduced to less than 1770 feet . again , recall that the initial offset was a worst case guess . another method for reducing the bias of the initial value of the ridge estimate is the jack knife , which is a boot strap technique . ( bradley eforon , 1981 , &# 34 ; the jack knife estimate of variance &# 34 ;, annals of statistics , no . 9 , pgs . 586 - 596 ) in the next section , the nature of the ridge regression variance shrinkage and its bias error will be analyzed using transforming the coordinate system to the principle axes of the error ellipsoid shown in fig2 . the transformation which rotates the axes from the ( x , y ) system to x &# 39 ;, y &# 39 ;) system is given by ## equ27 ## where u t u = u - 1 u = i and φ = θ + 0 . 5 ° as shown in the figure . thus , u causes a coordinate rotation of - degrees and u t causes a rotation of - φ °. see fig2 . the transformation u yields the following new vectors and matrices referenced to the new coordinate system ( x 1 , y 1 ). where h c and β c are the data matrix and the estimation vector referenced in the canonical coordinate system . the important quantity is h p t h p because is expresses the magnitude of gdop effects . of equal important is the fact that the u transformation rotates the coordinate system such that ( x 1 , y 1 ) lie along the principal axis of the error illipsoid . for that unique condition , the off - diagonal elements of h p t h p are zero and the diagonal elements are called the eigenvalues and the columns of u are called the eigenvectors . benefits accrued from working in the canonical coordinate system ( or the eigensystem ) is that ( 1 ) the effects of gdop become obvious and ( 2 ) the calculations required to obtain the estimates can be performed almost by inspection . the h p t h p matrix in the canonical coordinates system is ## equ28 ## where λ 1 and λ 2 are the eigenvalues given by ## equ29 ## the inverse of h c t h is a measure of the gdop . ## equ30 ## thus , if one of the eigenvalues is small ( e . g . λ 2 & lt ;& lt ; 1 ) the determinant of [ h c t h c ] is that is [ h c t h c ] blows up or it amplifies the variance as is illustrated in fig9 and 20 . thus , if λ 2 e . g . is small , then the canonical coordinate ## equ31 ## becomes large , generating a highly elongated ellipsoid . for example , when γ = 1 ° as given in equation ( 62 ). ## equ32 ## and b / a = 115 . 5 . as noted earlier , gdop generates a highly elongated ellipse whose b axis is 115 . 5 times larger than the a axis . the properties of the lms estimates will not be viewed in terms of the canonical coordinate system . recall that the model for the ith measurement pair is δr . sub . i = hβ . sub . t + e . sub . i where e [ e . sub . i ]= 0 and var [ e . sub . i ]= σ . sup . 2 i ( 65 ) and β t is the true offset of the assumed aircraft position from its actual position . the lms estimate is ## equ33 ## for 16 pairs of measurements . the error in the estimate is ## equ34 ## insert ( 65 ) into ( 67 ) yielding ## equ35 ## the average error of ( 16 ) is therefore , the lms estimate is unbiased . its variance is ## equ36 ## thus , the variance of β lms is proportional to gdop . its effects are expressed by the error ellipsoid given in fig9 and 20 . clearly the effects of gdop can be limited if the eigenvalues ( λ 1 and λ 2 are limited in how small a value they can assume . the ridge regression notion is to add a small quantity k to the diagonal terms of h p t h p . let ## equ37 ## transform h r t h r to the canonical coordinate system . ## equ38 ## take the inverse of ( h r c ) t h r c ## equ39 ## for k = 0 . 05 . the one sigma magnitude of the error ellipsoid axes now become ## equ40 ## thus , the elongation of the error ellipsoid has been reduced by a factor of 24 , 480 / 1339 = 18 . 3 : 1 . this reduction is reflected in fig1 . note , however , that a bias has been generated ; it will be discussed shortly . a geometric interpretation can be given to variance reduction caused by the addition of k to the diagonal terms of h p t h p . equation 74 can be rewritten as ## equ41 ## and because 0 . 95 = cos γ , then γ = 18 . 2 °. thus as shown in fig2 , the addition of k in h p t h p has the effect of limiting how small γ can be decreased , or it is equivalent to expanding from 1 ° to 18 . 2 °. the penalty is , of course , a bias error , which simply arises due to the unbalancing of h p t h p caused by the insertion of k . this modification is termed ridge regression . for the ridge estimator let the estimation error be , make the transformation from the ( x , y ) coordinates to the ( x 1 , y 1 ) coordinates using h c = h p u . equation 77 becomes ## equ43 ## where ## equ44 ## the bias error in the canonical coordinates is where e [ e ]= 0 insert ( 59 ) into ( 80 ) using k = 0 . 05 , β true =[- 7700 , 1500 ] ## equ45 ## in the original ( x , y ) system the bias error is ## equ47 ## the value in ( 82 ) is also the one obtained in the computer simulation plotted in fig1 and 19 . the variance of the ridge regression estimator is given by ( 83 ) in the canonical coordinate system where β t = β true . ## equ48 ## where the eigenvalues λ 1 and λ 2 are given equation 62 . the calculated standard deviations given by ( 85 ) are consistent with the 1000 computer derived samples plotted in fig1 .	6
a detailed description of the embodiments of the invention are best begun with reference to fig1 . a wearer 31 carries a rifle 33 utilizing a first embodiment of the sling system 35 . the system 35 is utilizable with any relatively longer weapon such as a rifle , shotgun , machine gun , carbine , or other weapon . the description is made with respect to a rifle , but the rifle embodies all of the aforementioned weapons and more . the sling system 35 is attached near the forward end of rifle 33 at a bayonet fitting 37 and at point near the stock of the rifle 33 by a ring fitting 39 . the fittings 37 and 39 were chosen for this particular rifle , the m - 16 , due to the availability of structure supporting the fittings 37 and 39 and it is understood that other rifles will have other structures for supporting different types of fittings which may be utilizable with the sling system 35 of the invention . generally , the only objective of such other fittings is that they permit the rifle to be carried in a generally upright position as seen in fig1 . the sling system 35 is seen extending from a point near the ring fitting 39 up along the right side of the wearer 31 , across the wearer &# 39 ; s back and left shoulder , and thence across the wearer 31 &# 39 ; s chest to terminate at a curved buckle 41 engaged by a clip 43 . the buckle 41 , when not engaged by clip 43 is set to slide freely along a length of web strap 45 extending between the ring fitting 39 and the bayonet fitting 37 . note the curvature of the buckle 41 and the close body position of the rifle 33 and in which the rifle is carried in a relatively forward position . as the rifle 33 is brought farther down , the buckle fitting 41 achieves a more angled position against a fitting adjacent the length of web strap 45 extending between the ring fitting 39 and the bayonet fitting 37 . in this position , the buckle fitting 41 is almost locked in place and will not leave the clip 43 . if the rifle 33 is brought more forward , the buckle fitting 41 will assume an orientation more nearly parallel to the length of web strap 45 , and the disengagement of the buckle fitting 41 will be in an optimum position to be disengaged from the clip 43 upon application of a tension force from the user &# 39 ; s left shoulder pulling rearward on the buckle fitting 41 . an adjustment fitting 49 is provided to enable a loosening or tightening of the sling system 35 regardless of whether the sling system 35 is carried in a position close to the body or in a position to permit firing . the adjustment fitting 49 is preferably a three parallel post fitting having a pair of adjacent openings but wherein the termination of the strap of the sling system 35 loops around one outside post and where the slidable length of strap enters one opening , extends over a middle post and exits downwardly through the second opening and underneath the termination about the adjacent outside post . the action which results is the ability to lengthen the sling system 35 by simply pulling downwardly on the strap which is outermost with respect to the user 31 . tightening the general fit of the sling system 35 involves a manual lifting of the adjustment fitting 49 while pulling down on the strap which is innermost with respect to the user 31 . referring to fig2 a position of the sling system 35 in which the buckle fitting 41 is released from the clip 43 has enabled the buckle fitting 41 to slide rearwardly toward the ring fitting 39 . in this condition , the buckle fitting 41 can move rearwardly to the ring fitting 39 . however , the ring fitting 39 is also slidably connected to the length of web strap 45 . although the rearward movement of the buckle fitting 41 is limited by a second fitting ( not yet seen ) near the ring fitting 39 , the length of web strap 45 can continue to move through both the second fitting ( not yet seen ) and the buckle fitting 41 to enable a further freeing of the rifle 33 at the expense of a tightening of the portion of the sling system 35 extending around the wearer . referring to fig3 a closeup of the buckle fitting 41 and retaining clip 43 is seen . beginning with the rifle 33 , a bayonet fitting 37 includes a ring structure 51 onto which a snap fitting 53 is engaged . the snap fitting 53 is attached to a hugging strap ( not shown ) which is closely sewn to a folded and sewn first end 55 of the sling system 35 . the strap material at the first end 55 is folded around a block of rubber 57 to provide stiffness and noise silencing . in addition , a stiff length of thin material 59 is partially secured by rivets 60 , and is also partially inserted into a fold 61 formed by the strap material as it surroundably encloses the block of rubber 57 . the combination of the thickness of the strapping extending away from the block of rubber 57 toward the main extent of the sling system 35 and the stiff length of thin material 59 is thin enough to accommodate an opening 63 of the curved buckle fitting 41 . a second opening 63 is a main opening and accommodates the clip 43 passing through the opening 63 , and over a post 65 . an upper opening 67 is engaged by a looping strap of the sling system 35 and includes an innermost strap section 69 and an outermost strap section 71 , taken with respect to the body of the user of fig1 . the retaining clip 43 includes a gently angled portion 75 terminating in a cylindrically curled end 77 , as well as a main internal space 79 bounded by a more abruptly angled portion 81 . the more abruptly angled portion 81 assists in retaining the post 65 once captured within the retaining clip 43 , while the gently angled portion 75 assists in manually capturing the post 65 within the retaining clip 43 . fig3 shows the wearer 31 manually re - setting the curved buckle fitting 41 to be held within the retaining clip 43 . note the curvature of the curved buckle fitting 41 . in a high angle position with respect to the captured length of web strap 45 and stiff length of thin material 59 , an outer edge post 85 and post 65 have an angular relationship which is somewhat restrictive of movement of the buckle fitting 41 along the length of web strap 45 . this restrictive pinching , combined with the fact that the pulling force is perpendicular with respect to the length of web strap 45 and stiff length of thin material 59 , gives the sling system 35 high holding force for the rifle 33 in the close to body position . as the curved buckle fitting 41 begins to recline with respect to the length of web strap 45 and stiff length of thin material 59 , the opening 63 begins to loosen about this combination of materials and becomes more freely slidable . in addition , when the innermost and outermost strap sections 69 and 71 cause the curved buckle fitting 41 to recline and to exert a force on the curved buckle fitting 41 more parallel to the length of web strap 45 and stiff length of thin material 59 , a force begins to bear directly upon the abruptly angled portion 81 . this force causes the release of the curved buckle fitting 41 from the retaining clip 43 . because the outer edge post 85 always bears on the combination of the length of web strap 45 and stiff length of thin material 59 , the force from the curved buckle fitting 41 never upwardly bears on the upper member of the retaining clip 43 to cause it to open from such perpendicular force . as a result , the retaining clip 43 is always protected from strap forces , will never become bent open due to strap forces , and will operate against the length of web strap 45 and stiff length of thin material 59 time after time with only the lateral pushing force of the post 65 , in a direction generally parallel to the length of web strap 45 and stiff length of thin material 59 , as the operating force . the length of web strap 45 surrounding the block of rubber 57 helps to limit the movement of the snap fitting 53 about a pivotal axis parallel to the end of rubber block 57 and thus helps to suppress undue rattling at the end of the sling system 35 at the forward end of the rifle 33 . as will be seen , the innermost strap section 69 and outermost strap section 71 looping through the curved buckle fitting 41 provide a mechanical advantage to the adjustment fitting 49 of fig1 and half the pulling force on the adjustment fitting 49 resulting from any downward pressure on the curved buckle fitting 41 . this enables the adjustment fitting 41 to be less loosely engaged by the innermost strap section 69 and enables the adjustment fitting 41 to be more easily manipulated by the wearer 31 . further back along the length of web strap 45 is a second rifle fitting as a slide fitting assembly 91 . slide fitting assembly 91 includes a slide ring 93 secured by a short sewn stiffened length of strapping 95 formed into a folded “ double u ” shape and capturing a length of adjustment webbing 97 in its middle . adjustment webbing 97 extends through a buckle 99 , around the ring fitting 39 and then back through the buckle 99 . the slide fitting assembly 91 beyond the slide ring 93 represents an alternative example of attachment structure which can be used to attach to structure depending from a rifle . a snap fitting 53 could be used in conjunction with slide fitting assembly 91 , and the adjustment webbing 97 and buckle 99 could be used in conjunction with the folded and sewn first end 55 of the sling system 35 . other attachment structure can also be used . referring to fig4 a plan closeup view of a two sided version of the one sided version of the bayonet fitting 37 seen in fig1 , & amp ; 3 is seen as a fitting 101 . instead of a single ring structure 51 , a set of double , left and right side ring structures 103 are seen . the view of fig4 is a top view , looking down onto the surface which would face the underside of the rifle . a front fork fitting 105 is used to hold the front portion of the fitting 101 in place , while a bolt 107 and lock nut 109 extends through the rear section of the fitting 101 to hold it in place once the front fork fitting 105 is in place . bolt 107 preferably has a hexagonal drive head 111 . a lower base plate 113 is for supporting another structure at the bottom of the fitting 101 . the ends 115 of a downwardly directed slot mounting space , which can be used for mounting lasers , lights , and other objects , is seen . it is understood that the fitting 101 accommodates both left handed and right handed wearers 31 but that single ring structures 51 on one sided bayonet fittings 37 can be used . also seen is the tip end of a pressure set screw 117 which is meant to bear against a bottom surface of the rifle 33 . since the front fork fitting 105 has an angular mounting process , there will be some tolerance between the fitting 101 and the rifle 33 . insertion of the bolt 107 at the rear of the bayonet fitting 101 locks it into place , but there may be enough tolerance left for a slight rattle . in addition , where the bayonet fitting is used to support laser sights , etc , the bayonet fitting 101 cannot tolerate either a rattling noise nor any significant instability . the set screw 117 is turned until it rises upwardly and against the rifle 33 , which urges the bayonet fitting 101 downward into a rigid locked configuration . referring to fig5 the slot 119 can be seen as extending across the fitting 101 . the set screw 117 can be seen in a downward orientation before being threadably turned upward to bear against the rifle 33 . referring to fig6 a bottom view of the bayonet fitting 101 seen in fig4 & amp ; 5 give a better visual illustration of the components thereof . referring to fig7 a plan view of a two ring , left and right hand ring fitting 131 is seen which is similar to the ring fitting 39 seen in fig1 - 3 . the fitting rings 131 and 39 provide at least one attachment ring 133 which is configured to protrude from the side of the rifle 33 at a high point relative to the stock of the rifle 33 to enable rifle 33 to be suspended in its normal firing orientation . the use of two attachment rings 133 as seen in fig7 enables a rifle to be supported from either of the right hand or left hand side . the fitting 131 has a main aperture 135 which fits over a receiver extension tube support for a stock of a rifle 33 such as an m - 16 . 223 caliber rifle . the axial thickness of the attachment ring 133 will cause a rifle stock to be displaced rearward by that thickness , which is only about ⅜ of an inch . the opposite faces of the fitting 131 should match the surfaces with which they interfit . fig7 is a view looking forward onto the fitting 131 and facing the rear surface thereof . a rounded depression interfits with a projection on the stock . the main aperture 135 contains a grooved transition to a greater diameter opening 139 to accommodate the configuration of the rear of the rifle 33 receiver . the smaller diameter is seen surrounding the main aperture 135 . referring to fig8 a side view illustrates the depression 137 which is opposite a projection 141 which fits into an accommodating opening in the rear of the receiver of the rifle 33 . both the projection 141 and the depression 137 are used to register the fitting 131 so that it will not rotate about its main aperture 135 . referring to fig9 a view of the side of fitting 131 opposite to that shown in fig7 is seen . referring to fig1 , an illustration of the installation of the fitting 131 is seen . a rifle 33 receiver 151 has a rear surface 153 having a depression 155 . beyond the depression 155 is a bore supporting a spring 157 to urge a pin 159 outward from the bore supporting the spring 157 . the spring 157 and pin 159 normally urge a stock 161 rearwardly during breakdown to assist in removal and to keep the rifle 33 “ tight ”. a pair of butt plate screws including an upper screw 163 attach a butt plate 165 to stock 161 and a spacer 167 to a threaded bore 169 in a receiver extension tube 171 . a lower butt plate screw 173 attaches the lower end of the butt plate 165 to the stock 161 . when the fitting 131 is added , the stock 161 rides just slightly farther back on the receiver extension tube 171 . the upper butt plate screw 163 provided as original equipment is likely not to be able to reach the threaded bore 169 . a new longer upper butt plate screw 163 is provided along with a spacer 175 to compensate for the slight rearward displacement of the stock 161 while providing force distribution for the spacer 167 against internal structures in the stock and rear structures of the receiver extension tube 171 . referring to fig1 and 12 , installation of the bayonet fitting 101 is illustrated on a rifle 33 having a front grip 181 . just below the barrel 183 , a split structure 185 contains a pair of side members 187 , only one of which is seen in the side view of fig1 . the front fork fittings 105 of the bayonet fitting 101 are brought upward and forward at an angle to rest upon the side members 187 . the bolt 107 has been removed from a bore 189 of the bayonet fitting so that the bore 189 could be brought into alignment with a pair of apertures of which one aperture 191 is seen on the rifle 33 . once the apertures 191 are aligned with the bore 189 , the bolt 107 is inserted therethrough and the lock nut 109 is added to the bolt 107 . this is seen in fig1 . next , the set screw 117 is rotated until it bears on a surface 193 below the barrel 183 to force the front fork fitting 105 down into a stable configuration . referring to fig1 , further details of the sling system 35 are seen . beginning at the first end 35 , an outer closely sewn loop of material 201 is seen to engage the snap fitting 53 , and a rectangular connector ring 203 . connector ring 203 engages the retainer clip 43 in its main internal space 79 and provides a force anchor opposing the pulling of the curved buckle fitting 41 from the retaining clip 43 . the space between the innermost strap section 69 and the length of web strap 45 is generally where the wearer 31 &# 39 ; s shoulder is located . stitching 205 is seen joining the end of outermost strap section 71 around an end post of the adjustment fitting 49 . the innermost strap section 69 is seen extending through one opening of the adjustment fitting 49 , over a middle post 207 and back underneath a second side post 209 . stitching 211 is seen on the sewn stiffened length of strapping 95 . fig1 shows a plan view of the sling system 35 seen in fig1 , with the curved buckle fitting 41 engaged by the retaining clip 43 . fig1 shows a plan view of the sling system 35 seen in fig1 , with the curved buckle fitting 41 disengaged from the retaining clip 43 . referring to fig1 , the sling system 35 is seen in a backpack configuration achievable by loosening the adjustment fitting 49 and bringing it closer to the curved buckle fitting 41 and splitting the length of the strap about the slide ring 93 to two approximately equal lengths between slide ring 93 and first end 55 at the curved buckle fitting 41 and the snap fitting 53 . when utilizing bayonet fitting 101 and ring fitting 131 , the sling system 35 becomes both a right and a left hand system . all that is needed is reversal of the main sling system 35 over the right shoulder , and re - attachment of the snap fitting 53 and the slid fitting assembly 91 to the rifle 33 . referring to fig1 a second embodiment of a sling system 301 is seen in combination with a backpack , of which back pack or load bearing equipment shoulder straps 303 are seen at the front of the fig1 . the backpack straps 303 may be fitted with connector rings 305 which are generally supported along the back pack or load bearing equipment straps 303 to resist downward movement . the connector rings 305 are preferably each integral with a loop suitable for a chest center connector set 306 having three strap sets numbered 307 , 309 and 311 . each of the strap sets 307 , 309 and 311 includes a length of strapping 313 and a quick connector 315 . each of the strap sets 307 , 309 and 311 is attached to a central ring 317 . the strap sets 307 & amp ; 309 can be adjusted to center the central ring 317 for the comfort of the user . the quick connector 315 of the strap set 311 is connected to a connector ring 319 which includes a separate ring portion for connection to the quick connector 315 and a ring portion for slidable attachment to a sling strap 321 which is again shown as connected to the rifle 33 , by way of the rifle &# 39 ; s bayonet fittings 37 , 101 and ring fittings 39 , 131 which are the same as was illustrated in the earlier figures . since the sling strap 321 has an extent with only some extra length between its points of attachment to the rifle 33 , there is an easy movement of the rifle 33 both forwardly and rearwardly with the sling strap 321 freely moveable through the connector ring 319 . in this configuration , the wearer 31 can turn the rifle 33 to a close to the body position , lift the rifle 33 to aiming position , or assume a number of other positions with the arms and hands . where the arms and hands are needed for other tasks , the rifle 33 can simply be left suspended as seen in fig1 . referring to fig1 , a plan view of the sling strap 321 illustrates a length of webbing 325 having a quick connector 327 at a first end thereof and secured by a stitch 329 . a length adjusting buckle 331 enables the sling strap 321 to have a significantly long range of adjustment . at a second end of the sling strap 321 a quick connector 333 is engaged by the length of webbing looping through the quick connector and back across the length of the sling strap 321 and ending at adjusting buckle 331 . the extent of the sling strap between adjusting buckle 331 and quick connector 333 may be doubled . further , a set of sliding limit buckles 341 can be utilized on either side of connector ring 319 to limit the extent of movement of a ring portion 343 and connector ring portion 345 . this enables the wearer 31 to set limits on the movement of the rifle 33 in the forward and rearward direction . the adjustment of the strapping lengths of the strap sets 307 , 309 and 311 can determine the ease of lateral motion of the strap set 311 , as well as the height at which the rifle 33 will be supported . adjustment of the length of the sling strap 321 determines the level and degree of arc which the rifle 33 will achieve as it is displaced forwardly and rearwardly , as well as the as well as the height at which the rifle 33 will be supported . adjustment of the sliding limit buckles 341 will determine the degree of forward and rearward motion at slight angular pivot . all of the above adjustments give a wide range of adjustability to enable the sling system 301 to have maximum comfort for a wide variety of wearers 31 , and in a wide variety of circumstances . referring to fig1 an alternative to the quick connector 315 is seen as a spring pull release connector 351 . a connecting pin 353 is operated by a handle 355 to release a pivoting curved member 357 . the spring pull release connector 351 provides a positive lock on the connection with any structure . referring to fig2 , a ring fitting 361 utilizable with an ar - 15 rifle is seen . the ring fitting 361 is both left and right handed and typically flatter than the ring fitting 131 . a projection 363 within a main aperture 365 registers the ring fitting 361 . a projection 367 on one side lies opposite a depression 369 on the opposite side ( shown in phantom ) to further register the ring fitting 361 . connection apertures 371 extend beyond the stock of the ar - 15 and provide a comparable degree of stability and support of the rifle in the quick fire or aiming position as has been seen for rifle 33 . while the present invention has been described in terms of a sling system for lending support to a rifle , for converting between a close body position and an aiming position , and for providing highly adjustable rifle support for use with other equipment such as back pack or load bearing equipments , one skilled in the art will realize that the structure and techniques of the present invention can be applied to many similar appliances . the present invention may be applied in any situation where strapping support and position conversion over a specified operating condition , and high adjustability is desired . although the invention has been derived with reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof , many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , included within the patent warranted hereon are all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of this contribution to the art . contribution to the art .	8
fig1 shows the overall configuration of an embodiment of an alternator for a vehicle , seen in side view in partial cross - section . the alternator 1 includes a stator 2 , a rotor 3 , a frame 4 , a brush apparatus 5 , a rectifier apparatus 6 and a rear cover 7 . the stator 2 is made up of a stator iron core 22 , a stator winding 23 and an insulator 24 which is located between the stator iron core 22 and stator winding 23 for electrical insulation . the rotor 3 includes a field winding 31 which is a tubular concentric wave - wound coil formed of insulation - covered copper wire , which is enclosed at opposing ends of the rotor shaft 33 by opposing pole cores 32 . the pole cores 32 function as the rotor iron core , and each is formed with six claw - shaped portions . a cooling fan 35 is fixedly attached by welding , etc ., to the front side of the front - end one of the pole cores 32 , for impelling a flow of cooling air that is drawn in through the front end ( i . e ., left - side end , as seen in fig1 ) of the alternator 1 , with the air moving along axial and radial directions . similarly , a cooling fan 36 is fixedly attached by welding , etc ., to the rear side of the rear - end one of the pole cores 32 , for impelling a flow of cooling air that is drawn in through the rear end of the alternator 1 , with the air moving along a radial direction . a negative polarity slip ring 37 and a positive polarity slip ring 38 , each formed of an identical material , are mounted on the circumference of the rotor shaft 33 near the rear end of that shaft and are respectively connected to opposing ends of the field winding 31 for supplying an excitation current to the field winding 31 , with that current flowing through the slip rings 37 and 38 and a brush apparatus 5 . the frame 4 encloses the stator 2 and the rotor 3 , with the rotor shaft 33 of the rotor 3 being rotatably supported by the frame 4 and with a fixed air gap established between the stator 2 and the outer circumference of the pole cores 32 of the rotor 3 . the frame 4 is formed with intake apertures 41 and outlet apertures 42 , to pass the aforementioned flows of cooling air . the brush apparatus 5 serves to supply a flow of excitation current from the rectifier apparatus 6 to the field winding 31 of the rotor 3 . the slip rings 37 and 38 are respectively fixedly attached circumferentially on the rotor shaft 33 of the rotor 3 , with the negative polarity brush 51 and the positive polarity brush 52 being respectively held in sliding contact with the slip rings 37 and 38 . the structure of the brush apparatus 5 will be described in detail hereinafter . the rectifier apparatus 6 is a 3 - phase rectifier for rectifying a 3 - phase output voltage that is generated by the stator winding 23 . the rear cover 7 covers components of the alternator 1 including the brush apparatus 5 , the rectifier apparatus 6 , the ic regulator 9 , etc ., that are mounted on the outer side of the rear - end part of the frame 4 , to protect these components . the structure of the brush apparatus 5 is illustrated in the expanded partial cross - sectional view of fig2 , which shows the brush apparatus 5 installed in the alternator 1 . the brush apparatus 5 is made up of a brush holder 60 which is formed of molded plastic and has contact terminals embedded therein , a negative polarity brush 51 and a positive polarity brush 52 , pigtails 63 which electrically connect the brushes 51 , 52 to the contact terminals , a negative polarity spring 64 and a positive polarity spring 65 . an output voltage ( i . e ., unsmoothed dc voltage ) that is applied to the positive polarity brush 2 from the rectifier apparatus 6 is higher ( more positive ) than the voltage applied to the negative polarity brush 51 . each of the negative polarity brush 51 and positive polarity brush 52 is of oblong rectangular form , with the face that is in contact with the corresponding one of the slip rings 37 and 38 being formed with a curve that matches the outer circumference of the slip ring . the negative polarity spring 64 and a positive polarity spring 65 are respectively disposed opposite the curved contact faces of the negative polarity brush 51 and positive polarity brush 52 , for urging the corresponding brush into contact with the corresponding slip ring with a predetermined amount of force . each of the negative polarity brush 51 and positive polarity brush 52 is formed of carbon powder as a main constituent , into which a proportion of copper powder is mixed . the present invention provides four methods for ensuring that the respective wear - down lifetimes ( as defined hereinabove ) of the negative polarity brush 51 and positive polarity brush 52 can be made substantially identical . with the first method , the area of contact between the negative polarity brush 51 and the negative polarity slip ring 37 is made different from that between the positive polarity brush 52 and the positive polarity slip ring 38 . by increasing the area of a brush face that is in contact with a slip ring , the rate of wear of the brush , due to rubbing against the slip ring , can be reduced . specifically , the contact area between the negative polarity brush 51 and the negative polarity slip ring 37 ( i . e ., the area of the curved face of the negative polarity brush 51 ) is made greater than the contact area between the positive polarity brush 52 and the positive polarity slip ring 38 . as illustrated in fig3 , this can be accomplished by increasing a width dimension of the negative polarity brush 51 ( which otherwise will have a higher rate of wear than the positive polarity brush 52 , as described hereinabove ) as measured along a direction parallel to the axis of the rotor shaft 33 , i . e ., a direction at right angles to the direction of force applied to the negative polarity brush 51 by the negative polarity spring 64 . the axial length of the curved face of the negative polarity brush 51 is thereby increased , so that the contact area between the negative polarity brush 51 and negative polarity slip ring 37 is increased . alternatively as illustrated in fig4 this can be accomplished by increasing a width dimension of the negative polarity brush 51 , as measured along a direction at right angles to the axis of the rotor shaft 33 and at right angles to the direction of force applied to the negative polarity brush 51 by the negative polarity spring 64 . the circumferential length of the curved face of the negative polarity brush 51 is thereby increased , so that the contact area between the negative polarity brush 51 and negative polarity slip ring 37 is increased . by increasing that contact area by an appropriate amount in relation to that of the positive polarity brush 52 , the wear - down lifetime of the negative polarity brush 51 can be made substantially identical to that of the positive polarity brush 52 . as a further alternative , it would be possible to increase both of the above dimensions of the negative polarity brush 51 , to increase the contact area by an appropriate amount . with the second method , the lengths ( i . e ., dimension measured along the direction in which force is applied by the corresponding one of the springs 64 , 65 ) of the negative polarity brush 51 and positive polarity brush 52 are made respectively different . specifically , the length of the negative polarity brush 51 is made greater than that of the positive polarity brush 52 , as illustrated in fig4 . by increasing the length of the negative polarity brush 51 by an appropriate amount in relation to that of the positive polarity brush 52 , the wear - down lifetime of the negative polarity brush 51 can be made substantially identical to that of the positive polarity brush 52 . with the third method , the brushes 51 , 52 are formed of respectively different materials , with one material having a higher resistance to wear than the other material . specifically , the negative polarity brush 51 is preferably formed of a material having a higher resistance to wear than the material of the positive polarity brush 52 . for example when the brush material consists of a substance such as graphite with an admixture of copper powder , then the proportion of copper in the material used to constitute the negative polarity brush 51 is made greater than the proportion of copper in the material of the positive polarity brush 52 . in that way , by appropriately increasing the resistance to wear of the material used for the negative polarity brush 51 , by comparison with that of the material of the positive polarity brush 52 , the wear - down lifetime of the negative polarity brush 51 can be made substantially identical to that of the positive polarity brush 52 . with the fourth method , the springs corresponding to the negative polarity brush 51 and positive polarity brush 52 are manufactured to exert respectively different levels of force . specifically , the spring that acts on the negative polarity brush 51 is formed such as to exert a smaller amount of force than the spring corresponding to the positive polarity brush 52 . as illustrated in fig6 , this can for example be accomplished by increasing the pitch of the coils of the spring 64 , corresponding to the negative polarity brush 51 , by comparison with that of the spring 65 corresponding to the positive polarity brush 52 , i . e ., the number of turns per unit length of the spring 65 is made greater than for the spring 64 . alternatively , it is possible to achieve the same result by using an identical coil pitch for each of the springs 64 , 65 , but making the diameter of the spring 64 smaller than that of the spring 65 . as a further alternative , the springs 64 , 65 can be of identical configurations , but with the spring 64 formed of a material that is more flexible than the material used to form the spring 65 . by using one or a combination of the above techniques to appropriately decrease the level of spring force applied to the negative polarity brush 51 by comparison with the spring force applied to the positive polarity brush 52 , the wear - down lifetime of the negative polarity brush 51 can be made substantially identical to that of the positive polarity brush 52 . as can be seen from the above embodiments , the objectives of the invention can be achieved by a simple modification of the shape or constituent material of a brush or a spring of the alternator , while each of the slip rings can be formed of an identical material , so that that there will be no reduction of power output or any significant increase in manufacturing cost , by comparison with a conventional alternator . it should be understood that although various different methods of rending the wear - down lifetime of the negative polarity brush 51 substantially identical to that of the positive polarity brush 52 have been described separately above , it would possible to combine two or more of these methods to achieve the objectives of the invention . the above description should thus be understood in a descriptive and not in a limiting sense .	7
with reference to fig1 and 2 , a seat 1 according to the invention conventionally comprises a seat member 2 and a backrest 3 which is capable of pivoting between a functional position for which it is deployed on the seat member 2 , as fig1 shows , and a substantially horizontal , folded position for which it moves into contact with the seat member , as fig2 shows . the backrest 3 thus has a first end 4 near the seat member 2 and is mounted so as to pivot about a horizontal and transverse axis 5 , and a second end 6 corresponding to a headrest 7 . it is assumed that a longitudinal axis of the backrest 3 connects the first end and the second end 4 , 6 . the backrest 3 comprises a rear face in which a tray 9 which is provided with a clip 27 is stored , the tray 9 being planar and having a small thickness , and being arranged on said rear face providing a given continuity in terms of the outer envelope of the seat 1 . with reference to fig3 , the backrest 3 comprises a location in which there is fixed an approximately rectangular receiving frame 11 whose thickness is less than that of the backrest 3 , whose width is identical to that of the backrest 3 and whose length is less than that of the backrest 3 . in this manner , the frame 11 is included in the backrest 3 and partially delimits its width . that frame 11 comprises a recess 12 which has a planar base 13 and which is extended by an indentation 14 . the portion of the recess 12 corresponding to the planar base 13 is delimited by two large parallel segments 15 , by a small segment 16 which is perpendicular to said large segments 15 and by a profiled segment 17 which allows the recess 12 to have a central extension 18 . the indentation 14 is in the form of a base inclined in a direction which accentuates the depth of said recess 12 , said inclined base being in continuation of the planar base 13 in the region of the small segment 15 thereof . the frame 11 has a central overhang 19 of a material which overhangs the indentation 14 , said overhang 19 being positioned in alignment with said indentation 14 without occupying the portion of the recess 14 with a planar base 13 . the recess 12 extends in a longitudinal axis of the backrest 3 so that its central extension 18 is located near the headrest 7 and so that the indentation 14 is located near the rotation axis 5 of the backrest 3 on the seat member 2 . the frame 11 may be withdrawn from the backrest 3 by means of a pressure on a pin 22 which extends from an edge 23 of said frame 11 . a locking mechanism which involves a mechanical stop 35 is positioned in the receiving frame 11 in the region of the central extension 18 of the recess 12 , said mechanism comprising an activation push - button 20 which extends out of the recess 12 between an end edge 23 of said frame 11 delimiting the central extension 18 of the recess 12 and the tray 9 . with reference to fig2 and 3 , the tray 9 is constituted by a thin , planar plate 40 of substantially rectangular form , said plate 40 being extended in a longitudinal axis by , on the one hand , an inclined rim 25 having two lateral lobes 26 and , on the other hand , a conventional clamping clip 27 which is configured to retain at least one sheet of paper against the plate 40 . that tray 9 therefore acts as a support for a paper document so that a person may read said document or may write thereon . with reference to fig2 , in a storage position , the tray 9 occupies the recess 12 so that its inclined rim is in the indentation 14 , the two lobes 26 being positioned at one side and the other of the central overhang 19 of the frame 11 and so that the plate 40 is in contact with the planar base 13 of the recess 12 , the end of the plate 40 comprising the clip 27 cooperating with the locking mechanism . the tray 9 is stored in the backrest 3 without any of its portions extending out of the recess 12 , said tray 9 ensuring a given continuity of the surface , in the region of the rear face of said backrest 3 . when the tray 9 is stored in the receiving frame 11 of the rear face of the backrest 3 , the activation push - button 20 remains accessible from the outer side of the seat 1 . a return element is associated with that push - button 20 so that it remains , by default , in a projecting position in the locking configuration . in this manner , without any pressure on said push - button 20 , the tray 9 is by default locked against the backrest 3 of the seat 1 . the rear face of the backrest 3 corresponding to the headrest 7 comprises four grooves 28 which are arranged in the form of a cross , two grooves 28 being aligned in accordance with a first axis and the other two grooves 28 being aligned in accordance with a second axis , said axes intersecting with each other , each groove 28 of the same axis being located at each side of the notional intersection location of said axes . each groove 28 is constituted by a rectilinear aperture which has finite length and which is closed by a biased removable element , each of said elements being connected to a secondary push - button 29 which is positioned near the activation push - button 20 . each closure element naturally covers the groove 28 , pressure on the secondary push - button 29 bringing about the instantaneous retraction of said element in order to release the groove 28 in order to introduce the tray 9 therein . with reference to fig3 , once the tray 9 has been withdrawn from the backrest 3 , it may be deployed on said folded backrest 3 in the region of the grooves 28 . this is because two aligned grooves 28 are intended to receive the two lobes 26 of the tray 9 so that it occupies a first position , the other two aligned grooves 28 allowing said tray 9 to occupy a second position . the tray 9 may thus be deployed on the folded seat 1 so as to be in a slightly inclined plane with respect to a vertical plane , the clip 27 constituting its highest zone . with reference to fig4 , a motor vehicle 50 according to the invention comprises a row of three aligned seats 30 , 31 , 32 , the central seat 31 of which is in accordance with the seat 1 previously described . the tray 9 may thus occupy a first position 33 which is orientated towards a first adjacent seat 30 , or a second position 34 which is orientated towards another adjacent seat 32 . in order to remove any ambiguity , fig4 indicates the tray 9 in two separate positions which it cannot occupy simultaneously , and not a single tray of complex form . the positioning of a tray 9 in a deployed position on the folded backrest 3 , starting from the position thereof stored at the rear of the backrest 3 , follows the following steps . pressure on the activation push - button 20 releases the tray 9 , which is withdrawn from the recess 12 by said tray 9 being pivoted about the two lobes 26 thereof placed in the indentation 14 of said recess 12 . the tray 9 is brought above the two aligned grooves 28 which correspond to the desired position . pressure on the secondary push - button 29 releases the grooves 28 and the tray 9 is introduced into said grooves 28 in the region of the two lobes 26 thereof . releasing the secondary push - button 29 allows the tray 9 to be locked in the grooves 28 by means of the biased elements which apply a pressure to the tray 9 . in order to move the tray 9 from its deployed position to its stored position , a pressure on the secondary push - button 29 releases the grooves 28 and the tray 9 can then be withdrawn from said grooves 28 . the tray 9 is then inserted in the recess of the receiving frame 11 by first introducing the two lobes 26 thereof into the indentation 14 . the tray 9 is then subjected to a rotation in order to be brought into contact with the base of the recess 12 . simultaneously , a pressure on the activation push - button 20 releases the locking mechanism in order to allow complete insertion of the tray 9 into the recess 12 . the pressure on said button 20 is then released in order to lock the tray 9 in its storage position behind the backrest 3 .	1
the invention will be illustratively described in terms of the mpeg - 4 file format . mpeg - 4 files use &# 34 ;. mp4 &# 34 ; as the format - identifying extension . in general terms , all av objects stored in an mpeg - 4 file which are related to a session which processes or presents an audiovisual scene , and conforming to mpeg - 4 , reside in one or more such files . a session does not need to be contained in only one file under mpeg - 4 . rather , a set of files can be used to form a complete session , with one of them acting as the master file . other objects ( referred to as &# 34 ; logical objects &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; remote objects &# 34 ;) can be referenced by the master ( or other ) files using universal resource locator calls ( urls , known in the art ). these objects can be physically located in a different file on the same file storage system , or in a remote file system such as an internet server . an overview of the invention is shown in fig1 for a first illustrative embodiment relating to a system using stored files , and fig2 for a second illustrative embodiment relating to a system using streaming files . in a streaming implementation , the user views incoming audiovisual portions as they arrive , which may be temporarily stored in electronic memory such as ram or equivalent memory , but the audiovisual data is not necessarily assembled into a fixed file . in either case , an mpeg - 4 file 100 consists of a file header 20 containing global information about the av objects contained within it , followed by an arbitrary number of segments 30 containing the av objects within al pdus 60 and bifs data consistent with the mpeg - 4 standard known in the art . av objects 40 can represent textual , graphical , video , audio or other information . in terms of the al pdu , bifs and related data structures under mpeg - 4 , that standard uses an object - based approach . individual components of a scene are coded as independent objects ( e . g . arbitrarily shaped visual objects , or separately coded sounds ). the audiovisual objects are transmitted to a receiving terminal along with scene description information , which defines how the objects should be positioned in space and time , in order to construct the scene to be presented to a user . the scene description follows a tree structured approach , similar to the virtual reality modeling language ( vrml ) known in the art . the encoding of such scene description information is more fully defined in part 1 of the official iso mpeg - 4 specification ( mpeg - 4 systems ), known in the art . bifs information is transmitted in its own elementary stream , with its own time and clock stamp information to ensure proper coordination of events at the receiving terminal . in terms of the adaptation layer ( al ) in the mpeg - 4 environment , since mpeg - 4 follows an object - based architecture , several elementary streams may be associated with a particular program ( av presentation ). each elementary stream is composed of access units ( aus ). an access unit can correspond , for example , to a frame of video , or a small set of samples in an audio stream . in general , aus are assumed to be distinct presentation units . in order to provide a uniform way of describing important information about the aus carried in each elementary stream ( clock reference , time stamps , whether a particular au is a random access point , etc .) an adaptation layer is used to encapsulate all aus . the al is a simple ( configurable ) header structure which allows access to such information without parsing of the actual underlying encoded media data . the al is positioned hierarchically about the option flexmux and directly below the coding layer . as illustrated in fig1 in a storage embodiment the al pdus 60 are interspersed within file segments 30 . each file segment 30 contains a header 70 describing the al pdus 60 located within that file segment 30 . the mpeg - 4 file 100 thus contains a set of al pdus 60 multiplexed and indexed such that random access of individual objects ( encapsulated in the al pdus ) is possible , at a level of abstraction higher than the physical storage medium that the objects are stored in . this decoupling of audiovisual objects from the physical storage allows highly flexible and general manipulation of these data types . to stream the content of a file for playback , such as from a web server to an internet client , the index information ( physical object table 80 and logical object table 90 ) is removed and al pdus 60 are prepared to be delivered over a channel . a streaming embodiment of the invention is generally illustrated in fig2 . in terms of the streaming environment under mpeg - 4 , previous versions of mpeg specification provided an explicit definition of how individual elementary streams are to be multiplexed together for transmission as a single bitstream . since mpeg - 4 is intended to be used in a variety of communication environments ( from internet connections to native atm , or even mobile ), mpeg - 4 does mandate a particular structure or mechanism for multiplexing . instead , it assumes a generic model for a transport multiplexer , referred to as a transmux . for transport facilities that do not conform to that model ( e . g . data transmission using the gsm digital cellular telephony standard ), mpeg - 4 provides the definition of a simple and flexible multiplexer referred to as a flexmux . its use , however , is entirely optional . the flexmux provides a simple multiplexing facility by allowing elementary streams to populate channels within a flexmux . it also allows multiple media to share a flexmux pdu , which is useful for low delay and / or low - bandwidth applications . as illustrated in fig2 in streaming implementation the invention builds an index layer 110 on top of the access unit sub - layer 130 of the flex mux layer 130 to index the al pdus 60 by object number . in the absence of the indexing information contained in index layer 110 , random access of streaming data becomes practically impossible . a file segment 30 can contain part of an al pdu 60 , an entire al pdu 60 , or even more than one al pdu 60 . as illustrated in both fig1 and 2 , in terms of general formatting the first 5 bytes of the file header 20 contain the characters &# 34 ; m &# 34 ; &# 34 ; p &# 34 ; &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 4 &# 34 ;. the next byte indicates the version number of the file format . the next byte of the file header 20 contains the file type definition ( ftd ) field 140 . ftd field 140 describes the contents of the file according to the following definition . bit 1 : if set indicates that there are physical av objects present in the stream . bit 2 : if set indicates that there are logical av objects present in the stream . ( always 0 in a streaming file ), to be accessed using url calls to remote mpeg - 4 files . bit 3 : always 0 for a stored file . in a streaming file , if this bit is set it indicates that the one al pdu 30 is contained in one transport pdu 150 ( this corresponds to a simple mode of operation of the flexmux ). in such cases , access to random objects is possible by accessing transport pdus 150 . ( bit 3 also called the random access flag ). bit 3 of the ftd field 140 , if set , indicates that the transport pdu 150 contains data that belong to one al pdu 60 . if the random access flag is set , the av object id field 170 in the transport pdu table 160 indicates the elementary stream id ( esid ) of the av object contained in the transport pdu 150 . otherwise , the av object id field 170 indicates the packet number in the current segment . this is because if the transport pdu 150 contains multiple av object data ( random access flag not set ), it cannot be directly used for random access and also cannot be associated with a single esid . following the file type field 180 is a 1 byte extension indicator ( followed by possible extension data ), and a 1 byte code describing the profile / level of the entire stream . this allows a decoder to determine if it is capable of handling the data in the file . after the file profile field 190 is the bifs data 50 including object ids . the bifs data 50 is a 2 - byte field that identifies the bifs pdus in the file . object ids are used to uniquely identify the av objects encapsulated in al pdus 60 , including the bifs data . the next portion is the physical object table 80 , which catalogs a description of all the objects in the file that are physically present or contained in the file . the file header 20 next contains a logical object table 90 , which catalogs the location of all file objects that are not physically present in the file , but are referenced via urls to mpeg - 4 compliant files illustratively located on the internet . the urls are coded as strings ( without a terminating null &# 34 ;\ 0 &# 34 ; character ), prepended by their length ( using 8 bits ). while illustrated in fig1 the physical object table 80 is optional . physical object table 80 is necessary only when local media access is to be performed , and when present it is contained in the file header 20 . physical object table 80 consists of a 2 byte av object count 160 , indicating the number of av objects in the file , followed by a sequence of 2 byte av object ids 170 and 1 - byte profile fields 460 containing profile / level descriptions for each av object present in the file . each av object description also contains 8 additional bytes in av object offset 470 to indicate the offset ( from the beginning of the file ) to the segment in which the av object or bifs information first occurs in the stream . similarly , the logical object table 90 is only necessary for a stored file implementation , and is not part of a streaming file implementation . when present , the logical object table 90 is also contained in the file header 20 . the logical object table 90 consists of a 2 byte av object count 480 indicating the av objects that are part of the session , but not physically present in the mpeg file 100 . the count data is followed by a 2 byte av object id 170 ( also known as the aforementioned elementary stream id ) and a 1 byte url length field 490 indicating object location string length , and an av object url 500 the string indicating the location ( an internet universal resource locator , or url familiar to persons skilled in the art ) of each av object in the table . the file pointed to by the url is also in mpeg - 4 file format . ( it is up to the creator of the file content to ensure that the id used exists in the remote file and is not duplicated in the local file ). the incorporation of logical objects in the invention facilitates the use of a set of distributed files to store an assembled mpeg - 4 presentation . the mpeg file 100 comprises one or more file segments 30 , uniquely identified by a 32 - bit start code ( 0 × 000001b9 ). a special code denotes the end of the file ( 0 × 000001ff ). as illustrated in fig1 following a segment start code 510 and segment size field 520 is an al pdu table 190 , which contains a 2 - byte count field 410 , indicating how many al pdus 60 are contained in the given file segment 30 . al pdu table 190 also contains a sequence of av object ids 420 , al pdu offset 430 , and al pdu continuity field 440 and al pdu size field 450 . for each al pdu , an 8 - byte structure is used to describe the object contained . the first 2 bytes are the av object id 420 , and the next 4 bytes indicate the al pdu offset 430 to the starting point of that al pdu in the segment 30 . the next two bits are the al pdu continuity field 440 , representing a &# 34 ; continuity flag &# 34 ;, and have the following meaning : 01 : 1 st segment of a split pdu ; next segment follows ; look in the segment tables 11 : intermediate segment of a split pdu ; look in the pdu table to locate the next pdu segment . the remaining 14 bits are the al pdu size field 450 giving the size ( in bytes ) of the part of the al pdu 60 contained therein . following the al table there is a 4 - byte segment size field that denotes the number of bytes until the beginning of the next segment start code or end - of - data code . the stored format of the first illustrative embodiment of the invention for mpeg - 4 files supports random accessing of av objects from local media . accessing an av object at random by object number involves looking up the al pdu table 190 of a file segment 30 for the object id . if the id is found , the corresponding al pdu 60 is retrieved . since an access unit can span more than one al pdu 60 , it is possible that the requested object is encapsulated in more than one al pdu 60 . so to retrieve all the al pdus 60 that constitute the requested object , all the al pdus 60 with the requested object id are examined and retrieved until an al pdu 60 with the first bit set is found . the first bit of an al pdu 60 indicates the beginning of an access unit . if the id is not found , the al pdu table 190 in the next segment is examined . all al pdu 60 segments are listed in the al pdu table 190 . this also allows more than one object ( instance ) with the same id to be present in the same segment . it is assumed that al pdus 60 of the same object id are placed in the file in their natural time ( or playout ) order . generally similar structures are presented in the second illustrative embodiment shown in fig2 but reflecting streamed rather than stored access , including mux pdu table 530 containing a corresponding mux pdu count 540 , mux pdu offset 550 , mux pdu table 560 and mux pdu size field 570 . in terms of delivery of data encapsulated according to the invention , the av objects stored in an mpeg - 4 file 100 may be delivered over a network such as the internet , cellular data or other networks for streaming data , or accessed from a local storage device for playback from mass storage . the additional headers added to facilitate random access are removed before a file can be played back . fig3 illustrates an apparatus for processing an mpeg - 4 file 100 for playback according to the invention . in the illustrated apparatus , mpeg - 4 files 100 are stored on a storage media , such as a hard disk or cd rom , which is connected to a file format interface 200 capable of programmed control of audiovisual information , including the processing flow illustrated in fig4 . the file format interface 200 is connected to a streaming file channel 210 , and to an editable file channel 220 . streaming file channel 210 communicates flex mux pdus to trans mux 250 , which is in turn connected to data communications network 260 . data communications network 260 is in turn connected to an audiovisual terminal 270 , which receives the streamed audiovisual data . file format interface 200 is also connected to flex mux 230 and to a local audiovisual terminal 240 by way of editable file channel 220 . the apparatus illustrated in fig3 can therefore operate on streamed audiovisual data at the networked audiovisual terminal 270 , or operate on mass - stored audiovisual data at the local audiovisual terminal 240 . the invention illustratively uses a file format specified as limited to 64k local objects and 64k remote objects . furthermore , file segments 30 are limited to a size of 4 gb . the offsets to individual objects in the physical and logical object tables limit the total size of the file to a 64 - bit address space . using all of these techniques and structures , the system , method and medium of the invention enables new applications that make use of a variety of random access av features . types of client applications foreseen by the inventors include video and audio conferencing , video gaming and other interactive entertainment . the file format associated with the invention can be used to arrange audiovisual data efficiently on a storage device such as a dvd , cd rom , hard disk or other devices . necessary control structures can be realized in hardware as well as software , as will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art , and the design of software or devices that utilize the file format will depend on particular applications . fig4 illustrates a schematic diagram of another logical apparatus using the file format specification to access units from an mpeg - 4 file 100 according to the invention . this is an illustrative embodiment of an mpeg - 4 apparatus comprising cpu 380 , which may for example be a general or special purpose microprocessor , electronic memory 390 , associated bus connections and other components , as will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art . in this illustrative embodiment the cpu 380 posts requests to random objects by specifying the object id ( elementary stream id ). other component blocks in fig4 are depicted logically , and may correspond to software or hardware modules according to design needs , and in which blocks could be combined , as will also be appreciated by persons skilled in the art . in the diagram of fig4 cpu 380 accesses storage device 280 ( such as a hard drive ) to cause a read operation to be performed on an mpeg - 4 file at module 290 , and a next segment header is read at module 300 . the read operation module 290 accesses an object table 370 for translation purposes , and communicates extracted audiovisual data to mpeg - 4 player 360 , which may comprise a video buffer , screen , audio channels and related output devices . id check module 330 checks for an id in the segment header , transmitting the id to the get object id module 320 , or if not present moving back to next segment module 300 . after mpeg - 4 player 360 has finished presenting the current audiovisual data , it transmits a request through request module 340 for the next al pdu ( id ), or may request a random al pdu ( id ) through module 350 , which in turn communicates that information to the id check module 310 . as noted above , the way in which av objects are accessed from a file depends on the intended application and hence the way the client applications are designed . one significant purpose of the invention is to provide underlying universal support for easy access of individual av objects from any storage device . of course , any client application employing the invention must have a module that retrieves av objects from a file . the functionality of this front - end component includes retrieving av objects by their esid , retrieving the composition information , retrieving the n th occurrence of an object in the elementary stream . the reader will parse the segment headers for the presence of an object in that segment . if the object is not present in the segment , it scans the next segment . this is repeated until the desired object is found or the end of the file marker is reached . the foregoing description of the system , method and medium for processing audiovisual information of the invention is illustrative , and variations in construction and implementation will occur to persons skilled in the art . the scope of the invention is there intended to be limited only by the following claims .	8
the above described drawing figures illustrate the present invention in at least one of its preferred , best mode embodiments , which is further defined in detail in the following description . those having ordinary skill in the art may be able to make alterations and modifications in the present invention without departing from its spirit and scope . therefore , it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of example and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined in the appended claims . in the present apparatus and method , one or two players take part in a game involving physical movements . such games may comprise simulated combat , games of chance , competition , cooperative engagement , and similar subjects . however , the present invention is ideal for use in games of hand - to - hand combat such as karate , aikido , kick - boxing and american style boxing where the players have contact but are not physically intertwined as they are in wrestling , judo and similar sports . in this disclosure a combat game is described , but such is not meant to limit the range of possible uses of the present invention . in one embodiment of the instant combat game , a player 5 engages in simulated combat with an image 5 ′ projected onto a screen 10 placed in front of the player 5 . in this embodiment , the image 5 ′ is computer generated using the same technology as found in game arcades . in an alternate embodiment , two players 5 stand in front of two separate screens 10 and engage in mutual simulated combat against recorded and projected images 5 ′ of each other . this avoids physical face - to - face combat where one of the players might receive injury . in this second approach , the images projected onto the screens 10 are not computer generated . in the first approach , a player 5 is positioned in front of a rear projection screen 10 . one or more video cameras 20 , referred to here as a camera 20 , is positioned behind the screen 10 . the camera 20 is able to view the player 5 through the screen 10 and record the player &# 39 ; s movements dynamically . if the screen 10 is not transparent enough for this to be done , the camera 20 is mounted on the front of the screen 10 , or is mounted on or at the rear of the screen 10 viewing the player 5 through a small hole in the screen 10 . the screen 10 may be supported by a screen stand ( not shown ) or it may be mounted on a wall 25 as shown . the screen 10 may also be mounted in the wall 25 with video equipment located on the side of the wall opposite the player 5 as shown in fig1 . a video projector 30 projects a simulated image 5 ′ of a competitor combatant from the rear onto the screen 10 and this image 5 ′ is visible to the player 5 as shown in fig2 . in the approach where the camera 20 is located behind the screen 10 , in order for the camera 20 to not record the projected image 5 ′, both the camera 20 and the projector 30 operate at identical rates ( frames per second ) but are set for recording and projecting respectively for only one - half of each frame , and are interlaced so that recording occurs only when the projector 30 is in an off state , and projecting occurs only when the camera 20 is in an off state . the net result is that the player 5 , positioned at the front of the screen 10 , sees the projected image while the camera 20 sees the player 5 and not the projected image . the screen 10 may be a two - way mirror with visibility of objects in front of the screen 10 very clear from the rear of the screen 20 , and with visibility through the screen 10 from the front not possible , yet visibility of images projected onto the back of the screen 10 highly visible from in front . in both of the above described approaches , the player 5 wears colored bands as best seen in fig2 . preferably , the player 5 has a band 51 secured at his forehead , above each elbow 52 , on each wrist 53 , around the waist 54 , above each knee 55 and on each ankle 56 . each of these 10 bands is a different color . further bands may be placed in additional locations on the player , but the 10 bands shown in fig2 as described , are able to achieve the objectives of the instant innovation as will be shown . in the instant method , the image 5 ′ of the player 5 , as recorded by camera 20 is converted into a digital electronic signal . this signal is split into 10 identical signals and each of these 10 signals is filtered for only the color component related to one of the 10 bands 51 - 56 . each of the filtered signals contains two pieces of information : the location on the plane of the recording device of its related colored band as determined by which pixels are disposed to the band , and the distance from the recording device to the band as determined by the total number of pixels disposed to the band . this information , from all ten bands is processed by a computer 60 to form a composite image 5 ′ of the player 5 . the player 5 stands facing the screen 10 with feet a comfortable distance apart , legs straight , and arms hanging at the player &# 39 ; s sides . each of the ten colored bands 51 - 56 are visible to the camera 20 and with a simple set of anatomical rules , the computer 60 is able to compose a mathematical model of the player &# 39 ; s form that accurately represents the player &# 39 ; s physical position and anatomical orientation at that moment . when a band moves , its image on the recording plane moves accordingly so that the computer 60 is able to calculate the motion trajectory of the band . when the number of pixels related to a particular band diminishes or grows , the computer 60 is able to calculate the band &# 39 ; s trajectory in 3 - space . when a band disappears , the computer 60 calculation takes into account the corresponding portion of the human anatomy , has moved so as to be hidden behind another portion of the anatomy of the player 5 . this example is represented in fig2 . the computer 60 produces a digital image 5 ′ representing a competitor combatant and projects this image 5 ′ onto the screen 10 initially in a starting position with body erect , feet spread apart and arms at sides . as the player 5 moves to attack the competitor image 5 ′, the computer 60 calculates the trajectory of motion of the attacking element , i . e ., hand , arm , leg , etc ., of the player 5 and moves the image 5 ′ to defensive postures or to counter attack . the computer 60 is able to calculate if the player 5 has moved successfully to overcome defensive postures or counter attacks of the image 5 ′ so as to award points to the player 5 ′. two players 5 stand facing their respective screens 10 , each with feet a comfortable distance apart , legs straight , and arms hanging at their sides . each of the ten colored bands 51 - 56 on each of the players 5 are visible to their respective cameras 20 so that the computer 60 is able to compose mathematical models of each of the players 5 in a mathematical 3 - space that accurately represents each of the player &# 39 ; s physical position and anatomical orientation at that moment relative to the other of the player 5 . the vertical plane represented by the screen 10 of one player 5 represents a vertical bisector of the other player 5 . therefore , when one player 5 moves a fist , elbow , knee or foot toward his screen 10 , the computer 60 calculates that motion as projecting outwardly toward the other player 5 from the other player &# 39 ; s screen 10 . in this manner the computer 60 calculates contacts between players 5 in offensive and defensive moves . as in real face - to - face combat , the players 5 initially and nominally stand slightly more than an arm &# 39 ; s length away from their screen , i . e ., mathematically from their opponent . points are awarded to each of the players for successful offensive and defensive moves . the images are preferably projected with three - dimensional realism by use of the well known horizontal and vertical polarization of dual simultaneous projections with slight image separation as is well known , and with the players 5 wearing horizontally and vertically polarized lenses so as to see a combined image providing the illusion of depth . in this manner , each of the players 5 sees the illusion of the opponent players image projecting toward him from the screen 10 . this example is represented in fig3 . the present disclosure teaches an improved video frame processing method that enables the combative motions between two distant players 5 to be calculated and compared with respect to each other . this method is described as follows and is as shown in fig4 - 6 . once the game is initiated , a stream of frames from the video recorder 30 is processed . when motion is determined by a change in the position of any of the color elements 51 - 56 being recorded , position , velocity , as the differential of the position , and acceleration , as the second differential of the position of each of the ten color elements of the player 5 , as discriminated by the signal filtering process described above , are calculated . enablement of prediction is determined by evaluating the number of frames comprising a particular motion with a minimum number of frames set point . the calculations continue until the number of frames is at least equal to the set point . depending on whether the motion is defensive , i . e ., lagging the opponents movement , or offensive , i . e ., independent of the opponent &# 39 ; s movement , in any of the colored elements , the image is modified so as to defend against an offensive move by the player 5 or to initiate a new offensive move from an inventory of such moves . the final logical loops of this program are shown in fig5 and 6 and comprise the determination of incoming offense commands , calculation of the player &# 39 ; s new coordinates , determination if the defense or offence is complete , and calculating the player &# 39 ; s offensive positions as compared to the image defense moves and vice - versa , and determining a score for the player 5 in accordance with a stored table of score related motion and counter motion comparisons . for each of the motion and counter motion determinations for both offensive and defensive motions of players , a score is created and projected onto the screen . the enablements described in detail above are considered novel over the prior art of record and are considered critical to the operation of at least one aspect of one best mode embodiment of the instant invention and to the achievement of the above described objectives . the words used in this specification to describe the instant embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings , but to include by special definition in this specification : structure , material or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings . thus if an element can be understood in the context of this specification as including more than one meaning , then its use must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and by the word or words describing the element . the definitions of the words or elements of the embodiments of the herein described invention and its related embodiments not described are , therefore , defined in this specification to include not only the combination of elements which are literally set forth , but all equivalent structure , material or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain substantially the same result . in this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the invention and its various embodiments or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim . changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art , now known or later devised , are expressly contemplated as being equivalents within the scope of the invention and its various embodiments . therefore , obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements . the invention and its various embodiments are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above , what is conceptually equivalent , what can be obviously substituted , and also what essentially incorporates the essential idea of the invention . while the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment , it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto . rather , the scope of the invention is to be interpreted only in conjunction with the appended claims and it is made clear , here , that the inventor ( s ) believe that the claimed subject matter is the invention .	6
as shown in fig1 - 6 , an embodiment of a catheter 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises an elongated catheter body 12 having proximal and distal ends , a deflectable intermediate section 14 at the distal end of the catheter body 12 , a tip electrode 36 at the distal end of the intermediate section , and a control handle 16 at the proximal end of the catheter body 12 . with reference to fig1 , 2 a and 2 b , the catheter body 12 comprises an elongated tubular construction having a single , axial or central lumen 18 . the catheter body 12 is flexible , i . e ., bendable , but substantially non - compressible along its length . the catheter body 12 can be of any suitable construction and made of any suitable material . a construction comprises an outer wall 22 made of an extruded plastic . the outer wall 22 may comprise an imbedded braided mesh of stainless steel or the like to increase torsional stiffness of the catheter body 12 so that , when the control handle 16 is rotated , the catheter body 12 , the intermediate section 14 and the tip electrode 36 of the catheter 10 will rotate in a corresponding manner . extending through the single lumen 18 of the catheter body 12 are components , for example , a lead wire 40 and thermocouple wires 41 and 45 protected by a sheath 39 , fiber optic cables 43 , a compression coil 44 through which a puller wire 42 extends , and an electromagnetic sensor cable 74 . a single lumen catheter body can be preferred over a multi - lumen body because it has been found that the single lumen body permits better tip control when rotating the catheter . the single lumen permits the various aforementioned components to float freely within the catheter body . if such components were restricted within multiple lumens , they tend to build up energy when the handle is rotated , resulting in the catheter body having a tendency to rotate back if , for example , the handle is released , or if bent around a curve , to flip over , either of which are undesirable performance characteristics . the outer diameter of the catheter body 12 is not critical , but is preferably no more than about 8 french , more preferably 7 french . likewise the thickness of the outer wall 22 is not critical , but is thin enough so that the central lumen 18 can accommodate the aforementioned components . the inner surface of the outer wall 22 may be lined with a stiffening tube 20 , which can be made of any suitable material , such as polyimide or nylon . the stiffening tube 20 , along with the braided outer wall 22 , provides improved torsional stability while at the same time minimizing the wall thickness of the catheter , thus maximizing the diameter of the central lumen 18 . the outer diameter of the stiffening tube 20 is about the same as or slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the outer wall 22 . polyimide tubing may be preferred for the stiffening tube 20 because it may be very thin walled while still providing very good stiffness . this maximizes the diameter of the central lumen 18 without sacrificing strength and stiffness . referring also to fig3 a , 3 b and 3 c , the intermediate section 14 comprises a shorter section of tubing 19 having multiple lumens . the tubing 19 is made of a suitable non - toxic material that is preferably more flexible than the catheter body 12 . a suitable material for the tubing 19 is non - braided polyurethane . the outer diameter of the intermediate section 14 , like that of the catheter body 12 , is preferably no greater than about 8 french , more preferably 7 french . the size and number of the lumens is not critical . in an embodiment , the intermediate section 14 has an outer diameter of about 7 french ( 0 . 092 inch ). the tubing has a first off - axis lumen 30 , a second off - axis lumen 32 , a third off - axis lumen 34 and a fourth off - axis lumen 35 , that are generally about the same size , each having a diameter of from about 0 . 032 inch to about 0 . 038 inch , preferably 0 . 036 inch . in the illustrated embodiment , the puller wire 42 extends through the first lumen 30 and optical waveguides , e . g ., the fiber optic cables 43 , extend through the second lumen 32 . the electrode lead wire 40 extends through the third lumen 34 . the thermocouple wires 41 and 45 can also extend through the third lumen 34 , and an electromagnetic sensor cable 74 can extend through the fourth lumen 35 . as best shown in fig2 a and 2b , the catheter body 12 in one embodiment is attached to the intermediate section 14 by means of an outer circumferential notch 24 configured in the proximal end of the tubing 19 that receives the inner surface of the outer wall 22 of the catheter body 12 . the intermediate section 14 and catheter body 12 are attached by glue or the like . before the intermediate section 14 and catheter body 12 are attached , the stiffening tube 20 is inserted into the catheter body 12 . the distal end of the stiffening tube 20 is fixedly attached near the distal end of the catheter body 12 by forming a glue joint 23 with polyurethane glue or the like . preferably a small distance , e . g ., about 3 mm , is provided between the distal end of the catheter body 12 and the distal end of the stiffening tube 20 to permit room for the catheter body 12 to receive the notch 24 of the intermediate section 14 . if no compression coil is used , a force is applied to the proximal end of the stiffening tube 20 , and , while the stiffening tube 20 is under compression , a first glue joint ( not shown ) is made between the stiffening tube 20 and the outer wall 22 by a fast drying glue , e . g ., cyanoacrylate . thereafter a second glue joint 26 is formed between the proximal ends of the stiffening tube 20 and outer wall 22 using a slower drying but stronger glue , e . g ., polyurethane . if desired , a spacer can be located within the catheter body between the distal end of the stiffening tube and the proximal end of the tip electrode . the spacer provides a transition in flexibility at the junction of the catheter body and intermediate section , which allows this junction to bend smoothly without folding or kinking . a catheter having such a spacer is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 924 , 616 , entitled “ steerable direct myocardial revascularization catheter ”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . as illustrated in fig3 a and 3b , the tip electrode 36 extends from the distal end of the intermediate section 14 . in the illustrated embodiment , the tip electrode has a diameter about the same as the outer diameter of the tubing 19 of the intermediate section 14 . the intermediate section 14 and the tip electrode are attached by glue 27 or the like applied circumferentially around a junction of the tubing 19 and the tip electrode 36 . moreover , the components extending between the intermediate section 14 and the tip electrode , e . g ., the lead wire 40 , the thermocouple wires 41 and 45 , and the puller wire 42 , help keep the tip electrode on the intermediate section . in the illustrated embodiment , the tip electrode 36 has a generally hollow distal portion . the tip electrode comprises a shell 38 of generally uniform thickness and a press - fit alignment member or plug 59 positioned at or near the proximal end of the shell to seal the hollow distal portion . the shell and the plug are formed from any suitable material that is both thermally and electrically conductive which allows for radio frequency ablation using an rf generator . such suitable materials include , without limitation , platinum , gold alloy , or palladium alloy . a tip electrode and method for manufacturing same are disclosed in application ser . no . 11 / 058 , 434 , filed feb . 14 , 2005 , the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference . as discussed in detail further below , the alignment member 59 serves to stabilize , secure and / or support the various components extending into the tip electrode . the alignment member 59 has designated passages for the fiber optic components extending into the tip electrode and is situated at the proximal end of the shell 38 to define a chamber 49 in the distal end of the electrode 36 with a size and dimensions that accommodate the relatively limited flexure of the fiber optics while providing multi - directional radiation and / or collection of light at the tip electrode . the alignment member 59 allows the fiber optic cables 43 to be consistently in an optimal configuration inside the tip electrode to transmit and receive light energy from outside the tip electrode . the tip electrode 36 allows for sufficient space within to provide an optical termination and a stabilizing fixture for the fiber optic cables , and to house and carry components for enabling rf ablation and deflection with any curve shape . this construction design is intended to reduce machining costs and provide a deflection radii that facilitates the use of fiber optic cables in ablation catheters . a tip electrode may have an effective length , i . e ., from its distal end to the distal end of the intermediate section 14 , between about 3 . 5 mm to about 7 . 5 mm , and an actual length , i . e ., from its distal end to its proximal end , between about 4 . 0 mm to about 8 . mm . the wall thickness may be generally equal to or greater than 0 . 004 inches . the tip electrode 36 is energized for rf ablation by the lead wire 40 that extends through the third lumen 34 of intermediate section 14 , the central lumen 18 of the catheter body 12 , and the control handle 16 , and terminates at its proximal end in an input jack ( not shown ) that may be plugged into an appropriate monitor ( not shown ). the portion of the lead wire 40 extending through the central lumen 18 of the catheter body 12 , control handle 16 and distal end of the intermediate section 14 is enclosed within the protective sheath 39 , which can be made of any suitable material , preferably teflon rtm . the protective sheath 39 is anchored at its distal end to the distal end of the intermediate section 14 by gluing it in the lumen 34 with polyurethane glue or the like . the lead wire 40 is attached to the tip electrode 36 by any conventional technique . in the illustrated embodiment , connection of the lead wire 40 to the tip electrode 36 is accomplished , for example , by welding the distal end of the lead wire 40 into a first blind hole 31 ( fig3 d ) in the alignment member 59 of the tip electrode 36 . a temperature sensing means is provided for the tip electrode 36 in the disclosed embodiment . any conventional temperature sensing means , e . g ., a thermocouple or thermistor , may be used . with reference to fig3 a and 3b , a suitable temperature sensing means for the tip electrode 36 comprises a thermocouple formed by a wire pair . one wire of the wire pair is the copper wire 41 , e . g ., a number 40 copper wire . the other wire of the wire pair is the constantan wire 45 , which gives support and strength to the wire pair . the wires 41 and 45 of the wire pair are electrically isolated from each other except at their distal ends where they contact and are twisted together , covered with a short piece of plastic tubing 63 , e . g ., polyimide , and covered with epoxy . the plastic tubing 63 is then attached in a second blind hole 33 of the tip electrode 36 ( fig3 b ), by epoxy or the like . the wires 41 and 45 extend through the third lumen 34 in the intermediate section 14 . within the catheter body 12 the wires 41 and 45 extend through the central lumen 18 within the protective sheath 39 along with the lead wire 40 . the wires 41 and 45 then extend out through the control handle 16 and to a connector ( not shown ) connectable to a temperature monitor ( not shown ). alternatively , the temperature sensing means may be a thermistor . a suitable thermistor for use in the present invention is model no . ab6n2 - gc14ka143t / 37c sold by thermometrics ( new jersey ). referring to fig2 a , 3 a and 3 d , the puller wire 42 as part of a means for deflecting the catheter extends through the catheter body 12 , is anchored at its proximal end to the control handle 16 , and is anchored at its distal end to the tip electrode 36 . the puller wire is made of any suitable metal , such as stainless steel or nitinol , and is preferably coated with teflon . rtm . or the like . the coating imparts lubricity to the puller wire . the puller wire preferably has a diameter ranging from about 0 . 006 to about 0 . 010 inches . the compression coil 44 is situated within the catheter body 12 in surrounding relation to the puller wire . the compression coil 44 extends from the proximal end of the catheter body 12 to the proximal end of the intermediate section 14 ( fig2 ). the compression coil is made of any suitable metal , preferably stainless steel , and is tightly wound on itself to provide flexibility , i . e ., bending , but to resist compression . the inner diameter of the compression coil is preferably slightly larger than the diameter of the puller wire 42 . the teflon . rtm . coating on the puller wire allows it to slide freely within the compression coil . if desired , particularly if the lead wire 40 is not enclosed by a protective sheath 39 , the outer surface of the compression coils can be covered by a flexible , non - conductive sheath , e . g ., made of polyimide tubing , to prevent contact between the compression coils and any other wires within the catheter body 12 . as shown in fig2 a , the compression coil 44 is anchored at its proximal end to the proximal end of the stiffening tube 20 in the catheter body 12 by glue joint 50 and at its distal end to the intermediate section 14 by glue joint 51 . both glue joints 50 and 51 preferably comprise polyurethane glue or the like . the glue may be applied by means of a syringe or the like through a hole made between the outer surface of the catheter body 12 and the central lumen 18 . such a hole may be formed , for example , by a needle or the like that punctures the outer wall 22 of the catheter body 12 and the stiffening tube 20 which is heated sufficiently to form a permanent hole . the glue is then introduced through the hole to the outer surface of the compression coil 44 and wicks around the outer circumference to form a glue joint about the entire circumference of the compression coil . with reference to fig2 a , 3 a and 3 c , the puller wire 42 extends into the first lumen 30 of the intermediate section 14 . the puller wire 42 is anchored at its distal end to the tip electrode 36 within the third blind hole 73 in the alignment member 59 , as shown in fig3 d . a method for anchoring the puller wire 42 within the tip electrode 36 is by crimping metal tubing 46 to the distal end of the puller wire 42 and soldering the metal tubing 46 inside the blind hole 73 . anchoring the puller wire 42 within the alignment member 59 provides additional support , reducing the likelihood that the tip electrode 36 will fall off . alternatively , the puller wire 42 can be attached to the side of the tubing 19 of the intermediate section 14 as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art . within the first lumen 30 of the intermediate section 14 , the puller wire 42 extends through a plastic , preferably teflon . rtm ., sheath 81 , which prevents the puller wire 42 from cutting into the wall of the intermediate section 14 when the intermediate section is deflected . longitudinal movement of the puller wire 42 relative to the catheter body 12 , which results in deflection of the tip electrode 36 , is accomplished by suitable manipulation of the control handle 16 . a suitable control handle is described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 602 , 242 , the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference . in the illustrated embodiment of fig3 a , 3 b and 3 d , the tip electrode 36 carries an electromagnetic sensor 72 . the electromagnetic sensor 72 is connected to the electromagnetic sensor cable 74 , which extends through a passage 75 ( fig4 ) in the alignment member 39 , the third lumen 35 of the tip electrode 36 , through the central lumen 18 of the catheter body 12 , and into the control handle 16 . as shown in fig1 , the electromagnetic sensor cable 74 then extends out the proximal end of the control handle 16 within an umbilical cord 78 to a sensor control module 75 that houses a circuit board ( not shown ). alternatively , the circuit board can be housed within the control handle 16 , for example , as described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 924 , 616 , entitled “ steerable direct myocardial revascularization catheter ”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference . the electromagnetic sensor cable 74 comprises multiple wires encased within a plastic covered sheath . in the sensor control module 75 , the wires of the electromagnetic sensor cable 74 are connected to the circuit board . the circuit board amplifies the signal received from the electromagnetic sensor 72 and transmits it to a computer in a form understandable by the computer by means of the sensor connector 77 at the proximal end of the sensor control module 75 , as shown in fig1 . because the catheter can be designed for single use only , the circuit board may contain an eprom chip which shuts down the circuit board approximately 24 hours after the catheter has been used . this prevents the catheter , or at least the electromagnetic sensor , from being used twice . suitable electromagnetic sensors for use with the present invention are described , for example , in u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 558 , 091 , 5 , 443 , 489 , 5 , 480 , 422 , 5 , 546 , 951 , 5 , 568 , 809 , and 5 , 391 , 199 and international publication no . wo 95 / 02995 , the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference . an electromagnetic mapping sensor 72 may have a length of from about 6 mm to about 7 mm and a diameter of about 1 . 3 mm . in accordance with a feature of the present invention , the catheter 10 is adapted to facilitate optically - based real - time assessment of ablation tissue characteristics , including without limitation , lesion formation , depth of penetration of the lesion , cross - sectional area of the lesion , formation of char during ablation , recognition of char during ablation , differentiation of char from non - charred tissue , formation of coagulum around the ablation site , differentiation of coagulated from non - coagulated blood , differentiation of ablated from healthy tissue , tissue proximity , and recognition of steam formation in the tissue for prevention of steam pop . these assessments are accomplished by measuring the light intensity at one or more wavelengths that is recaptured at the catheter tip resulting from the light radiated from the catheter tip onto ablated tissue . as shown in fig2 a , 3 a and 3 b , optical waveguides , e . g ., the fiber optic cables 43 are provided in the catheter to illuminate a lesion for purposes of collecting optical data to conduct the aforementioned assessments . the fiber optic cables 43 transmit light to the tip electrode 36 and collect light at the tip electrode . the fiber optic cables 43 are protectively housed in the catheter along its length . they extend through the lumen 18 of the catheter body 12 , through the second lumen 32 of the intermediate section 14 and into the tip electrode 36 . it is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that optical waveguides and fiber optic cables in general serve to transmit optical energy from one end to the other , although these are not exclusive . accordingly , one or more of the cables 43 may function as a light emitting cable by transmitting light energy to the tip electrode 36 from an external and / or internal light source , and one or more of the other cables 43 may function as a light receiving cable in the tip electrode 36 by collecting light energy at the tip electrode and transmitting it to an optical processing system . in either function as a light transmitting or light receiving cable , each of the fiber optic cables 43 passes through a passage 71 configured in the alignment member 59 , as shown in fig4 , and extends distally toward a respective opening 80 configured in the distal region of the shell 38 of the tip electrode 36 , as shown in fig3 a and 3b . the distal ends of the fiber optic cables 43 are received and fixedly secured in the openings by glue , adhesive or the like . accordingly , light can be emitted from and be collected at the tip electrode by the fiber optic cables 43 . in accordance with a feature of the present invention , the shell 38 and the alignment member 59 of the tip electrode 36 are configured to provide the chamber 49 with sufficient length and width to accommodate the flexure of the fiber optic cables as they extend between the alignment member 59 and the openings 80 . to that end , the openings 80 and the passages 71 in the alignment member 29 are positioned relative to each other such that the flexure of the fiber optic cables therebetween does not exceed about 30 degrees within the space constraints of the tip dimensions mentioned above . with reference to fig3 , the openings 80 are provided in the distal portion of the shell 38 . there is a center opening 80 a which is located generally at the most distal location on the shell along the longitudinal axis of the electrode 36 for on - axis transmission or collection at the tip electrode . there are also off - center openings 80 b which are located proximal of the opening 80 a for off - axis transmission or collection with a greater radial component . it is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the number and arrangement of the openings 80 a and 80 b may be varied as appropriate or desired . for example , the number of off - center openings 80 b may range between about 3 to 6 , arranged at angles between about 120 to 60 degrees , respectively , about the center opening 80 a . for example , there can be three openings 80 b equally offset from each other at about 120 degrees , four openings 80 b equally offset from each other at about 90 degrees , five openings 80 b equally offset from each other at about 72 degrees , or six openings 80 b equally offset from each other at about 60 degrees . in the illustrated embodiment of fig3 , 3 a and 3 b , there is one opening 80 a for a single fiber optic cable 43 e delivering light energy from the opening 80 a and there are three openings 80 b for three fiber optic cables 43 r receiving light energy through the openings 80 b . the three openings 80 b are generally equi - spaced from each other and from the opening 80 a , and equi - angular about the opening 80 a . the shell 38 is configured with a generally spherical , parabolic or at least rounded convex distal portion such that the tip electrode 36 remains of an atraumatic design and provides an on - axis section 100 a for the center opening 80 a that opens along the longitudinal axis of the tip electrode , and an off - axis section 100 b for the off - center openings 80 b that open in an off - axis direction . with reference to fig5 , as lesion 92 forms in the tissue 90 from rf ablation carried out by tip electrode 36 ( or by another catheter ), characteristics of the tissue are altered as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art . as the tip electrode illuminates the lesion with light from the fiber optic cable 43 e through the opening 80 a , the light is scattered and / or reflected back toward the tip electrode 36 . such light having interacted or otherwise having been affected by the lesion bears qualitative and quantitative information about the lesion 92 as it is collected by the fiber optic cables 43 r through the openings 80 b . it is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the number of transmitting and receiving fiber optic cables , the corresponding openings and the pattern of the openings on the shell may be varied as appropriate or desired . it is further understood that the fiber optic cables 43 e and 43 r may be any suitable optical wave guide wherein light introduced at one of the cable is guided to the other end of the cable with minimal loss . each of the cables 43 e and 43 r may be a single fiber optic cable or fiber bundles . they may be single mode ( also known as mono - mode or uni - mode ), multi - mode ( with step index or graded index ) or plastic optical fiber ( pof ), depending on a variety of factors , including but not limited to transmission rate , bandwidth of transmission , spectral width of transmission , distance of transmission , diameter of cable , cost , optical signal distortion tolerance and signal attenuation , etc . in accordance with a feature of the present invention , the portion of each fiber optic cables 43 within the passages 71 is fixedly secured to the alignment member 59 by glue , adhesive or the like to prevent distal , proximal or rotational movement of the portion of the fiber optic cables in and distal the alignment member 59 . as its name suggests , the alignment member 59 maintains alignment of each fiber optic cable within the tip electrode . in that regard , the passages 71 are generally aligned with the second lumen 32 of the intermediate section 14 to minimize stress and strain that can cause breakage of the fiber optic cables in the transition between the intermediate section 14 and the tip electrode 36 . the portion of the cables 43 proximal the alignment member 59 remains generally parallel with the catheter body 12 and intermediate section 14 , and moves and bends with them . as shown in fig2 b , 3 a and 4 a , the cables 43 are protectively housed within the catheter from the tip electrode 36 to the control handle 16 . the openings 80 are sized to receive the distal ends of the cables 43 in a generally snug - fit fashion . however , in an alternative embodiment as illustrated in fig7 a and 7b , the openings 80 are sized larger than the distal ends of the cables 43 to allow fluid ( e . g . saline ) to flow through the openings around the cable distal ends to reach outside the tip electrode for cooling the tip electrode and ablation site and / or enabling larger and deeper lesions . additional openings 80 c , as shown in fig6 , that are not occupied by a fiber optic cable may be provided allowing further irrigation of the tip electrode . the fluid is fed into the chamber 49 by an irrigation means , as shown in fig7 b , that include a tube segment 48 extending from the distal end of the fourth lumen 35 of the intermediate section 14 and a passage 76 in the plug 59 ( fig1 ). the distal end of the segment 48 is anchored in the passage 76 and the proximal end is anchored in the fourth lumen 35 by polyurethane glue or the like . accordingly , the passage 76 is generally aligned with the fourth lumen 35 of the intermediate section 14 . the segment 48 , like the puller wires 42 , provides additional support for the tip electrode . the irrigation tube segment 48 is in communication with a proximal infusion tube segment ( not shown ) that extends through the central lumen 18 of the catheter body 12 and terminates in the proximal end of the fourth lumen 35 of the intermediate section 14 . the proximal end of the first infusion tube segment extends through the control handle 16 and terminates in a luer hub 90 ( fig1 ) or the like at a location proximal to the control handle . in practice , fluid may be injected by a pump ( not shown ) into the infusion tube segment through the luer hub 90 , through the infusion tube segment 48 , into the chamber 49 in the tip electrode 36 , and out the openings 80 . the infusion tube segments may be made of any suitable material , and is preferably made of polyimide tubing . a suitable infusion tube segment has an outer diameter of from about 0 . 32 inch to about 0 . 036 inch and an inner diameter of from about 0 . 28 inch to about 0 . 032 inch . the pump maintains the fluid at a positive pressure differential relative to outside the chamber 49 so as to provide a constant unimpeded flow or seepage of fluid outwardly from the chamber 49 which continuously seeps out from the openings 80 . in the illustrated embodiment of fig7 a , 7 b and 8 , a housing 21 extends between the intermediate section 14 and the tip electrode 36 so that the electromagnetic sensor 72 can remain near the tip electrode and remain dry . the housing 21 ( e . g ., a plastic tube member ) is attached to the tubing 19 of the intermediate section by creating a circumferential notch 37 in the distal end of the tubing 19 , placing the proximal end of the housing 21 on the distal end of the tubing 19 , and filling the notch 37 with glue . the distal end of the housing 21 and the tip electrode 36 are attached by glue at a seam 69 . all the components extending into or through the alignment member 59 help keep the tip electrode 36 attached to the housing 21 . it is understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that any desired aspects of the different embodiments described herein may be incorporated within a catheter tip section so as to suit the needs and desires in a particular use and application . for example , the embodiment of fig7 a , 7 b and 8 need not include irrigation , but the em sensor 72 can nevertheless be housed outside of the chamber 49 , in tubing 21 , especially if there is insufficient space in the chamber 49 to contain both the em sensor 72 and the fiber optic cables 43 . with reference to fig1 , an optical processing system 110 for optically evaluating ablation tissue using the catheter 10 is illustrated . a light source 120 supplies a broadband ( white ; multiple wavelengths ) light and / or laser light ( single wavelength ) radiation to the tip electrode 36 of the catheter 10 via couplings or connections 145 and 143 ( couplings and connections used interchangeably herein ), and light bearing lesion qualitative and quantitative information from the tip electrode is transmitted to a detection component 130 via connections 143 and 148 . the detection component may comprise , for example , a wavelength selective element 131 that disperses the collected light into constituent wavelengths , and a quantification apparatus 140 . the at least one wavelength selective element 131 includes optics 132 , as are known in the art , for example , a system of lenses , mirrors and / or prisms , for receiving incident light 134 and splitting it into desired components 136 that are transmitted into the quantification apparatus 140 . the quantification apparatus 140 translates measured light intensities into an electrical signal that can be processed with a computer 142 and displayed graphically to an operator of the catheter 10 . the quantification apparatus 140 may comprise a charged coupled device ( ccd ) for simultaneous detection and quantification of these light intensities . alternatively , a number of different light sensors , including photodiodes , photomultipliers or complementary metal oxide semiconductor ( cmos ) detectors may be used in place of the ccd converter . information is transmitted from the quantification device 140 to the computer 142 where a graphical display or other information is generated regarding parameters of the lesion . a suitable system for use with the catheter 10 is described in u . s . application ser . nos . 11 / 281 , 179 and 11 / 281 , 853 , the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference . the preceding description has been presented with reference to presently preferred embodiments of the invention . workers skilled in the art and technology to which this invention pertains will appreciate that alterations and changes in the described structure may be practiced without meaningfully departing from the principal , spirit and scope of this invention . accordingly , the foregoing description should not be read as pertaining only to the precise structures described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings , but rather should be read consistent with and as support to the following claims which are to have their fullest and fair scope .	0
with reference to fig1 a gas tight enclosure 11 with a valve 13 gating the inlet orifice 20 and multiple valves 15 and 17 , gating the outlet orifices 25 and 27 . a higher gas pressure always exists at the inlet manifold 19 than in the outlet manifold 29 . the housing has upper and lower portions connected by seal 24 . provision is made for measuring the pressure and temperature within the enclosure using pressure transducer 21 and temperature transducer 23 . each outlet orifice , as well as the inlet orifice , has a fixed area and provides passageway for the gas to escape the enclosure to the outlet destination through outlet manifold 29 . the orifices differ in area through the different outlets so that small to large flow values can be accommodated from the single enclosure . flow through the outlet manifold is uniquely determined by ( 1 ) the area of the outlet orifices , ( 2 ) the pressure and temperature of the gas inside the enclosure as well as ( 3 ) the gas &# 39 ; s molecular weight and heat capacities . although any orifice of a fixed area can be used , the preferred orifices are made out of a small sliver of single crystal silicon material into which an opening has been etched using etchants that have preferred etch rates depending upon the crystal axes . the silicon slivers 26 and 28 are fit onto openings in housing 11 which lead into outlet 29 . the silicon sliver 20 fits onto the opening in housing 11 which leads into inlet 19 . for example when the crystal orientation of the surface of a silicon sliver is parallel to the silicon ( 100 ) plane and the etchant is a concentrated solution of potassium hydroxide ( koh ), the etchant will evolve facets of the slower etching ( 111 ) plane inside the opening . the ( 111 ) plane becomes revealed and forms a precise angle of 57 ° with respect to the ( 100 ) plane so that if etching is initiated from an inert mask opening on the top part of the sliver the orifice so formed is considerably wider at the top than at the bottom . however , the profile of the resulting orifice leaves a very sharp angle between the backside surface and the opening creating a knife edge orifice . since the sliver is a single crystal of silicon the orifice is defined by crystal planes and in the case of the silicon crystal structure the resulting orifice opening is perfectly square and its area is easily determined from measuring the opening sides from an optical microscope . such an extremely fine edge orifice is desirable in that it minimizes the effect of sidewalls on gas flow through the orifice opening and provides for reproducible flow results from sample to sample . the orifices may have different sizes , with orifice 25 noticeably larger than orifice 27 . a very high speed and accurate electrically operated valve actuation system is used . the preferred embodiment utilizes valve actuators 32 , 34 and 36 made out of a shape memory retentive material that when heated springs into a different shape . when the material is cooled it returns to its existing shape . a shape memory alloy comprising a mixture of ti and ni is employed and formed into very thin strips , just a few thousands of an inch thick . reshaping can be accomplished in less than { fraction ( 1 / 20 )} th of a second using commercially available structures . actuators less than one - quarter inch thick can typically exhibit relatively large stroke distances and are inexpensive to manufacture . microminiature valve actuators of this type have been disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 325 , 880 to johnson and ray , incorporated by reference herein . the shape retentive membranes open or close the underlying orifices upon application of heat . another attribute of shape memory valve actuators is that the amount of shape change is proportional to the amount of heat injected . a thin resistive wire heater atop the thin film is used to transfer heat to the ti — ni actuator . the wire handles enough current to cause the actuator shape change in a millisecond or so . this feature can be incorporated into the process of the initial opening of the outlet valve in the case the enclosure has an over - pressure condition at the flow start . restricting the opening area in such a manner allows the present invention to achieve accurate flow during the initial phase of flow start and solves the “ overshoot ” condition . note that the gas molecules contact only the internal surfaces of the enclosure . bellows 22 made of thin metal sheets separate the poppets from the process gas . this is important because many of the process gases used are potentially reactive with the shape memory material . on the other hand , the pressure sensor and the thermocouple do have contact with the gas since generally these can be passivated or shielded . the bellows can also provide the spring force to counter the shape memory force in order to restore a valve to a normally closed position when the shape memory force is relaxed . a novel feature of the invention is control of pressure within the enclosure and hence the flow through the outlet orifices by rapid sequential opening and closing of the inlet and outlet valves in precise combinations of single orifice openings and closings . to accomplish this an electronic device controller is employed in concert with the enclosure mechanism . this device controller employs electronic control circuitry well known in the art for sensing and actuating controls . referring to fig2 an electrical device controller 31 communicating with and external or host controller 33 from which it receives signals corresponding to the amount of flow desired , transmitted on line 35 , and the start of flow and the end of flow , transmitted on line 37 . for example , the host controller might change an electrical connection on line 37 from 0v to + 5v to signal the start of flow and it might change this line back to 0v to signal the end of flow . at the same time as signaling the start of flow the host controller might change the electrical connection on line 35 from 0v to some fraction of 5v to signal the corresponding fraction of maximum flow so desired . from the host signal corresponding to the desired flow , and with built - in constants a , b , a s , and b s that describe the flow from the enclosure , as described below , the device controller can calculate the desired set point pressure inside the enclosure that corresponds to the desired flow through a selected orifice or combination of orifices . the gas species is assumed known . the device controller also receives signals from the enclosure with regard to the pressure and temperature of the gas contain therein along lines 41 and 43 , respectively . the device controller also sends signals to the flow controller device 39 that actuate the opening and closing of the inlet and selected outlet valves , along lines 45 and 47 , respectively . the device 39 is the apparatus of fig1 . if the pressure inside the enclosure is above the said set point pressure the controller makes the outlet valve open first , depleting the gas in the enclosure until it reaches the set point pressure . conversely , if the enclosure &# 39 ; s pressure is below the said set point the inlet valve opens first followed by the outlet valve . in the former case the outlet valve may be constrained to open slowly presenting a valve cross - sectional area restriction that offsets to the over - pressure situation . in the latter case it is just a momentary delay to the start flow condition . once the set point pressure has been obtained the device 39 uses an outlet valve in a wide open condition , not restricting flow , and the inlet valve operating in sequence of rapid opening and closing modes . with such a pulsatile method for the inlet valve the valve &# 39 ; s actuator opens and closes the valve &# 39 ; s seal several times per minute . with each open / close cycle the inlet releases a precise pulse of gas molecules into the enclosure . the exact number of open / close cycles , as well as the magnitude of the open / close times themselves are determined uniquely by the set point pressure desired within the enclosure , the gas temperature , its density and the outlet orifice area . the combination of these variables allows controller 31 to compute the precise flow of gas through those outlets that are open . since orifice 25 is several times the size of orifice 27 , the controller can produce large volumes of flow using large orifice 25 or small volumes of flow using small orifice 27 all from the same enclosure . it will be recognized that inside the enclosure the pressure is falling during the closed portion of the inlet valve cycle , and conversely the pressure is rising during the open part of the cycle . in the steady state the magnitude of the increase over the set point pressure equals the magnitude of the decrease under the set point . however , if the volume of the enclosure is chosen so that its value is large compared to the total amount of flow during the open part of the cycle and / or the cycle time is less than one second , the pressure change is small . therefore , this leads to a minute oscillation of the outlet flow and the downstream system will experience a only small time variation of flow . the variation is further reduced because the released gas molecules go through a process of adsorption and desorption on the downstream surfaces but the desorption direction is random so some of the released molecules diffuse upstream . in fig3 we have set up the enclosure volume of approximately 1000 cm 3 with a single outlet orifice of area 0 . 15 × 0 . 15 mm 2 and an inlet orifice of 0 . 36 × 0 . 36 mm 2 . a controller was set to operate the inlet valve to open for a fixed period t f ( fill time ) and to close for a time t d ( drain time ). the figure displays the measured flow of nitrogen gas at room temperature through the outlet orifice versus the value of ( 1 + t d / t f ) over the range of 1 to 7 . the following table shows the individual t d and t f values in milliseconds . note that the pulse widths , both t f and t d , are variable . this means that t f and t d can be varied over time as feedback indicates flow errors . it is seen from the figure that a smooth sequence of flow has been demonstrated . here , flow is measured in units of cubic centimeters per minute where the gas is at standard values of temperature and pressure ( sccm ). most importantly , the figure shows nitrogen flow range from 50 sccm to 463 sccm or a factor of more than 9 times . although the flow range achieved with reference to fig3 was from a single orifice , multiple orifices of differing size can be utilized to increase the flow range even further than shown in that figure . the flow through any orifice is proportional to the area of that orifice so that if the enclosure where to have two or more outlets a much wider range of flows can be accommodated . for example , if the orifice opening were to quadruple in area , double the length of the sides , then 4 times the flow would result from that orifice . in this specific case the flow could range from 50 to 463 sccm with the smaller orifice open or it could range from 200 to 1852 sccm with the second orifice open . in fact with both orifices open the flow would range from 250 sccm to 2315 sccm . fig4 shows a plot of nitrogen gas flow through an orifice of 28 , 0000 μm 2 area when measured versus the inlet side pressure . in this case the outlet side pressure is 15 . 1 psia . a key point to note is that flow is accurately described by the equation q = a s p + b s where q is flow as measured in typical units of cubic centimeters per minute where the gas is at standard values of temperature and pressure . also , p is the pressure inside the enclosure measured in pounds / square inch absolute and a s and b s are constants of the gas , its temperature , and the orifice . note , for high accuracy it is necessary to include the constant b s . similarly , fig5 shows flow through the same orifice but when the pressure inside the enclosure is less than two times the pressure downstream from the outlet . flow in this regime differs because the gas is traveling at sub - sonic speeds through the orifice . however , again we can see the flow is accurately described by a linear equation but this time of the form q /{ square root over ( )} po = a { square root over ( )}( p − po )+ b where po is the pressure downstream from the outlet . again a and b are constants of the gas , its temperature and the orifice area . we have measured the flow of nitrogen gas through many orifices of varying openings made in a similar fashion by methods described above . all follow the linear properties involving the parameters a , b , a s and b s . fig6 shows a plot of a and a s versus orifice area for nitrogen gas at room temperature for orifices formed in slices of single crystal silicon . in operation of the flow controller , both t d and t f are independent variables . the desired flow can be obtained by choosing a unique combination of them . in the example used in this work ( see table 1 ) the minimum cycle length was 150 milliseconds ( t f = 100 milliseconds + t d = 50 milliseconds ) and the maximum was 700 milliseconds ( t f = 100 milliseconds + t d = 600 milliseconds ). assuming the clock hardware comprised in the device controller can discriminate times of 1 millisecond this gives the device as a whole an accuracy ranging from one part in 150 to 1 part in 700 . the importance of a highly linear system for flow can appreciated in the desire for accuracy . the data gathered in fig4 and 5 are within +/− 0 . 3 %. knowing just the four constants a s , b s , a and b that are specific to a particular orifice / gas combination means the controller can be programmed to achieve this set point control within the desired accuracy . the only additional conditions required are to also measure the pressure and temperature within the enclosure to the same precision . the operation of the invention may be seen from the following example . suppose the application needed nitrogen gas to have an outlet flow into a vacuum ( designated q d ) equal to 400 sccm at room temperature when the inlet or line pressure is 30 psia . let one of the outlet orifices have an area of 150 × 150 μm 2 . under these conditions the flow through the orifice will be sonic and from fig6 the a s parameter for this orifice is 17 . 9 . the b s parameter is − 70 . from the relationship p =( q d − b s )/ a s the set point pressure to achieve the desired q d flow is 26 . 2 psia . therefore , at the inlet orifice the flow into the enclosure will be subsonic . if the inlet orifice is 400 × 400 μm 2 again from fig6 we see that a = 251 . the b parameter is − 148 . therefore , the inlet flow into the enclosure ( q f ) is 1747 sccm . the inlet valve will be pulsed open for a time t f and closed for a time t d so that approximately q f × t f = q d ( t f + t d ) leading in this case to ( 1 + t d / t f )= 4 . 37 . if the minimum fill time t f is 50 msec this means t d is 168 msec and the cycle time is 218 msec . to operate the invention the device controller will send a signal to the outlet valve to pull open and the inlet valve to pulse open in this fashion . the invention , as designed , has the capability of automatic adjustments . for example , suppose the gas flowing was some species other than nitrogen . in that case the a , b , a s , and b s parameters are multiplied by ( m n2 / m gas ) ½ where m is the respective molecular weight of the gas or nitrogen . similarly for temperature . here the parameters are multiplied by ( t room / t actual ) ½ and the ratio determined from the temperature sensor . the invention can also adjust for variation of the inlet pressure . in the example above the inlet or line pressure was 30 psia . if it were different then q f would differ from that calculated above . however , the set point pressure is determined precisely by the outlet conditions . therefore , the reading from the pressure sensor can be used as a feedback to adjust the t d and t f values to compensate for the manifold pressure variation . as an alternative it would be possible to add a secondary pressure sensor to monitor the inlet line directly and perform the q f calculations without inferring the inlet pressure . it is , however , desirable to measure the enclosure &# 39 ; s pressure directly as shown in fig1 in order to adjust the start - flow process . for example , at the start of flow if the pressure is below the calculated set point pressure then the device controller will command the inlet valve to pulse open for a few cycles before opening the outlet valve . conversely , if the enclosure &# 39 ; s pressure is too high compared to the set point pressure the device controller will command the outlet valve to crack open first and drain gas from the enclosure before opening the inlet valve . once the enclosure &# 39 ; s pressure has reached the set point pressure the inlet valve can be activated . it will be appreciated that fast acting ( order of milliseconds ) valves are desirable for the operation of this invention . for this reason we have found that actuators made of shape memory material are desirable but other fast acting valves could implement this system as well . due to the miniature size of the shape memory valves it is easy to accommodate more than one outlet orifice in a relatively small enclosure . this is useful to extend the range of the flows feasible from the apparatus . for example , suppose the flow application required a flow of 2 standard liters per minute ( 2000 sccm ). the maximum flow for the 150 μm × 150 μm orifice is 467 sccm ( inlet valve open continuously and line pressure = 30 psia ). if the second outlet orifice had an opening of 400 μm × 400 μm , and using the same calculations as above , the set point pressure will be 20 . 3 psia and t d / t f will be 0 . 427 . in this case t d is the minimum 50 msec parameter so t f is 117 msec or a cycle time of 167 msec . with both orifices in the same enclosure it is a simple matter for the device controller to open the correct outlet valve upon detecting the appropriate flow desired signal from the host controller ( fig2 ). the flow range can be extended further by utilizing both outlet valves in the open state . there is an alternative method of pulsatile control that offers the possibility of higher accuracy than the variable t d and t f considered above . in this alternative case we use very short t f and t d but fix their values . if we use a t f of 50 milliseconds and a t d of 10 milliseconds we have 60 milliseconds per cycle or 1000 per minute . however , in a series of such cycles the device controller can decide if any individual cycle will be active , meaning the valve actually opens during the designated t f time period . if the cycle is active the valve will release a precise number of molecules through the inlet orifice . the exact number of molecules depends upon the gas inlet pressure and temperature , its molecular weight , the orifice size and the pressure inside the enclosure 39 . to control the set point pressure it then becomes a matter of deciding for each minute of flow how many open - valve cycles will be activated . since there are 1000 cycles per minute this method of pulsatile control has a theoretical accuracy of one part in one thousand . this pulsatile method requires a decision regarding how to distribute in time the activated valve - open cycles . clearly , the optimum choice is to distribute them as evenly dispersed as possible . for example , if 500 valve - open cycles were required to flow the desired set point the controller would open the valve every other cycle ( 50 % duty rate ) because there are 1000 cycles per minute . indeed , one way of insuring even distribution is to program one suppressed cycle out of an even integer of cycles for the valve - open or valve - close conditions . therefore , there would also be the one out of every three cycles , one out of every four cycles , and so forth , up to one out of ten cycles ( 10 % minimum ). this would give access to duty cycles of 10 %, 11 . 1 %, 12 . 5 %, 14 . 3 %, 16 . 7 %, 20 %, 25 %, 33 . 3 %, and 50 %. conversely , if we programmed one close - valve condition on an otherwise 100 % duty cycle gives us access to 90 %, 88 . 9 %, 87 . 5 %, 85 . 7 %, 83 . 3 %, 80 %, 75 %, 66 . 7 %, and 50 %. the simple timing system , one cycle out of a repeating number of cycles , might satisfy many applications even though limiting the number of set point flows available to the system . one way to increase the flow points available is to allow the controller the ability to impose a correction override command regarding whether any particular cycle is activated or not . for example , if the nominal duty cycle was 50 % but the override command did not activate one cycle out of every 20 , then the over one minute there would be 450 valve - open cycles rather than 500 . by extrapolation of this technique it will be possible to reach any practical cycle number required . finally either method of pulsatile control can be applied to the outlet valve as well as the inlet valve . if the outlet valve pulses this is the equivalent to reducing the average flow from the enclosure . in principle this adds an additional variable to the system that could allow more precision . however , the cost is that the flow is more uneven than in the normal operation wherein the outlet valve is wide open ( not restricting flow ) and the enclosure itself has the effect of moderating the pulse method of the inlet valve . however , pulsatile control of the outlet valve may prove beneficial as an alternative solution to the overshoot issue discussed above . in this case there is an over - pressure situation inside the enclosure and flow would be too high during the time period of starting flow . the design choices are to open the valve slowly ( effectively reducing the valve &# 39 ; s cross sectional area and thus slowing flow ) or to apply the pulsatile equivalent of reducing flow . either method applies during the first few seconds of flow start .	6
in accordance with the present invention , two grip ends 104 ( fig1 ) of a folding handlebar 100 are firmly held in either a riding position ( fig3 ) or in a folded position ( fig4 ) by a quick - release clamp which includes a clamp 108 ( fig1 ) and a socket 106 . in the riding position , clamp 108 and socket 106 firmly and securely hold grip ends 104 in place with no free play and therefore no resulting wear between grip ends 104 , clamp 108 , and socket 106 . more importantly , a rider &# 39 ; s control of a bicycle in which folding handlebar 100 is installed is greatly improved by the absolute elimination of play in the various parts of folding handlebar 100 . in addition , complete immobilization of grip ends 104 in the folded position ( fig4 ) by clamp 108 and socket 106 prevents damage to grip ends 104 and any brake and / or shift cables and / or levers during transport , e . g ., as checked baggage with an airline . socket 106 ( fig1 ) is fixed to a stem 102 , by adhesive , welding , or press - fit . stem 102 is in turn fixed to a bicycle or other vehicle controllable by handlebars . clamp 108 is attached to socket 106 by a hinge pin 116 , about which clamp 108 can rotate relative to socket 106 . a clamp screw 112 passes through clamp 108 and screws into socket 106 . clamp screw 112 also passes through a clamp pivot 114 and a clamp lever 110 . a user tightens and loosens the clamp of socket 106 , hinge pin 116 , and clamp 108 by moving clamp lever 110 quickly and without tools . this process is described in greater detail below . each grip end 104 includes a inside guide pin 118 and an outside guide pin 120 , both of which protrude entirely through grip ends 104 . inside guide pins 118 remain within the clamp of socket 106 , hinge pin 116 , and clamp 108 while outside guide pins 120 are inside that clamp in the riding position as shown in fig3 and are outside that clamp in the folded position as shown in fig4 . [ 0037 ] fig2 shows folding handlebar 100 from a slightly different perspective . [ 0038 ] fig5 and 6 illustrate the folding of handlebar 100 from the riding position to the folded position . in step 1 ( fig5 ), the user moves clamp lever 110 forward to loosen clamp 108 from socket 106 . clamp lever 110 is an eccentric clamp . eccentric clamps are known and are not described further herein . loosening of clamp 108 from socket 106 releases pressure placed upon grip ends 104 by clamp 108 and socket 106 , allowing movement of grip ends 104 between clamp 108 and socket 106 . in step 2 , the user slides grip ends 104 outward , away from the center of socket 106 . outside guide pins 120 slide out of outside guides 502 , allowing grip ends 104 to pivot about inside guide pins 118 which remain contained within the clamp of socket 106 and clamp 108 . in step 3 , the user pivots grip ends 104 about concealed inside guide pins 118 until grip ends 104 are positioned within respective retention recesses 506 - 508 ( fig6 ). retention recesses 506 - 508 are generally the size and shape of the outer cross - sectional shape of grip ends 104 , e . g ., circular and having a diameter of 2 . 2 cm in this illustrative embodiment . each retention recess 506 - 508 has a socket recess 506 on socket 106 and a clamp recess 508 on clamp 108 . in step 4 , the user moves clamp lever 110 back to move clamp 108 toward socket 106 to thereby clamp grip ends 104 within respective retention recesses 506 - 508 . as a result , grip ends 104 are firmly immobilized and secured . the transition from the folded position to the riding position is merely the reverse of these steps as illustrated in fig7 - 9 . in step 1 ( fig7 ), the user moves clamp lever 110 forward , loosening retention recesses 506 - 508 to free grip ends 104 . in step 2 ( fig8 ), the user moves grip ends 104 from the folded position to the riding position and , in step 3 , slides grip ends 104 into a cylindrical recess between socket 106 and clamp 108 . in sliding grip ends 104 in step 3 , outside guide pins 120 slide into guides 502 . in step 4 ( fig9 ), the user moves clamp lever 110 back to tighten socket 106 and clamp 108 about grip ends 104 to hold them securely for carefree riding as if grips ends 104 were a single , integral handlebar . [ 0042 ] fig1 shows socket 106 in a perspective view . in addition to outside guides 502 , socket 106 includes insides guides 1308 in which inside guide pins 118 ( fig1 ) are positioned and within which guide pins 118 slide . socket 106 ( fig1 ) also includes holes 1304 for hinge pin 116 ( fig1 ) and a drilled and tapped hole 1306 into which clamp screw 112 is screwed . [ 0043 ] fig1 is a bottom plan view of socket 106 . fig1 is a top plan view of socket 106 . fig1 is a cross - section view taken at line e - e ( fig1 ). fig1 is a cross - section view taken at line f - f ( fig1 ). fig1 is a cross - section view taken at line g - g ( fig1 ). fig1 is a cross - section view taken at line h - h . fig2 is a cross - section view taken at line i - i . [ 0044 ] fig2 shows clamp 108 in a perspective view . in addition to outside guides . 502 , clamp 108 includes insides guides 2108 in which inside guide pins 118 ( fig1 ) are positioned and within which guide pins 118 slide . clamp 108 ( fig2 ) also includes holes 2102 for hinge pin 116 ( fig1 ) and a drilled hole 2106 ( fig2 ) through which clamp screw 112 ( fig1 ) moves freely . [ 0045 ] fig2 is a bottom plan view of clamp 108 . fig2 is a cross - section view of clamp 108 taken at line e - e ( fig2 ). fig2 is a cross - section view of clamp 108 taken at line f - f ( fig2 ). fig2 is a cross - section view of clamp 108 taken at line g - g ( fig2 ). fig2 is a cross - section view of clamp 108 taken at line i - i ( fig2 ). [ 0046 ] fig1 and 11 are cross - section views of folding handlebar 100 illustrating a few details . in this illustrative embodiment , holes 2102 of clamp 108 are open such that clamp 108 can easily be removed without removing hinge pin 116 — either for assembly or for maintenance . in addition , the upper inner portions of socket 106 and clamp 108 are rounded off to form a crescent - shaped gap 1002 in the vicinity of hinge pin 116 between grip end 104 and the hinge formed of hinge pin 116 , socket 106 , and clamp 108 . crescent - shaped gap 1002 allows clamp 108 to rotate about hinge pin 116 relative to socket 106 without interference by grip end 104 . crescent - shaped gap 1002 is positioned such that substantially less than 50 % of the outer perimeter of grip end 104 is precisely fit by either socket 106 or clamp 108 . accordingly , neither socket 106 nor clamp 108 grips grip end 104 when clamp 108 is loosened . for similar reasons , inside guides 1308 and 2108 ( fig1 ) do not tightly fit inside guide pins 118 but are instead widened by an angle of four ( 4 ) degrees as shown in fig1 and 24 . accordingly , enough play is permitted to enable rotation of clamp 108 ( fig1 and 11 ) about hinge pin 116 relative to socket 106 without interference by grip end 104 . [ 0048 ] fig1 is another cross - section view of folding handlebar 100 illustrating additional detail . fig1 shows grip end 104 in the folded position . a portion 1202 of grip end 104 extends beyond inside guide pin 118 . to permit rotation of grip end 104 about inside guide pin 118 , socket 106 and clamp 108 have respective recesses 1310 and 2110 to accommodate portion 1202 throughout rotation of grip end 104 and with grip end 104 in the folded position . [ 0049 ] fig2 shows an alternative embodiment of socket 106 as socket 106 b . a tapped hole 2706 and retention recesses 2710 are analogous to tapped hole 1306 ( fig1 ) and retention recesses 506 ( fig5 ), respectively . however , outside guides 502 of socket 106 are replaced with outside guides 2702 ( fig2 ) of socket 106 b . outside guides 2702 are generally circular with an opening smaller than the diameter of outside guides 2702 . outside guide pins 118 ( fig1 ) of grip ends 104 are replaced in this alternative embodiment with spring loaded , rounded or tapered push buttons which can only be removed from outside guides 2702 ( fig2 ) when pressed by the user . accordingly , inadvertent loosening of clamp lever 110 ( fig1 ) is insufficient to permit accidental sliding of grip ends 104 outward and resulting accidental folding of grip ends 104 during riding of a bicycle on which folding handlebar 100 is installed . in another alternative embodiment , an elastic cord is stretched between respective inside guide pins 118 of grip ends 104 to resist inadvertent extraction as shown in step 2 of fig5 and to assist insertion as shown in step 3 of fig9 . some embodiments include both push - button outside guide pins as described with respect to fig2 and the elastic cord described immediately above . in the illustrative embodiment shown in the figures , all shown measurements are in millimeters and all tolerances , unless otherwise shown in the figures , are ± 0 . 5 mm for measurements rounded to the nearest millimeter , ± 0 . 2 mm for measurements shown to one decimal place , ± 0 . 1 mm for measurements shown to two decimal places , and ± 0 . 25 degrees for angles . sockets 106 and 106 b and clamp 108 are made of forged aluminum 7005 with a minimum yield strength of 170 mpa . the above description is illustrative only and is not limiting . therefore , the present invention is defined solely by the claims which follow and their full range of equivalents .	1
as illustrated in fig1 , vessel 10 , herein illustrated as a lobster boat , is shown provided with a number of seacocks 12 , 14 and 16 which admit sea water respectively to a refrigeration unit 18 , an engine 20 and a head 22 . these seacocks are of a conventional variety which should be closed when the vessel is moored or at a dock so that inadvertent failure of the hoses from the seacocks to the indicated apparatus will not result in the sinking of the vessel . in order to provide for the subject seacock closing system a control panel 24 is utilized to control the pressure over line 26 from a pressurized air supply 28 coupled to compressor 30 . as will be described , various control valve levers or switches may be utilized to close all of the seacocks in a value closing operation that bypasses or overrides any previous condition of a seacock and its associated actuator . while the actuators will be described in fig2 , 3 and 4 , pairs of air supply lines from control panel 24 illustrated at 32 , 34 and 36 control these actuators . it is noted that the pneumatic actuators for each these seacocks are coupled to an air supply by these pairs of lines , with an air pulse on one line opening the associated seacock through the actuation of the associated rotary actuator , and with a pulse on the other of the two lines closing the associated seacock . also shown is an engine shutdown module 40 which is mechanically linked to seacock 14 as illustrated at 42 . when seacock 14 is closed , module 40 shuts off the fuel supply to engine 20 as illustrated by dotted line 44 . in this way when seacock 14 is closed it is impossible to run engine 20 which would otherwise be damaged with the cutoff of cooling water . while a mechanical linkage is shown for diesel engine shutdown , conventional internal combustion engines may be shut down by solenoids for cutting off the power to the engine . the cause of vessel sinking may be a failure of the hose or conduit between the associated seacock and the unit to which sea water is applied or from which waste is to be jettisoned . here it can be seen that seacock 12 is coupled to refrigeration unit 18 by hose or conduit 50 , whereas seacock 14 is connected to engine 20 by hose or conduit 52 . likewise a hose 54 connects the outflow of head 22 to seacock 16 . it will appreciated that if there is any failure of these hoses , either due to leakage or due to a hose slipping off an associated nipple either at the seacock or at the device to which it is attached , downflooding of the vessel can occur , sometimes in a rapid fashion . as will be discussed , a retrofittable system is provided to be able to retrofit each of the seacocks with an actuator which is pneumatically driven to be able to close or open all seacocks , and to be able to selectively control seacock actuation based on the position of the control levers on control panel 24 . in operation , when an operator wishes to leave his or her vessel , the operator actuates an emergency “ all close ” valve lever to close all seacocks . thus , when an operator leaves a vessel , he or she can be assured that the vessel is secure against leakage , at least from the seacocks . when the operator comes aboard , he may wish to open all of the seacocks and this can be accomplished by the same emergency lever so that whatever the condition any of the seacocks in , they will all be turned to an open position . because of the parallel series connection of the emergency control valve to the individual control valves that supply momentary air pressure pulses to the actuators of the seacocks , an operator of the vessel can override any previous condition of the emergency valve by applying air pressure to the appropriate opening or closing line for an actuator . this gives the operator of the vessel a procedure by which he can immediately close all of the seacocks in his vessel as for instance when an emergency situation arises . after closing of all of the seacocks , the operator can investigate the cause of the leak and can selectively open unaffected seacocks . if in an emergency situation the operator closes all of the seacocks , in one embodiment the seacock associated with the engine is arranged to turn off the engine , be it a diesel engine or a conventional gas engine . thus when the seacock associated with the engine is closed the engine will not overheat due to a lack of cooling water . alternatively , assuming the seacock associated with the engine is not compromised , the sea engine seacock can be re - opened simply by applying an appropriate pulse of air to the associated actuator . referring to fig2 , as part of the subject invention , the pneumatic actuator assembly , here illustrated at 60 , may be rapidly retrofit to a seacock 62 through the use of an adaptor 64 that slips over a shaft 66 extending from housing 68 of seacock 62 . adaptor 64 is the only piece of apparatus that is required to be specially fit , with the adaptor slipping over the rotary shaft of the actuator and also the valve stem bolt or shaft 66 from the seacock . actuator 60 is mounted to seacock 62 through the use of a collar or frame 70 that is bolted to flange 72 of seacock 62 , with the collar or flange 70 having a “ u ” shaped cut out 74 adapted to fit around the cylindrical seacock outflow pipe 76 when the collar or flange 70 is bolted to flange 72 by bolts 78 that are screwed into threaded orifices 80 . actuator 60 is mounted to flange or collar 70 through bolts 82 such that the mounting of the actuator as a retrofit package to a seacock is simple . as will be seen , actuator 60 is provided with a pair of inlet ports 84 and 86 , with port 84 being provided with a pulse of air indicated by arrow 88 to rotate adapter 64 for closing the associated seacock , and with port 86 provided with a pulse of air 90 to rotate adapter 64 in the opposite direction to open the associated seacock . referring to fig3 the assembled retrofit package is shown in which actuator 60 is bolted or secured to seacock 62 through the utilization of the aforementioned flange or collar 70 that is bolted to the two units . referring to fig4 a and 4 b , actuator 60 of fig2 and 3 may include a rack and pinion arrangement in which rack elements 100 and 102 cooperate with a pinion 104 that is utilized to rotate a shaft 106 in the direction of arrow 108 when the racks are moved in the direction of arrows 110 to open the associated seacock through the rotation of shaft 106 . as seen in fig4 b when it is desired to close the associated seacock , pinion 104 is rotated in the direction of arrow 112 through the action of the associated rack elements 100 and 102 which are moved in opposed directions as shown by arrows 114 and 116 . as mentioned hereinbefore , utilization of a rack and pinion type of actuator provides the utmost in simplicity for seacock valve turning in a minimum amount of space and with a minimum amount of mechanical complexity . such an actuator is commercially available as model ecv63da from rotex controls in which stops are provided at the factory such that shaft 106 in fig4 a and 4 b can be rotated only through 90 °, for instance from 0 ° to 90 °, thereby eliminating the need for valve stem stops . as will be appreciated , in order to retrofit the actuator to the seacock , it is often times necessary to remove the handle from the seacock , with the handle in most instances being provided with mechanical stops . however , by utilizing internal stops in the actuator , the seacock valve may be rotated , but not over rotated . referring now to fig5 , control panel 24 of fig1 is illustrated , in which the control panel houses an emergency all close / all open valve 120 that is provided with a handle or toggle lever 122 which when rotated causes air from an air line 124 to be supplied either to a “ valve closed ” line 126 or a “ valve open ” line 128 , with these lines being coupled in parallel to individual seacock control valves 130 , 132 and 134 . regardless of the position of the levers associated with valves 130 , 132 and 134 , namely levers 136 , 138 and 140 , pressure on lines 126 and 128 is passed through these valves over lines for instance 126 ′ and 128 ′ to close and open the associated seacock through its actuator . the reason that the emergency valve 122 can override the action of the valves 130 , 132 and 134 is because all of the valves in the subject invention are momentary actuation valves in which the opening or closing movement of a lever is only momentary , with the lever being returned to a neutral position by spring biasing or other means . this means that a pulse of air over a line is momentarily delivered to an actuator after which there is no residual pressure in any of the lines going to the respective actuators . moreover , because of the rack and pinion arrangement , once the racks are moved to a position , they stay there , and no additional air pressure is necessary to maintain their position . as a corollary to the fact that there is no pressure on the actuators when the control valves are in their normal neutral position is the fact that it is easy to manually control any seacock to close or open it &# 39 ; s valve because there is no back pressure from the system , once the system has set the valves in an open or closed position . as can be seen in fig5 the condition of a seacock is shown by an indicator 140 or 142 , indicating respectively an open seacock or a closed seacock . thus the operator of the vessel can easily ascertain the condition of each of the seacocks . note , each of the control valves is provided with such an indicator , with the indicators coupled to seacock condition sensors at the associated seacock . finally , as illustrated at 150 the pressure delivered to the control panel can be continuously monitored such that if the pressure drops below some predetermined level compressor 30 of fig1 can be utilized to recharge pressurized air supply 28 to bring the system up to normal operating pressure . in one embodiment a pressurized air tank is on the order of 15 gallons pressurized at 120 psi providing a pressure of 45 psi which can control for instance up to 5 actuators cycling 15 times before recharging . referring now to fig6 , the parallel connection of the emergency all closed / all open valve 120 is shown coupled to a pressure supply 160 . as can be seen , lines 126 and 128 are routed to the respective inlet ports of control valves 130 and 132 , each also supplied from pressure supply 160 . these two inlet lines are then coupled by the indicated valves to respective actuators 164 and 166 and seacocks . since these are momentary actuation valves , the pulses of pressure are only momentarily delivered to open or close the seacocks through the momentary action . if there are no control pulses from valve 120 , then valves 130 and 132 operate in the normal fashion . while the present invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments of the various figures , it is to be understood that other similar embodiments may be used or modifications or additions may be made to the described embodiment for performing the same function of the present invention without deviating therefrom . therefore , the present invention should not be limited to any single embodiment , but rather construed in breadth and scope in accordance with the recitation of the appended claims .	1
the present matter provides for a flexible food processor blade , whose flexibility allows for achievement of an improved cutting volume , and a food processor employing a flexible blade . in a first embodiment , as shown in fig1 and fig2 , a rotatable , flexible cutting blade 101 is powered by a drive mechanism ( not shown ) including a means to rotate the rotatable , flexible cutting blade 101 such as a shaft 102 . various orientations of the driving mechanism are possible , for example having it rotate the rotatable , flexible blade about a substantially horizontal axis or substantially vertical axis . the rotatable , flexible cutting blade 101 comprises at least one blade arm 103 . in one embodiment , the blade arm 103 is comprised of at least one cutting blade 105 and a flexible portion 104 . the flexible portion 104 of the blade arm is mounted to the shaft 102 and serves to connect the shaft 102 to the cutting blade 105 . various forms of affixing the flexible portion 104 to the shaft 102 and cutting blade 105 will be apparent . in the embodiment shown in fig1 and fig2 , this is accomplished by forming a single blade arm with two equally spaced and opposite cutting blades with a middle flexible portion formed to fixably interacting with the shaft 102 . in this embodiment , the cutting blades are affixed to the flexible portion through use of rivets 107 . a single blade arm comprising a flexible portion and multiple cutting blades mounted to the flexible portion therein is shown . however , multiple blade arms may be utilized . the cutting blades 105 may be formed from any suitable material with rigidity to accept a sharpened edge and withstand the forces applied thereon during cutting operations . these materials may be metals such as stainless steel , however numerous other metals and certain plastics are known to possess these characteristics . the flexible portion 104 of the blade arm 103 may be formed from a variety of materials suitably rigid to connect the drive mechanism to the cutting blades but flexible enough to respond to centrifugal forces applied to the blades . further , the material and configuration thereof of the flexible portion should have sufficient integrity to withstand cutting forces applied to the blade and not to rip , tear or deform . generally , such materials will include plastics and metals . more specifically , materials that are inert and will not react with foods may be used . accordingly in the embodiment of fig1 and fig2 , the material selected for the flexible portion is spring steel . the material of the flexible portion may be dependent on the type of food intended to be cut by the blade . depending on the material of the flexible portion , the foods to be cut may be limited to herbs , cheeses and soft vegetables and exclude meats , nuts , coffee and hard vegetables . the flexible portion may be formed with a range of thicknesses depending on the material strength , the type of food to be processed and the rotation speed provided by the driving mechanism . while the embodiment in fig1 and fig2 provide a flexible portion relying on material flexibility , it will also be appreciated that the flexible portion may also be comprised of other flexible means , including mechanical means such as hinges , allowing connection of the blade blades to the drive mechanism such that they move away from a first position under centrifugal forces . a portion of the blade arm 103 may have a covering layer 106 formed around it . in the embodiment at fig1 , the covering 106 prevents interaction of food particles with the flexible portion 104 , the rivets 107 , and a portion of the blades 105 . this may allow the flexible portion of the blade arm and the rivets to be made of non - inert material which may react with food . the covering 106 may be made of various materials provided they do not react with food and they are sufficiently flexible not to interfere with the operation of the flexible portion 104 . the material used for the casing in this embodiment is thermoplastic rubber . however , it will be appreciated that other materials such as thermoplastic elastomers or silicones are also usable . in one embodiment , the blade arm rests in a first position as shown in fig1 . this the positioning of the blade arm can be accomplished through a number of means but is accomplished in this embodiment by forming the flexible portion into the first position . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the extremities of the blade arm are positioned at an initial angle of approximately 45 degrees relative to the shaft &# 39 ; s rotation axis 108 while the flexible portion meets the shaft in a plane largely orthogonal to the shaft &# 39 ; s rotation axis . various orientations of the first position are feasible provided they are not substantively perpendicular to the shaft &# 39 ; s rotation axis 108 . while such position will still process food , the blades will not benefit from the improved cutting volume caused by movement away from the first position caused by centrifugal forces . in the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 , the application of a driving force to the shaft causes it to rotate . as the shaft begins to rotate , centrifugal forces are applied to the cutting blades in directions orthogonal from the shaft &# 39 ; s rotation axis 108 . as the speed of rotation increases , so do the forces applied . as these forces increase , the blade arm will move away from the first position and begin to orient itself progressively closer to the orthogonal plane of the shaft &# 39 ; s rotation axis 108 . if sufficient rotational speed is achieved , the blade arm may eventual orient itself substantially along the orthogonal plane of the shaft &# 39 ; s axis , though this is not required to achieve improved cutting volume . subsequently , as the speed of rotation is reduced , the blade arm returns to substantially the first position . the movement of the blade arm away from the first position is shown in the progression between fig1 and fig2 . during operation of a food processor , as describe further below , variations in speed of rotation may be used so that the blade arm may oscillate between the first position and other desired positions . this may be accomplished by manual control of the food processor or through use of a control system , for example through pulsing an on / off control . the driving mechanism for operation of the shaft may be of several types including electric motors and manually operated mechanisms . electric motors may be used as they give reliable speed ranges without requiring exertion on the part of the user . however , non - electric means of operating a food processor , such as a manual crank or other mechanical means known in the field may also be used if sufficient speeds can be reached to move the blade arm away from the first position . in one embodiment , shown in fig3 , the rotatable , flexible cutting blade 301 forms part of a food processing apparatus 314 . the rotatable , flexible cutting blade 301 is mounted to the body of an electric food processor 310 and driven by an electric motor ( not shown ). a removable plastic lid 313 placed on the top of the food processors allows for the containment of food while cutting is occurring . the body itself contains an electric motor ( not shown ) as well as mechanical means for connecting the electric motor to and driving the shaft 102 ( not shown in fig3 ). in this embodiment , the shaft is further surrounded by a shaft housing 312 for aesthetic purposes as well as to facilitate cleaning of the apparatus . the rotatable , flexible cutting blade 301 may be mounted within the shaft housing 312 such that only the cutting blades 305 interact with the food . the electric motor is controlled by a switch 311 , which in this embodiment is depressable and moves between an on and off position . additionally , the break up of food particles may be facilitated by pulsing of the motor by alternately depressing and releasing the switch 311 , resulting in oscillating shaft rotation speeds and , consequently , repeated movement of the blade arm towards and away from the first position . alternate embodiments may achieve this effect through use of switches with varying speed options or control means such that as the switch is depressed the motor alternates between high and low speed . while the housing for the embodiment of a food processor in fig3 is designed to optimize the chopping of herbs , it will be appreciated that large variations are possible to the structure of a food processor within the general field . for example , larger or smaller housing structures may be used depending on the power and size of the electric motor , and substantially different designs may be used where the food processor is manually powered . various mechanisms for feeding food into the removable housing area may also be employed . while this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments and examples , the description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . thus , various modification of the illustrative embodiments , as well as 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 or embodiments .	0
as already described above , fig1 schematically illustrates a general purpose radiation detector 10 in which a scintillator crystal 11 is coupled to photomultiplier tube 12 . the photomultiplier tube 12 is coupled by cable wire 14 to conventional analog electronics assembly 15 which can amplify , discriminate and count incoming signals . turning to fig2 of the drawing , an object 20 , such as , for example , a section of a human brain , is shown in cross - section for study using pet . object 20 is placed between two arrays of oppositely disposed photodetectors in circular array 21 of photodetectors , three of which are illustrated for simplicity in the figure as detectors 22a , 22b , and 22c . a radioactively labeled substance having an affinity for object 20 is administered to the patient . the substance decays by emitting a positron ( not illustrated ), which slows and interacts with electrons ( not illustrated ) in the tissue of object 20 . this positron / electron interaction causes the annihilation of both particles at point a in fig2 producing two 511 kev photons , illustrated as rays 24a and 24b , which are emitted approximately 180 degrees to each other . if rays 24a and 24b are detected simultaneously ( in the coincidence ) by detectors 22a and 22b , then the decay is localized to the space between detectors 22a and 22b . positron / electron annihilation occurring elsewhere in the patient such as at point b will be detected by another pair of photodetectors . thus , if rays 26a in fig2 are detected simultaneously by detectors 22a and 22c , the decay is localized to the space 18 between detectors 22a and 22c . in this manner , the source of photons emitted from within object 20 can be accurately established . it is to be appreciated that the ring or circular array 21 of detectors 22a , 22b , 22c , etc ., are used to localize the source of coincident 511 kev photons . detectors 22a , 22b , 22c , etc ., are arranged so that only simultaneous events occurring on the opposite side of ring 21 are recorded . for example , an annihilation at point a will produce two 511 kev photons , illustrated as rays 24a and 24b . if rays 24a and 24b are detected simultaneously by the two detectors , 22a and 22b , the event is recorded . a computer program reconstructs the spatial distribution of the decaying isotopes within the patient by back - projecting the recordings of simultaneous events by detectors located on nearly opposite sides of the ring . a scintillator crystal comprising substantially pure cef 3 has been found to possess particularly favorable stopping power , light yield and decay constant for use as a scintillator material in pet camera arrays such as that illustrated in fig2 . the relevent properties of cef 3 are compared to those of known scintillator materials in table i below . table i______________________________________ cef . sub . 3 nai ( t1 ) baf . sub . 2 bgo______________________________________decay constant ( nsec ) 27 250 0 . 6 / 620 300light yield 4 100 16 81 / tau ( cm 511 kev ) 1 . 9 3 . 0 2 . 3 1 . 1hygroscopic no very slightly no______________________________________ the use of cef 3 as a scintillator was independently discovered by d . f . anderson of fermi national laboratory and by the inventor herein of the lawrence berkeley laboratory . d . f . anderson has published his work in the ieee transactions of nuclear science , vol . 36 , no . 1 , february 1989 . in his article , d . f . anderson has reported both a fast and a slow light output component for cef 3 . however , the present inventor , who also presented results on cef 3 in the same issue of ieee trans . nucl . sci ., did not observe the fast component . the present inventor has repeatedly tested his sample , including a recalibration of his equipment , and he has found no fast component in his samples of pure cef 3 . these results were shown in table i above . it is very difficult to purify cef 3 , because it occurs along with other rare earths and separations are very difficult . in fact , the major impurity in cef 3 is laf 3 , and one of the important features of the present invention resides in the fact that the laf 3 need not be removed from the cef 3 to be used , and the cef 3 need not be removed from the laf 3 to be used in the desired crystal mixture . accordingly , the differences in reported results could be due to very small amounts of rare earth impurities in the samples tested . it is not understood how mixtures of rare earth fluorides effect scintillation . for example , since pure laf 3 provides substantially no visible light output from gamma radiation , it was unexpected to find that large percentages of fast components were obtained from 511 kev gamma radiation by mixtures of cef 3 and laf 3 . in addition , it was found that mixtures containing only 10 % of cef 3 provided a light output of 90 % of that provided by pure cef 3 . these results and other characteristics of the mixtures are given in table ii below . the light output was based on a standard of 100 for cef 3 . table ii__________________________________________________________________________material light output fast output slow component__________________________________________________________________________pure cef . sub . 3 100 0 100 % @ 27 ns50 % laf . sub . 3 - 50 % cef . sub . 3 50 34 % @ 10 ns 66 % @ 30 ns90 % laf . sub . 3 - 10 % cef . sub . 3 90 66 % @ 18 ns 34 % @ 39 ns99 % laf . sub . 3 - 1 % cef . sub . 3 50 100 % @ 18 ns 099 . 99 % laf . sub . 3 - 0 . 01 % cef . sub . 3 1 -- -- __________________________________________________________________________ as shown in table i above cef 3 has a good balance of properties for use as a scintillator , and in particular for a scintillator to be used in pet . in particular cef 3 is not hygroscopic , does not require a quartz window , and has good stopping power . accordingly , its relatively low light output is offset by these advantages . moreover , present systems are capable of reliable operations at these light output levels , and for pet , only the difference between detection and non - detection is required . from table ii above , it is seen that the mixtures of cef 3 and laf 3 compare very well with cef 3 , and allow a choice in the balance of properties . in particular , the effective decay time can be reduced significantly with only a slight reduction in light output . it should also be mentioned that the stopping power 1 / tau is 1 . 9 for all mixtures of cef 3 and laf 3 . in addition , these materials occur naturally mixed , and providing a crystal mixture is advantageous from a processing standpoint . rather than use high purity ( with correspondingly high costs ) starting materials , these scintillation crystals can be made by mixing in the desired proportions of cef 3 powder , which contains small impurities of laf 3 with laf 3 powder which contains small amounts of cef 3 melting them together and forming it into the desired mixed crystals . while particular embodiments and applications of the present invention have been shown , it will be understood , of course , that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art , particularly in light of the foregoing teachings . it is therefore contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as incorporate those features which come within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	6
a first embodiment of a tank of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 and 2 . the treatment tank has an inlet chamber 13 , a separation chamber 15 , an outlet chamber 17 and a sludge chamber 16 . the inlet chamber 13 receives water having suspended particles and directs the water to the separation chamber 15 in a generally horizontal flow direction . the separation chamber 15 includes plural inclined parallel plates 19 which have flow passages 23 between the plates 19 . particles in the water passing between the inclined parallel plates 19 settle onto the surface of the plates 19 . most particles deposited on the surface of the inclined parallel plates 19 slide down the surface of the plates 19 , fall off the ends 19a of the plates 19 , and settle on the bottom of the tank in a sludge chamber 16 . the water exiting from the separation chamber 15 enters the outlet chamber 17 in a generally horizontal flow direction . particles which have not settled on the surface of the parallel plates 19 gradually fall within the outlet chamber 17 down to the sludge chamber 16 . an outlet channel 10 is provided in the outlet chamber 17 . there are outlet weirs 12 on each side of the outlet channel 10 so that the surface layer 14 of water can overflow the outlet weirs 12 into the outlet channel 10 to form an outflow . the treatment tank also includes an air distribution pipe 18 which is located underneath the separation chamber 15 . the air distribution pipe 18 has plural apertures to introduce air from the pipe as bubbles . the air distribution pipe 18 provides a periodic burst of air bubbles which travel from the air distribution pipe 18 up through the gaps between the inclined parallel plates 19 and eventually to the surface of the treatment tank . the passage of the bubbles through the gaps between the plates 19 dislodges particles clogged between the plates 19 . the treatment tank may also be provided with a sludge exit pipe 20 which allows the particles collected in the sludge chamber 16 to be discharged from the tank for disposal . a sludge valve 21 may be provided in the sludge exit pipe 20 to selectively control the flow of sludge out of the tank . when particles in the sludge chamber 16 are discharged from the tank , the water volume in the tank is decreased . this means that the surface layer 14 of the water in the outlet chamber 17 will drop below the tops of the outflow weirs 12 , interrupting the outflow . a controller may be provided to cause bubbles to be emitted from the air distribution pipes 18 during a period when the surface layer 14 of water in the tank is below the outlet weirs and the outflow is interrupted to ensure that particles that are stirred up by the bubbles do not enter the outflow . water may still be introduced into the inlet chamber during this period . the treatment tank may also include a baffle 22 which extends the length of the treatment tank underneath the separation chamber 15 . the baffle 22 prevents a short circuit of water from flowing underneath the separation chamber 15 and directly into the outlet chamber 17 . this ensures that all water entering the inlet chamber 13 flows through the separation chamber 15 before reaching the outlet chamber 17 . it is possible to alter the treatment tank shown in fig1 and 2 so that two separated sets of inclined parallel plates are provided in the tank . the width of the separation chamber includes the width of both sets of inclined parallel plates . the second embodiment of the treatment tank , shown in fig3 has all of the features of the first embodiment and additionally includes a collection chamber located between the separation chamber 15 and the outlet chamber 17 . a baffle 27 , extending the full length of the tank , separates the collection chamber 25 from the outlet chamber 17 . a collection channel 26 , having two collection weirs 28 , is provided in the collection chamber 25 . the water exiting the separation chamber 15 is provided in a generally horizontal flow direction to the outlet chamber 17 . contaminants such as oil , which are lighter than water , will float to the surface of the collection chamber 25 . since the collection weirs 28 are adjusted slightly under the water level in chamber 17 , floating contaminates such as oil can consequently be discharged over the top of the collection weirs 28 into the collection channel 26 to form a contaminant outflow . the discharge from the channel 26 can be arranged either as a continuing outflow , or as a sequenced outflow automatized by a timer and a shut - off valve . the baffle 27 prevents contaminants floating on the surface layer 24 from entering the outlet chamber 17 . water must pass underneath the baffle 27 to reach the outlet chamber 17 . this ensures that contaminants that are lighter than water , and that float toward the surface of the collection chamber 25 , should not reach the outlet chamber 17 . a third embodiment of a treatment tank of the present invention , shown in the plan view of fig4 includes an inlet chamber 13 that introduces water into a central portion of a cylindrical treatment tank . the water in the inlet chamber 13 is divided into two parallel distribution channels 13a and 13b , from which the flow is distributed in a generally horizontal flow in two opposite directions towards the sides of the treatment tank . the treatment tank has two separation chambers 15 , each having a plurality of inclined parallel plates . water from the inlet chamber 13 enters the separation chambers 15 in a generally horizontal flow direction and passes through the gaps between the inclined parallel plates of the separation chambers 15 . particles in the water settle onto the surface of the plates , glide down the plates , and fall to a common sludge chamber in the bottom of the treatment tank . water leaving the separation chambers 15 enters the outlet chambers 17 on the sides of the treatment tank . outlet channels 10 are provided in each of the outlet chambers 17 , and each outlet channel 10 includes two outlet weirs 12 . a treatment tank as shown in fig4 employs two arc - shaped outlet channels , each having two outlet weirs . this further increases the total length of the outlet weirs so that the overflow rate of water flowing over the outlet weirs , per unit length of the outlet weirs , is minimized , and the quality of the outflow is maximized . in a fourth embodiment of the present invention , shown in fig5 water is introduced to the tank in a central portion in two opposite , relatively horizontal directions through an inlet chamber 13 . the water flows through gaps between inclined parallel plates of two separation chambers 15 and enters outlet chambers 17 . outlet channels 10 are provided in each of the outlet chambers 17 . each outlet channel 10 extends for the length of the tank and includes two outlet weirs 12 , one on each side of the outlet channel . air distribution pipes 18 are provided underneath the separation chambers 15 . during a plate rinsing cycle air bubbles emitted from the air distribution pipes 18 travel up through the gaps between the plates in the separation chambers 15 to dislodge particles clogged between the plates . flow baffles 22 may be provided underneath the separation chambers 15 to prevent water from flowing under the separation chambers 15 , and flowing directly into the outlet chambers 17 . the baffles 22 ensure that water entering the tank through the inlet chamber 13 must pass through the separation chambers 15 . scraper blades 32 may be provided in sludge chambers 16 underneath the separation chambers 15 and outlet chambers 17 . the scraper blades scrape collected particles toward a sludge collection point . an embodiment of a complete storm water treatment and storage system of the present invention is shown in fig6 . in this embodiment , the treatment tanks employ the same crossflow design as shown in fig1 - 5 . the system has one or several settling treatment tanks located close to each other in the system . an inlet valve 44 controls the flow rate of water entering the settling treatment tank . the water enters the settling treatment tank a through an inlet chamber 50 and flows in opposite horizontal directions through the separation chambers 52 where particles settle onto the inclined parallel plates . water overflows outlet weirs on outlet channels 54 , to form an outflow , and the outflow is directed into a common outlet channel 64 . settling / storage treatment tanks b are provided close to the settling treatment tanks a within the same tank system . the settling / storage treatment tanks are also of the crossflow design depicted in fig1 - 5 . the settling / storage treatment tanks b may be physically identical to the settling treatment tanks a except for discharge pumps 62 and inlet arrangements 48 and 59 . when the flow rate of water entering the system exceeds the maximum designed flow rate of the settling treatment tank a , the flow rate into the settling treatment tank a is limited by the inlet valve 44 to the maximum designed flow rate . excess water collects in the inlet area 42 . when the water level has risen high enough in the inlet area 42 , it begins to overflow inlet weirs 48 and enters settling / storage inlet areas 49 . water in the settling / storage inlet areas 49 is then selectively routed to the inlet chambers 58 of the settling / storage treatment tanks via gates 59 . water is introduced into the settling / storage treatment tanks b through the inlet chambers 58 of the settling / storage treatment tanks b . like the settling tank a , water in the settling / storage tanks b flows in opposite horizontal directions through the separation chambers 60 of the settling / storage treatment tanks b . particles settle on the inclined parallel plates of the separation chambers 60 , and the water overflows outlet weirs into outlet channels 66 to form an outflow , the outflow joining the outflow from the settling treatment tank a in the common outlet channel 64 . a sectional view of a settling / storage treatment tank is shown in fig8 . the sectional view shows the inclined parallel plates of one of the separation chambers 60 . water passes through the gaps between the inclined parallel plates of the separation chamber 60 and particles settle onto the surface of the plates . the particles glide down the plates and fall into the sludge chambers 16 . the water flow into the inlet chamber of the settling / storage treatment tank is controlled by a gate 59 , which is raised or lowered to control entry of water into the inlet chamber of the settling / storage treatment tank . a pump 62 is provided in the settling / storage treatment tank for pumping stored water from the settling / storage treatment tank to the inlet area of the settling treatment tank after storm events . sludge pipes 72 extend from near the bottom of the sludge chambers 16 out of the settling / storage treatment tank . when the sludge chamber 16 becomes full of collected particles , the particles can be discharged out of the tank through the sludge pipes 72 . operation sequences of the settling and settling / storage treatment tanks of a system of the present invention are shown in fig9 . the lefthand column of treatment tanks represents a settling treatment tank and the righthand column represents a settling / storage treatment tank . in sequence 1 , the flow ( e . g ., stormwater and / or combined sewer overflow ) entering the system at the start of a storm event is treated in the settling treatment tank . all the water entering the system is routed to the inlet of the settling treatment tank , flows through the separation chambers of the settling treatment tank , and is collected in the outlet channel of the settling treatment tank . since the settling / storage treatment tank is not needed , it remains empty . in sequence 2 , which is the next stage of the storm event , the amount of water entering the system exceeds the predefined maximum flow rate for the settling treatment tank . in this condition , the flow rate of water entering the settling treatment tank is regulated so that the overflow of the settling treatment tank has a desired water quality . any excess flow ( i . e ., flow which the settling tank cannot accept ) is directed into the settling / storage treatment tank . the settling / storage treatment tank will gradually begin to fill up , but no water will exit the settling / storage treatment tank until the water level in the settling / storage treatment tank is high enough to overflow the outlet weirs of the outlet channel . in sequence 3 , the water level in the settling / storage treatment tank is high enough to overflow the outlet weirs , and both the settling and settling / storage treatment tanks are providing an outflow of treated water . particles are collected in the bottom of the settling and settling / storage treatment tanks in the sludge chambers . sequence 4 represents the next step when the stormwater is decreasing at the last part of the storm event . from this sequence on it is possible to start the discharge of the accumulated sludge through the sludge exit pipes . when sludge is removed from the settling and settling / storage treatment tanks , the water level in the tanks is lowered below the top of the outlet weirs , and the water overflowing the outlet weirs to create the outflow is interrupted . the sludge may be pumped from both the settling and settling / storage treatment tanks simultaneously so that the outflows from the entire system is interrupted , or sludge may be pumped from a single treatment tank at a time so that an outflow is maintained , but at a decreased rate . the air distribution pipes ( not shown in fig9 but illustrated in fig1 , 3 and 5 ) can be activated at this time to dislodge clogged particles on the plates . in sequence 5 , the storm event is over and there is no water flowing into the system . the water volume in the settling / storage tank is now pumped to the settling tanks for treatment . consequently , the settling / storage tanks are emptied and are ready to start the next filling sequence when the next storm event occurs . another embodiment of the treatment system of the present invention is shown in fig7 . in this embodiment , the treatment tanks are pie - shaped segments which allow for a compact system . the pie - shaped tanks have the same structure and function as the rectangular tank system shown in fig6 . however , the pie - shaped tanks offer more equal flow distribution to the separate tanks than the rectangular tanks . the separation chambers 52 , 60 are located between the inlet chambers 52 , 58 and the outlet channels 64 , 66 . water enters the system through a main inlet area 42 and is directed to the settling treatment tanks a through inlet flow valves 44 which limit the flow rate entering the settling treatment tanks a . water enters the settling treatment tanks through inlet chambers 50 , passes through separation chambers 52 , then overflows outlet weirs into outlet channels 54 to form an outflow . chambers for disinfection and / or chemical treatment 70 may be provided as part of the treatment tanks . the chambers 70 communicate with the outlet channels 54 of the treatment tanks . chemicals may be introduced into the outflow in the chambers 70 for disinfection and / or chemical treatment of the outflow . after passing through the chambers 70 for disinfection and / or chemical treatment the treated water exits the settling treatment tanks a and is collected in a common outlet channel 64 . the inlet flow valves 44 limit the flow rate of water entering the settling treatment tanks a . when the flow rate of the water increases to the level where the settling treatment tanks can no longer treat all the flow , the water level in the inlet area 42 rises and eventually overflows inlet weirs 48 . water flowing over the inlet weirs 48 enters the settling / storage inlet areas 49 , and is directed through the settling / storage treatment tanks b . when the water level is high enough , water flows through the separation chambers 60 of the settling / storage treatment tanks b , overflows outlet weirs , and is collected in the outlet channels 66 of the settling / storage treatment tanks b to form an outflow . as in the settling treatment tanks a , chambers 70 for disinfection and / or chemical treatment may be provided in the settling / storage treatment tanks b . the outflow of the settling / storage treatment tanks is joined with the outflow from the settling treatment tanks in the common outlet channel 64 . inclined parallel plates are used in many treatment tanks for removing large particles with good settling characteristics . when it is necessary to remove small , light particles with poor settling characteristics , or sticky particles that tend to adhere to and clog the plates , the inclined parallel plate systems have serious disadvantages . either the particles do not settle toward the bottom before overflowing the outlet weirs , or the particles clog between the plates , necessitating frequent removal and cleaning of the plates . the tanks and systems of the present invention eliminate these drawbacks so that inclined parallel plate treatment systems can be used in a broader variety of applications . the air distribution pipes provide bubbles that release particles clogged between the plates without any necessity to remove the plates from the tank for separate cleaning , and without causing any escape of rinsed particles over the outlet weirs . providing outlet weirs on both sides of the outlet channels , and extending the weirs for the entire length of a treatment tank , maximizes the length of the outlet weirs . this , in turn , allows the overflow rate of water per unit length of the outlet weirs to be minimized for a given tank flow rate . the low overflow rate per unit length of the outlet weirs also allows a system of the present invention to be used to effectively treat large flows with low particle concentrations . while the invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiments , it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments . on the contrary , it is intended to cover all alternatives , modifications and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	1
referring to the drawings , and particularly to fig1 , a bus 10 on which the present invention is advantageously employed is illustrated . bus 10 is a front engine bus with a square front end 13 which maximizes the portion of vehicle length available for passenger seating and which positions a driver close to the front end to improve sight lines . a penalty of this arrangement is more difficult access to the vehicle &# 39 ; s engine , which is located behind a flat front wall 12 and which is accessed for checking fluid levels through access doors 14 . the dual circuit pilot master cylinder 20 may of course be used with other types of vehicles , but its novel and non - obvious features lend it particularly useful in vehicles of the type depicted . fig2 illustrates a full power vehicle braking system 15 as may be advantageously used with bus 10 of fig1 . braking system 15 incorporates as many wheel end brake units 32 as there are ends of axles on the vehicle . for bus 10 four wheel end brake units 32 are employed . braking system 15 is actuated by a driver using a dual circuit pilot master cylinder 20 which is mounted on the inside of the vehicle cab from a dash panel 16 . a hydraulic fluid reservoir 22 is mounted on the opposite side of dash panel 16 in a gap 18 between vehicle front wall 12 and the dash panel . a brake pedal 24 depends from dual circuit pilot master cylinder 20 being positioned below the master cylinder and having an actuation arc a in a plane that is vertical and perpendicular with respect to dash panel 16 . dual circuit pilot master cylinder 20 is connected to a full power brake module 30 by a primary hydraulic pilot circuit 26 and a secondary hydraulic pilot circuit 28 . full power brake module 30 generates control signals for the wheel end brake units 32 in response to the signals received on the pilot circuits and to sensor data ( e . g . vehicle speed , wheel lock up , parking brake status , etc .) in accord with the requirements of stopping the vehicle at a rate proportional to the pressure of the pilot signals while maintaining control , avoiding skidding and maintaining vehicle stability . operation of full power brake module 30 is supported by a full power brake fluid reservoir 122 . referring now to fig3 and 4 , dual circuit pilot master cylinder 20 is illustrated in detail . dual circuit pilot master cylinder 20 comprises a housing 120 which encloses primary and secondary circuit cylinders 38 and 40 . the housing 120 is , in a preferred application , hung from its back face 95 on the inside face of a dash panel 16 . a back side 95 of housing 120 is contoured to fit the shape of the face of dash panel 16 and includes flanges 97 which extend beyond the dimensions of housing 120 . conventional fasteners may be fitted through flanges 97 to hold housing 120 to dash panel 16 . primary circuit cylinder 38 is disposed upright and parallel to secondary circuit cylinder 40 , the cylinders being located in a vertical plane spaced away from dash panel 16 . brake fluid is supplied to primary and secondary circuit cylinders 38 and 40 from a reservoir 22 located in gap 18 between dash panel 16 and front wall 12 . the fluid is delivered through a conduit 90 to inlets 99 into the cylinders located about half way between the tops and the bottoms of the cylinders . reservoir 22 is filled with replacement fluid through a fill point 34 accessed via an access door 14 in the vehicle &# 39 ; s front wall 12 . reservoir 22 is conventionally fabricated from plastic and divided by an internal baffle for the primary and secondary circuits . reservoir fluid level is marked by full and low lines . brake fluid is displaced from cylinders 38 , 40 by downward movement of pistons 42 , 82 in cylinders 38 , 40 . brake fluid moves out through outlets 89 near the bottommost points in the cylinders through outlet channels 92 to delivery outlets 96 for and into primary and secondary hydraulic pilot circuits 26 , 28 ( fluid delivery from cylinder 40 to the secondary hydraulic pilot circuit 28 is not shown but is identical to that for the primary hydraulic pilot circuit 26 ). fluid returns to the cylinders 38 , 40 with upward movement of pistons 42 , 82 . delivery outlet 96 is tapped by an upwardly slanted primary ( and identical secondary ) pressure switch port 96 . both the delivery port 94 and pressure switch port 96 for both the primary and secondary systems pass through the dash panel 16 for connections inside gap 18 . the areas around all outlets are bossed to extend through openings in dash panel 16 to ease making the appropriate switch and hydraulic circuit connections . cylinders 38 , 40 are located in a side by side arrangement in housing 120 which are outwardly displaced from dash panel 16 and located near the front face 101 of the housing . cylinders 38 , 40 are vertically oriented and pistons 42 , 82 are disposed in the cylinders for reciprocating up and down movement . extending upwardly from pistons 42 , 82 are piston rods 44 , 84 , respectively . piston rods 44 , 84 extend through openings 78 , 80 in an upper cover plate 36 to pin connections 54 , 154 in tines 74 , 76 of a forked bell crank 48 . pistons 42 , 82 are upwardly biased in position by rebound compression springs 46 , 86 located in cylinders 38 , 40 between the pistons and the bottoms of the cylinders . pistons 42 , 82 are of piston and follower design to better maintain alignment and relieve stress from piston seals 98 . pistons 42 , 82 are manually operated by force applied to a brake pedal 24 hung below housing 120 . pedal 24 swings in an arc a ( shown in fig2 ) which is located in a vertical plane perpendicular to dash panel 16 . brake pedal 24 is connected to pistons 42 , 82 by a linkage which assures that pistons 42 , 82 move in unison . the linkage comprises : piston rods 44 , 84 ; forked bell crank 48 ; a push rod 56 ; and a pedal lever 64 . forked bell crank 48 is supported at a fixed point above housing 120 on upper cover plate 36 by a crank fulcrum 50 . pedal lever 64 hangs from a fixed point below housing 120 from a pedal lever fulcrum 68 extending from bottom side 70 of the housing . forked bell crank 48 is connected to crank fulcrum 50 on a pin 52 through a central member 53 of the forked bell crank which allows the forked bell crank to rock back and forth from end to end . similarly , pedal lever 64 is supported by a pin 88 through a centered location allowing the pedal lever to pivot . pins 52 and 88 are parallel to back side 95 of housing 120 and to one another . each is positioned horizontally making the planes of rotation of forked bell crank 48 and pedal lever 64 coincident . forked bell crank 48 and pedal lever 64 each have inner ends close to dash panel 16 and outer ends distal to the dash panel . forked bell crank 48 divides into two tines 74 and 76 on its side distal to dash panel 16 . brake pedal 24 is mounted to the outer end of pedal lever 64 distal to dash panel 16 . piston rods 44 , 84 are pivotally pinned to forked bell crank 48 away from dash panel 16 to take stress off of piston seals 98 . pedal lever 64 is linked to forked bell crank 48 by a push rod 56 positioned to pass through a space in the back of housing 120 between the housing and dash panel 16 . push rod 56 is connected to the inner ends of forked bell crank 48 and pedal lever 64 . pivot pins 62 and 66 provide the means of connection between the respective ends of push rod 56 and forked bell crank 48 and pedal lever 64 , respectively . depression of brake pedal 24 thus is transmitted to forked bell crank 48 by upward movement of push rod 56 , and corresponding , joint downward movement of piston rods 44 , 84 . the motion is coupled to the pair of pistons 42 , 82 imparting to the pistons joint up and down motion in the cylinders with the foot actuated pedal lever 64 having a motion in a vertical plane perpendicular to the dash panel 16 . forked bell crank 48 divides into first and second tines 74 , 76 on the end away from the point of connection to push rod 56 . this allows pedal lever 64 to be centered between cylinders 38 , 40 . the invention provides for an internally mountable dual hydraulic circuit pilot master cylinder for a motor vehicle brake system that fits into a foot print as small as those for an air brake system valve package . the system reservoir is readily positioned for ease of access on a variety of vehicle types . the arrangement of the system also makes it largely self bleeding and provides a readily accessible point for mounting of a pressure switch and for final bleeding of both pilot delivery circuits . while the invention is shown in only one of its forms , it is not thus limited but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	1
fig1 shows a conventional golf iron ( a mold - cast iron ) of the invention including a shaft 1 , made for instance of metal or reinforced plastic , terminating at its free end in a grip 2 and connected at its lower end by a hosel 4 to a head denoted by the overall reference 3 of which the weight and shape vary with the iron number . the cross - section of this head is approximately l - shaped . the head includes on its front surface , constituting the larger arm of the l , a wall having an external , planar , striated strike face 5 , and a sole 6 forming the small leg of the l . the wall constituting the longer arm of the l has a thickness of , for example , 5 mm . the head 3 further includes a rear surface 7 subtending a cavity the shape of which varies with the manufacturer and the desired results . the rear surface 7 assumes a generally rounded elliptical shape with major and minor axes of about 60 mm and 30 mm , respectively . in the invention , the cavity receives a hollowed vibration damper denoted by the overall reference 10 offset from the end of the cavity . in the embodiment of fig3 and 4 , the annular vibration damper 10 has an overall elliptical shape about 40 mm and 20 mm long along the major and minor axes , and subtends a hollowed central opening 15 which is also elliptical . the vibration damper 10 includes a rigid constraining plate 11 made of , for example , an aluminum alloy commercially known as zicral and manufactured by cegedur pechiney with a young &# 39 ; s modulus of 70 , 000 mpa . the rigid plate is about 0 . 8 mm thick and weighs about one gram . the annular rigid plate 11 is associated with a visco - elastic high damping sheet 12 . the outer and inner surfaces of the sheet 12 are coated with a fine layer of adhesive to enhance adhesion between the visco - elastic sheet 12 and the rigid plate 11 on the one hand , and the visco - elastic sheet 12 and the rear surface 7 of the head 3 on the other hand . the visco - elastic sheet is made of a rubber , such as modified butylonitrile , is preferably about 0 . 3 . mm thick and preferably exhibits a damping coefficient ( tan δ ) between 0 . 4 and 1 . 2 , more preferably between 0 . 6 and 0 . 8 . the vibration damper 10 of the invention is mounted on the rear surface 7 and is centered about the center of gravity g of the clubhead 3 , that is , it is aligned with the ideal impact point when strike a golf ball . the ratio of the cross - sectional area of the opening 15 provided in the vibration damper 10 to the cross - sectional area of the outer contour of the vibration damper 10 is between about 0 . 1 and 0 . 9 , preferably about 0 . 5 . if the ratio is less than 0 . 1 , the opening 15 is very small and located in a central zone where deformations are small , as a result of which the additional edge effect is negligible . on the other hand , if the ratio exceeds 0 . 9 , the width of the constraining plate 11 is too small and thus can no longer act as a rigid element . in the embodiment shown in fig5 and relating to irons , the constraining plate 11 is not parallel to the rear surface 7 , and accordingly the thickness of the visco - elastic layer 12 varies substantially linearly from e 1 at 12a near the sole 6 to e 2 at 12b . in the embodiments shown in fig6 , 25 and 26 , the thickness of the annular vibration damper 10 varies between the radially inner portion thereof adjacent the contour 30 of the opening 15 and the external contour 32 of the vibration damper 10 . specifically , in the embodiments of fig6 , 25 and 26 , the shape of the vibration damper is such that its cross - section , defined between the contour 30 of the opening 15 and the external contour 32 , follows a concave or convex shape . half concave shapes or half convex shapes may be used within the scope of the present invention . in fig8 the vibration damper is mounted on the rear surface 7 so that a portion thereof is generally parallel to the strike face 5 and a portion thereof is generally parallel to the sole 6 . in the embodiments shown in fig9 through 11 , the vibration damper 10 is used on a &# 34 ; metal - wood &# 34 ; club . a &# 34 ; metal - wood &# 34 ; head comprises a hosel 4 , strike face 5 , a sole 6 , a rear surface 13 , an upper side 16 and a cavity 17 . the section in the plane defined by the axis x - x &# 39 ; of fig9 is shown generally in fig1 . the vibration damper may be mounted inside the cavity 17 on any and all inner surfaces of the clubhead . for example , the vibration damper can be mounted to the rear surface of the strike face 5 ( fig1 ) or mounted on the top of the upper side 16 ( fig1 ). in the embodiments shown in fig1 through 14 , the vibration damper 10 occupies part of the strike face 5 . in fig1 the vibration damper 10 is implanted at the base of the hosel 4 , which it encloses , at the junction zone between the hosel and the strike face 5 . this design is especially effective in minimizing the transmission of vibrations into the shaft . in fig1 , the vibration damper is mounted on the front surface of the clubhead near the toe portion of the strike face 5 , whereas in fig1 the vibration damper is mounted on the front surface of the clubhead surrounding the impact zone of the strike face 5 . in the embodiment of fig1 , the constraining plate 11 and the visco - elastic layer 12 assume identical shapes and the openings 15 through each are superposed . in the embodiment of fig1 , the constraining plate 11 includes one opening 15 therethrough and is associated with a visco - elastic layer 12 of which the surface is solid . in the embodiment of fig1 , the constraining plate 11 is solid and connected to the golf clubhead by a visco - elastic layer 12 with one or more openings 15 therethrough . the external contour of the vibration damper 10 and the contour of the opening 15 may assume various shapes , namely circular , elliptical , oval or polygonal ( fig1 and 19 ). various shapes may be combined when selecting the external contour of the vibration damper and the contour of the opening 15 . in the embodiments of fig1 and 20 , the external contour 32 of the vibration damper 10 and the opening contour 30 are offset relative to each other . moreover , fig2 shows that the contour 30 of the opening 15 and the external contour 32 of the vibration damper 10 subtend different centers 31 , 33 . in the embodiment of fig2 , the opening 15 communicates with the external contour 32 of the vibration damper 10 through an aperture 25 which is small compared to the overall golf clubhead , so that the term &# 34 ; opening &# 34 ; may be used even though there is only one contour . in the embodiment of fig2 , the vibration damper 10 is elliptical and includes two circular openings 15a and 15b located symmetrically about the minor axis of the ellipse . in the embodiment of fig2 , both the constraining plate 11 and the upper surface of the visco - elastic layer 12 include offset surface portions 36 and 37 . in the embodiment of fig2 , the vibration damper 10 fills a matching seat 20 in a central portion of the rear surface 7 of the clubhead and extends radially outwardly beyond the seat 20 on the rear surface 7 . the vibration damper of the present invention substantially reduces impact vibrations and more rapidly absorbs the most irritating vibrations . moreover , the annular design of the vibration damper of the invention reduces the weight of the damper , and hence the influence thereof , on the center of gravity of the clubhead . in some cases , however , where irons are concerned , the weight distribution is moved even farther toward the head periphery without thereby significantly changing the location of the center of gravity of the clubhead . thereby the club is more tolerant of off - center impacts . finally , the club also plays more comfortably because vibrations transmitted into the arms of the user are attenuated and resonance is substantially lowered .	0
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . fig8 is a partially enlarged plan view of an array substrate of an ips - lcd device according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention . as shown , on a pixel region , a common electrode 200 and a pixel electrode 300 are formed substantially parallel with each other . each of the common and pixel electrodes 200 and 300 has a plurality of inwardly extending indentations 250 a , 350 a and outwardly extending protrusions 250 b , 350 b . the indentations and protrusions 250 a , 250 b , 350 a and 350 b are alternately formed in each electrode such that each electrode has an alternating or zigzag pattern . because the common electrode 200 has the same alternating or zigzag pattern as the pixel electrode 300 , each protrusion 250 b of the common electrode 200 opposes a corresponding indentation 350 a of the pixel electrode , and vice versa . each of the indentations 250 a , 350 a , and protrusions 250 b , 350 b have a substantially rectangular shape . a first distance l 1 denotes a distance between opposing innerfacing ( i . e ., toward the center line of the pixel region ) edges of the inward projecting protrusions 250 b , 350 b of the common electrode 200 and pixel electrode 300 , while a second distance l 2 denotes a distance between an innerfacing edge of the inner indentation 250 a of the common electrode 200 and an innerfacing edge of the inward projecting protrusion 350 b of pixel electrode 300 and vice versa , as shown in fig8 . therefore , the first distance l 1 is smaller than the second distance l 2 , which preferably has the same value as a distance “ l ” measured between conventional common and pixel electrodes shown in fig7 c . that is to say , each outermost apex 200 a of the common electrode 200 and each corresponding outermost apex 300 a of the pixel electrode 300 has the first distance l 1 therebetween , and the first distance l 1 is smaller than the distance l between the conventional pixel electrode and common electrode . with a voltage difference generated between the common and pixel electrodes 200 and 300 , a stronger electric field is achieved because of the smaller distance l 1 between the apexes 200 a and 300 a . therefore , in comparison with the conventional pixel and common electrodes of fig7 c , though a smaller voltage difference is applied between the common and pixel electrodes 200 and 300 , at least the same electric field level is induced therebetween . namely , low power consumption is achieved by the preferred embodiment . a threshold voltage to operate the ips - lcd device is proportional to the distance between the common and pixel electrodes . namely , as the distance between the common and pixel electrodes increase , the threshold voltage to operate a liquid crystal should increase . in other words , with a large distance between the common and pixel electrodes , a high aperture ratio is achieved for an improved luminance of the ips - lcd device . however , to compensate for an electric field loss due to the enlarged distance between the common and pixel electrodes , a higher voltage difference should be generated between the common and pixel electrodes . therefore , a higher threshold voltage is needed . if the distance between the common and pixel electrodes is decreased to decrease the threshold voltage , the aperture ratio rapidly decreases and a sufficient luminance greater than 200 candelas per square meter ( 200 nit ) cannot be achieved . recently , users need a large scale and a high resolution ( for example , an uxga ) for an lcd device , increasingly . with the larger scale and higher resolution , a pixel region of the lcd device becomes much smaller and thus it is difficult to achieve a sufficient aperture ratio . a wide viewing angle is the most important quality factor for the large - scaled lcd device , and the ips - lcd device is preferred for the wide viewing angle . however , the ips - lcd device has a disadvantage in providing the high resolution due to its configuration of the common and pixel electrodes . to achieve both of the wide viewing angle and high resolution , the preferred embodiment of the present invention provides the alternating or zigzag pattern for the common electrode 200 and the pixel electrode 300 of the ips - lcd device . because of the alternating or zigzag - patterned common and pixel electrodes , a sufficient distance for good aperture ratio is achieved between the common and pixel electrodes without loss of the electric field therebetween , or without increasing the operation voltage . the common electrode 200 and the pixel electrode 300 are preferably selected from a group consisting of chromium ( cr ), aluminum ( al ), aluminum alloy ( al alloy ), molybdenum ( mo ), tantalum ( ta ), tungsten ( w ), antimony ( sb ), an alloy thereof , indium tin oxide ( ito ), and indium zinc oxide ( izo ). an alignment layer ( reference 17 of fig7 b ) is formed over the common electrode 200 and pixel electrode 300 to face a liquid crystal layer ( not shown ). the alignment layer is selected from a group consisting of polyamic acid and polyimide . fig9 illustrates a modification of the preferred embodiment shown in fig8 . as shown in fig9 , each of the common and pixel electrodes 200 and 300 includes a plurality of substantially trapezoidal indentations 252 a , 352 a , and substantially trapezoidal protrusions 252 b , 352 b . while the present examples include substantially rectangular and substantially trapezoidal protrusions and indentations , the protrusions and indentations have no limit in their shapes . for example , each of them may have a substantially triangular shape . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variation can be made in the method of manufacturing a thin film transistor of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . thus , it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents .	6
referring to the figure of drawing , a flow diagram of a device designed in accordance with the invention is shown . this device comprises a substantially hemispherically shaped screen 1 referred to as a perimeter bowl for displaying the light targets . the patient &# 39 ; s head is placed in position within the bowl on a frame which minimizes head movement during the test . the patient is positioned so that eye level is even with fixation light 3 in the center of the screen . during a test , the patient &# 39 ; s eye must fixate on the fixation light to insure an accurate test . fixation monitor 5 is provided to observe the fixation status of the patient at set intervals , e . g ., every 1 / 4 second , and to transmit a signal to the central control means 7 when the fixation status deviates beyond a predetermined point . the fixation monitor observes fixation status by known techniques , such as directing infra - red light at the eye which reflects off the concave surface of the cornea and back to the monitor where photocells record the intensity and location of light and compares these values to a fixation norm . if the observed values deviate from the norm for complete fixation beyond a predetermined amount , the monitor transmits this information to the central control means . central control means 7 is a micro - processor which is programmed to transmit and receive the signals necessary to control the various parts of the device and to receive and record the patient &# 39 ; s responses and lack of responses . the central control means is responsive to auxiliary control means 9 which is operated by the physician or technician . the auxiliary control means is most preferably an x - y pad which is a commercially available device used to place information into a computer . the x - y pad generates data that corresponds to the x and y co - ordinates of any given point on the pad . the x - y pad allows the operator to test any desired point on the visual field chart . a visual field chart is placed over the pad and by manually positioning a marker at any point on the chart , the exact position of the marker is transmitted to the central control means as x and y co - ordinate data . the central control means interprets this data and transmits the appropriate mirror position data to the servo - controlled mirror 11 . the auxiliary control means also includes means for enabling the operator to adjust the size , intensity and / or color of the light target . dials or keyboards are exemplary of such means . the dial or keyboard transmits a signal to the central control means which interprets it and transmits the appropriate control signal to a shutter assembly which controls the size , intensity and color of the light target . because the operator completes the visual field chart on the x - y plotter of the auxiliary control means , there is no need for another visual field chart holder and stylus present in the device described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 260 , 277 , although these items may be included to reproduce the test results . thus , with the exception of the auxiliary control means , the device of the invention is identical to that described in the aforesaid patent . it includes means 13 for projecting a light target onto the servo - controlled mirror . this includes the shutter assembly for controlling the size , intensity and color of the light target . the device of the invention also includes response means 15 for the patient to acknowledge vision . these various means are described in detail in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 260 , 277 , and that description will not be reproduced herein . however , it is understood that various modifications of the device can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . for example , the device can be equipped with display means 17 which displays the target status , patient response status and fixation status for easy reference during a test . while the invention has now been described in terms of various preferred embodiments , those of skill in the art will recognize that numerous additions , substitutions , omissions and modifications can be made . it is , therefore , intended that the scope of the invention be solely limited by the claims which follow .	0
according to this invention we have found that the use of an alloy of 10 - 25 % chromium , 10 - 18 % aluminum and less than 1 % yttrium with materials selected from the group consisting of cobalt , iron , nickel , and nickel - cobalt as the bond coat and grading metal for a zirconia - base ceramic , produces an unexpected improvement in the thermal resistance of the barrier . these materials are known as mcraly alloys and are described in detail in u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 542 , 530 ; 3 , 676 , 085 ; 3 , 754 , 903 and co - pending application for nicocraly ser . no . 469 , 186 filed may 13 , 1974 now u . s . pat . no . 3 , 928 , 026 . the concentration of the bond coat and the zirconia is preferably continuously graded from zero percent ceramic at the interface between the base material and the bond coat to 100 percent ceramic at the exposed surface . it should be recognized that while the continuous gradation is clearly the preferred embodiment , one or more layers of discretely increasingly concentrations of zirconia can also be employed if equipment for continuous gradation is not available . the zirconia used in this coating is preferably stabilized in the cubic form by the use of amounts of calcium oxide or magnesium oxide , as known to the art . in addition , the zirconia can also contain other oxides , such as y 2 o 3 and la 2 o 3 , which are also known to be permanent cubic stabilizers for zirconia or metastabilizers such as ce 2 o 3 . it is also possible to add antistabilizers such as nickel oxide , zinc oxide and cobalt oxide in admixture with the cubic stabilized zirconia to tailor the characteristics of the ceramic portions with respect to thermal shock resistance by selecting compressive strengths and thermal coefficients of expansion corresponding to the characteristics of the metal substrate . these specific techniques , per se , do not form a part of the applicants &# 39 ; invention and it should be recognized that the use of the term &# 34 ; zirconia ,&# 34 ; as hereinafter employed , includes zirconia - based ceramic materials which may be either pure zirconia or zirconia - admixed with one or more additives of which the above are exemplary . the thermal barrier coatings of this invention can be applied by techniques known to the art using commercially available equipment . with respect to the following examples , the coatings were applied from a plasmadyne model 1068 minigun using a 106 f45h - 1 nozzle , a plasmadyne model ps - 61m 40 kilowatt power supply unit and two plasmadyne model 1008a powder feeders . one powder feeder contained the bond coat alloy while the other powder feeder contained the zirconia , with both feeders being pressurized with argon . by varying the flow rate of the individual powder feeders , continuous gradation of the thermal barrier coating was obtained . the choice of the powder size of the materials is not critical and with the equipment used , it was found that the particle size of the metal bond coat alloy was preferably in the range of - 270 + 400 . this was not critical but merely idiosyncratic to the equipment used in that smaller particle sizes tended to melt too quickly and clog the nozzle of the spray gun . hastelloy x panels were coated with continuous graded nickel chromium plus mgo stabilized zirconia and were subjected to 100 hour and 200 hour static oxidization tests at 1800 ° f . metallographic testing of the coating structures after test indicated that the nickel chromium component has substantially oxidized after 100 hours . another sample was subjected to an oxidation test for one hour at 2000 ° f . followed by a water quench . metallographic examination of the coating structure after these treatments showed degraded nickel almost completely oxidized , with cracks running vertically toward the base metal through the coating . corresponding tests were also performed with hastelloy x panels coated with 67 . 5 % cobalt , 20 % chromium , 12 % aluminum , 0 . 5 % yttrium plus 17 % mgo stabilized zirconia with coating thicknesses varying between 0 . 009 to 0 . 014 inches . metallographic examination of these samples after completion of the tests corresponding to the above , indicated substantially less oxidation of the bond coat which necessarily leads to a longer expected coating life . fluidized bed testing of the various samples was also performed in which the specimens were exposed for two minutes at 1800 ° f . followed by two minutes cooling at room temperature . using the cobalt , chromium , aluminum , yttrium - containing samples , testing was discontinued after 100 cycles with satisfactory adherence of the coating to the substrate alloy and upon metallographic examination , the components showed only partial oxidization . the nickel chromium samples , however , had been completely oxidized . the inner surfaces of several full - scale hastelloy x burner cans from a jt8d - 17 gas turbine engine were coated with the continuously graded mgo / zro 2 - cobalt / chromium / aluminum / yttrium alloy noted above and subjected to experimental engine testing . in an 150 hour endurance test this alloy was substantially better with respect to edge spallation than the conventional 17 % mgo / zro 2 ni - 20 % cr coating run on another burner in the same test . while this invention has been described with respect to several specific examples thereof , it should not be construed as being limited thereto . for example , while the preferred embodiment of the invention employs the cobalt , chromium , aluminum , yttrium alloy set forth above , and 17 % mgo stabilized zro 2 , other compositions can be employed by workers skilled - in - the - art . the specific cobalt , chromium , aluminum , yttrium alloy employed in the examples is representative of the broad class of materials consisting of 15 - 40 % chromium , 10 - 25 % aluminum and less than 1 % yttrium alloyed with iron , cobalt , nickel , or nickel - cobalt . this general class of materials is described , for example , in u . s . patents cited above . accordingly , various modifications of this invention may be made by workers skilled - in - the art without departing from the scope of this invention which is limited only by the following claims , wherein :	2
fig1 a - c illustrate various possible positions of an exemplary seat 10 . seat 10 may include generally vertically - oriented backrest 14 and generally horizontally - oriented seat bottom 18 . although preferred configurations of seat 10 are described herein , seat 10 may have backrest 14 and bottom 18 connected in any appropriate manner or integrally formed . also shown in fig1 a - c are base frame 22 and alternative adjustable footrests 26 and 30 , either of which optionally may be incorporated as part of seat 10 . those skilled in the art will , however , recognize that base frame 22 need not appear identical to that shown in fig1 a - c and that , if seat 10 includes a footrest , such footrest may differ from either footrest 26 or footrest 30 . depicted in solid lines in fig1 a is backrest 14 in its nominal “ upright ” position . in this position , backrest 14 traditionally is at an angle of approximately 15 ° off a vertical axis v ( fig2 a - c ). phantom lines show backrest 14 in its nominally fully “ reclined ” position of approximately 31 ° off axis v . in multiple embodiments of seat 10 , rearwardmost point 34 of backrest 14 changes a distance d 1 of only approximately four to 4 . 37 inches linearly , notwithstanding that backrest 14 is moved angularly approximately 16 ° between the upright and fully reclined positions . as further described herein in connection with fig2 a - c , this modest linear change during such a large angular change represents a substantial comfort - enhancing improvement over existing seats . illustrated in fig1 b - c is the forward translation achieved by seat 10 when backrest 14 is reclined . by contrast with fig1 a , in which forwardmost point 38 of bottom 18 is proximate base frame 22 , fig1 b - c show forwardmost point 38 a significant linear distance d 2 forward of frame 22 . such distance d 2 preferably is approximately 3 . 10 inches , sufficiently small as not to diminish comfort of passenger p . however , although various preferred numerical values have been provided for distances d 1 and d 2 and the angular motion of backrest 14 , these values may vary as appropriate or desired depending , at least in part , on the results sought to be obtained . fig1 b - c additionally detail differing exemplary positionings of forward portion 42 ( sometimes called the “ bull nose ”) of bottom 18 . although shown only schematically , such exemplary positionings may , for example , include a lower position in which portion 42 is proximate base frame 22 and an upper position in which portion 42 is raised a distance d 3 above frame 22 . fig1 c illustrates forward portion 42 in its lower position , while fig1 b depicts portion 42 in an upper position . embodiments of the invention allow passenger p to vary the distance d 3 based on personal preference , although such variation need not necessarily occur or , instead , may be pre - set before use . fig2 b provides additional information about exemplary seat 10 . shown in fig2 b are arm rest 46 and tray table mechanism 50 , either or both optionally included as part of the seat 10 . mechanism 50 itself may comprise at least tray table 54 and arms 58 , two of which typically connect table 54 to one of backrest 14 , bottom 18 , or base frame 22 . frame 22 , further , may comprise forward vertical member 62 , rear inclined member 66 , horizontal spreader 70 , and intermediate members 74 and 78 , with securing members 82 and 86 facilitating connecting seat 10 to the floor f of an aircraft cabin or any other surface . base frame 22 alternatively may be constructed as shown either in fig2 a or in the hadden , jr . patent or in any other suitable manner . fig2 a shows , for comparison , another type of seat 10 ′. as illustrated , seat 10 ′ includes a backrest 14 ′ adapted to recline up to 31 ° off vertical axis v . when fully reclined , backrest 14 ′ has extended rearward a linear distance d 4 of approximately 7 . 40 inches . by contrast , and as noted earlier , backrest 14 ( fig2 b ) extends rearward distance d 1 of less than approximately 4 . 37 inches , notwithstanding that it achieves the same final recline angle of 31 ° off of axis v . as a consequence , a passenger seated directly behind seat 10 retains substantially more seating area space when seat 10 is reclined than does a passenger seated directly behind seat 10 ′. fig2 c , finally , superimposes seats 10 and 10 ′ when backrests 14 and 14 ′ are in the upright position , confirming the positioning of a passenger p in such case can be substantially the same in either seat 10 or 10 ′. fig3 - 4 illustrate the general bucket style of seat 10 . in the version of seat 10 shown in these drawings , bottom 18 comprises distinct forward portion 42 and rear portion 90 , the latter of which may be integral with backrest 14 . thus , seat 10 may differ from both seats depicted in the hadden , jr . patent , as bottom 18 is both multi - part and lacking any hinge at interface i where rear portion 90 abuts backrest 14 . to allow forward portion 42 to raise and lower respecting base frame 22 , portion 42 may pivot with respect to rear portion 90 about axis pa , which extends into the plane of the paper on which fig3 appears . parts of a suitable pivot mechanism 94 are shown in fig4 although those skilled in the art will recognize that multiple different such mechanisms alternatively may be employed . exemplary mechanism 94 additionally may include conventional hydrolock 98 ( fig6 a - b ), which operates on bell crank 102 and changes the position of forward rollers 106 in forward tracks 110 ( typically one on each side of seat 10 ). in this way , actuation of hydrolock 98 ( as , for example , by passenger p ) causes forward portion 42 to raise away from base frame 22 until either hydrolock 98 is deactuated ( by either the passenger or a mechanical or electrical stop ) or forward rollers 106 reach rear ends 114 of tracks 110 . forward portion 42 may be locked in any such raised position if desired , and may be lowered either by the force of the passenger &# 39 ; s legs overcoming the lock or by electrically or mechanically releasing the lock . alternatively , hydrolock 98 may be omitted ( or simply not used ) in favor of a spring or other resilient means connected directly or indirectly to forward portion 42 . typically , the spring or other mechanism would bias forward portion 42 upward . if so , its force would be counteracted ( partially or completely ) by the weight of a passenger &# 39 ; s legs , in a manner somewhat analogous to the operation of some conventional theatre seats . embodiments consistent with this alternative likely would not permit forward portion 42 to lock in any particular position , although conceivably such locking could occur . fig3 also details center rollers 118 and aft rollers 122 , each set designed to move cooperatively in corresponding tracks 126 and 130 , respectively . such cooperative movement is similar to that described in the hadden , jr . patent in connection with its rollers and track members . unlike the mechanisms of the hadden , jr . patent , however , all of rollers 118 and 122 and tracks 126 and 130 are positioned near bottom 18 ; consequently , aft rollers 122 are substantially closer to both base frame 22 and bottom 18 than are the upper rollers of the seats of the hadden , jr . patent . this configuration permits greater forward linear motion of seat 10 than does that of the hadden , jr . patent , one of many advances of the present invention . once again , although roller and track assemblies are discussed in connection with seat 10 , those skilled in the art will understand that other guides or followers may be employed . fig5 and 6 a - b supply yet additional details concerning a preferred structure of seat 10 . fig6 a , in particular , illustrates rears of a pair of connected seats 10 a and 10 b , with backrest 14 a of seat 10 a reclined and backrest 14 b of seat 10 b upright . seats 10 may be connected in sets of two , three , four , or more as desired ; indeed , typical long - haul aircraft flying today include coach - class cabins admitting any of these sets . hydrolock 134 , also shown in fig6 a - b , may be used in conjunction with rollers 118 and 122 and tracks 126 and 130 to control rotational and translational movement of backrest 14 and bottom 18 and lock seat 10 in a desired position . hydrolock 134 advantageously may be activated when the passenger depresses a button on seat 10 , although other actuation mechanisms may be utilized . tray table mechanism 50 appears in fig7 a - d . fig7 a - b show tray table 54 in its undeployed condition , latched to the rear of backrest 14 and folded along axis fa . also illustrated in fig7 a - d is a slot - containing member 138 connected to and extending behind backrest 14 . although preferably two members 138 , one on each side of backrest 14 , are present , only one such member is shown . engaging slots 140 in members 138 are rods or pins 142 ( fig8 ), which maintain table 54 in the undeployed condition . pins 142 , which may be retracted within table 54 , extend outward from the sides of the table 54 . by connecting pins 142 with knob 146 in a suitable manner , mechanism 50 permits a passenger p to deploy tray table 54 merely by rotating knob 146 , which retracts pins 142 from slots 140 thereby freeing the table 54 from the members 138 . because of the rotational and linear moveability of seat 10 , it may be desirable for tray table 54 not to move identically . elongated slots 140 thus permit backrest 14 to move substantially before mandating any corresponding movement of table 54 . with backrest 14 in the upright position , as disclosed in fig7 a , pins 142 may be positioned at a first end 150 of slots 140 . as backrest 14 reclines ( fig7 b ), members 138 move relative to pins 142 so that pins 142 ultimately approach second end 154 of slots 140 . readily apparent to skilled artisans that this approach avoids any need for an elongated , or “ vertical ” slot in the tray table 54 , contrary to the teaching of the hadden , jr . patent . fig7 c - d depict tray table 54 when deployed for use . in this condition , pins 142 have been retracted into the table 54 and the table 54 consequently released from members 138 . because table 54 may pivot about an axis ta where it connects to pivoting arms 58 , the table 54 may be rotated by a passenger p to the position of fig7 c - d . table 54 additionally may be unfolded by rotating proximal part 158 about axis fa , so that the usable surface 162 of table 54 comprises both proximal part 158 and distal part 166 . by making table 54 foldable , it may be stowed in a restricted amount of space ( as may be present in the rear of backrest 14 if , for example , a monitor is also located in the rear ) yet expandable to provide an adequate surface for use . unlike many existing tray table mechanisms , mechanism 50 places axis ta an appreciable distance d 5 from distal edge 170 of table 54 . greater balance and stability of table 54 results from this placement , particularly when weight or force is applied at or near the proximal edge 174 of table 54 . furthermore , if slots are included in the sides of table 54 ( or in the arms 58 ) so that table 54 may slide relative to arms 58 , it may be moved toward a passenger for use and away from the passenger for stowage . fig9 a - b and 10 a - d show an alternative tray table mechanism 50 ′. comprising table 54 ′ and arms 58 ′, mechanism 50 ′ differs from mechanism 50 at least because it also comprises frame 178 present behind backrest 14 . frame 178 typically is attached to any of backrest 14 , bottom 18 , or frame 22 at the same location as arms 58 ′ are attached . if frame 178 and backrest 14 include a complementary pin and slot - containing member , relative movement between the two may occur when backrest 14 is moved . by having table 54 ′ latch to frame 178 rather than directly to backrest 14 , suitable stowage of table 54 ′ may occur again without requiring any elongated “ vertical ” slot in the table 54 ′. the foregoing is provided for purposes of illustrating , describing , and explaining embodiments of the present invention . further modifications and adaptations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . additionally , incorporated herein in their entireties by this reference are the contents of the hadden , jr . patent and bentley application .	1
a passive communication port automatically closes a door to protect a device connector from contaminants , such as dirt , dust , and moisture . the device connector is partially surrounded by a housing and accessible via an opening . a face plate covers a front part of the housing and includes window to allow access to the device connector via the opening . the door is located on the housing over the window and the opening . the door will remain closed until a force strong enough to overcome a bias pushing the door closed is overcome . when the door is open , the device connector is accessible through the window and the opening . the figures refer to exemplary embodiments wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts . fig1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary communication port 10 having a housing 12 with integrally formed clips 14 for connecting the port to another structure . the housing 12 may be formed from a non - conductive material , such as plastic . on a front side of the housing 12 is an access port that includes a self - closing door 16 that cooperates with a window in a face plate 18 . the access port is configured to receive an electronic device ( not shown ) having a connection interface such as a usb interface , a parallel port interface , or a fire wire . within the communication port 10 , the consumer connection interface mates with a device connector 20 , which in one embodiment , is installed through a back side of housing 12 . the device connector 20 is supported within the communication port 10 by a retention mechanism 22 . the retention mechanism 22 may include any mechanism for retaining the device connector 20 within the communication port 10 , including , but not limited to , the application of side locks , a loose pick lock , or as shown in fig1 , a molded tray in which device connector 20 is rotated into the tray to provide additional push - out resistance when the consumer interface is mated with the device connector 20 . fig2 illustrates an exploded view of the exemplary communication port 10 of fig1 . the face plate 18 includes a recessed portion 24 presenting a ledge 26 to support the door 16 when closed . furthermore , the door 16 may include a lip 28 that extends toward the front of the housing 12 to allow an upward force to be applied to open the door 16 . the lip 28 may also limit movement of the door 16 relative to the face plate 18 . both the door 16 and the face plate 18 are placed in slots 30 in the housing 12 . when in the slots 30 , the window of the face plate 18 is generally aligned with an opening defined by the housing 12 . the face plate 18 may be locked in place with friction or a locking device ( not shown ) to prevent it from sliding in the slot . on the other hand , the door 16 is able to slide in the slot to cover the window and the opening . moreover , the door 16 is biased to cover the window and the opening to prevent contaminants like dirt , dust and moisture from entering into the communication port 10 . in one embodiment , a biasing device 32 , such as a spring , a stretchable band , a block of foam , or any other device that may be stretched or compressed , is disposed on the door 16 and the housing 12 . the biasing device 32 pushes against the housing 12 so that the door 16 covers the opening and window . as illustrated , the biasing device 32 may push against a boss 34 that may be generally v - shaped and integrally formed with the housing 12 . fig3 and 4 illustrate an embodiment of the biasing device 32 disposed on the door 16 . as shown in fig3 , the door 16 may include a pair of posts 36 that support the biasing device 32 and give the biasing device 32 something to push against . fig4 illustrates the door 16 being open and the biasing device 32 pushing against the boss 34 . even when the door 16 is closed , the biasing device 32 may continue to exert a force on the door 16 to , for instance , prevent rattling . however , exerting an upward force on the lip 28 pushes against the biasing device 32 and opens the door 16 . note that the clips 14 , device connector 20 , and retention mechanism 22 are not illustrated in fig4 so that the biasing device 32 may be viewed more clearly . fig5 and 6 illustrate the communication port 10 mounted to a structure 38 and an electronic device 40 is shown opening the door 16 . referring to fig5 , in operation , the electronic device 40 may be inserted into the recessed portion 24 of the face plate 18 and may exert a force on the lip 28 of the door 16 against the biasing device 32 to open the door 16 . referring to fig6 , with the door 16 open , the electronic device 40 may be plugged into the device connector 20 , which prevents the door 16 from closing even though the biasing device 32 continues to push on the door 16 and the boss 34 . furthermore , fig5 - 7 illustrate how the communication port 10 may be mounted to the structure 38 . in fig5 and 6 , the structure 38 presents a surface having inwardly extending walls 42 defining spaces . the clips 14 on the housing 12 extend into the spaces to limit movement of the communication port 10 . alternatively , fig7 is a rear view of the communication port 10 mounted to the structure 38 via a locking mechanism 44 . in this embodiment , the structure 38 presents the surface having inwardly extending walls 42 defining a gap . the locking mechanism 44 includes a lock 46 disposed on the side of the housing 12 , that extends into the gap . as the lock 46 rests in the gap , movement of the communication port 10 is limited . it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive . many alternative approaches or applications other than the examples provided would be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading the above description . the scope of the invention should be determined , not with reference to the above description , but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims , along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled . it is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the arts discussed herein , and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future examples . in sum , it should be understood that the invention is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following claims . the present embodiments have been particularly shown and described , which are merely illustrative of the best modes . it should be understood by those skilled in the art that various alternatives to the embodiments described herein may be employed in practicing the claims without departing from the spirit and scope as defined in the following claims . it is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that the method and apparatus within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby . this description should be understood to include all novel and non - obvious combinations of elements described herein , and claims may be presented in this or a later application to any novel and non - obvious combination of these elements . moreover , the foregoing embodiments are illustrative , and no single feature or element is essential to all possible combinations that may be claimed in this or a later application . all terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those skilled in the art unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein . in particular , use of the singular articles such as “ a ,” “ the ,” “ said ,” etc . should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary .	7
now referring to fig1 a laser punch press 1 comprises a punch press 3 for performing a punching operation on a plate - shaped workpiece w and a laser process system 5 for performing a laser process . in this embodiment , as the punch press 3 , a turret punch press is given as an example , but the present invention is not limited to the use of a turret punch press . any normally - used type of punch press is acceptable . the structure of a turret punch press is commonly known . however , a brief outline of the type of punch press will be given here . specifically , a turret punch press is provided with a c - shaped or a square - arch - shaped frame 7 . a disc - shaped upper die holder ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; upper turret &# 34 ;) 11 in which a plurality of upper dies 9 are exchangeably supported is supported in a freely rotatable manner on the frame 7 , and a lower die holder ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; lower turret &# 34 ;- not shown in fig1 ) in which a plurality of lower dies are exchangeably supported is provided on the frame 7 in vertical opposition to the upper die holder 11 . at a positon above the upper die holder 11 , a striker ( not shown ), which strikes the upper die 9 positionally indexed at a process station by the rotation of the upper die holder 11 , is provided in a manner allowing free vertical movement . a fixed table 13 , on which the workpiece w is horizontally supported , and a movable table 15 are provided on the turret punch press . the movable table 15 is integrally mounted on both sides of a carriage base 17 which extends in the x - axis direction ( the lateral direction in fig1 ), which can move in the y - axis direction together with the carriage base 17 . a carriage 19 is supported on the carriage base 17 in a manner allowing free movement in the x - axis direction . a workpiece clamp 21 which can clamp the workpiece w is mounted on the carriage 19 . because the turret punch press of the type described above is commonly known , a more detailed description and an explanation of the operation of this turret punch press will be omitted . the laser process system 5 comprises a laser generator 23 provided in a position separately from the process station of the punch press 3 , and a laser process head unit 25 installed in a mountable / dismountable manner in a tool mounting hole in the upper die holder 11 of the punch press 3 . a beam path adjustment device 27 which conducts a generated laser beam lb from the laser generator 23 to the laser process head unit 25 is provided on the laser generator 23 side . in addition , there is provided a connection device 29 which can connect the laser generator 23 with the laser process head unit 25 . the connection device 29 comprises a first interface unit 31 which is connected to the laser process head unit 25 , and a second interface unit 33 which can be connected to the first interface unit 31 . the second interface unit 33 is provided on the laser generator 23 side . more specifically , the beam path adjustment device 27 is positioned in a housing 35 provided on and connected to the output side of the laser generator 23 . the second interface unit 33 is built into a housing extension section 37 , which extends fron the housing 35 toward the upper die holder 11 of the punch press 3 . also , the first interface unit 31 is mounted on the die holder 11 in such a manner that when the laser process head unit 25 is positionally indexed at the process station , the first interface unit 31 opposes the second interface unit 33 . in the laser process system 5 as described above , after the laser process head unit 25 is positionally indexed at the process station on the punch press 3 , the laser beam lb fron the laser generator 23 can be supplied to the laser process head unit 25 by connecting the first and second interface units 31 , 33 together . at the same time , a gas flow channel for an assist gas or the like , and the electric wiring are connected , so that the laser process head unit is set in the condition that laser processing can be performed . a plurality of bend mirrors are provided in the beam path adjustment device 27 to suitably bend the laser beam lb to conduct the laser beam lb from the laser generator 23 directly to the laser process head unit 25 . the beam path adjustment device 27 has the configuration shown in fig2 and fig3 . specifically , the beam path adjustment device 27 is provided with a base plate 39 fixed to the housing 35 . a first bend mirror 41 , which receives the horizontally incident laser beam lb generated by the laser generator 23 and reflects the laser beam lb in the v - axis direction corresponding to the y - axis direction , is provided on the base plate 39 . the first bend mirror 41 is slantingly mounted on a rotary table 43 which can be rotatably adjusted with respect to the v - axis . accordingly , even when there is some deviation in the angle of incidence of the laser beam lb in the horizontal direction relative to the first bend mirror 41 , the laser beam lb can be accurately reflected in the v - axis direction by rotary adjustement of the rotary table 43 . a plurality of guide posts 45 which extend in the v - axis direction are provided on the base plate 39 . a v - axis table 47 is supported in a positionally - adjustable manner on the guide posts 45 through a plurality of slide bushings . a second bend mirror 49 is mounted on the v - axis table 47 to receive the laser beam lb reflected in the v - axis direction at the first bend mirror 41 and reflect the laser beam lb in the u - axis direction corresponding to the v - axis direction . in addition , a third bend mirror 51 is mounted on the v - axis table 47 to horizontally reflect the laser beam lb from the second bend mirror 49 toward the laser process head unit 25 mounted on the punch press 3 . a stopper plate 53 is adjustably secured by a securing bolt 55 between some of guide posts 45 in order to adjust a displacement in the v - axis direction of the laser beam lb to be directed to the laser process head unit 25 . a coil spring 59 is elastically inserted between a motor bracket 57 installed on the v - axis table 47 and the stopper plate 53 . a v - axis adjusting motor 61 for adjusting a position of the v - axis table 47 is mounted on the motor bracket 57 . the v - axis adjusting motor 61 is constructed so that a plunger 63 , such as a threaded rod , advances or retreats in accordance with the forward or reverse rotation of the motor 61 , and the tip of the plunger 63 is abutting on the stopper plate 53 . according to the above configuration , a large positional adjustment of the v - axis table 47 in the v - axis direction can be performed by moving the stopper plate 53 and the v - axis table 47 along the guide posts 45 under the condition that the securing bolt 55 is loosened . also , under the condition that the stopper plate 53 is secured on the guide post 45 , the v - axis table 47 can be finely adjusted in the v - axis direction by suitably controlling and rotating the v - axis adjusting motor 61 with the control of a control device such as , for example , a computer or a numerical control device . specifically , according to the above configuration , the position of the laser beam lb directed toward the laser process head unit 25 from the third bend mirror 51 can be adjusted in the v - axis direction . the third bend mirror 51 is mounted on the u - axis table 65 in order to adjust the position of the laser beam lb which is directed toward the laser process head unit 25 from the third bend mirror 51 . the u - axis table 65 is movable along u - axis guides 67 provided on the v - axis table 47 . a coil spring 69 is elastically inserted between the u - axis table 65 and the v - axis table 47 . the tip of an advancing or retreating plunger 73 of a u - axis adjusting motor 71 mounted on the v - axis table 47 is abutting on a part of th u - axis table 65 . in the above configuration , by driving the u - axis adjusting motor 71 such that the plunger 73 advances or retreats in a suitable manner , the position of the u - axis table 65 can be adjusted , so that the position of the laser beam lb directed toward the laser process head unit 25 from the third bend mirror 51 can be adjusted in the u - axis direction . further , in order to accurately adjust the direction of the laser beam lb reflected toward the laser process head unit 25 from the third bend mirror 51 , the third bend mirror 51 is constructed so as to allow free swinging adjustment in two axes directions . more specifically , a shown in fig4 the third bend mirror 51 is installed on a mirror holder 77 which is pivotably disposed within a mirror casing 75 mounted on the u - axis table 65 . the mirror holder 77 is pivoted in the mirror casing 75 on a pivot point 79 through a ball joint or the like . at two points 81a , 81b at some distance from , and forming a right angle about the pivot point 79 , tip portions of plungers which are protrusively or retractively provided on a u - axis directional adjusting motor 83 and a v - axis directional adjusting motor 85 , respectively , as shown in fig3 are abutted on the mirror holder 77 . although a more detailed drawing has been omitted , the mirror holder 77 is usually biased , by means of , for example , a spring or the like , so that it always abuts on the plunger of the adjusting motors 83 , 85 . according to the above configuration , the mirror holder 77 can be suitably caused to swing in two directions by suitable rotational control of the u - axis directional adjusting motor 83 and the v - axis directional adjusting motor 85 using a control device , so that the direction of the laser beam lb directed from the third bend mirror 51 toward the laser process head unit 25 can be precisely adjusted . next , a detailed explanation will be given of the laser processing head unit 25 which receives the laser beam lb reflected from the third bend mirror 51 mounted on the beam path adjustment device 27 . as shown in detail in fig5 to fig7 the laser processing head unit 25 is removably mounted in a tool mounting hole 87 formed in the upper die holder 11 ( upper turret ) of the punch press 3 . more specifically , the laser processing head unit 25 basically comprises a cylindrical outer guide 89 removably installed in the tool mounting hole 87 , and a cylindrical inner guide 97 which supports a nozzle 91 for emitting an assist gas to the processing position of the workpiece w , a condensing lens 93 for condensing the laser beam lb and a bend mirror 95 for reflecting the incoming laser beam lb from the beam path adjustment device 27 at right angles toward the condensing lens 93 , or the like . the inner guide 97 is built into the outer guide 89 in a manner allowing free vertical movement . a vibration - preventing support device which supports the inner guide 97 in a state shielded from vibrations transmitted from the outer guide 89 is provided between the inner guide 97 and the outer guide 89 . the vibration - preventing support device comprises an elastic member 99 such as , for example , an air damper or a coil spring , which supports the inner guide 97 in a floating state , and a freely expansible / contractible air damper 101 positioned between the inner peripheral surface of the outer guide 89 and the outer peripheral surface of the inner guide 97 . more specifically , the outer guide 89 is co - axially disposed within the tool mounting hole 87 , and is secured by a plurality of bolts 103 . a tapered section 89t is formed on the lower portion of the inner peripheral surface of the outer guide 89 . a plurality of steel balls 105 are held through a retainer ( not shown ) in a peripheral groove 89g formed in the tapered section 89t in such a manner that the balls 105 can move slightly in the radial direction . the steel balls 105 are provided in order to assist the rotation of the inner guide 97 with respect to the outer guide 89 to proceed smoothly , when a tapered selection 97t formed at the lower tip of the inner guide 97 has engaged with the tapered section 89t and then the inner guide 97 is slightly rotated with respect to the outer guide 89 to precisely adjust the direction therebetween . the steel balls 105 can be eliminated under certain conditions . as outlined above when the tapered section 97t of the inner guide 97 engages with the tapered section 89t of the outer guide 89 , the outer guide 89 is co - axially disposed within the inner guide 97 , so that the axes of the nozzle 91 and the condensing lens 93 are stable in a specified position . as a result , the laser process becomes possible . accordingly , a plurality of downward - operating cylinders 107 are provided on the upper portion of the outer guide 89 in order to push down the inner guide 97 in opposition to the biasing force of the elastic member 99 which supports the inner guide 97 in a floating condition . the downward - operating cylinders 107 are provided in a plurality of positions on a ring member 111 fastened to the upper surface of the outer guide 89 with a plurality of bolts 109 . the lower section of a piston pin 113 provided in a manner allowing free vertical movement is formed into a tapered section 113t . further , a dog 113d is provided on the upper end of the piston pin 113 which projects upward from the downward - operating cylinders 107 . a pair of sensors 115u , 115l which detect the ascent or descent of the dog 113d are provided on each downward - operating cylinder 107 . on the other hand , an upper plate 117 is mounted on the upper portion of the inner guide 97 . on the upper plate 117 , there is provided a bushing 119 in which a tapered hole which is engageable with the tapered section 113t of the piston pin 113 is provided . in this configuration , in the state in which the air has been discharged from air damper 101 and the inner guide 97 can more vertically , when operating fluid is supplied to the downward - operating cylinder 107 such that the piston pin 113 descends , first , the tapered section 113t of the piston pin 113 engages with the tapered hole of the bushing 119 to restrain the rotation of the inner guide 97 and position it in the circumferential direction . after this , when the piston pin 113 descends further , the inner guide 97 descends in opposition to biasing force of the elastic number 99 , so that the tapered section 97t of the inner guide 97 engages with the tapered section 89t of the outer guide 89 . accordingly , as previously outlined , the center axis of the outer guide 89 conforms to the center axis of the inner guide 97 , so that the laser process is enabled . then , the low sensor 115l confirms whether the inner guide 97 is positioned or not by the detection of the dog 113d . conversely , when the piston pin 113 of the downward - operating cylinder 107 ascents , the downward pressure of the inner guide 97 is released , so that the inner guide 97 is lifted by the biasing force of the elastic member 99 and then is supported in a floating condition . accordingly , in this condition , when air is supplied to the air damper 101 such that it expands , the inner guide 97 is supported in a state where transmission of vibration from the outer guide 89 is shielded . then , the fact that the inner guide 97 is supported in a floating condition is confirmed by detecting the dog 113d with the upper sensor 115u . when the inner guide 97 is supported in a floating state as described above , in order to guarantee the pressure of the air damper 101 , an accumulator 121 ( see fig1 ) connected to the air damper 101 is provided at a suitable position of the laser process head unit 25 . in this embodiment , the accumulator 121 is provided on the die holder 11 . accordingly , even in the case where a small amount of air leaks from one part of the air piping , the pressure of the air damper 101 is guaranteed and the inner guide 97 is reliably supported . as described , when the laser process is carried out in the state where the tapered section 97t of the inner guide 97 engages with the tapered section 89t of the outer guide 89 , it is necessary that the space between the workpiece w and the lower tip of the nozzle 91 , and the focal point position of the condensing lens 93 , are adjusted as required in accordance with the thickness of the workpiece w and the like . therefore , in this embodiment of the present invention , a vertical slide 125 which supports the nozzle 91 and the condensing lens 93 is provided in a manner allowing free vertical movement inside the inner guide 97 . more specifically , a plurality of vertical guide columns 123 are provided inside the inner guide 97 , and the vertical slide 125 is elevated and lowered while being guided on the guide support columns 123 . the nozzle 91 is mounted on the lower section of the vertical slide 125 . in order to adjust the vertical position of the vertical slide 125 , a freely rotatable ball screw 127 ( see fig7 ) is provided in parallel with the guide column 123 . a ball nut 129 provided on the vertical slide 125 engages with the ball screw 127 . a servo motor 131 for raising and lowering the nozzle mounted on the upper plate 117 is linkingly coupled to the ball screw 127 . a pulse encoder for detecting rotation is provided on the servo motor 131 , which can detect the vertical position of the nozzle 91 by detecting the rotation of the ball screw 127 . accordingly , because the vertical slide 125 is moved vertically as a result of suitable rotation of the ball screw 127 by the servo motor 131 , the vertical position of the nozzle 91 can be adjusted . in addition , a distance sensor which can detect the space between the workpiece w and the nozzle 91 is provided on the lower end of the nozzle 91 , so that the space between the nozzle 91 and the workpiece w can be properly controlled . in order to control the vertical position of the focal point of the condensing lens 93 , a rotary gear 133 with a female threaded section formed in its inner peripheral surface is supported in a freely rotatable manner on the side of the top section of the vertical slide 125 . inside the rotary gear 133 , a cylindrical focal point adjustment holder 137 which regulates rotation by means of a guide pin 135 erected on the upper section of the vertical slide 125 is screwed in a freely vertical - position - adjustable manner . the condensing lens 93 is maintained on the focal point adjustment holder 137 through a lens holder 139 . a small diameter gear 141 which engages with the rotary gear 133 is provided in a freely rotatable manner on the vertical slide 125 in order to rotate the rotary gear 133 . specifically , the small diameter gear 141 is fitted onto a spline shaft 143 by a spline linkage in a manner allowing free vertical movement . the spline shaft 143 is perpendicularly supported on the inner guide 97 in a freely rotatable manner . the upper end of the spline shaft 143 is linkingly coupled to an ultrasonic motor 145 mounted on the upper plate 117 . accordingly , when the spline shaft 143 is rotated by the ultrasonic motor 145 , the rotary gear 133 is rotated via the small diameter gear 141 , so that the vertical position of the focal point adjustment holder 137 , which engages with the rotary gear 133 , is adjusted . the focal point position of the condensing lens 93 which is hold in the focal point adjustment holder 137 can therefore be adjusted vertically . the bend mirror 95 which reflects the laser beam lb vertically downward toward the condensing lens 93 is supported in a mirror holder 146 which is provided with a water jacket for cooling water . the mirror holder 146 is inclinedly mounted on a tubular holder support which is mounted on the upper plate 117 above the condensing lens 93 . the bend mirror 95 is installed in a high position where it is possible to accurately reflect the laser beam lb incident from the beam path adjustment device 27 when the inner guide 97 is descending . in the laser process head unit 25 having the above configuration , the alignment of the bend mirror 95 and the condensing lens 93 which are proivded as the optical system is important . therefore , in this embodiment of the present invention , this configuration allows the condensing lens 93 to be centered before mounting the lens 93 to the focal point adjustment holder 137 . more specifically , as shown in fig8 the lens holder 139 in which the condensing lens 93 is held comprises a tubular outer holder 149 with a threaded section , which is screwed into the inside of the focal point adjustment holder 137 , formed on the outer peripheral surface , and a tubular inner holder 151 which is positioned inside the outer holder 149 and holds the condensing lens 93 therein . the condensing lens 93 is secured to the inner holder 151 by means of a cylindrical nut 155 which is screwed into the inside of the inner holder 151 and a cylindrical lens supporting member 153 . the inner holder 151 is biased in the upward direction by a web spring 159 which is elastically inserted between a ring - shaped spring holder 157 mounted on the bottom of the outer holder 149 and the bottom of the inner holder 151 . a plurality of steel balls 161 held inside a ring - shaped groove 151g formed in the upper surface of the inner holder 151 contact a tapered section 149t formed in the lower surface of a flange section 149f of the outer holder 149 , thereby enabling to center the inner holder 151 . a plurality of adjusting set screws 163 , which can apply a pressure to the top of the inner holder 151 in order to adjust the inner holder 151 in the radial direction , are spirally mounted in a plurality of locations ( three or more ) on the [ outer ] peripheral surface of the top section of the outer holder 149 in order to accurately center the inner holder 141 with respect to the outer holder 149 . further , a metal bellows 165 is elastically inserted between the inner holder 151 and the outer holder 149 in order to freely transmit heat from a seal and the inner holder 151 to the outer holder 149 . an o - ring 167 , which seals a gap between the focal point adjustment holder 137 and the lens holder 139 to be mounted on the holder 137 , is mounted on the upper section of the outer holder 149 . as a result of this configuration , it is possible by suitable adjustment of the set springs 163 to smoothly adjust the positional deviation of the inner holder 151 with respect to the outer holder 149 so as to adjust the center of the inner holder 151 or the center of the condensing lens 93 to the center of the outer holder 149 . specifically , this means that the center adjustment action can be performed in advance . in addition , when an assist gas is supplied from a port 125p ( see fig6 ) formed in the vertical slide 125 into the nozzle 91 while the laser process is being performed in the state where the lens holder 139 is mounted in the focal point adjustment holder 137 , the inner pressure applied to the condensing lens 93 and the like is received by the steel balls 161 , so that the inner holder 151 does not move in the axial direction . when the laser process head unit 25 mounted on the upper die holder ( upper turret ) 11 of the punch press 3 is positionally indexed at the process station and the laser process is carried out , it is necessary that the first and second interface units 31 , 33 on the connection device 29 be connected . accordingly , a detailed explanation will now be given of the first and second interface units 31 , 33 . first , the configuration of the second interface unit 33 will be explained . now referring to fig9 and fig1 , a ring - shaped support plate 169 is provided integrally with the housing 35 in the housing extension section 37 of the housing 35 in which the beam path adjustment device 27 ( not shown in fig9 and fig1 ) is built . a plurality of guide bars 171 which extend in the open direction of the housing extension section 37 are supported horizontally on the support plate 169 , and an advancing / retracting member 173 is supported on the guide bar 171 so as to allow full forward and reverse movement . a plurality of columns 175 which extend in the direction of the open section of the housing extension section 37 are mounted horizontally on the advancing / retreating member 173 . a connection plate 179 is perpendicularly supported via a plurality of elastic members 177 such as , for example , rubber members , on the end section of the columns 175 . further a protection tube 181 , through which the laser beam lb passes , is supported at the center of the advancing / retracting member 173 . a guide port 183 which is connected to the protection tube 181 is provided at the center of the connection plate 179 . a plurality of guide pins 185 which protrude horizontally are provided in several locations on the connection plate 179 . in addition , an electrical connector 187 ( wiring therein is omitted from the drawings ) for establishing the electrical connection of various electrical products , such as motors , sensors , and the like which are mounted on the laser process head unit 25 , as well as a pair of gas connectors 189a , 189b for connecting distribution lines ( not shown ) for assist gas , air , and the like , are provided on the connecting plate 179 , as shown in fig1 . further , water line connectors 191 , connected to distribution lines for cooling water and the like , are provided on the connection plate 179 . a ball nut 193 is provided in a suitable position on the advancing / retreating member 173 to activate the forward and reverse movement of the advancing / retreating member 173 along the guide bars 171 . the ball nut 193 is screwed into a ball screw 195 which is supported in a freely rotatable manner on the support plate 169 . the ball screw 195 is linkingly coupled to a servo motor 197 which is supported on the support plate 169 . accordingly , it is possible to move the connection plate to approach and retreat from the first interface unit via the advancing / retreating member 173 in accordance with the rotary movement of the servo motor 197 . a dust cover 199 which can be freely opened and closed is provided at the open section of the housing extension section 37 in order to dustproof the inside of the housing extension section 37 . specifically , a cover guide 201 is provided in the vertical direction on the end section of the housing extension section 37 . the dust cover 199 is supported on the cover guide 201 in a manner allowing free movement in the vertical direction . an air cylinder 203 mounted on the housing extension section 37 in a manner allowing free movememnt in the vertical direction is coupled to the dust cover 199 . on the dust cover 199 , there is provided a linkage arm 205 which is to be linked to a corresponding dust cover provided on the first interface side so as to ascend and descend it in such a manner that the dust cover 199 protrudes toward the first interface unit 31 side . according to the above configuration , by moving the dust cover 199 vertically by the suitable action of the air cylinder 203 , it is possible to open and close the open section of the housing extension section 37 . the first interface unit 31 , as already explained with reference to fig1 is mounted on the die holder 11 on the punch press 3 . when the laser process head unit 25 is positionally indexed at the process station , the first interface unit 31 can be coupled to the opposed second interface unit 33 . a tube for protecting the laser beam is provided between the first interface unit 31 and the laser process head unit 25 . further , wiring ( omitted from the drawings ) connecting various types of electric products such as motors , sensors , and the like which are mounted on the laser process head unit 25 , as well as various types of tubing and conduit ( also omitted from the drawings ) for assist gas , air , and cooling water , are provided between the first interface unit 31 and the laser process head unit 25 . a guide port 211 to be connected to the guide port 183 on the second interface unit is provided on a connecting block 209 wherein the first interface unit 31 opposes the second interface unit 33 . further , engaging orifices 213 into which each of the guide pins 185 is freely engageable and disengageable are also formed on the connecting block 209 . in addition , on the connection block 209 , various types of connectors ( omitted from the drawings ) which are to be connected respectively with the electrical connector 187 , the gas connectors 189a , 189b , and the water line connector 191 of the second interface unit 33 . in addition , a cover guide 215 is provided on the connection block 209 . a dust cover 217 is freely guided vertically on the cover guide 215 . an engaging section 219 , which engages with the linkage arm 205 provided on the dust cover 199 on the second interface unit 33 side , is formed on the dust cover 217 . as a result of the configuration described above , the air cylinder 203 is activated to elevate the one dust cover 199 and under the state that the first and second interface units 31 , 33 are in mutual opposition , the engaging section 219 of the other dust cover is pressed upward by means of the linkage arm 205 provided on the dust cover 199 , so that both dust covers 119 , 217 are elevated simultaneously . as described above , in the condition where both dust covers 199 , 217 are elevated , the advancing / retracting member 173 and the connection plate 179 of the second interface unit 33 are advanced toward the first interface unit 31 side , the connection plate 179 of the second interface unit 33 is connected with the connection block 209 of the first interface unit 31 , so that the various types of connectors are connected . accordingly , the laser beam lb can be supplied from the laser generator 23 to the laser process head unit 25 , the motors 131 , 145 provided on the laser process head unit 25 can be controlled , and the assist gas can be sprayed from the nozzle 91 . namely , the laser processing becomes possible by connecting the first interface unit 31 and the second interface unit 33 . as explained , before connecting the first and second interface units 31 , 33 to start the laser process , it is important to detect whether or not the center of the laser beam lb is in alignment with , for example , the central axis of the tool mounting hole 87 in which the laser process head unit 25 is mounted . accordingly , in this embodiment of the present invention , a beam detection device 221 as shown in fig1 is provided which can detect the center of the laser beam lb and can detect the position of the focal point of the condensing lens 93 mounted on the laser process head unit 25 . more specifically , the beam detection device 221 is used by being mounted in a tool mounting hole 225 formed in a lower die holder 223 . the beam detection device 221 is normally removed from the tool mounting hole 225 and only used when detecting the laser beam lb . now referring to fig1 , a circular casing 227 on the beam detection device 221 is fitted within the tool mounting hole 225 of the lower tool holder 223 in a freely mountable / dismountable manner such that the central axis of the circular casing 227 is substantially aligned with the center axis of the tool mounting hole 225 . in the casing 227 , a u - table 229 is provided in a freely position - adjustable manner in the u - axis direction corresponding to the x - axis . on the u - table 229 , a v - table 231 is supported in a freely position - adjustable manner in the v - axis direction corresponding to the y - axis . further , on the v - table 231 , a z - table 233 is supported in a manner allowing free vertical movement along a guide pin 232 erected on the v - table 231 . on the z - table 233 , an aperture plate 235 , provided with a small aperture 235h in its center section through which the laser beam lb freely passes , is mounted . a cooling water tube 237 is also mounted on the z - table 233 . in addition , on the z - table 233 , a conduit 241 such as a light guide is provided in order to lead the laser beam lb which passes through the small aperture 235h in the aperture plate 235 to an integrating sphere 239 . the integrating sphere 239 is cooled with a cooling water tube 243 . a power sensor 245 which detects the output of the laser beam lb is provided at a suitable position on the integrating sphere 239 . a vertical movement adjustment motor 247 is mounted on the v - table 231 in order to move the z - table 233 vertically . the tip of a plunger 247p which is moved vertically by the rotation of the motor 247 abuts on the z - table 233 . in the foregoing configuration , when the laser beam lb is to be detected , the condensing lens 93 ( fig6 - 8 ) on the laser process head unit 25 is removed and the laser beam lb from the laser generator 23 becomes a small diameter guide beam . as a method of obtaining the small diameter guide beam , it is possible to use a configuration in which , as shown in fig1 ( a ), a pinhole aperture 253 provided with a pinhole of suitable diameter is inserted between an output mirror 249 on the laser generator 23 and a rear mirror 251 , or , as shown in fig1 ( b ), a configuration in which the pinhole aperture 253 is positioned outside of the output mirror 249 . as the pinhole aperture 253 , it is desirable to use a configuration in which , as shown in fig1 ( c ), a pinhole 253p and a large diameter aperture 253h are provided at right angles to one another in a cylindrical portion , and by a 90 ° rotation of the cylindrical portion , the use for the normal laser beam generator can be exchanged to the use for the small diameter guide beam . the cylinder ( 253 ) as shown in fig1 ( a ), 13 ( b ), and 13 ( c ) is provided in the laser generator ( 23 ) to obtain the small diameter guide beam for detecting the center of the laser beam by means of the beam detection device . the small diameter guide beam thus obtained by means of the foregoing configuration is conducted from the laser process head unit 25 to the beam detection device 221 . then , the u - table 229 and the v - table 231 are suitably moved so as to align the guide beam with the small aperture 235h in the aperture plate 235 . in this case , the position at which the value detected by the power sensor 245 becomes a maximum is the position where the center of the guide beam and the center of the small diameter aperture 235h are accurately aligned . accordingly , by detecting the position of the u - table 229 and the v - table 231 at this time , using a position detector , it is possible to detect the amount of deviation of the center of the laser beam lb with respect to the center of the tool mounting hole 87 . after the center of the laser beam lb is detected in this manner , the condensing lens 93 is mounted on the laser process head unit 25 . then , the vertical adjustment motor 247 is rotated so as to control the movement of the z - table 233 in the vertical direction , so that the position at which the output of the power sensor 245 becomes a maximum can be detected . when the position of the focal point of the condensing lens 93 and the small aperture 235h of the aperture plate 235 coincide with each other , the output of the power sensor 245 becomes a maximum . therefore , by detecting the height of the position of the aperture plate 235 when the output of the power sensor becomes the maximum , it is possible to detect the position of the focal point of the condensing lens 93 . after the position of the center of the laser beam lb and the position of the focal point of the condensing lens 93 have been detected , as outlined above , the beam detection device 221 is removed from the tool mounting hole 225 , and , as shown in fig6 and fig7 the workpiece support ring 255 is mounted in place of the beam detection device 221 , whereby the laser process becomes possible . in addition , when the laser process is being carried out , the laser beam passes through the large diameter aperture 253h of the pinhole aperture 253 on the laser generator 23 . fig1 to 16 show the configuration of another embodiment of the beam detection device 257 . this beam detection device 257 is provided with a ring - shaped casing 259 which is to be fitted in the tool mounting hole 225 of the lower die holder 223 in a freely mountable / dismountable manner . a rotary holder 261 is supported in a freely rotatable manner in the casing 259 . a cylindrical detector housing 263 is installed below the rotary holder 261 . a beam splitting device 267 such as a cube mirror which splits the laser beam lb into a plurality of beams ( two beams in this embodiment ) is provided at the center section of a disc - shaped mirror holder 265 mounted in the detector housing 263 . in the detector housing 263 , concave mirrors 271 are provided which condense the laser beam which has been split by the beam splitter 267 and directs then to integrating spheres 269 provided on the bottom of the detector housing 263 . each of the integrating spheres 269 is usually water cooled , and each is provided with a power sensor 273 . each of the power sensors 273 is connected to a comparator 275 in which the detected values are compared . accordingly , when the values detected by the power sensors 273 are compared in the comparator 275 , it can be determined whether or not the laser beam has been split into equal beams . when the values detected by the power sensors 273 are not equal , the u - axis adjustment motor 71 on the beam path adjustment device 27 is operated , the beam path of the laser beam lb is displaced in the u - axis direction , so that adjustments are made such that all the values detected by the power sensors 273 are equal . next , the rotary holder 261 is rotated 90 ° and the values detected by the power sensors 273 are compared . in this case , the v - axis adjustment motor 61 on the beam path adjustment device 27 is operated so as to displace the beam path of the laser beam lb in the v - axis direction , so that it is possible to equalize the values detected by the power sensors 273 . specifically , by rotating the rotary holder 261 90 ° and adjusting the beam path of the laser beam lb such that the values measured by the power sensors 273 become equal , the position of the beam path of the laser beam lb in the u and v directions can be accurately adjusted . a first motor 277 is mounted on the casing 259 in order to automatically rotate the rotary holder 261 with respect to the casing 259 . a roller 279 mounted on the output shaft of the motor 277 is pressurizingly abutted to the top surface of the rotary holder 261 . in addition , on the casing 259 , there is provided a pressure roll 281 which prevents the rotary holder 261 from floating . a horizontal pin 283 is provided on the rotary holder 261 in order to accurately rotate the rotary holder 261 by 90 °. further , at the two places on the casing 259 there are provided a pair of erected stopper pins 285a , 285b which contact the horizontal pin 283 in order to regulate the rotation of the rotary holder 261 to 90 °. accordingly , the rotary holder 261 can be automatically rotated by operating the first motor 277 and it is possible to position the rotary holder 261 accurately in a position offset by a 90 ° rotation by halting the operation of the first motor 277 when the pin 283 provided on the rotary holder 261 contacts one of the stopper pins 285a , 285b . a shielding member 287 , such as a knife edge which can freely shield one part of the laser beam lb , is provided on the beam detection device 257 in order to detect the position of the focal point of the condensing lens 93 provided on the laser process head unit 25 . more specifically , an eccentric concave section 289 , for which the dgree of eccentricity is almost equivalent to the radius of the laser beam lb , is formed on the top surface of the rotary holder 261 . a holder ring 291 is rotatably fitted within the eccentric concave section 289 . this holder ring 291 is retained in the eccentric concave section 289 by a pressure roller 293 mounted on the rotary holder 261 . in addition , a drive roller 297 , which is installed at the output of a second motor 295 mounted on the rotary holder 261 , is pressurizingly abutted to the top surface of the holder ring 291 . therefore , the holder ring 291 is automatically rotated with respect to the rotary holder 261 by the operation of the second motor 295 . the shielding member 287 is mounted in a position which is slightly eccentric relative to the center of a ring - shaped holder 299 mounted on the holder ring 291 . in the position shown in fig1 and 15 , the shielding member 287 is positioned such that it does not shield the laser beam lb . when the holder ring 291 is rotated 180 °, as shown in fig1 , an edge of the shielding member 287 is positioned close to the central axis of the laser lb , which shields one part of the laser beam lb . in order to regulate the 180 ° rotations of the holder ring 291 , two stopper pins 303 which contact a pin 301 erected on the holder ring 291 are mounted , out of phase by 180 °, on the rotary holder 261 . according to the configuration outlined above , when the shielding member 287 is positioned to shield one part of the laser beam lb , the values detected by the two power sensors 273 vary as shown in fig1 ( a ) to ( d ) due to the positional relationship of the laser beam lb to the shielding member 287 . therefore , by operating , one or both of the motors 131 , 145 on the laser process head unit 25 to adjust the vertical position of the condensing lens 93 , it is possible to match the position of the focal point of the condensing lens 93 with the position of the shielding member 287 , so that the position of the focal point can be detected . for example , in the case shown in fig1 ( a ) and 17 ( b ), the relative height position at which difference between the detected values in the two power sensors becomes zero should be detected . in the cases shown in fig1 ( c ) and 17 ( d ), the relative height position at which the detection in one power sensor is changed to the detection in the other power sensor should be detected . as has previously been explained , with the foregoing configuration the connection between the first and second interface units 31 , 32 on the connection device 29 is maintained in the released state when the punching process is being performed on the workpiece w by the punch press 3 . in the same manner as with a usual turret punch press , the upper and lower turrets are rotated , the desired upper and lower dies are positionally indexed at the process station , and the punching process is carried out . because the shock - like vibration which occurs during the punching process is absorbed by a vibration - proof support mechanism , no ill effects from the vibration are felt by the laser process head unit 25 . also , because the laser generator 23 and the beam path adjustment device 27 are installed at some distance from the punch press , they do not receive any direct vibration , so that any effects from the vibration are minor . after the punching process has been completed and the laser process is to be carried out , the upper and lower turrets are suitably rotated and the laser process head unit 25 is positionally indexed at the process station . thereafter , the first and second interface units 31 , 33 on the connection device 29 are connected together . as shown in fig1 a suction port 309 of a flexible duct 307 connected to a suction device 305 provided in the punch press 3 is connected to a normal scrap disposal opening which communicates with the process station by using an operation of a hydraulic cylinder 311 , and then a suction operation is performed . a suction port member may be mounted at the tool mounting hole of the lower turret of the punch press . the suction port member may be provided with a connection device which is freely mountable and dismountable in the same manner as the first and second interface units , making it possible to connect the suction port member to the suction device . as can be understood from the foregoing embodiments , according to the present invention , since adjustment of the laser beam path can be performed at the side of the laser generator , the adjusting operation becomes easy and the adjustment section is virtually unaffected by the vibration from the punch press . in addition , since the laser process head unit can easily be mounted on an existing punch press and it is supported by a vibration - proof support device , the laser process head unit is also virtually unaffected by vibration during the punching operation . furthermore , according to the present invention , the laser process head unit can easily be connected to the laser generator . moreover , according to the present invention , the position of the central axis of the laser beam and the position of the focal point of the condensing lens can both be easily detected .	1
the compounds of the present invention may be prepared as follows : ## str5 ## where r , r 1 and m are as described hereinabove . the alkylation of malonic acid esters was carried out with potassium carbonate in dimethyl formamide for convenience with the reaction mixture being stirred for one week at room temperature to yield 90 % and above of compound iii . the reduction of the r - substituted malonic acid esters was carried out by subsequent reactions with borane methyl sulfide complex followed by vitride reducing agent ( e . g . sodium - bis -( 2 - methoxy - ethoxy ) aluminum hydride ). combination of these reactants provided yields over 80 % of compound iv or iva . the p - alkyl or alkoxy benzoic acids ( compound vii ) used were either commercially available or prepared according to well known methods . compound viii , 4 - alkyl or alkoxy cyclohexyl carboxylic acid , was prepared by hydrogenation using either sodium metal in isoamyl alcohol ( trans isomer separated from cis by crystallization in pentane ) or , preferably , by catalytic hydrogenation over rhodium . the resulting predominantly cis isomer was transformed to trans with sodium methoxide in pyrrolidine , although other methods may be employed . reduction of the carboxyl groups of compound viii to methanol to yield compound ix was carried out with vitride reducing agent with yields over 95 %. oxidation of compound ix to alkyl or alkoxy cyclohexyl carboxaldehyde was then achieved with dimethyl sulfoxide and n , n &# 39 ;- dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and pyridiniumtrifluoro acetate as the catalyst . a mild , room temperature reaction had yields of 70 % and above of compound x . the dioxane compounds of the present invention are obtained as both trans and cis isomers , typically in a 3 : 1 ratio . the isomers can be readily separated by crystallization from hexanes , pentanes or other well known solvents . the trans configuration is the one which presumably accounts for the nematic characteristics of the subject compounds . the following examples are offered for purposes of illustration , rather than limitation , and provide a more detailed description of the subject dioxane compounds . to a 3 liter , 3 neck round bottom flask fitted with a condenser for merely precautionary purposes and an air - driven stirrer the following materials are added : the flask is fitted with a thermometer and the reaction mixture is stirred for seven days at room temperature . the temperature of the mixture rises to about 40 ° c . for about 2 - 3 hours and then drops to and stays at room temperature for the remainder of the time . samples for gas chromatography are taken periodically and reveal the following : ______________________________________time n - propyl diethyl n - propyl diethyl ( hrs ) biomide malonate malonate______________________________________0 41 . 82 % 58 . 18 % 021 8 . 14 % 17 . 77 % 74 . 09 % 42 . 5 3 . 44 % 9 . 78 % 86 . 78 % 65 1 . 76 % 7 . 65 % 90 . 59 % 168 0 . 87 % 5 . 64 % 93 . 49 % ______________________________________ the propyl diethyl malonate is isolated by vacuum distillation and then reduced in a 3 - neck round bottom flask in a mixture of the following : ( 1 ) 1500 ml ( 3 mole ) borane - methyl sulfide complex in toluene ( 2 m solution ) the bms complex is added to a mixture of propyl diethyl malonate and toluene dropwise with stirring at room temperature . this partial mixture is stirred for an additional one hour at room temperature after the bms has been added and then is refluxed with stirring for ten hours , cooled to 20 ° c ., and transferred into an additional funnel and added carefully ( dropwise ) into a refluxing mixture of toluene and vitride t . after this addition , refluxing continues for another 30 minutes and then the complete mixture of ( 1 )-( 4 ) is cooled to room temperature and transferred to a large beaker . a solution of h 2 so 4 / h 2 o in 1 : 3 ratio is added to the complete mixture with stirring until the ph is 5 to 6 . then , the complete mixture is diluted with methanol and organic salts are removed by filtration and washed successively with methanol . at this stage , a single layer of filtrate is obtained , solvents are evaporated and gas chromatography reveals 82 % of 2 - propyl - 1 , 3 propanediol in the raw product . vacuum distillation at 80 °- 85 ° c . and 0 . 75 - 1 . 1 mmhg provided a 70 % yield and 98 . 9 % purity . introduce 84 ml ( 0 . 3 mole ) vitride reducing agent and about 250 ml dry benzene into a 3 - neck flask fitted with a condenser and bring to reflux . within 30 minutes , add dropwise a solution of 30 gm ( 0 . 1 mole ) trans - 4 - heptylcyclohexyl carboxylic acid in benzene and continue to reflux for additional 3 - 4 hours . mixture is then cooled to 20 °- 30 ° c . and introduced slowly with stirring into a 20 % hcl aqueous solution plus ice . after addition , the mixture is vigorously stirred for another 20 minutes . the resulting layers are then separated . the organic portion is washed with water and dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is removed by evaporation . purification of the intermediate , trans - 4 - heptyl - cyclohexyl methanol was not necessary as gas chromatography showed 99 . 9 purity and yield of 98 . 7 %. the next step involved mixing the following in a suitable flask with magnetic stirring bar : with the trifluoroacetic acid being added last to the mixture . the flask was sealed with a drying tube and the mixture stirred at room temperature for 16 hours . the mixture is then transferred to a large beaker and oxalic acid is added in small portions ( foaming occurs ) to destroy any excess of n , n 1 - dicyclohexyl carbodiimide . then the mixture is filtered and the solid portion ( dicyclohexyl urea ) is washed several times with benzene . the organic filtrate is washed with a solution of sodium bicarbonate and several times with water . the solvent is then evaporated and the raw aldehyde treated with a concentrated sodium bisulfite solution . the solid complex obtained is thoroughly and repeatedly washed in ether , then treated in potassium carbonate solution in water . the trans - 4 - heptyl - cyclohexyl carboxaldehyde product is extracted with benzene and the solvent evaporated . the yield was 87 % and purity by gas chromatography was 97 . 2 %. to a 3 - liter , 3 - neck round bottom flask fitted with a condenser , dean - stark trap and air - driven stirrer , the following are introduced : the mixture is brought to reflux and the water removed azeotropically . refluxing is continued for 6 - 8 hours ( although it is observed that all calculated amount of water has formed within first 20 minutes ). then the benzene is removed by evaporation and the residue checked by gas chromatography . the raw compounds are found to contain two main portions with identical infra - red spectra ( combined peaks being 95 . 6 % and remainder being impurities ). the ratio of trans / cis isomers was found to be 3 . 16 / 1 . separation of the isomers and purification of the trans isomer of 5 - propyl - 2 -( 4 - heptycyclohexyl )- 1 , 3 - dioxane was carried out by crystallization from pentane and hexane three times . gas chromatography of the purified compound revealed 99 . 914 % purity , the remaining 0 . 086 % being most probably one of the higher homologues . no cis isomer was detected at this stage . transition temperatures for trans - 5 - propyl - 2 -( 4 - heptylcyclohexyl )- 1 , 3 - dioxane as measured on a perkin - elmer dsc - 2 machine were as follows : other exemplary compounds have been prepared by the synthesis procedures set forth hereinabove and are listed below along with corresponding properties . in the examples , δn values were determined by measurements in a wedge cell according to well known procedures . the above examples illustrate that a variety of physical and nematic properties can be obtained by varying the length and shape of terminal substituents of 2 - cyclohexyl substituted 1 , 3 - dioxanes . to achieve extremely low δn values ( optical birefringence ), it is preferred to employ alkyl terminal substituents . for greater thermal stability , it is preferred to employ alkoxy terminal substituents or two six membered saturated rings . compounds of the invention having two six membered saturated rings exhibit higher optical birefringence than those with only one such ring and will be useful in raising clearing points of cyclohexyl - dioxane mixtures when included in small weight percentages . while there has been described what is considered to be preferred ebmodiments of the invention , other embodiments or modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is desired to cover in the appended claims all such embodiments and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	2
referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first , particularly to fig1 thereof , there is shown a printing unit 2 operating on the offset process with an impression cylinder 2 . 1 . the impression cylinder 2 . 1 carries a respective sheet in a processing direction indicated by the direction of rotation arrow 5 through a press nip between the impression cylinder 2 . 1 and a blanket cylinder 2 . 2 interacting therewith and , in the present example , then transfers it to a row of grippers of a single - turn transfer drum 2 . 3 while opening a row of grippers disposed on the impression cylinder 2 . 1 and provided for gripping the sheet 3 at a gripper edge at the leading end of the sheet 3 . a corresponding transfer of the sheet 3 is , then , carried out from the single - turn transfer drum 2 . 3 to a further transfer drum 2 . 4 , which is a half - turn transfer drum in the present example , which finally transfers the sheet 3 to a chain conveyor 4 of the delivery 1 . the chain conveyor 4 includes two endless conveyor chains 6 , of which a respective one circulates along a closed chain path in the vicinity of a respective side wall of the chain delivery 1 during operation . a respective conveyor chain 6 in each case wraps around one of two synchronously driven drive sprockets 7 , whose axes are aligned with each other , and , in the present example , is guided over a deflection sprocket 8 that is , in each case , located opposite the drive sprocket 7 and downstream with respect to the processing direction so that a respective one of the conveyor chains 6 passes through a closed chain path . between the two conveyor chains 6 there extend gripper systems 9 carried by the latter and having grippers , which move through gaps between the grippers disposed on the transfer drum 2 . 4 and , in the process , accept a respective sheet 3 by gripping the aforementioned gripper edge at the leading end of the sheet 3 immediately before the opening of the grippers disposed on the transfer drum 2 . 4 , transport the sheet over a sheet guide apparatus 10 to a braking station 11 and open after the transfer of the sheet 3 to the braking station 11 has taken place . in the braking station 11 , the sheets are braked to a depositing speed that is reduced with respect to the processing speed and , after reaching the reduced speed , are finally released so that a respective sheet 3 , now decelerated , finally strikes leading edge stops 12 and , being aligned on the latter and on trailing edge stops 13 located opposite them , together with preceding and / or following sheets 3 , forms a stack 14 that , by a lifting mechanism , can be lowered to the extent to which the stack 14 grows . of the lifting mechanism , only a platform 15 carrying the stack 14 and lifting chains 16 carrying the stack 14 and indicated with dash - dotted lines are reproduced in fig1 . along their paths between the drive sprockets 7 , on one hand , and the deflection sprockets 8 , on the other hand , the conveyor chains 6 are guided by chain guide rails that determine the chain paths of the chain runs . in the present example , the sheets 3 are transported by the lower chain run in fig1 . the section of the chain path through which the latter passes is followed by a sheet guide surface 17 facing the section and formed on the sheet guide apparatus 10 . between the surface 17 and the sheet 3 respectively guided over it , a supporting air cushion is , preferably , formed during operation . for such a purpose , the sheet guide apparatus 10 is equipped with blown air nozzles that open into the sheet guide surface 17 , of which only one is reproduced in fig1 as representative of all of them and , in a symbolic representation , in the form of a connector 18 . to prevent the printed sheets in the stack 14 from sticking together , a dryer 19 and a powdering apparatus 20 are provided on the path of the sheets 3 from the drive sprockets 7 to the braking station 11 . to avoid excessive heating of the sheet guide surface 17 by the dryer , a coolant circuit is integrated into the sheet guide apparatus 10 , indicated symbolically in fig1 by an inlet connector 21 and an outlet connector 22 on a coolant trough 23 associated with the sheet guide surface 17 . in fig1 , an illustration of the aforementioned chain guide rails has been omitted . however , the course of the same in the present example can be seen from that of the chain runs . the braking station 11 is illustrated in more detail in fig2 . the braking station 11 contains five suction belt modules 24 . 1 to 24 . 5 in a parallel configuration with respect to the conveying direction 25 of the sheets 3 . the suction belt modules 24 can be positioned transversely with respect to the conveying direction 25 on print - free regions of the sheet 3 . for such a purpose , the suction belt modules 24 are mounted on a guide rod 26 , which is fixed in a frame 27 . 1 , 27 . 2 . the positioning drives provided are stepping motors 28 . 1 to 28 . 5 , which are coupled to the suction belt modules 24 . 1 to 24 . 5 . in each case pinions 29 are fixed on the motor shafts of the stepping motors 28 so as to rotate with them and engage in a chain 30 , of which the ends are fixed in the frame 27 . 1 , 27 . 2 and that is aligned parallel to the guide rod 26 . the suction belt modules 24 contain suction belts 31 , which are guided over deflection rollers . the suction belts 31 are driven synchronously , by , in each case , coupling a deflection roller to a shaft 32 that is rotatably mounted in the frame 27 . 1 , 27 . 2 . the shaft 32 is coupled to a gearbox 33 and a motor 34 . underneath the suction belts 31 there are suction ducts , which are connected to a vacuum source through lines 35 . the lines 35 are laid in a hose duct 36 such that they can move . the trailing edge stops 13 are fixed to the suction belt modules 24 . to adapt to different length formats of the sheets 3 , the entire braking station 11 described in fig2 , including the suction belt modules 24 , can be positioned in the conveying direction 25 in the delivery 1 . to adapt to different grammages of the sheets 3 , the suction belt modules 24 are equipped with replaceable suction duct inserts 37 , 38 , which will be explained in more detail in side view and plan view by using fig3 a , 3b , 4 a , and 4 b . a suction belt 31 is laid over deflection rollers 39 , 40 . a suction table 41 has a supporting surface 42 on the upper side and lateral guides for the suction belt 31 on the underside . centrally in relation to the suction belt 31 there is in the suction table 41 a groove 43 , into which the suction duct insert 37 or 38 is inserted . t accommodate a suction duct insert 37 , 38 , the front deflection roller 40 is divided into two . both suction duct inserts 37 , 38 have on an upper side thereof a supporting surface 44 , which lies in the plane of the supporting surface 42 in a horizontal region 45 and which is rounded off , corresponding to the shape of the deflection roller 40 , in a sector 46 of the deflection roller 40 placed downstream . on the underside of the suction duct inserts 37 , 38 there is a fitting hole 47 to accommodate a dowel pin 48 located in the suction table 41 , and a retaining magnet 49 in a countersink 50 in the suction table 41 . aligning suction ducts 51 , 52 are introduced into the suction table 41 and into the suction duct inserts 37 , 38 . the underside of a suction duct insert 37 , 38 rests in a sealing manner on a surface 53 of the groove 43 . the suction duct insert 37 illustrated in fig3 a and 3b is used to convey sheets 3 with a low sheet thickness . on the side facing the suction belt 31 there are two suction openings 54 , 55 in the suction duct insert 37 . the first suction opening 54 is located in the horizontal region 45 and is connected directly to the suction duct 52 . the second suction opening 55 is located in the sector 46 and is connected to the suction duct 52 through a transverse duct 56 . the suction duct 51 is connected to the aforesaid vacuum source through the line 35 . as illustrated in fig3 a and 3b , on the suction belt 31 there is a sheet 3 . 1 that is moving off onto the stack 14 , and a following sheet 3 . 2 , which is still held on the gripper system 9 at its leading edge . the suction opening 54 , in conjunction with a large number of apertures 70 introduced into the suction belt 31 , has the effect of attracting the sheet 3 . 2 onto the suction belt 31 by suction . the suction opening 55 in the sector 46 has the effect of reducing the speed and guiding the sheet 3 . 1 running off . the configuration of the suction openings 54 , 55 makes it possible to guide the sheet 3 . 1 as far as possible over a large conveying distance . by the action of the suction opening 55 , the sheet 3 . 1 is still moved downwards slightly in the vertical direction 57 . the suction openings 54 , 55 have a spacing in the conveying direction 25 , so that , as the sheet 3 . 1 runs off onto the stack 14 , the following sheet 3 . 2 can already be attracted by suction without the sheets 3 . 1 , 3 . 2 touching . in the case of board sheets 3 . 3 , use is made of a suction duct insert 38 having a different suction geometry than the suction duct insert 37 for thin sheets 3 . 1 , 3 . 2 . as shown in fig4 a and 4b , on the upper side of the suction duct insert 38 , at the level of the supporting surface 42 , there is a supporting surface 58 into which an elongated duct 59 is machined . a suction duct 60 that , when the suction duct insert 38 is inserted into the dowel pin 48 , is aligned with the suction duct 52 in the suction table 41 , opens in the duct 59 . the duct 59 is disposed in that part of the horizontal region 45 that is placed upstream . there is no suction opening in the region of the front deflection roller 40 because a board sheet 3 . 3 would not match the curvature of the deflection roller 40 and leakages would occur , which have a detrimental effect on the useful braking force on the sheet 3 . 3 . by the action of the duct 59 , the sheet 3 . 3 is attracted onto the suction belt 31 by suction in interaction with the apertures 70 so that the sheet 3 . 3 rests flat on the suction belt 31 and is guided substantially horizontally . this application claims the priority , under 35 u . s . c . § 119 , of german patent application no . 103 32 970 . 6 , filed jul . 21 , 2003 ; the entire disclosure of the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference .	1
illustrative embodiments of the present invention are provided in the figures wherein like numerals are used to refer to like and corresponding parts of the various drawings . fig1 shows high - side drivers circuit 10 which includes the 5 - volt supply 12 that connects to collector 14 of output transistor 16 . base 19 of output transistor 16 connects to nodes 20 and 22 . emitter 24 of output transistor 16 connects to external pin connection 18 . diode 26 connects between 5 - volt supply 12 and transistor 28 . transistor 28 includes &# 34 ;˜ a &# 34 ; input (˜ a meaning the logical inverse of a ) to gate connection 29 . transistor 30 connects between node 22 and line 32 . back gate 34 of transistor 30 connects to resistor 36 and to drain 38 of transistor 40 . resistor 36 also connects to external pin connection 18 . node 42 connects to source 44 of transistor 40 , as well as to drains 46 and 48 of transistors 50 and 52 , respectively . diode 54 connects between node 20 at the base of transistor 16 and the source of transistor 56 . transistor 56 includes &# 34 ;˜ a &# 34 ; gate connection 58 , and connects to diode 54 at source 60 . parasitic diode 62 connects between source 60 and drain 64 of transistor 56 . drain 64 connects to ground 66 , as does the output of diode 49 , and drain 68 of transistor 70 . source 72 and gate 74 of transistor 70 receive the voltage of node 76 , which current source 78 supplies . gate 80 of transistor 40 also connects to node 76 . note that source and drains for the transistors described here are interchangeable . transistors 50 and 52 connect at their respective back gates 46 and 48 and include respective source connections 82 and 84 to nodes 86 and 88 . gates 90 and 92 of transistors 50 and 52 , respectively , connect to nodes 88 and 86 . node 86 , through node 94 , connects to 5 - volt voltage source 12 through resistor 96 , and to gate 98 of transistor 30 . also , node 86 connects to source 100 of transistor 102 . the drain 104 of transistor 102 connects to 5 - volt voltage source 12 . at gate 106 of transistor 102 , invertor 110 connects to receive &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; input 112 . the &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; input 112 also connects to gate 114 of transistor 116 . the drain 118 of transistor 116 connects to 5 - volt source 12 . source 120 of transistor 116 connects to node 88 . output transistor 16 generates the high - side drive current output that high - side driver circuit 10 supplies to a physical interface circuit at external pin connection 18 . schottky diode 26 and control transistor 28 control the state of output transistor 16 to be off , for supplying no output current , or to be on , for supplying the rs - 485 driver circuit high output . control transistor 28 turns on when &# 34 ;˜ a &# 34 ; input 29 goes negative of 5 - volt supply 12 . this causes current to flow into base 19 of contact transistor 16 . an important technical advantage that the present invention provides is the ability to turn off output transistor 16 and keep it off . to initially turn the output transistor 16 off , control transistor 28 receives and transistor 56 receives an ˜ a input . transistor 56 and schottky diode 54 work together to bring the voltage at base 19 down to ground 66 . if external connection 18 voltage level goes below the substrate voltage level , there may be a problem in providing sufficient isolation , due to the parasitic diode within output transistor 16 to keep off output transistor 16 . this is the function of transistor 30 . moreover , the circuitry to the left of transistor 30 , including transistor 50 , transistor 52 , transistor 102 , and transistor 116 , as well as their associated circuitry components ensures that the output transistor 16 properly stays off . transistors 116 and 102 , inverter 110 , and transistors 50 and 52 operate as a level shifter for transistor 30 . this circuitry drives the gate of transistor 30 to a level between the 5 - volt supply 12 and the existing voltage potential of external pin connection 18 . nominally , the isolation regions of transistors 50 , 52 , and 30 are common within the substrate of high - side driver circuit 10 . in fact , the back gates of transistors 50 , 52 , and 30 are preferably connected in one epitaxial region . nominally transistors 50 , 52 and 30 also are tied to resistor 36 at external connection 18 . as a result , if the voltage from these transistors goes negative , the isolated epitaxial region for transistors 50 , 52 and 30 take voltage of external pin connection 18 . in operation , it is required by rs - 485 standard to have external pin connection 18 at a voltage of + 12 volts . driver circuit 10 achieves this by turning on transistor 40 when external pin connection 18 goes negative of the ground voltage . transistor 40 , when external pin connection 18 is negative of ground , turns on to provide a current path through transistor 40 . resistor 36 , in this operation , reduces noise within driver circuit 10 . therefore , when external pin connection 18 goes negative , node 42 establishes the value of the external pin connection 18 to be that of source 44 of transistor 40 . this causes the source voltage level to be negative of the gate 80 voltage level for transistor 40 . this maintains the off condition of transistor 16 . in the on state , when external pin connection 18 is above substrate level , according to the rs - 485 standard , the voltage value for external pin connection 18 may reach + 12 volts . resistor 36 causes the gate voltages transistors 50 , 52 and 30 to follow the voltage levels of external pin connection 18 . if the potential of external pin connection 18 exceeds ground potential , diode 49 clamps the back gate voltages of transistors 50 , 52 and 30 to a very small voltage above ground . therefore , if the external pin connection 18 potential is below ground , transistor 40 ties the back gates of transistors 50 , 52 , and 30 to the voltage of external pin connection 18 . on the other hand , if the voltage of external pin connection 18 exceeds ground potential , then transistor 40 turns off , and the back gates of transistors 50 , 52 and 30 only reach the potential defined by diode 49 which is but a few millivolts above ground potential . output transistor 16 does not need the protection of the large schottky diode , because it is not possible for the voltage at the base of output transistor 16 to exceed the 5 - volt voltage supply . the remaining schottky diodes in high - side driver circuit 10 , i . e ., schottky diode 26 , 49 and 54 are much smaller than the schottky diode that conventional high - side driver circuits require to isolate external pin connection 18 from the 5 - volt supply 12 . the circuitry including transistors 50 , 52 , 102 , and 116 affects control transistor 30 so that , in the off state , this circuitry controls transistor 16 to stay off by assuring that the base - emitter junction of output transistor 16 does not forward bias . this occurs without the need for the conventional schottky diode that is required in the conventional high - side driver circuits . in the on state , the voltage for external pin connection 18 does not need the control that is necessary in the off state . accordingly , in high - side driver circuit 10 , there is no need for a schottky diode . high - side driver circuit 10 of the present embodiment takes advantage of this fact to provide a more compact and more rapidly operating circuit than has heretofore been possible . fig2 shows low - side driver circuit 200 , which external pin connection 202 connects to source 204 of transistor 206 and collector 208 of sink transistor 210 . gate 212 of transistor 206 receives an &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; input , and drain 214 connects to node 216 . node 216 connects to base 217 of sink transistor 210 and to diode 218 . the output from diode 218 goes to diode 220 . the output of diode 220 goes to ground 222 . emitter 224 of sink transistor 210 connects to source 226 of transistor 228 . drain 230 of transistor 228 connects to ground 222 . gate 232 of transistor 228 also receives an &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; input . in low - side driver circuit 200 , if external pin connection 202 goes negative , control transistor 206 turns on . this causes sink transistor 210 to turn on . the parasitic diode between source 226 and drain 230 of emitter follower transistor 228 prevents the collector 208 of sink transistor 210 from going negative . in essence , when external pin connection 202 goes negative , base 217 and collector 208 of transistor 210 go negative as well . emitter 224 stays open at zero volts . once external pin connection 202 goes to - 7 volts , while conventional junction isolator technology would cause breakdown of the parasitic diode within sink transistor 210 , the oxide isolation formation of sink transistor 210 prevents this breakdown . in the present embodiment , sink transistor 210 has sufficient strength to avoid the breakdown of the parasitic diode between base 217 and emitter 224 . in turning on sink transistor 210 , emitter 224 shorts to ground because transistor 228 is on upon receiving an a input . diodes 218 and 220 provide a current path for the base to discharge through when emitter 224 of sink transistor 210 blocks the negative voltage from external pin connection 202 . because of the improved isolation characteristics of sink transistor 210 , it is not necessary to include in low - side driver circuit 200 the conventional schottky diode . this produces a circuit with a lower die size and component size , as well as a simpler circuit that is less costly to manufacture . for both high - side driver circuit 10 of fig1 and low - side driver circuit 200 of fig2 eliminating the conventional schottky diode avoids certain undesirable limitations . the present embodiment avoids the physical requirement of a diode sufficiently large to handle a current of up to 60 ma , as well as the nominal 0 . 5 v drop that limits the output voltage swing on low - side circuit 200 , especially at cold temperatures . on high - side circuit 10 , eliminating the schottky diode by the use of control transistor 30 and the circuitry associated with transistors 50 and 52 assures that output transistor 16 does not break down . this all occurs in high - side driver circuit 10 without the need for the space that the larger schottky diode would require . fig3 shows the oxide isolation construction of output transistor 16 for fig1 or sink transistor 210 of fig2 . in fig3 output transistor 16 is formed on p + substrate layer 250 by first applying p - layer 252 . the n + layer 254 covers a portion of p - layer 252 , the remainder of which p - layer 256 covers . the n regions 258 and 260 separate heavily - doped p - 0 region 262 . the n + regions 264 and 266 , and p + region 268 are formed within a p - region 262 . on surface 270 of output transistor 16 , collector , base and emitter connections . the 5 - volt supply 12 connects on surface 270 to n region 260 . for output transistor 16 , n + region 264 includes connection &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; corresponding to collector 14 , p + region 268 includes connection &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; corresponding to base 19 , and n + region 268 includes connection &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; corresponding to emitter 24 , all as seen in fig1 . for sink transistor 210 of fig2 connections &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, and &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; may reference collector 208 , base 217 , and emitter 224 , respectively . fig4 provides a cross - sectional view of the various isolated nmos devices 300 that are described above and that may be used with both high - side driver circuit 10 and low - side driver circuit 200 . over p - substrate 302 appears oxide layer 304 . oxide layer 304 contacts both n + sources / drains p - well 310 includes n + sources / drains 312 and 314 , as well as p + back gate connection 316 . polysilicon node 318 covers a portion of p - well 310 and connects between sources / drains 312 and 314 . the formation of output transistor 16 may be according to the oxide isolation processes of u . s . patent application ser . no . ti - 21207 , which is here incorporated by reference . in part because of the formation of sink transistor 210 according to the referenced oxide isolation process the performance of sink transistor 210 is possible for the applications that low - side driver circuit 200 indicates . although oxide isolation formation is not necessary for output transistor 16 of high - side driver circuit 10 of fig1 formation of high - side driver circuit 10 using an oxide isolation formation may enhance its operation . although the present invention has been described in detail , it should be understood various changes , substitutions and alternations made be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined by the appended claims .	7
the new xanthine derivatives have the structure of general formula ( i ) in which the dotted line between the nitrogen atoms in general formula ( i ) indicates the existence of a double bond in one of two possible positions , with the result that the groups r 4 and r 5 cannot both be present at the same time and wherein r 1 cannot simultaneously have the same meaning as r 2 and the groups r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 and r 5 are defined as follows : r 1 denotes hydrogen , c 1 - 6 - alkyl , c 3 - 6 - alkenyl or c 1 - 6 - alkynyl ; r 2 denotes a c 1 - 6 - alkyl , c 3 - 6 - alkenyl or c 3 - 6 - alkynyl group substituted by — or 6 , — so 2 r 6 , — ocor 9 , — coor 9 , — nr 7 r 8 , — och 2 ch 2 — nr 7 r 8 , — conr 7 r 8 , — och 2 — conr 7 r 8 or — och 2 ch 2 — conr 7 r 8 ; r 2 denotes a c 1 - 6 - alkyl , c 3 - 6 - alkenyl or c 3 - 6 - alkynyl group which is substituted by a c - linked 5 - or 6 - membered heterocyclic ring which may contain 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 heteroatoms selected from the group comprising oxygen , nitrogen or sulphur and may optionally be substituted by c 1 - 4 - alkyl or benzyl ; r 3 denotes c 1 - 6 - alkyl , which may be substituted by oh , or norbornanyl , norbornenyl , adamantyl or noradamantyl optionally substituted by methyl or oh ; r 4 or r 5 denotes hydrogen , benzyl or benzyl which is mono -, di - or trisubstituted by methoxy ; r 6 denotes hydrogen , c 3 - 6 - cycloalkyl or c 1 - 4 - alkyl which may be substituted by — or 9 or — ocor 9 ; r 7 denotes hydrogen , — so 2 r 6 , c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — cor 9 or — coor 9 ; r 8 denotes hydrogen , — so 2 r 6 , c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — cor 9 or — coor 9 ; or , r 7 and r 8 together with the nitrogen form a 5 - or 6 - membered ring which may contain oxygen or nitrogen as a further heteroatom and may optionally be substituted by c 1 - 4 - alkyl or benzyl ; and , optionally in the form of their racemates , enantiomers , diastereomers and mixtures thereof , and optionally in the form of the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof . r 2 denotes a c 1 - 6 - alkyl , c 3 - 6 - alkenyl or c 3 - 6 - alkynyl group which is substituted by — or 6 , — so 2 r 6 , — ocor 9 , — coor 9 , — nr 7 r 8 , — och 2 ch 2 — nr 7 r 8 , — conr 7 r 8 , — och 2 — conr 7 r 8 or — och 2 ch 2 — conr 7 r 8 ; r 2 denotes a c 1 - 6 - alkyl , c 3 - 6 - alkenyl or c 3 - 6 - alkynyl group substituted by a c - linked 5 - or 6 - membered heterocyclic ring which may contain 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 heteroatoms selected from the group comprising oxygen , nitrogen or sulphur and may optionally be substituted by c 1 - 4 - alkyl or benzyl ; r 3 denotes c 1 - 6 - alkyl which may be substituted by oh , or norbomanyl , norbornenyl , adamantyl or noradamantyl optionally substituted by methyl or oh ; r 4 or r 5 denotes hydrogen , benzyl or benzyl which is mono -, di - or trisubstituted by methoxy ; r 6 denotes c 1 - 4 - alkyl which may be substituted by — or 9 or — ocor 9 ; r 7 denotes hydrogen , — so 2 r 6 , c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — cor 9 or — coor 9 ; r 8 denotes hydrogen , — so 2 r 6 , c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — cor 9 or — coor 9 ; or , r 7 and r 8 together with the nitrogen form a 5 - or 6 - membered ring which may contain oxygen or nitrogen as an additional heteroatom and may optionally be substituted by c 1 - 3 - alkyl or benzyl ; and , optionally in the form of their racemates , enantiomers , diastereomers and mixtures thereof , and optionally in the form of the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof . compounds of general formula ( i ) which are particularly preferred are those wherein r 2 denotes c 1 - 4 - alkyl which is substituted by — or 6 , — so 2 r 6 , — ocor 9 , — coor 9 , — nr 7 r 8 , — och 2 ch 2 — nr 7 r 8 , — conr 7 r 8 , — och 2 — conr 7 r 8 or — och 2 ch 2 — conr 7 r 8 ; r 2 denotes c 1 - 4 - alkyl which is substituted by a c - linked 5 - or 6 - membered heterocyclic ring containing 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from the group comprising oxygen , nitrogen or sulphur and may optionally be substituted by c 1 - 4 - alkyl or benzyl ; r 3 denotes c 1 - 4 - alkyl which may be substituted by oh or optionally by norbomanyl , norbomenyl , adamantyl or noradamantyl substituted by methyl or oh ; r 4 or r 5 denote hydrogen , benzyl or benzyl which is mono -, di - or trisubstituted by methoxy ; r 6 denotes c 1 - 4 - alkyl which may be substituted by — or 9 or — ocor 9 ; r 7 denotes hydrogen , c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — cor 9 or — coor 9 ; r 8 denotes hydrogen , c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — cor 9 ; or — coor 9 ; or , r 7 and r 8 together with the nitrogen form a 5 - or 6 - membered ring which may contain oxygen or nitrogen as a further heteroatom and may optionally be substituted by c 1 - 3 - alkyl or benzyl ; and , optionally in the form of their racemates , enantiomers , diastereomers and mixtures thereof , and optionally in the form of the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof . r 2 denotes c 1 - 4 - alkyl substituted by — or 6 , — so 2 r 6 , — ocor 9 , — coor 9 , — nr 7 r 8 , — och 2 ch 2 — nr 7 r 8 , — conr 7 r 8 , — och 2 — conr 7 r 8 or — och 2 ch 2 — conr 7 r 8 ; r 2 denotes c 1 - 4 - alkyl which is substituted by a c - linked 5 - or 6 - membered heterocyclic ring containing one or two heteroatoms selected from the group comprising oxygen , nitrogen or sulphur and may optionally be substituted by c 1 - 3 - alkyl or benzyl ; r 3 denotes an isobutyl or tert .- butyl group , norbornanyl , norbomenyl , adamantyl or noradamantyl ; r 6 denotes c 1 - 4 - alkyl which may be substituted by — or 9 or — ocor 9 ; r 7 denotes hydrogen , c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — cor 9 or — coor 9 ; r 8 denotes hydrogen , c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — cor 9 or — coor 9 ; or , r 7 and r 8 together with the nitrogen form a 5 - or 6 - membered ring which may contain oxygen or nitrogen as a further heteroatom and may optionally be substituted by c 1 - 3 - alkyl or benzyl ; and , optionally in the form of their racemates , enantiomers , diastereomers and mixtures thereof , and optionally in the form of the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof . r 2 denotes a methyl , ethyl , propyl or butyl group substituted by — so 2 r 6 , — nr 7 r 8 or — conr 7 r 8 ; r 2 denotes a methyl , ethyl , propyl or butyl group substituted by a c - linked 5 - or 6 - membered heterocyclic ring which contains one or two heteroatoms selected from the group comprising oxygen , nitrogen or sulphur ; r 6 denotes methyl , ethyl or propyl optionally substituted by — or 9 or — ocor 9 ; r 7 denotes hydrogen , methyl , ethyl , propyl or — cor 9 ; r 8 denotes hydrogen , methyl , ethyl , propyl or — cor 9 ; or , r 7 and r 8 together with the nitrogen formn a 5 - or 6 - membered ring which may contain oxygen or nitrogen as a further heteroatom and may optionally be substituted by methyl or benzyl ; and , optionally in the form of their racemates , enantiomers , diastereomers and mixtures thereof , and optionally in the form of the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof . r 2 denotes a methyl , ethyl or propyl group substituted by — so 2 — ch 2 — ch 2 — or 9 , — so 2 — ch 2 — ch 2 — ocor 9 , — so 2 — ch 2 — ch 2 — ch 2 — or 9 , — so 2 — ch 2 — ch 2 — ch 2 — ocor 9 , — nr 7 r 8 , — conr 7 r 8 , pyridyl or pyrimidyl ; r 7 denotes hydrogen , methyl , ethyl , propyl or — cor 9 ; r 8 denotes hydrogen , methyl , ethyl , propyl or — cor 9 ; or , r 7 and r 8 together with the nitrogen form a piperidinyl , morpholinyl , pyrrolyl , pyrrolidinyl or piperazinyl ring which may optionally be substituted by methyl or benzyl ; and , optionally in the form of their racemates , enantiomers , diastereomers and mixtures thereof , and optionally in the form of the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof . according to the invention , most particularly preferred compounds are those of general formula ( i ) wherein r 2 denotes a group selected from the group consisting of : optionally in the form of the racemates , enantiomers , diastereomers and mixtures thereof , and optionally in the form of the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof . of particular importance are the compounds of general formula ( i ) wherein r 2 denotes a group selected from the group consisting of : optionally in the form of the racemates , enantiomers , diastereomers and mixtures thereof , and optionally in the form of the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof . particularly preferred according to the invention are xanthines of general formula ( i ) wherein r 2 denotes a group selected from the group consisting of : optionally in the form of the racemates , enantiomers , diastereomers and mixtures thereof , and optionally in the form of the pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts thereof . the alkyl groups meant here ( including those which are components of other groups ) are branched and unbranched alkyl groups having 1 to 6 carbon atoms , preferably 1 to 4 carbon atoms , such as : methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , iso - propyl , n - butyl , iso - butyl , sec .- butyl , tert .- butyl , n - pentyl , iso - pentyl or neopentyl . unless otherwise specified , substituted alkyl groups ( including those which are components of other groups ) may , for example , carry one or more of the following substituents : halogen , hydroxy , mercapto , c 1 - 6 - alkyloxy , amino , alkylamino , dialkylamino , cyano , nitro , ═ o , — cho , — cooh , — coo — c 1 - 6 - alkyl , — s — c 1 - 6 - alkyl . alkenyl groups ( including those which are components of other groups ) are the branched and unbranched alkenyl groups with 3 to 16 carbon atoms , preferably 3 carbon atoms , provided that they have at least one double bond , e . g . the alkyl groups mentioned above provided that they have at least one double bond , such as for example propenyl , iso - propenyl , butenyl , pentenyl and hexenyl . unless otherwise specified , substituted alkenyl groups , ( including those which are components of other groups ), may for example carry one or more of the following substituents : halogen , hydroxy , mercapto , c 1 - 6 - alkyloxy , amino , alkylamino , dialkylamino , cyano , nitro , ═ o , — cho , — cooh , — coo — c 1 - 6 - alkyl , — s — c 1 - 6 - alkyl . the term alkynyl groups ( including those which are components of other groups ) refers to alkynyl groups having 3 to 6 carbon atoms provided that they have at least one triple bond , e . g . propargyl , butynyl , pentynyl and hexynyl . unless otherwise specified , substituted alkynyl groups , ( including those which are components of other groups ), may for example carry one or more of the following substituents : halogen , hydroxy , mercapto , c 1 - 6 - alkyloxy , amino , alkylamino , dialkylamino , cyano , nitro , ═ o , — cho , — cooh , — coo — c 1 - 6 - alkyl , — s — c 1 - 6 - alkyl . examples of n - linked cyclic groups of general formula nr 7 r 8 are as follows : pyrrole , pyrroline , pyrrolidine , 2 - methylpyrrolidine , 3 - methylpyrrolidine , piperidine , piperazine , n - methylpiperazine , n - ethylpiperazine , n -( n - propyl )- piperazine , n - benzylpiperazine , morpholine , thiomorpholine , imidazole , imidazoline , imidazolidine , pyrazole , pyrazo line , pyrazolidine , preferably morpholine , piperazine and piperidine , wherein the above - mentioned heterocycles may also be substituted by c 1 - 4 - alkyl , preferably methyl , or may be substituted as in the definitions . examples of c - linked 5 - or 6 - membered heterocyclic rings which may contain nitrogen , oxygen or sulphur as heteroatoms include , for example , furan , tetrahydrofuran , 2 - methyltetrahydrofuran , 2 - hydroxymethylfuran , tetrahydrofuranone , γ - butyrolactone , α - pyran , γ - pyran , dioxolane , tetrahydropyran , dioxan , thiophene , dihydrothiophene , thiolane , dithiolane , pyrrole , pyrroline , pyrrolidine , pyrazole , pyrazoline , imidazole , imidazoline , imidazolidine , triazole , tetrazole , pyridine , piperidine , pyridazine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , piperazine , triazine , tetrazine , morpholine , thiomorpholine , oxazole , isoxazole , oxazine , thiazole , isothiazole , thiadiazole , oxadiazole and pyrazolidine , whilst the heterocycle may be substituted as in the definitions . surprisingly , it has been found that asymmetrically substituted xanthines of general formula ( i ), whilst having a high affinity for adenosine receptors , have exceptionally great selectivity . adenosine antagonists may exhibit a therapeutically useful activity in cases where diseases or pathological situations are connected with the activation of adenosine receptors . adenosine is an endogenous neuromodulator with predominantly inhibitory effects on the cns , heart , kidneys and other organs . the effects of adenosine are mediated through at least three receptor subtypes : adenosine a 1 , a 2 and a 3 receptors . in the cns , adenosine develops inhibitory effects predominantly by activating a 1 receptors : presynaptically by inhibiting synaptic transmission ( inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine , dopamine , noradrenalin , serotonin , glutamate , etc . ), and postsynaptically by inhibiting neuronal activity . a 1 antagonists cancel out the inhibitory effects of adenosine and promote neuronal transmission and neuronal activity . a 1 antagonists are therefore of great interest in the treatment of degenerative diseases of the central nervous system such as senile dementia of the alzheimer &# 39 ; s type ( sdat ) and age - associated disorders of memory and learning performance . the disease includes , in addition to forgetfulness in its mild form and total helplessness and absolute dependence on care in the most severe form , a range of other accompanying systems such as sleep disorders , motor - coordination disorders up to the clinical picture of parkinson &# 39 ; s disease as well as increased lability affect and depressive symptoms . the disease is progressive and can result in death . therapy up till now has been unsatisfactory . hitherto , there has been a complete absence of specific therapeutic agents . attempts at therapy with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors exhibit some effect in a small proportion of patients but are connected with a high level of side effects . the pathophysiology of alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease and sdat is characterised by a severe impairment of the cholinergic system , but other transmitter systems are also affected . as a result of the loss of presynaptic cholinergic and other neurons and the resulting lack of provision of neurotransmitters , neuronal transmission and neuronal activity is significantly reduced in the areas of the brain essential for learning and memory . selective adenosine a 1 receptor antagonists promote neuronal transmission by increased provision of neurotransmitters , they increase the excitability of postsynaptic neurons and can thus counteract the symptoms of the disease . the high receptor affinity and selectivity of some of the compounds claimed should make it possible to treat alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease and sdat with low doses , so that hardly any side effects can be expected which cannot be attributed to the blockade of a 1 receptors . another indication for centrally acting adenosine a 1 antagonists is depression . the therapeutic success of antidepressant substances appears to be connected to the regulation of a 1 receptors . a 1 antagonists may lead to the regulation of adenosine a 1 receptors and thus present a new therapeutic approach to the treatment of depressive patients . other fields of use particularly for a 2 - selective adenosine antagonists are neurodegenerative diseases such as parkinson &# 39 ; s disease and also migraine . adenosine inhibits the release of dopamine from central synaptic nerve endings by interaction with dopamine - d 2 receptors . a 2 antagonists increase the release and availability of dopamine and thus offer a new therapeutic principle for treating parkinson &# 39 ; s disease . in migraine , vasodilation of cerebral blood vessels mediated by a 2 receptors appears to be involved . selective a 2 antagonists inhibit vasodilation and may thus be useful in treating migraine . adenosine antagonists may also be used in the treatment of peripheral indications . for example , the activation of a 1 receptors in the lungs may lead to bronchoconstriction . selective adenosine a 1 antagonists relax the smooth muscle of the trachea , cause bronchodilation and may thus be useful as antiasthmatic agents . by activating a 2 receptors , adenosine may also lead , under certain circumstances , to respiratory depression and stoppage of breathing . a 2 antagonists cause respiratory stimulation . for example , adenosine antagonists ( theophyllin ) are used for treating respiratory distress and for preventing “ sudden infant death ” in premature babies . important fields of therapy for adenosine antagonists are also cardiovascular diseases and kidney diseases . in the heart , adenosine causes inhibition of electrical and contractile activity by activating a 1 receptors . in conjunction with coronary vasodilation mediated by a 2 receptors , adenosine has a negative chronotropic , ionotropic , dromotropic , bathmotropic and bradycardiac effect and lowers the minute output . adenosine a 1 receptor antagonists are able to prevent damage to the heart and lungs caused by ischaemia and subsequent reperfusion . consequently , adenosine antagonists may be used for the prevention and early treatment of damage to the heart caused by ischaemic reperfusion , e . g . after coronary bypass surgery , heart transplants , angioplasty or thrombolytic treatment of the heart and similar interventions . the same is true of the lungs . in the kidneys , the activation of a 1 receptors causes vasoconstriction of afferent arterioles and , consequently , a fall in renal blood flow and glomerular filtration . a 1 antagonists act as powerful potassium - saving diuretics on the kidneys and can thus be used for kidney protection and for the treatment of oedema , renal insufficiency and acute renal failure . because of the adenosine antagonism on the heart and the diuretic activity , a 1 antagonists may be used to therapeutic effect for various cardiovascular diseases , such as cardiac insufficiency , arrhythmias ( bradyarrhytunias ) associated with hypoxia or ischaemia , conduction disorders , hypertension , ascites in liver failure ( hepato - renal syndrome ) and as an analgesic in circulatory disorders . the compounds according to the invention may be prepared by analogous methods known per se . a general strategy for synthesis is shown in diagram 1 . essential differences between the procedure according to the invention and the methods already known from the prior art will be explained in more detail in the experimental section which follows , with reference to important key steps . the 6 - aminouracils 1 used as starting compounds for the preparation methods according to the invention can be obtained using methods known from the prior art . the protecting group designated “ sg ” in position 1 of the aminouracil is in principle freely selectable . what is important in choosing the protecting group is its stability under the reaction conditions of the particular steps to be carried out according to diagram 1 . it is preferable according to the invention to use base - stable protecting groups . it is particularly preferred to use protecting groups which can be selectively cleaved in an acidic medium , such as mono -, di - or trimethoxybenzyl - protecting groups . the use of the para - methoxybenzyl protecting group is particularly preferred . a process for preparing 6 - amino - 1 -( p - methoxybenzyl )- uracil can be found in wo 94 / 03456 . the 6 - aminouracils 1 may be converted selectively into the 6 - amino - 5 - bromouracils 2 by reacting with a brominating agent ( diagram 1 ). suitable brominating agents are the common brominating reagents which are commercially available . according to the invention , it is preferable to use br 2 . for the reaction the amino uracils 1 are dissolved in an organic solvent or water , preferably in a polar organic solvent , most preferably in methanol , and the above - mentioned brominating agent is slowly added with stirring under basic reaction conditions in a temperature range from − 20 ° c . to + 20 ° c ., preferably between − 10 ° c . and 15 ° c ., most preferably at 5 - 10 ° c . the mixture is stirred at constant temperature until conversion is complete ( 0 . 5 to 4 hours , preferably 2 hours ) and the product is isolated as a crystalline solid . according to the invention , alkali and alkaline earth metal carbonates or hydrogen carbonates may be used as the base . the carbonates and hydrogen carbonates of sodium are preferred , with sodium hydrogen carbonate being particularly preferred . the diaminouracils 3 may be obtained by reacting the 6 - amino - 5 - bromouracils 2 with the corresponding amine ( diagram 1 ). secondary or primary amines may be used as the amines . the use of primary amines is , however , preferred in view of the further synthesis planned according to diagram 1 . depending on the amine the reactions may be carried out with or without an inert organic solvent . if a solvent is used , according to the invention it is preferably tetrahydrofuran , ethanol or dimethylformamide . the reaction is carried out either at elevated temperature or at ambient temperature . the choice of reaction temperature depends on the solvent used , if any , and / or on the amine used . according to the invention it is preferable to carry out the reaction initially at a temperature from 40 to 100 ° c ., most preferably between 60 ° c . and 90 ° c ., and particularly at about 80 ° c . after 0 . 5 - 6 hours , preferably after 1 - 4 hours and most preferably after about 2 hours the mixture is cooled to ambient temperature and stirring is continued until the conversion is complete ( 0 . 5 - 1 . 5 days , preferably 14 - 18 hours ). in order to work up the product it is diluted with an organic solvent , preferably with a polar organic solvent , most preferably with ethanol , optionally brought to the boil again and filtered at ambient temperature . the solid obtained may be further purified by crystallisation , for example . the acylation of the diaminouracils 3 to obtain the monoacyldiaminouracils 4 is carried out using activated carboxylic acid derivatives ( diagram 1 ). by activated carboxylic acid derivatives is meant , according to the invention , preferably carboxylic acid esters , carboxylic acid anhydrides and carboxylic acid halides . of the latter , carboxylic acid chlorides and carboxylic acid bromides are preferred . the reaction is carried out in an inert solvent or mixture of solvents at a temperature in the range from − 20 ° c . to + 20 ° c ., preferably between − 10 ° c . and + 10 ° c ., most preferably at 0 - 5 ° c . for this purpose the diaminouracil 3 is taken up in the above - mentioned solvent or mixture of solvents , preferably a polar organic solvent , most preferably an aprotic solvent , in particular a halohydrocarbon such as methylene chloride or chloroform , optionally combined with dimethylformamide , for example , and brought to the temperature specified above with stirring . the activated carboxylic acid derivative mentioned above is optionally added slowly after the previous addition of base . the mixture is stirred at constant temperature for 0 . 5 to 6 hours , preferably 1 to 4 hours , most preferably about 2 hours . organic bases are preferred according to the invention as the base . tertiary amines have proved particularly effective . after acidification ( e . g . with aqueous hcl ) the mixture is filtered and washed with water . the aqueous phases are extracted with an organic solvent , preferably a polar solvent , most preferably a halohydrocarbon , then dried and evaporated down . after all the solvent has been distilled off in vacuo , the compounds 4 are obtained as crude products and used in the next step without further purification . the position of acylation ( 5 - or 6 - position ) does not affect the subsequent reaction . it is therefore not specified precisely . for the sake of simplicity , only the compounds 4 acylated in the 5 - position are described . the corresponding 6 - acyl derivatives are also included . cyclisation to obtain the xanthine derivatives 5 is carried out starting from the monoacyldiaminouracils 4 ( diagram 1 ). for this purpose , after the addition of a base , the compounds 4 are refluxed in a solvent for a period of 1 to 12 hours , preferably 2 to 8 hours , most preferably 4 hours . after cooling to ambient temperature the mixture is stirred until conversion is complete ( 1 - 7 days , preferably 3 - 4 days ). the suspension thus obtained is cooled and acidified and the product 5 crystallises out . more thorough purification may be carried out by recrystallisation or chromatography . according to the invention , alkali or alkaline earth metal hydroxides may be used as bases . the hydroxides of sodium , lithium and potassium as well as magnesium and calcium are preferred . it is also possible to use mixtures of these bases . suitable solvents are polar organic solvents , preferably alcohols , which may also be used in admixture with water according to the invention . the substituent r 1 is introduced , starting from the xanthine derivatives 5 , analogously to methods known from the literature ( diagram 1 ). the compounds 5 with the addition of a base are mixed at ambient temperature with the corresponding electrophiles in an inert solvent and stirred until fully converted at elevated temperature , preferably 40 to 60 ° c ., or at ambient temperature . if required , further base and / or further electrophile is added . after cooling to ambient temperature the solvent is largely distilled off in vacuo and the residue is taken up in water and acidified . after several extractions with an organic water - immiscible solvent , preferably a halohydrocarbon , the combined organic phases are washed with water , dried and evaporated down in vacuo . the crude product obtained is purified by crystallisation , filtering over silica gel or chromatography . according to the invention , alkali or alkaline earth metal hydrides may be used as bases . sodium , lithium , potassium as well as magnesium and calcium hydrides are preferred . suitable inert solvents include , for example , dimethylformamide , methylene chloride and cyclic ethers such as tetrahydrofuran or preferably dioxan . moreover , alkali or alkaline earth metal alkoxides of methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , n -, sec - or tert .- butyl alcohol may be used as base . suitable alkali and alkaline earth metals include for example lithium , sodium , potassium , magnesium and calcium . according to the invention , alkali or alkaline earth metal carbonates of lithium , sodium , potassium as well as magnesium or calcium may also be used , but preferably sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate . suitable electrophiles include for example alkyl halides , preferably alkyl bromides and alkyl iodides , alkyl tosylates , alkyl mesylates or alkyl triflates . to ensure broad possible variations in the substituent at position 3 of the basic xanthine structure , it is necessary to cleave the protecting group “ sg ” ( diagram 1 ). the reaction conditions required for this will naturally depend on the nature of the protecting group and the nature of the other substituents of the xanthine structure . because of the reaction conditions in the synthesis steps described above it is preferable to use a base - stable protecting group . it is particularly preferred to use acid - labile protecting groups . according to the invention , it is preferable to use mono -, di - or trimnethoxybenzyl protecting groups . the use of the paramethoxybenzyl protecting group is particularly preferred . in accordance with analogous processes known from the literature it is possible to introduce functionalised side chains r 2 at position 3 of the purine member 7 ( diagram 1 ). these are preferably substituted alkyl groups . depending on the end product desired , further derivatisation of the side chain r 2 follows the alkylation step . a selection of the synthesis strategies which may be carried out according to the invention is discussed by way of example hereinafter . the following explanations are intended to illustrate the invention without restricting it to their scope . the 3 - cyanoalkylxanthines 8 can be obtained from the xanthine derivatives 7 by the introduction of a cyanoalkyl group ( diagram 2 , step a ). in order to do this , the nh - free xanthines 7 are dissolved in an inert solvent , preferably an aprotic organic solvent , most preferably in dimethylformamide , and a base is added , with stirring . according to the invention , suitable bases are primarily alkali or alkaline earth metal carbonates of lithium , sodium , potassium as well as magnesium and calcium , but preferably sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate . then the electrophile is added . suitable electrophiles include , for example , cyanoalkyl halides , preferably cyanoalkyl chlorides , bromides and iodides or cyanoalkyl tosylates , mesylates or triflates . the reaction may be carried out at ambient temperature or at elevated temperature and is generally complete after a day . the choice of reaction conditions naturally depends to a large extent on the reactivity of the electrophile used . after the conversion is complete the solvent is substantially distilled off in vacuo and the residue is taken up in an organic , water - immiscible solvent , preferably a halohydrocarbon . after extraction with water the organic phase is dried and the solvent is eliminated in vacuo . the crude product obtained is purified by crystallisation , silica gel filtration or chromatography . the subsequent reduction of the nitrile group yields the aminoalkylxanthines 9 ( diagram 2 , step b ). it may be carried out using a catalyst such as raney nickel and working in methanol , for example , optionally under elevated hydrogen pressure . alternatively , the use of other reducing agents is also possible . according to the invention it is preferable to use boranes , most preferably the boraneldimethylsulphide complex . this reaction is carried out in an inert organic solvent , preferably in an aprotic solvent , most preferably in an ethereal solvent at 20 slightly elevated temperature or at ambient temperature . after the conversion is complete the excess reducing agent is destroyed with water , the solvent is largely distilled off in vacuo and the residue is taken up in an organic , water - immiscible solvent , preferably a halohydrocarbon . after extraction with water the organic phase is dried and the solvent is eliminated in vacuo . the crude product obtained is purified by crystallisation , filtration over silica gel or chromatography . the subsequent transformation of the amino derivatives 9 into the more functionalised carbonylamino derivatives 10 ( diagram 2 , step c ) may be carried out , for example , as described for step v ( see above ). acid amide , carbamate or urea - substituted xanthine derivatives 10 may be obtained accordingly , for example . starting from the cyanoalkylxanthines 8 , the carboxylic acid derivatives 11 may also be synthesised by hydrolysis ( diagram 3 ). by a suitable choice of alkylating reagent , the 3 - nh - free xanthine derivatives 7 may be converted into the hydroxyalkyl - or alkoxyalkyl - substituted compounds 12 ( diagram 4 , step a ). this may be carried out , for example , as described in step v ( see above ). the compounds obtained may be used as starting compounds for preparing the haloalkyl derivatives 13 which in turn may be used as electrophiles in the reaction with primary or secondary amines to obtain the structures 14 . the haloalkyl derivatives 13 may also be used as starting compounds for preparing the thio - compounds 15 and the sulpho - derivatives 16 . by a suitable choice of alkylating reagent , the carboxylic acid esters 17 may also be obtained directly from the xanthine derivatives 7 ( diagram 6 ) and may in turn provide a means of obtaining the corresponding free carboxylic acids , carboxylic acid amides , etc ., by further derivatisation . the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the following examples of synthesis of selected compounds according to the invention , without restricting its scope : 300 g of 6 - amino - 1 ( p - methoxybenzyl )- uracil are taken up in 1200 ml of methanol and mixed with 105 g of nahco 3 . after cooling to 5 ° c ., 66 ml of bromine are added dropwise with stirring . after the conversion is complete ( about 2 hours ) the resulting suspension is suction filtered , the residue is washed with methanol ( 2 × 100 ml ) and the product is isolated in the form of bright yellow crystals ( 374 g , 95 %) ( melting point : 247 ° c .). 374 g of 5 - bromo - 5 - amino - 1 ( p - methoxybenzyl )- uracil are heated to 80 ° c . with 1232 g of benzylamine with stirring . after 2 hours the mixture is cooled to ambient temperature and stirred for a further 16 hours to complete the reaction . the resulting suspension is diluted with 3900 ml of ethanol , boiled and filtered when cool . the resulting product is washed with cold ethanol ( 2 × 100 ml ). bright yellow crystals ( melting point : 230 - 231 ° c . ); yield : 402 g ( 99 %). 53 g of 6 - amino - 5 - benzylamino - 1 ( p - methoxybenzyl )- uracil are suspended in 1100 ml of dichloromethane and 130 ml of dimethylformamide and cooled to 5 ° c . then 46 . 2 g of dimethylaminopyridine and 20 . 9 g of pivalic acid chloride are added successively . after 2 hours &# 39 ; stirring at constant temperature , the mixture is acidified with 4n hcl ( aq .) to ph = 1 , then filtered and washed with water . the aqueous phase of the filtrate is extracted with dichloromethane ( 2 × 200 ml ) and the organic phases obtained are combined . after the organic phase has been dried over mgso 4 and the solvent has been distilled off in vacuo , 38 . 3 g ( 58 %) of crude 5 -( n - pivaloyl - n - benzyl ) amino - 6 - amino - 1 ( p - methoxybenzyl )- uracil are obtained . there is no need to purify the crude product further for the subsequent reaction . 16 . 88 g of 6 - amino - 5 - benzylamino - 1 ( p - methoxybenzyl )- uracil are suspended in 250 ml of dimethylformamide and mixed with 8 . 54 g of dimethylaminopyridine . at 3 - 5 ° c . a solution of 14 . 22 g of noradamantylcarboxylic acid chloride in 32 ml of dimethylformamide is added dropwise . after 24 hours &# 39 ; stirring at constant temperature , the yellowish suspension is heated to ambient temperature over a period of 3 hours and then suction filtered . the residue filtered off is stirred twice with 2n hcl ( aq .) ( for 30 minutes each time ), then filtered and washed with water . the solid remaining is dried for 5 hours at 60 ° c . there is no need for any further purification of the white crystals thus obtained ( mp . 295 - 297 ° c .). yield : 20 . 35 g ( 85 %). 34 . 0 g of 6 - amino - 5 - benzylamino - 1 ( p - methoxybenzyl )- uracil are suspended in 520 ml of dimethylformamide and mixed with 17 g of dimethylaminopyridine . at 5 - 10 ° c ., a solution of 23 . 8 g of 1 ( r )- 2 - endo - 5 - norbomen - 2 - yl - carboxylic acid chloride in 50 ml of dimethylformamide is added dropwise with stirring . after it has all been added the reaction mixture is slowly heated to ambient temperature and then stirred for 12 hours . in order to work it up it is acidified with about 20 ml of 4n hcl ( aq .) and the resulting solution is stirred into about 600 ml of water . the crystals precipitated are cooled , suction filtered and dried in vacuo at 50 ° c . yield : 39 . 6 g ( 74 %; exo : endo - mixture ); mp . : 252 - 254 ° c . ; 53 g of 5 -( n - pivaloyl - n - benzyl ) amino - 6 - amino - 1 ( p - methoxybenzyl )- uracil are suspended in 704 ml of water and 355 ml of ethanol and mixed with 150 ml of 50 % naoh solution ( aq .) and 41 g of ca ( oh ) 2 . the resulting suspension is refluxed for 4 hours and then stirred for a further 3 days at ambient temperature . to work the mixture up it is acidified with hcl solution ( aq ., 4 - 6n ) to ph = 2 . the title compound is isolated in the form of yellow crystals ( 63 . 3 g ; mp . : 170 - 172 ° c .). 600 mg of 6 - amino - 5 -( n - benzyl - n - noradamantylcarbonyl - amino - 1 ( p - methoxybenzyl )- uracil are suspended in 7 ml of water and 3 . 5 ml of ethanol and mixed with 0 . 41 g of ca ( oh ) 2 and 1 . 5 ml of ( 50 % aq .) naoh solution the resulting suspension is refluxed for 4 hours . after it has cooled to ambient temperature , 6 ml of water are added . at 15 ° c . it is acidified with 11 ml of 4n hcl ( aq .). the crystals obtained are suction filtered and washed with water . yield : 470 mg ( 81 %); mp . : 186 - 188 ° c . ); in order to separate off the exo subsidiary diastereomer the crude product was chromatographed on silica gel with dichloromethane : methanol ( 95 : 5 ). yield : 51 %. 63 . 3 g of 7 - benzyl - 8 -( tert . butyl )- 3 -( p - methoxybenzyl )- xanthine are suspended in 1200 ml of dimethylformamide and mixed with 25 . 3 g of k 2 co 3 . after the dropwise addition of 20 . 6 ml of n - propylbromide the mixture is heated to 50 ° c . for 18 hours . then 12 g of k 2 co 3 and 10 ml of n - propylbromide are added . 6 hours later , a further 10 ml of n - propylbromide are added dropwise . after a further 17 hours at constant temperature , the dimethylformamide is distilled off in vacuo , the residue remaining is taken up in water ( 500 ml ) and acidified with 4n hcl solution ( aq .) to ph 1 . the suspension obtained is mixed with 500 ml of dichloromethane , the aqueous phase is separated off and extracted again with dichloromethane ( 3 × 500 ml ). the combined organic phases are washed with water , dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . the crude product obtained ( 51 . 4 g , 74 %) can be purified by silica gel filtration ( ethyl acetate : cyclohexane 1 : 1 ). 470 mg of 7 - benzyl - 3 -( p - methoxybenzyl )- 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- xanthine are suspended in 9 ml of dimethylformamide and mixed with 170 mg of k 2 co 3 . after the dropwise addition of 0 . 11 ml of n - propylbromide , the yellow suspension is stirred for 12 hours at ambient temperature . then a further 100 mg of k 2 co 3 and 0 . 05 ml of n - propylbromide are added dropwise . after 3 hours at constant temperature , the dimethylformamide is distilled off in vacuo . the residue remaining is taken up in 20 ml of dichloromethane and 10 ml of water . the organic phase is washed with water , dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . 520 mg ( 99 %) of the title compound remain in the form of a yellowish oil . 30 . 7 g of 7 - benzyl - 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 3 - p - methoxybenzyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are mixed with 150 ml of trifluoroacetic acid and stirred for 23 hours at 80 ° c . the dark solution obtained is added to 100 ml of ice and extracted with dichloromethane . the organic phase is dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . the crude product remaining is recrystallised from ethanol . yield : 11 . 1 g ( 49 %), bright green crystals ; mp . : 180 - 182 ° c . ; 10 . 2 g of 7 - benzyl - 3 -( p - methoxybenzyl )- 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are taken up in 3 . 5 ml of ethanol and 95 . 7 ml of 90 % aqueous h 2 so 4 and stirred for 20 minutes at 45 ° c . for working up , the mixture is poured onto 200 g of ice and extracted with dichloromethane ( 2 × 200 ml ). the organic phases are combined , dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . the crude product thus obtained is purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane : methanol 97 : 3 ). 2 . 5 g of 7 - benyl - 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are dissolved in 55 ml of dimethylformamide and 0 . 94 g of k 2 co 3 are added . then at ambient temperature 0 . 44 ml of chloroacetonitrile are added . after 1 . 5 hours &# 39 ; stirring at constant temperature the solvent is distilled off in vacuo and the residue remaining is taken up in dichloromethane and washed with water . the organic phase is dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . 3 . 15 g of a yellow oil remain which is purified by flash chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane : methanol 97 : 3 ). 1 . 5 g of 7 - benzyl - 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are dissolved in 40 ml of dimethylformamide and 0 . 57 g of k 2 co 3 are added . then at ambient temperature 0 . 33 ml of 3 - bromopropionitrile are added . after it has all been added the mixture is heated to 100 ° c . the reaction is complete after 16 hours at 100 ° c . and the mixture is cooled to ambient temperature for working up . the solvent is distilled off in vacuo and the residue remaining is taken up in dichloromethane and washed with water . the organic phase is dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . 3 . 15 g of the yellow oil remain which is purified by chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane : methanol 97 : 3 ). yield : 1 . 19 g ( 70 %), yellowish oil . 2 . 64 g of 7 - benzyl - 3 - cyanomethyl - 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are dissolved in 25 ml of tetrahydrofuran . at ambient temperature , 5 ml of borane dimethylsulphide complex ( 2m solution in thf ) are added dropwise and stirring is continued until the reaction is complete ( 4 days ). to destroy the excess reducing reagent , the mixture is cooled in an ice bath and water is slowly added . the solvent is distilled off in vacuo , the residue remaining is taken up in dichloromethane and washed with water . after the combined organic phases have been dried over mgso 4 , the solvent is distilled off in vacuo and the residue remaining ( 2 . 4 g of a yellow oil ) is chromatographed on silica gel ( dichloromethane : methanol 19 : 1 ). yield : 1 . 8 g ( 67 %), yellow oil ; 1 . 8 g of 3 -( 2 - aminoethyl )- 7 - benzyl - 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are dissolved in 20 ml of dichloromethane and mixed with 0 . 64 ml of pyridine . after cooling to 8 - 10 ° c ., 0 . 31 ml of acetyl chloride are added dropwise and the mixture is slowly heated to ambient temperature . after 2 hours it is washed with water and 1n hcl ( aq . ), the organic phase is separated off and dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . the colourless amorphous solid remaining ( 2 . 0 g ) is purified by chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane : methanol 19 : 1 ). 390 mg of 7 - benzyl - 3 -( 2 - cyanoethyl )- 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are dissolved in 1 . 8 ml of conc . h 2 so 4 and stirred for 4 hours at ambient temperature . the mixture is cooled for working up , 5 g of ice are added and the resulting mixture is extracted twice with dichloromethane . the combined organic phases are dried over mgso 4 and evaporated down in vacuo . the crude product remaining ( 400 mg of amorphous colourless solid ) is purified by chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane : methanol 19 : 1 ). yield : 0 . 32 g ( 74 %), amorphous colourless solid . 2 . 0 g of 7 - benzyl - 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are dissolved in 100 ml of dimethylfornamide . after the addition of 0 . 87 g of k 2 co 3 the mixture is heated to 50 ° c . and stirred for 20 minutes . at 40 ° c ., 6 . 0 mmol of 3 - methoxypropylmesylate is added dropwise . after heating to 50 ° c . the mixture is stirred for 7 hours . after a further 16 hours at ambient temperature the solvent is distilled off in vacuo and the residue remaining is taken up in dichloromethane . the organic phase is wa shed with w ater , dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . the crude product remaining ( 2 . 8 g ) is purified by chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane : methanol 97 : 3 ). 0 . 5 g of 7 - benzyl - 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are dissolved in 10 ml of dimethylformamide . after the addition of 0 . 19 g of k 2 co 3 the mixture is stirred at ambient temperature for 15 minutes and then ( 0 . 11 ml ) of 2 - iodoethanol are added dropwise . the resulting suspension is stirred for 12 hours at ambient temperature . for working up , the solvent is distilled off in vacuo the residue remaining is taken up in dichloromethane and the organic phase thus obtained is washed with water and dried over mgso 4 . after the solvent has been distilled off in vacuo , 0 . 96 g ( 99 %) of a yellow oil remain , which can be further reacted without any other purification . 1 . 85 g of 7 - benzyl - 3 -( 3 - methoxypropyl )- 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are dissolved in 40 ml of acetonitrile and then 8 . 8 g of nai and 3 . 12 ml of trimethylchlorosilane are added . the resulting suspension is refluxed and stirred for 3 hours . for working up , the yellow suspension is cooled , diluted with 100 ml of water and extracted 3 times with dichloromethane . the combined organic phases are washed with ( 10 %) sodium thiosulphate solution , dried over mgso 4 and evaporated down in vacua . the remaining 2 . 3 g of a colourless oil are chromatographed on silica gel for purification ( dichloromethane : methanol 97 : 3 ). yield : 2 . 1 g ( 94 %), colourless oil . 2 . 21 g of 3 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- 7h - 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are combined with 12 ml of toluene , 1 . 19 g of tetraiodomethane and 0 . 59 g of triphenylphosphine and refluxed for 6 hours . after cooling , the mixture is diluted with 100 ml of dichloromethane and washed once with water and once with ( 10 %) sodium thiosulphate solution . the organic phase is then dried over mgso 4 , the solvent is distilled off in vacuo and the remaining residue is chromatographed on silica gel ( dichloromethane : methanol 97 : 3 ). 1 . 7 g of 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 3 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are dissolved in 7 ml of dichloromethane , cooled to 5 ° c . and mixed successively with 1 . 7 g of triphenylphosphine and 0 . 8 g of cyanogen iodide . after all has been added the mixture is slowly heated to reflux temperature , stirred for 8 hours at constant temperature and after cooling to ambient temperature stirred for a further 12 hours . the suspension is diluted with 100 ml of dichloromethane and washed twice with 50 ml of water . the organic phase is then dried over mgso 4 , the solvent is distilled off in vacuo and the residue remaining ( 3 . 4 g ) is flash - chromatographed on silica gel ( dichloromethane : methanol 99 : 1 ). yield : 0 . 8 g ( 34 %), colourless amorphous solid . 2 . 1 g of 7 - benzyl - 3 -( 3 - iodo - propyl )- 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl are dissolved in 110 ml of dimethylformamide and after the addition of 0 . 72 g of sodium hydrogen carbonate and 0 . 36 ml of morpholine the mixture is heated to 100 ° c . and stirred for 2 hours at constant temperature . for working up , the solvent is distilled off in vacuo , the residue remaining is taken up in dichloromethane and the organic phase thus obtained is washed with water and dried over mgso 4 . after the solvent has been distilled off in vacuo , 2 . 09 g of a light brown oil remain which is chromatographed on silica gel to purify it . ( dichloromethane : methanol 19 : 1 ). yield : 1 . 19 g ( 50 %), yellow oil . to a solution of 0 . 56 g of koh in 80 ml of ethanol are slowly added 2 . 25 g of 3 -( 2 - iodoethyl )- 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine . then 0 . 32 ml of 2 - mercaptoethanol are added dropwise with stirring and the mixture is refluxed for 2 hours . for working up , the solvent is distilled off in vacuo , the residue remaining is taken up in 28 ml of 2n hcl ( aq .) and extracted twice with dichloromethane . the combined organic phases are dried over mgso 4 . after the solvent has been distilled off in vacuo , 2 . 1 g of a light brown oil remain , which is chromatographed on silica gel to purify it ( dichloromethane : methanol 97 : 3 ). yield : 1 . 23 g ( 61 %), white oil . 2 . 9 g of neutral aluminium oxide are mixed with 0 . 58 ml of water and shaken until a fine powder is formed . then 40 ml of dichloromethane , 5 . 27 g oxone [= 2khso 5 × khso 4 × k 2 hso 4 ] and a solution of 1 . 23 g of 3 -( 2 -( 2 - hydroxyethylmercapto ) ethyl )- 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are added and the resulting mixture is refluxed for 1 . 5 hours . for working up , the mixture is cooled and filtered , the solids separated off are washed thoroughly with 300 ml of dichloromethane / methanol ( 1 : 1 ) and the filtrate obtained is evaporated down in vacuo . the residue remaining ( 1 . 46 g ) is triturated with ether and then chromatographed over a silica gel column ( dichloromethane : methanol 19 : 1 ). 750 mg of 3 -( 2 -( 2 - hydroxyethylsulphonyl ) ethyl )- 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are suspended in 20 ml of dichloromethane , 0 . 24 g of dimethylaminopyridine are added and the mixture is cooled to 5 ° c . at 5 - 7 ° c . 0 . 13 ml of acetyl chloride is added dropwise . after another hour at constant temperature the mixture is brought to ambient temperature and stirred for a further hour . for working up , the mixture is washed twice with water . the combined organic phases are dried over mgso 4 . after the solvent has been distilled off in vacuo , 0 . 8 g of the crude product remain which is chromatographed on silica gel to purify it ( dichloromethane : methanol 97 : 3 ). 5 . 0 g ( 14 . 7 mmol ) of 7 - benzyl - 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are dissolved in 200 ml of dimethylformamide . after the addition of 5 . 36 g of k 2 co 3 , 19 . 6 mmol of methyl 3 - methanesulphonylpropionate are added at ambient temperature and the mixture is then heated to 90 - 100 ° c . after about 20 hours at constant temperature the solvent is distilled off in vacuo and the residue remaining is taken up in dichloromethane . the organic phase is washed with water , dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . the crude product remaining is purified by chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane : methanol 97 : 3 ). 4 . 6 g ( 10 . 8 mmol ) of 7 - benzyl - 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 3 -( 2 - methoxycarbonylethyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are dissolved 50 ml of tetrahydrofuran and 120 ml of water and 3 . 24 g of lioh × h 2 o are added successively with stirring . after about 16 hours &# 39 ; stirring at ambient temperature , the mixture is cooled to about 5 ° c . and adjusted to ph 5 with 2n hcl ( aq .). the organic solvent is largely distilled off in vacuo and the aqueous phase remaining is extracted twice with 150 ml of dichloromethane . the organic phase is dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . the crude product remaining is purified by chromatography on silica gel ( dichloromethane : methanol 90 : 10 ). yield : 3 . 1 g ( 88 %), amorphous solid . 0 . 7 g ( 1 . 7 mmol ) of 7 - benzyl - 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 3 -( 2 - carboxyethyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine are taken up in 20 ml of dimethylformamide and 0 . 19 ml of n - methylpiperazine and 0 . 31 ml of n - ethyl - diisopropylamine are added successively . then , at ambient temperature , 0 . 54 g of tbtu ( 2 -( 1h - benzotriazol - 1 - yl )- 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - tetramethyluronium - tetrafluoroborate ) are added . after about 2 hours &# 39 ; stirring at ambient temperature the mixture is evaporated down in vacuo and the residue remaining is taken up in 100 ml of dichloromethane . the organic phase is washed successively with water ( 50 ml ) and saturated nacl solution ( 50 ml aq . ), dried over mgso 4 and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . yield : 0 . 8 g ( 95 %), yellow oil . 3 . 3 mmol of n - benzyl compound are dissolved in 80 ml of methanol and 52 mmol of ammonium formate and 1 . 32 g of pearlman catalyst are added successively . after the addition has ended , the mixture is refluxed to complete the reaction and suction filtered while hot over silica gel . the filtrate obtained is evaporated to dryness and the residue is purified by crystallisation or chromatography if necessary . 0 . 01 mol of n - benzyl compound are hydrogenated together with 0 . 5 g of palladium on activated charcoal or pearlman catalyst in methanol , tetrahydrofuran or in glacial acetic acid under pressure and optionally at elevated temperature until the reaction is complete . then the catalyst is filtered off , the filtrate is evaporated to dryness and the residue is purified by crystallisation or chromatography if necessary . yield : 80 %; white crystals ; mp . : 241 - 244 ° c . ; method a ; educt : 3 -( 2 - acetamidoethyl )- 7 - benzyl - 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine ; yield : 99 %; white crystals ; mp . : 194 - 195 ° c . ; method a ; educt : 3 -( 2 - acetamidoethyl )- 7 - benzyl - 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine ; yield : 61 %; white crystals ; mp . : 149 - 152 ° c . ; method a ; educt : 3 -( 2 -( n - acetyl - n - methylamino ) ethyl )- 7 - benzyl - 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine ; yield : 89 %; white crystals ; mp . : 260 - 261 ° c . ; method a ; educt : 7 - benzyl - 3 -( 2 - carbamoylethyl )- 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine ; yield : 82 %; white crystals ; mp . : 233 - 234 ° c . ; method a ; educt : 7 - benyl - 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 3 -( 2 - carbamoylethyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine ; 3 -( 2 - carbamoylethyl )- 8 -( 1 ( r )- 2 - endo - norboman - 2 - yl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine yield : 72 %; white crystals ; mp . : 249 - 251 ° c . ; method a ; educt : 7 - benzyl - 3 -( 2 - carbamoylethyl )- 8 -( 1 ( r )- 2 - endo - norboman - 2 - yl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine ; yield : 72 %; colourless solid ; mp . : 161 - 163 ° c . ; method a ; educt : 7 - benzyl - 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 3 -( 2 -( 4 - methylpiperazin - 1 - yl ) carbonylethyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine ; yield : 65 %; colourless solid ; mp . : 135 - 137 ° c . ; method a ; educt : 7 - benzyl - 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 3 -( 2 -( n - morpholino )- carbonylethyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine ; yield : 83 %; colourless solid ; mp . : 176 - 178 ° c . ; method a ; educt : 7 - benzyl - 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 3 -( 2 - n , n - dimethylaminocarbonylethyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine ; yield : 59 %; colourless crystals ; mp . : 206 - 207 ° c . ; method b ; educt : 7 - benzyl - 3 -( 3 -( n - morpholino ) propyl )- 8 -( 1 - noradamantyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine ; yield : 61 %; colourless crystals ; mp . : 172 - 173 ° c . ; method b ; educt : 7 - benzyl - 8 -( tert .- butyl )- 3 -( 3 -( n - morpholino ) propyl )- 1 - n - propyl - xanthine ; the compounds of general formula ( i ) wherein r 1 = n - propyl and r 4 or r 5 = hydrogen listed in table 1 may be using the methods described above or by analogous methods : 1 h - nmr ( 250 mhz ; cdcl 3 ): δ [ ppm ]= 11 . 20 ( 1h , s , broad , nh ); 4 . 62 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 0 hz , — c h 2 — oh ); 4 . 15 ( 2h , m , nc h 2 ch 2 ch 3 ); 3 . 96 ( 2h , m , nc h 2 ch 2 so 2 —); 3 . 80 ( 1h , t , j = 6 . 0 hz , — oh ); 3 . 70 ( 2h , j = 6 . 0 hz , ho — ch 2 c h 2 so 2 —); 3 . 44 ( 2h , m , nch 2 c h 2 so 2 —); 2 . 71 ( 2h , m , nch 2 c h 2 ch 3 ); 2 . 81 - 1 . 67 ( 13h , m , noradamantyl - h ); 0 . 96 ( 3h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz , nch 2 ch 2 c h 3 ). 1 h - nmr ( 250 mhz ; dmso - d6 ): δ [ ppm ]= 13 . 06 ( 1h , s , broad , nh ); 7 . 38 , 6 . 89 ( 2h , 2s , broad , conh 2 ); 4 . 14 ( 2h , m , nc h 2 ch 2 ch 3 ); 3 . 83 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 0 hz , nc h 2 ch 2 conh 2 ); 2 . 50 ( 2h , j = 6 . 0 hz , nch 2 c h 2 conh 2 ); 2 . 66 - 1 . 57 ( 13h , m , noradamantyl - h ); 0 . 86 ( 3h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz , nch 2 ch 2 c h 3 ). 1 h - nmr ( 250 mhz ; dmso - d6 ): δ [ ppm ]= 13 . 00 ( 1h , s , broad , nh ); 7 . 83 ( 1h , t , j = 4 . 5 hz , n h ac ); 4 . 02 ( 2h , m , nc h 2 ch 2 ch 3 ); 3 . 83 ( 2h , t , j = 6 . 0 hz , nc h 2 ch 2 nhac ); 3 . 17 ( 2h , m , nch 2 c h 2 nhac ); 3 . 17 ( 2h , m , nch 2 c h 2 nhac ); 1 . 63 ( 3h , s , nhcoc h 3 ); 1 . 52 ( 2h , m , nch 2 c h 2 ch 3 ); 2 . 62 - 1 . 58 ( 13h , m , noradamantyl - h ); 0 . 87 ( 3h , t , j = 6 . 5 hz , nch 2 ch 2 c h 3 ). the compounds of general formula ( i ) may be used on their own or combined with other active substances according to the invention , possibly also together with other pharmacologically active substances . suitable preparations include , for example , tablets , capsules , suppositories , solutions , syrups , emulsions or dispersible powders . corresponding tablets may be obtained , for example , by mixing the active substance or substances with known excipients such as inert diluents , e . g . calcium carbonate , calcium phosphate or lactose , disintegrants such as corn starch or alginic acid , binders such as starch or gelatine , lubricants such as magnesium stearate or talc , and / or agents for achieving delayed release such as carboxymethyl cellulose , cellulose acetate phthalate or polyvinyl acetate . the tablets may also be made up of several layers . coated tablets may be prepared analogously by coating cores produced in the same way as the tablets with agents conventionally used in tablet coatings , e . g . collidone or shellack , gum arabic , talc , titanium dioxide or sugar . to achieve delayed release or prevent incompatibilities , the core may also be made up of several layers . similarly , the tablet coating may be made up of several layers to achieve delayed release , in which case the excipients used for the tablets may be used . syrups of the active substances according to the invention or combinations of active substances may iadditionally contain a sweetener such as saccharin , cyclamate , glycerol or sugar and a flavouring improving agent , e . g . a flavouring such as vanillin or orange extract . they may also contain suspension adjuvants or thickeners such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose , wetting agents , e . g . condensation products of fatty alcohols with ethylene oxide , or preservatives such as p - hydroxybenzoates . injectable solutions are produced in the usual way , e . g . by adding preservatives such as p - hydroxybenzoates or stabilisers such as alkali metal salts of ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid and are transferred into injection vials or ampoules . the capsules containing one or more active substances or combinations of active substances may be produced by mixing the active substances with inert carriers such as lactose or sorbitol and packing them into gelatine capsules . suitable suppositories may be prepared , for example , by mixing with carriers intended for this purpose such as neutral fats or polyethyleneglycol or derivatives thereof . a therapeutically active daily dose is between 1 and 800 mg , preferably 10 to 300 mg per adult . the examples which follow illustrate the invention without restricting its scope : the finely ground active substance , lactose and some of the corn starch are mixed together . the mixture is screened , and then moistened with a solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone in water , kneaded , moist - granulated and dried . the granules , the remaining corn starch and the magnesium stearate are screened and mixed together . the mixture is compressed into tablets of suitable shape and size . the finely ground active substance , some of the corn starch , lactose , microcrystalline cellulose and polyvinylpyrrolidone are mixed together , the mixture is screened and processed with the remaining corn starch and water to form a granulated material which is dried and screened . the sodium carboxymethyl starch and the magnesium stearate are added to this , then mixed together and the mixture is compressed to form tablets of suitable size . the active substance , corn starch , lactose and polyvinylpyrrolidone are thoroughly mixed and moistened with water . the moist mass is pressed through a 1 mm mesh screen , dried at about 45 ° c . and the granules are then passed through the same screen again . after the addition of magnesium stearate , curved tablet cores measuring 6 mm in diameter are pressed out in a tablet making machine . the tablet cores thus produced are coated in known manner with a covering consisting essentially of sugar and talc . the finished coated tablets are polished withwax . the substance and corn starch are mixed together and moistened with water . the moist mass is screened and dried . the dry granules are screened and mixed with magnesium stearate . the finished mixture is packed into size 1 hard gelatine capsules . the active substance is dissolved at its own ph or optionally at ph 5 . 5 to 6 . 5 in water and sodium chloride is added to render the solution isotonic . the resulting solution is filtered free from pyrogens and the filtrate is transferred under aseptic conditions into ampoules which are subsequently sterilised and sealed by fusion . the ampoules contain 5 mg , 25 mg and 50 mg of active substance . the hard fat is melted . at 40 ° c . the ground active substance is homogeneously dispersed therein . it is cooled to 38 ° c . and poured into slightly chilled suppository moulds . distilled water is heated to 70 ° c . hydroxyethylcellulose is dissolved therein with stirring . after the addition of sorbitol solution and glycerol the mixture is cooled to ambient temperature . at ambient temperature the sorbic acid , flavouring and substance are added . to eliminate air from the suspension it is evacuated with stirring .	2
fig1 is a block diagram of a first preferred embodiment of the subscriber terminal according to the present invention . the subscriber terminal 1 of fig1 can be a mobile station of a mobile communications system , for instance . the subscriber terminal comprises a user interface 2 including for instance a display , a keyboard , a microphone and a loudspeaker . the user of the subscriber terminal 1 , in other words , the service subscriber , can use the user interface to record a new message . the message can include text , speech , an image , a video clip or a multimedia message . images and video clips can be recorded for instance such that the subscriber terminal is connected to a video camera or to a computer terminal , and the message is transferred to the subscriber terminal . alternatively , a camera and / or other recording means are arranged in the subscriber terminal . a text message can be entered by using the keyboard of the subscriber terminal or a separate keyboard attached or connected to the subscriber terminal . alternatively , if the subscriber terminal has a speech control function which makes it possible to give voice commands to the subscriber terminal , it is possible for the user to speak the message into the microphone of the subscriber terminal , in which case the speech control function converts the speech into text . in the following description relating to all the drawings 1 to 3 , it is by way of example assumed that the message is a speech message , although any other message type is also possible according to the present invention . a speech message is recorded with the recorder 3 included in the subscriber terminal . the user of the subscriber terminal first selects a mode for recording speech messages by using the keyboard , and then he speaks the message b into the microphone of the subscriber terminal . the recorded message b is stored in the memory means m 2 together with a message parameter msg 2 identifying the message . in order to activate the message b , the user of the subscriber terminal 1 must first select the mode for connecting a message to a specific profile . in this case , it is assumed that the user wants to define that the message b with the message parameter msg 2 shall be used in connection with the profile ‘ normal ’. this selection can be done with the keyboard , or for instance by voice commands if a speech control function is available . fig1 shows that there are , at that moment , three different profiles available for the subscriber terminal 1 . the parameters associated with these profiles are stored in the memory m 1 . the parameters associated with a profile define how the subscriber terminal functions when the profile in question is selected for use . if the user in the case of fig1 uses the keyboard of the user interface 2 to select for use the profile ‘ normal ’, then the subscriber terminal enters a mode where the sound level 5 ( parameter sound 5 ) will be used for alerting of a terminating call . when the selection is done , the message parameter msg 2 is fed from the memory m 1 to the memory means m 2 in an activation message . thus the message b , with the message parameter msg 2 , will be activated in the memory means m 2 . if a calling subscriber terminal at that moment tries to make a call to the subscriber terminal 1 , and the user of the subscriber terminal 1 does not answer the call within a predefined time period , then the transmitter 4 of the subscriber terminal 1 will transmit the active message b to the calling subscriber terminal . fig1 suggests that the messages and the parameters associated with the different profiles should be stored in different memories . this is naturally only one example of how to store this information . in practice it might be appropriate to store both the parameters associated with the profiles and the messages in the same memory . fig2 is a block diagram illustrating a first preferred embodiment of the telecommunications system according to the present invention . the system shown in fig2 uses a second preferred embodiment of the subscriber terminal of the present invention . the subscriber terminal 1 ′ corresponds to the subscriber terminal 1 described in connection with fig1 , except that the memory means m 2 is not arranged in the subscriber terminal 1 ′, but instead into the network element 5 providing an answering service for the subscriber terminal 1 ′. thus the messages available for use are stored in the network element 5 . when the user of the subscriber terminal 1 ′ selects a profile for use with the user interface 2 , the transmitter 4 of the subscriber terminal 1 ′ transmits an activation message act to the network element 5 . the activation message is naturally transmitted via a base station of the system , but for simplicity only the network element 5 is shown in fig2 . the activation message act transmitted by the subscriber terminal to the network element 5 includes a message parameter indicating the message which should be activated . for instance , when the user of the subscriber terminal has selected the profile ‘ normal ’ for use , then the message parameter msg 2 is included in the activation message act . a control unit 6 of the network element 5 activates the message b when it receives the activation message with the message parameter msg 2 . thus the message b will be transmitted to a calling subscriber terminal for instance when the user of the subscriber terminal 1 ′ does not answer his call . there might naturally also be other predetermined conditions defined for transmitting the activated message , such as when the subscriber terminal is turned off or when the subscriber terminal has another call going on . such conditions can be defined by the user with the message parameters which are transmitted from the subscriber terminal to the network element in the activation message , for instance . when the user wants to record a new message , such as a speech message , he speaks the message into the microphone of the user terminal as described in connection with fig1 . the subscriber terminal then transmits this new message , for instance message b , with associated message parameters , for instance msg 2 , to the network element 5 . the control unit of the network element stores this new message with the associated message parameter into the memory means 5 . in case a message already exists with the same message parameter msg 2 , then the previous message will be replaced by the new message . a new message might be transmitted from the subscriber terminal to the network element immediately when it has been recorded . alternatively , the subscriber terminal 1 ′ can store this new message temporarily in the memory m 1 . the message is stored in the memory m 1 until the user of the subscriber terminal 1 ′ the next time activates a profile using this new message . at that moment , the new message with the associated message parameters is transmitted to the network element 5 in connection with the transmission of the activation message . the control unit 6 will detect the new message , store it in the memory means and activate the message . the network element 5 might be for instance an icas server ( intelligent call answering service ) which is arranged in connection with an mmsc ( multimedia message service center ) in a third - generation mobile communications system . in that case , the activation message and the messages used for storing new messages into the memory means m 2 might be for instance mms messages ( multimedia message service ) where the icas server has been defined as the receiver and an msisdn number ( mobile station isdn number ) or an ip - address has been defined as the sender of the message . a icas server makes it possible to transmit messages of practically any kind , such as text , sound , images or video . according to the present invention , it is sufficient to store the messages of a subscriber terminal only in the memory means m 2 of the network element as described previously . however , further advantages can be obtained in case the messages are also stored in the subscriber terminal . in that case , the user of the subscriber terminal can read , look or listen ( depending on the message type ) to the messages he has stored without a need to establish a contact to the network element . if the subscriber then decides to change one of the messages , this new message can at that moment be stored in the memory of the subscriber terminal only ( indicated by a dotted line in fig2 ), from where it can be transmitted to the network element at an appropriate moment , for instance when the user activates a profile using the new message . fig3 is a block diagram illustrating a second preferred embodiment of the telecommunications system according to the present invention . the embodiment of fig3 corresponds in other aspects to the one in fig2 , but the embodiment of fig3 makes it possible for the user of the subscriber terminal 1 ″ to leave personal messages designated for predefined calling subscriber terminals . thus separate messages can be used for the user &# 39 ; s wife or boss , for instance . in fig3 , the message parameters stored in the memory m 1 ′ of the subscriber terminal 1 ″ and the memory means m 2 ′ of the network element include identifiers id 1 , id 2 and id 3 which identify other subscribers ( or subscriber groups ). the subscriber or subscriber groups can be identified for instance based on the identifiers of the subscriber terminals used by these subscribers . for instance , the identifier id 1 might consist of the msisdn number or of the ip - address of a specific mobile station . the user of the subscriber terminal 1 ″ might for instance have fed these identifiers into his subscriber terminal with the keyboard when he updated the parameters for the different profiles . fig3 shows that there are two simultaneously active messages in the network element 5 ″ due to the fact that the user has selected the profile ‘ meeting ’ for use . when the previously mentioned mobile station attempts to call the subscriber terminal 1 ″, but the user of the subscriber terminal does not answer the call , the call is forwarded to the network element 5 ″. the network element receives the msisdn number of the calling mobile station . at that moment , the control unit 6 of the network element compares the received msisdn number with the identifiers id 1 and id 2 of the activated messages . the result of the comparison indicates a match for the message a ( msg 1 ). thus the control unit 6 will control the network element to transmit the message a to the calling mobile station . however , if the caller had been a subscriber terminal with an msisdn number corresponding to the identifier id 3 , then the transmitted message would instead have been the message b ( msg 2 ). as should be apparent from the previous description , the embodiment of fig3 makes it possible to personalize the messages such that the user of the subscriber terminal can in advance store different messages for different callers in one single profile . it is also possible according to the present invention to store one default message , which will be used in case the msisdn of the calling subscriber does not match any of the identifiers stored for the active messages . fig4 is a block diagram illustrating a third preferred embodiment of the telecommunications system according to the present invention . the embodiment of fig4 is very similar to the one described in connection with fig3 . however , the embodiment of fig4 makes it possible for a service subscriber to include data for a menu in a message stored in the memory means m 2 ″. in fig4 it is assumed that the service subscriber has selected for use a profile ‘ meeting ’ with his subscriber terminal . thus the messages a ′ and ( msg 1 ) and b ( msg 2 ) are active in the memory means m 2 ″. the message a ′ is assumed to include data needed for presenting a menu of available options to a calling subscriber . when a calling subscriber at that moment makes a call attempt to the service subscriber by using the subscriber terminal 7 , the call attempt is routed to the network element 5 ″. it is assumed that the identifier of the subscriber terminal 7 corresponds to the identifier id 1 stored with the message a ′ in the memory means . thus the control unit 6 ′ will control the network element 5 ″ to transmit the message a ′ to the subscriber terminal 7 : it should be observed that the message a ′ is naturally transmitted via a base station of the system to the subscriber terminal 7 , but for simplicity only the network element 5 ″ and the subscriber terminal 7 are shown in fig4 . the message a ′ includes data for presenting a menu of available options for the calling subscriber . thus subscriber terminal 7 will present the menu shown in fig4 on a display of the subscriber terminal 7 . the calling subscriber can then by making a selection from this menu , by using the user interface of the subscriber terminal 7 , indicate to the telecommunications system how he would like to proceed with the call attempt . the subscriber terminal 7 transmits information inf indicating the selection made by the calling subscriber to the network element 5 ″. the network element identifies the selected option and serves the calling subscriber according to the selection information inf . the embodiment of fig4 makes it possible for instance for the calling subscriber to be connected to the secretary of the service subscriber by selecting this option with the user interface of the subscriber terminal 7 . in that case the network element will receive selection information inf indicating that the call should be forwarded to a predetermined number , in other words , to the telephone number of the secretary . the number can be included in the menu data included in the message a ′ which is stored in the memory means m 2 ″. the menu which is presented on the display of the subscriber terminal 7 can also offer the calling subscriber a possibility to select a connection type , such as one the following options : video , voice data and short message ( sms ). thus , if the calling subscriber for instance decides to leave a message , he can select the type of message he wants to leave , such as a video message . if the subscriber terminal 7 is a mobile station with wap ( wireless application protocol ) capabilities then the message including the menu with the available options can be sent to the subscriber terminal by utilizing the wta ( wireless telephony application ) and wap push functionalities before the call is connected . the wta and wap push functionalities are described in more detail for instance in the references : 1 ) ( wap - 165 ) “ wap push architectural overview version 8 , nov . 1999 ”, wireless application protocol forum ltd . 1999 , and 2 ) ( wap - 169 ) “ wap wta , version 8 , nov . 1999 , wireless application protocol wireless telephony application specification ”, wireless application protocol forum , ltd , 1999 . both of the above mentioned references are available over the internet from the address : http :// www . wapforum . org / what / technical . htm . it is to be understood that the above description and the accompanying figures are only intended to illustrate the present invention . it will be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the invention can be varied and modified in many ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed in the attached claims .	7
referring descriptively to the drawing , in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views , the drawing illustrates the improved heat exchanger of the invention generally indicated by reference numeral 10 . referring to fig1 and 3 , the housing consists of a duct 12 wherein a heat exchanger element 22 is positioned offset diagonally in two planes within said duct 12 . influent air 24a of one air stream enters at plenum 50 which has tapered walls defined by the diagonal walls of heat exchanger element 22 generally shown by the line from 1a to 3 as shown in fig1 . the effluent air 24b exits along the other diagonal surface of the heat exchanger element defined by the line from 5 to 6 into plenum 50a encased between partition 18 and 20 . the effluent air then exits out of said duct . a second air stream is designated 26a and 26b and the heat transfer occurs between the aforesaid second air stream and 24a and 24b . the second air stream 26a enters at plenum 51 , as seen in fig6 and is also forced through the heat exchanger element 22 in a cross flow direction to that of flow 24a and 24b . this second air stream exits plenum 51a and 26b . the diagonal offset positioning of the heat exchanger element , when combined with partitions 14 and 20 creates a tapered plenum which maximizes the efficiency of the system . said heat exchanger element 22 is positioned so that its axis extending from the inlet end of the housing duct 12 to the exit end of the said duct 12 extends diagonally in two planes , commonly at 90 ° apart perpendicular to each other within said duct and partitions 14 and 20 are placed along the edges of said element and extend to the corresponding edge of the housing 12 so that the complimentarily tapered inlet and exit plenums are formed . fig6 shows the two air flows in the same direction while fig7 shows the two air flows in opposite direction . fig8 shows the air flows in opposite direction to that shown in fig7 . the duct 12 consists of sides 12a , 12b , 12c and 12d . suitable partitions such as 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 are provided so as to define plenums 50 and 51 in order to separate the two air flows . the plenums direct the flow of air in order to maximize the efficient use of air flows . fig4 shows a typical cross flow heat exchanger element 22 which consists of a series of fins 30 and partitions 28 in order to keep two air flows from mixing together but at the same time allowing the heat transfer to occur . fig5 shows an alternative configuration where the air flow may enter and exit duct 12 from a perpendicular direction 25a and 25b respectively . this is contrasted to the previously described longitudinal direction . the instant invention allows the largest amount of influent air to be directed into the largest cross - sectional area and minimizes the pressure drop as air continues within the tapered plenum defined by the position of the plenum within the element . such would not be the case if said influent air was directed into a constant air passage as is done with conventional heat exchanger housings . the tapered - shaped passageways of chamber plenums 50 , 51 and the reciprocal opposite exit chambers are so shaped to provide the air with an efficient flow passage . air is compressed by the tapered inlet plenums and partitions with respect thereto so that the largest amount of influent air directed into said tapered inlet plenums is directed into said plenums having ever - decreasing cross - sectional areas , thereby yielding a smaller pressure drop than if directed into plenums with constant cross - sectional areas . fig9 refers to the positioning of a plurality of housings in a quad position with two over two . this embodiment is not necessarily limited to a total of four but can be used with any number of heat exchangers in clusters of four . the configuration of the heat exchangers in the quad position maximizes space efficiency . one no longer needs to position heat exchangers serially in one direction . in addition , it is not necessary to utilize ducts connecting one heat exchanger to another heat exchanger so as to facilitate a direction other than serially . the instant invention therefore provides a significantly different approach to the process of heating and cooling input air by a heat exchanger element . when air passes through the heat exchanger element 22 said air exits through an outwardly expanding passageway which is tapered in reverse . this provides for efficient air flow as the volume of air increases with the cross - sectional area of the exit plenum . while the aforementioned structure herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention , it is understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of this invention .	8
the present invention is preferably implemented in software using a graphical user interface ( gui ) front end 100 , a parser 102 , and a database backend 104 , as shown in fig1 . the tasks performed by the gui front end 100 and parser 102 are preferably executed by a processor 106 with the processor preferably being a desktop pc or workstation . through the gui front end 100 , a user can import a list of input variables , output variables , localized internal variables all together with their associated value ranges . next , still using the gui front end , the user can compose and enter a set of logical statements with the defined variables . the logical statements represent the software requirements to be analyzed . the parser 102 provides syntax checking of the logical statements . further , test scenarios for the software requirements represented by the defined logical statements can be entered using the gui front end 100 . the test scenarios may specify initial values for pertinent variables . once the test scenarios are executed against the logical statements , the results can be evaluated to determine whether the software requirements / logical statements functioned as expected . as noted above , it is advantageous to perform these simulations early in the software development lifecycle , most preferably during the software requirement analysis phase . the database 104 , which may be any memory device capable of storing data electronically and interacting with a programmed processor , stores any variables , software requirements , logical representations of software requirements , test scenarios , and simulation results that are produced in the practice of the present invention , as will be explained in more detail below . generally , software requirements are expressed in the form of “ shall ” statements written with respect to the inputs and outputs of a specified processing transformation . the inputs and outputs correspond to real data elements / messages between software and hardware or between software components . software requirements that are related may be grouped together , hierarchically or otherwise , to create a testable group . additionally , software requirements may be accompanied by other representation artifacts such as flow diagrams , state transition tables , or the like . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the software requirements are expressed in the form of “ legally binding ” statements using the emphatic form of a verb . this form has been mandated for large government software contracts in the 1980 &# 39 ; s and 1990 &# 39 ; s and is described in mil - std 490x specification practices as well as dod - std - 2167a , both of which are incorporated herein by reference . these standards for software requirements have been incorporated into many engineering best practices and are readily understood by those of ordinary skill in the art . while the preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes software requirements expressed in the standardized form , it should also be understood that the present invention also encompasses the analysis of software requirements expressed in non - standardized formats . the software requirement may be any software specification which defines both the performance and functionality of the software product . preferably , the software requirement is negotiated and accepted by both the software designer and the customer . requirements may be represented not only textually using formal language ( such as “ shall ” statements ), but may also be represented graphically through models of relationships , data flows and the like . as a way of illustrating the present invention , it is best to describe its operation in the context of a simple software development . from the description to follow of the various guis of the present invention and the processing performed by the present invention , the specific code implementation of the present invention will be readily apparent to those persons having ordinary skill in the art . the exemplary software development is entitled “ fuel tank manager capability ”. its tasks are to ( 1 ) monitor fuel quantity in ( three ) tanks and ( 2 ) control valves that permit fuel flow from the tanks to an engine . tanks a and b are main tanks , while tank c is a backup tank . through control of the valves , the fuel quantity in tanks a and b must be kept approximately even . the valves to any one ( or all ) of the tanks may be commanded to be either open or closed . fuel quantity in each of the tanks is monitored , as is the fuel depletion rate for each tank . from these monitored values , a total fuel quantity and a total fuel depletion rate are also defined . the input variables for such a software development are shown in fig2 in column 120 along with each variable &# 39 ; s range of values in column 122 . the variables crew_cmd_a , crew_cmd_b , and crew_cmd_c correspond to the commanded valve positions ( either closed or open ) for each respective tank a , b , or c . the variables fuel_quantity_a , fuel_quantity_b , and fuel_quantity_c correspond to the input fuel quantities for each respective tank a , b , or c . the value for fuel quantity is a number within the range 0 . 0 to 15 . 0 ( the unit of measurement being gallons ). a shutdown input variable corresponds to a command to immediately close all valves . it is expressed in boolean terms of on or off ( e . g ., true / false or 1 / 0 ). the output variables for the software development are shown in fig3 in column 130 along with each variable &# 39 ; s range of values in column 132 . the variables valve_a_setting , valve_b_setting , and valve_c_setting correspond to the output position ( either closed or open ) of each respective valve for tanks a , b , and c . the output variables fuel_quantity_a , fuel_quantity_b , and fuel_quantity_c correspond to the fuel quantity in each respective tank ( from 0 . 0 to 15 . 0 gallons ), while the output variable fuel_quantity_total represents the sum of the fuel quantities in each tank ( which by derivation may range from 0 . 0 to 45 . 0 gallons ). lastly , the variables fuel_depletion_rate_a , fuel_depletion_rate_b , and fuel_depletion_rate_c correspond to the depletion rate for fuel in each of the respective tanks ( having a value in the range of 0 . 0 to 30 . 0 gallons / hour ), while the variable fuel_depletion_rate_total represents the overall depletion rate for all three tanks ( from 0 . 0 to 50 . 0 gallons / hour ). the relationships among these variables , as specified by the goals of the software development , are expressed as software requirements . fig4 - 8 illustrate the software requirements corresponding to the “ fuel tank manager capability ” described above . the first software requirement 140 is shown in fig4 . as can be seen , software requirement 140 is expressed in “ shall ” form and requires that the fuel tank manager capability calculate and provide the fuel quantity for each tank and the fuel depletion rate for each tank to the crew ( provide output values therefor ) at least once every 60 seconds . items ( a ), ( b ), and ( c ) correspond to identification of how fuel quantities and depletion rates may be determined . software requirement 2 ( identified with reference numeral 142 in fig5 ) states that the fuel tank manager capability shall calculate the difference in fuel quantity between tanks a and b at least once per minute . item ( a ) identifies the formula for calculating this fuel quantity difference . software requirement 3 ( reference numeral 144 in fig6 ) states that the fuel tank manager capability shall maintain parity between the fuel quantities in tanks a and b within 0 . 25 gallons . the value diff_f a calculated under software requirement 2 is used to make the parity determination . item ( a ) of software requirement 3 specifies how parity is to be achieved — through control of the positions of the valves for tanks a and b . if the absolute value of diff_f a is less than 0 . 25 ( meaning that tank a &# 39 ; s fuel quantity is within tank b &# 39 ; s fuel quantity by plus or minus 0 . 25 gallons ), then the values for both variables valve_a_setting and valve_b_setting are set equal to open . if diff_f a is greater than 0 . 25 ( meaning that the fuel quantity in tank a has surpassed the fuel quantity in tank b by more than 0 . 25 gallons ) then the value for the variable valve_a_setting is set to closed and the value for the variable value_b_setting is set to open . it is intended that the system needs to continue fuel outflow from tank a while stopping the outflow of fuel from tank b to thereby allow the fuel quantities to approach equality with respect to each other . however , the requirement contains an exemplary intentional error by specifying the reverse ; fuel outflow from tank a is stopped while allowing the outflow of fuel to continue from tank b . the present invention will operate to bring this error to the attention of a user . if diff_f a is less than − 0 . 25 ( meaning that the fuel quantity in tank b has surpassed the fuel quantity in tank a by more than 0 . 25 gallons ) then the value for the variable valve_a_setting is set to open and the value for the variable value_b_setting is set to closed . it is intended that the system needs to continue fuel outflow from tank b while stopping the outflow of fuel from tank a to thereby allow the fuel quantities to approach equality with respect to each other . however , by specifying the reverse , the requirement contains an exemplary intentional error that the present invention will uncover ; fuel outflow from tank b is stopped while allowing the outflow of fuel to continue from tank a . therefore , depending upon the value of diff_f a , as determined from the tanks &# 39 ; respective fuel quantities , software requirement 3 governs the values for the variables valve_a_setting and valve_b_setting . software requirement 4 ( reference numeral 146 in fig7 ) states that when the fuel in tanks a and b is exhausted , the fuel tank manager capability shall provide fuel from backup tank c . item ( a ) defines when tanks a and b are deemed exhausted ( when their respectively fuel quantity variables possess a value less than 0 . 25 ). item ( b ) notes that fuel is provided from tank c by setting the value of the variable valve_c_setting to open . software requirements 5 , 6 , and 7 are shown illustratively in fig8 as reference numeral 148 . software requirement 5 states that when the system is at start - up , the fuel tank manager capability shall command fuel flow from tanks a and b . software requirement 6 states that when a fuel flow command is received from the crew , the fuel tank manager capability shall command the appropriate settings for the valves . software requirement 7 states that when the system shuts down , the fuel tank manager capability shall command that fuel flow be stopped from all three tanks . item ( a ) notes that fuel flow is commanded by setting the variables valve_a_setting , valve_b_setting , and valve_c_setting to the appropriate value ( open / closed ). item ( b ) notes that the fuel flow commands are received from the crew in the form of values for the variables crew_cmd_a , crew_cmd_b , and crew_cmd_c . the goal of the present invention is to test the viability of these software requirements . toward this end , the software requirements logic analyzer ( srla ) tool of the present invention has been developed . preferably , the srla tool is a ms access database application supported by ms visual basic modules . however , as should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art , alternate means of implementation using other programming languages , database applications , or the like may be used . [ 0060 ] fig9 illustrates an initial gui 200 presented to a user upon accessing the srla tool . from the initial gui 200 , the user is presented with a variety of options , including options to ( 1 ) add / edit variables and their related parameters through selection of icon 202 , ( 2 ) add / edit / enter software requirements , both in their original forms ( as shown in fig4 - 8 ) or in their logical representation form ( as will be discussed below ), through selection of icon 204 , ( 3 ) perform group management tasks , such as grouping related software requirements and variables into testable groups , through selection of icon 206 , ( 4 ) create / edit test scenarios by selecting any software requirements or groups and setting their initial and expected variable values ( via selection of icon 208 ), and ( 5 ) run scenarios to execute tests of created scenarios on the software requirements ( via selection of icon 210 ). the user also preferably is given the option of exiting the srla tool through selection of icon 212 . [ 0061 ] fig1 illustrates a gui 220 for user definition of variables . the user can enter a variable name in variable name field 222 ( in this example , the entered variable name is crew_cmd_a ). preferably , each variable is assigned a data type that identifies the allowable values that the variable may possess . icon 232 may be selected to add a new data type to the system . in the example of fig1 , the selected data type for crew_cmd_a is “ setting_type ” which exhibits potential values of “ open ” or “ closed ”. fig1 illustrates the gui 240 for data type addition . the user may specify a name for the data type in field 242 . additionally , a description for the data type may be added in field 244 . lastly , the potential values for the data type can be entered in field 246 . in the example of fig1 , the data type name is “ setting_type ” and its enumerated values in field 246 are “ open ” and “ closed ”. returning to fig1 , it can be seen that these values populate the value field 228 upon selection of the data type “ setting_type ” in field 224 . further , a drop down menu of available data types may be accessed upon selection of arrow 234 , a technique well known in the art . upon selection of a data type listed in the drop down menu , field 228 is automatically populated with the values associated with the data type . further , it should be noted that selection of the “ edit data type ” icon 230 will call gui 240 to the user &# 39 ; s screen with its fields already populated with the attributes of the data type to be edited . gui 220 also preferably includes a type field 226 that allows the user to identify the variable as either an input variable , an output variable , an input / output variable , or a local / internal variable . through selection of icon 236 , the user can view a table listing all entered variables . fig1 shows a gui 250 depicting such a table . column 252 of the table identifies each variable &# 39 ; s name . column 254 identifies each variable &# 39 ; s type . the variables crew_cmd_a , crew_cmd_b , crew_cmd_c , and shutdown are denoted as input variables . the variables fuel_depletion_rate_a , fuel_depletion_rate_b , fuel_depletion_rate_c , fuel_depletion_rate_total , fuel_quantity_total , valve_a_setting , valve_b_setting , and valve_c_setting are denoted as output variables . the variables crew_cmd_a_recvd , crew_cmd_b_recvd , crew_cmd_c_recvd , diff_fa , one_minute_trigger , previous_fuel_quant_a , previous_fuel_quant_b , previous_fuel_quant_c , previous_fuel_quant_total , and startup are denoted as local variables . lastly , the variables fuel_quantity_a , fuel_quantity_b , and fuel_quantity_c are denoted as input / output variables . column 256 identifies each variable &# 39 ; s data type ( either setting_type , boolean , or float in this example ). [ 0063 ] fig1 depicts a preferred gui 260 for entry of software requirements . the software requirements entered via gui 260 are the software requirements that are analyzed by the present invention . the text box 262 , which is labeled pui for project unique identifier , contains a name for the requirement . preferably , the user enters the software requirement as text in the rtext box 266 . as can be seen in fig1 , the entered software requirement is software requirement 1 from fig4 . once the software requirement is entered in a textual format in box 266 , the user preferably translates the requirement text to a logical format that is parsable into programming code . a preferable logical format for the present invention is a pseudo - code or grammar that specifies an unambiguous set of rules for a language , such as structured requirements language ( srl ) described i more detail hereinafter . a copy of the backus naur form ( bnf ) version of srl is attached in appendix a . the srl version of the software requirement of box 266 is shown in srl box 268 . as can be seen , the logical expression of software requirement 1 is an if statement followed by four equations for calculating the tanks &# 39 ; overall fuel quantity and individual fuel depletion rates . the condition found in software requirement 1 that the quantity and depletion rates be calculated once per minute is expressed as an “ if ” statement using the variable “ one_minute_trigger ” ( which is configured to exhibit the value “ true ” every 60 seconds ). thus , according to the logical expression of software requirement 1 , whenever one_minute_trigger goes true , the variables fuel_quantity_total , fuel_depletion_rate_a , fuel_depletion_rate_b , and fuel_depletion_rate_c are calculated . the software requirement &# 39 ; s logical expression is written in terms of input / output / local variables and their potential values . srl uses operators borrowed from programming languages to create the logical relationships , such as “:=” for assigning a value to a variable , “=”, “& lt ;”, etc . as comparison operators , and “*” as a multiplication operator . the user can preferably quickly import variables to the srl box 268 using the “ add variables ” icon 270 . using a drop down menu ( not shown ) accessed by arrow 274 and shown in box 272 , the user can select variables for entry into the srl box 268 . preferably , the drop down menu accessed by arrow 274 is populated with all of the variables previously entered by the user for the software capability . further , the user can also import values into the srl box that are associated with each variable using the “ associated values ” icon 276 . for example , when the variable one_minute_trigger is added , either of its associated values true and false ( one_minute_trigger &# 39 ; s data type is boolean ) can be quickly imported into the srl box 268 . using arrow 280 , the user can access a drop down menu ( not shown ) that is populated with available values for the variable . as can be seen in fig1 , the value true has been selected for one_minute_trigger . by providing the “ associated values ” tool of icon 276 , text box 278 , and arrow 280 ( with drop down menu ), the likelihood of user entry of a variable value that is not permitted for the variable is decreased because the user will have a list of acceptable values presented to him / her for entry . the “ refresh ” icon 284 may be selected by the user to refresh all of the variables and values selected for the software requirement . srl is a simple lightweight programming language that supports case statements , lookup tables , nested logical expressions , and mathematical equations . behind the srl is a grammar specification and parser , preferably created using the norken technologies programmar ® parser generator manufactured by norken technologies of flower mound , tex . it should be noted , however , that other parser generators may be used in the practice of the present invention . the parser parses the logical expression against a definition of the grammar to determine whether the logical expression is valid . the parser then breaks a valid srl expression into nodes on a tree . thereafter , a software module ( preferably a visual basic module , although other coding languages may be used ) traverses the nodes in the tree using a recursive descent algorithm . this visual basic module then evaluates the srl expression according to a user - defined scenario , as will be explained in more detail below . srl grammar is extensible , and both the srl database and its visual basic module set can be extended to handle more complex data structures and operations . however , it is preferred by the inventors that the complexity of srl be kept to a minimum . first , it is preferred that the srl capabilities be kept within the widest possible range of users . second , when testing software requirements at the software requirements analysis phase of the software development cycle , it is preferred that complexity be kept to a minimum because such time - consuming details are to be undertaken in later development phases only after the high level concepts are found feasible . a preferred target user of the present invention is not necessarily a software engineer but rather a systems engineer or a test engineer , often trained in fields such as electrical , mechanical or aeronautical engineering , or physics . the user is preferably focused on what the software capability must deliver , and not on how it will be done . the purpose of software requirement testing is not to develop idealized code for the software requirement , but rather to test the feasibility of high level design concepts . while the software requirements will undoubtedly most likely employ a wide range of logical and mathematical expressions ( such as the operators discussed above ), the srl tool seeks to maintain the expressions in procedural nature rather than an algorithmic nature . as an aid in ensuring that the srl expression uses proper syntax , a “ check syntax ” icon 286 is provided . upon selection of the check syntax icon 286 , the parser operates on the logical expression in box 268 to check for syntax errors . any errors are preferably brought to the user &# 39 ; s attention for correction . as each software requirement is entered into the database as a logical expression , the user can view the logical representations of the software requirements in gui 290 shown in fig1 ( a )-( c ). the logical representation 292 of software requirement 1 can be seen in fig1 ( a ). fig1 ( b ) shows the logical representations 294 , 296 , and 298 of , respectively , software requirements 2 , 3 , and 4 . lastly , fig1 ( c ) shows the logical representations 300 , 302 , and 304 of , respectively , software requirements 5 , 6 , and 7 . for testing purposes , one or more software requirements may be related . that is , the analysis of one software requirement may depend upon whether another software requirement is functioning properly . for example , it can be said that software requirements 2 and 3 are related . software requirement 3 seeks to maintain fuel quantity parity between tanks a and b , and does so based on the value of the fuel quantity differential variable diff_f a . software requirement 2 defines how diff_f a is calculated . thus , it is preferable to test software requirements 2 and 3 as a group because if diff_f a is improperly defined by software requirement 2 , the feasibility of software requirement 3 cannot be independently evaluated . toward this end , the present invention provides a tool for associating related software requirements into testable groups . [ 0071 ] fig1 is a screenshot of a preferred groups management gui 310 . using gui 310 , the user may create a group of related requirements for testing . text box 320 allows the user to enter a group name . arrow 322 allows the user to select a group through access to a drop down menu ( not shown ) populated with previously created groups for the software capability . new groups may be added to the database upon selection of the “ add new group ” icon 314 . in this example , wherein a group for the related software requirements 2 and 3 is created , the name of the group is “ wing tank balance ”. preferably , the user also enters a text description of the group in box 312 . using tabs 316 and 318 , the user can respectively control the requirements and variables for the group . in fig1 , tab 316 is active ( for control of the group &# 39 ; s software requirements ). box 324 is populated with the software requirements found in the database for the software capability . using arrow 326 , the user can add any of those software requirements to the group . box 330 lists the software requirements the user has added to the group . in this example , it can be seen that the group “ wing tank balance ” comprises software requirements 2 and 3 . the hierarchical or ordinal relationship between the software requirements making up the group are shown in column 330 of box 328 . in this example , software requirement 2 is of order 1 while software requirement 2 is of order 2 because software requirement 3 is conditional upon software requirement 2 ( because software requirement 3 uses the value of the variable calculated by software requirement 2 to guide its decision - making on valve settings ). ordering arrows 334 and 336 are preferably used to set each software requirement &# 39 ; s ordinal value . however , it should be noted that ordinal value could be automatically set by the order in which software requirements are added to the group via selection with arrow icon 326 . arrow icon 332 is for deleting a requirement from the group . [ 0073 ] fig1 is a screenshot depicting the gui 340 for groups management when the user has selected the variables folder tab 318 . box 342 in gui 340 identifies all variables available of for inclusion in the group . through selection of a variable in box 342 and selection of arrow icon 344 , the user can designate group variables , which are shown in box 346 . a group variable may be deleted from the group upon selection of arrow icon 348 . it should be noted that the variable control provided in the variable folder of gui 340 may be modified through automatic loading of variables upon user selection of requirements with the requirement folder of gui 340 . that is , once the requirements of the group have been selected by the user ( see fig1 and accompanying description ), the group variables in box 346 would be automatically defined . further , upon selection of the “ update scenarios ” icon 350 any scenarios that are affected by modification of variables through the group management gui will have their settings altered . for variables deleted from the group , corresponding references to those variables found in a scenario are deleted . for new group variables , initial / expected values will need to be defined . with the present invention , once a software requirement or a software requirement group has been established , that requirement or group may be tested using a user - specified test scenario . the user defines a test scenario using the test scenario entry gui 360 depicted in fig1 . when defining a test scenario , the user preferably specifies at least initial values for the variables of a software requirement , and more preferably , specifies both initial values for variables as well as the expected values for the variables upon successful operation of the software requirement . using gui 360 , the user can enter a name for the test scenario in box 362 . in this example , where the wing tank balance group is having a test scenario defined therefor , the test scenario name is “ fuel tank balance 1 ”. preferably , the user is also provided text box 364 in which he / she can enter a description of the test scenario . each test scenario may also be assigned an id number 368 , which may be assigned by the user or automatically by the software . further , the software requirement or testable group for which the test scenario is created is specified by the user in the box 366 . through selection of arrow 394 , a drop down menu ( not shown ) can be accessed that lists software requirements or groups that are available for selection . the “ update scenario ” icon 370 is selectable by the user to ensure that the scenario attributes in the database are current with what was modified on the screen . the “ copy scenario ” icon 372 is selectable by the user to copy the attributes of the present test scenario into a new test scenario . the “ delete scenario ” icon 374 is selectable by the user to delete the present scenario from the database . lastly , the “ update variables ” icon is selectable by the user to automatically populate box 378 with the variables of the software requirement or group identified in box 366 . variable box 378 identifies the variable attributes associated with the test scenario . each variable entry in box 378 is accompanied by a corresponding initial value 380 and expected value 382 . the initial and expected values for the variable identified in field 384 may be entered by the user in fields 386 and 388 respectively . preferably , field 384 is automatically populated with a variable in box 378 that is selected by the user . however , the user may also type that variable name into field 384 . the initial variable value specifies the value that a particular variable is to possess at the start of testing , while the expected variable value specifies the value for the particular variable that is expected at the conclusion of successful operation of the software requirement or group . the field 390 identifies the data type for the variable whose initial and expected values are being edited . in the example of fig1 , the variable whose initial and expected values are being edited is named diff_f a . the initial value for diff_f a is specified as 0 and the expected value of diff_f a upon completion of testing is 0 . 26 ( because the quantities for tanks a and b are initially 13 . 26 and 13 respectively , meaning that if diff_f a is properly calculated , its value will be 0 . 26 . the “ commit changes ” icon loads the values in boxes 386 and 388 into box 378 . upon review of software requirements 2 and 3 , when the initial variable values are : ( 1 ) 0 for diff_f a , ( 2 ) 13 . 26 for fuel_quantity_a , ( 3 ) 13 for fuel_quantity_b , ( 4 ) true for one_minute_trigger , ( 5 ) open for valve_a_setting , and ( 6 ) open for valve_b_setting , the following variable values are expected upon successful operation of software requirements 2 and 3 : ( 1 ) diff_f a will be 0 . 26 ( the difference between the fuel quantities in tanks a and b ), ( 2 ) 13 . 26 for fuel_quantity_a , ( 3 ) 13 . 0 for fuel_quantity_b , ( 4 ) true for one_minute_trigger , ( 5 ) open for valve_a_setting , and ( 6 ) closed for valve_b_setting , as would be expected in order to achieve parity between the fuel quantities in tanks a and b as mandated by software requirement 3 . using the “ run scenario ” feature of the present invention , the test scenario shown in fig1 can be tested against the logical representations of software requirements 2 and 3 ( which have been grouped together as the software requirement group wing tank balance ). when testing a software requirement or a group with a test scenario , the parser processes the srl form of the requirement / group ( as described above ) to create nodes on a tree , as is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art , and a software module , preferably the visual basic module described above , thereafter operates on the parsed requirement / group using the initial values . the preferred visual basic module traverses the nodes in the tree using a recursive descent algorithm as described below in connection with fig1 . [ 0081 ] fig1 is a screenshot depicting a preferred gui 400 for running a scenario . the name of the scenario to be tested is preferably entered by the user in field 402 , either through typing or selection from a drop down menu ( not shown ) that is populated with a list of test scenarios created for the software capability and accessed by arrow 404 . further , box 406 is preferably automatically populated with the software requirement or group that is associated with the selected test scenario . alternatively , if no test scenario has been selected , the user may enter the name of the requirement / group in field 406 either through typing or selection from a drop down menu ( not shown ) that is populated with a list of requirements / groups created for the software capability and accessed by arrow 408 . in such cases , it is preferable that the drop down menu accessed by arrow 404 be limited to any test scenarios associated with the selected requirement / group . upon selection of a test scenario and a requirement / group to be analyzed , box 410 of gui 400 identifies the software requirement ( s ) to be tested including each requirement &# 39 ; s ordinal value 412 ( if a group is being tested ). further , box 418 of gui 400 identifies the variable names , variable initial values , and variable expected values for the test scenario . preferably , box 418 depicts the same table as shown in box 378 of gui 360 ( see fig1 ). further still , the user is also provided with opportunities to further edit either the software requirement / group and / or the test scenario . upon selection of the “ modify group ” icon 414 , the groups management gui 310 ( see fig1 ) is launched . upon selection of the “ modify scenario ” icon 416 , the scenario entry gui 360 is launched . the modify icons 414 and 416 on gui 400 allow the user to easily navigate among features of the present invention as needed . lastly , once the user feels that the requirement / group is ready for evaluation with the test scenario , he / she may select the “ evaluate srl ” icon 422 . once icon 422 has been selected , the requirement / group values are assigned their initial values as specified by the test scenario , and the logic of the srl is processed with any transformation of variable values being recorded . [ 0085 ] fig1 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process for evaluating a software requirement / group . at step 1000 , the user selects the “ evaluate srl ” icon 422 from gui 400 ( see fig1 ), to thereby launch the srl evaluation . when the evaluation is launched , a requirement or group of requirements are identified , along with their corresponding variables , both with initial and expected values . at step 1002 , for evaluating groups , the process identifies each requirement in the group and the processing order for those requirements . next , at step 1004 , the database 104 is queried to obtain the srl version of the requirement identified for processing at step 1002 . the database 104 returns not only the srl version of the requirement , but also the requirement &# 39 ; s variables , the variables &# 39 ; initial values , and the variables &# 39 ; expected values . next , at step 1006 , the returned srl is read and passed to parser 102 . parser 102 parses the srl expression and returns a parse tree , which is a data structure organized by grammatical elements of the language , as is known in the art . portions of the srl expression ( known as tokens ) are placed in specific positions of this tree structure . at step 1008 , the returned parse tree is read to identify what actions are to be performed . the parse tree &# 39 ; s structure not only provides for this information , but also allows for systematic and comprehensive traversal . certain positions in the tree structure comprise discrete processing units , known as nodes , where the software module can reference and act upon variables . as the parse tree is traversed and a node is identified ( step 1010 ), the module is called ( step 1012 ) to perform the processing logic for the identified node . variables to be referenced or acted upon are passed in and out of the node module as parameters during step 1012 . during this step , variables new values are computed according to the logic of the srl . at step 1014 , the process returns to step 1008 and traverses any remaining nodes in the parse tree . once each node of the parse tree has been processed , at step 1016 the variable values returned from previous iterations of step 1012 are returned to the database 104 . thus , any subsequent requirements to be evaluated for the group will have access to current variable values . at step 1018 , the process checks whether any additional requirements for the group still need to be evaluated . if so , the process returns to step 1002 to identify the next requirement of the group . otherwise , the process ends at step 1020 . at this point , a user can view the results of the evaluation , as described below . after processing the srl with the test scenario , the simulation results of the evaluation can be viewed using the “ show results ” aspect of the present invention ( upon selection of the “ show results ” icon 424 of gui 400 ( see fig1 )). fig2 ( a ) shows a scenario output report 430 that is created upon evaluation of a requirement / group . report 430 identifies each software requirement tested in column 432 as well as the values 434 exhibited by the variables at the conclusion of the test . in this example , it can be seen that , at the conclusion of testing software requirement 2 with the fuel tank balance 1 scenario , the value for diff_f a was 0 . 259999 . . . ( which closely approximates the expected value of 0 . 26 ), the value for fuel_quantity_a was 13 . 26 ( as expected ), the value for fuel_quantity_b was 13 . 0 ( as expected ), the value for one_minute_trigger was true ( as expected ), and the values for valve_setting_a and valve_setting_b were both open ( as expected ). further , at the conclusion of testing software requirement 3 with the fuel tank balance 1 scenario , the value for diff_f a was 0 . 259999 . . . ( which closely approximates the expected value of 0 . 26 ), the value for fuel_quantity_a was 13 . 26 ( as expected ), the value for fuel_quantity_b was 13 . 0 ( as expected ), the value for one_minute_trigger was true ( as expected ), the value for valve_setting_a was closed ( which was not as expected ), and the value for valve_setting_b was open ( also not as expected ). essentially , when the fuel quantity in tank a exceeded the fuel quantity in tank b by more than 0 . 25 , the value of valve_setting_a became closed as defined by the table software requirement 3 ( see fig6 ). however , this result is not expected in order to achieve parity of fuel quantity between tanks a and b , thus revealing an error in software requirement 3 that needs correction . further , report 430 is preferably provided with an export icon 436 that , upon selection , exports the scenario output report to a spreadsheet program such as microsoft excel , which allows for generation of a report capable of manipulation in a format familiar to many users . further examples of simulation results can be seen in fig2 ( b ) and ( c ). fig2 ( b ) shows an output report 430 for a test scenario wherein the fuel quantity in tank a exceeds that of tank b by only 0 . 25 . under such situations , it would be expected that the setting for valve_a_setting remain open ( as per software requirement 3 shown in fig6 ). judging from scenario output report 430 in fig2 ( b ) that expected result was successfully achieved . fig2 ( c ) shows a simulation report 430 for a test scenario wherein the fuel quantity in tank b exceeds that of tank a by 0 . 5 . under such situations , it would be expected that the setting for valve_a_setting would transition from open to closed in order to achieve fuel quantity parity as mandated by software requirement 3 . the scenario output report 430 in fig2 ( c ), shows that this expected result was not achieved , again indicating the error in the table for software requirement 3 ( see fig6 ). further , it may be preferable for the scenario output reports to also identify each test scenario &# 39 ; s expected variable values to thereby aid the user in quickly assessing whether the logical expression of the requirement / group properly functioned . as described herein , the present invention represents a valuable tool for evaluating a set of software requirements early in the software development life cycle . the information generated by the present invention , from a library of test scenarios to a set of reports detailing the results of requirements analysis , prove helpful in guiding the design of software through subsequent development phases . while the present invention has been described above in relation to its preferred embodiment , various modifications may be made thereto that still fall within the invention &# 39 ; s scope , as would be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art . for example , the present invention describes a manual requirements translation process wherein the user first enters the text of the software requirement and then enters the software requirement in a parsable logical format ( such as srl ). however , it may be the case that a practitioner of the present invention wishes to avoid the textual description of the software requirement and only enter the requirement in its logical format . while such a technique misses out on the benefit of having and storing a version of the software requirement that is easily understood ( it is in relatively plain english ), efficiency can be enhanced through the elimination of a step . further , by having the software requirement expressed in english , any clarity problems that may exist in the software requirement can be recognized and resolved as the user attempts to translate it to a logical format . as such , the translation process can drive improvements in the requirement &# 39 ; s plain english representation . also , the inventors herein envision that an automated process for translating software requirements from plain english to their logical formats may be used in the practice of the present invention as improvements in natural language parsers continue and as systems engineers adopt a more structured and consistent language convention in their specifications . further , the scenario output reports may be provided with “ step ” details that show path traversal and expected results when multiple requirements are tested and a given variable undergoes more than one change . similarly , the scenario creation modes may be modified to allow a given variable to step through a range of values during execution of a given test scenario to further streamline the testing process . also , as mentioned previously , the software requirements can be expressed logically using more complex algorithmic operators , although that is not preferred . moreover , the user - friendliness of the requirement entry gui 260 may be enhanced by using a parsing tool to process the textual software requirement within box 266 ( see fig1 ) and create a skeleton srl in box 268 that is automatically populated with the requirement &# 39 ; s variables and enumerated values . such a skeleton srl may be used by a practitioner of the invention as a helpful starting point in creating a final version of the requirement srl . further still , while it is preferred that the present invention be implemented on a conventional desktop pc or workstation , alternative implementation frameworks exist , as illustrated by fig2 ( a ) and ( b ). fig2 ( a ) illustrates an embodiment wherein the database 104 is a server accessible by a plurality of computers 502 over a network 500 . the network 500 may be any of a variety of networks , such as a local area network ( lan ), the internet , etc . the processor 106 that executes the programming embodying the present invention may be part of the computers 502 . this embodiment allows users to easily share any software requirements , test scenarios , variables and the like among each other by virtue of the common network - accessible database . fig2 ( b ) illustrates an alternative embodiment wherein the computers 502 access an application server 504 over the network 500 to execute the tasks of the present invention . the programming of the present invention is accessible on the application server 504 for execution by the computers 502 . application server 504 also interacts with database 104 as needed . these examples represent but two possible frameworks for implementing the present invention . these and other modifications to the invention will be recognizable upon review of the teachings herein . as such , the full scope of the present invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims and their legal equivalents .	6
preferably , the centrifuge tube used is precision made . in other words , the inner diameter of the tube should be essentially uniform . the degree of acceptable variance in this regard depends on the precision and accuracy desired . generally , the precision of the present invention is limited to twice the variance in the centrifuge tube inner diameter consistency . the capillary tube used preferably has a small inner diameter and a volume of no more than about twice that of the desired sample size so that the area in which flow can occur is as small as possible . the end of the capillary tube which is to be inserted into the centrifuge tube is outwardly flared , preferably at an angle of about 30 ° 60 ° from the vertical axis . the outward flare or conical configuration help to minimize the removal of liquid from the center portion of the centrifuge tube at a faster rate than from the sides of the centrifuge tube , and thereby serves to minimize undesirable mixing of adjacent horizontal layers of liquid . both the capillary tube and the centrifuge tube should be supported so that they stand along the same vertical axis . the capillary tube is vertically lowered , or the upright centrifuge tube raised , so that the capillary tube is inserted , flared end down , into the upright centrifuge tube by a suitable means for precision movement . the means for precision movement need only move the centrifuge tube along the vertical axis relative to the capillary tube . thus , either the capillary tube , the centrifuge tube or both may actually be moved . a starting point is obtained and a measurement of the vertical distance moved by the capillary tube or centrifuge tube is taken by any well - known suitable means , such as a calibrated micrometer directly connected to the means for lowering the capillary tube . as the capillary tube is inserted into the centrifuge tube , an o - ring on the capillary tube , positioned just above the flared end , sealingly engages the inside surface of the centrifuge tube and provides positive pressure upon the liquid therein . as the capillary tube is further inserted and its depth within the centrifuge tube increased , this positive pressure forces the surface fraction of liquid into and through the capillary tube and finally into a chamber connected to the non - flared upper end of the capillary tube . in addition to an opening connecting the chamber to the capillary tube , the chamber has an exit port and an entrance port providing for the horizontal movement ( transverse to the vertical axis ) of fluid from the entrance port to the exit port . the entrance port is connected to a pump for applying horizontal fluid pressure within the chamber . this horizontal fluid pressure forces any liquid within the chamber through the exit port . the exit port is connected to a standard fraction collector . from the above description , it can be seen that little or no mixing of flow occurs in the centrifugal tube during the removal of fractions . of course , significant flow and mixing does occur in the capillary tube . nevertheless , because of the relatively small diameter and small volume of the capillary tube relative to the desired sample size , the effect of this mixing on precision and accuracy are almost negligible . to this end , the ratio of the cross - sectional area of the chamber to the internal cross - sectional area of the capillary tube is preferably at least about 10 : 1 . obviously , larger ratios of cross - sectional areas may be used , depending on the degree to which the fraction is to be diluted with chase fluid . in a preferred embodiment 10 , as shown in fig1 the means to move the centrifuge tube 11 ( preferably a high precision quartz tube ) or capillary tube relatively closer to each other along a vertical axis is a precision screw drive 12 coupled by means of a transmission ( not shown ) to a stepping motor ( 52 in fig2 ). using this apparatus , elevation of the centrifuge tube can be controlled to ± 0 . 0003 cm . a stationary fluid removal port 14 consists of two sections joined as illustrated in fig1 . the upper section of the port is a block 16 ( suitably formed of lucite , plexiglas or other machinable rigid plastic , preferably transparent ) containing a chamber 17 defined by a horizontal capillary 18 of 1 mm diameter between two opposing fittings 20 , 22 for the connection of external tubing . the lower section of the port is a vertically mounted stainless steel cylinder 24 , desirably of stainless steel , of 3 . 1 mm od , housing a capillary 25 of 0 . 3 mm diameter along the cylindrical axis . an o - ring 26 seated at the bottom end of the cylinder provides a gas - and liquid - tight seal when the cylinder is inserted into the mouth of a miniature quartz centrfuge tube 11 . an outwardly flared ( preferably about 45 °) aperture 28 at the bottom end of the cylinder 24 guides tube contents to the capillary 25 . the upper end of the cylinder 24 is fixed into the lucite block 16 so that the vertical capillary 25 exiting from the upper end of the cylinder 24 enters perpendicularly into the horizontal capillary 18 , forming a t - connection . in order to operate the device , a peristaltic or repeating syringe pump ( 56 and 58 in fig2 ), capable of delivering 2 - 3 ml of liquid in a few seconds on demand , is connected via tubing to fitting 20 , and a fraction collector ( 66 in fig2 ) is connected via tubing fitting 22 . a receptacle 30 , for holding the centrifuge tube 11 , is moved to the lower limit of its travel , and the quartz centrifuge tube 11 containing the solution to be fractionated placed therewithin . the centrifuge tube 11 is then elevated by means of the screw drive 12 until the lower end of the fluid removal port 14 enters the mouth of the stainless steel capillary 24 , 25 . insertion of the port 14 is facilitated by prior application of a small amount of silicone grease to the o - ring 26 . the centrifuge tube 11 is then further elevated slowly until solution at the meniscus enters the stainless steel capillary 24 , 25 and a small amount of liquid is subsequently observed to enter the horizontal capillary 18 within the lucite block 16 . at this stage a starting point is obtained , and the micrometer is set to zero , or preferably control of the apparatus is transferred to a microcomputer ( 50 in fig2 ). the user enters the desired increment of radial distance corresponding to an individual fraction and the desired number of fractions . the following procedure is then performed repetitively without manual intervention until the desired number of fractions have been collected : ( 1 ) the centrifuge tube is elevated by the designated distance . ( 2 ) that amount of solution driven into the horizontal capillary upon elevation is flushed with 2 to 3 ml of carrier fluid into a collecting vial mounted in the fraction collector . ( 3 ) the fraction collector is advanced to the next vial . one use of the present invention is to measure concentration gradients of radiolabeled solutes subjected to prior application of centrifugal force . the carrier fluid used may be scintillation fluid , and the collecting vessels may be glass vials which , after fractionation , are placed in a scintillation counter for measurement of the amount ( s ) of one or more radiolabeled species in each fraction . however , quantitation of concentratoin gradients is not limited to radiolabeled solutes : in principle , any chemical or physical assay of the requisite sensitivity may be utilized , as , for example , an assay of enzyme activity to measure the amount of enzyme in each fraction . fig2 schematically illustrates an automatic fractionator according to the present invention . microcomputer 50 signals stepping motor 52 to raise receptacle 30 with centrifuge tube 11 thereon by turning screw drive 12 . receptacle 30 activates position sensor 54 , thus send a signal to microcomputer 50 and establishing a reference point . the microcomputer is programmed to raise receptacle 30 in increments sufficient to raise a volume of solution equal to the selected sample volume into capillary 25 . after the sample flows into capillary 25 , it flows into chamber 17 and microcomputer 50 sends a signal to automatic pipetter 56 , which draws fluid from the reservoir of chase fluid through line 60 and pumps the fluid through line 62 into chamber 17 , thus chasing the sample into line 64 and finally to the fraction collector 66 , which is also controlled by microcomputer 50 and collects fractions in an ordered manner according to fraction number . by way of example , the microcomputer 50 may be an epson hx - 20 , the automatic pipetter may be an oxford automatic pipetter , and the fraction collector may be a gilson 201b fraction collector . having fully described the invention above , the following examples are given solely for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner . fig3 and 4 show results obtained from fraction of solutions of 131 i - labeled bovine serum albumin centrifuged under two different sets of conditions . in fig3 the relative protein concentration in an aliquot , expressed as counts per minute , is plotted as a function of the radial position of the aliquot during centrifugation , measured at the conclusion of a sedimentation velocity experiment . approximately 150 ul of 0 . 04 mg / ml protein solution were required to perform this measurement . resolution of the data is 10 points / nms or radial distance . the vertical line to the left of the plot indicates the position of the solution meniscus ( upper boundary ), and the vertical line to the right indicates the weight - average position of the trailing boundary of sedimenting protein , as calculated from the data . the sedimentation coefficient calculated from these data is in good agreement with published values . in fig4 the natural logarithm of the relative protein concentration in an aliquot , expressed as 1n ( counts per minute ), is plotted as a function of the square of the radial position of the aliquot during centrifugation , measured at the conclusion of a sedimentation equilibrium experiment . approximately 40 ul of a 0 . 02 mg / ml protein solution were required to perform this measurement . sedimentation theory predicts that this plot should be linear for a homogeneous species at sedimentation equilibrium . the molecular weight of the protein , calculated from the slope of this plot , is in good agreement with published values . it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed which are illustratively offered and that modifications may be made without departing from the invention . for example , the present invention can be substantially increased in size , always keeping the volume of the small diameter tube ( even though larger than capillary size ) less than about twice the volume of the desired sample size , to perform various separation functions .	8
the enzyme preparations used in the practice of this invention are commercially available enzymes obtained from microorganism cultures . the preparations may contain a single enzyme or a broad spectrum of enzyme activities . for example , in addition to the cellulolytic enzymes and peroxidases described herein , the enzyme preparations may also contain proteases , glycoproteinases , lipases , alpha - amylases , beta - glucanases , hemicellulases , laminarinases , etc . the cellulolytic enzymes useful in the practice of this invention include one or more cellulases present in the enzyme system that hydrolyzes cellulose to glucose , including endo - 1 , 4 - beta - glucanase , exo - 1 , 4 - beta - glucanase and 1 , 4 - beta - glucosidase . the peroxidases useful in the practice of this invention are selected from the group of enzymes that use organic hydroperoxides or hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant to oxidize phenols to dimers via oxidative coupling . representative peroxidases include peroxidases extracted from vegetables such soy bean and horseradish , as well as peroxidases from fruits such as apples and bananas and bacterial and fungal peroxidases . the effective doses of cellulolytic enzyme and peroxidase depend on the properties of the sludge being treated and can be empirically determined by one of skill in the art . in general , the dose of cellulolytic enzyme is from about 20 to about 60 grams , preferably from about 40 to about 60 grams per dry ton of solids . the effective dose of peroxidase is typically from about 17 to about 50 grams , more preferably from about 25 to about 50 grams per dry ton solids . the cellulolytic enzyme and peroxidase are generally available as solutions in water , which can be further diluted . in the process of this invention , aqueous solutions having an enzyme concentration of from about 0 . 01 to about 100 grams of enzyme protein per liter are typically used . hydrogen peroxide is required to activate the peroxidase . dosages of hydrogen peroxide are typically from about 300 to about 1 , 000 , preferably from about 500 to about 1 , 000 milliliters ( based on a 30 % aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution ) per dry ton of solids . in a typical application , the sludge to be dewatered is warmed to about 30 ° c . to about 60 ° c ., preferably about 30 ° c . to about 40 ° c . with mixing . an aqueous solution of the celluloytic enzymes , prepared as described above is then added . after a period of about 10 minutes to about one hour , an aqueous solution of peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide solution are added together to the mixed sludge . mixing and heating are then continued for about 2 to about 72 hours , after which the sludge is cooled to ambient temperature and mechanically dewatered for example by devices such as plate and frame filter presses , belt - filter presses , centrifuges , and the like . in a preferred aspect of this invention , the sludge is selected from the group consisting of municipal and industrial sludges . in another preferred aspect , one or more polymeric flocculants are added to the sludge after the enzyme treatment and before dewatering . flocculants useful in the process of this invention are typically acrylamide based cationic polymers with the molecular weights in excess of 1 million . the flocculant may be used in the solid form , as an aqueous solution , as water - in - oil emulsion , or as dispersion in water . representative cationic polymers include copolymers and terpolymers of ( meth ) acrylamide with dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate ( dmaem ), dimethylaminoethyl acrylate ( dmaea ), diethylaminoethyl acrylate ( deaea ), diethylaminoethyl methacrylate ( deaem ) or their quaternary ammonium forms made with dimethyl sulfate , methyl chloride or benzyl chloride . the dose of flocculant depends on the properties of the sludge being treated and can be empirically determined by one of skill in the art . in general , the flocculant polymer dose is from about 100 ppm to about 600 ppm , preferably from about 200 to about 600 ppm , based on polymer solids , per dry ton solids . in another preferred aspect , one or more coagulants are added to the sludge after the enzyme treatment . coagulants useful in the process of this invention are typically polyamines such as epichlorohydrin - dimethylamine having molecular weights in the range of 20 , 000 to 1 million . in another preferred aspect , the cellulolytic enzyme is a mixture of endo - 1 , 4 - beta - glucanase , exo - 1 , 4 - beta - glucanase and 1 , 4 - beta - glucosidase . the foregoing may be better understood by reference to the following examples , which are presented for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention . fresh , anaerobically digested sewage sludge samples ( 1300 g in the form of a paste or slurry , containing about 26 g of solids ) are obtained from midwestern suburban municipal treatment plants . the samples are heated at 40 ° c . when the temperature of the samples reaches 40 ° c ., a cellulolytic enzyme having only endoglucanase activity ( ns51008 , 10 % aqueous solution , available from novozymes , north america , inc ., franklinton , n . c .) is added . the dose of cellulolytic enzyme solution is about 0 . 17 liters for the treatment of sludge having about one ton solids ( oven dried ). the sludge with enzyme is well mixed for 10 minutes at 250 rpm and at 40 ° c . during the mixing , soy bean peroxidase ( available from biocatalytic , inc , pasadena , calif .) is added . the dose of peroxidase is 0 . 5 mg of enzyme to treat sludge containing 26 grams solids ( oven dried ). hydrogen peroxide ( 10 microliter of 30 % aqueous solution ) is also added to the sludge to activate the peroxidase . the enzyme treatment of the sludge is continued for about two hours . to perform the drainage test , 200 ml of the enzyme - treated sludge sample of example 1 is placed in a 500 ml cylinder . twenty ml of a 0 . 5 % aqueous polymer flocculant solution is added to the sludge and mixed by inverting the cylinder . the number of inversions is dependent upon the particular sludge utilized . chemical and biological sludges are very fragile and do not require very many inversions before the floc breaks up and the sludge becomes liquid again . how thick the sludge is to begin with will determine the number of inversions . sludges greater than 8 % tss may need to be diluted 50 : 50 with water in order to achieve good distribution of the polymer with the sludge . once a good floc is obtained and the inside of the cylinder is clean ( indicating sufficient mixing with no excess of polymer ), the sample is poured through a belt filter press cloth and the amount of water drained ( in ml ) in 20 seconds is utilized as a measure of dewatering effectiveness flocculated sludge is then poured through a belt filter press cloth and the amount of water ( in ml ) drained in 10 seconds is utilized as a measure of the polymer performance . the results are shown in tables 1 - 3 . as shown in table 1 , dewatering efficiency is increased by treatment with polymer and enzymes relative to polymer treatment alone . the data further show that use of cellulase and peroxidase results in a further increase in drainage over treatment with cellulase alone . treatment of a different sample from the same facility shows similar results . as shown in table 2 , the drainage is higher when sludge is treated with flocculant and a combination of cellulase and peroxidase compared with only flocculant and cellulase . similar results are obtained when a different batch of sludge from the same facility is tested . as shown in table 3 , polymer a ( 50 mole percent ) alone or in combinations with enzymes performed better than polymer b ( 30 mole percent ). similar results are obtained when the experiment is repeated using a different batch of sludge from the same facility . in sludge dewatering application synthetic polymers are used . most synthetic polymers are synthesized using acrylamide monomers known to be neurotoxic . therefore , their release in environment are regulated . enzymes are protein and known to be environmentally friendly . use of enzymes in combination with polymers may help in improving dewatering with simultaneous reduction in polymer dose . this invention discloses the advantages of enzymes with polymers for sludge dewatering and dry solids . 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 attendant advantages . it is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims .	2
fig4 is a schematic diagram of a phase locked loop ( pll ) system 400 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . the pll system 400 includes a pll apparatus 402 and a synchronizing - edge detector 404 . the pll apparatus 402 receives a first clock signal clk 1 of frequency f 1 to provide a second clock signal clk 2 of frequency f 2 , wherein f 2 has a gear relationship with f 1 . the synchronizing - edge detector 404 produces an output clock signal clko indicative of synchronizing edges of the first and second clock signals . the pll apparatus 402 can be implemented as an integrated circuit alone or can be integrated with the synchronizing - edge detector 404 into a single integrated circuit . typically , the pll apparatus 402 comprises a pre - divider 406 dividing the first clock signal clk 1 by an integer ms into a third clock signal clk 3 of frequency f 3 ( that is , f 3 = f 1 / ms ), a loop - divider 408 dividing the second clock signal clk 2 by an integer ns into a fourth clock signal clk 4 of frequency f 4 ( that is , f 4 = f 2 / ns ), wherein f 3 = f 4 as the pll apparatus 402 is in lock , a phase comparator 410 making a comparison between the third and fourth clock signal , a charge pump circuit 412 producing a control voltage in accordance with the output of the phase comparator 410 , a voltage - controlled oscillator 414 , the oscillation frequency of which is controlled by the control voltage of the charge pump circuit 412 to generate the second clock signal clk 2 , and a detection terminal 416 connected to the third or fourth clock signal . the detection terminal 416 can be electrically connected outwards to provide a sample clock signal clks selected from the third and fourth clock signals for the detection of the synchronizing edges of the first and second clock signals . one unique portion of the invention is that the detection terminal 416 is added to a conventional pll apparatus not limited to any specific type . the detection terminal 416 is carefully routed such that the sample clock signal clks at the detection terminal 416 and the output signal of the pre - divider 406 or the loop - divider 408 chosen to be the sample clock signal clks have the same latency and no time skew . fig5 is a schematic diagram of a synchronizing - edge detector 404 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention . the synchronizing - edge detector 404 receives two signals , a sample clock signal clks selected from the third and fourth clock signals , and a reference signal clkr selected from the first and second clock signals . counter 502 generates a counting signal count measuring the time after the rising edge of the sample clock signal clks . the counting signal count is incremented on each edge of the reference signal clkr and cleared by a global reset signal clkg or a local reset signal clkl . global reset circuit 506 asserts the global reset signal clkg when detecting each rising edge of the sample clock signal clks . local reset circuit 508 asserts the local reset signal clkl whenever the counting signal count reaches a maximum value nmax 1 , where such that the cycle time of the local reset signal clkl is equal to that of the synchronizing edges of the first and second clock signals . informing circuit 504 asserts output clock signal clko each time the counter 506 reaches a fixed value nmax 2 . in one embodiment , the fixed value nmax 1 = nmax 2 . in such a process , the output clock signal clko is indicative of the synchronizing edges of the first and second clock signals and can be used to tell when data read and write operations should take place in a digital system with multiple clock domains . it is noted that the synchronizing - edge detector is skew tolerant . that is , the skew between the reference clock signal clkr and the sample clock signal clks ( shown as gray regions ) is as tolerant as possible . moreover , such configuration can achieve very high speed and performance . fig6 is a timing diagram of signals associated with a synchronizing - edge detector 404 where ms = 6 and ns = 4 using the first clock signal clk 1 as the reference clock signal clkr for illustration . in such a case , the cycle time of the first clock signal clk 1 is 6 / 4 times that of the second clock signal clk 2 , that is , gear ratio is 6 / 4 . the global reset signal clkg is asserted at a fixed time after each rising edge of the sample clock signal clks . the counting signal count as shown is incremented from 0 through 2 at a short time after each edge of the rising edge of the first clock signal clk 1 . the counting signal count is initially reset by the global reset signal clkg , and when it reaches nmax 1 ( 2 ), the local reset signal clkl is asserted , which in turn resets the counting signal count to zero . in response , the output signal clko is asserted to indicate the synchronizing edges of the first and second clock signals . in the embodiment , the cycle time of the global reset signal is equal to that of the synchronizing edges of the first and second clock signals . therefore , in one period of the global reset , there occur twice the synchronizing edges of the first and second clock . one advantage of the invention over conventional edge - detecting , techniques is that even though ms and ns are not co - prime , every synchronizing edge of the first and second clock signals can be detected through the counting signal count reset by the local reset signal clkl . those with ordinary skill in the art should recognize that cycle time of the counting signal needs not be the same as that of the reference clock signal clkr , for example , it can be ½ , ⅓ and etc . also , the configuration of the synchronizing - edge detector in fig5 is illustrated only by way of example . any other implementation capable of indicating the synchronizing edges by detecting the edges of the sample clock signal clks can be employed . the sample clock clks needs not to be the third or fourth clock signal . third and fourth clock can be used as the sample clock clks because their frequency is a common divisor of the first and the second clocks and can therefore generate the global reset signal clkg to reset the counting signal count . with the aid of the local reset signal clkl , every synchronizing edge of the first and second clock signals can be detected . thus , any other clock signal originating from the pll apparatus can be employed as the sample clock clks as long as its frequency is a common divisor of the first clock and the second clocks . as shown , this allows the pll apparatus to be any conventional pll apparatus without modification . fig7 is a schematic diagram of a phase locked loop ( pll ) system 700 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . the pll system 700 comprises a conventional pll apparatus 702 receiving a first clock signal clk 1 of frequency f 1 to provide a second clock signal clk 2 of frequency f 2 , wherein the first and second clock signals have a gear ratio relationship and f 1 = f 2 when the pll apparatus 702 is locked . the pll system 700 further comprises a synchronizing - edge detector 404 , and a first divider 716 dividing the first clock signal clk 1 by an integer msa into a pre - reference clock signal clkpr . the conventional pll apparatus 702 is not limited to any specific type and has a configuration known in the art . typically , it comprises a pre - divider 406 dividing the pre - reference clock signal clkpr by an integer msb into a third clock signal clk 3 of frequency f 3 ( that is , f 3 = fpr / msb , where fpr is the frequency of the pre - reference clock signal clkpr . ), a loop - divider 408 dividing the second clock signal clk 2 by an integer ns into a fourth clock signal clk 4 of frequency f 4 ( that is , f 4 = f 2 / ns ), a phase comparator 410 , a charge pump circuit 412 , and a voltage - controlled oscillator 414 , as well shown in the art . when the pll apparatus 202 is in lock , f 3 = f 4 . that is , the pre - reference clock signal clkpr is fed into both a pre - divider 406 of the pll apparatus 702 and the synchronizing - edge detector 404 as a sample clock signal clks . that is , combining ( 2 ) with formula f 3 = fpr / msb , we get f 3 = f 1 /( msa * msb ). this means in the embodiment , msb is required to be a divisor of ns , that is , where lcm ( ns , msb ) is the least common multiple of ns and msb . this requirement renders the frequency fpr of the pre - reference clock signal clkpr a common divisor of the frequencies of the first and second clock signal , such that the pre - reference clock signal clkpr can be used as the sample clock signal clks . by combining the formulas ( 1 ), ( 2 ), ( 3 ) and ( 4 ′) into it can be seen clearly in ( 5 ) that fpr is a common divisor of the first and second clock signals . fig8 a shows a timing diagram of signals associated with the synchronizing - edge detector 404 with ms = 6 and ns = 4 ( gear ratio is 6 / 4 ) and the first clock signal clk 1 as the sample clock signal clks for illustration . in such a case , msb can be chosen as 2 to satisfy formula ( 4 ) and hence msa = 3 . fig8 a is in all respects except one the same as fig6 . the difference is that the sample clock signal clks is the pre - reference clock signal clkpr rather than the third or fourth clock signal . this causes the cycle time of the global reset signal clkg to be half that in fig5 . however , this does not affect the timings of the local clock signal clkl nor the counting clock signal count . resultingly , as shown in fig8 a , the global reset signal clkg is asserted at a fixed time after each rising edge of the sample clock signal clks . the counting signal count is incremented from 0 through 2 a short time after each edge of the rising edge of the first clock signal clk 1 . the counting signal count is initially reset by the global reset signal clkg , and when it reaches 2 , the local reset signal clkl is asserted , which in turn resets the counting signal count to 0 . in response , the output clock signal clko is asserted to indicate the synchronizing edges of the first and second clock signals . fig8 b is another timing diagram of signals associated with the synchronizing - edge detector 404 with ms = 3 and ns = 2 ( gear ratio is 3 / 2 ) and the first clock signal clk 1 as the sample clock signal clks for illustration . in such a case , msb can be chosen as 1 to satisfy formula ( 4 ) and hence msa = 3 . fig8 b is in all respects except one the same as fig8 b . the difference is that the cycle time of the third or fourth clock signal is half that in fig8 b . however , this does not affect the timing of the global reset signal clkg . resultingly , the timing of the output clock signal clko does not change . as a result , the output signal clko accurately indicates the synchronizing edges of the first and second clock signals . fig9 is a schematic diagram of a phase locked loop ( pll ) system 900 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . fig9 is in all respects except one the same as fig7 and formula ( 1 ) is still a target . the difference is that the first divider 716 dividing the first clock signal clk 1 by an integer msa is now replaced by a second divider 916 dividing the second clock signal clk 2 by an integer nsa into a pre - reference clock signal clkpr , that is , the pre - reference clock signal clkpr is sequentially fed into the loop divider 408 and the synchronizing - edge detector 404 as the sample clock signal clks . the loop - divider 408 divides the pre - reference clock signal clkpr by nsb into the fourth clock signal clk 4 of frequency f 4 . that is , combining formula ( 6 ) with formula ( 7 ), we get f 4 = f 2 / nsa * nsb , which means in the embodiment , nsb is required to be a divisor of ms , that is , where lcm ( ms , nsb ) is the least common multiple of ms and nsb . or in another expression , is obtained . thus , referring to formulas ( 6 ) and ( 9 ), it can be seen clearly that fpr is a common divisor of the first and second clock signal . thus , the pre - reference clock signal clkpr can be used as the sample clock signal clks . fig1 is a schematic diagram of a pll system 1000 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . the pll system 1000 comprises a conventional pll apparatus 702 , a synchronizing - edge detector 404 , a first divider 716 and a second divider 916 . as shown , the pll system 400 is in all respects except one the same as pll system 700 of fig7 and formula ( 1 ) is still a target . the difference is the addition of the second divider 916 . the first divider 716 divides the first clock signal clk 1 by an integer msa into a first pre - reference clock signal clkpr 1 . the first pre - reference clock signal clkpr 1 is then fed into the pre - divider 406 and into the synchronizing - edge detector 404 as the sample clock signal clks , that is , where fpr 1 is the frequency of the first pre - reference clock signal clkpr 1 . the first pre - reference clock signal is then divided by the pre - divider 406 by an integer msb into the third clock signal clk 3 , that is , combining ( 10 ) with ( 11 ), we get f 3 = f 1 / msa * msb , which means similarly , the second divider 916 divides the second clock signal clk 2 by an integer nsa into a second pre - reference clock signal clkpr 2 , that is , where fpr 2 is the frequency of the second pre - reference clock signal clkpr 2 . the second pre - reference clock signal clkpr 2 is then divided by the loop - divider by an integer nsb into the fourth clock signal clk 4 , that is , combining ( 2 ) with ( 3 ), we get f 4 = f 2 / nsa * nsb , which means in the embodiment , msb is required to be a divisor of nsb , that is , where lcm ( msb , nsb ) is the least common multiple of msb and nsb . this requirement renders the frequency fpr 1 of the first pre - reference clock signal clkpr 1 a common divisor of the frequencies of the first and second clock signal , such that the first pre - reference clock signal clkpr 1 can be used as the sample clock signal clks for the detection of the synchronizing edges of the first and second clock signal . fig1 is a schematic diagram of a phase locked loop ( pll ) system 1100 in accordance with another embodiment of the invention . the pll system 1100 comprises a conventional pll apparatus 702 , a synchronizing - edge detector 404 , a first divider 716 and a second divider 916 . as shown , the pll system 1100 is in all respects except one the same as pll system 900 of fig9 and formula ( 1 ) is still a target . the difference is the addition of the first divider 716 . the first divider 716 divides the first clock signal clk 1 by an integer msa into a first pre - reference clock signal clkpr 1 , that is , where fpr 1 is the frequency of the first pre - reference clock signal clkpr 1 . the first pre - reference clock signal clkpr 1 is then divided by the pre - divider 716 by an integer msb into the third clock signal clk 3 , that is , combining ( 15 ) with ( 16 ), we get f 3 = f 1 / msa * msb , which means similarly , the first divider 916 divides the second clock signal clk 2 by an integer nsa into a second pre - reference clock signal clkpr 2 which is also fed into the loop - divider 408 and into the synchronizing - edge detector 404 as the sample clock signal clks , that is , the second pre - reference clock signal clkpr 2 is then divided by the loop - divider by an integer nsb into the fourth clock signal , that is , combining ( 10 ) with ( 11 ), we get f 4 = f 2 / nsa * nsb , which means in the embodiment , nsb is required to be a divisor of msb , that is , where lcm ( msb , nsb ) is the least common multiple of msb and nsb . this requirement renders the frequency fpr 2 of the second pre - reference clock signal clkpr 2 a common divisor of the frequencies of the first and second clock signal , such that the second pre - reference clock signal clkpr 2 can be used as the sample clock signal clks for the detection of the synchronizing edges of the first and second clock signal . in conclusion , the invention can be migrated into the conventional pll readily . the invention does not require the type of the conventional pll apparatus to be added with the detection terminal or to be coupled to additional dividers for detection of the input and output clock signals of the new pll apparatus . further , the synchronizing detector provides high speed at lower costs . while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . to the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements ( as would be apparent to those skilled in the art ). therefore , the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements .	6
it should be understood that the figures are merely schematic and are not drawn to scale . it should also be understood that the same reference numerals are used throughout the figures to indicate the same or similar parts . in accordance with the method of the present invention , the dimension of the power switch block 200 is designed in such a way that the total area covered by the power switch block 200 is minimized . the method of the present invention is based on the realization that for a given ic technology , although the various components of the power switch block 200 may have dimensions that are more or less fixed within the given ic technology , the layout of some components , such as the first power switch 115 and the second power switch 135 may be optimized within the dimensions constraints to optimize the performance of such a component within the power switch block 200 . in other words , some components are designed on - the - fly instead of taken from a standard library to optimize the performance of these components . this is particularly applicable to the power switches 115 and 135 , because different performance requirements of the power switch block 200 typically directly affects the performance requirements of these switches . the method of the present invention may be applied to any suitable ic technology in which power switches , e . g . transistors , of opposite conductivity type are used . however , for reasons of brevity , the remainder of this description will be limited to cmos technology , in which the first power switch 115 is a pmos switch , and in which the second power switch 135 is an nmos switch . in case of the power switch block 200 being composed of a nmos and pmos switch , the power grid of the power switch block 200 typically requires four power strips . a layout of these power strips is shown in fig3 . the power strips in fig3 correspond with the power supply lines shown in fig1 . in an embodiment , the four power strips are placed to maintain the largest possible width h power , thus optimizing the capacity of these power strips . the ground strip 120 and the v dd strip 110 are spaced apart by a distance h routing channel , which is a space required for the placement and routing of the drivers 152 and 154 . the other strips are spaced apart by a distance h drc . height , which is at least the minimum distance required by the technology design rule check ( drc ). hence , the minimum total height h total of the power supply block 200 may be defined as : in 65 nm cmos technology , the height of each power strip is approximately 1 . 4 μm . adding the drc height and the routing channel height to the total power strip height , results in a total height of the power switch block 200 of approximately 8 μm in cmos 065 . hence , the functional content of the power supply block 200 must be mapped onto the total height as defined by equation ( 1 ). fig4 depicts a preferred embodiment of a functional layout of the power block supply 200 . in this layout , three column - based modules can be recognized . the first module comprises a stack of the pair of drivers 152 , 154 and the pmos switch 115 . the first module may further comprise latch - up protection spacings 410 surrounding the driver pair 152 , 154 . the second module , which is an optional module as will be explained in more detail later , comprises a further pmos switch 115 ′, which has a height that is substantially identical to the total height of the power switch block 200 . the third module comprises the nmos transistor 135 , which also has a height that is substantially identical to the total height of the power switch block 200 . in the context of the present invention , ‘ substantially identical ’ is intended to indicate that the height of these switches are preferably the same as the total height of the power supply block 200 , but may be slightly smaller , e . g . no more than 10 % smaller . the drivers 152 and 154 , are typically selected from a standard library for the predefined ic technology , such as cmos065 . the drivers 152 and 154 are selected based on the performance requirements of the power switches 115 and 135 , as will be explained in more detail later . consequently , the width w drivers of the driver pair and the height h driver of each driver will depend on which driver is selected from the standard library . since the total height of the power switch block 200 is known from equation ( 1 ), the height h pmos of the small pmos power switch 115 in the first module can be defined as follows : h total = h driver + h pmos + 2 · h latch ( 2 ) wherein h latch is the height of the latch - up protection spacing 410 . this height is typically governed by the drc requirements of the specified ic technology . the driver height is governed by the dimensions of the selected standard library cells . solving equation ( 2 ) gives the maximum available height for the small pmos power switch 115 . the width of the small pmos power switch 115 preferably is equal to twice the size of the drivers 152 , 154 to efficiently fill the area in the first module below the drivers 152 , 154 . as previously mentioned , the layout of the pmos power switch 115 and nmos power switch 135 are optimized based on specified performance requirements of these power switches . preferably , these performance requirements are specified in terms of a required width / length ( w / l ) ratio for these power switches . to achieve a power switch layout that meets its required w / l ratio , variables such as gate length , gate width and number of transistor fingers may be varied . these variables typically have an upper and / or a lower bound in the predefined ic technology . for instance , the maximum amount of fingers of a pmos transistor is typically limited by the design rule of the used technology . generally , a pmos transistor approximately covers twice the area of an nmos transistor because electrons move more easily than holes do . therefore , in case of a high required w / l ratio for the pmos power switch 115 , this switch may be mapped to reduce the total switch area by two adjacent transistors , i . e . a ‘ small ’ pmos transistor 115 and a ‘ large ’ pmos transistor 115 ′, which are typically controlled by the same driver . in case of a relatively modest required w / l ratio , the larger pmos transistor 115 ′ may be omitted , with the gate length and / or the number of fingers of the small pmos transistor 115 being adapted to achieve the required w / l ratio . the layout of the small pmos transistor 115 is limited to a maximum amount of fingers to match the desired w / l ratio . this amount is governed by the w drivers , i . e . the combined width of the driver pair above the small pmos transistor 115 in the first module . for instance , in 65 nm cmos technology the maximum amount of fingers is typically limited to 5 . fig5 shows an example of a power supply block 200 having only a small pmos transistor as first power switch 115 . the small pmos transistor 115 is located under block 510 comprising the driver pair and the latch - up protection spacing 410 . the block 510 is placed in the routing spacing 310 . the pmos transistor 115 comprises three fingers 520 . in a preferred embodiment , in case the large pmos transistor 115 ′ is also required , this transistor is adapted to have a number of fingers and a gate width to achieve the remaining w / l ratio , i . e . the difference between the required w / l ratio and the maximum w / l ratio of the small pmos transistor 115 . it will be appreciated that the gate length of the large pmos transistor preferably is kept constant to utilize the height available to this transistor . an embodiment of a power switch block also comprising the large pmos transistor is shown in fig6 . the small pmos transistor 115 comprises five fingers 610 and the large pmos transistor 115 ′ comprises 14 fingers 620 . the nmos transistor 135 comprises 8 fingers 630 . the pmos transistors 115 and 115 ′ are connected to one of the drivers by control line 640 , whereas the nmos transistor 135 is connected to the other driver by control line 650 . preferably , when the w / l ratio of the pmos transistor 115 is low , a low amount of fingers is applied in the large pmos transistor 115 ′ because this reduces the required number of contacts to a power line can be lower to reduce the minimum gate width . hence , in this embodiment , adjustment of the gate width is preferred over adjustment of the number of fingers . this further has the advantage that the introduction of a gap between the required and actual w / l ratio by placing an extra finger , thus causing a large increase step in the w / l ratio , is avoided . for example , in cmos 065 ( i . e . a 65 nm cmos technology ), the layout boundaries of the gate width can vary from 3 . 87 μm to 7 . 34 μm when using less than 3 fingers or from 4 . 65 μm to 7 . 34 μm when using more than 3 fingers . in an embodiment , when the required pmos power switch w / l ratio is slightly larger than the maximum capable w / l ratio of the small pmos transistor 115 , the small pmos transistor 115 is composed of the maximum amount of fingers minus one , with the larger pmos having 1 finger with the smallest possible gate length to ensure a smooth transition of the w / l ratios of only the small pmos transistor 115 and the combination of the small and large pmos transistors 115 and 115 ′. the power switch block 200 typically comprises of a single nmos transistor 135 per segment . this transistor is located next to the large pmos transistor 115 or next to the small pmos transistor 115 ′ in case of the absence of the large pmos transistor . the layout of the nmos transistor 135 is also optimized based on a required w / l ratio for this transistor . the required w / l ratio may be matched altering the number of fingers , the gate width , and / or the gate length of the nmos transistor 135 . for instance , in 65 nm cmos , the width of the gate may be varied between 5 . 6 μm and 7 . 34 μm . the lower limit is imposed by the distance between the v dd power line 110 and the virtual ground line 130 . typically , the gate length of the nmos transistor 135 is only changed if the number of fingers is less than a certain quantity . this quantity is dependent on the technology selected and is chosen to ensure a smooth transition between discrete values of the w / l ratio when switching to a higher number of fingers . in 65 nm cmos , the optimal number to maintain the smallest area coverage by the nmos transistor 135 whilst maintaining a smooth transition is 5 fingers . since the nmos power switch 135 and the pmos power switch 115 both have their own power switch driver , the maximum w / l ratio of these switches will be similar . since the pmos is always larger , when assuming equal resistance for the nmos and pmos , the pmos is the dominant factor in determining the maximum w / l ratio and hence the power switch driver , as will be explained in more detail below . the number of fingers of the large pmos transistor 115 ′ can vary between 0 , in which case the large pmos transistor 115 ′ is absent , to an upper limit which is determined by the maximum capacitive load of the corresponding power switch driver . hence , the maximum achievable w / l ratio of the pmos and nmos transistors is capped by the power switch driver having the maximum available capacitive load in the technology library . for instance , in a cmos 065 library , the largest power switch driver of a compatible width , an ivx9 inverter , can drive a maximum capacitance of 158 ff in 65 nm cmos . when using a 0 . 06 micron gate length , the largest total gate width respecting the maximum capacitive load is approximately 730 micron , which corresponds to a total w / l ratio of 12166 . in other words , this w / l ratio is the maximum w / l ratio that can be driven by a single driver . hence , if the required w / l ratio exceeds this maximum , the power switch block must be divided into multiple segments . fig7 shows an embodiment of a power switch block 200 comprising two segments 710 , which may be interconnected via a segment connection 920 in the routing channel 310 . preferably , the segments 710 are substantially similar , i . e . comprise no or little design parameter variations between segments . in an embodiment , the total required w / l ratio is balanced between the different segments 710 to ensure equal latency between the segments . optionally , the multi - segment power switch block 200 may comprise additional latch - up protection 730 . as has been mentioned previously , the optimal performance of the power switch block 200 is of essence since the purpose of such a block is to reduce the overall power consumption of the ic in which it is placed . hence , it is important that the power switch block 200 consumes considerably less power than an idle ic core 100 . typical performance figures related to the power consumption of the power switch block 200 include switch resistance , required area , latency , and w / l range . the switch resistance is dependent on the selected w / l ratio of the power switches 115 , 135 , which is constrained by the allowed or available switch area . latency metrics are important if timing is strict or if the power switch block 200 is used in for instance a feedback loop system . fig8 depicts a model of the power switch block latency . for a power switch block 200 as shown in fig2 , three stages can be identified : stage 810 : the latency from the input to the output of the first driver 152 ; stage 820 : the latency of the connection between the first driver 152 and the second driver 154 ; and stage 830 : the latency from the input to the output of the second driver 154 . the latency behavior of these stages is depicted in fig8 by means of the accompanying capacitors at the input of the drivers 152 , 154 and the respective gates of the nmos switch 135 and the pmos switch 115 , with the latency being modeled by the time required to fully charge the respective capacitors . this corresponds to the delay from the input to the output of a corresponding stage . the delay is caused by the resistance shut by a capacitor which results in an rc network . the resistance of the path between the input 802 and the output 804 can be estimated by : where r is the resistance of the path , r is the sheet resistance , l is the length of the path , and w is the width of the path . the latency over a path with length l can be estimated by : where c load is the capacitive load at the end of the path . in this case , the capacitive load would be the input capacitance of the second driver since the nmos transistor 135 is directly at the output of the first driver and hence does not add up for the path delay . the latency of the first and second driver 152 , 154 can be estimated by values from the table of the driver datasheet provided with the library . the total capacitive load of the first driver 152 , e . g . a first inverter , is the sum of the capacitance of the nmos transistor 135 from gate to ground and the capacitive load of the input of the second driver 154 , e . g . a second inverter . the second stage 820 comprises the path delay for the connection between the first and second driver 152 , 154 . the line dimensions may be kept constant , e . g . a length of 0 . 6μm with a width of 0 . 1 μm in cmos065 . the resistance of the line is the load of the third stage 830 comprises the capacitive input load of the second driver 154 . hence , the maximum delay may be expressed as : t { grave over ( )} r line c load = 1 . 318 · 2 . 48 ff = 3 . 268 fs ( 6 ) this delay is negligible compared to the driver delay since it is several orders of magnitude smaller . the delay of the second driver 154 can be calculated in a similar fashion as to the first driver 152 . a minimum and a maximum total latency scenario is calculated for a number of cmos 065 inverters . the results are listed in table 1 , together with the corresponding calculated w / l ratios of the nmos transistor 135 ( shown in brackets ) and the pmos transistor 115 , the corresponding capacitive load , and the corresponding total leakage of the power switch block 200 . as has been explained previously , when the required w / l ratio of a transistor causes the threshold of the maximum capacitive load of the available drivers to be exceeded , the power switch block 200 is split up in multiple segments 710 . the segments 710 are linked by connecting the output of the first segment 710 to the input of the second segment 710 via connection 720 . this connection ensures that the logic levels between the drivers of the various segments are maintained . the total delay of a power switch block 200 comprising multiple segments 710 can be approximated by : in an example embodiment in cmos065 , the connection 720 between two segments 710 is 0 . 13 μm in width and a maximum 42 μm in length . this results in a maximum delay of : the method of the present invention may be automated by implementing the various steps of the method in a computer program for designing an ic . since such an implementation falls within the routine skills of the skilled practitioners , such an implementation will not be discussed in further detail for reasons of brevity only . such a computer program product may be made available on any suitable computer - readable data carrier such as a cd - rom , dvd , memory stick , and so on . the computer - readable data carrier may also comprise a storage device accessible through a network such as the internet . fig9 shows a flowchart of an aspect of an embodiment of the method of the present invention . in step 901 , a layout script of a power switch block 200 in a predefined technology is provided . this script may be included in a larger script file , e . g . a script of the ic layout . in step 902 , a performance requirements file is provided , which typically specifies the required w / l ratios of the various switches of the power switch block 200 in the aforementioned layout script . the performance requirements file may be generated manually by the ic designer . alternatively , as will be explained in more detail later , this file may be generated automatically . in step 903 , the required w / l ratios of the pmos switch 115 and the nmos switch 135 are loaded into the memory accessible to the computer program executing the method of the present invention . in step 904 , it is determined how many segments 710 are required to achieve the required w / l ratios . next , the method proceeds to optimizing the layout of the individual switches in the one or more segments . in step 905 , it is decided if the maximum achievable w / l ratio of the small pmos transistor 115 is large enough to provide the required w / l ratio . if this is the case , the method proceeds to step 906 in which the number of fingers of the small pmos transistor 115 is determined , after which the gate length of the small pmos transistor 115 is determined based on a simulated initial value received from the performance requirements file . the values determined in steps 906 and 907 are rounded off in step 916 such that they correspond to the grid size of the predetermined technology . if it is decided in step 905 that a large pmos transistor 115 ′ is required , the method proceeds to step 908 in which it is determined if the difference between the maximum achievable w / l ratio of the small pmos transistor 115 and the required w / l ratio is smaller than a predefined threshold . if this is the case , the method proceeds to step 909 in which the number of fingers of the small pmos transistor 115 is set to one less than the maximum number of fingers achievable in the technology and the large pmos transistor 115 ′ is set to have a single finger for reasons previously explained . in step 910 , the gate lengths of the small pmos transistor 115 and the large pmos transistor 115 ′ are set to their minimum allowed values in the given technology , after which the gate width of the large pmos transistor 115 ′ is set to the product of the difference between the required w / l ratio and the actual w / l ratio of the small pmos transistor 115 and the minimum allowable gate length of the large pmos transistor 115 ′ in step 911 , after which the calculated values are rounded off to fit the technology grid size in step 916 . if the difference between the maximum achievable w / l ratio of the small pmos transistor 115 and the required w / l ratio is larger than a predefined threshold , the method proceeds to step 912 in which the number of fingers of the small pmos transistor 115 is set to the maximum number of fingers allowable in its available area . in step 913 , the gate lengths of the small pmos transistor 115 and the large pmos transistor 115 ′ are set to their minimum allowed values in the given technology . next , the number of fingers required for the large pmos transistor 115 ′ is calculated in step 914 by dividing the difference between the required w / l ratio and the actual w / l ratio of the small pmos transistor 115 by the maximum w / l ratio of a single finger of the large pmos transistor 115 ′. next , the gate width of the large pmos transistor 115 ′ is set to the product of the difference between the required w / l ratio and the actual w / l ratio of the small pmos transistor 115 and the minimum allowable gate length of the large pmos transistor 115 ′ in step 915 , after which the calculated values are rounded off to fit the technology grid size in step 916 . the method subsequently proceeds to optimize the layout of the nmos transistor 135 . in step 917 , it is decided if the required w / l ratio of the nmos transistor 135 can be achieved by the largest number of fingers for which a larger lower bound predefined gate width can be used within the constraints of the given technology . if this is the case , the method proceeds to step 918 in which the gate width of the nmos transistor 135 is set to the larger lower bound predefined gate width , e . g . 0 . 065 μm for a maximum of four fingers in cmos 065 . in step 919 , the actual number of fingers of the nmos transistor 135 is determined by dividing the maximum allowable gate width by the minimum allowable gate length . subsequently , it is decided in step 920 if the w / l ratio of the nmos transistor 135 is smaller than the determined number of fingers multiplied by the fraction defined in step 919 . if this is the case , the gate width of the nmos transistor 135 is set to the minimum allowed value in step 921 and the gate length is optimized based on the performance requirements specified in the performance requirements file . otherwise , the method proceeds to step 923 in which the gate width of the nmos transistor 135 is optimized in accordance with its performance requirements , and the gate length is set to the minimum allowable dimension in the given technology in step 924 . the calculated gate dimensions of the nmos transistor 135 are subsequently rounded off to fit the technology grid size in step 928 . in case it is decided in step 917 that the required w / l ratio of the nmos transistor 135 cannot be achieved by the largest number of fingers for which a larger lower bound predefined gate width can be used within the constraints of the given technology , the minimum gate length is set in step 925 to a smaller predefined value , e . g . 0 . 06 μm for a minimum of five fingers in cmos 065 . the required number of fingers is determined in step 926 by dividing the maximum allowable gate width by the minimum allowable gate length , after which the gate width is optimized in step 927 by dividing the required w / l ratio by the determined number of fingers and the minimum allowable gate length . subsequently , the obtained parameters of the nmos transistor 135 are rounded off to fit the technology grid size in step 928 . in step 929 , the suitable drivers are selected from the standard technology library , thereby ensuring that the capacities of the selected drivers are sufficient to meet the load requirements of the power switches as defined by their respective required w / l ratios . in step 930 , the various connections between the components of the power supply block 200 and the power grid lines are placed , after which the length of the power switch block control line 150 is rounded off to fit the place and route grid in step 931 . next , it is decided in step 932 if further power supply blocks 200 require optimizing . if this is the case , the method reverts back to step 904 . otherwise , the method proceeds to step 933 in which the ic design is further processed , e . g . by the placement of the power lines and the power pins , after which the method terminates in step 934 by providing a completed ic layout script . in an embodiment , the performance requirements script specifying the required w / l ratios of the various switches 115 , 115 ′ and 135 may also be generated in an automated fashion . a flowchart of a method to automatically generate this script is shown in fig1 . in step 1001 , an approximation model is provided to approximate the behavior of the pmos switches 115 , 115 ′ and the nmos switch 135 . the simulator parameters for the simulation of the behavior of the respective transistors are set in step 1002 . in step 1101 , the required resistances of the respective power switches are provided , and a list of the required resistances for the respective power switches in a power switch block 200 is generated in step 1102 . it is noted that at this stage , the power switch is handled as an abstract functional unit , for which it is unknown by how many transistors and / or segments the switch will be implemented . this list is used in step 1003 to select the next power switch block 200 for which the behavior is to be simulated . the method subsequently proceeds to step 1004 , in which a simulation step size is defined , after which the simulation is initiated in step 1005 . the step size is a scaling factor for the transistor dimensions . in a first step 1006 , the drain voltage of the pmos power switch 115 is simulated and compared with the nominal supply voltage v dd . if the drain voltage of the pmos power switch 115 is larger than v dd / 2 , the new gate width of the pmos power switch 115 is set to the product of the step size and the old gate width of the pmos power switch 115 in step 1007 . if the drain voltage of the pmos power switch 115 is smaller than v dd / 2 , the new gate width of the pmos power switch 115 is set to the old gate width of the pmos power switch 115 divided by the step size in step 1008 . in step 1010 , it is checked of the adjusted pmos power switch 115 has a drain voltage that deviates less than a predefined amount , e . g . 0 . 1 %, from v dd / 2 , after which the pmos power switch 115 is labeled ‘ finished ’ if this is the case . the same procedure is subsequently repeated for the nmos power switch 135 . in a first step 1010 , the drain voltage of the nmos power switch 135 is simulated and compared with the nominal supply voltage v dd . if the drain voltage of the nmos power switch 135 is larger than v dd / 2 , the new gate width of the nmos power switch 135 is set to the product of the step size and the old gate width of the nmos power switch 135 in step 1011 . if the drain voltage of the nmos power switch 135 is smaller than v dd / 2 , the new gate width of the nmos power switch 135 is set to the old gate width of the nmos power switch 135 divided by the step size in step 1012 . in step 1010 , it is checked of the adjusted nmos power switch 135 has a drain voltage that deviates less than a predefined amount , e . g . 0 . 1 %, from v dd / 2 , after which the nmos power switch 135 is labeled ‘ finished ’ if this is the case . in step 1014 , it is checked if both the pmos power switch 115 and the nmos power switch 135 are finished . if not , the method reverts back to step 1004 , in which a smaller step size is defined , after which the simulation is run again . otherwise , the method proceeds to step 1015 , in which it is checked if the maximum possible w / l ratio of the small pmos transistor 115 is smaller than the required w / l ratio , as calculated in the simulation . if this is the case , the method will proceed to step 1016 in which the number of fingers required for the small pmos transistor 115 is calculated and its gate length is estimated . nexty , in step 1017 , it is checked if the same estimation is required for the large pmos transistor 115 ′, which , if this is the case , causes the method to revert back to step 1016 . if not , the method will proceed to step 1018 , in which it is determined if the required w / l ratio of the nmos power switch 135 can be achieved by the maximum number of fingers for which a larger minimum gate width can be used in the given technology . if this is the case , the method proceeds to step 1019 in which the required number of fingers is calculated . next , in step 1020 , it is decided if the required w / l ratio of the nmos power switch 135 is smaller than the product of the calculated number of fingers and the minimum allowable gate width . if this is indeed the case , the required gate length of the nmos power switch 135 is estimated in step 1021 ; otherwise , the required gate width of the nmos power switch 135 is estimated in step 1023 for a minimum allowable gate length in the given technology . from steps 1021 and 1023 , it is checked , in respective steps 1022 and 1024 if a further estimation is required for the nmos power switch 135 . this is necessary because any adjustment to the gate length requires a new simulation of the transistor resistance because its resistance does not linearly scale with its gate length . if this is the case , the method reverts back to steps 1021 or 1023 ; otherwise , the method proceeds to step 1025 in which it is checked if all required w / l ratios are calculated for the specified required resistances . if this is not the case , the method returns to step 1003 ; otherwise , the method terminates in step 1026 in which the approximated required w / l ratios of the various power supply blocks 200 are provided . it is pointed out if it is decided in step 1015 , that the maximum possible w / l ratio of the small pmos transistor 115 is not smaller than the required w / l ratio , no further estimation is required , and the method may proceed to step 1025 . similarly , if it is decided in step 1018 that the required w / l ratio of the nmos power switch 135 cannot be achieved by the maximum number of fingers for which a larger minimum gate width can be used in the given technology , no further estimation is required , and the method may also proceed to step 1025 . it should be noted that the above - mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention , and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims . in the claims , any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim . the word “ comprising ” does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim . the word “ a ” or “ an ” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements . the invention can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements . in the device claim enumerating several means , several of these means can be embodied by one and the same item of hardware . the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage .	6
fig1 to 4 represent a first embodiment of a fixing device of the invention . this device includes on the one hand a base 2 and a cable retaining device 4 . it is produced in one piece , for example by molding a synthetic material . the base 2 is intended to enable fixing of the fixing device of the invention to a section of wire cable tray 6 . in the conventional way , and as represented in the drawings , this cable tray is gutter - shaped and includes longitudinal wires 8 called warp wires and transverse wires 10 called weft wires . the warp wires 8 are rectilinear ( except for the edge wires in the embodiment represented , which are nevertheless substantially rectilinear ). the weft wires 10 are u - shaped . the section of cable tray 6 therefore has a bottom panel 12 and two lateral panels 14 . it is assumed here that the bottom panel 12 is at the bottom of the lateral panels . this bottom panel 12 is disposed in a substantially horizontal plane whereas the lateral panels 14 extend substantially vertically . such an orientation is usual for a section of cable tray . other orientations can nevertheless be envisaged , for example with the bottom panel 12 disposed vertically or inclined . the base 2 has a mounting face 16 which , in a preferred embodiment , is a substantially plane face . a trough - shaped housing 18 is produced in the mounting face 16 . this housing 18 forms a groove extending the entire length of the mounting face 16 intended to receive a wire of the section of cable tray , a warp wire 8 in the orientation chosen for fig1 to 4 . here this housing 18 is considered to extend longitudinally . there is thus defined an orientation that corresponds to the orientation of the section of cable tray 6 represented , but as will emerge hereinafter , the fixing device of the invention can equally be fixed to the section of cable tray 6 oriented so that the housing 18 extends transversely relative to said section . fig1 and 2 show the trough shape of the housing 18 . the back of this housing , which in the chosen orientation is at the top of the housing 18 , preferably has a radius of curvature adapted to the diameters of the wires intended to be placed in the housing 18 . if warp or weft wires with different diameters are to be housed in the housing 18 , the latter will preferably have a radius of curvature corresponding to the larger wire radius . the housing 18 having another shape can nevertheless be envisaged : it could be v - shaped , for example , or some other shape . the base 2 also has a bearing surface 20 set back relative to the mounting face 16 . this bearing surface 20 extends perpendicularly to the housing 18 . it is parallel to the back line 22 of the housing 18 . in the embodiment shown here , which is a preferred embodiment , it is also parallel to the mounting face 16 . the bearing surface 20 is between the mounting face 16 and the back line 22 of the housing 18 . the distance between the bearing surface 20 and the back line 22 ( which is parallel to it ) is a few tenths of a millimeter . a transverse cut - out 24 provides access from the mounting face 16 to the bearing surface 20 . this cut - out is seen in fig3 in particular . the bearing surface 20 being intended to serve as a support for a wire of the cable tray on which the fixing device is mounted , the transverse cut - out 24 enables that wire to pass from the mounting face 16 to the bearing surface 20 . thus this transverse cut - out 24 opens into the mounting face 16 . in the embodiment represented in fig1 to 4 , the transverse cut - out 24 forms with the housing 18 a cross . this transverse cut - out 24 extends either side of the longitudinal housing 18 to the corresponding edge of the mounting face 16 of the base . as fig3 shows , this transverse cut - out 24 is l - shaped . one branch of this l - shape is perpendicular to the mounting face 16 while the other branch of this l - shape is parallel to the bearing surface 20 . accordingly , in order to bear on the surface 20 , a wire of the cable tray , a weft wire 10 in fig1 to 4 , is first placed parallel to the mounting face 16 and perpendicular to the longitudinal housing 18 . this weft wire 10 then penetrates through the transverse cut - out 24 in the base 2 , after which it is slid parallel to the mounting face 16 , parallel to the bearing surface 20 , to take up a position on this undercut bearing surface 20 . arrows in fig3 show the mounting of the fixing device on the section of cable tray 6 . thus the base 2 is first positioned at an intersection between a warp wire 8 and a weft wire 10 so that the cross formed by the housing 18 and the transverse cut - out 24 coincides with the intersection of the wires of the cable tray where the fixing device is to be placed ( fig4 ). in the situation represented , the longitudinal housing 18 faces a warp wire 8 while the transverse cut - out 24 faces a weft wire 10 . the base 2 is then moved vertically downward ( in the chosen orientation , see above ) indicated by the first arrow 26 in fig3 . the warp wire 8 then comes to rest on the back of the longitudinal housing 18 ( fig3 position ). the base 2 is finally pushed in the longitudinal direction , as indicated by the second arrow in fig3 . the weft wire 10 then slides on the bearing surface 20 , for example until it abuts on the back of the cut - out , as shown in fig1 . this movement is guided by the warp wire 8 sliding in its housing 18 . the fixing device of the invention , once mounted , is retained on the one hand by the back of the housing 18 bearing on the warp wire 8 and on the other hand by the weft wire 10 bearing on the bearing surfaces 20 . there can be a slight clamping effect here to retain the device of the invention on the section of cable tray 6 by adapting the distance between the back line 22 of the housing 18 and the bearing surfaces 20 . this device is then retained thanks to this clamping effect without having to use any tools . moreover , if cables ( not shown ) are present in the section of cable tray 6 , mounting can be effected anyway because , during mounting , fixing is effected by a longitudinal movement , which is parallel to the cables . because of this , the cables do not greatly impede the fixing of the device . in the embodiment of fig1 to 4 , the base 2 is produced in a synthetic material having relatively high elasticity ( compared to sheet metal ). a boss 30 is then provided for improved retention of the fixing device ( or its base 2 ) to the section of cable tray 6 . this boss 30 is produced near the edge of the bearing surface 20 on the same side as the transverse cut - out 24 . it is positioned to leave sufficient room between it and the back of the transverse cut - out 24 to accommodate the wires of greater diameter intended to bear on the bearing surfaces 20 . the cable retaining device 4 is shown diagrammatically in fig1 to 4 as a ring . this ring is preferably covered , but this opening enabling introduction of cables is not represented in the drawings . this is a retaining device like that described in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 107 , 653 , for example . such a device enables rapid placement of cables to retain them . this retention is furthermore reversible . the device can thus be opened and closed at will to add or remove a cable . fig5 and 6 show another embodiment of a fixing device of the invention . this embodiment is in sheet metal . for this and subsequent embodiments , elements similar to those of the first embodiment of fig1 to 4 have the same references as in those figures . on the device of fig5 and 6 , there is a mounting face 16 with two longitudinal housings 18 and a transverse cut - out 24 for each of the housings 18 . the mounting face 16 is the lower face of the fixing device and is not visible in fig5 . the device is produced from sheet metal by cutting and pressing . thus the formation of the housings 18 in the mounting face 16 produces a rib on the face of the sheet opposite the housings 18 . the two transverse cut - outs 24 extend in each case from a longitudinal housing 18 to an edge of the mounting face 16 . they are aligned and thus correspond to the same weft wire 10 ( or warp wire 8 ). each transverse cut - out 24 here defines a tongue 32 one face of which , that opposite the mounting face 16 , is part of the bearing surface 20 . to enable the fixing of any accessory , the fixing device includes fixing means which , in the embodiment shown ( see fig5 ), are two bores 34 of circular shape . to mount this fixing device on the section of cable tray 6 as shown in fig5 , the mounting face 16 is placed on the bottom panel 12 of the section of cable tray 6 so that the longitudinal housings 18 face two warp wires 8 . the fixing device is introduced via the interior of the section of cable tray ( the interior corresponding to the space between the branches of the u - shape of the cable tray ) and the concave face of the housings 18 is oriented toward the exterior of the section of cable tray . a weft wire 10 is level with the transverse cut - outs 24 , more particularly where the transverse cut - outs open into the mounting face 16 . the warp wires 8 then take their place in the housings 18 . the fixing device is then slid longitudinally so that the weft wire 10 passes over the tongues 32 and thus comes to bear on the corresponding bearing surface 20 . this latter movement is guided by the warp wires 8 sliding in the longitudinal housings 18 . in this sheet metal embodiment , having only one longitudinal housing 18 and only one transverse cut - out 24 can be envisaged . there are then two bearing surfaces 20 disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal housing 18 . thus the device can be mounted at the crossover of a warp wire and a weft wire of the section of cable tray . fig7 shows another embodiment of a fixing device of the invention . two identical fixing devices are represented in this figure . this figure shows how the same fixing device of the invention can be fixed with two different orientations , either inside a section of cable tray 6 or outside it . the fixing device represented here is also produced in sheet metal . it includes a base 2 having a mounting face 16 and a fixing plate 36 . this fixing device is also produced by pressing and bending sheet metal . the fixing plate 36 is provided with bores 38 of circular shape and oblong holes 38 ′. the mounting face 16 of this fixing device includes a longitudinal housing 18 and six transverse cut - outs 24 . the transverse cut - outs 24 are regularly spaced with a regular pitch , for example a pitch of 50 mm . this pitch corresponds to the pitch between two adjacent warp wires . the pitch between two weft wires is twice that between the warp wires , i . e . 100 mm . these numerical values are given by way of nonlimiting example , but correspond to values currently found on some cable trays . the fact of having warp wires and weft wires with separation pitches of which one is a multiple of the other enables mounting of the fixing device in the two positions shown in fig7 . in one mounting position , the longitudinal housing 18 receives a weft wire 10 , whereas in the other mounting position it receives a warp wire 8 . in the first mounting the fixing device is mounted on a weft wire and six warp wires whereas in the second mounting position the fixing device is mounted on one warp wire and three weft wires . this mounting in two different directions is illustrated by the embodiment represented in fig7 , but it is clear that the other embodiments described above , and many other embodiments of the invention , also enable such mountings on the same cable tray . fig8 shows by way of illustration another embodiment in sheet metal . the fixing device of this embodiment includes three longitudinal housings 18 and is intended to be mounted on two weft wires and six warp wires or three warp wires and three weft wires . of course , embodiments with a plurality of longitudinal housings 18 and / or a plurality of transverse cut - outs 24 can be produced for bases of synthetic material fixing devices of the type shown in fig1 to 4 . the fixing devices described above can be considered as universal fixing devices because each can be used on cable trays produced with wires of different diameters : they can be used on a cable tray using wires of different diameters , but they can also be used on two different cable trays produced with wires of different diameters . furthermore , fixing devices whose mounting face includes a longitudinal housing and a transverse cut - out can adapt to any intersection of two wires of a cable tray and can be mounted at will essentially inside the cable tray or outside it . a device of the invention thus enables fixing of an accessory intended to be located inside a cable tray or outside it . note further that the mounting of these devices is easy and can be effected without tools . these sections can be mounted on demand on site when fitting a cable tray with no auxiliary parts , such as bolts or the like . even if a device of the invention can be produced in bent and cut sheet metal , it is a device offering good accuracy and high stiffness . a molded synthetic material embodiment also provides good accuracy . it has the advantage of not being aggressive to cables intended to be placed in the cable tray . the devices described are essentially intended to be mounted in a section of cable tray but mounting versions with a plurality of longitudinal housings and / or a plurality of transverse cut - outs between two sections of cable tray can also be envisaged . the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above by way of nonlimiting example and to the variants referred to . it concerns equally all variants evident to the person skilled in the art within the scope of the following claims .	8
in fig1 and 2 of the drawings a circular substrate 10 is shown mounted on a plurality of spaced support pillars 12 which may be made of graphite or any other suitable material . the pillars 12 are bonded with a suitable bonding agent to the substrate 10 and are mounted on and supported by a baffle plate ( not shown ) but provided in the deposition chamber of a chemical vapor deposition system such as that illustrated in fig5 . the substrate 10 , which may comprise the faceplate of a mirror being fabricated , is enclosed by an outer ring 14 . the ring 14 is supported by suitable means ( not shown ) and matches the shape of the substrate with a narrow substantially uniform annular space 16 having a width of between one and two millimeters separating the peripheral edge 18 of the substrate 10 from the inner wall 20 of the ring 14 . the ring 14 may be made of graphite or any other suitable material . as indicated by the upwardly directed arrow 22 , an inert or nonreactive gas , such as argon , flows upward from beneath the ring 14 from a suitable source ( not shown ) through a flow line 24 . the upward flow of argon impinges on the lower side of the substrate 10 . the upward flow of argon continues through the annular space 16 between the substrate 10 and the ring 14 and prevents the deposit and thereby any growth of chemically vapor deposited material between the substrate 10 and ring 14 , the flow of chemically vapor deposited material being indicated by the downwardly directed arrows 26 . a flow rate of argon is used which will maintain a small difference between the pressure , p r , in the annular space 16 and the gas pressure , p f , in the vapor deposition chamber of the chemical vapor deposition system . as a result , chemical vapor deposited material is precluded from flowing into the annular space 16 between the substrate 10 and the ring 14 . this effectively isolates the substrate 10 from the rest of the vapor deposition chamber . by isolating the substrate 10 from the rest of the deposition chamber , cracks tending to propagate from the wall of the vapor deposition chamber to the substrate 10 are eliminated . backside growth on the substrate 10 is also prevented . such growth often results in cracking of the desired deposit on the opposite or front side 28 of the substrate 10 . in fig3 there is schematically illustrated a chemical vapor deposition chamber 30 including injectors 32 at the upper end , as seen in the drawing , for the introduction of reactive gases and an opening or port 34 at the lower end for exhausting nonreacted gases . mounted on a baffle plate 36 , which is supported in chamber 30 by suitable means ( not shown ) adjacent the port 34 , is a modified structure for enabling the selective deposit of a chemically vapor deposited material on the surface of a substrate 38 . the substrate 38 is mounted on the baffle plate 36 by means of a suitable support post 40 and is enclosed by an outer ring 42 . ring 42 matches the shape of the substrate 38 . a narrow substantially uniform annular space 44 having a width of between one and two millimeters separates the peripheral edge of the substrate 38 from the inner wall 46 of ring 42 . the ring 42 may be made of graphite , and as shown , rests on and is supported by the baffle plate 36 . flow lines 48 and 50 , which extend through the chamber 30 and the baffle plate 36 from a source ( not shown ) of an inert or nonreactive gas such as argon , provide an upward flow of such gas indicated by arrows 52 and 54 , through the annular space 44 . the upward flow of gas through the annular space 44 prevents the deposit of chemically vapor deposited material , indicated by arrows 56 , 58 and 60 , between the substrate 38 and ring 42 . this isolates the substrate 38 from the rest of the chemical vapor deposition chamber 30 to provide advantageous results similar to those described in connection with fig1 and 2 . a flow rate of argon is used which will maintain a small differential in the pressures , p r , in the annular ring , and p f , in the chamber 30 . fig4 is a fragmented cross sectional view illustrating a modification of the structure shown in fig3 for supporting a mirror faceplate or other substrate in a stress - free manner . in fig4 a substrate 62 is shown mounted on a support post 64 which is positioned between the substrate 62 and a baffle plate 66 . while one support post 64 only is shown in fig4 those skilled in the art will understand that several such support posts may be utilized , particularly in the fabrication of larger diameter mirrors ( 0 . 5 m . or greater ). the support post 64 includes opposed end portions 68 and 70 of reduced cross section thus providing respectively associated adjacent shoulders 72 and 73 . the end portion 68 of post 64 is received in an individually associated cavity 74 provided on the substrate 62 . similarly , the portion 70 is received in an individually associated cavity 76 provided in the baffle plate 66 . cavity 76 , as shown , is positioned in substantial alignment with the cavity 74 in substrate 62 . the relative dimensions of the end portions 68 and 70 and the cavities 72 and 74 are such that the post 64 is movable laterally a few millimeters relatively to both the substrate 62 and the baffle plate 66 . as shown in the drawing , the length of the end portion 68 of post 64 is longer than the end portion 70 . additionally , the depth of the cavity 74 in the substrate 62 is less than that of the cavity 76 in the baffle plate 66 . with this arrangement , the end portion 68 of post 64 is in direct supporting contact with the substrate 62 at the inner end of cavity 74 and the shoulder 73 of the post 64 is in direct supporting contact with the baffle plate 66 . as a consequence , stresses tending to be induced in the substrate 62 upon changes in temperature within the deposition chamber , particularly upon cool down of the substrate 62 from the high temperatures required for chemical vapor deposition , is substantially minimized . thus , the mounting for the substrate 62 is substantially stress - free . also , as shown in the drawing , the substrate is enclosed by a ring 80 . ring 80 matches the shape of the substrate 62 , being separated from the peripheral edge 63 thereof by a substantially uniform annular space 82 having a width in the range of one to two millimeters . the ring 80 may be made of graphite , and as shown , rests on and is supported by the baffle plate 66 . more specifically , a shoulder 84 provided adjacent a first end portion , specifically the bottom end of ring 80 , as seen in the drawing , rests on the baffle plate 66 , with an end portion 86 at the first end of the ring extending into a circular groove 88 provided in the baffle plate 66 . the width of the circular groove 88 is sufficiently greater than the width of the end portion 86 of ring 80 that the latter is movable laterally a few millimeters relatively to the baffle plate 66 . for insuring the maintenance of a substantially uniform width of the annular space 82 between the peripheral edge 63 of the substrate 62 and the inner wall of the ring 80 , a suitable spacer ring 90 is provided , as shown , between the peripheral edge 63 of the substrate 62 and the inner wall of the ring . the spacer ring 90 may be made of porous graphite or other suitable porous material and desirably is embedded in a circular groove 92 provided in the wall of the ring 90 , as shown . a flow line 94 extends through the baffle plate 66 from a source ( not shown ) of an inert or nonreactive gas such as argon to provide an upward flow of such gas , as indicated by the arrow 96 through the porous spacer ring 90 and the annular space 82 between the substrate 62 and the ring 80 . a flow line ( not shown ) similar to the flow line 94 preferably is also provided through the baffle plate 66 on the other side of the support post 64 . for facilitating the deposit of chemically vapor deposited material to the peripheral edge 63 of the surface of the substrate 62 , the inner upper or second end of ring 80 , as seen in the drawing , is cut away to provide a chamfered surface 98 . this chamfered surface 98 precludes bridging of the annular space 82 by the chemical vapor deposition material being deposited . such bridging would be detrimental in that it would destroy the isolation of the substrate 62 from the chemical vapor deposition chamber . thus , extension of the coating being deposited to the peripheral edge 63 of the substrate 62 is made possible . the momentum of the upward flow of gas through the annular space 82 is such that little or no outward flaring of the gas results . fig5 is a schematic illustration of a chemical vapor deposition system 100 that may be used for the selective deposit of sic and si on the substrates 10 , 38 and 62 of fig1 - 4 . as seen in fig5 argon enters a bubbler chamber 102 from a suitable source ( not shown ) by way of a valve 104 and a flow line 106 . bubbler chamber 102 may contain mts or trichlorosilane ( sihcl 3 , hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; ts &# 34 ;). mts is preferred to produce a sic deposit . ts is preferred to produce a si deposit . as those skilled in the art will understand , however , other hydrocarbon and silane sources can be used to produce sic and si deposits . both of these deposits have been fabricated over a wide range of deposition temperatures and reaction chamber pressures . argon bubbles carrying the reagent mts or ts enter a flow line 108 under the control of a valve 110 . hydrogen enters the flow line 108 through a flow line 112 from a suitable source ( not shown ) under the control of a valve 114 . the reagents may be introduced into a reaction chamber 116 of the chemical vapor deposition system 100 through injectors 118 that may be identical to the injectors 32 shown in fig3 . reaction chamber 116 may be a conventional ceramic deposition chamber and is contained within a reaction zone tube 120 . reaction chamber 116 may be heated to a temperature in the range between about 830 ° c . and 1350 ° c . by suitable heating elements ( not shown ). argon also enters the reaction chamber 116 through a flow line 122 from a suitable source ( not shown ), which source may be the same as that from which argon flows to the bubbler chamber 102 . the flow of argon in the flow line is controlled by a valve 124 . this flow of argon is operative , as described in connection with fig1 - 4 , to effect the isolation of a predetermined deposition area in which the surface of a substrate 126 is positioned from the rest of the reaction chamber 116 . gaseous products are removed from the reaction chamber 116 through a filter 128 through a flow line 130 to a vacuum pump 132 . from the vacuum pump , the gases are conveyed through a flow line 134 to a scrubber 136 . the scrubbed gases are then vented to the atmosphere . thus , in accordance with the invention , there has been provided an improved method of and apparatus for effecting the isolation of a predetermined deposition area in a hot - walled chemical vapor deposition chamber , to which area the chemical vapor deposition is limited , and for holding a mirror faceplate or other substrate in a stress - free state in such isolated predetermined isolation area . with this description of the invention in detail , those skilled in the art will appreciate that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from its spirit . therefore , it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described . rather , it is intended that the scope of the invention be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents .	2
the preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to a rapid thermal processing ( rtp ) reactor using pyrometry sensors for wafer temperature measurement , such as that shown in fig1 . the invention may alternatively be used with other device fabrication equipment and temperature measurement techniques , such as thermal expansion - based temperature sensors , acoustical sensors , and ellipsometry - based sensors . typical processes which require precise temperature measurement and control include chemical - vapor deposition ( cvd ), thermal oxidation , and thermal anneals . however , the invention is not limited in application to semiconductor device fabrication processes . for example , it may also be used in conjunction with flat panel display ( fpd ) fabrication processes . in contrast to prior art devices , the calibration wafers of the present invention have no thermocouples ( tc &# 39 ; s ) and do not require any initial calibration against tc - bonded wafers before their use for precise pyrometry calibrations ( or calibrations of other temperature sensors ). the calibration wafer of this invention offers known precise temperature calibration standard points based on constant physical parameters . because there are no thermocouples , the calibration wafers are wireless . thus , they allow automated wafer handling for the calibration process . no manual wafer handling inside an automated processing reactor is needed . this feature makes the calibration standard of this invention compatible with product manufacturing environments . furthermore , the calibration wafers of this invention can be used repeatedly for numerous temperature calibrations both in inert and reactive ( e . g . oxidizing and nitridizing ) ambients . these wafers are expected to last for many more calibration runs compared to the conventional tc - bonded wafers . the invention can be implemented both on dedicated standard calibration wafers or on actual device wafers . for the latter , the temperature calibration elements are placed on the wafer backsides so that each device wafer serves as its own calibration standard as well . in the former , the calibration elements may be placed either on the wafer frontside ( polished side ) or on its backside . this invention allows placement of one or two ( or even multiple ) calibration element types on each wafer . each calibration element type is associated with a single known precise temperature . two calibration temperature points ( t 1 and t 2 ) are sufficient in order to calibrate pyrometry sensors in their operating temperature range for both gain and offset as will be discussed below . in this invention , melting points of suitable elements are used as the calibration temperature points . the melting points of pure elements and alloys of two ( or more ) elements with known ratios are physical constants which can be used for sensor calibration purposes when solid - to - melt phase transitions occur during a thermal cycle . these phase transitions can be detected in real time by noncontact means as will now be explained . it is a known that various material elements demonstrate abrupt changes in their physical characteristics such as optical reflectance during the solid - to - melt phase transition at the melting point . for instance , surface optical reflectance of germanium ( ge ) shows a step change ( increase ) when a transition from solid to melt occurs at the melting point ( tm = 937 . 4 ° for ge ). other material properties such as electrical resistivity and microwave reflectance may also show abrupt step changes at the material melting point . the preferred material property used for the purpose of this invention is the optical reflectance or emissivity of the wafer at the melting points of the materials used and the abrupt changes associated with it . a cross - section of the first preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in fig2 . wafer 30 contains a buffer layer structure 32 located adjacent substrate 28 either on the frontside or the backside of wafer 30 ( frontside is the preferred choice ). islands 36 of calibration material ( e . g . germanium ) are fabricated adjacent buffer layer structure 32 . buffer layer structure 32 may , for example , consist of both an oxide layer 33 and a nitride layer 34 to prevent the calibration material of islands 36 from reacting with the substrate during thermal calibration runs . encapsulation layer 38 covers and isolates calibration islands 36 . since islands 36 will melt and solidify during calibration , encapsulation layer 38 seals each island 36 to contain the calibration elements 36 . finally , passivation layer 40 ( such as silicon nitride ) is located adjacent encapsulation layer 38 . passivation layer 40 prevents degradation of islands 36 in reactive environments such as oxygen . the process for forming the first preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to fig3 a through d . as shown in fig3 a , initial buffer barrier layers 33 , 34 are deposited over the substrate 28 of wafer 30 . the buffer structure may consist of an initial layer of silicon dioxide 33 and a top layer of silicon nitride 34 . silicon dioxide layer 33 may , for example , have thickness of approximately 1000 å and may be formed by low pressure chemical - vapor deposition ( lpcvd ). as will be apparent to those skilled in the art , other methods such as plasma - enhanced chemical - vapor deposition ( pecvd ), or thermal oxidation may alternatively be used . silicon nitride layer 34 may also have a thickness of approximately 1000 å and may be formed by lpcvd . again , as will be apparent to those skilled in the art , other methods such as pecvd may alternatively be used . the buffer structure may also be made of other suitable material layers such as refractory metals . next , as shown in fig3 b , a thin layer of the desired calibration material 35 , such as germanium ( ge ) is deposited . the melting point , t m1 , for ge is 937 . 2 ° c . deposition may be accomplished by various techniques such as cvd or physical - vapor deposition ( pvd ) such as sputtering . calibration layer 35 has a thickness in the range of 200 and 3000 å and is typically around 2000 å . calibration materials are chosen by three criteria . first , the melting points must be in the temperature range of interest . typically , this is between 150 ° and 1150 ° c . second , high boiling points and low vapor pressures are required to prevent contamination and stress - induced peeling of the encapsulation layers and to allow numerous calibration runs . finally , the calibration material must comprise suitable elements or alloys which are compatible with silicon processing technology to prevent reactor contamination . table 1 shows some examples of preferred materials for the purpose of this invention . table 1______________________________________ melting boiling solid melting temp . temp . density densityelement / alloy (° c .) (° c .) ( g / cm . sup . 3 ) ( g / cm . sup . 3 ) ______________________________________aluminum ( al ) 660 . 37 2467 2 . 6989 2 . 370bismuth ( bi ) 271 . 3 1560 10 . 05germanium ( ge ) 937 . 4 2830 5 . 323 5 . 57indium ( in ) 156 . 61 2080 7 . 31 7 . 01tin ( sn ) 231 . 97 2270 7 . 31 6 . 9810 % al + 90 % sn 540 . 0______________________________________ calibration layer 35 is then patterned via microlithography and plasma etch ( or wet etch ) to forman array of ge islands 36 , as shown in fig3 c . it is preferred that the islands 36 cover all of the wafer surface as shown in fig4 . however , they may alternatively only cover a portion of the wafer surface . the typical dimensions of the ge islands are 25 μm × 25 μm ( gaps of 2 . 5 μm between adjacent islands ). larger or smaller dimensions may also be used . fig4 shows islands 36 as square , but other shapes such as hexagons may of course alternatively be used . the ge patterning etch may be performed in chlorine - containing ( e . g . cl 2 ) or fluorine - containing ( e . g . sf 6 ) plasmas . an encapsulation layer 38 of sio 2 ( or silicon nitride ) is deposited via lpcvd or pecvd , as shown in fig3 d . those skilled in the art will recognize that other methods such as sputtering may also be used . a typical encapsulation layer thickness is 1000 å . finally , the passivation layer 40 is deposited . passivation layer 40 may consist silicon nitride approximately 1000 å thick and may , for example , be deposited by pecvd . passivation layer 40 will prevent oxidation of the calibration elements during calibration runs in reactive oxidizing ambients . the resultant structure is shown in fig2 . a cross - section of the second preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in fig5 . wafer 30 contains a stacked buffer layer 32 ( or a single buffer layer ) located adjacent substrate 28 and may be on either the frontside or the backside of wafer 30 ( frontside placement is preferred ). islands of a first calibration material 36 are located adjacent buffer layer 32 . buffer layer 32 may , for example , consists of both an oxide layer and a nitride layer to prevent the calibration material of islands 36 from reacting with the substrate during thermal calibration . encapsulation layer 38 covers and isolates islands 36 . islands of second calibration material 46 are located above encapsulation layer 38 . encapsulation layer , 48 seals the islands of second calibration material 46 . finally , passivation layer 40 is located adjacent encapsulation layer 48 . passivation layer 40 ( silicon nitride ) prevents degradation of islands 36 and 46 in reactive environments such as oxidation . a single layer of silicon nitride may be used for both encapsulation and passivation . the process for forming the second preferred embodiment will now be described with reference to fig6 a through c . fig6 a is a cross - sectional diagram of wafer 30 having buffer layers 33 , and 34 , first calibration islands 36 and encapsulation layer 38 . these layers are formed in the same manner as described with respect to the first preferred embodiment . as shown in fig6 b , a thin layer ( e . g ., 1000 å ) of second calibration material 45 is deposited above encapsulation layer 38 . this may be accomplished using cvd or pvd for example . second calibration material may for example consist of tin . preferred choices for first and second calibration material include germanium and tin , germanium and aluminum , or aluminum and tin , for example . for tin and germanium ( sn , ge ), tm 1 is approximately 237 ° c . and t m2 is approximately 937 ° c . this combination is good for sensor calibrations over an extended temperature range without contamination problems ( e . g . for applications such as rapid thermal oxidation , rapid thermal anneal , etc .). both germanium and tin are column iv semiconductors and are not considered contaminants in silicon . aluminum and germanium is a preferred combination when t m1 & gt ; 400 ° is required for pyrometry signal calibrations . this is due to the fact that some pyrometry sensors do not provide sufficient signal levels for temperatures less than 400 ° c . tin and aluminum provide a t m1 approximately equal to 232 ° c . and t . sub . m2 approximately 660 ° c . this combination is useful for wireless calibrations in low - temperature processes . examples include silicide react / anneal processes which are in the temperature range of 550 °- 750 ° c . after the second calibration material is deposited , a second patterning step is performed to forman array of second calibration material islands 46 , as shown in fig6 c . islands 46 may have the same dimension as first islands 36 . the pattern of islands 46 is such that it will not cause shadowing of the first calibration elements . this will ensure that the average local reflectance / emissivity of the wafer at any point is determined by the reflectivities of both calibration elements . finally , as shown in fig5 a second encapsulation layer 50 and the passivation layer 40 are deposited . second encapsulation layer 50 may consist of sio 2 at a thickness of approximately 1000 å . passivation layer 40 may consist of silicon nitride approximately 1000 å thick . both layers may be deposited by , for example , pecvd . passivation layer 40 will prevent oxidation of the calibration elements during calibration runs in oxidizing ambients . a single top layer of silicon nitride may be used for both encapsulation and passivation purposes . the first and second preferred embodiments can be used for wireless temperature calibration runs for both single point and multi - point pyrometry sensors of a rtp reactor . in operation , the calibration points t m1 and t m2 can be detected by one of several methods . the preferred method of detecting t m1 and t m2 calibration points is directly via the pyrometry signal or signals . as the wafer temperature is raised ( or ramped ) above t m2 ( or t m1 ), a step change in wafer reflectance will result in a step change in its effective emissivity and the resultant pyrometry signal ( s ) will also experience a small step change , as shown in fig7 . assuming a slow temperature / power ramp ( change or temperature variation e . g ., during an open - loop power ramp - up ): if one calibration material is used , as in the first preferred embodiment , t m1 and i 1 are determined . since the slope will generally be known from a separate thermocouple calibration run , the offset can be calculated as follows : if two or more calibration materials are used , both the slope and offset can be calculated because t m1 and i 1 as well as t m2 and i 2 will be known . the wireless calibration wafer usually has the same backside emissivity as the actual device wafers ( although the requirement is not critical if the pyrometry system also employs emissivity compensation ). in a multi - point pyrometry sensor system , the same wireless calibration wafer can be used for simultaneous calibrations of all the pyrometry sensors a distinct ( i i1 , t m1 ) and ( i i2 , t m2 ) will be determined for each sensor and a separate slope ( gain ) and offset can then be calculated for each sensor . an alternative method to detect t m1 and t m2 transitions for pyrometry calibrations ( rather than trying to detect the small pyrometry signal step changes ) is to use laser beams 118 from the frontside ( or even backside ) to monitor the surface reflectivity values , as shown in fig8 . a laser beam 118 is directed at wafer 112 across from each sensor 1 - 4 . sensors 1 - 4 are located within the multi - zone illuminator of the rtp reactor and separated from wafer 112 by quartz window 110 . on the other side of wafer 112 is gas showerhead 114 . in the preferred embodiment , sensors 1 - 4 are pyrometers . however , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that sensors 1 - 4 may alternatively be elipsometers , thermal expansion sensors , or acoustical sensors . the laser may be a cheap hene ( 6328 å ) laser with fiber - optic coupling 120 for improved alignment . the reflectance values r 1 - r 4 are monitored during a calibration cycle power ramp using detectors 116 . the surface reflectance values measured during a calibration cycle will experience step changes at times corresponding to ( i i1 , t m1 ) and ( i i2 , t m2 ), as shown in fig9 . accordingly , t m1 and i 1 and t m2 and i 2 are determined and the above calculations for slope ( gain ) and offset apply . a third preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in fig1 . this figure shows formation of the calibration elements on narrow rings 60 on the backside of wafer 62 . the rings may have a typical width of 2 mm or less and are located at radial positions corresponding to the radial probe positions of the multi - point pyrometry sensors . the rings may consist of one or more calibration materials . any of the two detection methods for ( ii 1 , t m1 ) and ( i i2 , t m2 ), direct pyrometry step detection or laser reflectance , can be used . in this case , the hene laser probes can be placed into the illuminator light pipes to look at the specific radial positions on the wafer backside ( similar structure as the pyrometer light pipes ). referring to fig1 a - b , a fourth preferred embodiment involves the use of two separate wireless calibration wafers . both wafers 30a and 30b may be formed as described above relative to the first preferred embodiment and shown in fig2 . calibration islands 36a and 36b are located within encapsulation layers 38a and 38b , respectively . encapsulation layers 38a and 38b are separated from substrate 28a and 28b by buffer layer 32a and 32b , respectively . passivation layers 40a and 40b cover wafers 30a and 30b respectively . however , each wafer will have a different calibration material . in operation , ii 1 and t m1 are determined using the first wafer by either of the two detection method described above . i i2 and t m2 are determined using the second wafer . once ( ii 1 , t m1 ) and ( i i2 , t m2 ) are known , the slope and offset can be calculated according to equations ( 6 ) and ( 7 ). a few preferred embodiments have been described in detail hereinabove . it is to be understood that the scope of the invention also comprehends embodiments different from those described , yet within the scope of the claims . while this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments , this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments , as well as other embodiments of the invention , will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description . it is therefore intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments .	6
with reference now to the figures and in particular with reference to fig1 , a pictorial representation is shown of a data processing system in which a microprocessor chip containing sram memory can be implemented , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . a computer 100 is depicted which includes system unit 102 , video display terminal 104 , keyboard 106 , storage devices 108 , which may include floppy drives and other types of permanent and removable storage media , and mouse 110 . additional input devices may be included with personal computer 100 , such as , for example , a joystick , touchpad , touch screen , trackball , microphone , and the like . computer 100 can be implemented using any suitable computer , such as an ibm eserver computer or intellistation computer , which are products of international business machines corporation , located in armonk , n . y . although the depicted representation shows a computer , other embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in other types of data processing systems , such as a network computer . computer 100 also preferably includes a graphical user interface ( gui ) that may be implemented by means of systems software residing in computer readable media in operation within computer 100 . with reference now to fig2 , a block diagram of a data processing system is shown in which the present invention can be implemented . data processing system 200 is an example of a computer , such as computer 100 in fig1 , in which a microprocessor chip containing sram memory according to the present invention may be located . data processing system 200 employs a peripheral component interconnect ( pci ) local bus architecture . although the depicted example employs a pci bus , other bus architectures such as accelerated graphics port ( agp ) and industry standard architecture ( isa ) may be used . processor 202 and main memory 204 are connected to pci local bus 206 through pci bridge 208 . pci bridge 208 also may include an integrated memory controller and cache memory for processor 202 . additional connections to pci local bus 206 may be made through direct component interconnection or through add - in connectors . in the depicted example , local area network ( lan ) adapter 210 , small computer system interface scsi host bus adapter 212 , and expansion bus interface 214 are connected to pci local bus 206 by direct component connection . in contrast , audio adapter 216 , graphics adapter 218 , and audio / video adapter 219 are connected to pci local bus 206 by add - in boards inserted into expansion slots . expansion bus interface 214 provides a connection for a keyboard and mouse adapter 220 , modem 222 , and additional memory 224 . scsi host bus adapter 212 provides a connection for hard disk drive 226 , tape drive 228 , and cd - rom drive 230 . typical pci local bus implementations will support three or four pci expansion slots or add - in connectors . an operating system runs on processor 202 and is used to coordinate and provide control of various components within data processing system 200 in fig2 . the operating system may be a commercially available operating system such as windows xp , which is available from microsoft corporation . an object oriented programming system such as java may run in conjunction with the operating system and provides calls to the operating system from java programs or applications executing on data processing system 200 . “ java ” is a trademark of sun microsystems , inc . instructions for the operating system , the object - oriented programming system , and applications or programs are located on storage devices , such as hard disk drive 226 , and may be loaded into main memory 204 for execution by processor 202 . those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the hardware in fig2 may vary depending on the implementation . other internal hardware or peripheral devices , such as flash read - only memory ( rom ), equivalent nonvolatile memory , or optical disk drives and the like , may be used in addition to or in place of the hardware depicted in fig2 . also , the processes of the present invention may be applied to a multiprocessor data processing system . for example , data processing system 200 , if optionally configured as a network computer , may not include scsi host bus adapter 212 , hard disk drive 226 , tape drive 228 , and cd - rom 230 . in that case , the computer , to be properly called a client computer , includes some type of network communication interface , such as lan adapter 210 , modem 222 , or the like . as another example , data processing system 200 may be a stand - alone system configured to be bootable without relying on some type of network communication interface , whether or not data processing system 200 comprises some type of network communication interface . as a further example , data processing system 200 may be a personal digital assistant ( pda ), which is configured with rom and / or flash rom to provide non - volatile memory for storing operating system files and / or user - generated data . the depicted example in fig2 and the above - described examples are not meant to imply architectural limitations . for example , data processing system 200 also may be a notebook computer or hand held computer in addition to taking the form of a pda . data processing system 200 also may be a kiosk or a web appliance . fig3 depicts a microprocessor chip 300 . chip 300 contains microprocessor circuitry 301 , as well as sram cache arrays and associated circuitry , according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention . two large sram cache arrays 302 , 304 are connected to respective automatic , built - in self - testing circuits 308 , 310 . in this embodiment , each array has its own dedicated abist circuitry . alternatively , each test circuit can test a number of arrays of sram cells , with circuits present to select an array to be tested . abist engines 308 , 310 are designed to test the sram cells in a strict order , which does not vary . this allows the address of a failure to be calculated by knowing the number of computer cycles that have elapsed since the start of the test . the output of testing circuits 308 , 310 are respective fail signals 322 , 324 , which are fed into multiplexor 312 , along with an input from the normally traced data 320 of the prior art . multiplexor 312 will forward a selected input signal to be stored in trace array 314 . typically , when a self - test is to be performed , a clock signal is sent to the trace array . from that point on , a signal is sent whenever a bit fails . when the fail signal is received , a count of the computer cycles since the last signal is recorded in trace array 314 . later , when trace array 314 is read , the cycle information is used to calculate addresses of bit failures . trace array 314 can be read through the action of scan controller 316 , which can itself be contacted through jtag slave 318 from external jtag scan interface 330 . trace array 314 contains only a small amount of storage . in the exemplary embodiment above , trace array 314 contains space to store 256 bit failures . therefore , if the number of failures goes above this number , the testing will be unable to record further failures and will be aborted . jtag is a standard for a testing architecture , originally developed by the joint test action group and later adopted by the institute of electrical and electronics engineers ( ieee ) as the standard test access port and boundary - scan architecture . this standard defines the chip access port as containing four required leads : ( 1 ) test mode select , ( 2 ) test clock input , ( 3 ) test data input , and ( 4 ) test data output , plus an optional lead : ( 5 ) test reset . fig4 depicts a flowchart showing the actions used to test a chip , according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention . a signal to the test - mode - select pin on the chip triggers a self - test of the sram ( step 402 ). when triggered , the abist circuit sets a pointer to point to the first bit to be tested and sends a start signal ( step 404 ) over signal lines 322 , 324 . the abist circuit tests the current bit by writing a value to that bit , then reading the bit back ( step 406 ). if an error occurs ( step 408 ), i . e ., the value read is not the same as the value written , the self - test circuit sends an error signal on a respective signal line 322 , 324 . at the trace array , a value , which indicates the number of cycles since the last signal , is saved in the next available location in the trace array ( step 410 ). the pointer is then incremented by 1 to point to the next bit ( step 412 ). a determination is made whether the test is completed , i . e ., whether all cells have been checked ( step 414 ). as mentioned above , the trace array has a limited number of locations for entries , e . g . 256 ; the number of errors found can be compared to this number ( step 416 ). if the number of errors reaches the number of entries , there is no more storage space for errors , so the testing is completed . otherwise , the testing continues until the entire array has been checked . when the self - test completes , a scan of the trace array is performed ( step 440 ). as the values in the trace array are received , post - processing can be used to calculate the address when failures have occurred . the number of errors and the pattern of their locations can then be used as an aid in diagnosing problems with the chip . given the capability to store self - testing information on the chips itself , a technician does not need to have the expensive testing equipment of the prior art in order to determine the incidence and pattern of memory errors , but can perform the test anywhere , such as at a customer site , greatly improving the flexibility of the testing capabilities . the description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , and is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention , the practical application , and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated .	6
in accordance with the above summary , the objectives of this invention are to provide methods for rendering nonporous surfaces demonstrably water , soil and stain repellent with compositions of matter that are ( 1 ) non - flammable , voc free or voc compliant and essentially solventless , ( 2 ) more easily applied as a cream , paste or powder , ( 3 ) optically clear films , which may be multi - molecular to fill in microscopic surface scratches , ( 4 ) storage stable , ( 5 ) provide greater coverage per weight or volume applied , and ( 6 ) which are more durable and more resistant to removal by soaps , solvents , detergents and abrasives . these objectives are accomplished by stabilizing a multi - phase dispersion of a silicone and an acid against separation to form a stabilized cream , paste or powder by the use of a solid stabilizer distributed in the dispersion in an effective amount . in accordance with a best mode of this invention , improved water and soil repellent , nonflammable , voc free compositions for nonporous surfaces are prepared by mixing an organosilicone compound with an acid and an effective amount of a solid stabilizer in the absence of a volatile organic compound . r ( 1 ) and r ( 2 ) are independently lower alkyl , substituted alkyl , alkenyl , halogenated alkyl , alkoxy , or halogenated alkoxy radicals containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms ; aryl , halogenated aryl , phenoxy , alkylphenoxy , halogenated phenoxy or halogenated alkylphenoxy radicals containing about 6 to 14 carbon atoms ; hydrogen , hydroxy , or halogen ; and combinations thereof , and r ( 3 ) and r ( 4 ) are independently alkyl , substituted alkyl , alkenyl , halogenated alkyl , phenyl , alkylphenyl , substituted phenyl , hydroxyl , halogen , hydrogen or alkoxy , phenoxy , substituted alkoxy , substituted phenoxy , halogenated phenoxy , halogenated alkylphenoxy , and combinations thereof . suitable organosilicone compounds include silicone fluids such as polydialkylpolysiloxanes , polyalkylpolyalkoxypolysiloxanes , polyalkylhydrogensiloxanes , polyalkylarylpolysiloxanes , organofunctional polysiloxanes , fluorosubstituted alkylpolysiloxanes , cyclic siloxanes , and the like having terminal trialkylsiloxy , dialkylarylsiloxy , dialkylsilanol , and other organofunctional groups , and the like , and combinations thereof . suitable cyclic siloxanes are hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane , octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane and decamethylcyclopentasiloxane . copolymer fluids such as polyalkylhydrodimethylsiloxanes are also suitable . the fluids need not be linear but may also be branched . these silicone fluids of various molecular weights are commercially available as described and are listed in the literature of silicone fluid suppliers such as wacker silicones corporation , adrian , mich . ; gelest , inc ., tullytown , pa . ; petrarch systems , bristol , pa . ; general electric co ., waterford , n . y . ; osi specialties , inc . ( witco corporation ), danbury , conn . ; genesee polymers corp ., midland , mich . ; dow coming corp ., midland , mich . ; allied signal , inc ., performance chemicals div ., morristown , n . j . ; pcr , inc ., gainsville , fla . ; etc . the relative amounts of components will vary to achieve the objectives of this invention and , in general , the amounts , in percent by weight , are about 20 to about 85 silicone , about 2 to about 20 acid and about 8 to about 85 solid stabilizer . as set forth in the examples which follow for creams , the ranges ( percent by weight ) are about 57 - 83 silicone , about 7 . 4 - 15 . 3 acid and about 5 . 5 - 34 . 3 solid stabilizer . pastes and semi - solids range ( percent by weight ) from about 33 . 6 - 80 . 5 silicone , about 2 - 12 . 5 acid and about 9 - 62 . 8 solid stabilizer . for powders , the silicone may be reduced , for example , to lower amounts of about 20 percent by weight with a higher amount of stabilizer , i . e ., about 75 percent by weight and about 2 - 3 percent by weight of acid . however , the following examples illustrate and do not limit the scope of the invention . suitable acids which are encompassed by the present invention are both mineral acids and their acidic salts along with strong organic acids . included are sulfuric acid , sulfurous acid , hydrofluoric acid , hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , phosphoric acid , phosphorous acid , pyrophosphoric acid , nitric acid , hydrogen sulfide , iodic acid , periodic acid , chromic acid , sulfamic acid , fluorosilicic acid , chlorosulfonic acid , fluorosulfonic acid , ammonium bifluoride , sodium bisulfate , mono - di - and trichloroacetic acid , mono - di - and trifluoroacetic acid , p - toluene sulfonic acid , benzene sulfonic acid , ethylsulfonic acid , methylsulfonic acid , ethylenedisulfonic acid , dodecylsulfonic acid , trifluoromethylsulfonic acid , perfluoroalkylcarboxylic acids , oleum , perfluoroalkylsulfonic acids , maleic acid , picric acid , trihydroxybenzoic acid , trinitrophenol and mixtures thereof . in certain selected applications the acid component of the composition may be generated in situ by employing acid generating substances such as chlorosilanes , phosphorous trichloride , phosphorous tribromide , aluminum chloride , sulfonylchloride , acid chlorides , and the like , in the compositions of this invention . these materials react with the water which is adsorbed on the surface to be treated . this reaction generates ( in situ ) the strong acid required for the proper bonding of the silicone to the surface treated . solid stabilizers that have been found suitable for use in combination with the silicones and acids of the water and soil repellent compositions of this invention include mica , hydrocarbon waxes , polyethylene , polypropylene , polytetrafluoroethylene , phenolic resins , polyvinylchloride , crystalline graphite , amorphous graphite , carbon black , silicas , boron nitride , carnauba wax , glass microspheres , ceramic microspheres , perlite , vermiculite , talc and combinations thereof . it is desirable to have the solid stabilizers in a finely divided state to achieve the intimate delivery of the silicone and the acid in the proper proportion to the surface and to achieve the desired form of the composition for a particular end use application . particularly suitable solid stabilizers are those with particle sizes less than 100 microns , preferably in the 5 - 50 micron range , and having a specific gravity of about 0 . 12 to about 2 . 9 gm / cc , more preferably for creams and pastes about 0 . 12 to about 1 . 8 gm / cc in order to achieve good shelf life . the finer the particle size the less critical the specific gravity becomes . solid stabilizers must not be basic or reactive with acids . such solids as powdered metals , metal oxides , metal carbonates , metal hydroxides , metallic soaps such as zinc stearate , amines , polyamino resins , and the like , would neutralize the acids in the compositions of this invention and deteriorate or prevent the bonding of the silicones to the surface to be treated . on occasion , when making a cream , paste , powder or solid , it is desirable to admix the compositions of this invention with liquid or solid additives , including water , glycols , and the like , in order to achieve the desired performance of the composition , i . e ., in order to achieve the desired coating thickness of the water and soil resistant coating on certain surfaces . in these cases , the additives will increase the silicone and / or the acid phases of the multi - phase dispersion , but the solid stabilizer will still be effective in the composition . however , in order to achieve the advantages of a voc free or solventless form of the compositions of this invention , solvents are essentially excluded . for example , in order to maintain the desirable features of being “ voc - free ”, the additives must meet part 59 of the national volatile organic compound emission standards for consumer and commercial products ; section 59203 standards for consumer products , subpart ( f ) requirements : ( 1 ) has a vapor pressure of less than 0 . 1 millimeters of mercury at 20 degrees celsius ; or ( 2 ) consists of more than 12 carbon atoms , if the vapor pressure is unknown ; or ( 3 ) has a melting point higher than 20 degrees celsius and does not sublime ( i . e ., does not change directly from a solid into a gas without melting ), if the vapor pressure is unknown . or , they must have been excluded from the definition of “ volatile organic compound ” such as various halogenated organic compounds ; certain classes of perfluorocarbons ; cyclic , branched , or linear completely methylated siloxanes ; waxes ; or low - reactive organic compounds that have been exempted by the united states environmental protection agency . additionally , for use in the compositions of this invention , these additives cannot interact with the silicone fluids , acids or the solid stabilizers employed in the compositions of this invention or with the effective application of the compositions to the surface to be treated . examples of additives which meet all the criterion would be perchloroethylene , parachlorobenzotrifluoride ( oxsol 100 , supplied by occidental chemical corporation ), decamethylcyclo - pentasiloxane , diethyleneglycol dibutylether ( vapor pressure less than 0 . 01 mm hg at 20 degrees celsius ), linear alkylbenzene sulfonate , glycerylmonostearate , stearic acid , hydrocarbon waxes , and the like . ancillary additives such as fragrances or colorants may also be added to the compositions of this invention to enhance the features of the compositions for various markets . the principles of this invention and its parameters will be further understood with reference to the following detailed examples , procedures and discussion which serve to illustrate the types of materials and processes which can be utilized in practicing this invention . these examples and procedures are considered to be exemplary of this invention , and should not be considered as limiting in view of the broad disclosure of the principles of this invention . 1 . application of water and soil repellent silicone compositions to nonporous surfaces glass mirrors ( 12 ″× 12 ″) were employed in the general testing program and are cleaned with an abrasive cleanser , i . e ., “ miracle scrub ”, an excellent , multi - surface , hard surface abrasive cleaner supplied by unelko corporation of scottsdale , ariz ., to remove all surface residues including prior water and soil repellent compositions . the cleanser is removed from the cleaned surface by flushing with water . if the surface is properly cleaned , the rinse water will form a continuous smooth coating of water across the cleaned surface of the glass . the mirrors are then placed in a vertical position to drain and then dried with paper towels . the cleaned mirror surface is then allowed to equilibrate with the atmosphere for 24 hours prior to the application and evaluation of the water and soil repellent compositions . other nonporous surfaces such as porcelain , ceramic tiles , chrome , stainless steel , plastics and the like may also be employed in the evaluation of water and soil repellent compositions . application of the silicone compositions to the horizontal , cleaned mirror surface may be accomplished in various ways . with the currently available alcoholic silicone compositions , it is generally recommended by the suppliers to apply an excess of the liquid to the surface to be treated and then spread the liquid over the surface with an applicator such as a paper towel or cloth in order to cover the entire surface with the solution . the solvent is then allowed to evaporate which results in a hazy surface . the haze is then polished until the surface is clear with a dry applicator . with the compositions of this invention it has been found that only a small amount of the composition need be applied to the mirror surface or to the applicator since the effective coverage has been found to be about 1000 sq feet per ounce of material , i . e ., 30 milligrams / sq foot . currently available solvent - based silicone compositions are claimed by suppliers to cover about 25 sq feet per ounce of material . applicators that have been found to be adequate for the compositions of this invention include paper towels , cloths , sponges , foamed plastics and the like . acid resistant applicators are preferred for repeated applications of the acidic compositions . the compositions are wiped onto the mirror surface until clear , and a smooth homogeneous coating is achieved . this is basically a one step process as there is no waiting for solvent evaporation and no residual haze which has to be removed in a second wiping of the surface as occurs with the application of solvent based compositions . the coated mirror surfaces are then ready for testing of repellency and durability . a . water drop test : several drops of water are applied in a line across the mirror surface with the surface in a horizontal position . the contact angle of the drops are observed and the repellency ranked as b . drop mobility test : the mirror is then slowly raised on the end that parallels the line of the drops placed on the treated surface . the angle of the mirror or the height of the raised edged of the mirror from the flat supporting surface at which time the drops begin to flow down the inclined mirror is observed . the smaller the angle or the height of the edge , the better the repellency and contact angle . the following ranking is employed : c . spray and blow test : a spray bottle fitted with an adjustable sprayer set to deliver a spray or fine stream of water is employed in this test . the coated mirror is again placed in a horizontal position and 4 to 5 pumps of water spray / stream are delivered to the surface of the mirror test specimen with the stream in a slightly raised position from horizontal . the spray droplets are then observed over the area sprayed . the droplets are varied in size and are ranked in the same matter as the water drop test above with the additional observation as to the abundance of the smaller drop sizes . after the spray pattern of drops are evaluated the blow test is conducted . the ease with which the drops will flow in the direction of the air blow and the degree of blow hardness is noted : d . marker repellency and detergent durability test : a paper towel dipped in a strong basic detergent solution , i . e ., a 50 % aqueous solution of “ easy green ”, a heavy grease and stain cleaner composition supplied by unelko corporation , scottsdale , ariz ., is rubbed vigorously on half of the coated surface of the mirror . the excess detergent is removed from the surface with a water rinse and hand wash to assure that all the detergent has been removed . the mirror is then dried with a paper towel . to determine the degree of residual repellency a black “ magic marker ”, i . e ., as supplied by dennison stationary products co ., framingham , mass ., is stroked across the unwashed coated surface and then across the washed coated surface and the streak observed . on an “ excellent ” water repellent and soil repellent coating the marker will leave only a trail of fine droplets and a streak which is hardly visible . for a “ good ” evaluation the streak will have slightly larger drops but no streaks . for a “ fair ” evaluation the drops will again be larger but the streak may have light solid streaks of black . and , for a “ poor ” evaluation the streak will be essentially solid with perhaps a few large drop areas . most coatings based on the compositions and methods of this invention have both “ excellent ” marker repellency and “ excellent ” detergent durability ratings . it has also been observed that the mirror coatings resulting from the application of the compositions of this invention generally result in a mirror surface that is brighter in appearance and one that also appears to have been restored as noted by the disappearance of minor scratches from the surface of the glass . it is believed that this is due to a multimolecular complex coating being deposited on the glass surface by the compositions of this invention . thin monomolecular coatings are thought to be deposited from solvent systems which do not result in restorative features to the glass surface . to demonstrate the necessity for the intimate mixing of the silicone with the acid to achieve the desired performance in water and soil repellent compositions , the solvent was evaporated from 100 gms “ invisible shield ” (“ invisible shield ” is an anhydrous ethanolic solution of a dimethylsiloxane polymer reaction product with sulfuric acid , a commercially available water and soil repellent for shower doors , ceramic tile , etc ., marketed by the unelko corporation , scottsdale , ariz .) by gently heating in a beaker on a hot plate with magnetic stirring and an air stream to assist in the solvent evaporation . as the solvent was removed the solution became cloudy and when a constant weight of 8 . 29 gms was obtained there were two phases . the lower phase was about one milliliter and strongly acidic . the upper layer was about eight milliliters and appeared as a silicone fluid . the lower layer was removed carefully with a pipette and the exterior of the pipette wiped of the upper layer with a paper towel . the lower layer and the upper layer were then applied to a glass mirror surface along with the original “ invisible shield ” to determine the water and soil repellency and durability of each . the results are presented in table a . it is apparent from the test results that the silicone component and the acid component of the composition do not perform as water and soil repellent compositions and that the combination of the two , as in the “ invisible shield ” product , results in “ excellent ” test results . 40 gms of a modified dimethysiloxane fluid ( wacker f - 1 006 , 60 , 000 mol . wt .) and the solid stabilizers were hand blended to a homogeneous mixture in an 8 oz bottle with a stainless steel spatula . 5 gms of concentrated sulfuric acid was then added , and the mixture was again hand blended to a homogeneous composition . the blends were evaluated on the water repellency and durability tests by placing a small amount of the blend on the spatula and depositing it on the test mirror surface followed by spreading and wiping with a paper towel to cover the test surface . the blends did not leave a hazy test surface but wiped clean and bright . table b presents the results of the water and soil repellency and durability tests on these blends . “ excellent ” to “ good ” water and soil repellency and durability results were obtained on all of the examples . this demonstrates that the same silicone fluid and acid combination can be used with a broad range of different solid stabilizers and quantities to give the desired durable water and soil repellent compositions of this invention in the forms from creams to pastes to semi solids . * synwax = synwax 22 xf a micronized synthetic hydrocarbon wax ( micro powders , inc .) ( 5 - 6 microns ) pp - 31 = propylmatte 31 , a micronized polypropylene ( micro powders , inc .) ( 8 - 12 microns ) pe611xf = mpp - 611xf , a micronized polyethylene ( micro powders , inc .) ( 5 - 6 microns ) sil 90 = silcosil 90 , a ground silica ( u . s . silica co .) ( 80 % less than 325 mesh ) 68 - s = therm - o - rock 68s , a ground perlite ( therm - o - rock west ) ( 20 - 200 mesh ) the various silicones presented in table c were hand mixed with the amount of sulfuric acid stated and then hand blended with the amount of the various solid stabilizers as shown . the resulting compositions were then tested for water and soil repellency and durability and the results are presented in table c . “ excellent ” water and soil repellency and durability tests results were obtained on all the compositions . this demonstrates the broad range of silicones and solid stabilizers which can be employed to achieve the durable water and soil repellent compositions of this invention . mica 3x = micronized mineralite mica ( h . m . royal of ca , inc .) ( 7 - 11 microns ) mt - 10 = reolosil mt - 10 , hydrophobic silica ( h . m . royal of ca , inc .) ( avg . 150 mμ ) g - 146 = natural crystalline flake graphite ( asbury graphite mills , inc .) ( 98 % less than 44 microns ) combinations of various silicone fluids and solid stabilizers with other strong acids various strong acids presented in table d were hand mixed with the various amounts of the silicone fluids and solid stabilizers as shown . the resulting compositions were then tested for water and soil repellency and durability and the results are presented in table d . “ excellent ” to “ good ” water and soil repellency and durability test results were obtained on all the compositions . this further demonstrates the broad use of strong acids with various silicone fluids and solid stabilizers which can be employed to achieve the durable water and soil repellent compositions of this invention . * 20 gms of ammonium bifluoride crystal was intensely blended in a waring type blender with 80 gms of propylmatte 31 30 gms of the blended composition was employed in blend 23 10 gms of p - toluenesulfonic acid was intensely blended in a waring type blender with 90 gms of mica 3x ( micronized mica ) 25 gms of the blended composition was employed in blend 25 compositions of various additives with a silicone fluid blend with sulfuric acid and various solid stabilizers various silicone fluid / sulfuric acid / solid stabilizer blends were hand mixed and then blended with the various additives as shown in table e . the silicone and acid were reacted by hand blending and the mica added and mixed to a stiff paste . the dbdeg was then added to yield a less stiff paste . the silicone , s - 100 , the acid and the k - 1 glass spheres were all mixed together to yield a soft paste . the stearic acid and the silicone were hand mixed hot . two liquid phases resulted . the acid and the k - 1 glass spheres were added to the hot two phases and hand mixed . the mixture was then cast into a plastic mold and allowed to solidify . the gms , silicone and acid were hand mixed hot . two liquid phases resulted . the mica 3x was then added to the hot two phases and hand mixed . the mixture was then cast into a plastic mold and allowed to solidify . the wax 180 , silicone and acid were hand mixed hot . two liquid phases resulted . the mica 3x was then added to the hot two phases and hand mixed . the mixture was then cast into a plastic mold and allowed to solidify . the wax 835 , silicone and acid were hand mixed not . two liquid phases resulted . the mica 3x was then added to the hot two phases and hand mixed . the mixture was then cast into a plastic mold and allowed to solidify . the resulting compositions in the above examples 26 - 31 were then tested for water and soil repellency and durability and the results are presented in table e . “ excellent ” to “ good ” water and soil repellency and durability test results were generally obtained on all of the compositions . this further demonstrates the broad use of the compositions of this invention in the preparation of various forms of durable water and soil repellent compositions that can be achieved by the teachings of this invention . solids were applied by swiping the solid several times across the mirror surface and then spreading the material applied with a paper towel across the surface of the mirror until clear *** e ratings were obtained after a water wash of the surface to remove residual s - 100 and gms which are known wetting agents that tend to reduce water repellency the composition of example 12 ( 30 gms f 1006 , 10 gms 50 cst , 4 gms sulfuric acid , 10 gms synwax ) was applied to half of a 12 ″× 12 ″ glazed ceramic tile in the same manner as when applied to a glass mirror surface . the other half of the tile was untreated for comparison . both sides of the tile were then tested for water and soil repellency and durability of the treated and untreated surfaces . the results are presented in table f . “ excellent ” to “ good ” water and soil repellency and durability test results were obtained for the treated side of the glazed tile . two “ fair ” and four “ poor ” test results were obtained for the untreated glazed tile surface . this demonstrates the further utility of the compositions of this invention to treat nonporous surfaces . high intensity blender preparation of durable water and soil repellant compositions 29 gms . of hollow glass bubbles ( k - 1 from 3m ) were placed into the waring type blender and the top cover , modified with a small hole for the injection of liquids , put in place to seal the blender . the blender was then turned on at a moderate blending speed and 50 gms of silicone fluid ( 50 cst , wacker silicones ) was added slowly over a few minutes by means of a syringe through the addition hole in the blender top . 150 gms of a modified dimethylsilicone fluid ( f - 1006 , wacker silicones ) was then added in a similar manner with continuous blending . the total mix was blended for an additional one minute . the blender was then opened and the sides of the blender scraped with a rubber spatula and then the blender was turned on for an additional minute of mixing . a smooth cream textured mix was obtained . 25 gms of concentrated sulfuric acid was then added with blending in a similar manner . the mix thickened and then thinned to a creamy paste . the blender was stopped and the top cover was removed and 5 gms of a fine silica ( mt - 10 , h . m . royal of ca , inc .) was added on top of the paste . the blender was again turned on for an additional minute . the resulting mix was a smooth semisolid paste . testing of the resulting material for water and soil repellency and durability resulted in “ excellent ” results in all test categories . 0 . 68 gms of a blend of 60 gms of a functional dimethylsilicone fluid ( f - 1006 ), 15 gms of a 50 cst dimethylsilicone fluid , 8 gms of sulfuric acid and 140 gms mica 3x was applied on the surface of a 1 . 63 gm polyolefin closed cell foam sponge . a large sheet of window glass was then coated with the material by wiping the sponge over the surface using a firm , circular , and overlapping motion . the point at which the glass was sufficiently treated was easily determined by the ease of movement of the sponge over the surface of the glass . the area of the coated glass was then determined by spraying with water . an area of about 27 ″× 15 ″ was determined to have a water and soil repellent coating . the sponge was then weighed again and it was determined that only 0 . 08 gms of the water and soil repellent composition had been used to coat the treated area . this result calculates to a coverage of approximately 1000 sq ft per ounce of material , compared to a coverage of 25 sq ft per ounce for typical solvent based compositions . in this example , a semi - solid paste was made with a liquid additive to illustrate a composition which does not require the advantage of being solventless . however , in this form of a paste , other advantages of this invention are secured . the stabilizing effect of the solid stabilizer is achieved for the two dispersed phases of silicone and acid , each or both of which have been extended with ethanol . 105 gms of “ invisible shield ”, a commercially available solvent based water and soil repellent composition described previously , was placed in a beaker with a magnetic stirrer and heated on a hot plate with a stream of air passing over the surface to assist in the evaporation of the solvent . solvent was removed until two phases were observed when the mixture turned cloudy . the residual weighed 15 . 29 gms and was about a 60 / 40 volume split between upper and lower layers . it was previously determined that “ invisible shield ” contained 8 . 29 % non volatile liquids and therefore the non volatile components in this experiment would be 8 . 70 gms . this result indicates that there were 6 . 59 gms of ethanol remaining in the two - phase 15 . 29 gm residue . 10 gms of synwax 22 xf were hand blended with the 15 . 29 gm residue to yield a semi - solid paste containing a dispersion of the two phases stabilized by the wax . an ethanol odor was noted from the blended composition on application to the mirror surface for testing . however , no haze developed on application of the composition to the mirror surface . “ excellent ” results were obtained on all water and soil repellency and durability tests . this example further demonstrates the broader aspect of the invention for the application of a composition containing a dispersion of two phases , in the presence of a liquid additive , and a solid stabilizer in an effective amount to stabilize the dispersion . 40 gms of f 1006 , a modified dimethylsiloxane fluid supplied by wacker , and 5 gms of concentrated sulfuric acid were hand mixed in an 8 ounce bottle with a stainless steel spatula . the mixture thickened and was slightly exothermic . on continued mixing the mixture thinned and separated into two phases on standing . 50 gms of finely ground pearlite ( thermolite t - 100 supplied by therm - o - rock west of phoenix , ariz .) was placed in a waring blender and 16 gms of the f 1006 / sulfuric acid blended reaction product added slowly through the addition hole in the top of the blender by means of a syringe while blending continuously at a moderate speed . the blender was then opened and the sides of the blender scraped with a rubber spatula and the blender was again turned on for additional blending . a powdered composition resulted . the resulting powder was applied to a glass mirror and spread across the surface of the mirror with a dry sponge . the excess powder was then removed and the coated mirror tested for water and soil repellency and durability . the results are presented in table g . “ excellent ” to “ good ” results were obtained on the water and soil repellency and durability test for the powdered water and soil repellent composition . a 12 ″× 12 ″ piece of sandblasted glass ( one side ) was divided into three sections . one section was treated three times with “ invisible shield ”, a solvent based composition , allowing the surface to dry between applications . another section was treated with the composition of example 12 ( a cream ) ( 30 gms f1006 , 10 gms 50 cst , 4 gms sulfuric acid , 10 gms synwax ) and another section was untreated . the sections were evaluated on the water and soil repellency and durability test and the results are summarized in table h . * marker can be removed from the surface by rubbing with a paper towel the performance of the cream , example 12 composition , on the water and soil repellency tests was superior to the solvent - based material , “ invisible shield ” and both were an improvement over the untreated surface . the surface treated with the cream still outperformed the solvent based material in the detergent durability test in that the black streak from the marker could be easily removed from the surface by rubbing with a paper towel whereas the solvent based treated surface streak could not be removed . those of ordinary skill in the art realize that the descriptions , procedures , methods and compositions presented above can be revised or modified without deviating from the scope of the described embodiments , and such do not depart from the scope of the invention .	8
the present invention is applicable for wireless systems in general having ability for uplink shared channels with scheduling in time and in some more domains such as frequency , codes or antenna streams . one basic idea of the invention is to give a user a possibility to be power efficient . another basic idea of the invention is to provide spectral efficiency at high load and energy - saving at low load for a communication device . this invention is related to channels with the following characteristics ( pusch in lte release 8 is given as one illustrative example ): it is shared between multiple ues . each ue gets a transmission band which is a number of sbs . the sbs for one ue need to be adjacent in frequency . this is applicable for lte release 8 . other resources than sbs ( frequency ) could be applicable for other systems , such as antennas or codes . power control is used for each ue . this means that the transmitted power as well as received power in rbs differs between ues . link adaptation is used for each ue . this means that the modulation scheme and code rate is set per ue . it should though be noted that the term “ spectral efficiency ” as used the description is applicable if the resources is frequency . fig2 illustrates the general steps of the invention according to a general embodiment . 101 : start , 102 : carry out one or several of : initial scheduling , link adoption or power control , 103 : power optimize for power saving terminals , 104 : end . in step 102 the initial scheduling may comprise one or several of frequency , antenna and / or code resource allocations . fig3 illustrates schematically a wireless communications network 300 comprising a number of base stations 310 ( enode b ) and ues 320 a - 320 c . each ue 320 communicates with one or several base stations . firstly , the ues 320 are scheduled in such a way that the total throughput is maximized . this is achieved if the number of bits / hz is maximized , that is the spectral efficiency is optimized . secondly , if there is bandwidth left , the energy consumption is decreased by using the bandwidth less efficiently and thus trade power against ( unused ) spectrum . furthermore , ues 320 can be divided into two categories depending on subscriber preferences : throughput - maximizing ue 320 a and 320 b : option to get as high throughput as possible . energy - saving ue 320 c : option e . g . for environmental - aware subscribers , will use lower power consumption at the cost of slight lower throughput . the active time ( talk time ) for the battery is higher for energy - saving ues than non energy - saving ues . the ue category may typically be fetched from the subscriber &# 39 ; s profile and enforced by the base station ( enodeb ) uplink scheduler . the flow diagram of fig6 illustrates steps for spectral efficiency and power saving scheduling according to one example of the invention : the execution starts when it is time to schedule ues for an uplink subframe . a number of ues are selected for scheduling , based on e . g . number of available control channels and ue priorities . 3 . assign a minimum band width ( bw ) resource to each ue : in order not to starve an already selected ue , each ue is guaranteed at least a minimum bw resource ( typically one sb ) 4 . calculate the maximum spectral efficiency - optimized bw resource bw seopt and the corresponding data size tbs seopt for each ue : for each ue , the most efficient mcs supported by enb is selected , e . g . 16qam - 9 / 10 . based on the channel characteristics and ue power capability , the maximum bw resource size is calculated . the maximum bw resource size does not necessarily be decided by the ue maximum power , but possibly by the amount of data in the ue &# 39 ; s transmit buffer or by the ue &# 39 ; s maximum throughput capability . the resulting data size ( transport block size , tbs ) is denoted tbs seopt . the sum of bw seopt for all ues is compared to the total bw resource . 6 . divide the total bw resource between the ues in some fair way , keeping bw & lt ;= bw seopt for each ue : if the sum of bw seopt & gt ;= total bw resource , it means that all ues can transmit with the most efficient mcs . the total bw resource is divided between the ues in some fair way which is out of the scope for this invention . however the division of the total bw resource must be made in such a way that all ues still can use the most efficient mcs . after this step , scheduling is finished for this subframe . 7 . increase the bw resource for each ue to bw tpopt in such a way that the possible total data size ( σ tbs tpopt ) is maximized : the remaining bw resource is divided between the ues that has more data to transmit . the division is made in such a way that the total throughput is maximized . when an ue gets more bw , it can use it to transmit more bits even if the spectral efficiency goes down due to a less efficient mcs . however , given the most robust coding and modulation , the sinr should never be below a certain sinrmin . this will is some cases limit the maximum bw a power limited ue can be assigned . it could be noted that ues reaching their limits on amount of data in buffer or throughput capability do not get any advantage of more bw . instead the bw allocations should be increased for ues with more data in their buffers . due to limited amount of data in buffer or throughput capability , it is possible that there is unused bandwidth left after this step . it is checked if there is any bw left after step 7 9 . divide the remaining bw between ues in such a way that the total power consumption is minimized : if there is bw left , it is divided between the ues in such a way that the total power consumption is minimized . the purpose of this step is to make sure that the ues are energy efficient at low load . 10 . for each power - saving ue : use the most power - efficient mcs and keep the amount of data as tbs seopt : ues belonging to the power - saving category shall not use the increased bw to send more bits . the number of bits was decided in step 4 as tbs seopt . instead a more robust mcs shall be selected , which makes it possible to use less power to transmit the same number of bits . this means that ues that belong to the energy - saving category are more energy efficient at a relatively small cost of spectral efficiency . step 8 could be a part of step 9 . in step 9 could be a special case if there is zero bandwidth left to distribute . in a more general case , step 6 should continue to step 10 . fig7 illustrates , in a simple way , the teachings of the invention . the two ues , ue 1 and ue 2 , are assigned resources realized by the blocks r 1 and r 2 . according to the invention , if there is resource left , such as bandwidth , r 3 , the energy consumption is decreased by using the bandwidth less efficiently and thus trade power against ( unused ) spectrum . fig4 illustrates a device 420 ( user equipment ) ue implementing the solution according to the present invention is shown . the device may comprise at least one processing unit 401 , at least one memory unit 402 , a user interface unit 404 and at least one communication interface 403 . the processing unit is arranged to run software or hardware code for communication control and data traffic . the processing unit 401 may comprise a microprocessor , an asic ( application specific integrated circuit ), a digital signal processor ( dsp ), an fpga ( field programmable gate array ), or any other suitable type of processing unit capable of running software or hardware instructions . the memory unit 402 may comprise any suitable type of memory ( volatile and / or non - volatile ) such as e . g . ram , rom , eeprom , flash , and hard disk . the communication interface 403 connects the device 402 to the infrastructure network 100 . it should be understood by the skilled person that other communication equipment may be present as well depending on the type of wireless communication protocol / standard used . a power source 405 , e . g . a battery , is arranged to supply the electrical circuits with electrical power . the processing unit 401 is configured to control the throughput and / or to decrease the energy consumption if there is bandwidth left . the memory unit 402 may further store subscriber preferences depending on the device type . the preferences may include : throughput - maximizing , i . e . option to get as high throughput as possible or energy - saving , i . e . option to use lower power consumption at the cost of slightly lower throughput . the active time ( talk time ) for the battery in the latter case may be higher for energy - saving devices than non energy - saving devices . it should be noted that the information about the default wishes of the user could also be stored in a database in the core network . another option is that the user may manually make a configuration at connection setup or whenever the user wants to change this setting . fig5 illustrates an arrangement 510 in the base station implementing the solution according to the present invention is shown . the arrangement may comprise at least one processing unit 501 , at least one memory unit 502 and at least one communication interface 503 . the processing unit is arranged to run software or hardware code for communication control and data traffic . the processing unit 501 may comprise a microprocessor , an asic ( application specific integrated circuit ), a digital signal processor ( dsp ), an fpga ( field programmable gate array ), or any other suitable type of processing unit capable of running software or hardware instructions . the memory unit 402 may comprise any suitable type of memory ( volatile and / or non - volatile ) such as e . g . ram , rom , eeprom , flash , and hard disk . the communication interface 503 connects to the infrastructure network 100 . it should be understood by the skilled person that other communication equipment may be present as well depending on the type of wireless communication protocol / standard used . the arrangement may be implemented freestanding in the communication path , as a part of the base station logic or incorporated into the base station as an instruction sets . the arrangement 510 selects a number of ues for scheduling , based on a number of available control channels and ue priorities . the number of available control channels and ue priorities can be acquired from the network or stored in the memory unit 502 . then , each ue may be guaranteed at least a minimum bw resource . the processing unit 501 calculates the maximum spectral efficiency - optimized bw ( bw seopt ) resource and a corresponding data size for each ue , and selects the most efficient mcs supported by enb . the processing unit calculates the sum of bw seopt for all ues and compares it to the total bw resource . the total bw resource is divided by the arrangement between the ues . the processing unit is configured to schedule bw resource ( assign a minimum bandwidth ) for each ue to bw tpopt in such a way that the possible total data size is maximized . the remaining bw resource is then divided between the ues that may have more data to transmit . the division is made in such a way that the total throughput is maximized . then the processing unit checks if there is any bw left and the remaining bw is divided between ues in such a way that the total power consumption is minimized . if ues belonging to a power - saving category are detected , the arrangement 510 will not allow to use the increased bw to send more bits ; instead a more robust mcs is selected , which makes it possible to use less power to transmit the same number of bits . it should be noted that the word “ comprising ” does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps than those listed and the words “ a ” or “ an ” preceding an element do not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements . it should further be noted that any reference signs do not limit the scope of the claims , that the invention may be at least in part implemented by means of both hardware and software , and that several “ means ” or “ units ” may be represented by the same item of hardware . the above mentioned and described embodiments are only given as examples and should not be limiting to the present invention . other solutions , uses , objectives , and functions within the scope of the invention as claimed in the below described patent embodiments should be apparent for the person skilled in the art .	8
those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description of the present invention is illustrative only and not in any way limiting . other embodiments of the invention will readily suggest themselves to such skilled persons . the present invention is a single digital filter capable of variable bandwidth filtering which does not suffer from the prior art aliasing problems at low bandwidths . fig5 depicts the preferred embodiment of the invention . a system including the digital filter would include the filter , along with an a / d converter 40 which converts the signal from analog to digital form by sampling the signal at a specific sampling frequency . the signal is then passed to the digital filter . within the digital filter , the first shuffler 42 takes the signal 40 and splits it into smaller sequences , each sequence containing different phases of the signal . one embodiment of this shuffler is be a series of levels of delays , each level having more delays than the previous level . however , there are numerous ways to design a shuffler known in the prior art . in fact , since this is an entirely digital system , the shuffler is normally contained on a chip . the advantage of implementing the shuffler digitally is that a parameter m can be passed to it which changes the size of the phases . as explained later , this will allow for scaling of the output of the prototype filter 44 . the output of the first shuffler 42 can then be passed through a prototype filter 44 . the prototype filter 44 can be any design of filter the user wishes to implement . in a digital implementation , the prototype filter usually takes each of the phases individually , and returns a weighted sum of the numbers in the sequence . the amount each number is weighted is determined by how the user wishes to filter the signal , which is dictated by the structure of the prototype filter 44 . prototype filters are known in the prior art . one example of a prototype filter would be one designed to alter the shape of the voltage - frequency wave ( as shown in fig2 a ). the design of the prototype filter will affect the weighted sums that it outputs , allowing the alteration of the wave . this weighting can be affected by changes in the length or the width of the prototype filter ( i . e . the overall structure of the prototype filter ). of course , since the prototype filter is &# 34 ; hardwired &# 34 ;, it cannot be modified on the fly . therefore , in our present example , the specific &# 34 ; shape &# 34 ; of the alteration cannot be altered . however , changes in the parameter m passed to the first shuffler will change the size of the phases , thus scaling of the bandwidth of the prototype filter 44 . this can be accomplished using a control mechanism 52 which is coupled to the first shuffler which can then alter the size of the phases . the equivalent bandwidth of the system is the 1 / m of the bandwidth of the prototype filter . m can be thought of as the &# 34 ; length &# 34 ; of the first shuffler , even though in the digital world the physical &# 34 ; length &# 34 ; of the shuffler is not determinative . it is also important to remember that the prototype filter can emulate any type of filter and need not alter the &# 34 ; shape &# 34 ; of the signal if the user does not wish . another function of the first shuffler 42 is to allow for oversampling . oversampling occurs when the original analog signal is sampled at a rate higher than the nyquist rate . this provides for greater resolution of the data . the implementation of the first shuffler 42 allows the user to sample at a high frequency , while still filtering a small bandwidth because the equivalent bandwidth of the entire system is scaled . this flexibility in the sampling frequencies can be very useful in systems where oversampling is desired . the output of the prototype filter 44 will be a stream of weighted sums ( i . e . a stream of numbers ). this stream will then be passed through a second shuffler 46 . this second shuffler 46 performs a similar function to that of the first shuffler 42 . the output of the second shuffler 46 will be a series of sequences of these weighted sums , again grouped by &# 34 ; phase &# 34 ;. like the first shuffler 42 , when implemented digitally , the second shuffler 46 can be modified &# 34 ; on the fly &# 34 ; using a control mechanism 52 to alter the phase size . the phase size of the second shuffler 46 need not match the phase size of the first shuffler 42 , however , it is often preferable to have matching phase sizes so that the prototype filter and the interpolator - accumulator combination can work as one combined filter , as opposed to working as two separate filters filtering different frequency ranges . the interpolator 48 then receives this stream of weighted sum sequences and interpolates the data to get an approximation of the particular point in the data stream that the system is interested in . the accumulator 50 then averages this stream of estimations along with the &# 34 ; actual reading &# 34 ; into one single estimate of the value of the point . the resulting output of the accumulator is a stream of data representing the filtered signal . the shuffler - interpolator - accumulator - control mechanism combination implements a polyphase lowpass filters . by allowing a control mechanism 52 to modify the parameters of the second shuffler - interpolator - accumulator combination , the combination can act as a rejection filter capable of filtering multiple bandwidths . therefore , in a preferred embodiment , a control mechanism 52 is coupled to the second shuffler 46 , the interpolator 48 , and the accumulator 50 . the combination of the first shuffler 42 , prototype filter 44 , second shuffler 46 , interpolator 48 , and accumulator 50 allows for a single digital filter that can perform any type of filtering along with rejection filtering , all on a variable bandwidth signal even at low bandwidths . in addition , since the signal is passed through two separate shufflers which can be modified after manufacture , the filter can handle multiple sampling frequencies and even oversampling without having to alter the structure of the filter . all of these conditions provide for a great amount of flexibility in the filter . the preferred embodiment of the invention can also be represented as a method for digital filtration . referring to fig6 this method begins at step 60 with converting the input signal to digital form . then the digital signal can be split into phases at step 62 . each phase is then converted to a single weighted sum at step 64 , resulting in a stream of weighted sums ( one for each of the phases ). at step 66 , this stream of weighted sums is split into phases . these phases may be a different size from the phases the digital signal was split into at step 62 , but normally it is advantageous to have the same size phases as it allows the filter to work more efficiently . at step 68 , single points in each phase can be interpolated to give a plurality of estimated values at a single point . these estimated values can then be averaged at step 70 to arrive at a single estimated value for a specific point in the spectrum . the interpolation and averaging steps can then be repeated for each point in the signal that the user wishes to include at output , arriving at a series of estimated points which make up the filtered signal . while embodiments and applications of this invention have been shown and described , it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications than mentioned above are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . the invention , therefore , is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims .	7
fig1 is a block diagram of a multiple queue system 100 that includes a task type requestor 1 105 , a task type requestor 2 110 , a task type requestor 3 115 , and a task type requestor n 120 ( in general , “ n ” is used herein to indicate an indefinite plurality , so that the number “ n ” when referred to one component does not necessarily equal the number “ n ” of a different component ). task type requestor 1 105 is a functional block that is responsible for requesting one specific type of task that results in a storage element access command . task type requestor 1 105 generates specific typed task requests in response to controller top - level storage element service requests . these requests may be either internal ( e . g ., cache management ) or external ( e . g ., host request processing ) storage element service requests , such as a flush cache command , a cache misread command , a no - cache write command , a copy command , a rebuild command , etc . the same is true for task type requestor 2 110 , task type requestor 3 115 , and task type requestor n 120 . requests are received by a storage element mapping controller 125 , which in turn creates a storage element command 130 . storage element command 130 includes a storage element number 135 , a command 140 , and a queue number 150 . queue number 150 denotes a priority level for command 140 . an external authority determines the priority level . storage element number 135 corresponds to the appropriate storage element for command 140 . command 140 may be all or part of the original task from the host processor or an internally generated task . a top - level storage element command executor 155 is coupled to a storage element 1 pending queue 1 160 , a storage element 1 pending queue 2 165 , and a storage element 1 pending queue m 170 (“ m ” is used herein to indicate an indefinite plurality , so that the number “ m ” when referred to one component does not necessarily equal the number “ m ” of a different component ). top - level storage element command executor 155 routes storage element command 130 into its respective pending queue based on storage element number 135 and queue number 150 . for example , if storage element number 135 were equal to the value of ‘ 1 ’ and queue number 150 equaled the value ‘ 2 ’, then command 140 would be placed into storage element 1 pending queue 2 165 for processing . for the purposes of this example , storage element 1 pending queue 1 160 has a higher priority over storage element 1 pending queue 2 165 , and so forth for all pending queues for storage element 1 ( not shown ). however , any priority scheme may be implemented to provide system optimization . a storage element 1 command executor 175 is coupled to storage element 1 pending queue 1 160 , storage element 1 pending queue 2 165 , and storage element 1 pending queue m 170 . storage element 1 command executor 175 is responsible for feeding storage element 1 a list of commands taken from the oldest commands residing in storage element 1 pending queue 1 160 , storage element 1 pending queue 2 165 , and storage element 1 pending queue m 170 according to an algorithm discussed in reference to fig2 . storage element 1 command executor 175 provides a series of commands to storage element 1 until storage element 1 has no capacity to accept new commands . at that time , storage element 1 command executor 175 waits until storage element 1 has processed some of its commands and has the capacity to accept a new command . likewise , a storage element y pending queue 1 180 (“ y ” is used herein to indicate an indefinite plurality , so that the number “ y ” when referred to one component does not necessarily equal the number “ y ” of a different component ), a storage element y pending queue 2 185 , and a storage element y pending queue z 190 (“ z ” is used herein to indicate an indefinite plurality , so that the number “ z ” when referred to one component does not necessarily equal the number “ z ” of a different component ) are coupled to a storage element y command executor 195 for controlling the flow of commands to be processed by storage element y ( not shown ). therefore , for each storage element in multiple queue system 100 , there corresponds a plurality of prioritized pending queues coupled to a storage element command executor . in this manner , all commands , regardless of priority , are guaranteed a certain amount of bandwidth from their respective storage element . furthermore , more commands from lower priority queues are processed as fewer tasks arrive in the higher priority queues and more storage element processing bandwidth becomes available . table 1 is a storage element priority configuration table . the storage element priority configuration table is developed by an external authority to establish queue priority . in this example , queue 1 has the highest priority while queue m has the lowest priority . each queue has a minimum required service level and a maximum service level . these service levels are the number of times the queue is serviced over a given measured interval . for example , if min 1 = 50 %, then storage element 1 must service queue 1 commands at least 50 % of the time ; in other words , 50 % of the commands that storage element 1 processes must be queue 1 commands . an external authority dictates the minimum service levels for each queue . maximum service level is also set by an administrative authority and represents the maximum processing time or service level allotted to that specific queue . for example , if max 2 is 75 %, then storage element 1 must not process queue 2 commands any more than 75 % of the time ; in other words , no more than 75 % of the commands processed by storage element may be queue 2 commands . the number of active commands in a queue is the total number of commands held within a particular queue . the sum of each of the queues &# 39 ; active commands is the total number of pending commands for a particular storage element . fig2 is a flow diagram of a storage element executor method 200 using storage element 1 command executor 175 as an example . however , method 200 may be used for any storage element . that is , fig2 is a method of retrieving stored storage element commands from pending queues in which they have been stored based on priority and specific - type tasks . step 210 : is storage element able to accept new command ? in this decision step , storage element 1 command executor 175 checks the processing command queue of storage element 1 ( not shown ) to determine whether there is capacity to assign a new command to the queue . if yes , method 200 proceeds to step 215 ; if no , method 200 returns to step 210 . in this decision step , storage element 1 command executor 175 assesses whether all of the pending command queues are empty . if yes , method 200 returns to step 215 ; if no , method 200 proceeds to step 220 . in this step , storage element 1 command executor 175 looks at each of the pending queues from highest priority to lowest priority to find the first non - empty queue , i . e ., a queue containing pending commands . storage element 1 command executor 175 assigns the number of that queue to x . method 200 proceeds to step 225 . in this decision step , storage element 1 command executor 175 accesses storage element 1 &# 39 ; s priority configuration table to determine whether the total number of active commands for queue x is less than the minimum service level requirement for queue x . if yes , method 200 proceeds to step 230 ; if no , method 200 proceeds to step 235 . in this step , storage element 1 command executor 175 places the oldest command from queue x onto the tail of the pending queue for the storage element . method 200 returns to step 210 . in this step , storage element 1 command executor 175 checks the number of pending commands in the next priority queue to find the next queue from which to process a command . the next priority non - empty queue number is given to x . method 200 proceeds to step 240 . in this decision step , storage element 1 command executor 175 determines whether there are no queues with any pending commands , i . e ., whether all pending queues are empty . if yes , method 200 proceeds to step 245 ; if no , method 200 returns to step 225 . in this step , storage element 1 command executor 175 looks at each of the pending queues from highest priority to lowest priority to find the first non - empty queue , i . e ., a queue containing pending commands . storage element 1 command executor 175 assigns the value of that queue to x . method 200 proceeds to step 250 . in this decision step , storage element 1 command executor 175 looks at storage element 1 &# 39 ; s priority configuration table to determine whether the current command count in queue x is less than the maximum service level assigned to queue x . if yes , method 200 returns to step 230 ; if no , method 200 proceeds to step 255 . in this step , storage element 1 command executor 175 checks the number of pending commands in the next priority queue to find the next queue from which to process a command . the next priority non - empty queue number is assigned to x . method 200 proceeds to step 260 . in this step , storage element 1 command executor 175 determines whether all of the remaining priority queues are empty . if yes , method 200 returns to step 210 ; if no , method 200 returns to step 250 . while the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific exemplary embodiments , it should be understood that many modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims .	6
aspects , features and advantages of the invention will be appreciated when considered with reference to the following description of preferred embodiments and accompanying figures . the same reference numbers in different drawings may identify the same or similar elements . furthermore , the following description is not limiting ; the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equivalents . fig1 presents a schematic diagram of a computer network 100 depicting various computing devices that can be used in a networked configuration in accordance with aspects of the invention . for example , computer network 100 may have a plurality of computers 102 , 104 , 106 and 108 as well as other types of devices such as portable electronic devices such as a mobile phone 110 and a pda 112 . such computing devices may be interconnected via a local or direct connection 114 and / or may be coupled via a communications network 116 such as a lan , wan , the internet , etc . the communications network 116 may include multiple nodes comprising switches or routers , as will be discussed below . each computing device may include , for example , one or more processing devices ( e . g ., a cpu ) and have user inputs such as a keyboard 118 and mouse 120 and / or various other types of input devices such as pen - inputs , joysticks , buttons , touch screens , etc ., as well as a display 122 , which could include , for instance , a crt , lcd , plasma screen monitor , tv , projector , etc . each computer 102 , 104 , 106 and 108 may be a personal computer , server , etc . by way of example only , computers 102 and 106 may be personal computers while computer 104 may be a server and computer 108 may be a laptop . each computer such as computers 102 and 104 contains a processor , memory / storage and other components typically present in a computer . for instance , memory / storage stores information accessible by processor , including instructions that may be executed by the processor and data that may be retrieved , manipulated or stored by the processor . the memory / storage may be of any type or any device capable of storing information accessible by the processor , such as a hard - drive , rom , ram , cd - rom , flash memories , write - capable or read - only memories . the processor may comprise any number processing elements , such as sub - processing units operating in a parallel - processing configuration . alternatively , the processor may be a dedicated controller for executing operations , such as an asic . the communications network 116 is preferably configured to handle data packets ( e . g ., packets p 1 and p 2 ) using one or more nodes . fig2 illustrates a network configuration 200 , where a source device 202 ( e . g ., computer 102 ) may send data to a destination device 204 ( e . g ., computer 104 ) via one or more nodes 206 in the network . as shown , each node may comprise a router / switch such as router r 0 , r i , etc . the routers may include a processor such as a cpu , as well as memory for storing / queuing buffered data packets . the packets are preferably queued in a first - in , first - out (“ fifo ”) order . the routers may be arranged in the network so that packets from the source device 202 may be passed to the destination device 204 via multiple alternative routes . identifying such routes enables the system to efficiently route the packets . by way of example , fig2 illustrates a first path 208 along the route r 0 , r l , r l + 1 1 , r m 1 and r m + 1 , as well as a second path 210 along the route r 0 , r l , r l + 1 2 , r m 2 and r m + 1 . in accordance with aspects of the invention , several propositions or requirements regarding analyzing packet routing through the network are set forth . the first proposition is that there is no out of order delivery of packets sent from the source device to the destination device if these packets traverse the same route , unless a link failure occurs and causes a route change at a router in between its transmissions of these packets . a second proposition is that if two consecutive packets traverse different routes , they may arrive out of order at the destination . the probability of out of order delivery is maximized when the size of first probe packet is maximized and that of second probe packet is minimized . and a third proposition is that if two consecutive probe packets p 1 and p 2 of respective lengths l max and l min ( e . g ., the largest and smallest packet lengths supported by node r 0 ) traverse different routes yet arrive in order at the destination , the path traversed by p 2 experiences much larger queuing and / or transmission delay than p 1 . in this case , it may be of little gain to split the data traffic across the two paths traversed by p 1 and p 2 , since the throughput improvement is marginal . assume source device 202 is configured to initiate a data intensive application ( such as a file transfer ) that sends a large amount of traffic ( e . g ., 10 mbytes ) from its port x to destination device 204 . according to one aspect , s d is defined as a set of destination ports p the destination device 204 is listening to and can receive data from the source device 202 . in this embodiment , the invention allows the source device 202 or other associated device to discover n paths each served by a destination port in s n d ( s n d ⊂ s d ) of the destination device 204 . the source device 202 thus can split its traffic across these n paths , for example by establishing n tcp / udp sessions , one to each destination port in s n d . in one embodiment , a process is executed iteratively to arrive at a solution . fig3 illustrates a flow diagram 300 for identifying multiple paths to a given destination device and a set of ports on the destination serving these paths . the process desirably executes iteratively for up to n − 1 rounds . as shown in block 302 , a counter k of the rounds is incremented ( and which may be initialized to 0 ). in the k th round , the process starts with s k d , which is a subset of k ports in s d to serve traffic from the source device to the destination device over k unique paths . this is done to discover the ( k + 1 ) th path from the source to the destination , as well as a port p in s d to serve packets traversing this path . this process is desirably done by exchanging at least one probe pair or acknowledgement (“ ack ”) packet between the source device and the destination device . in one example , two destination ports , namely p 1 , and p 2 , “ collide ” if packets destined to p 1 traverse the same path as those destined to p 2 . the source device ( e . g ., router r 0 or source 202 ) searches for a port p in s d that does not collide with any ports in s k d , and eliminates ports from s d that collide with ports in s k d . first , in block 304 a port p is removed from s d . preferably , the port p is randomly selected for removal in block 304 . then , in block 306 , it is determined if the port p just removed from s d collides with any port in s k d . if so , the removed port p is not added back to s d such that it is skipped in the next round k + 1 , and the process returns to block 302 . if there is no collision , the process proceeds to block 308 , where s k + 1 d is assigned to be s k + 1 d = s k d ∪ p . here , port p is added to s k + 1 d . the “∪” symbol in this equation is a union or addition operator . as shown in block 310 , if the counter k is less than n − 1 , then the process returns to block 302 ; otherwise it ends at block 312 . to determine if a given port p collides with any port in s k d without modifying s k d , the process 400 shown in fig4 may be employed . first , as shown in block 401 , a set of ports s y is initialized to be the same as the set of ports in s k d . as shown in block 402 , a port p ′ is removed from the set s y . the port p ′ is preferably randomly selected for removal from s y . next , as shown in block 404 , for each port p ′ in s k d , a pair of probe packets is sent back to back via ports p ′ and p respectively . the size of the first probe packet is preferably a maximum transmission unit ( l max ) supportable by the network between the source 202 and the destination 204 , while the second probe is preferably of a minimum packet length ( l min ) supported by the network between the source 202 and destination 204 . the destination device 204 may send an acknowledgement ack back to the source device 202 , as shown in block 406 . as shown in block 408 , the ack may indicate whether the ports p and p ′ collide . in particular , if the destination device 204 received the two probe packets out of order , it is determined that ports p ′ and p do not collide at block 410 . if the packets are received in order , it is determined that p ′ and p collide ( e . g ., port p collides with port p ′ in s k d ) as shown in block 412 . as shown in block 414 if s y is not empty , the process preferably returns to block 402 and repeats until a port p ′ is found in s y that collides with p , or until it is determined that no ports in s y collides with p . if s y is empty or a collision is found , the process terminates at bock 416 . one of the propositions discussed above was that if two consecutive packets traverse different routes , they could arrive out of order at the destination . the probability of out of order delivery is maximized when the size of first probe is maximized and that of second probe is minimized . to prove this observation , consider the following network model depicting two routes between a source node and a destination node . in this example , two probe packets , p 1 of length l 1 , and p 2 of length l 2 , are sent back to back from the source node to the destination node . the probe packets each traverses one of two routes , which may initially share certain routers , e . g ., r 0 , r 1 , . . . r 1 . in this example , the two routes branch off after r 1 and re - merge at r m . the transmission rate of a router r ( rε { r i \| 0 ≦ i ≦ l }∪{ r i 1 \| l & lt ; i ≦ m }∪{ r i 2 \| l & lt ; i ≦ m }) is r ( r ), and q 2 ( r ) and q 1 ( r ) represent the queuing delays experienced by p 1 and p 2 at r , respectively . assume there is no cross traffic and the queuing delay is zero for p 1 and p 2 at r 0 to r 1 . it is straightforward to prove that : t l 2 and t l 2 are the arrival times of p 1 and p 2 at r 1 , and min { r ( r i )\| 0 ≦ i ≦ l } is the bandwidth of bottleneck link between r 0 and r 1 . when there is cross traffic , t l 2 − t l 1 , the dispersion of p 1 and p er can expand or compress . to express this phenomena , we let : cross traffic , such as a packet p 3 may be serviced in between p 1 and p 2 . as shown in fig5 , if this occurs , then the dispersion between p 1 and p 2 increases . the probability of such cross traffic expanding the dispersion of p 1 and p 2 decreases with the length l 2 of packet p 2 . thus , if the length l 2 of packet p 2 is minimized , the probability of cross traffic packet p 3 increasing the dispersion between p 1 and p 2 is minimized . if cross traffic p 3 is serviced before p 1 as shown in fig6 , the dispersion of p 1 and p 2 is decreased . the probability of such cross - traffic p 3 decreasing the dispersion of p 1 and p 2 increases with the length l 1 of packet p 1 . furthermore , it can be proved that : thus t l 2 − t l 1 is minimized if l 2 is minimized and l 1 is maximized . next , t m 1 and t m 2 , the arrival times of p 1 and p 2 at r m , respectively , and the condition for t m 1 & gt ; t m 2 , that is p 2 arrives at r m and eventually at the destination node before p 1 are derived . in particular : in the above formula , when l 1 is maximized and l 2 is minimized , t l 2 − t l 1 is minimized , and is maximized . assume the sum of queuing delays experienced by p 1 and p 2 , are independent of l 1 and l 2 . the probably of t m 2 & lt ; t m 1 is maximized when l 1 is maximized and l 2 is minimized . it can be further proved that if between r m and the destination node , p 1 and p 2 traverse on different routes , the lead time of p 2 over p 1 is also maximized when is l 1 maximized and l 2 is minimized . with regard to the third proposition , if two consecutive probe packets p 1 and p 2 of length l max and l min ( denoting the largest and smallest packet length supported by the network &# 39 ; s nodes ) traverse different routes yet arrive in order at the destination , the path traversed by p 2 experience much larger queuing and / or transmission delay than p 1 . it is thus of little gain to split the application traffic across the two paths traversed by p 1 and p 2 , since the throughput improvement is marginal . when l 1 = l max and l 2 = l min , the probability of cross traffic in between p 1 and p 2 is close to zero , and it may be assumed that : if the queuing delays of p 1 and p 2 are equal , once a pair of non - colliding ports has been found , the system may configure packet transmission to send one or more packets along the different routes from the source node to the destination node . in one alternative , the system evaluates the network to determine whether more than two non - colliding destination ports are present . if so , the packet traffic may be split among all non - colliding routes . furthermore , the processes discussed herein , such as the operations discussed with regard to fig3 and 4 , may be performed by one or more processors in the system . by way of example only , processing may be performed by the source device 202 , destination device 204 or one of the routers 206 of fig2 . the processor ( s ) may execute a program recorded / stored on a computer - readable recording medium , such as rom , ram , flash memory , cd - rom , dvd - rom or the like . although aspects of the invention herein have been described with reference to particular embodiments , it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention . it is therefore to be understood that numerous modifications may be made to the illustrative embodiments and that other arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims .	7
a detachable pop mold 100 is illustrated in the accompanying figures . detachable pop molds 100 can be used to freeze a desired number of pops . pop molds 100 are attached together and may be filled with edible pop fluid for freezing . pop fluid may comprise a liquid , a gelatin product ( e . g . jello ® brand ), a pudding , a yogurt , etc . or combinations of liquids , solids and semi - solids . the molds 100 may then be frozen ( e . g . by placing the molds 100 in a freezer ) in order to make pops in the shape of the molds . after the pops are frozen in the pop molds 100 , the pop molds 100 can then be detached one - by - one , leaving only the pop molds 100 that contain frozen pops in the freezer . pops can then be removed from the pop molds 100 and consumed . referring to fig1 , each detachable pop mold 100 may comprise a vessel 102 . each mold 100 may also comprise a first connector 106 and second connector 308 ( see fig3 , e . g .) on opposing sides of the exterior of the vessel 102 . the first connector 106 is sized to removably attach to a cooperating second connector 308 of a second mold 100 ( see figures ) so that two or more pop molds 100 can be attached or secured together until they are pulled apart ( or otherwise detached ). the mold 100 may also comprise a handle 110 , a lid 104 attached to the handle 110 , an arm 108 extending from the handle 110 and a stand 206 attached to the vessel 102 . the first connector 106 and the second connector 308 are not necessarily on opposing sides of the vessel 102 . referring to fig2 to 4 , the vessel 102 has a wall 204 with a bottom surface 402 and an open end 220 defining an interior cavity 202 . the stand 206 may be attached to the vessel 102 opposite the open end 220 of the cavity 202 . the stand may , alternatively , be integral with the vessel 102 . the stand 206 has a planar bottom surface 210 for resting on another surface ( such as a countertop or freezer floor or shelf , for example ) to support the remainder of the pop mold 100 in an upright position so that the vessel 102 may hold pop fluid without the fluid spilling out of the open end 220 . the stand 206 may , alternatively , be a separate component that the remainder of the vessel 102 rests upon . the interior cavity 202 forms the shape of the mold used for freezing the pop fluid into a particular shape . this mold may be in the shape of a sail , as shown in the figures . alternatively , the mold may be in any one of numerous shapes , typically tapering to the from the top to the bottom to assist with removal of the frozen pop . such as a tube or a square . it is recognized that in order to remove a frozen pop from a detachable pop mold 100 , after a fluid is frozen into the shape of the mold , the open end 220 must be sized to allow the frozen pop to pass therethrough . for example , the open end 220 may have a width 404 ( see fig4 ) greater than the greatest width of the mold defined by the interior cavity 202 . the exterior surface 212 of the wall 204 of the vessel 102 supports the first connector 106 as well as the second connector 308 . the first connector 106 and the second connector 308 may be on opposite sides of the exterior surface 212 of the wall 204 of the vessel 102 , for example . however , it is not necessary that the first connector 106 and the second connector 308 are on opposite sides of the exterior surface 212 of the wall 204 of the vessel 102 . the first connector 106 of one pop mold 100 is removably attachable to the second connector 308 of another pop mold 100 . at least in some embodiments , the first and second connectors comprise cooperating male and female connectors , whereby the first connector is received within the second connector or vice versa or combinations thereof ( e . g . whereby a portion of the first connector is received within the second connector and a portion of the second connector is received within the first connector . for example , when attached , the first connector 106 and second connector 308 may be in a telescoping engagement , with one of the connectors 106 , 308 fitting over the other connector 106 , 308 . the shape of the cooperating first and second connectors may be chosen such that when attached , the connectors are prevented from axial rotation ( e . g . about a central axis of the first connector 106 ). for example , the shape in cross - section of each connector 106 , 308 is preferably non - circular . circular shapes may rotate axially ( about the centre of the circle ) while cooperating non - circular shapes tend not to rotate . in one embodiment , the first connector 106 may comprise an extension defining an exterior surface having a non - circular cross - section for inserting into the second connector 308 having a complimentary shape in a friction fit . as shown in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures , the second connector 308 may have an irregular ( i . e . non - circular ) ring - like shape extending outwardly from the external surface 212 of the wall 204 . the irregular ring - like shape may be a rounded triangle surrounding an interior and this interior may be sized to fit a first connector 106 . the fit may , for example , be a friction fit wherein the shape of the first connector 106 is complimentary to the interior of the irregular ring - like shape of the second connector 308 so that the first connector 106 fits snugly inside of the second connector 308 . when the first connector 106 of one detachable pop mold 100 is attached to a second connector 308 of another detachable pop mold 100 , the two detachable pop molds may be easily separated by pulling them apart . the second connector 308 may define an interior having a shape other than a rounded triangle . for example , the second connector 308 may define a rounded cross ( fig6 a ), a rounded elongated egg ( fig6 b ) or a rectangle ( fig6 c ). the first connecter 106 may have a shape that is complimentary to the second connector 308 in order to secure the respective pop molds 100 together . using single non - circular shapes defined by the interior of the second connector 308 ensures that two detachable pop molds will not rotate relative to one another . it is recognized that fig6 a to 6c are example shapes only and that the interior of the second connector 308 can define other non - circular shapes . alternatively , two ( or more ) extensions of the second connector 308 may each define interiors and the first connector 106 may have two ( or more ) extensions which are complimentary to and fit into the two ( or more ) interiors of the second connector 308 . for such a second connector 308 to attach to the first connector 106 the number of extensions of the first connector 106 is preferably equal to the number of interiors defined by the extension of the second connector 308 . the two ( or more ) interiors of the second connector 308 may each define a circular or differently shaped interior . fig6 d , for example , shows a cross - section of a second connector 308 defining two circular interior shapes . for example , the first connector 106 may comprise a plurality of extensions defining exterior surfaces for inserting into a plurality of second connectors 308 having complimentary shapes in a friction fit . in such a case the number of extensions of the first connector 106 may be no more than the number of second connectors 308 . fig6 e and 6f illustrate a further first connector 106 and a second connector 308 comprising cooperating portions 106 a , 106 b , 106 c and 308 a , 308 b and 308 c in a male and female combination that does not rotate axially when engaged . in further alternatives , the first connector 106 and second connector 308 may be removably attachable using a snap fit or using other similar removable connections or means of attachment that are known to a skilled person . it is recognized that a detachable pop mold 100 may only have one connector for connecting to a single other detachable pop mold 100 . alternatively , the detachable pop mold 100 may have three or more connectors ( e . g . two first connectors and two second connectors on a four sided mold ) for connecting to a plurality of other pop molds 100 . the wall 204 of the vessel 102 may be transparent , translucent or opaque . the vessel 102 may be made from non - toxic food - friendly materials , such as metals , plastic or other types of polymers capable of being frozen and handled without breaking further , the vessel may be made from a single piece of molded plastic . for example , the vessel may be made using a plastic extruder or using an injector for injecting molten plastic into a mold in the form of the vessel . other alternatives to making the vessel using a single piece of plastic or so that the vessel itself is a single piece of plastic that are familiar to a person of ordinary skill in the art may be implemented . referring to fig6 , the handle 110 is shown with an arm 108 extending therefrom . the handle 110 and the arm 108 together may form a linear member . a lid 104 circumnavigates the linear member delineating the handle 110 from the arm 108 . it is recognized that a lid 104 is not necessary for the operation of the pop molds 100 . the lid 104 may be sized to fit over the open end 220 of the vessel 102 . further , the lid 104 may provide a barrier between a person &# 39 ; s hand and the frozen pop so that if the pop is held upright and the frozen pop melts , the resulting liquid will drip into the underside 502 of the lid 104 thereby at least partially preventing the liquid from dripping onto a person &# 39 ; s hand . the arm 108 may have at least one gripper 120 attached to its outer surface for frictionally gripping frozen pop fluid contained in the cavity 202 of the vessel 102 . the at least one gripper 120 may be a rib circumnavigating a portion of the arm 108 . fig5 , for example , shows three annular ribs 120 circumnavigating the arm 108 . the ribs 120 may provide a frictional attachment to the frozen pop fluid in the cavity 202 when the fluid is frozen around the arm 108 so that when the frozen pop is removed from the vessel 102 by pulling the handle 110 away from the vessel 102 , the frozen pop is removed from the vessel 102 along with the arm 108 rather than remaining in the cavity 202 of the vessel 102 . the handle 110 , which extends in the opposite direction as the arm 108 , may be removably engageable with the vessel 102 by placing the arm 108 into the cavity 202 of the vessel 102 . the handle 110 is sized so that the handle 110 extends exterior to the cavity 202 of the vessel 102 when the arm 108 is at least partially inside of the cavity 202 of the vessel 102 . the handle 110 is engaged with the vessel 102 when the arm 108 is extending into the pop fluid in the vessel and the handle 110 is extending exterior to vessel 102 so that the handle 110 can be grasped while the arm 108 remains in the pop fluid in the vessel 102 . the edge of the lid 104 may be sized to fit outside of the edge 208 of the vessel 102 . thus the lid 104 can sit on top of the open end 220 of the vessel 102 . in such a position , the arm 108 extends into the interior cavity 202 of the vessel 102 through the open end 220 of the vessel . it is recognized that for the lid 104 to sit on the edge 208 of the open end 220 of the vessel 102 , the arm 108 must have a length shorter than the depth of the interior cavity 202 of the vessel 102 . referring to fig7 , detachable pop molds 100 may be attached to one another . for example , the second connecter 308 of a first pop mold 100 a may be removably attached to the first connector 106 of a second mold 100 b . similarly , a second connecter 308 of the second pop mold 100 b may be removably attached to the first connector 106 of a third pop mold 100 c . the remaining pop molds 100 d , 100 e , 100 f may be similarly attached . the first connector 106 and the second connector 308 may be any suitable attachment means familiar to a skilled person . as the vessel 102 may be transparent , the arm 108 may be seen through the wall 204 of the vessel 102 when the handle 110 is engaged with the vessel 102 . a plurality of detachable pop molds 100 may be sold in a kit . the kit may also include instructions for assembling two detachable pop molds 100 . by following the instructions a person could first attach two detachable pop molds 100 together , followed by attaching a third detachable pop mold 100 to one of the two original pop molds 100 , thus forming a set of three detachable pop molds 100 . a person could iteratively follow these instructions in order to assemble the entire plurality of detachable pop molds 100 in the kit , for example . a flowchart 800 showing the method of preparing frozen pops using the pop molds 100 is shown in fig8 . at step 802 , a plurality of detachable frozen pop molds 100 is provided . as described above , each mold 100 comprises a vessel 102 defining a cavity with an opening 220 at one end for receiving pop fluid for freezing , an external surface of the vessel 102 having a first connector 106 for removably attaching to a second connector 308 of a second mold 100 . at step 804 , the first connector 106 of one of the provided detachable pop molds 100 is removably attached to the second connector 308 of another of the provided detachable pop molds 100 . this forms a set of detachable pop molds 100 . it is recognized that the first connector 106 may be universal connector meaning that the first connector 106 can attach to either a second connector 308 or another first connector 106 . it is similarly recognized that the second connector 308 may be a universal connector . at step 806 , the cavities of the detachable pop molds 100 in the set of detachable pop molds 100 are filled with pop fluid . the pop fluid may be any edible fluid . for example , the pop fluid may be a fruit juice , water mixed with sugar , or other flavoured liquids . it is recognized that the step of attaching the first connector 106 of one detachable pop mold 100 to the second connector 308 of another detachable pop mold 100 could happen after the steps of filling the cavities 202 of the detachable pop molds 100 with pop fluid . at step 808 , the set of detachable pop molds 100 is placed in a freezer . the detachable pop molds 100 may be left in the freezer until the pop fluid in the pop molds 100 is frozen , forming frozen pops . additional pop molds 100 may be similarly attached together and filled with pop fluid for freezing . optionally , handles 110 may be used with any number of the detachable pop molds 100 in the set of detachable pop molds 100 . for example , the handle 110 of a first detachable pop mold 100 may be engaged with the vessel of the first detachable pop mold 100 . specifically , the extending arm 108 of the handle 110 may be inserted into the cavity 202 of the vessel 102 so as to be at least partially immersed in the pop fluid in the vessel 102 . the lid 104 of the handle 110 may then abut the edge 208 of the vessel 102 thereby supporting the handle 110 in an upright position extending away from the cavity , as shown in fig1 . the pop molds 100 in the freezer can be selectively detached from each other so that a person can selectively remove a desired number of pops molds 100 containing frozen pops from the freezer . for example , a person can detach the first connector 106 of one detachable pop mold 100 from the second connector 308 of another detachable pop mold 100 and then remove only the first detachable pop mold 100 from the freezer . it is recognized that a single detachable pop mold 100 may be removably attached to more than one other detachable pop mold 100 . the frozen pop itself can be removed from a detachable pop mold 100 by simply separating or remove the handle 110 from the vessel 102 of the pop mold 100 . the ribs 120 on the arm 108 provide a further frictional attachment between the arm 108 and the frozen pop . one or more currently preferred embodiments have been described by way of example . it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims .	5
the present invention provides an accessory that may be used in conjunction with a conventional hinged - lidded grill , such as grill 20 shown in fig1 and 2 . an exemplary accessory 50 is shown in fig3 - 5 that is compatible with the grill 20 shown in fig1 and 2 . generally , the accessory 50 is constructed in a shape complementary to the grill structure to bridge a gap between the lower base portion 14 and the upper lid 16 when the lid is in a partially open position , to support the lid and to define a substantially - closed cooking chamber , as discussed in greater detail below and as will be appreciated from fig8 . the accessory can be used to convert a hinged - lid grill 150 into a pizza oven providing more consistent temperature variability , thereby yielding better cooking results . referring now to fig3 - 5 , the exemplary accessory 50 is constructed as a unitary body . in this example , the accessory 50 is formed of stainless steel from substantially planar stainless steel sheet stock , and then bending the accessory blank to form a front wall 52 and side walls 54 , 56 extending generally transversely to the front wall 50 . by way of example , the accessory blank may be formed by die cutting , laser cutting or any other suitable method . in alternative embodiments , the accessory 50 may not be a unitary body and / or may not be so formed . by way of example , the accessory can be made of any material that is sufficiently heat resistant to withstand the maximum temperatures conventionally generated in a pizza oven or grill ( it should probably be able to withstand at least 750 degrees fahrenheit ) and sufficiently strong to support the weight of the grill &# 39 ; s lid 16 . steel or another metal or ceramic material are preferred . any suitable construction method may be employed to form the accessory 50 . the accessory 50 has a lower edge 51 that is configured to cause the accessory 50 to rest in a stable manner on the grate 20 of the grill 10 and / or on support structure of the grill , e . g ., supports for the grate 20 . in this exemplary embodiment , each of the front and side walls 52 , 54 , 56 has lower edges 51 a , 51 b , 51 c that are substantially flat and co - planar , to cause the accessory to rest in a stable manner on a substantially planar support surface , such as the grill &# 39 ; s grate , as will be appreciated from fig3 and 6 . the accessory 50 has an upper edge 53 that is configured to cause the accessory 50 to mate with a partially - open lid 16 of the grill . preferably , the upper edge 53 is contoured to mate with any irregular structure of the lid , so as to conform to any contours of the inner portion of the lid 16 , and thus to avoid large gaps likely to release excessive amounts of hot air from the cooking chamber 18 during cooking . accordingly , each accessory may be constructed to specifically mate with a corresponding grill / grill type . in this exemplary embodiment , each of the side walls 52 , 56 has upper edges 53 a , 53 c that are substantially flat and co - planar , to cause the accessory to mate with substantially - planar lid structure , as will be appreciated from fig3 and 6 . in this exemplary embodiment , portions of the upper edges 53 a , 53 b , 53 c are contoured out of plane to mate with corresponding portions of the grill &# 39 ; s lid structure , as will be appreciated from fig3 , and 6 . as will be appreciated from fig6 , the accessory 50 has a generally wedge - shaped profile when viewed from the side , to substantially close a wedge - shaped opening between the lower base 14 and lid 16 when the hinged lid is partially open . as best shown in fig3 and 5 , the front wall 52 of the accessory 50 defines a window 60 . the window is dimensioned to be large enough both in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction to allow easy insertion and removal of a pizza from the cooking chamber . thus , the window 60 allows a pizza to be removed from the cooking chamber 18 , e . g ., using a pizza peel , without having to further open the grill &# 39 ; s lid 16 , which would allow essentially all of the heat to escape . preferably , the window is also dimensioned to be small enough so as not to allow a significant amount of heat to escape through the opening . since heated air tends to rise , the vertically oriented side window 60 will not let excessive amounts of heat escape from the cooking chamber 18 through window 60 . the window permits constant visual access to the food cooking inside the cooking chamber without the need to remove the food from the cooking chamber . optionally , a cover or door 75 ( fig1 ) may be provided to selectively close the window 60 . by way of example , the door may be hingedly attached to the front wall 52 . optionally , the front wall may define an opening 78 for supporting a conventional thermometer 73 . this may be particularly useful when the accessory 50 is designed for a grill that does not already include its own thermometer . the insert accessory may be sold in a kit along with a cooking surface 90 , such as a pizza stone , pizza pan and / or a conventional pizza peel 95 . for cooking foods other than pizzas and the like , the apparatus may be sold with a skillet ( not shown ) or other or additional cooking apparatus . in a certain embodiment , the apparatus further includes a secondary fuel basket . optionally , certain hardwoods may be employed or added to charcoal in the secondary fuel basket to impart additional flavor to the pizza . alternatively , such hardwoods or liquid “ smoky ” flavoring agents may be added to a smoking basket . an exemplary secondary fuel basket 80 is shown in fig9 . the basket includes a sidewall 82 and a floor 84 for supporting a supply of fuel in the basket 80 . in this example , the basket further includes an attachment member 86 for mounting the basket to the accessory 50 . in the exemplary embodiment shown in fig9 , the attachment member is provided as flange dimensioned to permit the basket 80 to hang from an upper edge of the accessory 50 . alternatively , the basket may omit the attachment member and may simply be placed on the grill &# 39 ; s grate . the basket 80 is configured to support a secondary supply of fuel above the primary supply of fuel in the fuel chamber beneath the grate 20 , and more particularly , is positioned to be open and to vent heat directly to a space above the cooking surface . in this manner , heat rising from the basket 80 tends to heat only ( or primarily ) the air above the grate 20 and / or any cooking surface , and tends to balance the heat distribution above and below grate 20 , and thus promotes temperature uniformity as a function of height above the lower fuel chamber . in use , the exemplary embodiment of the accessory of fig3 - 6 may be used in conjunction with a conventional hinged - lid grill described above by opening the grill &# 39 ; s lid and placing the accessory 50 onto the grill &# 39 ; s grate 20 and / or supports for the grate 20 , as shown in fig7 , so that the accessory 50 is supported in a stable manner relative to the grate 20 . the lid 16 of the grill 10 may then be moved from the open position ( as shown in fig7 ) toward a closed position into a partially - closed position , at which point an inner surface of the lid comes to rest against the upper edges 53 a , 53 b , 53 c of the accessory 50 , as shown in fig8 . at this point , the accessory 50 supports the lid 16 and cooperates with the lid 16 and lower base portion 14 to define a substantially - closed cooking chamber 18 , as shown in fig8 . in this exemplary embodiment , the accessory effectively closes a gap between the lid 16 and base portion 14 on three sides of a generally - rectangular - shaped grill , and the fourth side is substantially closed by mating of the lid and base portion adjacent the hinge ( s ). thus , the accessory can be used to convert a hinged - lid grill into an oven 100 providing more consistent temperature variability , thereby yielding better cooking results . in embodiments including the secondary fuel basket 80 , the basket 80 may be mounted to the accessory 50 or placed on the grate and be loaded with secondary fuel / smoking agents prior to movement of the lid 16 to the partially closed position . the apparatus described herein may be implemented in any number of ways , including , but not limited to ( 1 ) as an aftermarket add - on , ( 2 ) as a removable feature of an original grill , or ( 3 ) as a permanent part of the grill . while the exemplary embodiment described in detail herein is configured to work with a generally rectangularly - shaped grill grate , and thus is generally u - shaped , such as those of many conventional gas grills , this is merely exemplary . the accessory may be otherwise shaped , such as in generally arcuate fashion and thus may be generally c - shaped , e . g ., to accommodate a grill grates and / or grills having a generally circular shape and a hinged lid , as is typical of a kamado - style grill . fig1 is a perspective view of a c - shaped grill accessory of the present invention shown in a conventional kamado grill exemplary of the prior art . having thus described a few particular embodiments of the invention , various alterations , modifications , and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art . such alterations , modifications , and improvements as are made obvious by this disclosure are intended to be part of this description though not expressly stated herein , and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the foregoing description is by way of example only , and not limiting . the invention is limited only as defined in the following claims and equivalents thereto .	0
fig3 shows a fundamental embodiment of the present invention . a signal φ il whose amplitude is controlled by the operation of a pulse - generating circuit pg is input to a gate of a mos transistor q l &# 39 ;, and a capacitance load c l connected to the source of the transistor is driven thereby . the pulse - generating circuit pg inputs pulse φ i of a maximum voltage equivalent to the supply voltage vcc . details of this pulse - generating circuit pg and its operation are given in &# 34 ; electronics &# 34 ; mar . 24th , 1982 , pp . 132 - 136 . an outline thereof is provided below . an inverted output of a driver 12 to which the input pulse φ i is applied makes a mos transistor q d discharge its gate voltage so that its electric potential changes from high to low . simultaneously , a bootstrap capacitance ( not shown ) acts so that the gate voltage of a transistor q l is charged by a non - inverted output of the driver 12 so that its low potential becomes a high potential of at least the level of vcc , turning the transistor q l on . an internal supply voltage v dp which is different from the external supply voltage vcc and is applied to the gate of a transistor q ll so that a voltage of v dp - v t is applied to the drain of transistor q l . thus , the output φ il rises from a low voltage of zero to the drain voltage v dp - v t of the transistor q l . v t denotes the threshold voltage of each transistor in this embodiment . the external supply voltage vcc is applied to the drain of transistor q l &# 39 ;, but the capacitance load c l is charged by a voltage of up to v dp - 2v t which is equal to the high voltage v dp - v t of the pulse φ il reduced by the threshold voltage v t of the transistor q l &# 39 ;. by suitably increasing the size of transistor q l &# 39 ; alone , that is , by increasing the magnitude of w / l ( channel width / channel length ), it is possible to drive the capacitance load c l at high speed , however large c l is . concrete details of circuits embodying the voltage limiter 30 are disclosed in u . s . patent application nos . 368 , 162 and 562 , 969 . one example of these will now be described with reference to fig4 . this embodiment removes the problem often encountered in the prior art that , when charging the capacitance load c l the voltage limiter and the charge - control transistors must all be large - sized transistors . when the voltage with which the capacitance load c l is charged is v out ( hereinafter , &# 34 ; signal voltage &# 34 ; denotes any voltage on the high electric potential side , without particular limitations ), the voltage of the pulse φ il is v in and the threshold voltage of the transistor q l is v t , v out is generally given by : accordingly , a control of the output voltage on the high electric potential side can be accomplished by controlling v in which can be defined in response to the essential voltage v out . thus for v in it is necessary to generate a voltage which is higher than the required charge voltage by the voltage v t . for this purpose , the output voltage v dp of the voltage limiter 30 of fig3 could be modified . fig4 discloses an embodiment in which the voltage of v dp - v t is applied to the capacitance load c l . fig4 differs from fig3 only in that a voltage limiter 30a is designed so that it outputs a voltage v dp + v t which is only v t higher than the output v dp of the voltage limiter 30 of fig3 . fig4 shows a concrete example of the voltage limiter 30 which outputs v dp from a contact point between a resistor r lm and a series of n diodes d 1 to d n . the voltage limiter 30 outputs the voltage v dp of which has a characteristic as shown in fig5 with respect to the external supply voltage vcc . this characteristic shows that if the external supply voltage vcc is less than v 0 , the output of the voltage limiter is equal to vcc ; and if it is greater than v 0 , the output thereof varies with a gradient of m which is less than 1 . when the standard voltage is 5 v , v 0 is selectively defined by a value which is less than 5 v ; and when vcc is 5 v , v dp can be determined to be , for example , 3 . 5 v by this characteristic . v 0 is equal to the external supply voltage when the n series - connected diodes d 1 to d n of fig4 start to be turned on . the gradient m is defined by the ratio of the resistance r lm in series with the resistance of the group of diodes d 1 . . . d n when on . returning to fig4 a high - voltage generation circuit 31 generates a voltage v pp which is higher than the external supply voltage vcc . this circuit will be described later with reference to fig6 a and 6b . in fig4 two transistors q 103 , q 101 , which are arragned so that the drain of one is connected to the gate of other , and a resistance r p are connected in series between an output terminal of the high - voltage generation circuit 31 and an output terminal of the limiter 30 . thus , the drain voltage of transistor q 103 is equal to v dp + 2v t . since this voltage v dp + 2v t is applied to the gate of a transistor q 102 whose drain receives the external supply voltage vcc , v dp + v t is applied to the gate of the transistor q ll in the pulse - generating circuit pg . accordingly , the high electric potential of the pulse φ il is equal to v dp and so a charging voltage of up to v dp - v t is applied to the capacitance load c l . the output voltage v pp of the high - voltage generation circuit 31 is set by the formula : the high - voltage generation circuit 31 will now be described with reference to the circuit diagram thereof of fig6 a . a circuit c p1 has a construction and operation such that pulse φ b is applied through a charge - pump capacitor c b to a node between two transistors q c1 and q c2 arranged so that the source of q c1 is connected to the gate of q c2 , and pulses higher than vcc are generated . a circuit c p2 also comprises of two transistors q c &# 39 ; 1 and q c &# 39 ; 2 connected in the same state as in circuit c p1 and a charge - pump capacitor c b &# 39 ;. however , it differs from c p1 in that pulse φ b is generated . the sources of transistors q c2 and q c &# 39 ; 2 for a wired or . φ b and φb , respectively are pulses of a certain period and inverses thereof , in a chip . the circuits for producing these pulses are not shown in the drawings for simplicity . c p denotes a parasitic capacitance generated in the output wiring . nodes n 1 and n 1 &# 39 ; respectively of transistors q c1 and q c &# 39 ; 1 of fig6 b are precharged to the voltage vcc - v t . each of the pulses φb and φb then reach vcc during each of time bands t 1 , t 2 , respectively , when the corresponding nodes n 1 and n 1 &# 39 ; are raised to 2vcc - v t during t 1 and t 2 by the capacitive coupling of charge - pump capacitors c b and c b &# 39 ;, respectively . this voltage appears as an output voltage v pp through transistors q c2 , q c2 &# 39 ; but the voltage is reduced by the threshold voltage v t of the transistors q c2 , q c2 &# 39 ; and thus v pp is given by the formula v pp = 2 ( vcc - v t ). as a result , the output v pp becomes a d . c . voltage which is greater than vcc . since the high - voltage generation circuit 31 receives the charges of the capacitors c b , c b &# 39 ; output during both time bands t 1 , t 2 , the ability of the circuit to supply charge is great , and a ripple noise in its output v pp is low . fig7 shows an embodiment which can charge the capacitance load c l to the voltage v dp . the circuit shown in fig7 differs from that of fig4 in that a voltage limiter 30b is constructed so that the output voltage v dp of the voltage limiter 30 is raised to v dp + 2v t . namely , the circuit in fig7 differs from that of fig4 in that the drain and gate of a transistor q 104 are connected in series to transistors q 101 and q 103 and high voltages v ppa and v ppb generated by voltage generation circuits 31a and 31b are applied to the drain of a transistor q 102 and a resistor r p , respectively . the gate voltage of the transistor q 103 is made to be v dp + 3v t by activating the transistor q 104 . thus , a voltage which is higher by v t than that in the circuit of fig4 is applied to the gates of transistors q ll , q l &# 39 ;, and the capacitance load c l is charged to the voltage v dp . in addition , the high - voltage generation circuit 31b supplies the transistor q ll with a voltage v ppb which value is v dp + 2v t , in order to raise the gate voltage of the transistor q l , to v dp + v t which is higher than that in fig4 . the output v ppa from the high - voltage generation circuit 31a must be greater that the drain voltage v dp + 3v t of the transistor q 103 . ordinary integrated circuits are subjected to aging tests after the final production step in order to ensure their reliability . these aging tests are designed to detect any transistor in which basic problems are likely to occur because of a failure of its gate oxide film , and are performed by deliberately applying to each transistor in the circuit a voltage which is higher than those encountered during normal usage . it is necessary to apply to each element a voltage which is slightly lower than the destructive voltage of a normal element in order to improve the chances of finding failures with these aging tests . for an integrated circuit chip which is so constructed that a supply voltage is supplied through a voltage limiter within the chip , examples which can accomplish these aging tests , even for the circuit part a of fig1 which has a low voltage resistance , are disclosed in u . s . patent application nos . 368 , 162 and 562 , 969 . it is desirable that the present invention can accomplish these aging test . in the embodiments thereof shown in fig3 and 7 , the voltage limiter 30 varies the output voltage v dp in accordance with the characteristic of fig5 . thus , if the gradient m is selected to have a certain magnitude , the output v dp can be charged to the voltage required for the aging tests by varying the magnitude of vcc . this change means that the voltage applied to the load capacitance c l can be varied , and thus the aging tests can be accomplished for the load capacitance c l . however , when vcc is near the normal operating voltage 5 v , it is better not to change v dp much if vcc is varied . for this purpose , it is desirable to minimize the gradient m of the characteristic of fig5 as far as possible . therefore , in the voltage limiter 30 of fig3 and 7 , when the external voltage vcc is greater than vo &# 39 ;, which is greater than the normal operating voltage 5 v , it is desirable , as shown in fig8 to generate v dp so that its characteristic varies with respect to the voltage vcc above the voltage vo with a gradient m &# 39 ; that is greater than the gradient m when vcc is between the voltages vo and vo &# 39 ;. fig9 shows an embodiment in which the capacitance load c l is supplied with a voltage which varies in accordance with the characteristic of fig8 . fig9 differs from fig7 in that a voltage limiter 30d is used instead of the voltage limiter 30 of fig7 . the circuit of the voltage limiter 30d is disclosed in u . s . patent application nos . 368 , 162 and 562 , 969 . this voltage limiter 30d ouputs a voltage v dp which has the characteristic shown in fig8 . namely , in fig9 v g ( for example , vcc + 2v t ) is applied to the gate of a transistor q o of the voltage limiter 30d . the magnitude of the voltage v g is selected so that it can turn q o on . when the magnitude of the external supply voltage vcc is between 0 and v 0 , a transistor q l is turned off , and thus the output v dp is equal to vcc . when the external supply voltage vcc is between v 0 and v 0 &# 39 ;, the transistor q l is turned on because transisors q 1 , q m are on . accordingly , the output v dp varies according to a gradient m ( m & lt ; 1 ) determined by the conductance ratio of transistors q o and q l . when the external supply voltage vcc is above v 0 &# 39 ;, a transistor q l &# 39 ; is turned on because transistors q 1 &# 39 ; and q n &# 39 ; are on . consequently , the output is defined by a gradient m &# 39 ; ( m &# 39 ;& gt ; m ) which is also determined by the ratio of conductance of transistors q o and q l , and also by the sum of the conductances of the transistors q o and q l &# 39 ;. the circuit shown in fig9 differs from that of fig7 in that a high voltage v ppc generated by a high - voltage generation circuit 31c ( which will be described later with reference to fig1 a and 11b ), is applied to the drain of the transistor q ll . the voltage v ppc is selected to have a magnitude greater than that of the gate voltage v dp + v t of the transistor q ll even if that gate voltage varies . thus , in the same way as in the circuit of fig7 the voltage v ppc is applied to the capacitor c l even if the magnitude of v dp varies . as a result , the aging tests of the capacitance load c l can be accomplished by varying vcc . it is obvious that the voltage limiter 30c of fig9 can be used instead of the voltage limiter 30 of fig3 and 7 , and it also goes without saying that the high - voltage generation circuits 31a and 31b of fig9 must generate output voltages v ppa and v ppb that are higher than v dp + 3v t and v dp + 2v t respectively , even if vcc varies . the high - voltage generation circuit 31c will now be described . a pulse - generating circuit pg &# 39 ;, shown in fig1 a , differs from the pulse - generating circuit pg of fig3 only in that it does not have the transistor q ll . pulse φ bb output from the pulse - generating circuit pg &# 39 ; are connected to the source of a transistor q bb by a bootstrap capacitor c bb . the drain and gate of the transistor q bb are connected to the external supply voltage vcc . the operation of this voltage generation circuit 31c will now be described with reference to fig1 b . an output v ppc is precharged to the voltage v cc - v t by the transistor q bb . when an input pulse φ i of the pulse generation circuit pg &# 39 ; rises , an output pulse φ bb starts to rise simultaneously with an output pulse φ il of the pulse generation circuit pg ( fig9 ). the pulse φ bb rises as far as vcc , and φ il rises to v dp + v t . in response to the rise of the pulse φ bb , v ppc rises because of the capacitive coupling of c bb . the magnitude of c bb is such that the maximum value of v ppc becomes the voltage necessary for obtaining the source voltage v dp + v t of a transistor q ll ( fig9 ), that is , a voltage higher than v dp + v t . it is better to employ the voltage generation circuit 31c than a circuit which outputs v ppc continuously , because v ppc is generated only when a pulse φ il is generated , and so the power consumption is reduced . this means that the high - voltage generation circuits 31a and 31b can be constructed of the same circuit . fig1 a and 11b show an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to mos dynamic memory with a single - transistor type memory cell . in these drawings , a group of circuits 1 enclosed within a dot - dash line comprise a memory array circuit . a group of circuits 2 enclosed within a dot - dot - dash line comprise circuits ( direct peripheral circuits ) which control the memory array circuit and amplify signals from memory cells . a group of circuits 3 enclosed within a triple - dot dash line denotes circuits ( indirect peripheral circuits ) which supply signals to the direct peripheral circuits , amplify memory signals from the memory array circuit , and write memory signals into the memory array circuit . in the memory array 1 , capacitors c 1 and c 2 , transistors q 8 , q 9 and q 11 , q 12 represent dummy cells . capacitors cm 1 , cm 2 . . . cm n - 1 , cm n and transistors qm 1 , qm 2 . . . qm n - 1 , qm n each form memory cells . pulse φ p3 applied to the gates of transistors q 9 and q 10 are used to discharge the capacitors c 1 , c 2 before reading , and is generated in a pulse - generating circuit 33 . a denotes a word driver circuit which generates word - selecting signals from address signals . when a transistor qd 1 or qd 2 on a word line w 1 or w 2 , respectively , is selected , the word driver circuit a raises the gate voltage of a transistor q 16 on a dummy word line wd 1 to a higher level , and outputs a signal φ xl to a dummy word line wd 1 and the appropriate word line w 1 or w 2 . on the other hand , when a transistor qd n - 1 or qd n on a word line w n - 1 or w n , respectively , is selected , a transistor q 17 on a dummy word line wd 2 is selected . transistors q 21 , q 22 connect i / o and i / o lines to data lines d and d by pulses φ 4 . transistors q 1 , q 2 form part of a sense amplifier and transistors q 3 , q 4 act as switches to connect data lines to the sense amplifier . transistors q 6 , q 7 are used for precharging and will be described later . a transistor q 5 is used for switching between the short - circuiting of data lines d o , d o &# 39 ;. a transistor q 18 is used for precharging a line l , and transistors q 19 , q 20 are used for driving the sense amplifier . a voltage limiter 30e outputs two voltages v l1 and v l2 through a circuit shown in fig1 . this circuit is formed by connecting the gate of the transistor q 104 of the voltage limiter 30c of fig9 to the transistor q 102 of fig4 . each transistor is constructed to as to have a threshold voltage v t of 0 . 5 v , and a voltage limiter 30d is constructed so that v dp is 3 . 5 v when the external supply voltage vcc is 5 v . thus , the outputs v l1 and v l2 are 4 . 0 v and 4 . 5 v , respectively , when vcc is 5 v . the voltage limiter 30e can generate these two voltage magnitudes within a single circuit . thus , the area of the semiconductor chip can be reduced , and fluctuations between v l1 and v l2 can be made smaller because the voltage limiter 30e operates on the basis of the same output v dp of the voltage limiter 30d . in fig1 b , f denotes a circuit which receives a precharge signal φ p2 ( 5 v ) and also v l2 ( 4 . 5 ), and which outputs a precharge signal φ p2l whose voltage is v t less than v l2 . f is composed of a circuit which is identical to the pulse - generating circuit pg of fig9 . the data lines d , d and a common source terminal of the sense amplifier composed of the transistors q 1 , q 2 is precharged to a voltage equal to v l2 reduced by only the threshold voltage v t , by transistors q 6 , q 7 and q 18 to the gates of which pulses are applied . for example when the external supply voltage vcc is 5 v and the threshold voltage is 0 . 5 v , the precharge voltage is 3 . 5 v . since there are numerous data lines within a memory , the total capacitance thereof is fairly large . however , according to the present invention , these lines can be precharged to a voltage which is lower than vcc at high speed . in order to prevent any differences in data line voltages caused by the difference between the threshold voltages of transistors q 6 and q 7 , the gate voltage φ p1 of q 5 can be made higher than φ p2 l , transistor q 5 is can be turned on to short - circuit lines d and d . i / o , io lines are common data input and output lines connected to a plurality of data lines . in fig1 b , b denotes a pulse - generating circuit and c denotes another pulse - generating circuit which inputs write data din and generate pulses din , din which are complementary to each other . numeral 33 denotes a circuit which inputs external control pulse signals at the voltage vcc and generates pulses such as φ p1 , φ p2 , etc . in fig1 b , g denotes a circuit which receives a signal φ x of a voltage amplitude of 5 v and also v l2 ( 4 . 5 v ), and which outputs a signal φ x l of the same voltage amplitude as v l2 . this circuit , shown in fig1 , is well - known and is disclosed in u . s . patent application no . 368162 wherein it is described as a circuit for converting a signal amplidute , employing a self - bootstrapping effect . this signal φ x l becomes a word line signal of a memory cell . in this embodiment , the present invention is not applied to the driving circuit g for word lines w 1 . . . w n . that is the reason why , since only one word line should be selected and the capacitance thereof is small , the driving speed is made much faster by the circuit g . however , a component in which the present invention is applied must charge all the data lines at once so that the load on it is heavy , and its speed is must therefore be made slower by such means as the driving circuit g . if a data line is charged according to the present invention , it is clearly impossible to make the speed faster than the speed obtained when only one word line is charged by the driving circuit g . however the present invention is suitable for precharging a large capacitance load such as several data lines , etc ., since high - speed charging is not needed . in fig1 b , h denotes a voltage converter circuit which receives v l1 ( 4 . 0 v ) and vcc ( 5 v ), and which generates a set up d . c . voltage of v cp ( 3 . 5 v ). as shown in fig1 , it is composed of a so - called source - follower transistor q ss which inputs vcc through its drain and v l1 through its gate , and outputs v cp from its source . it is possible to stabilize the operation of the circuit by inserting a large resistance r ss between an output terminal and ground , and by passing a small current therethrough , as shown in fig1 . in the figure , v cp is a precharge voltage supplied to the i / o and i / o lines , or it is a writing voltage in the writing circuit composed of transistors q 23 to q 26 , and is set to 3 . 5 v , equal to the data line voltage . in order to precharge the i / o , i / o lines , a conventional method of inputting the controlled voltage v cp to the drains of transistors q 28 , q 29 is employed . however , in the same way as in the precharging means for data lines , it is possible to employ the method of controlling the voltages of the i / o , i / o lines at a predetermined magnitude by applying voltage - controlled pulse signals within the chip to the gates of the transistors q 28 , q 29 . the i / o , i / o lines can be precharged as fast as the data lines , so the present invention should be applied thereto . a circuit such as that shown in fig1 is suitable for this purpose because it has a small capacitance and a convenient layout . circuits for discharging the capacitance load are shown in fig1 and 16 . fig1 shows an embodiment in which a signal φ il , an inversion of the signal φ il of fig3 is input to the gate of a transistor q &# 39 ; d , and an output can be extracted from the drain thereof . in this embodiment , the inverted signal φ il is output and the capacitance load c &# 39 ; l is driven on the basis of the driving ability of a transistor q d &# 34 ; defined by its w / l ratio . thus , in the same way as in the embodiment of fig3 any size of driving ability can be obtained by selecting a suitable value of w / l . fig1 shows an embodiment in which a push - pull type of buffer circuit is constructed from two of the pulse - generating circuits pg of fig3 which form an inverted signal and apply it and the original signal to the gates of transistors q l &# 34 ;, q d &# 34 ;. φ i l is input to q l &# 34 ; and the inverted signal φ il of φ il is input to q d &# 34 ;. an output φ o &# 34 ; therefrom is a signal of the same phase as φ il at a voltage controlled by the voltage of φ il . in the present embodiment , the rise term of φ il of φ o &# 34 ; and is output on the basis of the driving ability of transistor q l &# 34 ; determined by the ratio w / l , and the fall term thereof is output according to that of transistor q d &# 34 ;. the driving ability required for each section can be easily obtained so that the capacitance load c l can be driven at high speed . each of these embodiments have been described using n - channel mos transistors as examples , but p - channel mos transistors can be employed if all the potential relationships are reversed . for example , if p - channel mos transistors are used for the pulse - generating circuit and the supply voltage is - 5 v ( the circuit operates within the range of - 5 v to 0 v ), the circuit can be operate under conditions in which - 5 v is applied to the drain of transistor q l &# 34 ; and 0 v ( ground ) is applied to the source of transistor q d &# 34 ;. in this case , the output voltage is given by the formula v out = v in - v t , in the same way as in formula ( 1 ), when the voltage of the input φ il is v in ; so that if , for example , v in is - 4 v and v t is - 0 . 5 v ( p - channel transistors have negative threshold voltages ), v o =- 4 -(- 0 . 5 )=- 3 . 5 v . this means that the magnitude of v in can control v out . if an operating range of from 0 v ( corresponding to the previous - 5 v ) to 5 v ( corresponding to the previous ov ) is wanted , the whole range can be shifted intact in the positive direction by 5 v . the drain of transistor q l &# 34 ; can be set to ov and that of transistor q d &# 34 ; to 5 v so that v in = 1 v . the output voltage v out in this case is 1 . 5 v ( a signal inverted by 1 . 5 v on the basis of + 5 v ). both n - channel and p - channel mos transistors are used for in a cmos type of lsi device , and any of the above embodiments can be used therein , according to the purpose of the device . bipolar transistors can be used instead of mos transistor , the same operations as those of a mos transistor can be accomplished by a circuit in which the collector , emitter and base of a bipolar transistor replace the drain , source and gate of a mos transistor , respectively . when this discharge circuit is used together with the voltage limiter 30 with the characteristics of fig4 and 9 , the following effect is obtained , in the same way as in the charging circuit of fig3 . the amplitude of the voltage of the pulse signal applied to the gates of the transistors q d &# 34 ; ( in fig1 and 16 ) and q l &# 34 ; ( in fig1 ) follows the curve of fig5 when the external supply voltage vcc is higher or lower than v o , to control the operating speeds of the transistors q d &# 34 ;, q l &# 34 ;. for example , in the transistor type of dynamic memory shown in fig1 a and 11b , even when the external supply voltage vcc is varied in order to stabilize the memory operations between the memory array 1 and the direct peripheral circuits 2 and the indirect peripheral circuits 3 , it is necessary to maintain the matching between the operating speeds of each of the circuits . however , when not using a voltage limiter such as that of fig5 and 8 , in which the gradient m is controlled so that it is less than the variation in the external supply voltage vcc , the operating speed depends on the operating and manufacturing conditions because each circuit has a different operating mode , so that it is difficult to maintain this matching . in particular in recent years , the wiring resistances within the memory array circuit 1 , the direct peripheral circuits 2 , etc ., have increased because of the increased integration of memories , and also the characteristics of mos transistors make it more difficult to match them to the circuits which determine the operating speed . this problem is very important , particularly when the external supply voltage vcc varies . fig1 illustrates this state , with reference to an example in which a signal 101a must be generated when the waveform of a signal 100a has fallen below the voltage v crt . this is equivalent to the relationship between the discharge speed ( 100a ) for the data lines d o , d o during read - out and the signal φ 4 ( 101a ) for extracting those signals onto the i / o line . 100b denotes the discharge speed for the data lines d o , d o when the external supply voltage v cc drops . since the discharge speed for a data line is mainly controlled by its wiring resistance , the time taken for discharge as far as the voltage v crt hardly varies in comparison with the signal waveform of 100a in a memory array in which the integration density and wiring resistance have been increased . however , since φ 4 ( 100a ) generated by the peripheral circuits is usually determined by the characteristics of several mos transistors , the time taken for its generation is greatly delayed , as shown by the signal waveform 101b , when the external supply voltage vcc drops . in contrast , if an attempt is made to reduce the delay in the generation of the signal waveform 101b when the external supply voltage vcc is low , the signal waveform 101b is generated earlier than that when the signal waveform 100b reaches v crt when the external supply voltage is high . thus , if one of the circuits shown in fig9 and 16 is employed as a circuit controlling the delay in the signal waveform 101 , the delay in the generation of the signal waveform due to variations in the external supply voltage vcc can be eliminated . this means that , since variations in the voltage output by the voltage limiter 30 are smaller than those in the external supply voltage vcc , and the operating speeds of the transistors q l &# 39 ;, q d &# 34 ;, q l &# 34 ; ( fig9 and 16 ) hardly vary , the signal waveform 101b can be generated earlier , as shown by the wave form 101b &# 39 ;. accordingly , it is possible to realize a memory which can operate stably with no delaying in its access time . the memories of fig1 a and 11b have been described by way of example , but this method can be applied to any other type of memory with the same objectives , without any modification . as stated above , details of the present invention have been given in accordance with various embodiments thereof , but the potential application of the present invention should not be limited to these embodiments . for example , the present invention can be employed in lsi devices other than memory circuits . it can also be employed in lsi devices which use transistor other than n - type mos transistors .	7
the single figure shows a production line 1 for the production of stacks 9 of books , magazines , newspapers , brochures , or similar printed products 10 . the production line is formed by a series of machines or devices 2 , 12 , 13 , 7 , which are arranged in series , one behind the other , and are connected to each other . a control unit 8 is provided to control the production line 1 ; this control unit is connected to the machine controllers 19 a , b , c , d of the devices 2 , 12 , 13 , 7 by signal lines 14 , preferably a data bus device . in a collating device 2 , printed sheets 11 are combined successively into preliminary products 6 by feeder units 5 , arranged along a conveying section 3 of a conveyor device 4 . for this purpose , the conveyor device 4 has receiving points , which are arranged at regular intervals along a continuous traction means and which are loaded with different printed sheets 11 by the feeder units 5 . thus , the magazine of each feed device contains a stack consisting of only a single type of printed sheet 5 , which is to be combined with one of each of the other types of printed sheets . as it passes by one of the individual feeder units 5 , each receiving point is loaded with one of the printed sheets 11 , so that , by the time it reaches the end of the conveying section 3 , each receiving point holds a complete preliminary product 6 . depending on the way in which the printed products 10 are produced , the collated sheets 11 of the preliminary products 6 are stacked on top of each other or inserted into each other . in a downstream binding device 12 , which can be an adhesive binder or a stitcher , the spines of the preliminary products 6 , preferably provided with a cover , are bound with adhesive or with staples . a cutting system 13 , which cuts the printed products 10 along three edges , can be provided after the binding device 12 . in a stacking device 7 , the printed products 10 are then formed into stacks 9 of different sizes . between the devices 2 , 12 , 13 , 7 , additional conveying devices 18 a , b , c can be provided if the preliminary products 6 or printed products 10 cannot be transferred directly from one of the devices 2 , 12 , 13 to the downstream device 12 , 13 , 7 . controllers 20 a , b , c can be assigned to the conveying devices 18 a , b , c ; like the machine controllers 19 a , b , c , these controllers are also connected to the control unit 8 . all of the devices 2 , 12 , 13 , 7 of a production line 1 are preferably driven with angular synchrony , so that all of the units 2 , 12 , 13 , 7 of the production line 1 can produce with the same cycle time and in synchrony with each other . at the start of the production of an order , it must be established how large the individual stacks 9 of printed products 10 to be formed are supposed to be and in what sequence they are to be produced . if the printed products 10 are to consist of different sets of printed sheets as a function of the recipient , the appropriate data must also be made available . all these data are filed in the control unit 8 or can be read out by the control unit 8 from a database . so that production can be carried out in this way , each printed product 10 must be monitored at all times during its production . the necessary tracking of the preliminary products 6 or of the printed products 10 during their production within the production line 1 is the task of the control unit 8 with the help of the controller 19 a of the collating device 2 , the controller 19 b of the binding device 12 , the controller 19 c of the cutting device 13 , the machine controller 19 d of the stacking device 7 , and the controllers 20 a , b , c of the conveying devices 18 a , b , c . from the minimum cycle time of the stacking device 7 for discharging a stack 5 of printed products 10 and the cycle time at which the production line 1 produces , it is possible to calculate the minimum number of cycles which the stacking device 7 needs to form a stack 9 or to calculate the minimum size of a stack 9 , wherein the cycle time for collating or producing the printed products 10 is multiplied by the minimum cycle time for forming a stack 9 and the result is rounded up to the next larger whole number . if , for example , the cycle time for collating is 4 . 5 cycles / second and the minimum cycle time is 0 . 9 second , multiplication yields a value of 4 . 05 and thus a minimum stack size of 5 copies . the minimum stack size is preferably calculated by the machine controller 19 d . the minimum cycle time depends on the production parameters such as the length , width , and thickness of the printed products 10 to be produced and on the design of the stacking device 7 . because the machine controller 19 d is connected to the control unit 8 by the signal line 14 , the minimum stack size can be calculated in the control unit . if stacks 9 with fewer than the minimum number of cycles or printed products 10 are to be formed , the control unit 8 inserts the difference as so - called “ empty ” cycles 17 . it is therefore possible , without changing the cycle time of the production line , to produce stacks which are as small as desired . for the sake of illustration , the single figure shows the first printed products 16 , i . e ., the products which are at the bottom of the stack 9 , in dark color . in the case of the production process shown in the figure , it is assumed , for example , that at least five cycles are required for the formation of a stack . this means that the distance 15 between immediately succeeding , lowermost printed products 16 corresponds to at least 5 cycles . the difference between 5 cycles and the cycles for forming a smaller stack is filled by a corresponding number of empty cycles 17 . this filling with empty cycles 17 is an interruption of the collating process . while specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles .	1
preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a method for refinement of queries used in retrieving information from large full - text databases . this method can be used , for example , in at least two important ways : in a near - real - time manner as an intermediary between a user and a text retrieval system , and ; as a means for creating software agents that carry out information retrieval operations for a user . in these cases , preferred embodiments of the invention provide an intermediary 600 between the user 100 and a full - text search engine 300 ( see fig5 ). in preferred embodiments , the invention provides a method for accepting simple inputs from a user 100 and converting them to a complex query structure . although various other retrieval mechanisms could be employed , the embodiments discussed below involve the transformation of user inputs into complex boolean queries . boolean query systems preferably have the following characteristics : boolean operators constitute a complete set of logical operations . with nested logic , information requirements of arbitrary complexity can be expressed . boolean queries can be created that retrieve desired information with high precision . one drawback to the use of boolean operators in information retrieval systems is that it can be difficult for humans to deal with the cognitive load of manually creating and managing complex boolean queries that will result in high recall and precision when applied to a target data collection . the present invention can provide means of facilitating the creation of such queries . a block diagram of an architecture designed to implement preferred embodiments of the present invention is presented in fig6 . in the operation of one preferred method of the present invention , the following steps can take place : the user 100 inputs a small amount of information that begins to describe his or her information need . this is entered into a user interface 690 . a hypothesis generator 680 organizes this input and provides it to a query generator 610 module . the query generator 610 formulates an initial boolean query compatible with the search engine 300 based on the inputs provided to it . this initial boolean query is sent to a search engine 300 that applies the query in retrieving documents from a target data collection 400 . the retrieved documents are loaded into an extracted document data store 620 . the extracted documents are indexed using both a boolean retrieval system 640 and a system based on a vector space representation of the query and the contents of the extracted documents . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , an lsi engine 630 is used to create an lsi vector space . a ranking engine 650 ranks the result set and provides this information to the hypothesis generator 680 . although other vector space representations can be used to index the query and the extracted documents , the technique of latent semantic indexing ( lsi ) provides a vector space that is optimal in significant respects . it has been demonstrated that the lsi space is an optimal semantic subspace based on maximum likelihood estimation . [ d ing ]. the lsi technique can provide a method for extracting the semantic information that is latent in a collection of text . in order to visualize the operation of preferred embodiments of the present invention employing an lsi vector space , it is useful to keep in mind the following dual aspect of the lsi vector space : every indexed document is located at the geometric mean of the terms that it contains . every indexed term is located at the geometric mean of the documents that contain it . preferred embodiments of the present invention exploit this dual aspect of the lsi space . in known applications , the lsi approach is used to conduct the overall search operations and to provide a ranking of the results . in preferred embodiments of the present invention , the lsi technique is used to guide retrieval operations that are carried out by , for example , a boolean text retrieval system . in preferred embodiments of the present invention , the lsi technique is used : as a source of information for forming hypotheses regarding potential query enhancements , and as a mechanism for testing hypotheses regarding query enhancement . this use of the lsi technique for hypothesis generation and testing represents a novel application of the technique . with the lsi technique , documents that are close together in the lsi space have very similar distributions of words . generally this also indicates that they are quite similar in meaning . in preferred embodiments of the present invention , this is exploited by use of a query refinement loop 660 in which queries are iteratively refined . preferably , a second loop , the user feedback loop 670 , also is implemented , in which feedback from the user is employed in guiding the query refinement process . these two loops are shown in fig6 . while it is desirable to implement both loops in some preferred embodiments of the present invention , other preferred embodiments of the present invention advantageously employ only one of the two loops . within the hypothesis generator 680 , information from the lsi space is used in formulating hypotheses regarding how the current , working boolean query might be modified . the query generator 610 is employed to formulate the candidate improved query based on output of the hypothesis generator 680 . the candidate query , supplied to the search engine 640 , is applied by the search engine 640 to the extracted documents data store 620 the results of the candidate query are ranked and this ranked result set is compared to the current ranked result set . if the new result set more closely matches the user &# 39 ; s information need , the candidate query is adopted as the new working query . this set of steps can be iterated until , preferably , one of several events interrupts or terminates the loop : the user 100 interrupts the process to examine current results . those hypotheses with a reasonable likelihood of improving the query have been tested . a point has been reached at which successive hypotheses are not generating significant improvement in the results . preferably , the ranking strategy to be applied to the results also is iterated in the query refinement loop 660 . in some preferred embodiments of the present invention , a user feedback loop 670 plays a role in guiding the query refinement process . the user 100 , for example , provides feedback in two important ways : while reviewing some of the documents that have been retrieved , the user 100 provides indications of the extent to which given documents correspond to his or her information need . there are , of course , many ways in which this degree of relevance might be indicated . in a simple case , the user rates selected documents as being either relevant or irrelevant . other illustrative options include , as some examples : high , medium , or low relevance ; relevant , neutral , and irrelevant ; a numeric scale of relevancy , etc . in preferred embodiments of the invention , queries are presented to a user 100 based on the activity in the query refinement loop 660 . such queries to the user 100 are designed to elicit information from the user that can be maximally beneficial in the query refinement process . preferably , the two loops 660 , 670 run asynchronously . typically , the query refinement loop 660 will execute far more often than the user interface loop 670 . in embodiment where the present invention is used in a software agent role , the query refinement loop may be carried out many thousands of times relative to each instance of user interaction in some embodiments of the present invention , there is a third loop in which the search engine 300 that indexes the overall target collection 400 is used to retrieve additional documents that are added to the data store of extracted documents 620 . this is preferably done in at least two instances , both of which involve increasing the recall of the search : the query refinement process has created a query that , when applied to the target text collection 400 by the search engine 300 , is likely to extract a significant number of additional documents that have not previously been loaded to the data store of extracted documents 620 . a significant number of new documents have been added to the target collection 400 . this third loop can play a useful role . the following discussion focuses on two loops preferably used in embodiments of the present invention . in many applications the target text collection 400 of interest will be the internet . the search engine 300 used to carry out the searches in this third loop may be any of a number of extant search engines . other applications will involve retrieval operations conducted against internal databases such as an intranet within an organization . in this case also , there are a large number of text retrieval systems that could be employed to carry out this search engine function . in either case , preferred search engines have the following characteristics : the search engine 300 employed should be capable of correctly processing complex boolean queries generated by the present invention . in general , these queries may be much larger than those generated manually by humans . the queries will typically contain many more terms and make much greater use of nested logic . preferably , the connection between the search engine and the system of the present invention is characterized by high bandwidth . this is desirable in order to facilitate the downloading of significant numbers of documents . the downloads associated with embodiments of the present invention can constitute a greater load on the search engine than that typically presented by human users . particularly as an intermediate product of the search based on the initial query , many more documents may be downloaded than a human would be likely to examine directly . in general , the user will start the process with a simple input . the software will interpret this in a broad sense , in order to download a wide selection of documents . the query refinement process subsequently will greatly narrow the set of documents selected from this downloaded collection for presentation to the user . the iteration processes of preferred embodiments of the present invention are preferably designed to provide the following results : a query with improved precision and recall as compared to human - directed known search engines ; and an improved ranking of the retrieved documents in terms of their relevance to the user &# 39 ; s stated information need when compared to existing ranking schemes . of the two results , producing an improved ranking is more difficult to achieve . obtaining high values of recall using the search engine 300 is relatively straightforward once the query is refined by preferred embodiments of the present invention . the present invention greatly reduces the requirements for precision of the search engine &# 39 ; s 300 retrieval operation . the product of the search engine 300 is used as an input to the internal processes , rather than being presented directly to the user 100 via the user interface 690 . a wide variety of user interfaces 690 could be employed in providing inputs to a retrieval system embodying the present invention . this includes a number of user interfaces that have been developed for existing information retrieval systems . preferred embodiments of the present invention implement simple user interfaces 690 to mitigate the cognitive load on the user 100 . therefore , in some preferred embodiments discussed below , a minimal user interface 690 is employed . in preferred embodiments , the user interface 690 can include an input form 691 as illustrated in fig7 , wherein the user 100 may type words or phrases that fall into one or more of the following categories : items / objects of interest 692 ; probable related items / objects 693 ; unwanted / unrelated items 694 ; synonyms for any of the above 696 ; and items , which are important if related 695 . this illustrative simple input form 691 does not require the user 100 to have an understanding of boolean operators or of how to formulate logic statements . one feature of preferred embodiments of the present invention is that those embodiments can deal effectively with such simple inputs . an initial query entered through such an interface 690 and input form 691 could consist of a single word . this minimization of the cognitive load on the user is an advantageous factor . one feature included in the preferred embodiment of the user input form 691 described above , and illustrated in fig7 , is the provision for inclusion of items that would be of particular importance if they were found in relation to the indicated objects of interest . this feature can be of particular value in optimizing rankings of retrieved documents for users . the following non - limiting example illustrates the operation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention . let us assume that the user 100 wishes to find information about bears . for simplicity , we will assume that the user 100 inputs the single word bear as a term of interest 692 into a form 691 via the user interface 690 . the query generator 610 accepts this as the one - term boolean query consisting of the word bear , and sends this query to the search engine 300 . for a target collection 400 of any significant size , this query will yield a result set having a large number of hits . because of the large size of the result set , in this example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention , no attempt will be made to download all corresponding documents . in this illustrative embodiment , a limit is chosen to yield a reasonably sized set of documents for . an initial set of extracted documents . the lsi engine 630 , using the lsi technique , processes the documents downloaded to the extracted document data store 620 . enough documents are downloaded to create an lsi space that covers the likely relevant vocabulary in some depth . this threshold may be determined empirically or the like . typical numbers of documents for this initial download can be from about a few hundred to about ten thousand . there will likely be an initial delay in the operation of the system due to the time required to download these documents ( as limited by the bandwidth of the communications path between the target collection 400 and the extracted documents data store 620 ) and / or the time required to process them using the singular value decomposition ( svd ) algorithm in creating the lsi space . although there are some bootstrap methods whereby the query refinement process could begin immediately , it typically will be preferred to present some of these documents to the user 100 for evaluation at the start of the refinement process . preferably , all that will be required of the user is to examine a few documents and provide some indication of their degree of interest , i . e ., how relevant they are to the information need that the user is trying to satisfy . we will assume in this example that , while reviewing each of these documents , he or she clicks on one of three buttons , representing highly relevant , mildly relevant , and irrelevant . for concreteness in this example , we will assume that the system presents 10 documents to the user for review and relevance judgment . historically , there have been attempts to make use of user feedback in improving the effectiveness of text retrieval systems . however , these existing approaches generally have used this information in ways that tend to average out the feedback . preferred embodiments of the present invention can explicitly use this information in a discrete fashion . one potential advantage of preferred embodiments of the present invention is that even small amounts of user feedback have great discriminatory power when used in this discrete fashion . in this example , the requirements placed on the user so far have been minimal . the initial query was trivial . the time required to review 10 documents in general would be only a few minutes . the only action required of the user during this review is to indicate which of three relevance categories each falls into ( highly relevant , mildly relevant , or irrelevant ). nonetheless , when treated as discrete information items , the combinatorics of this feedback is substantial . for example , in indicating which of three categories 10 items fall into , the user has selected one of 3 10 possible rankings of these documents . three raised to the tenth power is 59049 . the large size of this number illustrates the discriminatory power contained in even a small amount of user feedback . prior to obtaining the user feedback , the ability to rank the collection of extracted documents was limited . basically , the only content - related criterion upon which they could be ranked was the frequency of occurrence of the word bear . this is a typical assumption in text retrieval — that the more frequently a query term appears in a document , the more likely that document is to be relevant to the information needs of the originator of the query . in practice , this number of occurrences typically would be normalized by dividing the number of occurrences in each document by the length of each document . once the initial user feedback has been obtained , however , preferred embodiments can provide many possibilities for creating more effective rankings of the documents . for example , an lsi space provides us with a very powerful approach to ranking . as noted above , the closer together two documents are in the lsi space , the closer they generally are in content . thus , the documents that the user has identified as being of high relevancy define “ regions of interest ” in the space . the documents in the space that are near to these regions are likely to be of much greater interest than those that lie far from these regions . thus , the closer a given document is to one of the documents rated as being of high relevancy , the more highly ranked that document should be . similarly , documents that are nearest to those designated by the user as being irrelevant should be given a low ranking . documents near to those designated by the user as being of mild relevance should be given an intermediate ranking . there are of course , many variants of this basic ranking that could be employed . the distances to pairs , clusters , or each entire set of designated high - relevancy , mild - relevancy , or irrelevant documents could be taken into consideration . in some embodiments , weighted combinations of distances to the nearest high - relevancy , mild - relevancy , and irrelevant documents could be combined . in addition to the direct indication of relevance derived in the above fashion , the lsi space provides much additional information of value in the refinement process . the actual distribution of the documents provides many clues to how the documents in the space may relate to a user &# 39 ; s information needs . the positions of specific words in the space also provide much important information . this information preferably is analyzed in two modules of preferred embodiments of the present invention . the universal ranking engine 650 takes this information into account in generating improved rankings . the hypothesis generator 680 uses this information in generating sets of potential improvements in the current boolean query . preferred embodiments of the present invention include processes of query and ranking refinement . these processes can be generally compared to what often occurs when a requestor works through an intermediary in obtaining information . the requestor will explain his or her information needs in an initial meeting with the intermediary . the intermediary , often a librarian or research assistant , often subsequently will present intermediate results to the requestor . upon reviewing these results , the requestor typically will provide some additional information that helps the intermediary to better understand the information requirement . it should be noted that during this iterative process , the understanding of the information need on the part of the requestor might be modified . review of intermediate results may indicate that some elements of the requirement , as originally conceived , may no longer be of interest . similarly , new items of interest that are relevant may be identified . preferred embodiments of the present invention include two features in order to implement a highly automated query and ranking refinement process : a mechanism for generating hypotheses regarding possible modifications to the current query and ranking strategy , and ; a mechanism for determining if a proposed modification is beneficial or detrimental . preferred embodiments of the present invention can implement both these features through a novel application of the latent semantic indexing technique . the ability to carry out these functions with increased effectiveness is facilitated by two aspects of the lsi space used in preferred embodiments of the present invention : both documents and words are represented in the same space . the distance between objects in the space is a good indication of the distance between the objects in a conceptual sense . in some preferred embodiments of the present invention , the hypothesis generation function 680 is based on analysis of the locations of objects in the lsi space . for purposes of example , a two - dimensional lsi space is considered . in practice , the lsi spaces employed will have a substantially greater dimensionality . those in the art would be able to , based on this disclosure , apply the principles herein to higher - dimensional spaces . in addition , distances in lsi spaces are measured in terms of cosines between vectors . because humans are accustomed to dealing with distances in terms of spatial extent , for illustrative purposes only , the distances between vectors are discussed as if they were spatial distances . this will facilitate understanding . in a strict technical discussion , however , the distances would all be described in terms of cosine measurements or the like . fig8 is an illustrative two - dimensional representation of an lsi space . let us assume that this space has been generated by an initial query , as described above . let us further assume that we have at least one round of feedback from the user , in which the user has designated some documents as being of either relevant or irrelevant to the user &# 39 ; s information need . fig9 labels some of the documents as relevant ( r ) 901 and some as irrelevant ( i ) 902 . there are many ways in which clues can be derived from this space that suggest changes that might be made to the current query to improve its performance . for example , an analysis of the clustering of the documents indicates that there is a small cluster of relevant documents in the lower right hand corner of the space , and a cluster of irrelevant documents in the lower left hand corner of the space . in addition , there are some individual distributed relevant and irrelevant documents . both isolated documents and clusters of documents can be used as the starting point for analysis . as noted above , preferably all of the words in all of the extracted documents have a location in this space . the locations of some common words , such as the , and , of , etc ., is not of topical significance and thus will not be considered here . ( in fact , these words often are treated as stop words in creating lsi spaces , i . e ., they are not processed .) other words , such as help , are applicable in such a wide variety of contexts that they also will not be discussed here . there may , however , be certain collections of documents where the locations of such words provide useful information . the treatment of these words in such cases is not significantly different from that described in the following and thus will not be treated here . the vast majority of words have some degree of topical relationship , and it is those words that are addressed in this example . for the small cluster of relevant documents in the lower right hand corner of fig9 , it is a simple task to determine what words in the lsi space are close to the cluster . commercial lsi software packages accept as inputs objects that may be words , queries , or documents . locations in the space also may be specified as a starting point . commercial lsi software will typically return a list of the words , queries , or documents that are closest to the input object . this list is ranked in order of distance , with the closest object first . in the present example , focusing on the centroid of the cluster of relevant documents , a ranked list of the words nearest to the centroid can be retrieved . a word that is located close to the documents that have been identified as relevant has a high probability of itself expressing a concept that is relevant to the current information need . thus , a word such as the one identified in the term 903 in the lower right of fig9 is a candidate relevant word . there are a variety of ways in which this information could be used in structuring hypotheses regarding possible improved queries . one simple method will be described below in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention . designating the current query as querynow and the candidate relevant word as crw , we may combine crw with querynow using a logical or operator , as follows : querynow or crw = modquery . in many cases , modquery ( the modified query ) will be a better representation of the user &# 39 ; s information needs than the former one . in other cases , the opposite will be true . preferred embodiments of the present invention include a means that indicates which of these results is more likely . this can be done , for example , through a three - step process as follows . modquery is applied to the documents in the extracted document store 620 using a boolean retrieval system 640 integral to the current invention . this need not be the same retrieval software as the search engine 300 that is applied to the target collection 400 . it may be any text retrieval software capable of processing complex boolean queries . the universal ranking engine 650 ranks the result set returned by the boolean engine 640 based on modquery . this module can take into account information currently available in the extracted document store 620 to produce as accurate a ranking as possible . the ranking of documents produced in the above manner is compared to the ranking of documents produced by the user 100 . the position of documents in the lsi space is used to produce a tentative interpolation of the “ proper ” rankings of documents that have not been explicitly ranked by the user 100 . preferably , at all times , the full combinatorial richness of the input from the user 100 is used as a “ gold standard ” of what the ranking should be . in this illustrative case , the logic of the hypothesis testing is preferably as follows . if the incorporation of the crw into querynow is a beneficial thing to do , this should be reflected in a better ranking of the documents in the result set generated by the three steps outlined above . the universal ranking engine 650 takes into account the number of occurrences of terms of interest in the documents that are being ranked . the basic assumption is that , all else being equal , documents that contain more terms that are of interest should be more highly ranked than those that contain fewer . there are a number of ways such rules can be applied , as would be understood by those in the art . the newly ranked set of documents is compared to the ranking of documents explicitly produced by the user 100 . a general principle that is preferably applied is that the new ranking of documents should not contradict the explicit relevancy identified by the user 100 . that is , all documents that were indicated as being highly relevant by the user 100 preferably should be highly ranked in the new ranking . all documents that were identified by the user 100 as being of low relevance preferably should be ranked lower than the designated high - relevance documents in the new ranking . all documents identified by the user 100 as irrelevant preferably should either be absent from the new set of ranked documents or ranked very low . at any given point in the process , the number of documents for which relevancy has been identified by the user 100 will be relatively small in comparison to the total number of documents automatically ranked . closeness in the lsi space is used to interpolate “ proper ” positions for documents that have not been explicitly ranked . that is , a document that is very close in the lsi space to one that has been explicitly ranked should be close to that document in the new ranking . in some cases , it will be clear that a new ranked result set is significantly better than the previous one . in those cases , modquery will be re - designated as the new working query , i . e ., querynow . in other cases , the new ranked result set will be noticeably inferior to the existing one , and the modification will not be made . in some cases , the differences will be slight . this will be true more often when there is a relatively small amount of feedback available from the user . some potential modifications in this class may simply not be made . others can be held for further analysis . thresholds can be established to determine which potential modifications may receive further consideration . this may be based on a consideration of predicted impact . for example , consider a word whose inclusion in the query using an or statement has little effect on the ranking . this word might be very close in the space to one whose inclusion using an or statement led to a much improved ranking . this apparent contradiction could be cause for saving this word for further analysis . preferred embodiments of the present invention can include a list of apparent anomalies . some of these anomalies will be statistical flukes . many others , however , will reflect an as - yet - not - understood subtlety of the users information need . apparent anomalies receive subsequent treatment in two ways in preferred embodiments of the present invention . first , they may be held for later consideration for inclusion in the query . the order in which the boolean logical operations are carried out can be significant . it may be the case that a candidate modification at one point has little beneficial effect . however , that same modification may later may have a much more beneficial effect . second , the word under consideration may be incorporated into a question that is directly asked of the user . a prioritized list of such questions preferably is kept available at all times . a selected subset of these questions is preferably presented to the user whenever the opportunity is available . in the process described above , it is notable that not all of the automated choices need be correct . however , what is important is that on average the choices should be correct . to the extent that this is true , the iterative query refinement process will converge to a solution — a highly effective query and ranking strategy . the more feedback that is available from the user , the more accurately and rapidly this process will converge . once it has been determined that a given word in the lsi space should be incorporated into a query in a given manner , other words that are near that one in the space may be considered for incorporation in the same manner . for example , consider the two terms shown in fig1 . assume that the above procedure has indicated that term s 1010 should be incorporated into the current query using an or operator . the fact that term t 1020 is close to term s 1010 in the space indicates that they have some conceptual similarity . the closer these two terms are in the space , the more they are likely to be synonyms . if the incorporation of or term s 1010 into the query produced favorable results , then the incorporation of or term t 1020 is a good hypothesis to be checked . in addition to the specific example given above , many other candidate hypotheses can be derived from examining the lsi space such as the following , for example . words that are present in documents that are close to explicitly highly ranked documents are good candidates for incorporation into queries using an or operator . a word that is close , in lsi - space , to a document or cluster of documents that explicitly have been designated as irrelevant is good candidate for incorporation into the current query with an and not operator words that are present in documents that are close to those designated as being irrelevant are good candidates for incorporation into queries using an and not operator word pairs that co - occur in documents designated as being highly relevant and do not tend to co - occur in documents that have been designated as irrelevant are good candidates for incorporation into the current query with an and operator . word pairs ( word 1 and word 2 ) that co - occur in documents explicitly designated as irrelevant and do not co - occur in documents explicitly designated as relevant are good candidates for incorporation into the current query with a logical statement of the form : and not ( word 1 and word 2 ). in general , a word that is close to another word is a good candidate for treatment in any manner that has been found to be beneficial for the first word . in practice , suitable cosine value thresholds for closeness preferably are determined heuristically . in all of the above cases , the operations focusing on individual words also can ( and should ) be carried out with a focus on phrases . this could be done using a list of common phrases . however , preferred embodiments of the present invention maintain maximum flexibility and require minimum maintenance . in this regard , some preferred embodiments of the present invention consider at least all consecutive pairs and triplets of words as potential phrases . this will encompass most phrases of interest . longer phrases that actually occur in the documents can be determined by examining the statistics of the occurrence of consecutive runs of more than three words . such runs that occur multiple times can then be treated as phrases in the above types of analyses . the and and and not operations reduce the size of the result set and lead to high precision . as or operations are included , the scope of the query is increased . as such operations are added , it will be desirable from time to time to exercise the external search loop and download any additional documents that the expanded query identifies . it is desirable to download only the newly identified documents and add them to the existing store of extracted documents , rather than downloading an entire new result set . most practical implementations would preferably allow this . at this point , the impressive combinatorics of the present hypothesis generation and testing technique are evident . in most practical applications , the downloaded set of extracted documents may collectively encompass thousands to tens of thousands of terms . several thousand of these terms may be analyzed in each of the ways listed above . thus , even in a single pass , several tens of thousands of candidate hypotheses can be generated . moreover , every time there is feedback from the user 100 , it is desirable to re - test all hypotheses in light of this new information . feedback from the user 100 is highly advantageous and can be used to the maximum extent practical to further increase the efficiency of the system . in a similar fashion , whenever new documents are downloaded to the data store of extracted documents 620 , it may be desirable to re - test the hypotheses . this will be true particularly in cases where a significant number of or operations have been incorporated into the query . it also will be true in cases where a significant amount of new information is likely to have been added to the target collection 400 . in general , it can be anticipated that at least several user feedback sessions will take place . in addition , several downloads of additional documents are likely to take place . thus , from the view of hypothesis generation and testing , there are likely to be a hundred thousand or more candidate query modifications to be tested . while the lsi space provides many potential clues for query refinement , it also yields many clues to be considered in modifying strategies for ranking result sets . for any given document , the universal ranking engine 650 may take into account all or some of the following information from the lsi space generated by the lsi engine 630 : nearby terms ; proximity of the document to explicitly designated relevant documents ; proximity of the document to explicitly designated irrelevant documents ; terms in or near nearby documents ; terms in the document also in or near explicitly designated relevant documents ; terms in the document not in or near explicitly designated relevant documents ; terms in the document also in or near explicitly designated irrelevant documents ; terms in the document not in or near explicitly designated irrelevant documents ; term co - occurrence statistics in the space ; term co - occurrence statistics in clusters ; data and subsection formats within the document ; and metadata associated with the document . in addition , once again , all of the above types of analyses can be applied to phrases . in all cases , the treatment can range from consideration of averages of the class of objects to an exhaustive treatment of all relevant term , phrase , and document occurrences . the number of possible ranking strategies will correspondingly vary from , for example , scores to tens of thousands . in a preferred embodiment , the extent to which these many possibilities are explored would be controllable . this could be done by implementing universal ranking engine logic wherein the granularity of the processing could be controlled by an external parameter . alternatively , the software could incorporate heuristically derived metrics that would terminate the ranking refinement process when it reached some point of diminishing returns . in some preferred embodiments , both the query formulation and result set ranking processes can operate on metadata . for example , key elements of documents , such as date or source , may be of great importance in determining a users interest in those documents . internet standards such as the resource description framework ( rdf ) and the extensible markup language ( xml ) are leading content providers to incorporate more metadata in document and web page headers . many retrieval systems allow boolean operations involving such fields to be combined with boolean operations on the textual content of the documents . in preferred embodiments of the present invention , metadata may be treated on an equivalent basis to words and phrases that appear in text . although such tags may not appear in the lsi space , they may readily be examined in the query refinement and ranking refinement operations . the fact that such processing may be going on can be completely transparent to the user . preferred embodiments of the present invention thus allow the widest possible range of relevant data to be taken into account in selecting and ranking documents . notably , this can be done without requiring the user to consciously address the relative importance of each item that is taken into consideration . in comparison to the number of query modification hypotheses likely to be tested by a user 100 , the larger number of query modification hypotheses that can be tested by preferred embodiments of the present invention constitutes an increase in search and retrieval capability . similarly , the larger number of ranking strategies that can be tested presents major advantages . in many cases , some time will be necessary for the associated processing to take place . in some preferred embodiments of the present invention , the user will refine a query in short interaction sessions ( e . g ., several minutes to a few tens of minutes ), likely spread over a few days . in such embodiments , the processing time will not present a concern . in other embodiments , where the processing time needs to be minimized , the number of possibilities that are examined can be limited . for example , as noted above , characteristics of the distribution of objects in the lsi space can be used to produce an estimate of the likely impact of any given query modification . this estimate can be generated with much reduced effort in comparison to actually carrying out the calculations required to test that hypothesis . in an application where processing time is of importance , a threshold could be established so that only the changes with the highest probability of beneficial effect would be considered . similarly , in applications where the processing time is a concern , the degree of granularity of the ranking hypotheses could be reduced . one preferred aspect of preferred embodiments of the present invention that incorporate user feedback is that cumulative user feedback is preferably employed to create a “ gold standard ” document ranking . typically , a user may be able to determine the relevance or irrelevance of a document in a few tens of seconds of examination . thus , for example , in a ten - minute interaction session , the user might designate the relevance ( or irrelevance ) of 20 or so documents . in three such sessions , the user will have selected one of 2 60 or 3 60 possible rankings of this set . as this number increases , the discrimination capabilities of the query refinement loop increase greatly . moreover , the likelihood that an incorrect query modification is made decreases . in another preferred embodiment of the present invention , the user is presented with specific questions to refine the query . this is a means of obtaining more specific feedback than that obtained when whole documents are indicated as relevant or irrelevant . many candidates for such questions will be developed as the query refinement loop 660 is exercised . these may be presented to the user via another very simple interface , such as the one shown in fig1 . it should be recognized that various preferred embodiments and characteristics thereof , which have been described , are merely illustrative of the principles of this invention . numerous modifications and adaptations thereof will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention .	8
the figure shows a personal digital assistant ( pda ) 12 , which includes local memory storage 14 . the pda 12 has a wireless communications link 16 to a remote server 18 . the server 18 has access to a range of different databases 20 , each of which may be provided by a different database provider . for example , the databases may include supermarket loyalty scheme information , records of the user &# 39 ; s preferred leisure activities and the like , a travel guide , and internet purchasing information . the server 18 is also connected , by a high - bandwidth fixed connection , to a self service terminal ( sst ) 22 . only one sst 22 is shown here , although typically a whole sst network may be available . to obtain a recommendation , the system is used as follows . the user firstly accesses the pda 12 , and requests a recommendation for a particular service — say , a local wine bar . the pda 12 is programmed to treat all initial queries as rapidly as possible , and so determines a ten - second time limit applies to this query . information on the query and the time limit are transferred to the remote server 18 , together with information on the current location of the pda 12 which may be obtained from the communications service provider . the server 18 then proceeds to retrieve data on wine bars in the local area together with known wine preferences of the user from as many of the databases 20 as respond within the ten - second time limit . this information is then returned to the pda 12 , together with information on the confidence weighting of each information source , and details of the databases accessed . in the meantime , the pda 12 may also have been retrieving locally - stored data from the local memory 14 . for example , personal details of the user and their preferences may be stored on the pda , together with a previously - loaded map and guide to the local area . all the retrieved data is then analyzed by the pda 12 , using known recommendation algorithms , to arrive at a recommendation for the user , together with ratings for a confidence measure ( cp ) and extent of information used measure ( ip ). the pda 12 then informs the user of the recommended wine bar , together with details of the cp and ip , expressed as percentages . the user is then offered the opportunity of obtaining a more reliable recommendation in , say , an hour &# 39 ; s time from the sst 22 . the pda 12 may display a map showing the location of the sst 22 . if the user agrees , this acceptance is transferred to the sst 22 via the server 18 . the sst 22 then proceeds to determine an updated recommendation in much the same manner as the pda 12 , although since more time is available , more databases 20 can be accessed . when the user arrives at the sst 22 an hour later , they identify themselves to the sst 22 by presenting their conventional sst card . the sst 22 then provides the list of top five recommended wine bars , together with further high - bandwidth information on each of the recommendations provided from the databases — for example , the range of wines available , video images of the bars , sample food menus if food is available , reviews from guidebooks , and so on . certain of the bars may also provide incentives for visiting — for example , reduced prices and the like . the system operator may charge businesses for making such incentives available . should the user wish to visit one of the wine bars , the location may be checked via the sst 22 and a conventional internet connection or the like , and a hard copy printed out , or transferred to the user &# 39 ; s pda 12 . the user may also wish to pre - order a particular favorite type of wine , and details of the order and the user &# 39 ; s sst card are passed to the wine bar to make the order , and the user proceeds on their way . it will be understood that various modifications may be made to the example herein described . for example , although in this example , the databases are accessed via a server 18 , the system may be decentralized , and databases may be accessed directly by the pda 12 or the sst 22 . further , various of the steps herein described may be offered as one of a range of options to the user — for example , a choice of nearby ssts or times may be offered for obtaining the second recommendation ; or the recommendation may be sent to the pda 12 rather than the sst 22 ; in this case much of the high - bandwidth information and / or some of the functionality may not be available for the second recommendation . the system operator may wish to levy different charges for accessing the recommendations in different locations or manners . a further example of the method of the present invention being used will now be described . a user is visiting madrid , and is unfamiliar with the city . in the afternoon , on the way to the prado museum , the user wishes to find a restaurant in which to dine in the evening . using a pda , the user accesses the recommendation service , and requests a restaurant recommendation . the request is passed to a server , which identifies the user &# 39 ; s location by means of the pda . the server then gathers available information on restaurants and on the user within a ten second time limit . specifically local information is also accessed , for example , the local tourist office . the information is then returned to the pda , which determines a recommended restaurant . the recommendation is given to the user , with a 75 % confidence rating , based on 70 % of available information . the pda also stores the user &# 39 ; s daily activities calendar , and identifies that the user will be in the museum for the next two hours , after which the user intends to go into the city center . the pda thus offers the user the choice of improving the recommendation either periodically , via the pda , by accessing the nearest sst ( the location of which is displayed on a map on the pda ), or after the user has visited the museum via an sst adjacent the museum . the user selects the third option , and proceeds to visit the museum . details of the user &# 39 ; s selection are then transferred by the pda to the server . while the user is in the museum , the server accesses a list of restaurants categorized by cuisine type , together with sample menus and availability from the local tourist office database . further information on the user &# 39 ; s habits and activities on previous foreign trips are also obtained from a database maintained by the user &# 39 ; s home communications service provider , from which it is determined that the user likes to eat local cuisine when abroad . upon leaving the museum , the user accesses the pda to confirm the location of the nearest sst , and proceeds to access that sst . an updated recommendation is presented with 90 % confidence based on 95 % of the available information . the recommendation differs from the original one due to information on the user &# 39 ; s food likes and dislikes , and based on table availability from the tourist office . a sample menu is also shown . additional , less highly rated recommendations are also displayed , together with icons indicating further information such as videos , on - line booking , and special offers . the user reads this information , and decides to choose the second recommendation , as a price reduction is available , and the video clip of the interior of the restaurant looks appealing . the restaurant does not , however , have an on - line booking system , and so the user selects an option for the restaurant to telephone him . the restaurant discusses times , and specials of the day with the user , and confirm the reservation . whilst talking with the restaurant , the user instructs the sst to print a map showing directions to the restaurant . the user finishes the transaction , and leaves the sst having made a reservation . a number of possible charging schemes may be used with embodiments of the present invention , to allow the system provider to raise revenue from the recommendation service . for example , if the user is paying a per - data transmitted rate then a slight premium charge may be levied to provide revenue . in a cost per minute model , again a premium charge may also provide revenue . since a greater number of connections or databases will typically need to be accessed to improve recommendations , the charge may be increased as the ip increases . services offered may be graded according to different market segments , or the user may select from different levels of service based on number of databases searched , or on subscription databases . the charges levied by the operator may include and reflect these increased operating costs . retailers and service providers may also be charged for inclusion of their information in the system . one possible model may be to charge retailers lower rates as they include more data in the system , since more data contributes to more accurate recommendations , allowing the end user to be charged an increased rate for accurate recommendations . organizations such as tourist services may recruit local businesses to appear on the system and aggregate information . similar services may be provided by other groups of related or complementary businesses ; for example , banks may recruit and host information on other financial services . the hosting organization may also levy a charge from smaller businesses for the hosting service . the system may also raise revenue on a commission basis , with the system operator receiving a percentage of the funds spent by the user as a result of a recommendation ; or a flat fee for each successful recommendation . a further modification of the invention allows ‘ communities of interest ’ to be established and to provide services of interest to the community . for example , an interest community may be used by a system provider as a source of data to mine for recommendations through clustering ; or the interest community may be the service provider to provide recommendations of interest to the community members . such communities also allow advertising or recommendations to be more precisely targeted to the specific user group , allowing higher advertising or other revenue charges to be made . in other embodiments , an identification token other than a card may be used , for example , a biometrics identifier , a smart button , or such like .	6
to provide spectral output selectivity and brightness flexibility , a plurality of color light sources are selectively combined to produce an illuminating light having a desired spectral output . in this fashion , a clinician may thus not only alter the spectral output for the illumination but also vary ( or keep constant ) the resulting luminous flux despite the spectral augmentation . turning now to the drawings , fig1 illustrates a spectrally - adjustable ophthalmic illuminator probe 100 . illuminator 100 includes a red led source 105 , a blue led source 110 and a green led source 115 . each led associates with a corresponding collimating lens . thus , red light from red ( r ) led source 105 is collimated through a lens 120 , blue light from blue ( b ) led source 110 is collimated through a lens 125 , and green light from green ( g ) led source 115 is collimated through a lens 130 . the resulting collimated light beams are received at a combiner 135 to produce a combined light beam 140 . combiner 135 may comprise a phillips prism , a dichroic cube , or other suitable optical combiner . because of the rgb contribution from the sources , combined light beam 140 may nominally be a white light beam . to provide spectral variability in addition to white light illumination , the radiant flux ( intensity ) for each light source may be tuned as desired . for example , a variable current amplifier 145 may vary the radiant flux produced by red led source 105 , a variable current amplifier 150 may vary the radiant flux from blue led source 110 , and a variable current amplifier 155 may vary the radian flux for green led source 115 . other techniques may also be used to vary or tune the light intensity from each source . for example , constant power sources may drive the leds through pulse width modulators . a controller 160 such as a microprocessor or microcontroller controls the radiant flux from each light source accordingly . thus , for illuminator 100 , controller 160 controls the amount of gain applied by each current amplifier . in one embodiment , controller 160 automatically adjusts the gain responsive to feedback as sensed through an optical sampler 165 that samples combined beam 140 . for example , optical sampler 165 may comprise a beam splitter or a folding mirror to split off a relatively small portion of the combined beam 140 as a sampled beam 170 . to analyze the spectral content of the sampled beam 170 ( and thus of combined beam 140 ), controller receives data from a spectroradiometer 190 that receives sampled beam 170 . the remaining unsampled portion of combined beam 140 is received by a condensing optic lens 180 so as to couple into an optic fiber 185 ( or optic fiber bundle ). fiber 185 may thus be the illumination source in ophthalmic instruments such as an ophthalmic microscope , slit lamps , indirect ophthalmoscopes , and fiber endo - illuminators . controller 160 is also responsive to user input such that a physician may manually command the appropriate gains so as to achieve the desired spectral content for combined beam 140 . in that regard , the general desire for white vitreoretinal illumination flows from the phenomenon of color rendering , which is the ability of the illuminating light to render the appearance of various colors as they should appear to the human observer . to help indicate how colors will appear under spectrally - different light sources , a color rendering index ( cri ) has been derived as known in the optic arts . in general , the more spectrally broadband a source is , the higher its cri value will be . white light illumination thus has a high cri value . but as the illumination takes on color , the cri index will drop . for example , illumination at wavelengths only of 510 nm in wavelength or longer will have a relatively low cri . as will be discussed further herein , controller 160 may automatically control the cri by adjusting the radiant flux from each source to achieve a desired chromaticity value as defined by , for example , the international commission on illumination ( cie ) 1931 color space . the automatic control provided by controller 160 in response to sensing the spectral content of the combined light advantageously minimizes or eliminates aphakic hazard in certain embodiments . in that regard , stringent guidelines on total aphakic exposure such as 10 j / cm 2 may be satisfied , thereby increasing patient safety . for controller 160 to properly calculate the total aphakic irradiance , a correlation between the irradiance at the retina and the radiant flux measured by spectroradiometer 190 of sampled beam 170 is useful . the irradiance on the retina depends upon a number of factors such as the separation between an emitting distal end of a probe holding fiber 185 and the retina . as the distal end of the probe moves closer to the retina , the more intense will be the retinal irradiance will increase . a typical separation between the probe and the retina for conventional endo - illuminators is 5 to 15 mm . however , for a laser probe such as used in retinal photocoagulation therapy , the separation may be in the range of 2 to 4 mm . another factor affecting time - averaged retinal irradiance is whether the illumination probe is pointed at the same area of the retina as opposed to sequentially moving the illumination to different portions of the retina . other factors include the spread angle of the emitted light beam , the incident angle for the emitted light beam onto the retina , and the detailed structure and physical condition of the retina as well as obscuring effects of other tissues such as vitreous and epiretinal membranes . to assist controller 160 in making an a priori estimate of the expected irradiance , illumination probe 100 may include an rfid tag 195 so that an rfid interrogator ( not illustrated ) may read associated rfid data from tag 195 and provide the data to controller 160 . for example , an estimate of expected conditions and beam spread angle associated with a given probe is loaded onto tag 195 so that controller 160 can correlate between spectral power measurements of sampled beam 170 and a corresponding irradiance at the retina . spectroradiometer 190 may sample the entire visible spectrum for sampled beam 170 or merely sample the spectral power at selected wavelengths having the expected predominant optical energy . having determined some suitable radiometric measure ( denoted as r ) such as radiometric flux or irradiance at the sampled wavelengths , controller 160 may thus construct a corresponding spectral radiometric function r ′( λ ). e . g . watts / nm . an accurate measure of the aphakic hazard requires a translation of such a radiometric quantity to an aphakic radiometric quantity such as aphakic irradiance or aphakic radiometric power . to calculate an aphakic radiometric quantity , controller 160 retrieves the aphakic hazard function a ( λ ) as illustrated in fig2 from a memory 161 . controller 160 then numerically integrates according to the following equation : where r aph is an aphakically weighted radiometric quantity as determined by the type of radiometric quantity ( radiometric flux , irradiance , etc .) used to establish r ′( λ ). controller 160 may then determine the total aphakic exposure over the procedure time by multiplying r aph by the retinal illumination duration . should controller 160 determine that the aphakic exposure has exceeded some maximum threshold such as 10 j / cm 2 , controller 160 may then reduce or eliminate the emission from any color light source having wavelengths less than 510 nm . another consideration besides the aphakic hazard that controller 160 may address is contrast , which is typically defined as the luminance ratio between the brightest and dimmest portions of the retinal image . whether a particular retinal tissue reflects strongly or weakly depends on its reflectance spectrum multiplied by the illumination spectrum as integrated over the visible wavelengths . if a particular retinal tissue is highly absorptive over a spectral region corresponding to one of the color sources but a different retinal tissue is highly reflective at that same wavelength , controller 160 could increase the contrast between the two retinal tissues by suppressing the remaining color sources . alternatively , there may be high contrast in the presence of white light ( full spectrum ) illumination such that controller 160 tunes the color sources to effect white light illumination . conversely , low contrast may be achieved with single color source illumination . depending upon the circumstances of a particular therapy , either contrast enhancement or suppression may be desirable . the degree of suppression or enhancement depends upon the spectral behavior for the various light sources and the spectral reflectance characteristics of the tissue being observed . as seen in fig3 , which illustrates the spectra for various commercially - available led color sources , these sources typically have relatively narrow spectral bandwidths . such narrowband emission enhances the ability to increase or suppress contrast as desired by controller 160 . to achieve a particular chromaticity , controller 160 may be configured to measure the chromaticity coordinates for the current illumination . in that regard , memory 161 may store cie tristimulus functions z ( λ ), y ( λ ), and x ( λ ) as illustrated in fig4 . controller 160 may then retrieve these functions and determine the corresponding cie primaries x , y , and z by numerically integrating the following equations : where r ′( ) is the spectral radiometric function discussed above . given the cie primaries , controller 160 may then calculate the x and y cie chromaticity coordinates according to the following equations : controller 160 may thus monitor the chromaticity values and tune the various color source intensities accordingly to achieve a desired effect . for example , controller 160 may adjust color rendering or contrast in this fashion . although illuminator 100 has been discussed with regard to three independent color sources , it will be appreciated that white light illumination can be achieved with just two sources . conversely , rather than just use a rgb combination as discussed above , a greater number of color channels may used such as four , five , or more color channels may be implemented . in addition , the spectral content of the combined light may be characterized using a color camera instead of a spectroradiometer . embodiments described above illustrate but do not limit the invention . it should also be understood that numerous modifications and variations are possible in accordance with the principles of the present invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention is defined only by the following claims .	0
fig1 illustrates a first embodiment of the clamping tool of the present invention , shown generally at 1 , clamping and positioning a pair of structural members 2 and 3 . for purposes of an exemplary showing , structural member 2 may be a sill or toe plate formed from appropriate wooden framing lumber , while structural member 3 may be a typical wall stud also formed by framing lumber . the lower end of stud 3 may rest atop sill 2 , or the rearmost end of sill 2 may abut the facing surface of stud 3 . in general , sill 2 and stud 3 will be of substantially the same width . it will also be observed that by inverting the representation of fig1 structural member 2 may be caused to represent a head plate , with structural member 3 representing the supporting stud . clamping tool 1 comprises a pair of generally l - shaped opposing jaws , one jaw being designated the fixed jaw 4 , and the other jaw being designated the movable jaw 5 . each jaw is substantially l - shaped in cross section for conforming to the adjacent surfaces of the structural members to be joined . for example , as illustrated in fig1 fixed jaw 4 comprises a horizontal l - shaped angle channel member having an upper horizontal planar member 4a , the lower surface of which engages the upper surface of structural member 2 , and a vertical planar member 4b depending from the outer edge of planar member 4a , the inner surface of which abuts one vertical outer surface of structural member 2 . affixed to the rearmost edges of the horizontal l - shaped channel member , is a substantially l - shaped vertical channel member composed of a vertical planar member 4c , the lower edge of which is affixed to the rearmost edge of planar member 4a , and a second vertical planar member 4d , ( see fig2 ) attached by its frontmost edge to the outermost edge of planar member 4c and extending rearwardly of planar member 4c . the inner structural member engaging surfaces of jaw 3 may be provided with means for increasing the frictional engagement between these surfaces and the outer surfaces of the structural member , such as the inwardly projecting pointed , frictional gripping , pyramidal shaped barbs , which are sized to deeply engage the cellular construction of the wood fibers , one of which is shown at 6 , in fig2 . jaw 5 is configured in substantially the mirror - image of jaw 4 , such that when the jaws are brought into opposing relationship , as shown in fig1 the inner surfaces of the jaws abut at least two adjoining surfaces of each structural member , and will coact to bring the structural members to be joined into accurate alignment and position . when jaws 4 and 5 are firmly clamped together , the structural members are firmly held in the desired fixed relationship to facilitate their joinder by nailing or the like . a generally l - shaped fixed supporting arm 7 having a downwardly depending leg 7a and a horizontal inwardly extending leg 7b is attached at the lowermost end of leg 7a to the outer surface of member 4b of fixed jaw 4 . in a similar manner , a generally l - shaped movable supporting arm 8 having a downwardly depending leg 8a and a horizontal inwardly directed leg 8b is attached at the lowermost end of leg 8a to the outer surface of the horizontal angle member forming movable jaw 5 . it will be observed that supporting arms 7 and 8 are inclined so as to approximately bisect the angle formed by the vertical and horizontal angle members comprising jaws 4 and 5 . in addition , the lengths of horizontal legs 7b and 8b will be dimensioned to insure that jaws 4 and 5 may be spaced to accept the largest width structural members desired . it will be observed that in the embodiments of fig1 and fig2 the lowermost ends of depending legs 7a and 8a of arms 7 and 8 , respectively , are fixedly attached , as at 9 , such as by welding , brazing , or the like , to the outer surface of their respective jaws . in an alternative embodiment shown in fig3 the lowermost end of the depending legs may be pivotally attached to the outer surface of their respective jaws , such as by the hinge connection 10 extending outwardly from jaw 4 in fig3 . hinge connection 10 , and the corresponding hinge connection on jaw 5 ( not shown ) permits the jaws to pivot with respect to their supporting arms to accommodate a wide range of sizes of structural members , thereby maing a tool of universal application . in an alternative embodiment shown in fig1 - 13 , each of the depending legs 7 , 8 includes an extension 7c , 8c terminating in a nose portion 7d , 8d , in a configuration well understood in the art and generally referred to as a c - jaw leverage advantage pliers . a receiving pocket 26 is formed at the juncture of the perpendicular portions of each l - shaped clamping jaw 4 , 5 . each receiving pocket 26 receives a nose portion 7d , 8d of one of the extensions 7c , 8c of the depending legs 7 , 8 . a small pocket 23 at the innermost portion of each receiving pocket 26 accepts the nose 7d , 8d of its respective depending legs 7 , 8 so as to form the bearing point 25 for the clamping forces . the remainder of the receiving pocket 26 is formed by the sides 26a and the end retention plate 26b , which are maintained in accurate fixed relationship between the clamping jaws 4 , 5 and the depending legs 7 , 8 . opposed projections 29 , located at the bearing point 25 , maintain the engaged relationship until the clamping jaws 4 , 5 are deliberately removed from the legs 7 , 8 . the ribs 24 and the pocket floor 26c strengthen the receiving pocket 26 and provide the means to transfer the clamping force to one or more framing members . returning to fig1 it will be observed that by pivoting arms 7 and 8 inwardly , the inner surfaces of jaws 4 and 5 may be brought into abutting contact with adjoining surfaces of the structural members to provide accurate alignment and secure clamping of the members . to facilitate this clamping action , the innermost ends of the horizontal legs 7b and 8b are provided with a pair of actuating handles which include a locking mechanism to insure that jaws 4 and 5 remain in clamping position after pressure is released from the actuating handles , as will be described in more detail hereinafter . the actuating handles and locking mechanism are well understood in the art in connection with hand tools generally referred to as locking pliers wrenches , such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 280 , 005 issued apr . 14 , 1942 to w . petersen and u . s . pat . no . 2 , 514 , 130 issued july 4 , 1950 to h . t . jones , and generally sold under the trademark vise grip ® by the petersen manufacturing co . of dewitt , nebr . such a tool has been used in the embodiment of fig1 by modifying the jaws normally associated with such a tool , and replacing them by horizontal legs 7b and 8b , respectively . since the operation of the locking pliers wrench tool is well understood , it will only be briefly described . turning to fig1 the innermost end of fixed leg 7b is fixedly attached to an upwardly directed elongated channel - like fixed handle 11 , having an outer surface adapted to be easily grasped by the hand . the upper end of fixed handle 11 contains an interiorly threaded sleeve which threadedly accepts a threaded shank 12 terminating at its upper end in a thumb screw 13 . the lowermost end of threaded shank 12 terminates in a head 12a , as is well known in the art . the innermost end of movable leg 8b is pivotally mounted to the lowermost end of fixed handle 11 by means of rivet 14 , or the like . positioned approximately midway along movable leg 8b is an upwardly directed channel - like lever 15 which acts as an operating handle . the lowermost end of operating handle 15 is pivotally attached to leg 8b by means of rivet 16 or the like . a stud lever or fulcrum bar 17 of the desired length extends between the side walls of operating handle 15 , and is pivotally attached thereto by means of rivet 18 or the like . the other end 17a of fulcrum bar 17 abuts the lowermost head end of threaded shank 12 , as is well understood in the art . in operation , when fixed handle 11 and movable handle 15 are squeezed together so as to draw movable hand 15 toward fixed handle 11 , arms 7 and 8 rotate downwardly and inwardly to bring jaws 4 and 5 into abutting contact with adjoining surfaces members 2 and 3 . at the same time , fulcrum bar end 17a slides upwardly within channel - like fixed hand 11 into abutting contact with the head end 12a of threaded shank 12 placing fulcrum bar 17 in compression , and thereby tending to lock the fixed and operating handles together as a result of the downward pressure exerted against rivet 18 , which is transmitted through the lower portion of movable hand 15 to leg 8b of arm 8 . as is well understood , the mechanical advantage provided by this type of locking mechanism is considerable , and tends to retain jaws 4 and 5 in the clamped position against adjoining surfaces of structural members 2 and 3 until handles 11 and 15 are manually separated to release the compression forces in fulcrum bar 17 . to facilitate the release of this locking mechanism and the separation of handles 11 and 15 , a releasing lever 19 is provided of generally u - shaped cross section which easily fits within movable handle 15 and is kept in place by a transversely extending pin 20 secured to the side walls of handle 15 , which also permits relative pivotal movement between releasing lever 19 and handle 15 . the lowermost end 19a of releasing lever 19 is adapted to pivot or fulcrum against an upstanding rib 18b positioned on the edge of the fulcrum bar 17 adjacent movable handle 15 , when the uppermost end of releasing lever 19 is lifted or pulled toward movable handle 15 , thus permitting handles 11 and 15 to be separated to disengage jaws 4 and 5 from their clamping position . an alternative construction for the releasing lever is shown in connection with the embodiment of fig2 which depicts the type of locking plier wrench operating mechanism distributed by sears , roebuck & amp ; co . in this arrangement , a releasing lever 21 of generally u - shaped cross section adapted to easily fit within movable hande 15 , is pivotally attached to fulcrum bar 17 at approximately its midpoint , by means of rivet 22 or the like . the lowermost end of releasing lever 21 is adapted to pivot or fulcrum against movable handle 15 at a point between pivotal connection 18 and pivotal connection 16 when releasing lever is lifted or pulled away from movable handle 15 , thereby moving the uppermost end of fulcrum bar 17 downwardly along the interior channel or fixed handle 11 to separate handles 11 and 15 and thus disengage jaws 4 and 5 from their clamped position . all of the embodiments described heretofore include a fixed handle 11 which is provided with a threaded shank 12 which may be longitudinally moved within handle 11 by rotating thumb screw 13 to control the length of travel of the upper end of fulcrum bar 17 , thereby adjusting the separation between jaws 2 and 5 to provide for differently sized structural members , as is well understood in the art . it will thus be apparent that the tool of the embodiments of fig1 - fig3 and fig1 - 12 permit a pair of structural members to be accurately positioned and securely clamped with single - handed operation by a workman . in addition , when the structural members have been joined as desired , the tool may be easily removed , again requiring only a single hand to actuate the releasing or unlocking mechanism . fig4 - fig9 illustrate schematically various ways in which the clamping tool 1 of the present invention may be employed to position and clamp structural members such as might be found in temporary or permanent frames for buildings and the like . for example , fig4 illustrates a side elevation view of the clamping tool 1 in position to temporarily position and hold a framing study 30 perpendicularly atop a sill plate 31 , so that one or more toe - nails 32 may be driven to permanently hold the structural framing members in place . it will be observed that the placement and configuration of the clamping tool 1 provides minimal interference to the toe - nails 32 . fig5 represents a side elevation view of the clamping tool 1 with the horizontal portions of jaws 4 and 5 clamped longitudinally to the upper plate 33 of a double plate construction supported by stud 34 , which might commonly be found in bearing walls and the like . the vertical portions of jaws 4 and 5 are not clamped to rafter or joist 35 , shown in end view , but merely provide a rigid surface so that joist 35 may be accurately positioned perpendicular to and at a desired location on upper plate 33 for subsequent toe - nailing by nail 32 . in fig6 clamping tool 1 is shown clamping and positioning the lower plate or sill 36 atop supporting stud 37 for subsequent fastening by toe - nail 32 . in a similar manner , fig7 illustrates clamping tool 1 clamping and positioning a header 38 between a pair of supporting study 39 and 40 , so that the header 38 may be end nailed to the studs . it will be apparent that a similar clamping tool may be used simultaneously with the tool shown to support the unsupported end of header 38 , if desired . fig8 illustrates clamping tool 1 used to temporarily secure a pair of overlapping members 41 and 42 . alternatively , as described hereinabove , tool 1 may be constructed such that the l - shaped angle members of jaws 4 and 5 lie substantially in a straight line thereby providing full line contact between the jaws and members 41 and 42 to be clamped . finally , fig9 illustrates a clamping tool used to secure a framing stud 30 at an acute angle against plate 31 so that one or more toe - nails 32 may be driven to permanently hold the structural framing members in place . it will be understood that various changes in the details , materials , steps and arrangements of parts , have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention , may be made by thos skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims .	1
referring to fig1 - 4 , a first embodiment of the present invention includes a rotating portion 7 , which is constituted by a plurality of rotors 2 and a plurality of annular stators 6a . rotors 2 are slidably mounted on and rotatably fixed with respect to a rotary shaft 1 , so as to rotate therewith . annular stators 6 are interposed between rotors 2 and are provided with a pair of toothed portions at the outer circumferential portion thereof that is engageable with an anchor portion 4 on the brake housing 3 . brake housing 3 includes a casing 9 and a lid 10 , which are closely joined to each other by means of a bolt 11 . an annular pressure plate 12 is provided between an inner side surface 10a of the lid 10 and one of the rotors 2 located nearest the inner side surface 10a , so that pressure plate 12 can rotate concentrically with the rotary shaft 1 along a guide surface ( not illustrated ), which is provided on the brake housing 3 . a number of recesses 10b and 12b each having a slant surface are formed in the inner side surface 10a of lid 10 and in a side surface 12a of the pressure plate 12 opposite the inner side surface 10a , respectively , as is shown in fig4 . a ball 13 is receivable within a recess portion between the inner side surface 10a of lid 10 and the side surface 12a of pressure plate 12 . the pressure plate 12 is normally urged toward the lid 10 by a spring 14 , as shown in fig1 . a cam lever 15 is provided having a shaft portion 15a which is rotatably supported by the lid 10 and a pin portion 15b that is engageable with a groove 12c defined in the pressure plate 12 . cam lever 15 thereby forms a brake input side member that is engageable by one or more of the stator members to help rotate the pressure plate 12 . in this arrangement , when a brake rod ( not shown ) connected to an arm 16 is pushed or pulled to rotate arm 16 in the direction of arrow a , as shown in fig3 the pressure plate 12 is rotated in the direction of the arrow a and ball 13 moves toward the shallow portions of the recesses 10b and 12b , thus forcing the pressure plate 12 toward the rotating portion 7 . this causes the rotating portion 7 to bear against a pressure receiving surface 9a on the casing 9 , whereby a predetermined braking force is exerted onto the rotary shaft 1 . an engaging portion 12d is provided on an outer circumferential portion of the pressure plate 12 so that the toothed portion 5 of at least one of the stators 6a ( one stator adjacent to the pressure plate 12 in fig1 ) engages the engaging portion 12d as the stator is rotated in the direction of arrow a . accordingly , if the brake is operated when the rotary shaft 1 is rotated in the direction of arrow a , the pressure plate 12 is rotated in the direction of arrow a when the brake is actuated , causing the rotating portion 7 to bear against the contact portion 9a of the housing 9 to brake the shaft 1 . at the same time , the stator 6a receives a rotary force in the direction of arrow a from the rotors 2 so that additional force is applied from the stator 6a to the pressure plate 12 in order to assist the operational force exerted onto the cam lever 15 to operate the brake . in this way , a sufficiently large braking effect may be obtained by a relatively small input force on the brake lever . in order to adjust the servo force which is fed back from the rotors to the braking lever , the actual length of engaging portion 12d may be adjusted to change the number of rotatable stators 6a which can be engaged thereby . in order to prevent a negative servo effect that would reduce the available braking force during reverse rotation of shaft 1 , a stopper 17 is provided in the casing 9 at the back of the toothed portion 5a of stator 6a to engage the toothed portion 5a when the stator is caused to be rotated in the direction opposite from that indicated by arrow a . the position of stopper 17 is set so that the toothed portions 5a do not engage stopper 17 when the brake is released , but only upon generation of the negative servo effect when the rotary shaft 1 is rotated in the direction opposite from that indicated by arrow a . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 - 3 , the servo stator 6a is engaged with pressure pate 12 through the toothed portions 5 thereon . in this way , the servo stator 6a may be made identical in shape with the remaining stators 6 , thereby allowing the stators to be interchanged and reducing manufacturing costs . fig5 - 7 illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention , whereby a toothed portion 5 of the stator 6a is arranged to engage a pin portion 15b of the cam lever 15 when the stator is caused to rotate in the direction of arrow a , as is shown in fig6 . pin portion 15b of cam lever 15 also contacts the engaging portion 12d of pressure plate 12 to transmit the force applied to pin portion 15b by stator 6a to rotate pressure plate 12 in the direction of arrow a . in this way , the pressure plate 12 does not directly engage any of the stators 6 as it does in the embodiment of fig1 - 3 . as in the embodiment of fig1 - 3 , the servo effect created by applying the frictional force generated between the stator 6a and the rotors 2 to turn the pressure plate 12 may be increased by increasing the length of the pin portions 15b so that an additional number of stators 6a may be engaged by the pin portions . as illustrated in fig7 reverse rotation of the stators 6a is prevented by a stopper 17 provided on the casing 9 . in this way , reverse force will not be applied from the stators to the pin portion 15b of the cam lever 15 , which would reduce the braking force that could applied to the pressure plate 12 by cam lever 15 . as in the embodiment of fig1 - 3 , the servo stator 6a may be the same shape as the other stators 6 . however , in the embodiment of fig5 - 7 , it is not necessary to provide a groove 12c for engaging the pin portion 15b in the pressure plate 12 . moreover , the engaging portion 12d that is provided on the outer circumferential portion of the pressure plate 12 may be formed of the same thickness as the remainder of the plate , thereby lessening manufacturing costs . although illustration is omitted , the sliding surfaces of pressure plate 12 , the rotors 2 and the stators 6 , 6a may be provided with replaceable wear surfaces . it is evident that the servo braking mechanism of the present invention is superior to those prior art devices that apply force directly from the rotors to the pressure plate in order to aid in the braking of a vehicle . in the present invention , the additional braking force that is provided through the stators is applied smoothly and gradually to the pressure plate 12 . this stands in sharp contrast to the abrupt and destructive impact between the rotors and the pressure plate that occurred in prior art servo - type brake devices . in addition , the present invention has the additional advantage of being able to adjust the amount of force that is fed back from the stators to the pressure plate , by adjusting the length of the engaging pin on the pressure plate or cam lever . moreover , the present invention eliminates the negative feedback effect that plagued prior art servo type braking devices that actually reduced the braking force that could be applied to a shaft when the shaft was rotating in a reverse direction . while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment , but , on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	5
as illustrated in example fig3 , a circuit for trimming a reference voltage can include resistor r 1 dividing reference voltage vref and drain voltage vdd , flash memory resistor f 1 formed of a flash memory , nmos transistor n 1 turning on / off the drain of the flash memory , and amplifier amp comparing reference voltage vref and node voltage vnode . node voltage vnode may indicate a voltage value at a point to which resistor r 1 , flash memory resistor f 1 , and amplifier amp are connected . as illustrated in example fig4 , a peripheral apparatus of the circuit for trimming the reference voltage of the flash memory device can include nmos gate switch 410 turning on / off nmos transistor n 1 according to a flash en_input signal for controlling nmos gate switch 410 . flash cell gate switch 420 can switch the gate voltage of the flash memory when the flash memory is in program , erase , and / or resistance states , according to an pgm_en input signal and erase_en input signal for controlling flash cell gate switch 420 and high voltage vppi_pgm required for the program operation of the flash memory . flash cell source switch 430 can switch the source voltage of the flash memory for the erase operation of the flash memory according to erase_en input signal for controlling flash cell source switch 430 and high voltage vppi_erase required for the erase operation of the flash memory . flash cell drain switch 440 can switch the drain voltage of the flash memory for the program operation of the flash memory according to pgm_en input signal for controlling flash cell drain switch 440 in the program state of the flash memory and read_en input signal for controlling read_en input signal for controlling flash cell drain switch 440 in the read state of the flash memory . as illustrated in example fig5 , a flash memory device in an operation state can operate by applying high voltage vppi_pgm to gate 510 , applying source voltage vss to source 520 , and applying drain voltage vdd to drain 530 to generate a channel hot electron injection to increase the threshold voltage of the flash memory . as illustrated in example fig6 , when a high voltage v cg of 9v is applied to gate 510 and drain voltages vd of 4v , 5v and 6v is applied to drain 530 , the rise of the threshold voltage is shown relative to time . accordingly , gate voltage v cg and drain voltage vd can be input to conform to the characteristics of the flash memory when operating the program of the flash memory so that the threshold voltage of the flash memory can be changed . thereby , trimming operations can be conducted having a desired threshold voltage value in the flash memory . as illustrated in example fig7 , a flash memory device in an erase state can operate by floating drain 530 , applying source voltage vss to gate 510 , and applying high voltage vppi_erase to source 520 to generate fn tunneling , thereby reducing the threshold voltage of the flash memory . as illustrated in example fig4 and 8 , a method for trimming the reference voltage of a flash memory device in accordance with embodiments may include step s 810 of performing an erase operation of flash memory resistor f 1 after selecting a chip intending to test a produced wafer ( s 810 ). the erase operation may be performed as follows . when flash memory resistor f 1 is in an erase state , flash_en input signal can be input to nmos gate switch 410 to output source voltage vss to second node nd 2 so that nmos transistor n 1 is turned off . moreover , erase_en input signal can be input to flash cell gate switch 420 to output source voltage vss to third node nd 3 so that the source voltage can be applied to the gate of the flash memory . erase_en input signal can be applied to flash cell source switch 430 to apply high voltage vppi_erase to the source of the flash memory . after completion of step s 810 , i . e ., upon completion of the erase operation of flash memory resistor f 1 , flash memory resistor f 1 may perform step s 820 , i . e ., a program operation . the program operation may be performed as follows . when flash memory resistor f 1 is in a program state , flash_en input signal can be input to nmos gate switch 410 to output source voltage vss to second node nd 2 , thereby turning off nmos transistor n 1 . pgm_en input signal can be also applied to flash cell gate switch 420 to output high voltage vppi_pgm to third node nd 3 so that high voltage vpp_pgm can be applied to the gate of the flash memory . erase_en input signal input to flash cell source switch 430 can be disabled to apply source voltage vss to the source of the flash memory and pgm_en input signal can be input to flash cell drain switch 440 to output drain voltage vdd to first node nd 1 so that drain voltage vdd is applied to the drain of the flash memory . after completion of step s 820 , i . e ., upon completion of the program operation of flash memory resistor f 1 , flash memory resistor f 1 may perform step s 830 , i . e ., a current read operation . the current read operation may be performed as follows . when the flash memory is in a current read state , flash_en input signal can be input to nmos gate switch 410 to output source voltage vss to second node nd 2 , thereby turning off nmos transistor n 1 . pgm_en input signal input to flash cell gate switch 420 can also be disabled to output drain voltage vdd to the third node nd 3 so that drain voltage vdd can be applied to the drain of the flash memory . erase_en input signal input to flash cell source switch 430 can also be disabled to apply source voltage vss to the source of the flash memory and read_en input signal can be input to flash cell drain switch 440 to output drain voltage vdd to first node nd 1 so that drain voltage vdd can be applied to the drain of the flash memory . after completion of step s 830 , i . e ., upon completion of the current read operation of flash memory resistor f 1 , the threshold voltage of flash memory resistor f 1 can be confirmed in step s 840 by measuring the current flowing into the drain of flash memory resistor f 1 . when performing confirmation step s 840 , a determination is made in step s 850 whether the threshold voltage of flash memory resistor f 1 satisfies the reference voltage . if the threshold voltage of flash memory resistor f 1 satisfies the reference voltage , the trimming operation is completed in step s 860 . as a result , the flash memory can be used as the resistor . if , however , the confirmed threshold voltage does not satisfy the reference voltage in the current read state of the flash memory , the program operation of the flash memory ( i . e ., step s 820 ) and the current read operation of the flash memory ( i . e ., step s 830 ) are repeatedly performed so that the threshold voltage conforms to the reference voltage . in accordance with embodiments , a method and apparatus for trimming a reference voltage of a flash memory device is provided extending numerous advantages . for instance , use of a flash memory as a resistor so that a resistor insensitive to the change in drain voltage and process conditions in a semiconductor process can enhance the precision of the resistor and conform an optimal resistance value to the characteristics for every chip . because a metal option is not utilized , separate mask manufacturing cost is not required , thereby reducing overall development costs . separate testing or the use of a laser cutting apparatus due to the use of the fuse can be avoided . flexibility of production can be enhanced by effectively coping with the demand of the rework of the trimming after completing the trimming work . the overall number of chips produced per unit area can be increased by reducing the area of a resistor that heretofore , occupied a considerable portion of the chip size in order to make a resistor with a large value . although embodiments have been described herein , it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in the art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles of this disclosure . more particularly , various variations and modifications are possible in the component parts and / or arrangements of the subject combination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure , the drawings and the appended claims . in addition to variations and modifications in the component parts and / or arrangements , alternative uses will also be apparent to those skilled in the art .	6
fig1 schematically illustrates an example turbomachine , which is a gas turbine engine 20 in this example . the gas turbine engine 20 is a two - spool turbofan gas turbine engine that generally includes a fan section 22 , a compression section 24 , a combustion section 26 , and a turbine section 28 . although depicted as a two - spool turbofan gas turbine engine in the disclosed non - limiting embodiment , it should be understood that the concepts described herein are not limited to use with turbofans . that is , the teachings may be applied to other types of turbomachines and turbine engines including three - spool architectures . further , the concepts described herein could be used in environments other than a turbomachine environment and in applications other than aerospace applications . in the example engine 20 , flow moves from the fan section 22 to a bypass flowpath . flow from the bypass flowpath generates forward thrust . the compression section 24 drives air along a core flowpath . compressed air from the compression section 24 communicates through the combustion section 26 . the products of combustion expand through the turbine section 28 . the example engine 20 generally includes a low - speed spool 30 and a high - speed spool 32 mounted for rotation about an engine central axis a . the low - speed spool 30 and the high - speed spool 32 are rotatably supported by several bearing systems 38 . it should be understood that various bearing systems 38 at various locations may alternatively , or additionally , be provided . the low - speed spool 30 generally includes a shaft 40 that interconnects a fan 42 , a low - pressure compressor 44 , and a low - pressure turbine 46 . the shaft 40 is connected to the fan 42 through a geared architecture 48 to drive the fan 42 at a lower speed than the low - speed spool 30 . the high - speed spool 32 includes a shaft 50 that interconnects a high - pressure compressor 52 and high - pressure turbine 54 . the shaft 40 and the shaft 50 are concentric and rotate via bearing systems 38 about the engine central longitudinal axis a , which is collinear with the longitudinal axes of the shaft 40 and the shaft 50 . the combustion section 26 includes a circumferentially distributed array of combustors 56 generally arranged axially between the high - pressure compressor 52 and the high - pressure turbine 54 . in some non - limiting examples , the engine 20 is a high - bypass geared aircraft engine . in a further example , the engine 20 bypass ratio is greater than about six ( 6 to 1 ). the geared architecture 48 of the example engine 20 includes an epicyclic gear train , such as a planetary gear system or other gear system . the example epicyclic gear train has a gear reduction ratio of greater than about 2 . 3 ( 2 . 3 to 1 ). the low - pressure turbine 46 pressure ratio is pressure measured prior to inlet of low - pressure turbine 46 as related to the pressure at the outlet of the low - pressure turbine 46 prior to an exhaust nozzle of the engine 20 . in one non - limiting embodiment , the bypass ratio of the engine 20 is greater than about ten ( 10 to 1 ), the fan diameter is significantly larger than that of the low - pressure compressor 44 , and the low - pressure turbine 46 has a pressure ratio that is greater than about 5 ( 5 to 1 ). the geared architecture 48 of this embodiment is an epicyclic gear train with a gear reduction ratio of greater than about 2 . 5 ( 2 . 5 to 1 ). it should be understood , however , that the above parameters are only exemplary of one embodiment of a geared architecture engine and that the present disclosure is applicable to other gas turbine engines including direct drive turbofans . in this embodiment of the example engine 20 , a significant amount of thrust is provided by the bypass flow b due to the high bypass ratio . the fan section 22 of the engine 20 is designed for a particular flight condition — typically cruise at about 0 . 8 mach and about 35 , 000 feet . this flight condition , with the engine 20 at its best fuel consumption , is also known as “ bucket cruise ” thrust specific fuel consumption ( tsfc ). tsfc is an industry standard parameter of fuel consumption per unit of thrust . fan pressure ratio is the pressure ratio across a blade of the fan section 22 without the use of a fan exit guide vane system . the low fan pressure ratio according to one non - limiting embodiment of the example engine 20 is less than 1 . 45 ( 1 . 45 to 1 ). “ low corrected fan tip speed ” is the actual fan tip speed in ft / sec divided by an industry standard temperature correction of [( tram ° r )/( 518 . 7 ° r )]^ 0 . 5 . the temperature represents the ambient temperature in degrees rankine . the low corrected fan tip speed according to one non - limiting embodiment of the example engine 20 is less than about 1150 fps ( 351 m / s ). referring to fig2 - 6 with continuing reference to fig1 , the bearing systems 38 within the engine 20 typically hold a lubricating fluid , such as a lubricating oil . a seal assembly 60 is used , in this example , to keep the lubricating fluid within the bearing system 38 . the seal assembly is within a sealed area of the engine 20 . the example seal assembly 60 is a lift - off seal that utilizes a film of air to limit movement of the lubricating fluid from a first side 64 of the seal assembly 60 to a second side 68 of the seal assembly 60 and to reduce undesirable heat generation at the sealing interface 72 due to absence of contact of the seal with the mating runner in the lifted position . during operation of the engine 20 , a film of air communicates across a sealing interface 72 from the second side 68 to the first side 64 to limit movement of the lubricating fluid . in this example , the lubricating fluid is a first fluid , and the air is a second fluid . air on the second side 68 is at a relatively higher pressure than the first side 64 . the pressure differential causes movement of air from the second side 68 to the first side 64 . the compression section 24 of the engine 20 provides the high - pressure air to the second side 68 in this example . the example seal assembly 60 includes a first seal member 76 and a second seal member 80 . a seal face 84 of the first seal member 76 faces a seal face 88 of the second seal member 80 . the sealing interface 72 is provided by the facing portions of the seal face 84 , the seal face 88 , and air communicated therebetween . the example first seal member 76 is biased by a spring 92 toward the seal face 88 in an axial direction . air communicated through the sealing interface 72 overcomes at least some of the spring biasing force . overcoming the biasing force causes the first seal member 76 to separate from the seal face 88 such that the first seal member 76 is spaced from the second seal member 80 . the air communicated through the sealing interface 72 overcomes the biasing force and moves first seal member 76 from a first position ( fig3 ) where the first seal member 76 contacts the second seal member 80 to a second position ( fig4 ) where the first seal member 76 is spaced from the second seal member 80 . the first seal member 76 utilizes both hydrostatic and hydrodynamic forces to overcome the spring biasing force . in this example , the first seal member 76 includes a at least one conduits 96 . air from the second side 68 communicates through the at least one conduit 96 to directly contact the seal face 88 at a location l . directing air toward the seal face 88 from the first seal member 76 in this way helps overcome the spring bias force and moves the first seal member 76 axially away from the second seal member 80 . the at least one conduit 96 helps provide the hydrostatic force to the first seal member 76 in this example . a hydrostatic pressure peak is applied directly to the sealing interface 72 . the second seal member 80 includes a plurality of grooves 100 ( or relatively shallow trenches ) that open to the seal face 84 . the grooves 100 extend radially from the second side 68 to at least the sealing interface 72 . the grooves may be spiral grooves that are angled relative to a radial direction r , or the grooves may be of various other forms that create the hydrodynamic lift force . the second seal member 80 rotates about the axis a during operation of the engine 20 in a direction d . the grooves 100 are angled away from the direction of rotation of the second seal member 80 . air from the second side 68 fills the grooves 100 . when the second seal member 80 rotates , the pressure of this air increases . the higher pressure air within the grooves 100 helps overcome the spring biasing force and helps to move the first seal member 76 away from the second seal member 80 . the grooves 100 help provide the hydrodynamic force to the first seal member 76 in this example . the grooves 100 provide the hydrodynamic pressure peak to the sealing interface 72 . air from the at least one conduit 96 exits the first seal member 76 at outlets 104 . in this example , these outlets 104 are radially outside a radially outer end 108 of the plurality of grooves 100 . in other examples , the outlets 104 may radially overlap some portion of the plurality of grooves 100 . air that has exited the conduits 96 and the grooves 100 flows radially along the sealing interface 72 to the first side 64 . the movement of air from the second side 68 to the first side 64 provides a film seal that limits movement of oil from the first side 64 to the second side 68 . although the example seal assembly includes at least one conduit 96 in the first seal member 76 , the at least one conduit 96 may be located within the second seal member 80 in another example . in still other examples , both the first seal member 76 and the second seal member 80 may include conduits . also , although grooves 100 are incorporated into the second seal member 80 , the grooves may be incorporated elsewhere in other examples . the first seal member 76 is carbon based in this example . the first seal member 76 is considered a wear member . touching down the first seal member 76 such that the seal face 84 contacts the seal face 88 causes the first seal member 76 to wear . the hydrostatic forces and the hydrodynamic forces move the first seal member 76 away from the second seal member 80 to limit such wear while still providing a film seal . features of the disclosed examples include a hybrid lifting scheme for a mechanical seal that utilizes a combination of concurrent hydrostatic and hydrodynamic forces to move a seal . since both lift mechanisms are used , the seal may perform in a relatively wider design space ( speeds , pressures , temperatures , etc .) than prior art seals . the hybrid lift - off seal may also be better at handling inherent variations in the design features of either the hydrodynamic or the hydrostatic seal prior arts , thereby reducing part tolerances and thus manufacturing costs . the disclosed examples may be used in applications where conventional hydrodynamic or hydrostatic seals are used . the preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature . variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this disclosure . thus , the scope of legal protection given to this disclosure can only be determined by studying the following claims .	5
fig1 illustrates a conventional room or window air - conditioning unit 100 . the front of such units typically include vent openings 102 , through which cooled air is supplied to a room . such units also typically include vent openings 104 , through which room air may be exhausted . in particular fans or other air moving devices are operated in reverse mode under control of switch 107 . switch 107 is typically provided with the control function of supplying air to the room or removing air from the room in an exhaust mode . such a mode of operation is conveniently provided so that the fan provided with unit 100 is capable of supplying cooler evening air from the outside through vents 102 while at the same time , exhausting warmer interior air through exhaust vent 104 . switch 107 controls this function . additionally there is also provided temperature control switch 106 , which allows a user to choose a temperature below which the unit ceases its cooling function . once a desired temperature is reached , the units compressor function is shut down . however , the units fan may continue operation for a predetermined time following the determination that he desired room temperature has been reached . conventional unit 100 also includes control switch 105 , which selects the mode of operation . in one mode of operation , a user may select to operate only the fan and not the units compressor or cooling function . this may be desirable for example , in situations in which a simple exchange of room air with outside air is desired . mode control switch 105 also typically provides to other modes of operation : hi cool and low cool . the hi cool mode of operation is one in which greater electrical current is supplied to either or both of the fan motor and or compressor motor to select either the degree and or speed of cooling . since the structure and operation of the present invention is based upon a modification of the conventional system employed in off - the - shelf room and window air conditioners , it is appropriate to consider the usual refrigeration cycle and the controls that are normally imposed thereon . accordingly , the structural block diagram shown in fig2 is provided in order to enhance one &# 39 ; s understanding of the parameters and controls involved . in particular , it is seen that motor 200 drives compressor 202 , which compresses a refrigerant . this refrigerant flows through conduit 203 to expansion valve 204 . in expanding through this valve , the compressed refrigerant is cooled in accordance with well known thermodynamic principles . the cooled fluid is passed through conduit 205 to condenser 206 . condenser 206 includes fins across which fan 208 blows air which is cooled via its thermal contact with the fins of condenser 206 . in condenser 206 refrigerant is warmed by the passage of air across its fins and the fins are cooled by being in thermal contact with the refrigerant which has been cooled by its passage through expansion valve 204 . thus warmed coolant is returned via conduit 207 to compressor 202 at which point the cycle repeats . motor control 210 controls the operation of compressor motor 200 , and fan motor 201 . under control of selector switch 107 fan 208 may be operated in reverse to provide an exhaust function . more particularly , motor control 210 responds to signals input from temperature sensor 209 . motor control 210 also receives input signals from switches 105 , 106 and 107 shown in fig1 . the present invention provides a retrofit apparatus , which is used to better control the conventional refrigeration cycle illustrated in fig2 . since the normal temperature range of operation for a room or window air conditioner is not so low as to cause ice build up on the fins of condenser 206 , there is no need in such units to provide for frost or ice detection . since these units have not been contemplated for use as the central core of a refrigeration system , as opposed to a simple room air cooling system , frost or ice detection has not been seen as either a desired or necessary function . however , if one wished to use such units in any refrigeration function where the temperature range is significantly lower , frost or ice accumulation is a problem . accordingly , one of the elements provided in the retrofit apparatus of the present invention is frost or ice sensor 400 as shown in fig3 . this is preferably implemented as temperature sensor , however , any convenient means for detecting frost may also be employed including electrical conduction and / or optical sensors . additionally , as noted above , conventional room or window air conditioners are not designed to function below certain temperatures . such units are designed essentially for cooling a room not for turning it into a refrigeration structure . accordingly , the retrofit apparatus of the present invention also includes heater 500 , which is disposed in close proximity to temperature sensor 209 . control 300 operates to activate heater 500 so as to effectively fool temperature sensor 209 . however , it is noted that by choosing to operate at lower temperatures , frost or ice detector 400 is employed , whereas before no such sensor was needed or desired . accordingly , it is seen that the present invention provides a retrofit apparatus having three complements . heater 500 is employed to essentially force the air conditioning unit to operate so as to produce lower temperature air . frost or ice sensor 400 is employed to ensure continued operations at the lower desired temperature , which is more in the range of a refrigeration system than in the range of a room cooling system . control unit 300 separately receives a user supplied indication of desired temperature . using heater 500 and sensor 400 control unit 300 operates to control the conventional room or window air - conditioning unit in the manner described above . in preferred embodiments of the present invention , heater 500 , sensor 400 and control unit 300 are provided in a single package , which is easily connected into and coupled with a conventional room or window air - conditioning unit to provide a refrigeration function . fig5 is a block diagram illustrating the various components of the adapter of the present invention . in particular microcontroller 406 is implementable as pic microchip microcontroller model no . 16f916 , though many low - end microcontroller chips would also be just as satisfactory . this chip contains code burnt into an eeprom for implementing the control algorithm and user interface functions described above . there is included also included internal heater 510 on the main circuit board to prevent short - circuits due to condensation . internal heater 510 is controlled by microcontroller 406 . as described above , there is also provided external heater 500 connected via wires 450 . this heater is disposed as described elsewhere herein . the heater itself is located on an external cable that plugs into the main circuit board . heater 500 is also controlled with microcontroller 406 . also provided is power on indicator 426 which is lit when dc power is connected . two temperature sensors 330 and 335 , measuring the room temperature and the temperature of the air conditioner &# 39 ; s fins respectively . these sensors are mounted on external cables that plug into the main circuit board . microcontroller 406 communicates with them using a serial protocol to read the two temperatures at appropriate times . three input buttons , 410 , 415 and 420 are accessible from the front panel and are used to change the parameters of the cooling algorithm , as well as for diagnostic purposes . their functions are also described in greater detail elsewhere herein . display 405 is made up of two modules , dis1 and dis2 . the display is provided in the present implementation solely as a matter of convenience . the relevant aspect of the display is that there are a sufficient number of digits to display the temperature or any optional diagnostic settings . microcontroller 406 uses these digits to display running status , to provide feedback while the user sets algorithm parameters , and to support diagnostic tests . there are also preferably two status indicator lights ( 470 and 480 in fig4 and 5 ). indicator 470 , which is controlled by controller 300 , is lit when the control algorithm determines that the air conditioner should be turned on . indicator 480 , which is also controlled by microcontroller 406 , is lit by when the control algorithm determines that current is required in heater 500 in order to heat it to a level that will trigger the air conditioner to turn on . attention is now directed to a method by which the present invention is added to an existing air conditioning unit . the first step in this process is the construction of an insulated volume . materials useful in this process include styrofoam and sprayfoam which can be applied to seal any cracks or gaps in the structure . at this stage , one should also consider adding extra insulation . if there are windows present in the structure , they should be sealed with styrofoam or any other useful or available insulative material . if it does not already exist , a conventional air - conditioning unit is disposed through an opening in the structure wall . the edges of the opening are sealed as well . the next step is the removal of the front portion of the air - conditioning unit . this front portion is typically plastic . it &# 39 ; s removal also typically exposes air filters present in the unit . these air filters are also preferably removed . it is recommended that this front portion not be reinstalled . this exposes the fins of the air conditioning unit which produces both an advantage and a disadvantage . the disadvantage is that the fins can be bumped and bent . the advantage is that the fins can easily be cleaned and be bent back into shape as needed . the next step in the installation procedure is the location and the freeing of the thermocouple sensor that normally comes with the air conditioning unit . note that this freeing operation is not an electrical disconnection , but rather a moving of the thermocouple away from the fins of the air conditioning unit . typically the thermocouple is disposed on a long and flexible wire , which is easily bent away from the fins . if there are any plastic ties or other structures holding the thermocouple in place , these are preferably removed as well so as to have the thermocouple swing free of the fins . the next step in the installation process is the mounting of the device of the present invention on a wall of the structure near the air conditioning unit . here on this device is referred to herein as the coolbot ™, the coolbot ™ may be provided with any convenient wall fastening means , including screws , adhesives , velcro or even hung on nails . the coolbot ™ is hung on the wall in a position sufficiently close to the air conditioning unit that wires extending from the coolbot ™ are capable of being connected to appropriate points on the air conditioning unit . the next step in the installation process is the mating of the thermocouple with the warming element of the coolbot ™. this coupling is designed to ensure close thermal contact between the two elements . in particular , it is possible to join these two elements by placing them next to one another and wrapping them with aluminum foil . even a single layer of the aluminum foil is adequate ; however , multiple layers provide a more secure coupling . the next step in the installation process is the connection of the coolbot ™&# 39 ; s frost sensor to the fins of the air conditioning unit . looking at the fins in a typical air - conditioning unit , one sees that there are copper pipes carrying the units refrigerant . the frost sensor is disposed , just below one of the lower copper pipes , which is typically several inches above the bottom of the air conditioning unit . the frost sensor is inserted between two of the fins . one may rely upon a friction fit to hold a frost sensor in place or more preferably , one may bend some of the adjacent the fins together to more ably hold the frost sensor in position . this is easily done with one &# 39 ; s fingernails or with a screwdriver for air - conditioning units , which are energy star compliant , there is an additional step that is also performed as part of the installation procedure . in particular , the frost sensor that normally accompanies such units is moved . note , however , that this sensor is not removed only repositioned away from the fins so that it does not interfere with the operation of the coolbot ™. the coolbot ™ is also provided with an ambient room temperature sensor . this sensor should be allowed to hang freely in the cooled volume . the present invention thus renders it very easy to retrofit a conventional room or window air - conditioning unit so as to operate as the core of a refrigeration system . the only other thing that needs to be provided is some form of insulated airtight structure . wood and styrofoam structures , which are readily available in rural and third world areas readily suffice for carrying out this function . attention is now directed to a view of the front panel of coolbot ™ device 700 . in particular , the front panel includes led ( or other technology ) display 405 which is used to not only display the current temperature , but is also used to set desirable temperatures to be achieved at the air conditioner fins . it is noted that any convenient display device may be employed and the display is not limited to led devices ; lcd displays are employable ; however , it is noted that in many refrigeration environments lighting may be so low that led displays are a significantly preferred choice . likewise , led displays are preferred in situations where condensation may be a factor . front panel 401 includes the three buttons labeled room , frost , and delay ( having reference numerals 410 , 415 , and 420 , respectively ). pressing the “ room ” button lets one pick the desired room temperature . in current preferred embodiments , the lowest selectable temperature is 32 ° f . every time you push the room button , the temperature goes up one degree ; when it reaches a maximum temperature , it then starts over again at 32 ° f . pressing the “ frost ” button allows one to change the frost detection settings . the coolbot ™ device is provided with a default temperature setting for this value , but if ice forms on the fins , pressing the frost button so that it goes up one or two degrees typically stops this from happening . if the room isn &# 39 ; t getting cold and ice is never forming , then the frost temperature is set too high . pressing the frost button until it cycles back to the starting point should solve this problem . if no frost is ever forming then either : ( 1 ) one has a new energy star compliant unit and didn &# 39 ; t move its frost sensor ; ( 2 ) the room is extremely leaky and uninsulated ; or ( 3 ) the room is too big for the given air conditioning unit . the solution to these last two problems is sealing the room better , adding a second a / c unit or using a single larger unit . pressing the delay button changes the delay mode . this button controls the delay between the time that both sensors &# 39 ; temperatures are above their respective thresholds and when the air conditioner is triggered to operate . the default is ten seconds . increasing the delay allows the room to get warmer before triggering the air conditioner . this is sometimes useful for air conditioners that have an enforced minimum on - time due to internal control circuitry , so that they run for their minimum on - time without frost forming before they may be turned off . the coolbot ™ unit shown in fig4 also includes several wires or devices , which need to be connected to the air - conditioning unit . in particular , lead 425 is connected to a dc power source . while a conventional battery could be employed to power the electronic components in control unit 400 , the demands of heating element 500 which is placed in thermal contact with thermocouple 209 means that it is significantly more preferred to connect unit 400 to a separate dc power supply . in preferred embodiments of the present invention , the dc power supply is from a converter , which is coupled into the alternating current power supply for the air - conditioning unit . it may also be powered separately . also shown in fig4 is lead 435 which is connected to frost sensor 400 . likewise , lead 430 is connected to heater 500 . these items are considered in the discussion above with respect to fig3 . fig6 illustrates a typical installation of the adapter described above in its natural environment . this drawing is not to scale , so that all of the features and aspects may better be presented . in particular , conventional but modified air conditioner 100 is disposed through a back wall of insulated structure 600 . air conditioner 100 is depicted as if it had its front cover removed . adapter device 700 is shown connected to air conditioner 100 in three ways : ( 1 ) via dc electrical connection 425 ; ( 2 ) via frost sensor 335 ( not visible ) connected via wire 435 ; and ( 3 ) via heater 500 connected to temperature sensor 209 via connection 450 . fig6 also illustrates the presence of alternating current power outlet 620 into which a power cord from air conditioner 100 is inserted ( not shown for reasons of improving clarity of the view ). also shown in fig6 is room temperature sensor 330 connected to adapter device 700 via connecting cable ( wire ) 430 . attention is now directed to a description of specific control methods employed in the operation of the coolbot ™ device . for purposes of efficiency , it is desirable to turn the air conditioner unit on and off with as little lag time as possible , that is , with the shortest possible delay between when the algorithm says “ a / c off ” and when the a / c stops emitting cold air . turn - on delay is primarily limited by how fast the sensor heater warms up ; turn - off delay is limited by how fast it cools down . to be more precise , turn - on delay is the time it takes for the heater to go from its “ turned off ” temperature past the air conditioner &# 39 ; s threshold temperature , and turn - off delay is the time it takes for the heater to go from its “ steady state on ” temperature past the air conditioner &# 39 ; s threshold in the other direction . the turn - on delay is smallest when the “ turned off ” temperature is high ( but below under the air conditioner &# 39 ; s threshold temperature ) and when the current put through the external heater 500 is largest . the turn - off delay is smallest when the “ steady state on ” temperature is low ( but greater than the air conditioner threshold temperature ) and when the room temperature is much cooler than that temperature . accordingly , desirable performance levels are achieved if the current supplied to heater 500 is just sufficient to keep the temperature just above the air conditioner &# 39 ; s threshold temperature while it &# 39 ; s “ on ” and to supply slightly less current while it &# 39 ; s “ off .” one way to accomplish this control is through the use of a pid ( position , integral , differential ) control . this allows for precise control of the heater &# 39 ; s temperature , but it also requires an additional sensor for feedback , which adds an expense , both for parts and for assembly . however , in certain cases where precise control over a long period of time is desirable for reasons of efficiency , this expense is tolerable . the following items further describe a control algorithm and method for using the coolbot ™ device : when turning on the heater , keep it completely on ( full current flow ) for an initial length of time , approximately one minute ; however , this value may be increased or decreased depending on the current room temperature . use a relatively low resistance for heater 500 , so that it “ sees ” a relatively high current and gets hot fast . after the initial turn - on period , use pulse width modulation ( pwm ) to reduce the average current through the heater , and thus the heat dissipated . this stabilizes the heater temperature , rather than driving it as hot as it can possibly go . thus , when the heater is turned on , its lower temperature results in faster turn - off in short , pid control is an option but there is a trade - off between cost and performance . using pwm to reduce steady - state temperature makes for faster turn - off and customizing the pwm period ( 100 % initially , decreasing later ) makes for faster turn - on . the use of pwm as a form of control is also relevant to a cooperative control method for supplying power to internal heater 510 and external heater 500 . internal heater 510 is used to reduce condensation on the circuit board . its use is also beneficial in that it contributes to the elimination of a manufacturing step in which a conformal coating is applied to the circuit board and its components to ameliorate problems associated with condensation and / or other environmental contaminants . however , it is noted that , if internal heater 510 runs constantly , peak current load goes over one ampere in the current design . a dc power supply capable of producing more than one ampere often costs significantly more than one designed for less than one ampere . accordingly , control in the coolbot ™ device turns internal heater 510 off whenever external heater 500 is on . since only one heater is on at any given time , the peak load is not the combined load but the maximum . it &# 39 ; s much easier to keep this under one ampere and to thus employ a less expensive power supply . as indicated above , certain air conditioners do not employ a thermistor for temperature sensing purposes . instead such vehicles typically employ the above mentioned capillary tube temperature probes . such probes are not easily “ fooled ” by the use of a heater . therefore , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , the temperature control unit that is supplied with the air conditioner is replaced with a relay . for example , see relay 800 in fig8 which is the same as fig3 except for the replacement of heater 500 by relay 800 . this is easily accomplished since such analog temperature control units are typically provided as plug - in assemblies . thus , in this embodiment , the entire temperature control unit is replaced by a relay . this requires no modification of the above described coolbot ™ device other than removal of the heater and its replacement by a relay and a change in the firmware to provide a continuous signal to the relay as opposed to a pulsed signal which is preferably supplied in the embodiment using a heater . this really is a simple switch which is controlled by the same voltage level used to operate the heater . in this manner , the present invention is seen to be also applicable to use in recreational vehicles . in a still further embodiment of the present invention rather than either using a heater , or replacing the heater with a relay , the coolbot ™ device operates to provide the same kind of information that is expected by the air conditioner . in particular , in certain circumstances the air conditioner is controlled by a thermistor which interprets variable electrical resistance as indicative of temperature . thus , in a third embodiment of the present invention , the defeating means for overriding operation of a temperature sensor used to determine the lower limit for air conditioner operation comprises a single line which also supplies a variable resistance to mimic lower and higher temperatures . see variable resistance temperature signal generator 900 in fig9 which is the same as fig3 except for the replacement of heater 500 by variable resistance temperature signal generator 900 . thus it is seen that the defeating means may comprise either a heater , a relay , or variable - resistance temperature signal - generator . the present invention is also useful in replacing refrigeration systems found in the trucking industry . in particular , for a large truck , such a refrigeration system is typically seen to cost approximately $ 14 , 000 . however , as shown in fig7 , truck 700 is cooled using three conventional air conditioners ( 100 a , 100 b and 100 c ). these units replace conventional refrigeration unit 701 ( shown in phantom form ). assuming that a conventional air conditioner costs approximately $ 500 and a coolbot ™ device costs approximately $ 300 , one sees that one can provide the same level of cooling for a total of $ 2 , 400 . the number of coolbot ™ devices employ it is selected based upon the vehicle volume that is to be cooled . this represents a savings per vehicle of over $ 10 , 000 . however , given the size of the largest of the refrigerated trucks , particularly in terms of their height , it is seen that the advantages of the present invention are often best achieved when the devices are deployed within recessed areas of the truck ceilings . such a recessed unit ( 100 c ) is shown in fig7 . for smaller vehicles , disposition in recessed areas is typically unnecessary and is typically employed only as called for by truck height limitations . while the invention has been described in detail herein in accordance with certain preferred embodiments thereof , many modifications and changes therein may be effected by those skilled in the art . accordingly , it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention .	5
the composition according to the present invention contains , as leukoanthocyanes , leukodolphinidine , leukocyanidine and leukopelargonidine . as catechins it contains (-) epigallocatechin , (±) gallocatechin , (-) epicatechin , (+) catechin and (-) epicatechingallate . as flavanols the composition according to the present invention contains kaempferol - 3 - monoglucoside , quercetin - 3 - monoglucoside , myricetin - 3 - monoglucoside and astragalin . a reducing sugars it contains d - glucose , d - fructose , saccharose , rafinose , arabinose , xylose . as free amonoacids the composition according to the present invention contains lysine , histidine , arginine , aspartic acid , threonine , serine , glutamic acid , proline , glycine , alanine , cystine , valine , methionine , isoleucine , leucine , tyrosine and phenylalanine . as organic acids it contains tartaric acid , malic acid , citric acid , ascorbic acid , α - ketoglutaric acid , fumaric acid , galacturonic acid , glyceric acid , glycolic acid , glycouronic acid , oxalic acid , succinic acid , shikimic acid . as sterols the composition according to the present invention contains β - cetosterol , stigmasterol , kaempesterol . as methylsterols it contains obtusifoliol , citrostadienol . as dimethylsterols it incorporates α - amyrin , β - amyrin , lupeol , taraksterol , taraxasterol , germanicol . as lignans the composition according to the present invention contains oxymatairesinol , matairesinol , pinoresinol , liovyl , isolariciresinol and olivil . as lignan glycosides it contains querinol arabinoside and querinol xyloside . as phenolic acids it contains paraoxybenzoic acid , protocatechinic acid , gallic acid , vanillic acid and syringic phenolic acids . as phenolic aldehydes the composition according to the present invention contains vanilline , syringic aldehyde , sinapic aldehyde and coniferyl aldehyde . as alkylferulates it contains alkyl esters of ferulic acid with the alcohol moiety being represented by octadecanol , eicosanol , docosanol , tetracosanol , hexacosanol . the above - mentioned composition of the hereinbefore - listed ingredients can be also obtained in the form of naturally - occurring complexes of biologically active substances of the vegetable origin . the above - mentioned composition of the hereinbefore - listed ingredients is soluble in water , ethanol and aqueous alcoholic solutions . the composition according to the present invention has a low toxicity : ld 50 is 36 . 5 ml per 1 , 000 g of bodymass of a rat . we have carried out pharmacological studies of the effect of the composition according to the present invention on processes of ethanol consumption and on the formation of a physical dependence of animals and human beings . under conditions of a chronical experiment ( 15 weeks ) on mature male rats of wistar line the level of ethanol consumption was studied under the conditions of free choice between water and 15 % ethanol . prior thereto the rats were tested for resistance to ethanol by the &# 34 ; side posture &# 34 ; procedure upon an intraperitoneal administration of a 25 % ethanol at the rate of 4 . 5 g / kg of the bodymass of the animals . in the experiment rats with similar characteristics of a high tolerance towards ethanol were used . later on the animals were placed into cages with calibrated drinking bowls under conditions of free choice between 15 % ethanol and water , and the daily consumption of the liquids was recorded . the control group was composed of animals ( 12 rats ) that consumed 15 % ethanol . in the test group ( 12 rats ) the composition according to the present invention was added to 15 % ethanol in the drinking bowl in the amount of 1 ml per 50 ml of 15 % ethanol . after 13 weeks of active alcoholization the animals were deprived of the access to alcohol for 10 days ( deprivation period ) and then the amount of consumed solutions was recorded again . the experimental data are shown in table 1 . in the group of control animals the deprivation period proceeded with abstinence phenomena which were manifested by a changed behaviour of the animals , the signs of tremor were recorded , a moderate dishevelling of hair was noted . at the same time , in the control group no signals of abstinence were observed . the character of consumption of 15 % ethanol under free choice conditions in the control group was different from that of consumption of 15 % ethanol with the composition according to the present invention in the test group . beginning from the 8 - th week a clearly pronounced trend towards reduction of ethanol consumption in combination with the composition according to the present invention was observed and after deprivation this difference was exceeding 100 %. an important indicator of a formed physical dependence on ethanol in the control group was an increased rate of ethanol consumption after a 10 - days &# 39 ; deprivation by 12 %. in the test group the consumption of ethanol in combination with the composition according to the present invention after deprivation remained at the same level . addition , to 15 % ethanol , of the composition according to the present invention under conditions of a long - time forced alcoholization ( 38 months ) with the absence of water in the food diet has resulted in a substantial redistribution of animals in groups of alochol consumption ( table 2 ). the conditions of this experiment contemplated an individual control of consumption of test solutions in groups of animals ; among the rats administered with alcohol incorporating the composition according to the present invention the number of heavily - drinking animals was certainly smaller . table 1__________________________________________________________________________effect of the composition according to the present invention on theamount of consumed 15 % ethanol on a daily basis ( in ml / kg of 1 animal &# 39 ; s bodyweight ) under freechoice conditions statistical time of consumption ( in weeks ) parameter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 151 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17__________________________________________________________________________ amount of m ± m 28 . 9 20 . 1 22 . 5 26 . 6 28 . 3 25 . 6 27 . 5 26 . 8 24 . 0 28 . 2 29 . 7 29 . 4 24 . 7 depri - 29 . 4 consumed 15 % 1 . 86 1 . 18 2 . 29 2 . 05 1 . 86 1 . 97 2 . 32 1 . 33 2 . 06 2 . 25 1 . 76 3 . 44 1 . 29 vation 3 . 12 ethanol 10 days ( control group ) amount of m ± m 33 . 8 32 . 2 37 . 0 34 . 0 25 . 9 26 . 6 29 . 8 15 . 3 18 . 9 22 . 0 22 . 0 20 . 0 13 . 0 13 . 0 consumed 15 % 3 . 88 4 . 09 2 . 93 3 . 11 2 . 53 2 . 26 1 . 3 1 . 49 1 . 36 2 . 17 1 . 66 2 . 42 2 . 12 2 . 41 ethanol with p 0 . 05 0 . 05 0 . 01 0 . 2 0 . 1 -- -- 0 . 01 0 . 001 0 . 001 0 . 2 0 . 1 0 . 05 0 . 00 addition of the composition of this invention ( 1 ml per 50 ml of ethanol ) __________________________________________________________________________ table 2______________________________________effect of the composition according to the presentinvention on distribution of rats according to therate of consumption of a 15 % ethanol ( in percent )( forced alcoholization ) groups of alcoholization time * animals 3 months 6 months 8 months______________________________________low - drinking ( 20 - 26 / 45 73 / 76 67 / 7960 ml per 1 , 000 gof the bodymass ) medium - drinking 31 / 12 22 / 21 21 / 15 ( 60 - 80 ml per1 , 000 g of thebodymass ) heavily - drinking 43 / 13 5 / 3 12 / 6 ( above 80 ml per1 , 000 g of thebodymass ) ______________________________________ * note : in the numerator consumption of a 15 % ethanol , in the denominator consumption of a 15 % ethanol with the addition of a composition according to the present invention . to avoid possible organoleptic effect of the composition according to the present invention on the level of ethanol consumption under free - choice conditions parallel experiments have been carried out where the composition was introduced intragastrically , not into the test solution . the test results turned to be identical irrespective of the routes of administration of the composition according to the present invention . the gas - liquid chromatography method was used to determine the amount of ethanol in blood of animals of the test and control groups that were given the test solution for the period of 3 months . 90 minutes prior to slaughtering the animals they were intraperitoneally administered with a 25 % ethanol ( control group ) and a 25 % ethanol in combination with the composition according to the present invention in the ratio of 1 : 50 ( test group ). the test results ( table 3 ) point to an essential increase ( by more than 4 times ) of ethanol in the blood of animals that were previously administered for a long time with the composition according to the present invention . the rate of elimination of ethanol from blood depend , first of all , on activity of alcoholdehydrogenase ( adg ) which has been studied against the background of an acute and chronic alcoholic intoxication . upon a single - time intraperitoneal administration , to animals , of a 15 % ethanol in the dose of 4 . 5 g / kg of the bodymass , 30 minutes thereafter the activity of alcoholdehydrogenase is 8 . 51 mm / min / l relative to the intact group ; the composition additive according to the present invention inhibits activity of enzymes in the presence of ethanol which is 5 . 86 mm / min / l . table 3______________________________________effect of the composition according to the presentinvention on elimination of ethanol after the additionof a 25 % ethanol 4 . 5 g / kg of the animals &# 39 ; bodyweight content of statistical ethanol inexperiment parameter blood , % ______________________________________1 . digested content m ± m 0 . 72 ± 0 . 14 ( introduction of a 25 % ethanol ) 72 . 3 - months &# 39 ; consump - m ± m 1 . 0 ± 0 . 14 tion of a 15 % p 0 . 2 ethanol ( intro - duction of 25 % ethanol ) 143 . 3 - months &# 39 ; consump - m ± m 2 . 52 ± 0 . 57 tion of a 15 % p 0 . 01 ethanol in com - bination with the composition of the present invention ( admini - stration of 25 % ethanol ) 114 . 3 - months &# 39 ; consump - m ± m 4 . 26 ± 0 . 78 tion of a 15 % p 0 . 001 ethanol in com - bination with the composition of this invention ( administration of 25 % ethanol + composition ), 1 : 50 11______________________________________ in chronical experiments upon introduction of ethanol ( passive alcoholization ) over the period of 1 . 5 months of a daily administration of 15 % ethanol and ethanol in combination with the composition according to the present invention in the test dose of 1 g / kg the data have been obtained which prove the results of the previous experiment ( see table 4 ). under conditions of free choice between 15 % ethanol and water ( control group ) and between a 15 % ethanol with the composition according to the present invention and water after 1 . 5 and 3 months of consumption the activity of alcoholdehydrogenase was studied prior to and after deprivation . the results thus obtained are shown in table 5 . therefore , the composition additive according to the present invention decelerates oxidation of ethanol in the liver by inhibiting activity of alcoholdehydrogenase . observations were carried out to study the lipoid and carbohydrate metabolism in animals upon administration of the composition according to the present invention against the background of a 3 - and 6 - months &# 39 ; alcoholization . table 4__________________________________________________________________________activity of alcoholdehydrogenase in blood serum and liverupon administration of a 15 % ethanol in combinationwith the composition according to the present invention orally for 1 . 5months activity of alcohol - activity of alcohol - dehydrogenase dehydrogenase according in blood serum by to bonischoen method ethanol in the skursky method serum liver blood mm / min / l mm / min / l mm / min / l μm / ml__________________________________________________________________________ 15 % ethanol 3 . 1 ± 1 . 17 3 . 15 ± 0 . 14 47 . 02 ± 1 . 91 16 . 21 ± 1 . 4 15 % ethanol + 2 . 63 ± 0 . 49 2 . 86 ± 0 . 05 37 . 4 ± 1 . 61 21 . 87 ± 2 . 5 composition of this invention composition of 2 . 76 ± 0 . 33 2 . 21 ± 0 . 05 34 . 39 ± 2 . 6 4 . 32 ± 0 . 4 this invention ( aqueous solu - tion 1 : 50 ) physiological 2 . 51 ± 0 . 29 2 . 51 ± 0 . 06 40 . 5 ± 3 . 29 4 . 9 ± 0 . 6 solution intact 2 . 6 ± 0 . 33 2 . 46 ± 0 . 09 40 . 51 ± 1 . 3 4 . 14 ± 0 . 3__________________________________________________________________________ table 5______________________________________activity of alcoholdehydrogenase at a freechoice of the test solutions activity of alcohol - dehydrogenase , mm / min / l 1 . 5 months 3 months of consumption of consumption prior to after prior to after depriva - depriva - depriva - depriva - tion tion tion tion______________________________________1 . 15 % ethanol 2 . 7 ± 3 . 61 ± 2 . 64 ± 4 . 3 ± 0 . 26 0 . 48 0 . 27 0 . 632 . 15 % ethanol + 1 . 87 ± 3 . 35 ± 3 . 95 ± 2 . 63 ± composition of 0 . 22 0 . 44 0 . 66 0 . 49 this invention3 . intact 4 . 33 ± 4 . 79 ± 2 . 2 ± 3 . 08 ± 1 . 08 0 . 64 0 . 28 0 . 58______________________________________ to this end , over the period of 3 and 6 months the rats were intragastrically administered with 2 ml of the hereinbelow - specified solutions per 100 g of the bodymass . in the control : group 1 -- distilled water ; group ii -- 15 % ethanol ; group iii -- 15 % ethanol containing a 5 % composition according to the present invention ; group iv -- aqueous solution of the composition according to the prevent invention . the results thus obtained are shown in tables 6 , 7 , 8 and 9 hereinabelow . then we have carried out pharmacological tests of the composition according to the present invention as an agent for improving general resistance of the organism . for this purpose the effect of the composition according to the present invention on the heat - resistance of rats has been studied . ( i ) overheating of nondescript female rats ( 60 animals ) is effected by irradiation with an uhf - field by means of an instrument for a microwave therapy with the frequency of 2 , 375 mhz - 17 ma for 10 days once a day over the period of 4 days . the test composition is administered in the dose of 2 . 5 ml / kg ( intragastrically in all series of experiments ) for 5 days before the beginning of irradiation and , on the day of experiment , one hour before irradiation . the death rate of rats is assessed after a 4 - times &# 39 ; irradiation . it has been found that during one day after the last irradiation in the control group 22 % of the animals died , whereas among the rats administered with the composition according to the present invention the death rate was 11 % ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ). ( 2 ) overheating of male rats of the wistar line is effected in a thermostatted cabinet at the temperature of 43 ° c . the test composition in the dose of 2 . 5 ml / kg is administered for the preventive purposes over the period of 20 days . the rectal temperature and death rate of the animals are assessed . it has been found that in the control group 76 % of the animals ( 28 animals out of 37 ) died , while against the background of the composition according to the present invention 56 % of the rats died ( 22 rats out of 39 ; p & lt ; 0 . 001 ). the composition provided no effect on the rectal temperature . ( 3 ) under the same conditions of overheating of male rats of the wistar line the composition according to the present invention is administered prophylactically over 48 days in the dose of 1 ml / kg . it has been found that in the control group 54 % of rats ( 30 animals out of 55 ) died , while upon overheating against the background of a long - time administration of the composition according to the present invention the death rate was 42 % ( 24 rats out of 57 ; p & lt ; 0 . 001 ). table 6__________________________________________________________________________variation of the content of neutral lipoids in the liver of rats fed withthe solutionsfor 3 months ( in % of the total lipoids , m ± m ) groups of animals iii iv aqueous solution 15 % ethanol + of the compo - composition i ii sition of this of this v control distillate invention invention 15 % ethanol__________________________________________________________________________cholesterol esters 14 , 5 ± 1 . 10 14 . 5 ± 0 . 49 . sup . 12 . 5 ± 0 . 93 . sup . 1 . sup . 12 . 5 ± 0 . 48 . sup . 1 15 . 0 ± 1 . 21 % of variation 100 86 86 103triglycerides 13 . 6 ± 0 . 55 . sup . 17 . 2 ± 1 . 11 . sup . 2 . sup . 20 . 1 + 0 . 84 . sup . 3 . sup . 20 . 6 + 1 . 77 . sup . 3 . sup . 20 . 1 + 1 . 04 . sup . 3 % of variation 127 148 151 148free fat acids 12 . 8 ± 1 . 60 12 . 8 ± 0 . 48 12 . 3 ± 0 . 50 11 . 5 ± 0 . 53 . sup . 10 . 6 ± 0 . 92 . sup . 1 % of variation 100 96 90 83cholesterol 16 . 6 ± 0 . 9 17 . 2 ± 0 . 63 16 . 1 ± 0 . 91 . sup . 14 . 2 ± 0 . 67 . sup . 1 15 . 3 ± 1 . 22 % of variation 104 97 86 92residual fraction 32 . 5 ± 1 . 05 38 . 3 ± 0 . 97 39 . 0 ± 1 . 02 41 . 2 ± 1 . 30 39 . 0 ± 1 . 00__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; . sup . 2 p & lt ; 0 . 02 ; . sup . 3 p & lt ; 0 . 01 p -- probability table 7__________________________________________________________________________variation of the content of neutral lipoids in the liver of rats fed withthesolutions for 6 months ( in % of the total lipoids , m ± m ) groups of animals iii iv 15 % ethanol + aqueous solu - composition tion of the i ii of this compositionneutral lipoids control distillate 15 % ethanol invention of the invention__________________________________________________________________________cholesterol esters 16 . 9 ± 0 . 69 16 . 52 ± 0 . 70 16 . 62 ± 0 . 35 16 . 74 ± 0 . 27 15 . 81 ± 0 . 14 % of variation 99 100 100 95triglycerides 15 . 16 ± 0 . 21 13 . 88 ± 0 . 12 . sup . 18 . 19 ± 0 . 26 . sup . 1 . sup . 14 . 18 ± 0 . 22 . sup . 1 . sup . 13 . 64 ± 0 . 42 . sup . 1 % of variation 92 120 94 90free fatty acids 16 . 67 ± 0 . 48 17 . 21 ± 0 . 11 . sup . 14 . 0 ± 0 . 39 . sup . 1 17 . 30 ± 0 . 37 18 . 66 ± 0 . 88 % of variation 103 84 104 112cholesterol 17 . 28 ± 0 . 26 17 . 07 ± 0 . 16 16 . 61 ± 0 . 69 16 . 72 ± 0 . 89 17 . 06 ± 0 . 19 % of variation 99 96 97 99residual fraction 33 . 93 ± 0 . 40 35 . 38 ± 0 . 74 34 . 58 ± 0 . 47 35 . 06 ± 0 . 52 34 . 83 ± 0 . 61__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; . sup . 2 p & lt ; 0 . 02 table 8__________________________________________________________________________variation of activity of lysosomal hydrolases in the liver of rats uponconsumption of ethanol and the composition of this invention for 3monthsand 6 months ( nanomol / ml / min , m ± m ) 3 months 6 monthsgroups of animals β - glycosidase β - galactosidase β - glucosidase β - galactosidase__________________________________________________________________________ control 0 . 47 ± 0 . 04 0 . 33 ± 0 . 01 0 . 49 ± 0 . 05 0 . 35 ± 0 . 011 . distillate 0 . 43 ± 0 . 01 0 . 35 ± 0 . 01 0 . 54 ± 0 . 08 0 . 43 ± 0 . 02 % of variation 91 106 110 78 of the controlii . 15 % ethanol 0 . 58 ± 0 . 08 . sup . 1 0 . 37 ± 0 . 04 . sup . 0 . 87 ± 0 . 09 . sup . 2 . sup . 0 . 86 ± 0 . 06 . sup . 3 % of variation 123 112 178 247 of the controliii . 15 % ethanol + 0 . 50 ± 0 . 05 0 . 35 ± 0 . 06 . sup . 0 . 66 ± 0 . 08 . sup . 1 0 . 26 ± 0 . 01 composition of this invention % of variation of 106 106 135 75 the controliv . aqueous solution of 0 . 40 ± 0 . 02 0 . 31 ± 0 . 03 0 . 38 ± 0 . 05 . sup . 0 . 25 ± 0 . 01 . sup . 1 composition of this invention % of variation of the 85 94 78 70 control__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; . sup . 2 p & lt ; 0 . 01 ; . sup . 3 p & lt ; 0 . 001 table 9__________________________________________________________________________variation of the content of carbohydrate - containing biopolymers in theliver ofrats fed with ethanol and with the composition of the invention for 3monthsand 6 months ( mg %, m ± m ) groups of 3 months 6 monthsanimals hexoses hexosamines hexoses hexosamines__________________________________________________________________________ control 26 . 68 ± 1 . 54 . sup . 32 . 53 ± 2 . 37 26 . 26 + 1 . 43 49 . 00 ± 1 . 76 distillate 18 . 67 ± 1 . 12 . sup . 1 29 . 60 ± 2 . 52 20 . 45 ± 1 . 72 . sup . 68 . 53 ± 6 . 97 . sup . 2 % of variation 70 91 78 140 of the control aqueous solution 33 . 35 ± 2 . 73 . sup . 1 36 . 02 ± 1 . 47 28 . 91 ± 1 . 34 102 . 43 ± 7 . 63 . sup . 3 of the composition of this invention % of variation of 125 111 110 209 the control 15 % ethanol + com - 18 . 43 ± 1 . 27 . sup . 1 28 . 10 ± 2 . 65 . sup . 19 . 71 ± 1 . 10 . sup . 1 . sup . 84 . 72 + 4 . 21 . sup . 3 position of this invention % of variation 69 86 75 173 of the control 15 % ethanol 16 . 67 ± 1 . 22 . sup . 1 . sup . 25 . 84 ± 1 . 77 . sup . 1 . sup . 16 . 32 ± 1 . 00 . sup . 2 . sup . 30 . 22 ± 5 . 41 . sup . 2 % of variation 62 79 62 62 of the control__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; . sup . 2 p & lt ; 0 . 01 ; . sup . 3 p & lt ; 0 . 001 ( 4 ) overheating of male rats of the wistar line was effected in much the same manner . the test composition was administered in the dose of 1 ml / kg 50 minutes prior to overheating . the overheating duration is 40 minutes and 2 hours . the animals were killed by decapitation . tested were : the content of glycogen ( herein and in other cases -- by the zeifter method ); activity of hexokinase and glucose - 6 - phosphatedehydrogenase ( herein and in other cases -- by the formation of nicotinamidedinucleotidephosphoric acid ( nadpxh ). it has been found that in overheating of the rats for 40 minutes the composition inhibited the drop of the content of glycogen , as well as of the activity of hexokinase and glucoso - 6 - phosphatedehydrogenase in the liver ( see table 10 hereinbelow ). upon overheating for 2 hours the test composition provided no effect on the level of the studied parameters . overcooling of male rats of the wistar line was caused by placing the animals into a refrigerator chamber at a temperature of 5 ° c . for 1 and 2 hours . the composition according to the present invention was administered in the dose of 1 ml / kg 60 minutes before cooling . it has been found that upon overcooling of rats during the first hour there is observed as decrease of glycogen stock in the liver , as well as lowering of activity of hexokinase and glucoso - 6 - phosphatedehydrogenase in this organ . a preliminary administration of the composition according to the present invention to the animals inhibited lowering of the studied parameters ( see table 11 ). upon a 2 - hours &# 39 ; cooling the composition according to the present invention provided no protective effect . the effect of the composition according to the present invention on animals &# 39 ; resistance to a muscular fatigue has been also studied . to this end : ( 1 ) experiments are carried out on non - descript male mice with a mass of 28 - 33 g . the test composition is administered enterally by means of a probe to three groups of animals in three doses : 0 . 1 , 0 . 15 , 0 . 22 ml / 20 g one hour prior to the muscular work . the control animals are carried out on an &# 34 ; endless rope &# 34 ; apparatus . the duration of mice run along a vertical downwardly moving rope till a complete exhaustion was assessed . the dose of the composition extending the duration of mice run by 33 % was found by graphical plotting . activity of the studied composition was expressed in conditional units -- stimulant effect units ( seu 33 ). as a result of tests it has been found that the muscular workability of mice was increasing proportional to the dose of the extract . table 10______________________________________effect of the composition according to the presentinvention on variation of glycogen ( mg %), hexokinase ( μmol of nadpxh / min / g of the tissue ), glucoso - 6 - phos - phatedehydrogenase ( μmol nadpxh / min / g of the tissue ) upon overheating ( 45 ° c .) glucoso - 6 - phosphatede - group of animals glycogen hexokinase hydrogenase______________________________________40 minutes of overheating1 . normal 3 , 226 + 148 0 . 42 + 0 . 025 1 . 80 + 0 . 612 . overheating 387 + 209 0 . 34 + 0 . 19 1 . 57 + 0 . 095 p & lt ; 0 . 005 p & lt ; 0 . 020 p & lt ; 0 . 0503 . overheating + 2 , 968 + 121 0 . 40 + 0 . 18 1 . 71 + 0 . 077 composition p & lt ; 0 . 030 p & lt ; 0 . 030 p & lt ; 0 . 30 of the present invention2 hours of overheating1 . normal 4 , 628 + 207 0 . 50 + 0 . 019 1 . 56 + 0 . 0582 . overheating 2 , 175 + 271 0 . 31 + 0 . 027 1 . 17 + 0 . 095 p & lt ; 0 . 0001 p & lt ; 0 . 0001 p & lt ; 0 . 0033 . overheating + 2 , 869 + 219 0 . 29 + 0 . 020 1 . 04 + 0 . 081 composition p & lt ; 0 . 060 according to the present invention______________________________________ p in comparison of groups 1 - 2 and groups 2 - 3 upon administration of the composition according to the present invention in the maximum dose ( 0 . 22 ml / kg ) the workability increased by 41 % as compared to the control ( see table 12 hereinbelow ). ( 2 ) as a model of an experimental influence swimming of rats was used ( herein and in other cases -- male rats of the wistar line ) at the temperature of water of 30 ° c . the composition according to the present invention was administered to mice in the dose of 10 ml / kg one hour prior to the swimming . the ultimate duration of swimming was assessed ( i . e . swimming till exhaustion ). it has been found that the rats &# 39 ; swimming duration in the control was 392 . 6 ± 29 . 0 minutes , whereas against the background of the composition according to the present invention it was 519 . 4 ± 40 . 0 minutes , i . e . by 32 % longer ( p = 0 . 023 ). ( 3 ) the composition according to the present invention was administered one hour before the swimming in the dose of 1 ml / kg , whereafter the animals were allowed to swim for 15 minutes or 2 hours . the state of the animals was judged by the content of glycogen , activity of hexokinase and glucoso - 6 - phosphatedehydrogenase in the liver . it has been shown that the swimming of rats for both time limits specified hereinabove caused a decrease of glycogen content in the liver and lowering of the activity of hexokinase and glucoso - 6 - phosphatedehydrogenase . a preliminary administration of the composition according to the present invention inhibited the decrease of the studied parameters after a 2 - hours &# 39 ; swimming , but did not affect their level after a 15 - minutes &# 39 ; muscular load ( see table 13 ). ( 4 ) the composition according to the present invention was administered one hour before a 15 - minutes &# 39 ; swimming . the content of cyclic adepasinemonophosphate in adrenal glands , the content of cyclic guanosinemonophosphate in adrenal glands and in the liver was determined by the radioimmune method by means of sets ammerscham . a number of rats from the test and control groups were allowed to rest after swimming for one hour , whereafter the same characteristics were studied in them too . the swimming of rats caused elevation of the level of cyclic adepasinemonophosphate and cyclic guanosinemonophosphate in adrenal glands , as well as reduction of the content of cyclic guanosinemonophosphate in the liver ( acute stress at an energy supply at the account of glycolysis ). after the animals &# 39 ; rest for one hour the level of cyclic adepasinemonophosphate and that of cyclic guanosinemonophosphate were turned to normal values . the composition according to the present invention provided no effect on the content of cyclic adepasinemonophosphate and cyclic guanosinemonophosphate in adrenal glands , but the biosynthesis of cyclic guanosinemonophosphate in the liver one hour after swimming came to its normal values ( see table 14 hereinbelow ). the composition according to the present invention was also studied for resistance of rats to hypokinesia which was induced by keeping animals in individual cell - cages for 2 days . the test composition was administered during the entire period of hypokinesia in the dose of 1 ml / kg twice a day . as a result of hypokinesia a reduction of glycogen stock in the liver was observed along with a decrease of concentration of cholesterol in adrenal glands and lowering of the activity of alcoholdehydrogenase ( as determined by the method suggested by schleisinger et al ., 1966 ). in the animals administered with the composition according to the present invention the reduction of the studied parameters after hypokinesia was less pronounced ( see table 15 hereinbelow ). we have also studied the effect produced by the composition according to the present invention on resistance of animals to different chemical factors . ( 1 ) as a model of an injuring effect a hexenal narcosis was used . the composition according to the present invention was administered to rats in the doses of 2 . 5 , 5 . 0 , 10 . 0 ml / kg ; 2 hours thereafter hexenal was administered intraperitoneally in the dose of 19 . 8 mg / 100 g . the duration of the side posture state of the animals was assessed . it has been found that the duration of the hexenal narcosis of the control rats was 90 . 6 ± 3 . 9 minutes , while against the background of the composition according to the present invention administered in the dose of 2 . 5 mg / kg it was 85 . 5 ± 5 . 4 min , in the dose of 5 . 0 ml / kg - 75 . 7 ± 3 . 1 min ( 83 . 6 %, p = 0 . 009 ), in the dose of 10 . 0 ml / kg - 72 . 9 ± 3 . 7 ( 80 . 5 %, p = 0 . 005 ) that is , the composition according to the present invention exerted an awakening dose - depending effect . ( 2 ) in experiments on mice narcosis was caused by means of sodium thiopental in three doses : 62 . 5 , 75 . 0 and 100 mg / kg intraperitoneally . the composition according to the present invention was introduced in the dose of 10 . 0 ml / kg two hours before the injection of thiopental . the speed of occurrence of the side posture was determined , as well as the duration of the side posture period and the death rate of the animals was assessed . it has been found that out of the mice administered with thiopental ( 62 . 5 mg / kg ) against the background of the composition according to the present invention the side posture was acquired by 22 % of the animals , whereas in the control ( thiopental )-- 100 % of the mice ( p = 0 . 001 ). the duration of the side posture period in the control was 53 . 5 minutes , in the experiment -- 120 minutes ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). in the group of mice administered with thiopental in the dose of 75 mg / kg 28 % of the animals died , whereas in the group of rats administered with thiopental against the background of the composition according to the present invention 12 . 5 % of the animals died ( p & lt ; 0 . 001 ). in the control group the side posture period lasted for 30 . 0 ± 0 . 0 minutes , whereas against the background of the composition according to the present invention -- 260 ± 0 . 0 minutes ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). the death rate of the animals in both groups was the same . the composition according to the present invention has been also studied for certain aspects of carbohydrate metabolism . to this end : ( 1 ) in experiments on intact animals under conditions of a conventional feeding diet the composition according to the present invention was administered twice a day over 5 days . in this and subsequent series of experiments the concentration of glucose in blood was determined by the anthrone method , the content of glycogen in the liver -- by the zeifter method . it has been found that a 5 - days &# 39 ; administration of the composition according to the present invention to intact animals caused a certain increase of sugar concentrations in blood and of glycogen in the liver ( see table 16 ). ( 2 ) the study of carbohydrate metabolism has been performed on rats subjected to starvation for 18 or 48 hours . the test composition was administered in the dose of 1 mg / kg 1 hour prior to slaughter of the animals . the content of sugar in blood , the level of insulin in blood serum were determined by the radioimmune method . it has been shown that a 18 - hours &# 39 ; starvation of rats has caused reduction of the glycemia level . the test composition inhibited reduction of the sugar content in blood ( see table 16 ). the rats &# 39 ; starvation for 48 hours has caused a certain reduction of the sugar content on blood and glycogen content in the liver . this was accompanied by a lowered concentration of insulin in blood serum . in a preliminary 5 - days &# 39 ; administration of the composition according to the present invention to the animals only a trend was observed towards preservation of a previous level of sugar in blood and of glycogen in the liver . in this case the content of insulin in blood was certainly higher than in the control ( subjected to starvation ) animals ( see table 16 hereinbelow ). ( 3 ) the effect of the composition according to the present invention on the carbohydrate metabolism was studied on rats fed with an excessive diet . the composition was administered in the dose of 1 ml / kg 1 hour before slaughter . under conditions of an excessive diet of the rats the studied extract provided no effect on the concentration of sugar in blood , but it certainly increased the content of glycogen in the liver and reduced the level of insulin in blood ( see table 16 hereinbelow ). we have studied antioxidation properties of the composition according to the present invention . to this end , in order to activate a peroxy oxidation of lipoids , in rats of the wistar line ( 40 animals ) stress was caused by suspending them by the neck skin fold for 24 hours . the test group of animals was administered once with the composition of the present invention in the dose of 1 ml / kg prior to suspending . the accumulation of lipoid peroxides in the liver was assessed by the concentration of malonic dialdehyde in this organ . it has been found that the composition according to the present invention caused no changes in the content of malonic dialdehyde in the liver of intact rats . in the rats underwent the stress treatment the content of malonic dialdehyde in the liver increased by 6 times , whereas in the case of stress against the background of the composition according to the present invention the rate of accumulation of malonic dialdehyde was noticeably smaller ( normal -- 86 . 5 ± 29 . 0 ; stress -- 452 ± 20 ; stress + composition according to the present invention -- 296 ± 15 ; p = 0 . 001 ). we have also studied biochemical characteristics of human beings administered with the composition according to the present invention against the background of alcoholization . under clinical conditions the effect of the composition according to the present invention on the rate of elimination of ethanol from blood and on activity of blood alcoholdehydrogenase , as well as on activity characteristics of lysosomal hydrolases , the level of protein - combined hexosoamines and on fractions of neutral lipoids was studied . the first group of patients who took part in the studies consisted of persons suffering from chronic alcoholism and subjected to a stationary treatment ; the second group was composed of persons belonging to the mongoloid race genetically intolerant to alcohol ; the third group -- substantially healthy europoids who did not abuse alcohol . table 11______________________________________effect of the composition of this invention on variation ofthe content of glycogen ( mg %) and activity of hexokinase ( μmol nadpxh / min / g of the tissue ) and glucoso - 6 - phosphate - dehydrogenase ( μmol / nadpxh / min / g of the tissue ) in the liverof rats upon overcooling ( 5 ° c .) glucoso - 6 - phosphate - group of animals glycogen hexokinase dehydrogenase______________________________________1 hour of overcooling1 normal 4109 + 195 0 . 51 + 0 . 017 1 . 62 + 0 . 0782 overcooling 2794 + 207 0 . 41 + 0 . 022 1 . 20 + 0 . 101 p & lt ; 0 . 0001 p & lt ; 0 . 003 p & gt ; 0 . 0043 overcooling + p & lt ; 0 . 020 p & lt ; 0 . 020 composition of this invention2 hours of overcooling1 normal 3078 + 189 0 . 63 + 0 . 017 1 . 57 + 0 . 0752 overcooling 1754 + 237 0 . 47 + 0 . 028 1 . 27 + 0 . 103 p & lt ; 0 . 001 p & lt ; 0 . 0001 p & lt ; 0 . 0373 overcooling + 1908 + 226 0 . 44 + 0 . 022 1 . 41 + 0 . 091 composition of this invention______________________________________ p in comparison of groups 1 - 2 and 2 - 3 . table 12______________________________________stimulant effect of the composition of this inventionon duration of the muscular workability of mice in an &# 34 ; endless rope &# 34 ; apparatus duration of the run of the micegroup of animals minutes % p______________________________________physiological 27 . 0 ± 2 . 1 100solution ( 13 ) composition of theinvention 0 . 1 ml / 20 g ( 10 ) 30 . 0 + 1 . 8 111 0 . 50 . 15 ml / 20 g ( 11 ) 32 . 0 + 2 . 8 118 0 . 50 . 22 ml / 20 g ( 15 ) 38 . 0 + 2 . 7 141 0 . 001______________________________________ note : shown in brackets is the number of animals . table 13______________________________________effect of the composition of this invention on thecontent of glycogen ( mg %) and activity of hexokinase ( μmol nadpxh / min / g of the tissue ) and glucoso - 6 - phos - phatedehydrogenase ( μumol nadpxh / min / g of the tis - sue ) in the liver of rats in swimming ( water tem - perature 30 - 32 ° c .) glucoso - 6 - group of phosphatede - animals glycogen hexokinase hydrogenase1 2 3 4______________________________________swimming for 15 minutes1 normal 4216 + 216 0 . 50 + 0 . 019 1 . 44 + 0 . 0682 swimming 2993 + 278 0 . 31 + 0 . 029 1 . 01 + 0 . 094 p & lt ; 0 . 002 p & lt ; 0 . 001 p & lt ; 0 . 0103 swimming + 2902 + 202 0 . 35 + 0 . 015 0 . 98 + 0 . 101 composition of the inventionswimming for 60 minutes1 normal 3511 + 201 0 . 54 + 0 . 025 1 . 51 + 0 . 0752 swimming 2633 + 163 0 . 37 + 0 . 024 1 . 13 + 0 . 095 p & lt ; 0 . 004 p & lt ; 0 . 0001 p & lt ; 0 . 0083 swimming + 3089 + 133 0 . 44 + 0 . 021 1 . 39 + 0 . 071 composition of p & lt ; 0 . 040 p & lt ; 0 . 040 p & lt ; 0 . 040 this invention______________________________________ p in comparison of groups 1 - 2 and 2 - 3 table 14______________________________________effect of the composition of this invention on thecontent of camp in adrenal glands , cgmp in adrenalglands and liver of rats after a muscular load and restgroup of camp , pmol cgmp , pmolanimals adrenal glands adrenal glands liver1 2 3 4______________________________________1 intact 8 . 5 + 0 . 55 ( 7 ) 0 . 09 + 0 . 01 ( 7 ) 0 . 22 + 0 . 67 ( 7 ) 2 swimming 17 . 9 + 1 . 8 ( 7 ) 0 . 30 + 0 . 04 ( 7 ) 0 . 14 + 15 minutes p & lt ; 0 . 05 p & lt ; 0 . 001 0 . 035 ( 7 ) 3 swimming 8 . 1 + 0 . 63 ( 6 ) 0 . 18 + 0 . 02 ( 7 ) 0 . 059 + for 15 min p & lt ; 0 . 05 p & lt ; 0 . 001 0 . 045 ( 6 ) and rest p & lt ; 0 . 001 for 1 h4 swimming 17 . 3 + 1 . 87 ( 7 ) 0 . 25 + 0 . 06 ( 6 ) 0 . 25 + for 15 min 0 . 06 ( 6 ) and the composition of this invention5 swimming 9 . 0 + 0 . 65 ( 6 ) 0 . 14 + 0 . 01 ( 7 ) 0 . 136 + for 15 min + p & lt ; 0 . 05 0 . 009 ( 7 ) composition p & lt ; 0 . 0001 of this in - vention and rest for 1 hour______________________________________ table 15______________________________________effect of the composition of this invention on thecontent of cholesterol in adrenal glands ( mg / g ), thecontent of glycogen ( mg %) and activity of alcoholde - hydrogenase ( μmol nadp × h / min / g of the tissue ) in theliver of rats under hypokinesia ( 2 days ) alcoholdehyro - group of animals cholesterol glycogen genase1 2 3 4______________________________________1 normal 44 + 1 . 6 3975 + 222 5 . 04 + 0 . 2342 hypokinesia 96 + 2 . 4 2862 + 251 5 . 90 + 0 . 250 p & lt ; 0 . 01 p & lt ; 0 . 004 p & lt ; 0 . 023 hypokinesia + p & lt ; 0 . 03 p & lt ; 0 . 04 p & lt ; 0 . 01 composition of this invention______________________________________ p in comparison of groups 1 - 2 and 2 - 3 table 16______________________________________effect of the composition of this invention onsome parameters of the carbohydrate metabolism in ratsgroup of blood sugar , liver gly - blood insulin , animals mg % cogen , mg % μun / ml1 2 3 4______________________________________normal diet of ratsnormal 91 . 0 + 2 . 7 ( 9 ) 4966 + -- 406 ( 9 ) composition 100 . 5 + 6071 + -- of this in - 1 . 78 . sup . x ( 13 ) 250 . sup . x ( 10 ) ventionstarvation for 18 hoursnormal diet ( 10 ) 106 . 8 + 3 . 7 -- -- starvation ( 8 ) 83 . 8 + 2 . 0 . sup . x -- -- starvation + 106 . 0 + 4 . 2 . sup . x -- -- 1 ml / kgof composition ofthis invention30 minutes beforeslaughtering ( 10 ) starvation for 40 hoursnormal diet ( 10 ) 116 . 5 + 5 . 0 5059 + 452 17 . 56 + 1 . 12starvation ( 10 ) 86 . 0 + 5 . 0 . sup . x 495 + 257 . sup . x 9 . 56 + 0 . 69starvation + 91 . 0 + 5 . 0 593 + 151 14 . 5 + 1 . 0 . sup . xcomposition ofthis inventionexcessive diet of ratswithout composi - 119 . 0 + 4 . 3 4966 + 406 22 . 8 + 2 . 3sition of thisinvention ( 10 ) composition of this 122 . 3 + 2 . 7 6071 + 250 . sup . x 17 . 3 + 1 . 19 . sup . xinvention______________________________________ . sup . x p & lt ; 0 . 05 , composition of this invention is administered intragastrically in the dos of 1 ml / kg twice a day over 5 days . shown in brackets is the number of animals . table 17__________________________________________________________________________activity of β - galactosidase in blood serum of volunteers ( nanomol / ml / min , m ± m ) __________________________________________________________________________ aqueous solution of the composition 40 % ethanol of this inventionno . groups background 1 hour 2 hours 4 hours background i hour1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8__________________________________________________________________________1 healthy europeoids 5 . 95 ± 0 . 62 6 . 66 ± 0 . 21 19 . 94 ± 1 . 22 . sup . 3 35 . 57 ± 1 . 63 . sup . 3 5 . 72 ± 0 . 19 5 . 09 ± 0 . 27 % of variation 112 335 598 892 . mongoloids 5 . 77 ± 0 . 94 5 . 92 ± 0 . 68 12 . 15 ± 0 . 87 . sup . 3 12 . 61 ± 0 . 98 . sup . 3 6 . 89 ± 0 . 47 6 . 30 ± 0 . 33 % of variation 103 211 219 913 . alcoholism 8 . 79 ± 0 . 67 21 . 92 ± 0 . 94 . sup . 3 7 . 98 ± 0 . 20 10 . 46 ± 0 . 91 . sup . 1 11 . 72 ± 0 . 72 11 . 95 ± 0 . 83 suffering patients % of variation 249 91 122 102__________________________________________________________________________ aqueous solution of the composition of this invention nn 40 % ethanol + composition of this inventionno . groups 2 hours 4 hours background i hour 2 hours 4 hours1 2 9 10 11 12 13 14__________________________________________________________________________1 healthy europeoids . sup . 4 . 06 ± 0 . 44 . sup . 1 6 . 85 ± 0 . 48 . sup . 1 5 . 90 ± 0 . 42 5 . 78 ± 0 . 54 6 . 55 ± 0 . 42 18 . 0 ± 1 . 6 . sup . 3 % of variation 71 120 98 111 3052 . mongoloids 6 . 87 ± 0 . 57 7 . 50 ± 0 . 44 . sup . 6 . 33 ± 0 . 44 9 . 39 ± 0 . 71 9 . 23 ± 0 . 84 16 . 4 ± 1 . 5 . sup . % of variation 99 109 148 146 2593 . alcoholism 13 . 94 ± 0 . 85 24 . 26 ± 1 . 58 . sup . 3 10 . 45 ± 0 . 39 15 . 15 ± 0 . 72 . sup . 2 14 . 00 ± 0 . 86 . sup . 2 12 . 8 ± 0 . 9 . sup . 2 suffering patients % of variation 119 207 145 134 122__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 p & lt ; 0 . 05 . sup . 2 p & lt ; 0 . 01 . sup . 3 p & lt ; 0 . 001 table 18__________________________________________________________________________variation of the content of hexosamines in human blood serum ( mg %), m ± m__________________________________________________________________________groups of 1 . healthy europeoids ii healthy mongoloidsnn volunteers background i hour 2 hours 4 hours background i hour1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8__________________________________________________________________________1 . 40 % ethanol 72 . 57 ± 3 . 55 66 . 93 ± 4 . 10 66 . 00 ± 2 . 51 . sup . 61 . 20 ± 2 . 62 48 . 93 ± 3 . 31 46 . 40 ± 1 . 72 . sup . % of variation vs . 92 91 85 95 the background2 . 40 % ethanol + 53 . 33 ± 2 . 39 50 . 40 ± 3 . 85 42 . 53 ± 1 . 79 . sup . 2 50 . 53 ± 3 . 27 84 . 60 ± 3 . 70 63 . 20 ± 1 . 21 . sup . 3 composition of this invention % of variation vs . 95 80 95 75 the background3 . composition 72 . 16 ± 4 . 01 94 . 13 ± 3 . 92 93 . 44 ± 4 . 04 . sup . 3 . sup . 87 . 52 ± 1 . 90 . sup . 2 36 . 68 ± 3 . 71 45 . 21 ± 3 . 00 . sup . 1 of this invention % of variation vs . 131 130 122 127 the background__________________________________________________________________________groups of ii healthy mongoloids iii . alcoholism - suffering patientsnn volunteers 2 hours 4 hours background i hour 2 hours 4 hours1 2 9 10 11 12 13 14__________________________________________________________________________1 . 40 % ethanol 48 . 64 ± 2 . 93 53 . 20 ± 3 . 75 68 . 30 ± 2 . 76 . sup . 56 . 06 ± 2 . 81 . sup . 1 54 . 64 ± 3 . 43 . sup . 1 . sup . 57 . 37 ± 3 . 32 . sup . 1 % of variation vs . 99 109 82 80 84 the background2 . 40 % ethanol + 100 . 64 ± 3 . 70 . sup . 2 93 . 33 ± 4 . 22 75 . 94 ± 4 . 41 73 . 71 ± 3 . 10 66 . 97 ± 5 . 37 . sup . 70 . 42 ± 4 . 16 composition of this invention % of variation vs . 119 110 97 88 93 the background3 . composition . sup . 53 . 20 ± 1 . 52 . sup . 1 . sup . 53 . 20 ± 2 . 74 . sup . 3 60 . 11 ± 4 . 81 62 . 27 ± 3 . 15 69 . 94 ± 3 . 00 . sup . 1 60 . 23 ± 3 . 30 of this invention % of variation vs . 149 149 103 116 100 the background__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 p & lt ; 0 . 05 . sup . 2 p & lt ; 0 . 01 . sup . 3 p & lt ; 0 . 001 table 19__________________________________________________________________________variation of the content of fractions of neutral lipoids in human bloodserum ofpersons consumed 40 % ethanol ( in % of the total lipoids , m__________________________________________________________________________ ± m ) i group ii groupnn i 2 4 background i hour1 fractions background hour hours hours 7 8__________________________________________________________________________1 . cholesterol 21 . 72 ± 1 . 81 . sup . 27 . 03 ± 1 . 32 . sup . 1 23 . 06 ± 1 . 15 23 . 95 ± 0 . 90 26 . 66 ± 1 . 19 27 . 89 ± 1 . 33 esters % of variation 125 106 110 1052 . triglycerides 17 . 40 ± 0 . 72 16 . 53 ± 0 . 97 19 . 11 ± 0 . 75 19 . 08 ± 0 . 78 17 . 45 ± 0 . 76 16 . 63 ± 0 . 86 % of variation 95 110 110 953 . free fatty acids 17 . 06 ± 0 . 65 16 . 88 ± 0 . 50 15 . 87 ± 0 . 42 17 . 24 ± 0 . 95 15 . 10 ± 0 . 47 16 . 57 ± 1 . 08 % of variation 99 93 101 1104 . cholesterol 19 . 64 ± 0 . 86 18 . 25 ± 0 . 87 19 . 04 ± 0 . 24 19 . 08 ± 0 . 48 18 . 54 ± 0 . 50 17 . 79 ± 0 . 26 % of variation 93 97 97 965 . residual 24 . 18 ± 0 . 52 24 . 29 ± 1 . 85 22 . 92 ± 0 . 73 20 . 65 ± 0 . 70 22 . 25 ± 0 . 31 21 . 12 ± 0 . 64 combined fraction__________________________________________________________________________ ii group iii groupnn 2 hours 4 hours background i hour 2 hours 4 hours1 fractions 9 10 11 12 13 14__________________________________________________________________________1 . cholesterol 21 . 22 ± 0 . 54 29 . 62 ± 1 . 44 25 . 90 ± 2 . 14 26 . 47 ± 2 . 16 22 . 66 ± 1 . 05 25 . 37 ± 2 . 48 esters % of variation 80 111 102 88 982 . triglycerides 16 . 48 ± 0 . 71 19 . 02 ± 0 . 22 15 . 28 ± 1 . 05 15 . 40 ± 0 . 76 16 . 37 ± 0 . 69 15 . 92 ± 1 . 24 % of variation 94 110 101 107 1053 . free fatty acids . sup . 18 . 45 ± 0 . 57 . sup . 2 13 . 87 ± 1 . 15 15 . 29 ± 1 . 35 18 . 64 ± 47 . sup . 1 . sup . 19 . 29 ± 16 . 69 ± 1 . 99 % of variation 122 92 122 126 1094 . cholesterol 20 . 04 ± 0 . 66 17 . 03 ± 0 . 71 17 . 94 ± 0 . 99 18 . 71 ± 1 . 74 21 . 65 ± 1 . 96 19 . 82 ± 0 . 71 % of variation 108 92 104 121 1115 . residual 23 . 75 ± 0 . 97 20 . 46 ± 0 . 93 25 . 60 ± 1 . 68 20 . 78 ± 0 . 81 20 . 03 ± 1 . 16 22 . 13 ± 1 . 29 combined fraction__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 p & lt ; 0 . 05 ; . sup . 2 p & lt ; 0 . 01 group i healthy europeoids ; group ii healthy mongoloids ; group iii alcoholismsuffering patients table 20__________________________________________________________________________variation of the content of fractions of neutral lipoids in human bloodserum of patients consumedaqueous solution of the composition of this invention ( in % of the totallipoids , m ± m ) __________________________________________________________________________ group i group iinn fractions background i hour 2 hours 4 hours background i hour1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8__________________________________________________________________________1 . cholesterol 23 . 07 ± 1 . 47 22 . 74 ± 2 . 10 23 . 44 ± 0 . 54 23 . 10 ± 0 . 89 23 . 12 ± 1 . 32 21 . 34 ± 1 . 38 esters % of variation 99 102 101 922 . triglycerides 17 . 24 ± 0 . 82 16 . 75 ± 0 . 67 20 . 49 ± 1 . 29 17 . 63 ± 0 . 75 16 . 79 ± 2 . 02 18 . 99 ± 0 . 47 % of variation 97 119 102 1133 . free fatty acids 16 . 14 ± 1 . 20 17 . 17 ± 0 . 39 16 . 85 ± 0 . 42 17 . 90 ± 0 . 63 17 . 77 ± 1 . 03 18 . 05 ± 0 . 48 % of variation 110 104 111 1024 . cholesterol 17 . 43 ± 1 . 57 18 . 69 ± 1 . 93 19 . 97 ± 0 . 54 17 . 89 ± 0 . 93 18 . 09 ± 0 . 60 20 . 33 ± 0 . 37 % of variation 107 115 103 1125 . residual 26 . 12 ± 2 . 30 24 . 05 ± 1 . 70 19 . 25 ± 0 . 74 23 . 48 ± 0 . 71 24 . 23 ± 1 . 60 21 . 29 ± 0 . 92 combined fraction__________________________________________________________________________ group ii group iiinn fractions 2 hours 3 hours background i hour 2 hours 3 hours1 2 9 10 11 12 13 14__________________________________________________________________________1 . cholesterol 23 . 59 ± 0 . 54 23 . 17 ± 0 . 46 22 . 49 ± 0 . 44 24 . 87 ± 0 . 54 24 . 43 ± 0 . 86 24 . 05 ± 0 . 62 esters % of variation 102 100 111 109 1072 . triglycerides 17 . 73 ± 0 . 33 18 . 08 ± 0 . 56 19 . 36 ± 1 . 0 17 . 16 ± 0 . 48 17 . 29 ± 0 . 39 17 . 58 ± 0 . 84 % of variation 106 108 89 89 913 . free fatty acids 16 . 41 ± 0 . 67 17 . 38 ± 0 . 56 17 . 77 ± 0 . 65 17 . 77 ± 0 . 55 17 . 76 ± 0 . 36 15 . 05 ± 0 . 99 % of variation 92 98 100 100 854 . cholesterol 20 . 51 ± 0 . 55 20 . 88 ± 0 . 44 19 . 37 ± 0 . 35 19 . 39 ± 0 . 43 18 . 46 ± 0 . 79 17 . 34 ± 0 . 49 % of variation 113 115 100 95 905 . residual 21 . 76 ± 0 . 46 20 . 49 ± 0 . 52 21 . 01 ± 0 . 61 20 . 81 ± 0 . 82 23 . 06 ± 1 . 10 25 . 90 ± 1 . 13 combined fraction__________________________________________________________________________ group i healthy europeoids , group ii healthy mongoloids , group iii alcoholism suffering patients . table 21__________________________________________________________________________variation of the content of fractions of neutral lipoids in human bloodserum of patients consumeda 40 % solution of ethanol ( in % of the total lipoids , m ± m ) with thecomposition of this invention__________________________________________________________________________ group 1 group iinn fractions background 1 hour 2 hours 4 hours background 1 hour1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8__________________________________________________________________________1 . cholesterol 24 . 35 ± 2 . 04 23 . 91 ± 0 . 67 22 . 04 ± 0 . 41 21 . 53 ± 0 . 68 22 . 30 ± 1 . 01 24 . 32 ± 0 . 55 esters % of variation 98 91 88 1092 . triglycerides 16 . 41 ± 0 . 71 18 . 14 ± 0 . 30 18 . 48 ± 1 . 24 . sup . 19 . 51 ± 0 . 69 . sup . 1 19 . 95 ± 1 . 71 18 . 15 ± 0 . 55 % of variation 111 113 119 913 . free fatty acids 15 . 96 ± 0 . 76 16 . 19 ± 0 . 57 16 . 30 ± 0 . 26 15 . 90 ± 0 . 24 16 . 12 ± 0 . 46 16 . 17 ± 1 . 10 % of variation 101 102 106 1004 . cholesterol 19 . 21 ± 0 . 86 18 . 87 ± 0 . 38 18 . 06 ± 0 . 84 20 . 06 ± 1 . 58 17 . 84 ± 0 . 28 18 . 02 ± 0 . 93 % of variation 98 94 104 1015 . residual 24 . 07 ± 1 . 93 22 . 89 ± 0 . 55 24 . 52 ± 1 . 61 22 . 94 ± 1 . 17 23 . 79 ± 2 . 03 23 . 34 ± 0 . 60 combined fraction__________________________________________________________________________ group ii group iiinn fractions 2 hours 4 hours background i hour 2 hours 4 hours1 2 9 10 11 12 13 14__________________________________________________________________________1 . cholesterol 23 . 15 ± 1 . 45 22 . 89 ± 0 . 70 24 . 60 ± 0 . 59 24 . 05 ± 0 . 62 24 . 26 ± 0 . 34 22 . 94 ± 0 . 90 esters % of variation 104 103 100 101 952 . triglycerides 18 . 87 ± 2 . 11 19 . 47 ± 0 . 28 17 . 05 ± 0 . 52 16 . 50 ± 0 . 56 17 . 43 ± 0 . 49 18 . 77 ± 0 . 66 % of variation 95 98 97 102 1103 . free fatty acids 15 . 83 ± 0 . 58 16 . 95 ± 0 . 84 15 . 95 ± 0 . 53 16 . 63 ± 0 . 41 17 . 00 ± 0 . 50 17 . 01 ± 0 . 52 % of variation 98 105 104 107 1074 . cholesterol 17 . 66 ± 0 . 89 19 . 22 ± 0 . 45 18 . 37 ± 0 . 73 17 . 85 ± 0 . 44 19 . 07 ± 0 . 42 19 . 89 ± 0 . 49 % of variation 99 108 97 104 1085 . residual 24 . 46 ± 1 . 45 21 . 47 ± 1 . 33 24 . 03 ± 0 . 79 24 . 97 ± 1 . 08 22 . 24 ± 1 . 20 21 . 39 ± 0 . 51 combined fraction__________________________________________________________________________ . sup . 1 p & lt ; 0 . 01 group 1 healthy europeoids ; group ii healthy mongoloids ; group iii alcoholismsuffering patients . table 22__________________________________________________________________________system adg - ethanol , in patients consumed solutions of ethanol andcomposition of this invention__________________________________________________________________________ 40 % ethanol + composition 40 % ethanol of this inventionnn fractions background i hour 2 hours 4 hours background i hour1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8__________________________________________________________________________1 . patients adg 0 . 46 ± 0 . 16 1 . 24 ± 0 . 56 1 . 83 ± 0 . 58 2 . 39 ± 0 . 66 2 . 28 ± 0 . 68 3 . 56 ± 0 . 662 . ethanol 0 0 . 27 ± 0 . 01 0 . 198 ± 0 . 023 0 . 113 ± 0 . 014 0 . 138 ± 0 . 0323 . mongoloids adg 2 . 81 ± 0 . 97 3 . 15 ± 0 . 67 3 . 17 ± 0 . 87 3 . 15 ± 0 . 89 1 . 74 ± 0 . 32 1 . 69 ± 0 . 314 . ethanol 0 . 012 ± 0 . 007 0 . 174 ± 0 . 033 0 . 188 ± 0 . 024 0 . 064 ± 0 . 028 0 0 . 206 ± 0 . 0235 . healthy adg 2 . 90 ± 0 . 58 1 . 73 ± 0 . 29 3 . 04 ± 0 . 42 0 . 52 ± 0 . 28 2 . 56 ± 0 . 23 1 . 78 ± 0 . 686 . europeoids ethanol 0 . 023 ± 0 . 002 0 . 263 ± 0 . 028 0 . 0124 ± 0 . 013 0 . 035 ± 0 . 000035 0 . 049 ± 0 . 0004 0 . 174 ± __________________________________________________________________________ 0 . 025 40 % ethanol + composition of this invention composition of this inventionnn fractions 2 hours 4 hours background i hour 2 hours 4 hours1 2 9 10 11 12 13 14__________________________________________________________________________1 . patients adg 1 . 85 ± 0 . 39 0 . 70 ± 0 . 25 1 . 06 ± 0 . 46 0 . 79 ± 0 . 27 1 . 79 ± 0 . 35 1 . 67 ± 0 . 472 . ethanol 0 . 182 ± 0 . 054 0 . 203 ± 0 . 022 0 . 04 ± 0 . 012 0 . 14 ± 0 . 014 0 . 076 ± 0 . 024 0 . 082 ± 0 . 0183 . mongoloids adg 2 . 34 ± 0 . 87 1 . 57 ± 0 . 31 2 . 48 ± 0 . 64 1 . 59 ± 0 . 58 1 . 69 ± 0 . 47 2 . 37 ± 0 . 764 . ethanol 0 . 105 ± 0 . 029 0 . 103 ± 0 . 033 0 0 0 05 . healthy adg 2 . 35 ± 0 . 57 0 . 69 ± 0 . 34 1 . 00 ± 0 . 37 1 . 64 ± 0 . 40 1 . 37 ± 0 . 47 1 . 27 ± 0 . 366 . europeoids ethanol 0 . 174 ± 0 . 016 0 . 086 ± 0 . 01 0 . 006 ± 0 . 000008 0 . 042 ± 0 . 032 0 . 076 ± 0 . 035 0 . 015 ± __________________________________________________________________________ 0 . 00004 measurement units : adg ( i / i ); ethanol mg %; adg alcoholdehydrogenase under conditions of a double blank control the patients took 40 % ethanol with the composition according to the present invention ( 1 : 50 ) or an aqueous solution of this composition . the volume of the taken liquid was 200 ml per 70 kg of the bodymass . the intervals between intakes were 4 days . blood from vein was taken prior to the liquid intake , 1 hour , 2 and 4 hours thereafter for biochemical investigations . the test results are shown in tables 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 and 22 hereinbelow . we have also carried out for 10 months testing of the composition according to the present invention on 8 , 000 persons . to this end , alcoholic beverages containing the composition according to the present invention were used . the persons included in observations did not take any other alcoholic beverages during the entire period of tests . the total reduction of the alcohol consumption over the period of 10 months constituted 28 . 01 %. within 10 months of tests the number of alcoholic psychoses in this group of persons reduced to four cases compared to 12 . 5 cases on the average over the preceding 6 similar periods . the course of alcoholic intoxications has also changed : easier hang - over states , a lowered demand for a hang - over drink due to the appearance of somatic complaints inhibiting continuation of heavy - drinking periods in alcohol - abusing persons . no demographic and social excesses were noted among persons included in observations . therefore , on the ground of the studies and experiments conducted a conclusion may be made that the general effect of the composition according to the present invention directed against negative after - effects of the alcohol consumption is composed of the effects provided by the composition ingredients on the maim biological signs of alcohol : membranotropic effect of ethanol is lowered due to normalization of the membrane stability owing to regulation of the synthesis of cholesterol , its esterification and inclusion into the structure of membranes . this also results in normalization of activity of membrane - combined enzymes and other permeability characteristics according to the principle of vitamin p -- activity ; oxidation of ethanol is effected mainly in the liver with exhaustion of the oxidized form of nicotinamidedinucleotide nad + . other oxidizing processes occurring with the use of nad + are inhibited . the ingredients of the composition according to the present invention act as hydrogen ion acceptors and contribute to lowering of the ratio nadh / nad + ; in the cousre of oxidation of ethanol in the organism the most toxic metabolite -- acetaldehyde - is formed which when present in tissues is responsible for toxicological and narcotic characteristics of ethanol . the rate of oxidation of ethanol and acetaldehyde depends first of all on activity of alcoholdehydrogenase and acetaldehydedehydrogenase . the ingredients of the composition according to the present invention are capable of lowering the activity of alcoholdehydrogenase by decelarting oxidation of ethanol and , furthermore , of entering into competitive relations with ethanol as a substrate for alcoholdehydrogenase . in doing so , due to conformation of alcoholdehydrogenase there is effected oxidation of not ethanol , but , first of all , of the competiting substrate incorporated in the composition according to the present invention ; calorigenic effect of ethanol , owing to which it is a successful competitor in respect of other sources of energy while being superior to them in the availability criterion . this causes the narrowing of the main metabolic chain of conversion of a number of edible substances due to a competitive alienation of specific dehydrogenases and their prostetic groups . the composition according to the present invention contributes to conservation and , upon a long - time consumption of alcohol , to restoration of other energy supply routs , in particular through gluconeogenesis . the carried out tests of the composition according to the present invention in experiments on animals , in observation on volunteers have shown that the composition of this invention has an ability of providing rational ways for a high resistance and recovery of the organism . in all cases of extremal loads on animals ( of both physical , chemical and biological character ) a clearly - pronounced stress - protecting effect is observed . in addition thereto , the composition according to the present invention has specific biological properties of inhibiting the formation of a physical dependence on alcohol and of lowering detrimental effects of its toxic metabolites . a wide range of a biological action of the composition according to the present invention is explained by the fact that it comprises an indispensible set of substrates ensuring optimal ways of metabolism directed to the preservation of energy resources of the organism by way of synthesis of carbohydrates from non - carbohydrate metabolites through gluconeogenesis . a composition contains the following ingredients , mg / g : leukodolphinidine 120 , leukocyanidine -- 80 , leukopelargonidine -- 45 , (-) epigallocatechin -- 42 , (±) gallocatechin -- 31 , (-) epicatechin -- 29 , (+) catechin -- 60 , (-) epicatechingallate -- 18 , kaempferol - 3 - monoglucoside -- 17 , quercetin - 3 - monoglucoside -- 22 , myricetin - 3 - monoglucoside -- 14 , quercetin - 3 - glucoside -- 24 , astragalin -- 13 , lignin -- 75 , d - glucose 83 . 6 , d - fructose -- 64 , saccharose -- 33 , 5 , raffinose -- 24 , arabinose -- 25 , xylose -- 31 . 6 , pectine -- 20 , lysine -- 3 . 4 , histidine -- 0 . 2 , arginine -- 0 . 4 , aspartic acid -- 4 . 3 , threonine -- 1 . 1 , serine -- 2 . 0 , glutamic acid -- 3 . 0 , proline -- 3 . 3 , glycine -- 2 . 2 , alanine -- 3 . 8 , cystine -- 0 . 3 , valine -- 1 . 8 , methionine -- 0 . 4 , isoleucine -- 0 . 8 , leucine -- 2 . 8 , tyrosine -- 0 . 5 , phenylalanine -- 0 . 3 , tartaric acid -- 4 . 2 , malic acid -- 3 . 8 , citric acid -- 4 . 0 , ascorbic acid -- 4 . 0 , α - ketoglutaric acid -- 1 . 9 , fumaric acid -- 2 . 1 , galacturonic acid -- 2 . 2 , glyceric acid -- 1 . 8 , glycolic acid -- 1 . 7 , glycouronic acid - 3 . 0 , oxalic acid -- 2 . 3 , succinic acid -- 5 . 0 , shikimic acid -- 3 . 0 , α - amyrine -- 0 . 4 , β - amyrine -- 0 . 4 , loupeol -- 0 . 3 , taraxasterol -- 0 . 4 , taraxerol -- 0 . 4 , germanicol -- 0 . 3 , obtusifoliol -- 0 . 8 , citrostadienol -- 0 . 7 , β - cetosterine -- 3 . 2 , stigmasterol -- 1 . 0 , kaempesterol -- 0 . 8 , oxymatairesinol -- 2 . 9 , matairesinol -- 2 . 3 , pinoresinol -- 2 . 5 , liovyl -- 2 . 7 , isolariciresinol -- 2 . 7 , olivyl -- 1 . 9 , querinol arabinoside -- 6 . 2 , querinol xyloside -- 3 . 8 , paraoxybenzoic acid -- 1 . 2 , protocatechinic acid -- 3 . 5 , gallic acid -- 1 . 9 , vanillic acid -- 4 . 3 , syringe acid -- 4 . 1 , vanilline -- 1 . 5 , syringe aldehyde -- 1 . 3 , sinapic aldehyde -- 0 . 9 , coniferyl aldehyde -- 1 . 3 , cotadecanolferulate -- 1 . 5 , eicosanolferulate -- 1 . 4 , docosanolferulate 1 . 1 , tetracosanolferulate -- 0 . 5 , hexacosanolferulate -- 0 . 5 . this composition in the amount of 5 g is dissolved in 100 ml of a 40 % aqueous - alcoholic solution . the resulting aqueous - alcoholic solution has a red - brown colour , a weak characteristic scent and a soft astringent taste . the solution has a low toxicity . the ld 50 is 36 . 5 ml / 1 , 000 g of bodymass of a rat . the solution is capable of providing rational ways for resistance and recovery of the organism , suppresses the formation of a physical dependence on alcohol and lowers detrimental effects of its toxic metabolites . a composition contains the ingredients similar to those sepcified in example 1 in the following amounts , mg / g : leukoanthocyanes -- 197 . 1 , catechins -- 137 . 7 , flavanols -- 72 . 9 , lignin -- 61 . 2 , reducing sugars -- 410 . 76 , pectin -- 16 . 2 , free aminoacids -- 24 . 3 , organic acids -- 32 . 4 , sterols , methylsterols , dimethylsterols -- 1 . 78 , lignans -- 12 . 1 , lignan glycosides -- 8 . 1 , phenolic acids -- 12 . 1 , phenolic aldehydes -- 4 . 05 , alkylferulates -- 4 . 05 . this composition in the amount of 5 g is dissolved in 100 ml of a 40 % aqueous - alcoholic solution . the resulting aqueous - alcoholic solution has a red - brown colour , a weak specific scent and a soft slightly sweet astringent taste . the solution has a low toxicity : the ld 50 is 41 . 2 ml / 1 , 000 g of bodymass of a rat . the solution has an ability of ensuring rational ways for resistance and recovery of the organism , it slightly inhibits the formation of a physical dependence on alcohol and reduces , to a certain extent , negative effects of its toxic metabolites ; the composition has a low activity which is even not recorded in a number of biological tests . a composition contains the ingredients similar to those specified in example 1 hereinbefore in the following amounts , mg / g : leukoanthocyanes -- 219 , catechins -- 153 , flavanols -- 81 , lignin -- 68 , reducing sugars -- 345 . 17 , pectin -- 18 , free aminoacids -- 27 , organic acids -- 36 , sterols -- 4 . 5 , methylsterols -- 1 . 35 , dimethylsterols -- 1 . 98 , lignans -- 13 . 5 , lignan glycosides -- 9 , phenolic acids -- 13 . 5 , phenolic aldehydes -- 4 . 5 , alkylferulates -- 4 . 5 . this composition in the amount of 5 g is dissolved in 100 ml of a 40 % aqueous - alcoholic solution . the resulting solution is of a red - brown colour , it has a weak specific scent and a soft astringent taste . the solution has a low toxicity : its ld 50 is 36 . 5 ml / 1 , 000 g of bodymass of a rat . the solution is capable of providing rational ways for resistance and recovery of the organism ; it inhibits the formation of a physical dependence on alcohol and slightly lowers negative effects of its toxic metabolites . a composition contains the ingredients similar to those specified in example 1 hereinbefore in the following amounts , mg / g : leukoanthocyanes -- 270 , catechins -- 187 , flavanols -- 99 , lignin -- 83 , reducing sugars -- 197 . 5 , pectin -- 22 , free aminoacids -- 33 , organic acids -- 44 , sterols -- 5 . 5 , methylsterols -- 1 . 65 , dimethylsterols -- 2 . 42 , lignans -- 16 . 5 , lignan glycosides -- 11 , phenolic acids -- 16 . 5 , phenolic aldehydes -- 5 . 5 , alkylferulates -- 5 . 5 . this composition in the amount of 5 g is dissolved in 100 ml of a 40 % aqueous - alcoholic solution . the resulting solution has a red - brown colour , a weak specific scent and a soft astringent taste . the solution is of a low toxicity : its ld 50 is 36 . 5 ml / 1000 g of bodymass of a rat . the solutions is capable of ensuring rational ways for resistance and recovery of the organism , inhibits the formation of a physical dependence on alcohol and lowers negative effects of its toxic metabolites . a composition contains the ingredients similar to those of example 1 in the following amounts , mg / g : leukoanthocyanes -- 297 , catechins -- 205 , flavanols - 109 , lignin -- 91 , reducing sugars -- 120 . 6 , pectin - 24 , free aminoacids -- 36 , organic acids -- 48 , sterols -- 6 , methylsterols -- 1 . 8 , dimethylsterols - 2 , 6 , lignans -- 18 , lignan glycosides -- 12 , phenolic acids -- 18 , phenolic aldehydes -- 6 , alkylferulates -- 6 . this composition in the amount of 5 g is dissolved in 100 ml of a 40 % aqueous - alcoholic solution . the resulting solution has a red - brown colour , a pronounced specific odour and an astringent taste . the solution has a low toxicity : its ld 50 is 33 . 3 ml / 1 , 000 g of bodymass of a rat . the solution is capable of ensuring rational ways for resistance and recovery of the organism ; it inhibits the formation of a physical dependence on alcohol and diminishes detrimental effects of its toxic metabolites .	8
during the course of this description like numbers will be used to identify like elements that appear in different figures which illustrate the invention . the invention 10 is shown in perspective view in fig1 . the apparatus is typically mounted in a bathtub 11 in the manner shown . the invention 10 essentially comprises a chair 12 mounted on a rail bench unit 34 . the details of the bench unit 34 are shown in fig2 a - 2d where the chair 12 has been removed from the invention 10 . details of the chair 12 can be more fully understood by reference to fig3 a through 3e . chair unit 12 comprises a seat section 14 , a back section 18 , and a chair frame 22 connecting the seat 14 and back 18 together . two seat pads 16 are attached to seat section 14 . similarly a back pad 20 is connected across the back section 18 . screws 24 are used to attach pads 16 and 20 to frame 22 . two pairs of brackets 26 and 28 are attached to the underside of chair 12 as shown in detail in fig3 e . brackets 26 and 28 are made from 13 gauge ( 0 . 089 &# 34 ;) 1 / 4 hard steel 17 / 8 &# 34 ; wide . the brackets are formed with a 0 . 505 &# 34 ; to 0 . 507 &# 34 ; radius with one leg being longer than the other . a 5 / 16 &# 34 ; hole appears in the longer leg . bracekts 26 and 28 are brazed onto the bottom of the steel seat frame 22 in such a way as to become a rigid locking unit with respect to the rail bench unit 34 . the front brackets 26 are mounted horizontally so as to snuggly hook onto the first rail 36 of bench 34 . front brackets 26 absolutely prevent backward tipping movement . rear brackets 28 are mounted vertically attached to the 5 / 6 &# 34 ; hole to the rear and with a 1 / 4 &# 34 ;-- 20 nut brazed or welded to the long leg of the bracket 28 . a 1 / 4 &# 34 ;-- 20 × 3 / 4 &# 34 ; long threaded stud 30 passes through the nut . a knob 32 is attached to the threaded stud 30 and needs to be tightened only lightly in order to lock the chair unit 12 to the bench 34 . the locking is easily accomplished because the screw is located below the center of the second rail 38 and therefore gives positive interference to upward movement . the chair frame 22 is preferably made from 7 / 8 &# 34 ;× 0 . 049 &# 34 ; steel welded tubing . it is bent and brazed to exact dimensions so that it can be easily removed or reversed as needed . the bench unit 34 is preferably made from 1 &# 34 ;× 0 . 049 &# 34 ; wall annodized aluminum tubing with 7 / 8 &# 34 ;× 0 . 049 &# 34 ; wall aluminum tubing inside the 1 &# 34 ; tubing for added strenght and stability . lateral movement of the seat unit 12 is prevented by rivets 72 and washers placed on rails 36 and 38 and placed at predetermined locations so that the front brackets 26 just fit on either side of them . in this manner the brackets 26 straddle rivets 72 thereby substantially limiting the horizontal travel of the chair unit 12 . rivets 72 also serve to fasten the interior and exterior tubular elements of the bench unit 34 rigidly together . bench unit 34 is securely attached to the tub wall 15 of the shower by means of a clamping mechanism 40 . clamping mechanism 40 incorporates a sliding tubular section 42 which includes a nylon follower nut 58 centered on a transverse following cross brace 44 . extending below each sliding side of cross brace 44 are two 7 / 8 &# 34 ; tubes which form downward depending legs at 90 ° angles with respect to following cross brace 44 . another section 47 is welded to downwardly depending legs 46 and at 90 ° thereto and are adapted to accept a rubber tip or foot 48 . the rubber suction feet 48 are locate a distance &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; of approximately 2 &# 34 ; above the rubber feet 70 located on the outer section of the bench . ( see fig2 c ). the 2 &# 34 ; displacement has the tendency to rotate the bench unit 34 thereby placing downward force on the rear legs 75 . movable cross brace 44 is attached to rails 36 and 38 by means of sliding sleeves 50 . sliding sleeves 50 comprise 11 / 8 &# 34 ; tubing which surround the 1 &# 34 ; aluminum rail tubes 36 and 38 . the nylon ® caps or bushings 52 are attached at opposite ends of the sleeves 50 and facilitate the sliding of the movable section 42 of the clamping mechanism 40 . nylon follower nut 58 is captured in a housing 60 attached to the transverse following cross brace 44 . nylon ® nut 58 is tapped with a 3 / 8 &# 34 ;- 16 hole and is loosely fitted in the 7 / 8 &# 34 ; by 1 &# 34 ; long tubular housing 60 which is brazed to the top of the cross brace 44 . the loose fit allows for the play necessary to avoid binding . at the front end of the unit is a 7 / 8 &# 34 ;× 0 . 049 &# 34 ; steel transverse mounting bar 62 having a 3 / 16 &# 34 ;× 1 &# 34 ;× 1 &# 34 ; tab 64 brazed to the center thereof and projecting downwardly towards the bottom of the bench unit 34 . tab 64 includes a 13 / 32 hole in the center through which a 3 / 8 &# 34 ; 16 × 13 &# 34 ; threaded rod is inserted . threaded rod 56 includes a 7 / 8 &# 34 ; o . d . washer brazed approximately 3 &# 34 ; away from one end and a 2 &# 34 ; diameter plastic knob 54 attached to the same end . a second washer is located on the opposite side to tab 64 from the first washer . a 3 / 32 &# 34 ; hole is drilled 5 / 16 &# 34 ; beyond the first washer to receive a cotter pin to stop the first washer from moving . the two washers 66 allow the rod 56 to rotate freely in the hole but not to move in a back or forth direction . the bench unit 34 includes an outside of the tub section 33 and an inside of the tub section 35 . the outside section 33 of the transfer bench unit 34 is structurally reinforced by transverse bar 68 . a pair of c - shaped legs 69 act as extensions of rails 36 and 38 . rubber feet 70 cap the c - shaped legs 69 in the manner previously described . rails 36 and 38 telescope onto or over the c - shaped leg sections 69 thereby increasing the effective wall thickness of the rails and improving the strength and rigidity of the bench unit 34 . covered pad 76 is primarily used as an initial seat when a patient first sits on the unit . the inside of the bathtub section 35 of transfer bench unit 34 includes a pair of legs 75 . legs 75 include an interior section 80 which telescopes into an exterior section 82 connected to the frame so that the legs 75 can extend or collapse according to the depth of the bathtub . the specific telescoping mechanism of the inside legs 75 and the locking buttons 84 and locking holes 86 associated therewith are believed to be known to those of ordinary skill in the art . an elbow pad 74 covers the top of legs 75 and provides comfortable support for the patient using the invention 10 . the invention just described has several major advantages . first of all , the chair unit 12 is extra stabile . from hook brackets 26 and rear brackets 28 make it virtually impossible to tip the chair 12 backward or forward . secondly , clamping mechanism 40 positively engages bathtub wall 15 thereby guaranteeing the ultimate stability of the bench 34 and chair unit 12 as a whole . thirdly , the reinforced design of the rails 36 and 38 adds to the stability and rigidity of the unit 10 . fourthly , it is relatively easy for a patient to install and use the invention . the device requires no special tools , skill , dexterity or strength . an arthritic patient can clamp section 40 to the edge of a bathtub 15 using just one hand . similarly , the chair unit 12 can be easily and securely attached to the bench unit 34 by means of brackets 26 and 28 and locking screw 30 and knob 32 . the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof . a number of modifications would , however , be possible within the inventive concept . for example , clamp knob 54 could be replaced by a crank or similar object . also , the drive mechanism of the clamping section 40 could be changed . for example , the threaded rod 56 and knob 54 combination might be replaced by a &# 34 ; lazy tong &# 34 ; scissors mechanism or other type of device . morever , changes can be made to the materials used or to the dimensions described and still stay within the inventive concept . while the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that other changes can be made to the device without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	0
in the drawings reference numeral 8 denotes a mailing envelope , which may be of a standard size ( such as a regular # 10 envelope measuring about 4 inches by 91 / 2 inches ) and which may be provided with a conventional transparent address window 12 . in fig4 the front wall of the envelope is designated by reference numeral 9 and its rear wall by reference numeral 11 . within the envelope 8 there is a card 13 ( fig2 and 3 ) carrying a talking assembly 14 , which comprises a talking mechanism and a switch means for activating the latter . the switch means includes a switch 15 and a manually movable switch - operating element , such as a tab 16 . within the envelope there may also be written text material , such as a printed letter or brochure 17 . part , or all , of the text material may be printed on the card 13 . the envelope 8 carries an uncovering means which can be moved by the recipient to expose the switch operating element without opening the envelope . this uncovering means , such as a wind may be a tear - off portion , such as a tab 18 formed by tear lines 19 in a wall ( e . g . front wall 9 ) of the envelope . the front face of the envelope carries printed instructions to lift that tab ( e . g . &# 34 ; lift this tab for a great offer &# 34 ;). when the recipient tears along the tear lines and lifts the tab 18 , the switch operating element ( e . g . tab 16 on the card 13 ) is uncovered , together with printed further instructions ( e . g . on tab 16 ) to lift that tab 16 . the latter action activates the talking mechanism . the construction and arrangement are such that the switch operating element is kept in position under the uncovering means ( e . g . tab 18 ) during the transportation of the envelope . for instance the card 13 may , as shown in fig1 be of such size as to fit snugly in the envelope so that it cannot shift position significantly within the envelope ( after the latter is sealed ). the talking asembly 14 includes a speaker 20 , which may be mounted on the card 13 . the envelope may have means 21 for promoting the passage of the sound from the speaker through the envelope . for instance , there may be small openings , such as sets of circular holes or slits , in the portion of the wall of the envelope overlying the speaker . the speaker may face the front or back of the envelope and the means 21 for promoting passage of sound may be correspondingly on the front or the back of the envelope . comparing fig2 and 6 the envelope tab 18 may , at least in part , lie over the speaker so that the sound from the speaker need not pass through the material of the envelope . the card 13 may carry a protective cover for portions of the talking assembly 14 . such a cover may be provided by a foldover portion 22 of the card which may have a cutout portion , such as circular opening 23 , to be positioned over the speaker 20 . the address of the intended recipient may , as is conventional , be positioned on the enclosed text material so as to be visible through the window 12 . the card 13 may be so shaped that it does not block such visibility . for instance it may have a cut - out , such as opening 24 , aligned with the window 12 . the switch means ( see fig5 ) may comprise a stationary electrical contact 25 , a movable electrical contact 26 normally biased toward the stationary contact , and a strip 27 of electrically insulating film movable from a position ( not shown ) in which a portion of the film lies between the contacts and acts to separate them to a position ( shown in fig5 ) in which it permits the contacts to touch each other ( e . g . through a slot in strip 27 ). this strip 27 is operatively connected to the tab 16 for movement therewith . the switch means opens and closes an electrical circuit which comprises a talking microchip 28 , of known design , one or more batteries 29 ( which may be part of the microchip ) and the speaker 20 , together with suitable electrical circuit means ( not shown ) connecting those elements . the talking microchip may be memory chip such as a known mosell type chip having voice and / or sound digitized into it , as from audio tape . the card 13 is preferably of material sturdy enough to hold the talking mechanism in place and to take sufficient wear for it to be reusable , both inside the envelope and as a free standing piece once it has been removed from the envelope . thus it may be of relatively stiff but foldable card stock ( e . g . having a thickness in the range of about 0 . 005 to 0 . 015 inch , such as about 0 . 010 to 0 . 012 inch ), heavy paper , laminated plastic , etc . most preferably it is sturdy enough to be inserted , without damage , snugly into the envelope by conventional envelope stuffing machinery , together with the printed message 17 . various forms of tab 18 are shown in fig8 to 11 . that tab may be integral with envelope 8 , being formed by tear lines 19 ( e . g . spaced aligned perforations in the wall of the envelope ). preferably at least a portion of the outer end 31 of tab 18 is free , the envelope material being cut there , so that the recipient can engage that end with a fingernail to start the lifting of the tab . the tab 18 may also be a separate element suitably secured to the envelope ( as by pressure - sensitive adhesive so that the tab can be peeled off ) to cover an opening in the wall of the envelope overlying the switch - operating element ( e . g . tab 16 ), or the tab 18 may be integral with the envelope but have an extension secured to the tab end to facilitate the lifting of the tab 18 . it is also within the broader scope of the invention to omit the tab 18 or other uncovering means , as by providing an opening ( i . e . an open window ) positioned to expose the switch - operating element ( e . g . tab 16 ) so that the recipient can actuate the latter without having to tear away any portion of the envelope . fig1 and 13 illustrate blanks suitable for forming the envelope 8 . the illustrated blanks are of conventional size and shape , comprising a main portion 32 , side wings 33 or 33 &# 39 ;, bottom portion 34 or 34 &# 39 ; and sealing flap 36 or 36 &# 39 ; all arranged so that the main portion 32 will form the rectangular front wall of the envelope when the blank is folded by machine in the conventional manner ( e . g . by folding the side wings inward along lines forming the side edges of the main portion ; folding the bottom portion upward , along a line forming the bottom edge of the main portion , onto the infolded side wings and securing that bottom portion to those side wings by adhesive ; and then , after the envelope has been filled , folding the sealing flap down to form the top edge of the main portion and adhering that flap to the back wall of the envelope ). the illustrated blanks have the usual die - cut address window 12 . the blanks also have score lines 19 or 19 &# 39 ; to provide the liftable tab 18 or 18 &# 39 ; and openings 21 or 21 &# 39 ; for transmitting the sound from the speaker 20 . when the blank shown in fig1 is formed into an envelope the tab 18 &# 39 ; and openings 21 &# 39 ; will be on the back of the envelope ; the card 13 carrying the talking mechanism will then be inserted so that its tab 16 and speaker 20 correspondingly face the back of the envelope . fig1 illustrates another modified form of the card 13 , in which the protective flap 22 is smaller and a whole corner of the card is cut away ( instead of having the window opening 23 ). in a broader aspect of the invention the protective flap 22 may be omitted . it will be appreciated also that while the flap 22 and tab 16 are preferably integral with the main portion of card 13 they need not be so , but can be separate elements associated with card 13 , as by adhesive , tape , etc . it is also within the broader scope of the invention to secure the talking assembly ( without a card 13 , or carried on a suitable support ) to an inner face of the envelope . this operation may also be carried out by securing ( as by adhesive ) the talking assembly to the blank used to form the envelope , such as a blank as shown in fig1 or fig1 , in that case flap 16 may be omitted and the envelope flap 18 may serve as the switch operating element , as by securing it to the end of strip 27 in the same manner as shown for flap 16 . the operating element for activating the talking mechanism need not be a tab such as tab 16 . it may be , for instance , another manually operable device such as a pull string or a switch controller operably by sliding , rotating or pushing it , e . g . a pressure - operated switch accompanied by indicia saying , for instance &# 34 ; squeeze here &# 34 ;. it may be a solar cell or other sensor responsive to light that acts to close ( or to power ) the electrical circuit of the talking mechanism when the envelope tab 18 is pulled up and that sensor is accordingly exposed to light . in the illustrated embodiments the envelope tab 18 is positioned with its free end near the lower edge of the envelope , so that the recipient will pull the tab upwards . it will be understood that that tab may be placed at other locations ( e . g . at either side edge of the envelope or near the top edge , or in the middle of the envelope ) and that it may be constructed to be pulled in another direction ( e . g . downward or sideways ). the foldover portion 22 of the card may be appropriately positioned to protect the talking mechanism and it may fold over , for instance , from the top or bottom of the main portion of the card instead of ( as illustrated ) from the side . as previously indicated the envelope may be of the conventional size and shape used for mailing envelopes , such as having a height of about 31 / 2 inches or more ( e . g . up to about 12 inches ) and a length of about 61 / 2 inches or more ( e . g . up to about 16 inches ). the tab 18 will generally have an area less than a tenth the area of the envelope , preferably less than about 5 % of that area . ( for a rectangular envelope , as shown , the area of the envelope is the length of the envelope multiplied by its width ; e . g . the area of the previously mentioned # 10 envelope measuring 4 inches by 91 / 2 inches is 38 square inches ). for instance in one embodiment the envelope tab 18 is about 1 to 2 inches long and about 1 to 2 inches wide , and the tab 16 is smaller than the tab 18 , e . g about 1 inch square . the thickness of the talking mechanism is , at present , determined by the thickness of the piezoelectric speaker , e . g . about 1 / 8 inch or less . the memory chip and switch are much thinner . as batteries , the known button batteries may be employed . the opening 23 in the flap 22 may be situated so that it is concentric with the speaker when that flap is folded inward , and the diameter of that opening may be somehwat less than the diameter of the speaker . the talk message on the chip may be relatively short , e . g . about 10 to 20 seconds , and the chip my be programmed to repeat that message on repeated actuation of the switch . to facilitate the operation of stuffing the card 13 into the envelope the upwardly folded flap 16 is preferably temporarily secured to the inwardly folded flap 22 by a low strength adhesive , such as a spot of tacky , pressure sensitive wax , which will not significantly affect the ease with which the recipient can lift up the tab 16 to activate the talking mechanism . also to aid in stuffing the card 13 into the envelope the card may be tapered , e . g . beveled at its lower corners , as illustrated . it is understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention .	8
fig1 shows a fragmentary side elevational view of the cotton recovery machine 15 as a trailing operative unit , for the recovery of cotton that has fallen to the ground during the picking operation . ridigly mounted to the rear of frame or chassis 16 are drive wheel support brackets 17 , supporting parallel wheels 18 spaced to travel in standard irrigation furrows 19 . mounted within and below the frame 16 are a plurality of cotton pick - up assemblies 20 extending across the machine 15 from side to side , containing rotatable cylinder 21 supported by sub - frames 27 ( fig3 ) which is pivoted on drive shaft 51 journaled in bearings 52 mounted on brackets 64 ( fig1 ) of assembly 50 , and suspended in position by threaded bolts 53 having locking nuts 55 with clevis ends , for adjustment of the assembleys 20 . attached to arms 22 of sub - frame 27 by pin 54 ( fig2 ) are threaded bolts 53 ( fig3 ) inserted in the holes of the brackets 56 ( fig3 ) attached to the frame 16 . the nuts 55 on the threaded bolts 53 provide a means for adjusting and holding the assembly 20 with reference to the ground . directly behind assembly 20 and attached to frame 16 by hanger brackets 64 is the driving mechanism assembly 50 ( fig2 ) for driving and reversing the direction of rotation of the collector cylinder 21 also driving and rotating the cylindrical brush 30 in an opposite direction of rotation to that cylinder 21 . the revolving brush 30 removes the impaled cotton from the teeth of the collector cylinder 21 , forcing the cotton into the hopper 69 attached to and supported by conveyor 70 supported by frame 16 . the upper end of the inclined conveyor 70 is supported by the chute 71 attached to the horizontal screw conveyor 72 which is mounted latterly across the rear of the frame 16 ( fig9 ). on each side of the frame 16 are mounted brackets 74 ( fig1 ) supporting shaft 73 ( fig1 ) upon which are keyed a plurality of arms 75 . arms 75 are connected to link arms 79 by screws 80 . the lower ends of the link arms 79 are attached to sub - frame 27 arms 22 by screws 80a ( fig2 ). on the end of shaft 73 is keyed arm 76 connected to the ram of hydraulic cylinder 77 by pin 81 ; the opposite end of the hydraulic cylinder 77 is connected by pin 81a to bracket which is attached to frame 16 . the hydraulic cylinder 77 is actuated by fluid from the tractor system ( not shown ) through the line 114 . mounted on the frame 16 parallel to the sides thereof and near the center of the frame 16 , is shaft 82 journaled in bearings 83 with universal joint attached to the front end of shaft 82 . the universal joint 84 is connected to the power take - off of the tractor ( not shown ) and thus drives shaft 82 . on the rear end of shaft 82 is mounted pully 85 ( fig9 ) with belt 86 to pulley 87 fixed on the blower shaft 113 of blower 88 ( fig9 ). also mounted and attached to frame 16 are vertical supports 112 supporting the cotton storage container 111 ( fig1 ). fig2 shows an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of assembly 20 mounted within the frame 16 . in the assembly 20 is sub - frame 27 ( fig1 ); shaft 24 is journaled in bearings 23 attached to arms 22 of the sub - frame 27 ( fig1 ). keyed to shaft 24 within the sub - frame arms 22 is a rotatable cylinder 21 , containing the gin channel saw teeth 49 attached collector by screw means around the periphery of said cylinder 21 . attached to the upper part of arms 22 are bearings 28 supporting the rotatable shaft 29 upon which is keyed cylindrical brush 30 . mounted and adapted to pivot on shaft 24 ( fig1 ) are yoke arms 31 , 32 , 33 , and 34 pivoting about shaft 24 in an angular position at each end of the cylinder 21 . on the lower ends of the arms 31 , 33 and 32 , 34 , are horizontal rectangular flat bars 36 connected to said arms by screw means 42 , forming a yoke to the front and to the rear of the rotatable cylinder 21 , enabling the bars 36 which are parallel to the axis of the cylinder 21 to be moved radially about the collector cylinder . secured to the lower surfaces of the bars 36 are a plurality of u - shaped brackets 40 containing radial elongated slots 43 ; within and between the brackets 40 are assembled a plurality of various size cotton pick - up or ground wheels 39 ( fig4 and 5 ) having mounted thereon a plurality of teeth 38 ( fig4 ) axially mounted and spaced on the periphery of the ground wheels and secured thereto by screws 37 . the shafts 44 of the ground wheels 39 extend into the radial elongated slots 43 ( fig2 and 5 ) of brackets 40 on each side of the ground wheels 39 , thus providing a means for holding the wheels in the brackets 40 and enabling the ground wheels 39 to rotate and rise and fall freely and independently of one another in the radial slots 43 of bracket 40 ( fig2 ) while rolling on the ground . the radial elongated slots 43 provide a means for the wheels 39 to rise and fall as they roll over the different contours of the surface of the furrows 19 . a correct space or distance 45 ( fig2 ) is maintained between the collector cylinder teeth 49 ( fig2 ) the teeth 38 ( fig4 ) of the ground pickup wheels 39 ( fig4 ), when the shafts 44 of the wheels 39 are at any position in the elongated slots 43 , or when the wheels 39 are moved about the cylinder radially by the yoke arms 31 , and 32 for the clearance of rows in the field and adjustment purposes . on the upper ends of the yoke arms 31 , 32 , 33 and 34 ( fig1 ) are rollers 35 attached and secured by screws 46 . the rollers 35 are held in contact with the lower surface of the horizontal frame 16 , by the weight of the arms 31 , 32 , 33 , and 34 ( fig1 ) and wheels 39 at the opposite ends . the rollers 35 and arms 31 and 32 ( fig2 ) pivoted on shaft 24 supporting radial slotted bracket 40 on opposite ends provide an adjustment of the radial slots 43 to shaft of pick - up wheels 44 ( fig2 ) leg screws 53 and nuts 55 ( fig2 ) raising or lowering assembley 27 ( fig2 ) causing a scissor action to arms 31 and 32 ( fig2 ) raising and lowering radial slotted brackets 40 with reference to the ground without raising or lowering the pick - up wheels 39 ( fig2 ) while recovering the cotton from the ground . directly above the front brackets 40 on the upper surface of the bar 36 and at its end are mounted brackets 47 secured by screws 42 , supporting the cleaner bars 48 extending axially across the face and parallel to the horizontal axis of the collector cylinder 21 . the bars 48 provide a means for extracting the extraneous materials from the cotton as the impaled cotton passes between the bars 48 and the teeth of the cylinder 21 . the cotton impaled on the teeth of the cylinder 21 is then brushed from the teeth of the cylinder 21 into the hopper 69 and conveyor 70 by the cylindrical brush 30 fixed to and supported by shaft 29 journaled in bearings 28 ( fig1 ) attached to sub - frame arms 22 . the upper parts of arms 22 of the sub - frame 27 are partially removed for clarity . the trailed unit support wheel 18 with its sprocket 63 and chain 62 drives sprocket 61 rotating shaft 60 in bearings 52 of assembly 50 ( fig1 ), thus rotating the gears 65 and 66 ; the gear 66 reverses the direction of rotation of shaft 51 ; the sprocket 57 with chain 58 drives the sprocket 59 on shaft 24 with collector cylinder 21 in a clockwise rotation ( fig1 ). the lower shaft 60 of the assembly 50 ( fig1 ) rotates in bearings 52 with pulley 68 ( fig1 ) in the same direction of rotation to that of the support wheels 18 , for driving the cylindrical brush 30 . fig3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the assembly 20 of the machine 15 , positioned in the furrow 19 , illustrating the drive mechanism for rotating the brush 30 , and showing hopper 69 and conveyor 70 . on the end of the drive shaft 60 is keyed pulley 68 with belt 105 to pulley 106 attached and fixed to larger pulley 107 , held in position on shaft 24 by collar 110 , adapted to rotate on shaft 24 in the opposite direction of rotation to which the shaft 24 is rotating . mounted on pulley 107 is belt 108 driving the small pulley 109 keyed to shaft 29 , for driving the cylindrical brush 30 which brushes the cotton from the teeth of the cylinder 21 , and into the hopper 69 and conveyor 70 . fig4 is a front view of one of the cotton pick - up or ground wheels 39 with teeth 38 which are axially mounted and radially spaced on the periphery of the wheels , and secured by screws 37 . the teeth 38 are pointed in the direction of rotation . axle or shaft 44 extending on each side of the wheels . fig5 is a front elevational view of the ground wheels 39 assembled in the brackets 40 which are attached to horizontal bar 36 . this figure illustrates the action of the ground wheels 39 in following the contour of the furrows 19 of the cotton field , showing sectional views of the radical elongated slots 43 , with parts of the arms removed for a clearer view of the assembled ground wheels 39 in the elongated slots of the brackets 40 . fig6 is a diagrammatic side view showing the radii 115 , 116 and 117 of the radial slots in the arms of the brackets 40 ; and the fixed space or distance 45 between the teeth 49 of the collector cylinder 21 ; and the different diameters of the ground or pick - up wheels 39 . the space or distance 45 between the teeth 49 of the collector cylinder 21 , and the different diameters of the ground or pick - up wheels 39 , is maintained at all times , even the different diameter ground or pick - up wheels 39 may be at different locations in their radial slots 43 of the brackets 40 . fig7 is a perspective view of the ground wheel teeth 38 , illustrating the flat angular teeth 38 as being in alignment with one another on a plane , as well as the mounting holes 118 . the sharp points of the teeth are curved toward the outside of the included angle of the plate . the adjacent side of the angle opposite the teeth is formed to mate with the contour of the diameters of the ground wheels 39 . fig8 is a side view of a segment of the ground wheel 39 with the near side flange removed , showing the axial mounting and spacing of the teeth 38 on the periphery of the ground wheels 39 secured by screws 37 . fig9 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the cotton recovery machine 15 . the ground wheels 39 and the parallel support wheels 18 are positioned on the furrows 19 . shown are the driving mechanism for conveyors 70 and 72 , blower 88 and the drop chute 89 attached to conveyor 72 containing a center feed auger . the lower end of the drop chute 89 is connected to the air conduit 90 attached to blower outlet 88 . mounted on vertical supports 112 are bearings 92 , supporting the rotatable shaft 91 upon which are keyed miter gears 93 . mating miter gears 94 are keyed to the ends of the auger shafts 120 of conveyors 70 . the rear right hand support wheel 18 is mounted and fixed to shaft 101 ; rotating in bearings 102 ; keyed to shaft 101 is chain sprocket 100 with chain 99 driving sprocket 98 which is keyed to the auger shaft 103 , between the right end of conveyor 72 and pulley 97 . upon the right end of the auger shaft 103 is keyed pulley 97 , with belt 96 to pylley 95 fixed to shaft 91 rotating miter gears 93 and 94 mounted on the ends of the auger shaft 120 driving the augers of the conveyors 70 . fig1 is a fragmentary top plan view of the assembly 20 , illustrating the sub - frame 27 ( fig1 ) pivoted about the shaft 51 , and the yoke arms 31 , 33 , and 32 , 34 , pivoted on the shaft 24 at each end of the cotton collecting cylinder 21 . also shown are the two horizontal parallel bars 36 , each fixed to the ends of the yoke arms supporting the brackets 40 and the ground wheels 39 , to the front and to the rear of the cylinder 21 , with the cylindrical brush 30 parallel to and in alignment with the cylinder 21 . fig1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the drive assembly unit 50 ( fig1 ) extending across the machine 15 from side to side . attached to frame member 16 are two lateral brackets 64 supporting shafts 51 and 60 rotatable in bearings 52 attached to brackets 64 . mounted on the lower shaft 60 is spur gear 65 attached to the freely rotatable member of the magnetic clutch 67 when it is not energized . the opposite part of the clutch 67 is integral with drive sprocket 61 keyed to shaft 60 . on the opposite end of shaft 60 is mounted drive pulley 68 . the upper shaft 51 is rotatable in bearings 52 ; keyed to shaft 51 is spur gear 66 in mesh with spur gear 65 . mounted on the left side of the shaft 51 is drive sprocket 57 ; also shown are conductor wires 119 to the magnetic clutch 67 . fig1 illustrates the method of cleaning the cotton while it is being recovered from the ground . when the collector cylinder 21 is rotated clockwise , the recovered cotton is impaled on its teeth 49 after being removed from the teeth 38 of the ground wheels 39 . the teeth 49 pass the cotton between the cleaner bars 48 and the teeth 49 of the cylinder 21 . the bars 48 , supported by brackets 47 , function to restrict the passage of burs and stems which are pulled from the cotton as it passes the bars 48 . the unwanted materials thus drop to the ground , and the cotton remains on the teeth of the cylinder 21 , and is then removed by the cylindrical brush 30 . fig1 is a perspective view of the channel saw teeth 49 used on cylinder 21 . the operation of this invention is substantially as follows : assuming that the cotton recovery machine 15 is attached to the rear of the tractor , that the wires 119 , flexible hydraulic line 114 , drive shaft 84 and universal joint are connected to the tractor , which is in an appropriate position for beginning the cotton recovery operation . the operator of the vehicle lowers the assembly 20 ( fig1 ) toward the ground by releasing the oil pressure in the hydraulic cylinder 77 ( fig1 ) until the ground or pick - up wheels 39 touch the ground . the nuts 55 ( fig1 center ) are then adjusted on the bolts 53 to lower the assembly 20 a little further to the ground , at the same time lowering the brackets 40 ( fig1 bottom ), until the shafts 44 of the ground wheels 39 are at a central location in the elongated slots 43 , while the ground wheels are resting on the ground in the furrows 19 . at this point , the ground wheels 39 are able to roll , rise and fall freely in the elongated slots 43 , while rolling on the different contours of the surface of the ground in the furrows 19 , without any weight or pressure from the assembly 20 . the operator of the vehicle then locks the nuts 55 together on the threaded bolts 53 , which provides fixed stops to the frame 16 , when lowering the assemblies 20 with ground wheels 39 to the ground for the recovery operation . the operator next actuates an electric switch ( not shown ) on the tractor energizing electric clutch 67 ( fig1 ) of the recovery machine 15 , at the same time actuating a lever for the power take - off drive of the tractor ( not shown ) driving the shaft 82 ( fig1 ) nd the pulley 85 with belt 86 and pulley 87 ( fig9 ). this actuates blower 88 which produces a sufficient volume of air flow in the conduit 90 . as the machine moves forward in the direction of the arrow 14 ( fig1 ), the left one of the rear support wheels 18 drives the shaft 60 of the assembly 50 , driving the brush 30 ( fig2 ) in the same direction of rotation as that of the wheel 18 . when the clutch 67 ( fig1 ) is energized , the shaft 60 drives the gears 65 and 66 reversing the direction of rotation of the shaft 51 with the collector cylinder 21 in a clockwise direction . the right support wheel 18 ( fig9 ) drives the augers in the conveyors 70 and 72 . the pick - up or ground wheels 39 are not driven , but roll on the ground in the furrows independently of the machine 15 . as the machine 15 moves forward in the direction of the arrow 14 , the ground wheels 39 contact the cotton that is on the ground impaling the cotton on their teeth 38 . as the ground wheels rotate , the cotton impaled on the teeth 38 moves upward to a point where it is removed by the faster moving teeth of the collector cylinder 21 . the cotton impaled on the teeth of cylinder 21 , rotating upwardly passes unimpedely between the bars 48 ( fig1 ) and the teeth 49 on the cylinder 21 . the bars 48 prevent the passage of burs an stems and other unwanted objects while the cotton is pulled from them , as shown on fig1 the cylinder 21 with the impaled cotton on the teeth thereof continues rotating and propels the cotton under the revolving cylindrical brush 30 which brushes the cotton from the teeth of the cylinder 21 into hopper 69 and conveyor 70 . the cotton is thus conveyed to the upper end of the conveyor 70 dropping in chute 71 and into the conveyor 72 . conveyor 72 has a center feed auger , moving the cotton to the chute 89 , dropping it into the air stream of the blower 88 ( fig9 ) and thence transporting it pneumatically in the conduit 90 to the storage container 111 . when the machine arrives at the end of the rows and furrows that were thus cleaned of ground cotton , the operator of the vehicle actuates the electric switch on the tractor ( not shown ) deenergizing the magnetic clutch 67 , thus stopping the rotation of the cylinder 21 and of the cylindrical brush 30 . the operator then opens a hydraulic control valve ( not shown ) forcing the hydraulic fluid through the flexible line 114 to the hydraulic cylincer 77 , thus rasing the assemblies 20 to clear the rows , for the positioning of the cotton recovery machine on subsequent rows and furrows for the recovery of cotton that has fallen to the ground during the previous picking operation . it will be understood that various changes may be made in the arrangement of the parts of this invention , and in their number and composition without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed in the appended claims .	0
referring now to fig1 the general prior art configuration of the so - called switching - and - phasing technique aforementioned , is illustrated . an rf input - output port 10 functions as a terminal for transmitter energy in the transmitting mode and for a receiver connection in the receiving mode . although most of the discussion in this description assumes that the devices described are being used in the transmitting mode , it is to be understood that all embodiments and variations are completely reciprocal and therefore operate in the reverse signal direction for receiving , without modification . in fig1 ( and also in connection with fig2 to be described hereinafter ) an array of n circumferential elements ( where n is , for example , 64 ) is assumed , these being identified in fig1 and 2 by encircled numerals . corresponding encircled numerals also identify certain terminals or ports of the components to be described where these correspond to discrete antenna elements , as will be understood from the description hereinafter . proceeding with the description of fig1 it has also been assumed that the circumferential elements of the array are broken into quadrant groups q . thus , q = 4 if the array provides for a full 360 ° coverage . of course , it is not a requirement , either in the prior art or in the system of the invention in respect to switching - and - phasing controlled electronically scanned circular or cylindrical arrays , that the elements be divided in that way for switching purposes . actually , the sectors represented in the q groups may overlap , and moreover , it is not necessary that the system be implemented for a full 360 ° azimuth coverage . of course , it is to be understood that the ability to provide random beam pointing within the full circle of azimuth is one of the more significant advantages electronically scan circular or cylindrical arrays . in referring to circular or cylindrical arrays , it will be noted that the present invention deals primarily with azimuth beam pointing . if the array is circular or entirely within a single horizontal plane , directivity in azimuth may be provided , but elevation coverage is not basically directive unless reflectors or other expedients are included for elevation plane beam shaping . it has been further assumed in this description , that the axis of the cylindrical array ( or the center line of the circular array normal to the plane thereof ) is substantially vertical . still further , the 64 elements circumferentially disposed about the array are treated as though they were individual radiators . although it will be realized that in a cylindrical array the individual circumferential element port energy may be distributed among the individual radiators of a column of radiators stacked vertically in order to effect beam shaping in the elevation plane . through additional structure , discrete elevation plane beam pointing or scanning at any predetermined azimuth beam location can also be provided . the manner in which the basic structure illustrated may be modified to provide for columns of radiators is evident from the disclosure of u . s . pat . no . 3 , 653 , 057 , or u . s . pat . no . 3 , 474 , 446 , although the latter does not deal with a discrete beam pointing system , nevertheless , the technique for exciting a column of radiators in a cylindrical array substantially as a single element in the azimuth plane is disclosed . hereinafter , it should be understood that , in dealing with the circumferential elements of the array , the intent is that these may be either single radiators of a circular array or columns of radiators comprising a cylindrical array . returning now to fig1 the tapered amplitude distribution network 101 provides a distribution over the n / q outputs of 101 for reasons well understood in the art . the factor n / q is , in this case , 16 , and accordingly there are 16 output ports from 101 . the sector of the array to be excited is chosen by a bank of single - pole , four - throw switches , typically 103 and 104 . phase shifters , also n / q in number and typically illustrated at 105 and 106 , collimate the beam and provide the fine scanning within the coarse beam positions selected by the said switches , of which 103 and 104 are typical . as these sector - selection switches rotate the excited portion of the aperture , the ordering matrix 107 must maintain the proper amplitude and phase order of the elements , for example , when element 1 is switched to number 17 , corresponding to a change of quadrants , the corresponding feed line must take count of the fact that a change from the left to the right hand side of the aperture has occured . furthermore , all other excited elements must obtain the amplitude that the adjacent element previously had . thus , the ordering matrix 107 requires 32 transfer switches to provide this function . of course , if amplitude is quantized in groups of two elements , the number of transfer switches required is reduced to 24 , providing eight discrete levels of amplitude in lieu of a separate level for each of the sixteen elements in the quadrant . the resulting amplitude quantization sidelobes may be satisfactory with that simplification , however , even in that case , the ordering matrix 107 is a relatively complicated and expensive device . referring now to fig2 the schematic block diagram of a combination of the present invention is presented . the passive interconnecting matrix 201 replaces the ordering matrix 107 of fig1 and , since this device 201 inherently provides amplitude tapering over the projected aperture , the tapered amplitude distribution network of 101 becomes a simpler equal - amplitude distribution device 202 , energized from an rf input - output port 200 connected into utilization devices in the same manner as applies to port 100 in fig1 . accordingly , the 16 output ports of the device 202 all supply signals of equal amplitude and phase . again , beam collimation and fine scanning or vernier beam pointing , is provided in accordance with a programmed setting of the 16 phase shifters , the latter being responsive to the outputs of 202 . these phase shifters typically 203 and 204 are , of course , electrically controllable and adapted for programming to effect the scanning or random beam positioning of which the system is capable . the controllable phase shifter is so well known per se , in this art , that additional description is unnecessary . from the outputs of these phase shifters of fig2 sector - selector switches , typically 205 and 206 , are provided , these performing the same function as their corresponding elements in fig1 . as hereinbefore indicated , the passive interconnecting matrix 201 which is responsive to the outputs of the sector - selector switches transmits the signals which have now been automatically ordered in amplitude and phase , to the antenna elements . moreover , the matrix 201 inherently provides an appropriate amplitude taper by shaping ( narrowing ) the effective element pattern . since the effective element pattern is disposed about the curvature of the array , the effective amplitude taper may be thought of as extant at a projected aperture , the latter lying in a plane normal to the radial bi - sector of the arc of excited elements . as hereinbefore indicated , the narrowing of the effective element pattern has a tapering effect on the amplitude when observed at this projected aperture . referring now to fig4 a circuit for device 201 to provide the narrowing of the effective element pattern will be seen . for convenience , five of the array elements 401 through 405 have been identified . a radially outward level , or layer , of 3db hybrids in an interconnected network is identified at 407 , 409 411 and 413 , typically . a second level of hybrids interconnected therewith is identified at 406 , 408 , 410 , 412 and 414 , typically . in the case of the first , or radially outward level , the input - output ports are directly connected to corresponding array elements , whereas the branches are interconnected with the branches of the aforementioned second level hybrids . of course , each of these hybrids includes an input - output port and two branches , each branch having a three db relationship to the said input - output terminal . these devices are , of course , known , per se , as individual components . in the so - called two - level ( or two layer ) interconnecting network , only these two levels of hybrids are employed . thus , the terminals , typically 422 , 423 , 424 , 425 , 426 , etc ., provide the terminals of the passive interconneting matrix 201 of fig2 which are fed from the sector selection switches and the additional hybrids radially inward of these terminals are not present . in that event , it will be observed that input energy to the interconnecting network , for example , at 423 , is split by hybrid 408 between the branches of hybrids 407 and 409 and accordingly , its energy is split between antenna ( radiating ) elements 401 and 402 . similarly , energy at 424 is split by hybrid 410 between the branches of hybrids 409 and 411 and therefore between antenna elements 402 and 403 , respectively , etc . this arrangement provides the cosine amplitude taper as the effective amplitude indicated on fig3 . the interconnections involving element 404 and 405 , and hybrids 413 , 414 and 415 are similarly arranged , as can be seen from fig4 . from the foregoing , it will be observed that feed applied at one of the terminals 422 through 426 is divided between two antenna elements . as a typical example , from 425 , excitation is distributed , via hybrid 412 , between hybrids 411 and 413 and therefore , between elements 403 and 404 . the resultant amplitude taper on the projected aperture ( fig3 ) is approximately a &# 34 ; cosine on a pedestal &# 34 ;. a corresponding azimuth first sidelobe level better than - 21 db is obtained . an extension of this network concept can be made to include additional hybrids , typically 427 through 431 fed by 432 through 435 typically . that arrangement provides terminals 436 through 439 as the feed ports . it will be noted that each of those terminals can distribute excitation to three antenna elements . taking port 437 as an example , the feed passes through hybrid 433 , 428 , 429 , 410 , 412 , 409 , 411 and 413 to distribute excitation among antenna elements 402 , 403 and 404 . referring now to fig5 an additional embodiment for the passive interconnecting matrix 201 will be described . assuming the same five antenna elements , and the corresponding matrix feed ports , an interconnected arrangement for four - port matched combiners is shown in a back - to - back configuration comprising an outer row 501 through 505 and an inner row 506 through 510 . each individual combiner has an input / output terminal and three branches . taking 508 , for example , energy on the input / output port 511 is distributed among branches 512 , 513 and 514 . branch 513 is also one branch of 503 , but 503 is also energized from branches 515 of 507 and 516 of 509 . accordingly , the energy combined in 503 comes partially from 507 , 508 and 509 and the corresponding matrix input ports ( see fig2 ). the four - port combiner circuits are well known components per se , and may be implemented in strip line or waveguide form , for example . moreover , the division ratio between the input / output port and the three branches may be varied to vary the shape of the aperture taper . if the center branch ( 513 of 508 for example ) were a 3 db terminal with respect to 511 and 512 and 514 were 6 db terminals a cosine squared aperture taper could be obtained . it is also possible to provide for approximately 80 % of the energy on each central branch ( 513 of 508 for example ) and 10 % each in branches 512 and 514 , a cosine squared aperture taper , on pedestal can be obtained . sidelobe levels can be held below - 30 db in the arrangement of fig5 . although the described embodiments of the passive interconnecting matrix do introduce some power loss due to dissipation in the hybrid terminations ( as high as 3 db in some cases ); nevertheless this loss must be weighed against the circuit losses in the multilevel active ordering matrix of the prior art ( fig1 ), which can easily be on the order of 2 to 3 db . of course , modifications and variations can be made within the skills of this art , once the nature of the invention is understood , and it is therefore not intended that the scope of the invention should be considered limited by the drawings and this description , which are illustrative only .	7
referring to fig1 there is shown a block diagram of a coding system employing a conventional subsampling technique and a dedicated interpolation circuit in accordance with the present invention . the coding system includes an encoding circuit 10 , a communication channel 20 and a decoding circuit 30 . the encoding circuit 10 is provided with a pre - filter 11 and a down sampling circuit 12 ; and serves to convert a scanned original video frame signal into a subsampled video frame signal . the scanned video frame signal includes a plurality of video line signals , each of which has a plurality of pixel data . the scanned video frame signal is coupled to the pre - filter 11 which serves to filter the scanned video frame signal in order to shape the scanned video frame signal spectrum while preserving the initial high - definition information contained therein . the filtered video frame signal is then coupled to the down sampling circuit 12 wherein the filtered video frame signal is subsampled in order to decimate or eliminate a predetermined part of pixel values or all of the pixel values of a predetermined line signal contained in the filtered video frame signal . the subsampled video frame signal from the down sampling circuit 12 is then transmitted via the communication channel to the decoding circuit 30 contained in a receiver . the decoding circuit 30 includes a zero stuffing circuit 31 and an interpolation circuit 32 ; and serves to restore the subsampled video frame signal to the original video frame signal . the subsampled video frame signal is coupled to the zero stuffing circuit 32 wherein omitted pixel values of the video line signal are stuffed with zero values to generate zero - stuffed video line signals . the zero - stuffed video line signals are coupled to the interpolation circuit 32 which serves to generate the original video signal by interpolating the stuffed video line signals . referring to fig2 there is provided an exemplary diagram showing the subsampled video signal . the scanned video frame signal , as is well known in the art , includes a multiplicity of video line signals , each of which includes a plurality of pixel values . for the sake of simplicity , assuming that the scanned video frame signal includes 9 video line signals , l1 to l9 , each of which includes 9 pixel values marked by &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; so that the pixel values are arranged in a matrix pattern , i . e ., 9 × 9 matrix . at the down sampling circuit 12 shown in fig1 the video frame signal 40 is subsampled by a factor of 4 : 1 in the horizontal direction and a factor of 2 : 1 in the vertical direction , wherein the omitted pixel values are marked by &# 34 ;.&# 34 ; and the remaining pixel values are designated by &# 34 ; x &# 34 ;. as a result of the subsampling process , all of the pixel values contained in the even video line signals l2 , l4 , l6 , and l8 are decimated , while three pixel values between two remaining pixel values contained in the odd video line signals l1 , l3 , l5 , l7 and l9 are omitted . the subsampled video signal 50 containing the remaining pixel values is coupled via the communication channel 20 to the zero stuffing circuit 31 as shown in fig . 1 . in the zero stuffing circuit 31 , the omitted pixels of the odd video line signals l1 , l3 , l5 , l7 and l9 are stuffed with zero values and the zero stuffed odd video line signals l1 , l3 , l5 , l7 and l9 are then sequentially coupled to the interpolation circuit 32 . referring to fig3 and 4 , there are provided detailed diagrams of the interpolation circuit shown in fig1 and of the 1 - dimensional transversal filter shown in fig3 . the interpolation circuit 32 includes a first and a second calculation paths . the first calculation path includes a conventional 2 - dimensional symmetric filter built by cascading one - dimensional transversal filters 51 , 52 , 53 . the 1 - dimensional transversal filter includes a plurality of filter cells , each filter cell having a multiply - add ( ma ) function so that the 2 - dimensional symmetric filter also includes a plurality of filter cells arranged in a matrix pattern and the number of filter cells for m by n , e . g ., 9 × 9 , different pixel values is equal to (( m + 1 )/ 2 )×(( n + 1 )/ 2 ), e . g ., 5 × 5 , with odd values for m and n , which is obtained by cascading 5 1 - dimensional transversal filters , each having 5 filter cells ( see , e . g ., an article by christophe joanblanq et al ., &# 34 ; a 54 - mhz cmos programmable video signal processor for hdtv applications &# 34 ;, ieee journal of solid - state circuits , 25 , no . 3 , pp . 730 - 734 ( jun ., 1990 )). as shown in fig4 the 1 - dimensional transversal filter 51 includes 5 filter cells , each of which has a multiplier 81 for multiplying a pixel value with a filter coefficient h 0 and an adder 91 , to serve the ma function . a pixel delay 71 is coupled between two filter cells . in accordance with the present invention , as shown in fig3 the zero - stuffed odd video line signals l1 and l9 , each having 9 pixel values , are coupled via an adder 61 and delay lines 56 , 57 , 58 and 59 to the 1 - dimensional transversal filter 51 , wherein each of the delay lines 56 , 57 , 58 and 59 includes a line delay memory and an in - out delay memory of the 1 - dimensional traversal filter so that the zero - stuffed odd video line signals l1 and l9 are simultaneously coupled to the adder 61 . in a similar manner , the zero - stuffed odd video line signals l3 and l7 are coupled via an adder 62 and delay lines 56 , 57 and 58 to the 1 - dimensional transversal filter 52 ; and the zero - stuffed odd video line signal l5 and a zero - valued dummy video line signal &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; are coupled through an adder 63 and delay lines 56 and 57 to the 1 - dimensional transversal filter 53 . therefore , in order to process 5 × 9 input pixel values excepting the omitted pixel values contained in the even video lines l2 , l4 , l6 and l8 , the first calculation path includes said three 1 - dimensional transversal filters 51 , 52 , and 53 cascaded , each having 5 filter cells . outputs from the 1 - dimensional transversal filters 51 , 52 , and 53 are combined and a filtered or interpolated odd video line signal is generated at the 1 - dimensional transversal filter 53 . the second calculation path includes a conventional 2 - dimensional symmetric filter built by cascading 1 - dimensional transversal filters 54 and 55 . the zero - stuffed odd video line signals l3 and l9 , each having 9 pixel values , are coupled via an adder 64 and delay lines 56 , 57 , 58 and 59 to the 1 - dimensional transversal filter 54 . in a similar manner , the zero - stuffed odd video line signals l5 and l7 are coupled via an adder 65 and delay lines 56 , 57 and 58 to the 1 - dimensional transversal filter 55 . therefore , in order to process 5 × 9 input pixel values excepting the omitted pixel values contained in the even video lines l2 , l4 , l6 and l8 , the second calculation path includes said two 1 - dimensional transversal filters 54 and 55 cascaded , each having 5 number of the filter cells . outputs from the 1 - dimensional traversal filters 54 and 55 are combined and a filtered or interpolated even video line signal is generated at the 1 - dimensional transversal filter 55 . as may be seen from the above , it should be appreciated that , since the inventive interpolation circuit serves to perform the interpolation process for a subsampled video frame signal by using video line signals containing the remaining pixel values after the subsampling process , a substantial amount of reduction in the calculation time can be attained . further , the interpolated odd and even video line signals are simultaneously generated through the use of two calculation paths without needing any additional hardware components . while the present invention has been described with reference to the particular embodiments , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .	7
the best mode for carrying out the invention is presented in terms of its preferred embodiment , herein depicted within fig1 through 4 . however , the invention is not limited to the described embodiment and a person skilled in the art will appreciate that many other embodiments of the invention are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention , and that any such work around will also fall under scope of this invention . it is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention , and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope . the terms “ a ” and “ an ” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity , but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items . the present invention describes an apparatus and method for an automatic cord length measuring device ( herein described as the “ apparatus ”) 10 , which provides a means for accurately measuring the length of various materials 70 such as rope , wire , tubing , and the like . the apparatus 10 takes the form of a circular disk shaped housing 20 , with a central portal opening 21 . various sized models are envisioned to provide different sized portal openings 21 for measuring a variety of materials 70 therein . as material 70 is pulled through the portal opening 21 , a selection of two ( 2 ) measurement techniques is provided being an optical sensor 34 method or a mechanical sensor 35 based upon the type of material 70 to be measured . the length of said material 70 is then displayed on a digital display 31 located at the perimeter of the apparatus 10 . referring now to fig1 , a front perspective view of the apparatus 10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , is disclosed . the apparatus 10 comprises a housing 20 , a portal opening 21 , an optical beam 33 , a stationary roller 41 , a compliant roller 42 , a digital display 31 , and a reset button 32 . the housing 20 comprises a circular disk shape plastic molding providing a convenient hand - held profile . the housing 20 is envisioned to be made using an injection molding process being common in the art . the portal opening 31 is centrally located and is envisioned to be provided in a variety of diameter ranges of approximately one ( 1 ″) inch to three ( 3 ″) inches thereby corresponding to particular material sizes 70 to be measured . the portal opening 21 provides two ( 2 ) means of measurement being an optical 34 and a mechanical measuring 41 , 42 means . the optical beam 33 is emitted from an optical sensor 34 ( not shown ) thereby providing a non - contact means of measuring the material 70 ( see fig3 description ). the rollers 41 , 42 provide an alternate mechanical means of measurement . the stationary roller 41 provides an idler means as the material 70 is pulled through the portal opening 21 . the compliant roller 42 provides a spring force against said material 70 securely holding it between the two ( 2 ) rollers 41 , 42 during the measurement procedure . the contact rollers 41 , 42 further provide an encoder signal 35 ( not shown ) thereby producing an accurate measurement of said material 70 ( see fig3 and 4 ). the digital display 31 and accompanying reset button 32 are located at the perimeter of the apparatus 10 and provide a user interface display of the measured length of the material 70 . the digital display 31 is envisioned using common electronic technology such as a light emitting diode display ( led ), a liquid crystal diode display ( lcd ), or the like . the digital display 31 is envisioned to provide a display of both english and metric units . the reset button 32 provides a reset signal thereby returning the digital display 31 to zero ( see fig3 and 4 ). referring now to fig2 , a rear perspective view of the apparatus 10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , is disclosed . the apparatus 10 comprises a housing 20 , a portal opening 21 , an optical beam 33 , a stationary roller 41 , a compliant roller 42 , an on / off switch 22 , a selector switch 23 , and a battery compartment 24 . the on / off switch 22 provides a means for switching the direct current ( dc ) power source contained therein the battery compartment 24 , to the electronics of the apparatus 10 . the selector switch 23 provides a switching means between the optical measurement method and the mechanical measurement method . the on / off switch 22 and the selector switch 23 are envisioned to be standard sliding panel mounted single - pole , single throw switches common in the industry . the battery compartment 24 comprises a latching enclosure for a plurality of preferably aa - size batteries ; however , may utilize various voltages and quantities of battery combinations . referring now to fig3 , an internal breakaway view of the apparatus 10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , is disclosed . the apparatus 10 comprises a housing 20 , a portal opening 21 , an on / off switch 22 , a selector switch 23 , a battery compartment 24 , a display module 30 , a digital display 31 , a reset button 32 , an optical beam 33 , an optical sensor 34 , a rotary encoder 35 , a circuit board 36 , a stationary roller 41 , a compliant roller 42 , a pair of springs 43 , an adjuster 44 , a knob 45 , and a roller bracket 46 . the roller bracket 46 provides an attachment means to the compliant roller 42 , the pair of springs 43 and the adjustor 44 thereby allowing the compliant pulley 42 to make spring - loaded contact with the material 70 in a floating and compliant manner thereby conforming to the contour of said material 70 . the springs 43 are envisioned to be standard compression springs common in the industry . the adjustor 44 provides a spring release means for the compliant roller 42 and is envisioned to be a threaded shaft type device being thereby affixed to the housing 20 . the adjusting knob 45 being attached to the end of the adjustor 44 thereby providing a manual adjusting means to apply and release the spring force 43 being applied to the material 70 . the apparatus 10 as illustrated here depicts interconnecting wiring 37 between the major electronic components and the circuit board 36 . the circuit board 36 provides control electronics and software to operate the apparatus 10 . the optical beam 33 is emitted via an optical sensor 34 being connected thereto the circuit board 36 . the optical sensor 34 comprises a sensor similar to that used on an optical computer mouse common in the industry ; however , other commercially available measuring devices may be provided such as various optical measuring devices , as well as laser diode type devices and as such , should not be interpreted as a limiting factor of the present invention 10 . the optical sensor 34 comprises a suitable resolution thereby providing an accurate measurement the material 70 . the rotary encoder 35 is attached to the compliant roller 42 and provides a continuous pulsing signal to the circuit board 36 for calculation of the measured length . the rotary encoder 35 is envisioned to be a miniature shaft mount type encoder common in the industry . referring now to fig4 , an electrical block diagram of the electronic portion of the apparatus 10 , according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , is disclosed . the apparatus 10 is illustrated here depicting a circuit of interconnecting wiring 37 between various electronic components and a circuit board 36 . the said electrical components include an on / off switch 22 , a selector switch 23 , a battery compartment 24 , a display module 30 , an optical sensor 34 , and a rotary encoder 35 . the circuit board 36 receives direct current ( dc ) power when a single pole - single throw switch 22 is manually activated thereby enabling dc power to flow from a plurality of batteries 24 . the circuit board 36 comprises custom circuits and components common in the electronics industry and thereby performs functions such as power distribution , data input / output , and logic processing . the circuit board 36 further comprises embedded software to process data using technologies such as read - only - memory ( rom ), or the like . the circuit board 36 processes pulse and optical type input data and thereby calculates the length of the material 70 via said software . said input data is provided to the circuit board 36 via an optical sensor 34 or a rotary encoder 35 based upon the selected measuring mode 23 . the circuit board 36 then provides output data to a digital display module 30 . the digital display module 30 further comprises particular user interface components being a numeric digital display 31 and a reset button 32 . the numeric digital display 31 provides visible measurement information in feet and inches or meters . the reset button 32 provides a means to return the numeric digital display 31 to zero . it is also envisioned that selection of the desired measurement units may be obtained by pressing and holding the reset button . fig5 a through 5 c represent rear perspective views of various alternate embodiments of the present invention 10 . more particularly , fig5 a illustrates the present invention 10 comprising a hook 50 attachment thereon the housing 20 . fig5 b depicts a clamp 51 and belt adapter 52 thereon the housing 20 . both fig5 a and 5 b depict alternate attachment means therefor the present invention 10 thereon a user . fig5 c illustrates a cutting attachment 60 stored within a cutting attachment housing integrated thereon the housing 20 for providing a user a material cutting means . it is envisioned that other styles and configurations of the present invention can be easily incorporated into the teachings of the present invention , and only one particular configuration shall be shown and described for purposes of clarity and disclosure and not by way of limitation of scope . the preferred embodiment of the present invention can be utilized by the common user , who has little or no training , in a simple and effortless manner with . after initial purchase or acquisition of the apparatus 10 , it would be utilized as indicated in fig1 and 2 . the method of utilizing the apparatus 10 may be achieved by performing the following steps : selecting the appropriate model of the apparatus 10 based upon the physical size of the material 70 to be measured ; activating the apparatus 10 by moving the on / off switch 22 to the on position ; resetting the numeric digital display 31 to zero by pressing the reset button 32 and verifying that the digital display 31 reads zero ; feeding the material 70 through the portal opening 21 until obtaining the desired length or feeding all the available material 70 through the portal opening 21 to calculate the total length of the material 70 ; and , making a note of the digital display reading 31 , pressing the reset button 32 , and repeating the measurement procedure as many times as required . an alternative embodiment of the present invention 10 comprises various attachment means such as hooks 50 , clamps 51 , belt adapters 52 , or the like to secure the apparatus 10 to personnel , cable spools , various equipment , and the like based upon the intended application . another alternative embodiment of the present invention 10 comprises a graduated series of models of the apparatus 10 with varying portal opening sizes 21 of up to approximately twelve ( 12 ″) inches thereby measuring large commercial and construction materials 70 such as , but not limited to , large piping , hose , or the like . another alternative embodiment of the present invention 10 comprises a more economical model thereby providing only an optical sensor 34 type measurement means . yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention 10 comprises a second more economical model thereby providing only a mechanical type measurement means using the aforementioned contact rollers 41 , 42 . yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention 10 comprises integrated material cutting attachments 60 residing therein a cutting attachment housing 61 , which could be applied to specific families of materials 70 such as hose , plastic piping , and the like . the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention and method of use to the precise forms disclosed . obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application , and to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is understood that various omissions or substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient , but is intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims of the present invention .	1
a mount tree is provided with each mount in the mount tree being designated as a shared mount . this enables a mirror of the mount tree to any directory therein to replicate the entire mount tree at a separate location therein . one or more of the shared mounts may be designated as non - bindable to prevent propagation of the specified non bindable mount during a mirror of the mount tree . the remaining mounts of the tree which were designated as shared mounts are replicated during the mirror process . an non - bindable mount is provided within a shared mount tree . the semantics of an non - bindable mount disallows the mount or submounts residing on this mount to be mirrored , when attempted to be bound to a mount point , explicitly or implicitly , through a mirror operation of a mount subtree in which this mount resides . however , the semantics of the non - bindable mount allows the mount and its submounts to be mirrored , when the entire mount tree is mirrored and attached to a self - contained mount point , i . e . a mount point that resides in a no mount tree , that acts as the pivot for the new mount tree , where the mirror of the non - bindable mount inherits the same semantics . a view is a mapping from a set of tuples to a user defined unique name such that a tuples exists corresponding to every file in the system , wherein a tuple associates a version of a given file with the file name . in the mount tree replication of the preferred embodiment , a view is associated with each instance of the mount tree , and a tuple is an association of a version of a file with a version number to a user defined unique name . fig8 is a flow chart ( 250 ) illustrating a process for creation of view of a mount tree with one or more filesystems in the mount tree designated as non - bindable . initially a self contained mount point is created ( 252 ). in one embodiment , the self contained mount is a root directory . a filesystem , f 0 , is mounted on the mount point and marked as shared ( 254 ). following the mount at step ( 254 ), a directory under the initial mount from step ( 252 ) is created ( 256 ) and a filesystem , f 1 , is mount on that directory ( 258 ). the filesystem , f 1 , mount at step ( 258 ) is marked as non - bindable ( 260 ). zero or more directories are then created under the initial mount point and the mounted filesystem , f 0 , ( 262 ). one or more filesystems may be mounted in each of the directories created at step ( 262 ) with each mounted filesystem being marked as shared ( 264 ). steps ( 252 )-( 264 ) outline the process for creation of an initial mount tree with one of the directories having at least one filesystem mount marked as non - bindable . in the example presented , another level of the mount tree is created when a directory , d x , under the non - bindable mount , f 1 is created ( 266 ). fig9 is a block diagram ( 300 ) showing the mount tree created at steps ( 252 - 266 ). as shown , there is a self contained mount point ( 302 ) with a filesystem , f 0 , mounted and marked as shared . in addition , there are two directories d 1 ( 304 ) and d 2 ( 306 ) that are created under the self contained mount point ( 302 ). the first directory d 1 ( 304 ) has an non - bindable filesystem , f 1 , mounted thereto , and the second directory d 2 ( 306 ) has a shared filesystem , f 2 , mounted thereto . in addition , the first directory , d 1 , ( 304 ) has three subdirectories s 1 ( 314 ), s 2 ( 316 ), and s 3 ( 318 ), and the second directory , d 2 , ( 306 ) has three subdirectories t 1 ( 320 ), t 2 ( 322 ), and t 3 ( 324 ). accordingly , fig8 and 9 illustrated the creation and representation , respectively , of a mount tree with a non - bindable mount prior to a replication of the mount tree through a mirror process . replication of the mount tree is conducted through a mirror process wherein the entire mount tree is replicated and attached to a specified directory . in the case of the shared mount , mount events in any one replica propagate to all other replicas . following step ( 266 ), replication of the mount tree is initiated through a mirror of the entire mount tree at directory d x ( 268 ). since directory d x is an non - bindable mount , all mount subtrees under the non - bindable mount are pruned , and the mirrored mount tree is mounted on the directory created under f 1 ( 270 ), i . e . d x . following the mirror process at step ( 270 ), a view , v x , is associated with the new mount sub - tree ( 272 ). thereafter , a test is conducted to determine if there are any more view of the mount sub - tree to be created ( 274 ). a positive response to the test at step ( 274 ) returns to step ( 266 ). similarly , a negative response to the test at step ( 274 ) ends the process for creation of views of a mount tree . fig1 is a block diagram ( 350 ) showing the creation of the first view of the mount subtree at step ( 270 ) of fig8 . as shown , the mount tree of fig9 has been replicated while propagating the designated shared mounts and pruning the designated non - bindable mount . the original view includes a self contained mount point ( 302 ) with a filesystem , f 0 , mounted and marked as shared , two directories d 1 and d 2 , ( 304 ) and ( 306 ) respectively , created under the self contained mount point ( 302 ), with the first directory d 1 ( 304 ) having a non - bindable filesystem , f 1 , mounted thereto , and the second directory d 2 ( 306 ) having a shared filesystem , f 2 , mounted thereto . in addition , the first directory d 1 ( 304 ) has three subdirectories s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 , ( 314 ), ( 316 ), and ( 318 ) respectively , and the second subdirectory d 2 ( 306 ) has three subdirectories t 1 , t 2 , and t 3 , ( 320 ), ( 322 ), and ( 324 ) respectively . the mirror of this mount tree to subdirectory s 1 ( 314 ) is shown with a replicated mount point ( 302 ) designated as ( 332 ) with the filesystem f 0 mounted and marked as shared , and two directories ( 334 ) and ( 336 ) created under the mount point ( 322 ). the non - bindable filesystem from directory d 1 ( 304 ) is not mounted to ( 334 ) while preserving the directory structure of d 1 , but the shared filesystem mounted to directory d 2 ( 306 ) is replicated at ( 336 ). accordingly , as shown , marking a mounted filesystem as non - bindable enables the shared directory structure to be replicated while not replicating the designated non - bindable mount , thereby mitigating exponential growth in a mirror mount tree . the mount tree replication process detailed in fig8 may be extrapolated to create multiple views of the mount tree of fig9 . each mirrored mount tree is mapped to a view . upon request of a file by a server , the underlying filesystem may provide the version of the file corresponding to the view that the mirror of the mount tree supports . fig1 is a block diagram ( 400 ) of the mount tree of fig9 mirrored multiple times . as shown , there is an original self contained mount point ( 402 ) with a filesystem , f 0 , mounted and marked as shared , two directories ( 404 ) and ( 406 ) created under the self contained mount point ( 402 ), with the first directory ( 404 ) having a non - bindable filesystem , f 1 , mounted thereto , and the second directory ( 406 ) having a shared filesystem , f 2 , mounted thereto . in addition , the first directory ( 404 ) has three subdirectories s 1 ( 412 ), s 2 ( 414 ), and s 3 ( 416 ), and the second subdirectory ( 406 ) has three subdirectories t 1 ( 420 ), t 2 ( 422 ), and t 3 ( 424 ). three mirrors of this mount tree are shown , with one mirror , m 1 , of the mount tree attached to subdirectory s 1 ( 412 ), the second mirror , m 2 , of the mount tree attached to subdirectory ( 414 ), and the third mirror , m 3 , of the mount tree attached to subdirectory ( 416 ). each mirror is shown with a replicated mount point ( 402 ) with the filesystem f 0 mounted and marked as shared , and two directories created under the mount point ( 402 ) with the first directory having a non - bindable mount and the second directory having a shared mount . similarly , the structure of the three subdirectories of the first directory are preserved , as well as the one subdirectory of the second directory . as illustrated , the non - bindable assignment to a filesystem mounted in a directory of a mount tree mitigates the exponential replication of the filesystem through the mirror replicated view . in one embodiment , the non - bindable mount allows the mount and its submounts to be mirrored when the entire mount tree is mirrored and attached to a self - contained mount point , i . e . a mount point that resides in a no mount tree . fig1 is a block diagram ( 500 ) of a mount tree having two self contained mount points , a first self contained mount point mp 1 ( 502 ) and a second self contained mount point mp 2 ( 550 ). the first a self contained mount point ( 502 ) has a filesystem , f 0 , mounted and marked as shared , two directories d 1 and d 2 , ( 504 ) and ( 506 ) respectively , created under the self contained mount point ( 502 ). the first directory d 1 ( 504 ) has a non - bindable filesystem , f 1 , mounted thereto , and the second directory d 2 ( 506 ) has a shared filesystem , f 2 , mounted thereto . filesystem f 2 mounted in directory d 2 ( 506 ) is the first mounting of this filesystem and is a member of the first peer group as noted with the typographic symbols . as is further illustrated , the first directory d 1 ( 504 ) has three subdirectories s 1 ( 514 ), s 2 ( 516 ), and s 3 ( 518 ), and the second directory d 2 ( 506 ) has three subdirectories t 1 ( 524 ), t 2 ( 526 ), and t 3 ( 528 ). the second self contained mount point , mp 2 ( 550 ) does not have any directories mounted thereto . fig1 is a block diagram ( 600 ) showing replication of the mount tree of fig1 having a non - bindable filesystem mounted therein mounted to the second self contained mount point , mp 2 ( 550 ). as shown , there are two mount trees in fig1 . the first mount tree ( 610 ) is a replica of the mount tree ( 500 ) in fig1 and the numbering remains constant . the second mount tree ( 620 ) is a mirror of the first mount tree ( 610 ). for illustrative purposes the numbers have an “ b ” as a suffix indicating this is a mirror of the first mount tree . as shown as the second directory d 2 ( 506 b ), the mount filesystem , f 2 , is the second replica of the filesystem as this is a mirror copy , and this mounted filesystem remains a member of the first peer group . accordingly , as shown the semantics of a non - bindable mount allow the non - bindable mount and any submounts attached to said non - bindable mount to be mirrored when said mount tree is mirrored in its entirety and attached to a self contained mount point that functions as a pivot for a new mount tree with the mirrored non - bindable mount creating a new non - bindable mount . in one embodiment , the invention is implemented in software , which includes but is not limited to firmware , resident software , microcode , etc . the invention can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . embodiments within the scope of the present invention also include articles of manufacture comprising program storage means having encoded therein program code . such program storage means can be any available media which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer . by way of example , and not limitation , such program storage means can include ram , rom , eeprom , cd - rom , or other optical disk storage , magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices , or any other medium which can be used to store the desired program code means and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer . combinations of the above should also be included in the scope of the program storage means . the medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ) or a propagation medium . examples of a computer - readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , random access memory ( ram ), read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk , and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk b read only ( cd - rom ), compact disk b read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a data processing system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , wireless and ethernet adapters are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . it will be appreciated that , although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . in particular , while creating a replica of the mount tree having a non - bindable mount , the process may entail replicating the marked non - bindable mount and then removing all mounts under the mount that is marked non - bindable prior to completion of the replication process . accordingly , the scope of protection of this invention is limited only by the following claims and their equivalents .	6
embodiments of the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . note that the invention is not limited thereto . fig1 to fig6 are cross - sectional views showing a manufacturing method of a ferroelectric memory according to a first embodiment of the present invention . first , a switching transistor st is formed on a silicon substrate 10 , using a conventional process . the switching transistor st can be similar to a conventional one , and therefore , its detailed description is omitted . in a formation process of the switching transistor st , a diffusion layer dl is formed as a source layer or a drain layer of the switching transistor st . next , an interlayer dielectric film 15 is deposited on the switching transistor st . the interlayer dielectric film 15 is a low - k film having a smaller specific dielectric constant than that of a silicon oxide film . next , a contact hole reaching the diffusion layer dl is formed , and metal is filled into the contact hole . thereafter , to flatten the surface , the metal is ground to the upper surface of the interlayer dielectric film 15 by using cmp ( chemical mechanical polishing ). as a result , a metal plug mp 1 as a contact plug is formed . the metal plug mp 1 includes tungsten , for example . next , a barrier metal 20 , a lower electrode material 30 , a ferroelectric material 40 , and an upper electrode material 50 are deposited sequentially on the interlayer dielectric film 15 containing the metal plug mp 1 . the barrier metal 20 includes a single layer film of titan nitride ( t 3 n 4 , etc . ), titan aluminum nitride ( tialn , etc . ), tungsten nitride ( wn , etc .) or titanium ( ti ), or a laminated film of these materials . in the present embodiment , the barrier metal 20 includes a single layer film of tialn . the barrier metal 20 has a film thickness of 30 nm , for example . the lower electrode material 30 includes a single layer film of ir , oxide iridium ( iro 2 , iro x ), pt , srruo 3 , lasro 3 , and srruo 3 ( hereinafter , also called sro ), or a laminated film of these materials , for example . in the present embodiment , the lower electrode material 30 includes a single layer film of iridium . the lower electrode material 30 has a film thickness of 120 nm , for example . the ferroelectric material 40 includes pzt ( pb ( zr x ti ( 1 - x ) o 3 ), sbt ( sr x bi y ta z o a ), blt ( bi x la y o z ), for example , where x , y , z , a are positive numbers . in the present embodiment , the ferroelectric material 40 includes pzt . the ferroelectric material 40 has a film thickness of 100 nm , for example . the upper electrode material 50 includes a single layer film of ir , oxide iridium ( iro 2 , iro x ), pt , srruo 3 , lasro 3 or srruo 3 ( hereinafter , also called sro ), or a laminated film of these materials , for example . in the present embodiment , the upper electrode material 50 includes a laminated film of ir , iro 2 , and sro . in the drawing , the upper electrode material 50 is expressed as a single layer . the ir layer has a film thickness of 20 nm , for example . the iro 2 layer has a film thickness of 50 nm , for example . the sro film has a film thickness of 10 nm , for example . next , a barrier metal layer 60 is deposited on the upper electrode material 50 . the barrier metal layer 60 is a metal film containing nitrogen , and includes a single layer film of titan aluminum nitride ( tialn , etc . ), titan nitride ( ti 3 n 4 , etc . ), or tungsten nitride ( wn , etc . ), or a laminated film of two or more layers . the metal film containing nitride is excellent in a characteristic of shielding hydrogen , and is therefore suitable as a barrier metal layer . the barrier metal layer 60 has a film thickness of 30 nm , for example . next , an alumina ( al 2 o 3 ) layer 70 and a silicon oxide film 80 as hard mask materials are deposited on the barrier metal layer 60 . the alumina layer 70 has a film thickness of about 120 nm , for example . the silicon oxide film 80 has a film thickness of 500 nm , for example . a suitable mask material is a single layer film of aluminum oxide ( al 2 o 3 ), zirconium oxide ( zro 2 , etc . ), aluminum silicon oxide ( alsi x o y ), silicon oxide ( sio 2 ), titan oxide ( tio 2 ), aluminum oxynitride ( alo x n y ) or silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ), or a laminated film of two or more layers of these materials . in the present embodiment , a laminated film of the alumina ( al 2 o 3 ) layer 70 and the silicon oxide film 80 is employed . next , photoresist is coated onto the silicon oxide film 80 , and this is patterned into a ferroelectric capacitor . a photoresist mask 90 covering a front surface region of the ferroelectric capacitor on the upper surface of the silicon oxide film 80 is formed . as a result , a cross - sectional configuration as shown in fig1 is obtained . next , as shown in fig2 , the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina layer 70 , and the barrier metal layer 60 are etched by rie ( reactive ion etching ) by using the photoresist mask 90 as a mask . when it is difficult to process the barrier metal layer 60 by using the photoresist mask 90 as a mask , the barrier metal layer 60 can be processed by using the silicon oxide film 80 and the alumina layer 70 after the etching as a hard mask . next , as shown in fig3 , a side mask material 100 is deposited on the upper surface of the upper electrode material 50 , on the side surface and the upper surface of the silicon oxide film 80 , on the side surface of the alumina layer 70 , and on the side surface of the barrier metal layer 60 . the side mask material 100 is an insulation film shielding a gas containing chlorine , and is preferably a single layer film of aluminum oxide ( al 2 o 3 , etc . ), zirconium oxide ( zro 2 , etc . ), aluminum silicon oxide ( alsi x o y , etc . ), silicon oxide ( sio 2 ), titan oxide ( tio 2 , etc . ), silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 , etc . ), aluminum nitride ( aln ) or aluminum oxynitride ( alo x n y ), or a laminated film of two or more layers of these materials . this is because these materials are excellent in shielding of hydrogen . in the present embodiment , a single layer film of aluminum oxide ( al 2 o 3 ) is employed as the side mask material 100 . the side mask material 100 has a film thickness of 20 nm , for example . the side mask material 100 is deposited using ald ( atomic layer deposition ) or the like . next , the side mask material 100 is anisotropically etched back . accordingly , the side mask material deposited on the upper surface of the silicon oxide film 80 and the upper surface of the upper electrode material 50 is removed , and the side mask material 100 is left on only the side surface of the silicon oxide film 80 , on the side surface of the alumina layer 70 , and on the side surface of the barrier metal layer 60 . the processed side mask material 100 is hereinafter called the side mask 100 . after the side mask 100 is formed , the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric material 40 , the lower electrode material 30 , and the barrier metal layer 20 are anisotropically etched by using the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina layer 70 and the side mask 100 as a mask . as a result , the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric material 40 , the lower electrode material 30 , and the barrier metal layer 20 are processed in a pattern of the ferroelectric capacitor . the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric material 40 , and the lower electrode material 30 after the processing are hereinafter called the upper electrode 50 , the ferroelectric layer 40 , and the lower electrode 30 , respectively . in this etching process , a gas containing bcl 3 , cl 2 , o 2 , ar , co , or n 2 is used as an etching gas . in other words , the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric material 40 , the lower electrode material 30 , and the barrier metal layer 20 are etched using the gas containing chlorine . however , in this case , because the side surface of the barrier metal layer 60 is covered by the side mask 100 , the side surface of the barrier metal layer 60 is not etched ( not side etched ). as a result , the coverage of the barrier metal layer 60 on the upper surface of the upper electrode 50 is maintained satisfactorily . thereafter , an interlayer dielectric film 115 covering the whole ferroelectric capacitor fc is deposited . the interlayer dielectric film 115 includes a silicon oxide film , for example . then , a contact hole is formed to reach the upper electrode 50 , piercing through the interlayer dielectric film 115 , the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina layer 70 , and the barrier metal layer 60 . further , metal is filled into the contact hole , and this metal is ground up to the upper surface of the interlayer dielectric film 115 by cmp . as a result , a metal plug mp 2 is formed . a material of the metal plug mp 2 is tungsten , for example . tungsten is deposited in the atmosphere containing a large amount of hydrogen , as described above . if the barrier metal layer 60 is side etched , hydrogen relatively easily reaches the ferroelectric film 40 via the interlayer dielectric film 115 from the contact hole . the interlayer dielectric film 115 has little effect of shielding hydrogen . on the other hand , in the present embodiment , the side surface of the barrier metal layer 60 is on substantially the same plane as the side surfaces of the upper electrode 50 , the ferroelectric film 40 , the lower electrode material 30 , and the barrier metal layer 20 , respectively . therefore , the barrier metal layer 60 covers the whole upper surface of the upper electrode 50 with satisfactory coverage . consequently , degradation of the ferroelectric film 40 is suppressed . next , as shown in fig6 a , a wiring 120 and others are formed on the interlayer dielectric film 115 including the metal plug mp 2 , thereby completing a ferroelectric memory according to the present embodiment . alternatively , as shown in fig6 b , a contact hole used for the metal plug mp 2 can be formed to pierce through only the interlayer dielectric film 115 , the silicon oxide film 80 , and the alumina layer 70 , without piercing through the barrier metal 60 . accordingly , the metal plug mp 2 can be formed to be in contact with the upper surface of the barrier metal 60 . according to the manufacturing method of the present embodiment , the side mask 100 suppresses the side etching of the barrier metal layer 60 , in the etching process of the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric material 40 , the lower electrode material 30 , and the barrier metal layer 20 . as a result , the barrier metal layer 60 covers the total upper surface of the upper electrode 50 with satisfactory coverage , and suppresses the entering of hydrogen into the contact portion on the upper electrode , thereby suppressing degradation of the ferroelectric film 40 by hydrogen . the ferroelectric memory formed by the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment includes a switching transistor st provided on the silicon substrate 10 , the interlayer dielectric film 115 formed on the switching transistor st , a ferroelectric capacitor fc , the upper electrode 50 , the ferroelectric film 40 , and the lower electrode 30 formed on the interlayer dielectric film 115 , a metal plug mp 1 provided within the interlayer dielectric film 115 , and connected to the lower electrode 30 , a diffusion layer dl connecting between the metal plug mp 1 and the switching transistor st , the barrier metal layer 60 provided on the upper electrode 50 , and the side mask 100 provided on the side surface of the barrier metal layer 60 and having a side surface on the same plane as the side surface of the upper electrode , the side mask 100 shielding a gas for etching the ferroelectric material 40 . according to the present embodiment , the barrier metal layer 60 is not side etched . therefore , the barrier metal layer 60 covers the whole upper surface of the upper electrode 50 . as a result , degradation of the ferroelectric film 40 due to hydrogen can be suppressed . further , in the present embodiment , after the lower electrode material 30 , the ferroelectric material 40 , and the upper electrode material 50 are deposited , the barrier metal layer 60 is deposited on the upper electrode material 50 . thereafter , the barrier metal layer 60 , the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric material 40 , and the lower electrode material 30 are processed into the shape of a capacitor . the barrier metal layer 60 according to this method has a more satisfactory coverage on the upper surface of the upper electrode material 50 than the barrier metal according to the method described in the background technique . therefore , the barrier metal layer 60 according to the present embodiment can shield hydrogen more satisfactorily than the conventional barrier metal layer . fig7 is a cross - sectional view showing one example of the ferroelectric memory according to the first embodiment . fig7 shows a “ series connected tc unit type ferroelectric ram ”, having both ends of a capacitor ( c ) connected to between a source and a drain of a cell transistor ( t ), as a unit cell , and having plural unit cells connected in series . the present embodiment can be of course applied to an optional memory having a ferroelectric capacitor , not only to the series connected tc unit type ferroelectric ram . in fig6 a and fig6 b , the side surface of the ferroelectric capacitor fc is substantially perpendicularly etched . however , the side surface is actually formed in a sequentially tapered shape as shown in fig7 . in fig7 , the side mask 100 , the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina layer 70 , and the barrier metal layer 60 are omitted . in the example shown in fig7 , after the metal plug mp 2 is formed , a metal plug mp 3 is formed , and then , wirings 120 , 130 , 140 are formed . fig8 is a cross - sectional view showing a manufacturing method of a ferroelectric memory according to a second embodiment of the present invention . the second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a laminated film of the alumina layer 100 ( hereinafter , also “ the alumina film 100 ”) and a silicon oxide film 110 are employed as the side mask 100 . other configurations of the second embodiment can be similar to those of the first embodiment . after the alumina film 100 shown in fig3 is deposited , the silicon oxide film 110 is deposited on the alumina film 100 by the cvd method or the like . by anisotropically etching the silicon oxide film 110 and the alumina film 100 , the silicon oxide film 110 and the alumina film 100 are formed as a side mask on the side surface of the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina layer 70 , and the barrier layer 60 , respectively . the alumina film 100 has a film thickness of 10 nm , for example . the silicon oxide film 110 has a deposition film thickness of 30 nm , for example . next , as shown in fig9 , the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric material 40 , the lower electrode material 30 , and the barrier metal layer 20 are anisotropically etched by using the silicon oxide films 80 , 110 , and the alumina layer 100 as a mask . accordingly , the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric material 40 , and the lower electrode material 30 are obtained . thereafter , the ferroelectric memory is completed through a process similar to that of the first embodiment . like in the second embodiment , the side mask can be a laminated film . effects similar to those of the first embodiment can be obtained from the second embodiment . fig1 is a cross - sectional view showing a manufacturing method of a ferroelectric memory according to a third embodiment of the present invention . the third embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that iridium as the same material as that of the upper layer of the upper electrode 50 is employed as a side mask . other configurations of the third embodiment can be similar to those of the first embodiment . in the third embodiment , a part of the upper electrode material 50 is further over - etched in the etching process of the barrier metal layer 60 shown in fig2 . because the upper layer of the upper electrode material 50 is formed by iridium , the etched iridium is deposited as an iridium layer 111 on the side surface of the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina layer 70 , and the barrier metal layer 60 . next , as shown in fig1 , the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric material 40 , the lower electrode material 30 , and the barrier metal layer 20 are anisotropically etched by using the silicon oxide film 80 and the iridium layer 111 as a mask . as a result , the upper electrode 50 , the ferroelectric film 40 , and the lower electrode 30 are obtained . thereafter , in the same process as that of the first embodiment , the ferroelectric memory is completed . the manufacturing method according to the third embodiment is simpler than the manufacturing method according to the first embodiment , because the side mask ( the iridium layer 111 ) is formed simultaneously with the etching of the barrier metal layer 60 . further , effects similar to those of the first embodiment can be obtained from the third embodiment . fig1 is a cross - sectional view showing a manufacturing method of a ferroelectric memory according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention . the fourth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a laminated film including the iridium layer 111 and the alumina layer 100 is employed as a side mask . other configurations of the fourth embodiment can be similar to those of the first embodiment . the iridium layer 111 is provided nearer to the side surface of the barrier metal layer 60 than the alumina layer 100 . in the fourth embodiment , a part of the upper electrode material 50 is further over - etched in the etching process of the barrier metal layer 60 shown in fig2 . because the upper layer of the upper electrode material 50 is formed by iridium , the etched iridium is deposited as the iridium layer 111 on the side surface of the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina layer 70 , and the barrier metal layer 60 . after the alumina film 100 is deposited , the alumina film 100 is anisotropically etched . as a result , the alumina film 100 and the iridium layer 111 are formed as a side mask , on the side surface of the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina layer 70 , and the barrier metal layer 60 , respectively . next , as shown in fig1 , the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric material 40 , the lower electrode material 30 , and the barrier metal layer 20 are anisotropically etched by using the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina layer 100 , and the iridium layer 111 as a mask . as a result , the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric film 40 , and the lower electrode film 30 are obtained . thereafter , the ferroelectric memory is completed through a similar process to that of the first embodiment . the manufacturing method according to the fourth embodiment uses a laminated film of the iridium layer 111 and the alumina layer 100 as a side mask . therefore , side etching of the barrier metal layer 60 can be more securely suppressed . further , effects similar to those of the first embodiment can be obtained from the fourth embodiment . fig1 is a cross - sectional view showing a manufacturing method of a ferroelectric memory according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention . the fifth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a three - layer film including the iridium layer 111 , the alumina layer 100 , and the silicon oxide film 110 is employed as a side mask . other configurations of the fifth embodiment can be similar to those of the first embodiment . the iridium layer 111 out of the three - layer film is nearest to the side surface of the barrier metal layer 60 . in the fifth embodiment , a part of the upper electrode material 50 is further over - etched in the etching process of the barrier metal layer 60 shown in fig2 . because the upper layer of the upper electrode material 50 is formed by iridium , the etched iridium is deposited as the iridium layer 111 on the side surface of the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina layer 70 , and the barrier metal layer 60 . after the alumina film 100 is deposited , the silicon oxide film 110 is deposited on the alumina film 100 . by anisotropically etching the silicon oxide film 110 and the alumina film 100 , the silicon oxide film 110 and the alumina film 100 are formed as a side mask , on the side surface of the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina layer 70 , and the barrier metal layer 60 , respectively . next , as shown in fig1 , the upper electrode material 50 , the ferroelectric material 40 , the lower electrode material 30 , and the barrier metal layer 20 are anisotropically etched by using the silicon oxide films 80 , 110 , the alumina layer 100 , and the iridium layer 111 as a mask . as a result , the upper electrode 50 , the ferroelectric film 40 , and the lower electrode 30 are obtained . thereafter , the ferroelectric memory is completed through a similar process to that of the first embodiment . the manufacturing method according to the fifth embodiment uses a three - layer film of the iridium layer 111 , the alumina layer 100 , and the silicon oxide film 110 as a side mask . therefore , side etching of the barrier metal layer 60 can be more securely suppressed . further , effects similar to those of the first embodiment can be obtained from the fifth embodiment . fig1 is a cross - sectional view showing a manufacturing method of a ferroelectric memory according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention . in the sixth embodiment , etching of the ferroelectric material 40 is once stopped , and a second side mask is formed on the upper side surface of the upper electrode 50 and the ferroelectric material 40 . thereafter , etching of the ferroelectric material 40 is continued again . other configurations of the sixth embodiment can be similar to those of the first embodiment . as shown in fig4 , the alumina film 100 as a first side mask is formed . next , the upper part of the upper electrode material 50 and the ferroelectric material 40 is anisotropically etched by rie by using the silicon oxide films 80 , the alumina layer 70 , and the side mask 100 as a mask . as a result , a structure as shown in fig1 is obtained . an alumina film 112 is deposited on the upper surface of the ferroelectric material 40 , on the side surface of the upper part of the ferroelectric material 40 , on the side surface of the upper electrode 50 , on the front surface of the alumina film 100 , and the upper surface of the silicon oxide film 80 , and the alumina film 112 is anisotropically etched back . as a result , as shown in fig1 , the alumina film 112 as a second side mask is formed on the , on the side surface of the upper part of the ferroelectric material 40 , on the side surface of the upper electrode 50 , and on the top surface of the alumina film 100 . the alumina film 112 has a film thickness of 30 nm , for example . the alumina film 112 is deposited by the ald method , for example . the second side mask is preferably a single layer film of aluminum oxide ( al 2 o 3 , etc . ), zirconium oxide ( zro 2 , etc . ), aluminum silicon oxide ( alsi x o y , etc . ), silicon oxide ( sio 2 ), titan oxide ( tio 2 , etc . ), silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 , etc . ), aluminum nitride ( aln ) or aluminum oxynitride ( alo x n y ), or a laminated film of two or more layers of these materials . this is because these materials are excellent in shielding of hydrogen . thereafter , as shown in fig1 , the lower part of the ferroelectric material 40 , the lower electrode material 30 , and the barrier metal layer 20 are anisotropically etched by using the alumina film 100 ( a first side mask ), the alumina film 112 ( a second side mask ), and the silicon oxide film 80 as a mask . further , through the process similar to that of the first embodiment , the ferroelectric memory is completed . the side surface of the upper electrode 50 and the side surface of the lower electrode are on different plane surfaces . according to the sixth embodiment , at the time of etching the lower part of the ferroelectric material 40 , the alumina film 112 covers the interface between the ferroelectric material 40 and the upper electrode 50 . as a result , a gas containing chlorine used to etch the ferroelectric material 40 can be suppressed from being diffused to the barrier layer 60 from the interface between the ferroelectric material 40 and the upper electrode 50 . accordingly , in the sixth embodiment , etching of the barrier metal layer 60 by the gas containing chlorine can be suppressed more than in the first embodiment . in the sixth embodiment , the single layer film or the laminated film used in the second to the fifth embodiments can be employed in place of the alumina film 100 , for the first side mask . in this case , the effects of any one of the second to the fifth embodiments can be obtained from the sixth embodiment . either a part or whole of the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina film 70 , and the barrier metal layer 60 shown in fig5 , fig9 , fig1 , fig1 , fig1 , and fig1 in the first to the sixth embodiments do not need to remain at the completion time of the ferroelectric memory . for example , after the ferroelectric capacitor fc is processed , the silicon oxide film 80 can be removed , and the alumina film 70 and the barrier metal layer 60 can remain . after the ferroelectric capacitor fc is processed , the silicon oxide film 80 and the alumina film 70 can be removed , and the barrier metal layer 60 can remain . alternatively , after the ferroelectric capacitor fc is processed , all the silicon oxide film 80 , the alumina film 70 , and the barrier metal layer 60 can be removed . in the first to the sixth embodiments , the barrier metal layer 60 and the side masks 100 , 110 , and 111 can shield not only the hydrogen gas in the cvd in the deposition process of tungsten but also the hydrogen in other processes and hydrogen entering after the manufacturing .	7
all references cited herein are incorporated by reference to the maximum extent allowable by law . to the extent a reference may not be fully incorporated herein , it is incorporated by reference for background purposes and indicative of the knowledge of one of ordinary skill in the art . in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments , reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific preferred embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , and it is understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that logical mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . to avoid detail not necessary to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention , the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . referring now to fig1 of the drawings an umbrella lighting system 10 is shown . umbrella lighting system 10 has a solar power system 12 supported by a fixing device 14 . solar power system 12 is in electrical communication with a conductive connection 16 that is in turn in electrical communication with a lighting system 18 . as is clearly shown in this view , fixing device 14 is connected to a lower end of umbrella rib 20 that is in turn supported by center pole 22 , as is typical in patio umbrellas generally . lighting system 18 includes brackets 40 attached to ribs 20 at intervals to support light bulbs 50 along ribs 20 . wires 42 are shown running along a top side of ribs 20 to connect light bulbs 50 to power system 12 . fig2 is a detail of the power system and fixing device of the umbrella lighting system shown in fig1 . power system 12 includes a solar panel 24 and battery 26 . solar panel 24 charges battery 26 during daylight hours and battery 26 powers lighting system 18 when illumination is desired . a switch 28 may be included on power system 12 to control the power going form battery 26 to lighting system 18 . also , a photo resistor 30 may be used to detect ambient lighting and allow power to go from battery 26 to lighting system 18 after dusk . continuing with fig2 fixing device 14 is comprised of an arm 32 and a sleeve 34 . sleeve 34 is placed over the lower end of umbrella rib 20 and secured to umbrella rib 20 by a threaded housing pin 36 attached to a movable hold - down plate 38 . movable hold - down plate 38 allows sleeve 34 to be secured to a variety of different sizes of rib 20 . arm 32 is shaped to position power system 12 above umbrella rib 20 for exposure to sunlight . power system 12 is pivotally attached to arm 32 to allow solar panel 24 to be adjusted for maximum exposure to sunlight . the primary advantage of fixing device 14 is that it may be slid over rib 20 . in a typical arrangement , the umbrella cover may be removed from the tip of a single rib without further disassembly of the umbrella , allowing fixing device 14 to be slid over rib 20 and secured to rib 20 by plate 38 and pin 36 . fig3 is view of another umbrella lighting system 10 having decorative globe light fixtures 44 hanging from the tips of ribs 20 . hooks 48 secure globe light fixtures to ribs 20 . light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 and provide for wires 42 to run between light bulb 50 and power system 12 . in the embodiment shown wires 42 run along the tops of ribs 20 . further , in the embodiment shown two power systems 12 are used on ribs 20 . the use of multiple power systems 12 provides for additional power and for improved distribution of weight , since batteries 26 may be heavy depending on the amount of light output desired from bulbs 50 . fig4 is a view of another umbrella lighting system having decorative lantern light fixtures 44 . as above , light fixtures 44 include light bulbs 50 . additionally , wire 42 is shown running from rib 20 to rib 20 from tip to tip along a support wire 46 . in this case wire 42 may be a coiled wire , as shown , to be used on different length ribs 20 . the primary advantage of the present invention is that the system may be adapted to fit a wide variety of umbrellas or may be built for one specific umbrella design . the lighting system can be used with solid pole patio umbrellas without requiring external wiring on the pole because the power system and associated controls are accessible to the user at the lower end of the umbrella rib , yet unobtrusive . further , the power system maybe easily removed for storage or maintenance without disassembling the umbrella . additionally , the lighting system may be offered as a separate add - on for a line of umbrellas with optional lighting designs , thereby allowing the customer to choose an umbrella and lighting combination that meets the customers needs without having to anticipate and provide every possible combination . 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 but is susceptible to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof .	0
the aim of the present invention is a device for tapping pressure for an aircraft , with an original design which significantly improves the quality of the measurements made by the probe , at the same time making it quicker and simpler to be set on the fuselage panel , and to be changed if needed . according to the invention , this result is obtained by means of a device for an aircraft for pressure tapping , comprising at least one support element , a part for pressure tapping carried by the support element and turned towards the outside of the aircraft , and a fuselage panel fixed on the support element and provided with an opening which receives the part for pressure tapping , a device characterised in that it also comprises a plate in which is integrated , without discontinuity , the part for pressure tapping , said plate being fixed on the support element and the opening having a shape and dimensions almost identical to those of the plate , in such a way that the latter is received in said opening and is flush with the external surface of the fuselage panel . since the part for pressure tapping is integrated , without discontinuity , into a plate of relatively large dimensions , the continuity of the aerodynamic profile of the fuselage is ensured in the measurement zone surrounding the part for pressure tapping , without any machining being necessary . in addition , it becomes possible to fix this plate on the support element from the outside of the aircraft , in an opening in the fuselage panel , whose shape and dimensions are adapted to those of the plate . this method of fixation makes it possible to adjust the plate easily in such a way that its external surface is flush with the external surface of the fuselage panel without any levelling operation being required . in fact , the flush tolerance is much less strict at the edge of the plate than in the measurement zone . thus , a much simpler and much faster mounting can be made . in addition , the replacement of a pressure tapping part which may be damaged following a shock is also simpler and faster . moreover , since this technique makes it possible to guarantee the continuity of the external surface of the aircraft fuselage in the measurement zone located close to the pressure tapping part , the quality and precision of the measurement are naturally improved . besides this , slight damage to the plate integrating the pressure tapping part , such as a scratch , can be remedied by simply replacing this plate . if the damage is to the fuselage panel , the defect is sufficiently far away from the pressure tapping part so as not to cause any disturbance in the measurement . advantageously , in order to be able to adjust the plate relative to the fuselage panel , during fixation of said plate on the support element , shims are used . this makes it possible , without difficulty , to ensure with precision that the external surfaces of the plate and the fuselage panel are flush . the support element is recessed relative to the opening formed in the fuselage panel , and the plate is countersunk in this recess . advantageously , in order to facilitate setting the plate in place , the recess has a plane base , against which a plane face of said plate is applied . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the pressure tapping part is constituted by a central region of the plate , pierced by perforations . advantageously , the plate is then fixed onto the support element by fixation elements , such as screws or bolts , which are all arranged around the edge of the plate . the fixation elements are thus at a distance from the measurement zone located near the pressure tapping part . this contributes to guaranteeing the quality and precision of the measurement made by the probe . preferably , and for the same reason , the fixation elements are arranged outside an angular air flow zone centered on said pressure tapping part . advantageously , this angular air flow zone without fixation elements forms an angle of at least about 30 ° which coincides with the surface of the plate along which the air flows towards the part for taking pressure . the invention also concerns a procedure for installing a pressure tapping device on a fuselage panel of an aircraft , according to which the fuselage panel is fixed on a support element , in such a way that a pressure tapping part is received in an opening formed in said panel , the procedure being characterised in that , without discontinuity , the pressure tapping part is integrated with a plate of shape and dimensions almost identical to those of said opening and in that said plate is fixed on the support element after having fixed the fuselage panel on the support element , in such a way that the plate is received in said opening and is flush with the external surface of the fuselage . below is described , as a non - limiting example , a preferred mode of embodiment of the invention , with reference to the attached drawings , in which : fig1 described above , is a view in perspective representing very schematically the front part of the fuselage of an aircraft ; fig2 described above , is an exploded view in perspective illustrating schematically the installation of a pressure tapping device on a front fuselage panel of the aircraft of fig1 according to prior art ; fig3 is a view in perspective illustrating schematically the installation of a pressure tapping device on a fuselage panel of an aircraft , in conformity with the invention ; fig4 is a front view of a pressure tapping device in conformity with the invention ; and fig5 is a cut - away view taken along line v — v of fig4 . as shown in schematic form in fig3 the pressure tapping device according to the invention comprises a plate 10 whose external surface is intended to form a small part of the external surface of the aircraft fuselage . a central region of the plate 10 , pierced by perforations 14 , constitutes the pressure tapping part 16 of a measurement probe of static pressure ( not shown ). the plate 10 and the pressure tapping part 16 of the probe thus form a sub - assembly whose installation on the aircraft fuselage will be described below . it is to be noted that the pressure tapping part 16 of the probe is integrated on the plate 10 in such a way that the external surface of the latter has no discontinuity other than the perforations 14 . the device for measuring pressure in conformity with the invention also comprises a support element 18 , intended to be fixed to the structure of the aircraft , in a manner which will be described below as an example . finally , the device for measuring pressure according to the invention comprises a fuselage panel 20 , also intended to be fixed to the aircraft structure . this fuselage panel 20 comprises an opening or window 22 , located integrally facing the support element 18 . more precisely , the shape and dimensions of the opening 22 are almost identical to those of the plate 10 ( taking into account the assembly play ) and the parts of the panel 20 surrounding this opening 22 rest on the support element 18 , in order to be fixed to it by fixation elements 24 such as rivets , screws or bolts , as shown in fig4 . fixation of the panel 20 by gluing can also be envisaged , without going beyond the framework of the invention . the sub - assembly constituted by the plate 10 and the pressure tapping part 16 is installed on the fuselage panel 20 from the outside of the aeroplane , after the panel 20 itself has been mounted and fixed on the support element 18 by the fixation elements 24 . more precisely , plate 10 is lodged in the opening 22 as well as in a recess 26 formed in front of the opening 22 on the face of the support element 18 turned towards the outside . advantageously , the base of the recess is plane , as is the rear face of the plate 10 , which rests against said base . a hole 28 is formed in the center of the support element 18 , at the base of the recess 26 and facing the pressure tapping part 16 . a flexible hose 27 is connected to this hole 28 , behind the support element 18 , to link the pressure tapping part 16 to the probe ( not shown ). a de - icing device 29 surrounds the flexible hose 27 , behind the support element 18 . advantageously , when the assembly formed by the plate 10 and the pressure tapping part 16 , are put in place , shims 30 ( fig5 ) are interposed between the plate 10 and the support element 18 , in the base of the recess 26 , so that the external surface of the plate 10 is precisely flush , and without discontinuity with the external surface of the fuselage panel 20 . the shims 30 can in particular be strippable shims of 0 . 05 mm per sheet . the arrangement obtained is such that the external surfaces of the plate 10 and the panel 20 are perfectly aligned over the whole of the periphery of the plate . however , it is to be noted that the distance separating the peripheral edge of the plate 10 from the pressure tapping part 16 is sufficient so that the effect of a possible slight fault in alignment has practically no influence on the precision of the measurement . this is why levelling is not necessary . the plate 10 is generally fixed on the support element 18 by fixation elements 32 such as screws or bolts . as shown in particular in fig4 these fixation elements 32 are all arranged around the periphery of the plate 10 , that is to say at a setting as far away as possible from the perforations 14 forming the pressure tapping part 16 of the probe . besides , as also shown in fig4 the fixation elements 32 are placed outside an angular zone of air flow 33 centered on the pressure tapping part 16 of the probe . this angular zone 33 is shown by lines of dots and dashes on fig4 . advantageously it forms an angle of at least about 30 °. the angular zone 33 without fixation elements 32 is centered on a line passing through the center of the pressure tapping part 16 and inclined upwards from front to back . in a variant of an embodiment not shown , the fixation elements 32 are suppressed and the plate 10 is glued to the support element 18 . the characteristics as a whole which have been described above make it possible to ensure that the air flowing across the perforation 14 ensuring the pressure tapping of the probe undergoes practically no disturbance along its aerodynamic flow close to the pressure tapping part . consequently , quality and precision of measurement significantly higher than those obtained using existing measuring devices are ensured . in addition it is to be noted that these characteristics are obtained without the need for recourse to levelling operations which are lengthy and complicated in application . it is also to be noted that the arrangement which has just been described above makes it possible , if necessary , to replace the pressure tapping part and the support plate quickly and simply , from the outside of the aircraft . in the mode of embodiment shown in fig3 to 5 , the plate 10 and the opening 22 are rectangular in shape . however , it is to be understood that differently shaped contours ( circular , oval , trapezoidal , etc .) can be used without going outside the framework of the invention . as shown in fig3 to 5 , the structure of the aircraft on which the support element 18 and the fuselage panel 20 are fixed is usually made , in the conventional manner , in the form of a framework comprising circular frames 34 set in transversal planes of the aircraft and longitudinal angle bars 36 extending in the longitudinal direction of the aeroplane . the pressure tapping device s is integrated into one of the meshes defined between two adjacent frames 34 and between two consecutive angle bars 36 . as shown in the figures , the support element 18 is fixed between these frames 34 and angle bars 36 by certain fixation elements 24 , which moreover serve to fix the fuselage panel 20 to the different elements of the framework . it is well understood that the invention is not limited to the method of embodiment described above as an example , but covers all variants . in particular , it is to be understood that the nature of the fixation elements 24 and 32 , their number and their placement can be different from those illustrated in fig4 without going beyond the framework of the invention . moreover , the functional play which inevitably exists between the peripheral edge of the plate 10 and the contour of the opening 22 can be bridged by a filler mastic or an equivalent product . in addition and as already observed , the support element 18 can be constituted from a single piece , as shown in the figures , or from several pieces able to take up the integral stresses resulting from the presence of an opening 22 in the panel 20 . also , the fuselage panel 20 can be fixed on the support element 18 either by being connected to it by appropriate assembly means , or by being made out of a single block with said support element , for example in the case of a panel in composite material or a metallic panel with integral machining . finally , it is to be understood that the invention applies to the production of any pressure tapping device for aircraft , wherever it is located in the fuselage .	1
an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings . fig4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a receiving device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure . a receiving device 1 of fig4 is equivalent to the receiving device 1 in fig1 and is e . g . a receiving device compliant with a predetermined standard of digital terrestrial broadcasting . the receiving device 1 includes an antenna 11 , a tuner 12 , a demodulating section 13 , an error correction section 14 , a decoder 15 , and an output section 16 . furthermore , the receiving device 1 includes a controller 10 that controls the operation of the respective sections in the receiving device 1 . the antenna 11 receives an rf ( radio frequency ) signal transmitted from the transmitting device 2 of a broadcast station or the like via the propagation path 3 and supplies it to the tuner 12 . the tuner 12 performs frequency conversion of the rf signal received by the antenna 11 . an if ( intermediate frequency ) signal obtained by performing the frequency conversion for the rf signal is supplied to the demodulating section 13 . the demodulating section 13 performs a / d conversion for the signal supplied from the tuner 12 and then executes predetermined demodulation processing such as synchronization processing and equalization processing , to supply data obtained as the result to the error correction section 14 . furthermore , the demodulating section 13 estimates the snr relating to the propagation path 3 , obtained from a data signal included in the demodulated received signal . moreover , the demodulating section 13 acquires a transmission parameter obtained from the received signal . the demodulating section 13 supplies the estimated snr and the transmission parameter to the controller 10 . the transmission parameter is inserted in e . g . system information ( si ) of a body part that configures a frame of a predetermined standard together with a header part . the estimated snr and the transmission parameter are supplied from the demodulating section 13 to the controller 10 . the controller 10 corrects the estimated snr in accordance with the transmission parameter . hereinafter , the corrected estimated snr will be referred to as the corrected snr . the controller 10 supplies the corrected snr obtained by correcting the estimated snr to the respective sections in the receiving device 1 that execute predetermined processing with use of the corrected snr . the detailed configurations of the controller 10 and the demodulating section 13 will be described later . the error correction section 14 executes predetermined error correction processing for data supplied from the demodulating section 13 and supplies encoded data obtained as the result to the decoder 15 . in the transmitting device 2 ( fig1 ), for example data of image and audio as a show is subjected to mpeg ( moving picture experts group ) encoding and a transmission signal configured by packets including the mpeg - encoded data is transmitted . furthermore , in the transmitting device 2 , the data is encoded to a code such as an rs ( reed - solomon ) code as a countermeasure against an error occurring on the propagation path 3 . therefore , the error correction section 14 executes processing of decoding the code and so forth as the error correction processing . the decoder 15 performs e . g . mpeg decoding of the encoded data supplied from the error correction section 14 and supplies data of image and audio obtained as the result to the output section 16 . the output section 16 is configured with display device , speaker , etc . the display device displays an image in association with the image data supplied from the decoder 15 and the speaker outputs audio in association with the audio data . the receiving device 1 is configured in the above - described manner . with reference to fig5 , the detailed configurations of the controller 10 and the demodulating section 13 as part of the respective sections configuring the receiving device 1 of fig4 will be described below . as shown in fig5 , the demodulating section 13 includes an snr estimator 42 and a transmission parameter acquirer 43 in addition to a demodulator 41 that executes demodulation processing . the snr estimator 42 estimates the snr obtained from a data signal included in the received signal demodulated by the demodulating section 13 and supplies the estimated snr to the controller 10 . as the method for estimating the snr , the result of a hard decision for the constellation of the data signal is used as described above with fig3 a and 3b , and thereby the estimated snr is obtained . therefore , as described above , when the path snr is not low , the transmission point corresponds with the estimated transmission point and the ideal estimated snr is obtained . in contrast , when the path snr is low , the transmission point does not correspond with the estimated transmission point and an erroneous estimated snr is obtained . the transmission parameter acquirer 43 extracts the signal corresponding to the system information from the signal obtained by executing equalization processing for the signal supplied from the tuner 12 and decodes the extracted signal to thereby obtain information on the transmission parameter . the transmission parameter acquirer 43 supplies the acquired transmission parameter to the controller 10 . as the transmission parameter , e . g . a constellation is acquired . the constellation is an entity obtained by defining the arrangement of signal points indicating the combination of the phase and / or amplitude of the in - phase channel ( i channel ) and the quadrature channel ( q channel ) in a digital quadrature modulation system such as psk ( phase shift keying ) or qam ( quadrature amplitude modulation ). normally the constellation is represented by the iq plane . accordingly , e . g . a constellation of 4qam , 4qam - nr , 16qam , 32qam , or 64qam is acquired as the transmission parameter . the transmission parameter may be other than the constellation . for example , another parameter obtained by the demodulation processing by the demodulating section 13 , such as the pseudo noise ( pn ) code length , may be acquired . the controller 10 includes an estimated snr correcting unit 21 and a correction parameter storing unit 22 . the correction parameter storing unit 22 stores correction parameters used for correction of the estimated snr in such a manner that each of the correction parameters is associated with a respective one of the transmission parameters . this transmission parameter is e . g . the constellation or the pn code length as described above and the correction parameter is stored in the correction parameter storing unit 22 in association with the constellation or another parameter . the estimated snr correcting unit 21 includes a corrected snr calculator 31 and a correction parameter acquirer 32 . in the estimated snr correcting unit 21 , the estimated snr from the snr estimator 42 is supplied to the corrected snr calculator 31 and the transmission parameter from the transmission parameter acquirer 43 is supplied to the correction parameter acquirer 32 . the correction parameter acquirer 32 acquires the correction parameter , which is stored in the correction parameter storing unit 22 in association with the transmission parameter on each transmission parameter basis , corresponding to the transmission parameter supplied from the transmission parameter acquirer 43 and supplies the correction parameter to the corrected snr calculator 31 . the corrected snr calculator 31 applies the correction parameter supplied from the correction parameter acquirer 32 to a predetermined arithmetic expression and performs calculation with use of this arithmetic expression to thereby calculate the corrected snr from the estimated snr . the corrected snr calculator 31 supplies the corrected snr obtained by the calculation to the respective sections in the receiving device 1 that execute predetermined processing with use of the corrected snr . the controller 10 and the demodulating section 13 are configured in the above - described manner . with reference to a flowchart of fig6 , estimated - snr - related processing executed in the receiving device 1 with use of the estimated snr will be described below . when a digital terrestrial broadcast signal is transmitted from the transmitting device 2 via the propagation path 3 , the signal is received by the tuner 12 via the antenna 11 in the receiving device 1 ( step s 11 ). the tuner 12 performs frequency conversion of the received signal and supplies the resulting signal to the demodulating section 13 . in the demodulating section 13 , the snr estimator 42 estimates the snr from the result of a hard decision for the constellation of a data signal included in the received signal demodulated by the demodulator 41 ( step s 12 ). furthermore , the transmission parameter acquirer 43 extracts the signal corresponding to the system information from the signal obtained by executing equalization processing for the received signal and decodes the extracted signal to thereby acquire a transmission parameter ( step s 13 ). in a step s 14 , the estimated snr correcting unit 21 executes estimated snr correction processing for correcting the estimated snr obtained by the snr estimator 42 in accordance with the transmission parameter acquired by the transmission parameter acquirer 43 . with reference to a flowchart of fig7 , details of the estimated snr correction processing executed by the estimated snr correcting unit 21 will be described below . in the estimated snr correcting unit 21 , the corrected snr calculator 31 acquires the estimated snr from the snr estimator 42 and the correction parameter acquirer 32 acquires the transmission parameter from the transmission parameter acquirer 43 ( step s 31 ). in a step s 32 , the correction parameter acquirer 32 acquires , from the correction parameter storing unit 22 , the correction parameter corresponding to the transmission parameter from the transmission parameter acquirer 43 . the corrected snr calculator 31 compares the value of the subject estimated snr of the acquired estimated snr with the correction upper limit ( to be described later ) included in the correction parameter acquired by the correction parameter acquirer 32 ( step s 33 ), and determines whether or not the value of the subject estimated snr is equal to or lower than the correction upper limit ( step s 34 ). if it is determined in the step s 34 that the value of the subject estimated snr is equal to or lower than the correction upper limit , the processing proceeds to a step s 35 . in the step s 35 , the corrected snr calculator 31 performs calculation with use of a predetermined arithmetic expression to which the correction parameter ( the amount of slope correction and the amount of intercept correction to be described later ) acquired by the correction parameter acquirer 32 , to thereby calculate the corrected snr about the value of the subject estimated snr . thereafter , the processing returns to the step s 33 . if the value of the next subject estimated snr is equal to or lower than the correction upper limit (“ yes ” of the step s 34 ), the corrected snr calculator 31 performs calculation with use of the predetermined arithmetic expression to which the correction parameter is applied , to calculate the corrected snr about the value of the subject estimated snr . that is , through the repetition of the steps s 33 to s 35 , the corrected snr based on the correction parameter is calculated about the values of the estimated snr equal to or lower than the correction upper limit . if it is determined in the step s 34 that the value of the subject estimated snr surpasses the correction upper limit , the processing proceeds to a step s 36 . in the step s 36 , the corrected snr calculator 31 outputs , as the corrected snr , the calculated corrected snr ( corrected snr calculated in the step s 35 ) for the value of the estimated snr in the range equal to or lower than the correction upper limit , and the estimated snr obtained by the snr estimator 42 as it is for the value of the estimated snr in the range beyond the correction upper limit . with reference to fig8 a , 8 b and fig9 , a specific example of the estimated snr correction processing executed by the estimated snr correcting unit 21 will be described below . fig8 a and 8b are graphs made by representing , on a logarithmic axis , the values of the estimated snr before and after the estimated snr correction processing executed by the estimated snr correcting unit 21 . in fig8 a on the left side of the diagram , the relationship between the path snr and the estimated snr ( estimated snr before the correction processing ) is shown . in fig8 b on the right side of the diagram , the relationship between the path snr and the corrected snr ( estimated snr after the correction processing ) is shown . as shown in fig8 a , as the relationship between the estimated snr indicated by the dashed line and the path snr ( ideal snr ) indicated by the solid line , the estimated snr is divergent from the path snr when the value of the snr is low as described above . here , pay attention to the value of the estimated snr . the estimated snr is divergent from the path snr only when the value of the snr is low . so , the range of the divergence is defined by the correction upper limit and the estimated snr in the range equal to or lower than the correction upper limit is considered as a linear equation having a slope and an intercept . if such slope and intercept that the above - described divergence is eliminated are given as the amounts of correction about this linear equation , the estimated snr indicated by the dashed line , i . e . the corrected snr , substantially overlaps with the path snr indicated by the solid line as shown in fig8 b . if the intercept and slope of the estimated snr are so corrected that the corrected snr has a proportional relationship with the path snr in this manner , the accuracy of the estimated snr can be enhanced . specifically , by correcting the estimated snr e . g . by the following correcting methods 1 and 2 , the corrected snr and the path snr can be made to have a proportional relationship . as correcting method 1 , there is a method in which the intercept and slope of the estimated snr on the logarithmic axis are changed to correct the decibel value of the estimated snr so that the path snr and the corrected snr may be proportional to each other . in this case , the corrected snr is obtained by the following arithmetic expression ( 1 ). as described above , in correcting method 1 , three parameters of the amount a of slope correction , the amount n of intercept correction , and the correction upper limit m are given as the correction parameter associated with the transmission parameter such as the constellation or the pn code length . the corrected snr ( x ′) is obtained by performing calculation of multiplying the estimated snr ( x ) having a decibel value equal to or lower than the correction upper limit m by the amount a of slope correction and then adding the amount n of intercept correction to the value obtained by the multiplication . the corrected snr ( x ′) obtained in this manner has a proportional relationship with the path snr . as for the value of the estimated snr ( x ) in the range beyond the correction upper limit m , this value of the estimated snr ( x ) is used as it is because the value of the estimated snr ( x ) is not divergent from the value of the path snr . as correcting method 2 , there is a method in which the intercept and slope of the estimated snr on the logarithmic axis are changed to correct the true value of the estimated snr so that the path snr and the corrected snr may be proportional to each other . in this case , the corrected snr is obtained by the following arithmetic expression ( 2 ). as described above , in correcting method 2 , three parameters of the amount a of slope correction , the amount n of intercept correction , and the correction upper limit m are given as the correction parameter associated with the transmission parameter such as the constellation or the pn code length . the corrected snr ( x ′) is obtained by performing calculation of raising the estimated snr ( x ) having a true value equal to or lower than the correction upper limit m to the power of the amount a of slope correction and then multiplying the value obtained by the raising by the amount n of intercept correction . the corrected snr ( x ′) obtained in this manner has a proportional relationship with the path snr . as for the value of the estimated snr ( x ) in the range beyond the correction upper limit m , this value of the estimated snr ( x ) is used as it is because the value of the estimated snr ( x ) is not divergent from the value of the path snr . correcting methods 1 and 2 are one example of the method for correcting the snr so that the corrected snr and the path snr may be proportional to each other , and another correcting method may be used . as for comparison between correcting method 1 and correcting method 2 , employing correcting method 1 allows a smaller circuit scale because correcting method 1 , in which calculation of multiplication and addition is performed , permits a smaller amount of calculation . in both correcting methods 1 and 2 , the range of the snr for which correction is performed is defined by the correction upper limit . due to this feature , the correction processing is executed only for the low - value range of the snr , in which the phenomenon that the value of the estimated snr is divergent from the value of the path snr occurs , and the correction is not performed for the range in which the correction is unnecessary . thus , the amount of calculation of the correction processing can be decreased and the processing time can be shortened . fig9 is a diagram showing the relationship among the path snr , the estimated snr , and the corrected snr . in fig9 , the estimated snr ( cross mark in the diagram ) and the corrected snr ( circle - mark in the diagram ) represented by the axis along the vertical direction in the diagram are indicated by the dashed lines , and the path snr represented by the axis along the horizontal direction in the diagram is indicated by the solid line . as described above , the value of the estimated snr is divergent from the value of the path snr at a higher degree when the value of the snr is lower . however , as is apparent also from fig9 , in the case of the corrected snr obtained by correcting the estimated snr , the gap between the values of the snr is absent even when the value of the snr is low , and the corrected snr is close to the ideal path snr . in the above - described manner , if the snr is estimated from the result of a hard decision for the constellation of a data signal , the correction parameter ( the amount of slope correction , the amount of intercept correction , correction upper limit ) associated with the transmission parameter such as a constellation is acquired in the estimated snr correcting unit 21 . furthermore , in the estimated snr correcting unit 21 , calculation with the predetermined arithmetic expression ( arithmetic expression ( 1 ), ( 2 )) to which the amount of slope correction and the amount of intercept correction are applied is performed only for the values of the estimated snr in the range equal to or lower than the correction upper limit and the corrected snr arising from approximation of the value of the estimated snr to the value of the path snr is calculated . referring back to the flowchart of fig7 , the corrected snr is output by the corrected snr calculator 31 to the demodulating section 13 and another subsequent - stage processing unit ( not shown ) that executes predetermined processing with use of the corrected snr ( step s 36 ). upon the end of the step s 36 , the processing returns to the flowchart of fig6 and processing of a step s 15 is executed . in the step s 15 , the demodulating section 13 and the subsequent - stage processing unit ( not shown ) execute predetermined processing with use of the corrected snr , so that the estimated - snr - related processing of fig6 is ended . for example , the subsequent - stage processing unit ( not shown ) supplies the corrected snr to the output section 16 and makes the corrected snr be displayed on a display . as described above , the estimated snr with high accuracy can be acquired by executing the estimated snr correction processing for the estimated snr by the corrected snr calculator 31 . thus , for example if the result of estimation of the snr is used inside the receiving device 1 , the estimated - snr - related processing with use of the estimated snr having higher accuracy can be executed . furthermore , the high - accuracy result of estimation of the snr can be presented to the user who uses the receiving device 1 . in the above description of the present embodiment , the estimated snr correcting unit 21 to execute processing of correcting the estimated snr and the correction parameter storing unit 22 are part of the controller 10 . however , the estimated snr correcting unit 21 and the correction parameter storing unit 22 may be considered as part of the demodulating section 13 . that is , it is also possible that the demodulating section 13 of the above - described present embodiment is configured as a demodulating device ( demodulating lsi ( large scale integration )) obtained by adding the estimated snr correcting unit 21 to execute processing of correcting the estimated snr and the correction parameter storing unit 22 to the demodulating section 13 . this demodulating device may include the error correction section 14 , an a / d converter ( not shown ), and so forth . as the standard of the digital terrestrial broadcasting of the present embodiment , e . g . a standard such as the dtmb ( digital terrestrial multimedia broadcast ) is employed . [ description of computer to which embodiment of the present disclosure is applied ] the above - described series of processing can be executed by hardware and also by software . in the case of executing the series of processing by software , a program configuring the software is installed from a program recording medium into a computer incorporated into dedicated hardware or e . g . a general - purpose personal computer capable of executing various kinds of functions through installation of various kinds of programs . fig1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a computer that executes the above - described series of processing by a program . in this computer 100 , a cpu ( central processing unit ) 101 , a rom ( read only memory ) 102 , and a ram ( random access memory ) 103 are connected to each other by a bus 104 . an input / output interface 105 is connected to the bus 104 . the following units are connected to the input / output interface 105 : an input unit 106 composed of a keyboard , a mouse , a microphone , etc ; an output unit 107 composed of a display , a speaker , etc ; a storing unit 108 composed of a hard disc , a non - volatile memory , etc ; a communication unit 109 composed of a network interface , etc ; and a drive 110 that drives removable media 111 such as a magnetic disc , an optical disc , a magneto - optical disc , or a semiconductor memory . in the computer 100 having the above - described configuration , for example the cpu 101 loads a program stored in the storing unit 108 into the ram 103 via the input / output interface 105 and the bus 104 and runs the program , and thereby the above - described series of processing is executed . steps that describe the program run by the computer encompass processing that is not necessarily executed in a time - series manner but executed in parallel or individually as well as processing executed in a time - series manner along the described order . embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above - described embodiment and various changes may be made without departing from the gist of the present disclosure . the present disclosure contains subject matter related to that disclosed in japanese priority patent application jp 2010 - 238638 filed in the japan patent office on oct . 25 , 2010 , the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference .	7
several different types of portland cement are available and all are useful with the present invention . type i is the general - purpose variety and is most commonly employed ; type ii portland cement is used where precaution against moderate sulfate attack is important ; type iii is a high - early strength portland cement ; type iv is a low heat of hydration cement for use where the rate and amount of heat generated must be minimized ; type v is a sulfate - resisting cement used only in concrete exposed to severe sulfate action . although most types of cement are useful with the present invention , type iii is preferable for the early strength application . commercial blended cements , such as type i - p , wherein 20 % class - f fly ash is blended with 80 % by weight portland cement clinker during pulverization should be avoided , because type i - p cements do not meet astm c595 specification . any standard or common class - f fly ash obtained from boilers and like furnaces used for the combustion of pulverized coal , particularly of a bituminous or anthracite type , and especially from coal - fired , steam - generating plants of electrical utilities , is suitable for use as the class - f fly ash component of this invention . such fly ash should have a combined silica , alumina and ferric oxide content of at least about 70 % and preferably 80 % or higher by weight and a lime ( cao ) content below about 10 %, usually about 6 % by weight or less . any standard or common class - c fly ash obtained from the burning of lignite or subbituminous coal is suitable for use as the class - c fly ash component of this invention . such class - c fly ash generally contains more calcium and less iron than class - f fly ash and has a lime content in the range of 15 % to 30 %. in certain embodiments , cf fly ash is used . this is a mixture of class - c and class - f fly ashes , which can be manufactured by adding class - c fly ash and class - f fly ash together or by the combustion of a mixture of western and eastern coal . an all - western coal produces class - c fly ash ; and an all - eastern coal produces class - f fly ash . because of emissions and environmental concerns , some power plants may burn a mixture of eastern and western coals . the percentages of eastern and western coals may vary according to the needs of the individual power plant , thus , resulting in different ratios of class - c fly ash to class - f fly ash . likewise , any blast furnace slag is appropriate for the present invention . slag is a non - metallic co - product produced in the production of iron in a blast furnace . it consists primarily of silicates , aluminosilicates and calcium - alumina - silicates . the molten slag usually comprises about twenty percent by mass of iron production . different forms of slag products are produced depending on the method used to cool the molten slag . these products include air - cooled blast furnace slag , expanded or foamed slag , pelletized slag , and granulated blast furnace slag . granulated blast furnace slag satisfying astm 989 specification is preferred . any sodium thiocyanate is appropriate for the present invention . sodium thiocyanate is a salt generally available as colorless or white crystals . sodium thiocyanate is sold in several different grades and forms , depending on the intended end use . main uses for sodium thiocyanate are in sectors of industrial chemicals , pharmaceuticals , pesticides , photography , etc . although any sodium thiocyanate is appropriate for the present invention , cost is a major consideration because sodium thiocyanate is available in many grades . therefore , the least expensive form of sodium thiocyanate that is effective for the present invention is most preferred . any calcium nitrate is appropriate for the present invention . calcium nitrate is a salt generally available as colorless to white , usually hydrated , granules , crystals , or powder . calcium nitrate is sold in several different grades and forms , depending on the intended end use . main uses for calcium nitrate are in sectors of explosive , pesticides , industrial chemicals , etc . although any calcium nitrate is appropriate for the present invention , cost is a major consideration because calcium nitrate is available in many grades . therefore , the least expensive form of calcium nitrate that is effective for the present invention is most preferred . as will be established hereinafter , within the above limits for the compositions of the invention , the concretes produced therefrom exhibit substantially comparable or superior properties for use in general purpose cement construction , especially early setting time . final concrete mixes using the pre - blend cement of the present invention may further contain aggregate materials . the choice of aggregate material for concrete mixes using the present blends will pose no problem to the person skilled in the design of such mixes . the coarse aggregate should have a minimum size of about ⅜ inch and can vary in size from that minimum up to one inch or larger , preferably in gradations between these limits . crushed limestone , gravel and the like are desirable coarse aggregates , and the material selected in any case should exhibit a considerable hardness and durability inasmuch as crumbly , friable aggregates tend to significantly reduce the strength of the ultimate concrete . the finely divided aggregate is smaller than ⅜ inch in size and again is preferably graduated in much finer sizes down to 200 - sieve size or so . ground limestone , sand and the like are common useful fine aggregates . in accordance with the present invention , silica fume can also be added to the cement mixture to achieve high strength and chloride protection for the concrete . silica fume is preferably used from 5 - 15 percent by weight . other additives can also be used in making concrete using the pre - blend cement of the present invention , including , but is not limited to , water reducers , accelerators , air entrainment agents , as well as other additives that are commonly used in the concrete industry . the pre - blend mixes of the invention are prepared by homogeneously and uniformly mixing all of the mix ingredients including cement , class - f fly ash , class - c fly ash , slag , and sodium thiocyanate and / or calcium nitrate prior to addition of water and / or aggregate material , such as sand and / or gravel . mixing can be accomplished with mixing techniques commonly employed in the concrete mix industry . the ultimate compositions are no more susceptible to undergoing separation during handling and storage than are ordinary concrete mixes . they can be transported and stored in the same manner as the ordinary mixes , as can the individual ingredients . the storage containers should , of course , be closed to protect the contents thereof from weather . the following examples are given to illustrate the present invention . it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific conditions or details described in these examples . the results in the following examples were actually obtained by pre - blending , in each case , class - f fly ash , class - c fly ash , slag , and / or silica fume with sodium thiocyanate and / or calcium nitrate together to form a pre - blend composition and then combining the blend with the other mix ingredients . the pre - blend components are added prior to the addition of water . however , the results would be expected to be identical if the same proportionate amount for each of the component was added separately to the remaining dry mix ingredients . the proportionate amounts of the class - f fly ash , class - c fly ash , slag , silica fume , sodium thiocyanate and calcium nitrate have been expressed in each case in terms of their relative weight percentages of the pre - blend composition . compositions from table 1 shows that calcium nitrate , in amounts up to 1 . 2 percent ( w / w ) reduces setting times for cement compositions to comply with astm designation c595 . applicant has also found that the optimal amounts for calcium nitrate are between about 0 . 1 - 5 percent ( w / w ). above this amount , the setting times are too fast to meet the astm specification . it must be noted that , throughout the examples , because the numbers are approximate , the components of some compositions do not add up to exactly 100 %; however , they are all within the error rante of 100 ± 1 %. the trend from table 2 shows that the higher the calcium nitrate and / or sodium thiocyanate the faster the set time . however , up to a maximum amount of calcium nitrate , the mix hardens too quickly to meet astm c 595 specification . interpolation of the data shows that the amount of non - chloride accelerators ( calcium nitrate and sodium thiocyanate ) used should not exceed about 5 percent . table 2 shows accelerator concentration ( sodium thiocyanate and / or calcium nitrate ) of 10 percent ( w / w ) allows the mixes to set up too fast and does not meet the astm c595 specification . table 4 shows that the accelerating effect of sodium thiocyanate only occurs at concentrations less than 5 percent ( w / w ). at about 5 percent ( w / w ) sodium thiocyanate actually retards the setting time of the mixes . from table 4 , the retarding effect is sufficient to produce a mix that does not comply with astm designation c595 . this discovery is unexpected and not previously known in the art . the above examples clearly show faster setting times of cement mixes by the addition of less than about 5 percent sodium thiocyanate and / or calcium nitrate . importantly , the setting times also meets astm specifications . the improvement is effective not only for cement , but also for mixes comprising industrial by - products such as class - f fly ash , class - c fly ash , blast furnace slag , silica fume and combinations thereof . the invention , however , is not limited to the conditions illustrated in the examples . although certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that variations and modifications of the various embodiments shown and described herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law .	2
referring now to fig1 , a block diagram of an aircraft air - conditioning system 10 is shown . the aircraft air - conditioning system 10 includes a first compressed air source 12 that can be connected directly or indirectly to the aircraft cabin 20 . the first compressed air source 12 includes a compressor 14 , a motor 16 and a turbine 18 . the compressor 14 , motor 16 and turbine 18 are in communication with one another via a shaft 28 . the shaft 28 can be unitary or formed of multiple pieces . the compressor 14 receives ambient air 15 and using power provided from either or both of the motor 16 and the turbine 18 compresses the ambient air and forwards compressed ambient air to the aircraft cabin 20 . the aircraft air - conditioning system 10 also includes a secondary compressed air source 22 , which may also include one or more motors and compressors , which can be connected directly or indirectly to the aircraft cabin 20 . the compressors used in the aircraft air - conditioning system 10 may , for example , be a single - stage or also multistage compressors . the compressors used by the first and second compressed air sources 12 , 22 require substantial power to operate . in one embodiment , the aircraft air - conditioning system 10 is designed to be operated in various modes depending upon the available power in the aircraft . the aircraft air - conditioning system 10 can include a controller 24 which receives a signal 25 from the aircraft control system ( not shown ) that is indicative of the available power in the aircraft . the controller 24 controls the operation of the first and second compressed air sources 12 , 22 based upon the available power in the aircraft indicated by signal 25 . in a first operating mode , when the available power in the aircraft is below a threshold value the air supplied to the aircraft cabin 20 is provided only from the first compressed air source 12 . this first compressed air source 12 is designed to be able to provide the required pressurization , temperature control and fresh air supply of the cabin during ground operation of the aircraft . in a second operating mode , when the available power in the aircraft is above a threshold value the air supplied to the aircraft cabin 20 is provided from both the first and second compressed air sources 12 , 22 . in one embodiment , the two compressed air sources can be mixed and then the mixed air can be further treated , such as cooling , humidification or dehumidification before being forwarded to the aircraft cabin . in another embodiment , more than two compressed air sources may be utilized when the available power in the aircraft is above a second threshold value the air supplied to the aircraft cabin 20 can be provided from the first , second and third compressed air sources . in one embodiment , the compressed air is cooled prior to the entry into the aircraft cabin 20 . the cooling may be done by a ram air heat exchanger ( not shown ) located in a ram air duct of the aircraft and / or by the turbine 18 . in the first operating mode , the cooling can be done by both the ram air heat exchanger and by the turbine 18 integrated in the cooling process , with the turbine 18 being coupled on a shaft to the compressor 14 and to the motor 16 . one or more turbines 18 can be located on the shaft 28 with the compressor 14 . fig2 shows a schematic representation of an aircraft air - conditioning system 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure . the air - conditioning system 100 includes a first compressed air source 101 that includes a compressor 102 charged with ambient air . the compressor 102 is in communication with a motor 104 and a turbine 106 on a shaft 108 . the aircraft air - conditioning system 100 also includes a second compressed air source 103 that can be switched on depending on the operating mode in which the system is operated . in one embodiment , the second compressed air source 103 can be switched on or off or also partially switched on by a modulating valve 110 . in another embodiment , a check valve can also be arranged instead of the modulating valve 110 . the second compressed air source can , for example , be a second motorized compressor 128 charged with ambient air and / or bleed air from the control system of the aircraft . the outlet line of the compressor 102 has a check valve 112 which ensures that the flow through this outlet line does not lead toward the compressor 102 . the system of fig2 can be operated in at least two operating modes based upon the available power in the aircraft . in a first operating mode , the total air supply for the cabin is provided by the compressor 102 . the power from the turbine 106 , together with the power from the motor 104 , the drive of the compressor 102 . the compressor 102 is designed to be able to meet the air supply demands of the cabin with respect to pressurization , temperature regulation and fresh air supply . the air output from the compressor 102 is cooled in the ram air duct heat exchanger 114 after passing through the mixing chamber 116 . this air subsequently flows through a water extraction circuit and is then subjected to a second cooling in the turbine 106 . the water extraction circuit may include a water extractor 118 , a reheater 138 and a condenser 120 . the water separated in the water extractor 118 may be supplied to the ram air duct via a water injector wi . in a second operating mode , the valve modulating valve 110 , or check valve , is opened and the air provided to the cabin is now formed by the outlet air of the compressor 102 and by the outlet air of the compressor 128 . in the second operating mode , the mixed air flow flows through the same components as the outlet air of the compressor 102 in the first operating mode . due to the high demanded pressure ratio of the individual compressor stages based on single - stage compression , these compressor stages only achieve a limited operating range for the corrected mass flow . to be able to deliver the corrected mass flow , additional compressor stages or compressed air sources may be switched in parallel . the number of ambient air compressors utilized is not fixed in this connection , with a parallel connection of at least two compressed air sources per air - conditioning system taking place to cover the total application area . as shown in fig2 , the second compressed air source 103 can be used with an open valve 122 to operate the jet pump 124 . this has the result that a coolant air flow is also ensured in the first operating mode via the ram air heat exchanger or exchangers . the compressor outlet air of the compressor 102 can also be supplied to the jet pump 124 via a valve 126 . such a procedure may ensure a safe / stable operation of the compressor 102 . the additional mass flow is thereby directed via the jet pump 124 into the ram air duct or is alternatively supplied to further consumers . a ram air duct inlet valve may be located at the inlet side of the ram air duct and can be controlled by the ram air inlet actuator ( raia ). in one embodiment , the second compressed air source 103 is formed by compressor 128 which is driven by a motor 130 . it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that one or more of these units can also be provided in the system 100 . in one embodiment , recirculation lines which can be closed by anti - surge valves 132 , 134 are drawn for the compressors 102 and 128 , respectively . furthermore , a further compressor load valve 136 is provided in the line extending from the mixing chamber 116 to the ram air duct heat exchanger 114 . the recirculation air can be increased via the compressors 102 , 128 by opening the valve anti - surge valves 132 , 134 , whereby a stable operation of the compressors 102 , 128 is enabled . as stated above , the increase in the compressor mass flow can also be realized via the jet pump modulating valves 122 , 126 . the compressor load valve 136 can be used to restrict the compressors 102 , 128 and increase the exit temperature of the compressors 102 , 128 . turning now to fig3 , a block diagram of an aircraft air - conditioning system 10 is shown . the aircraft air - conditioning system 10 includes a first compressed air source 12 that can be connected directly or indirectly to the aircraft cabin 20 . the first compressed air source 12 includes a compressor 14 , a motor 16 and a turbine 18 . the compressor 14 , motor 16 and turbine 18 are in communication with one another via a shaft 28 . the compressor 14 receives ambient air and using power provided from the motor 16 and turbine 18 compresses the ambient air and forwards the ambient air to the aircraft cabin 20 . the aircraft air - conditioning system 10 also includes a secondary air source 22 , which may also include one or more motors or compressors , which can be connected directly or indirectly to the aircraft cabin 20 . the controller 24 receives a signal from the aircraft control system that is indicative of the available power in the aircraft and responsively controls the operation of the first and second compressed air sources 12 , 22 based upon the available power in the aircraft . in current aircraft air - conditioning systems , after being circulated through the cabin pressurized air is removed from the cabin and discarded ( i . e ., sent “ overboard ”). depending upon the altitude of the aircraft , the air pressure outside of the aircraft can be significantly lower than the air being discarded . in one embodiment , the pressurized air being discarded from the cabin 20 is forwarded to the turbine 18 , which captures the energy created as the air is depressurized to the ambient air pressure . after passing through the turbine 18 , the depressurized air from the cabin is sent overboard . in one embodiment , the turbine 18 may provide the energy captured from the depressurization of the air being discarded from the cabin to the shaft 28 coupled to the motor 16 and the compressor 14 . this energy can be used to reduce the energy required from the aircraft to operate the aircraft air - conditioning system 10 . in one embodiment , the aircraft air - conditioning system 10 also includes a discharge device 26 , which may be located in the aircraft cabin 20 . the discharge device 26 may be controlled by the controller 24 , which can instruct the discharge device 26 to forward the circulated air from the aircraft cabin 20 to either the turbine 18 or out of the aircraft . in one embodiment , the controller 24 may instruct the discharge device 26 to forward the circulated air from the aircraft cabin 20 to the turbine 18 if the ambient air pressure is lower than the cabin air pressure and to forward the circulated air from the aircraft cabin 20 out of the aircraft if the ambient air pressure is equal to , or approximately equal to , the cabin air pressure . in another embodiment , the controller 24 may instruct the discharge device 26 to forward the circulated air from the aircraft cabin 20 to the turbine 18 if the difference in the ambient air pressure and the cabin air pressure exceeds a threshold value and to forward the circulated air from the aircraft cabin 20 out of the aircraft if the difference in the ambient air pressure and the cabin air pressure is below a threshold value . in one operating mode the aircraft may be in an environment with an ambient air pressure of approximately three psi , or approximately 20 . 6 kpa , and have a cabin pressure of approximately twelve psi , or approximately 82 . 7 kpa . the aircraft air - conditioning system 10 requires approximately one hundred kilowatts of power to pressurize the ambient air from 3 psi to 12 psi . in currently available aircraft air - conditioning systems , all of the power needed to pressurize the ambient air is provided from the motor 16 . in one embodiment , the turbine 18 captures the energy created by the depressurization of the air being discarded from the cabin and provides the power it creates to the motor 16 and the compressor 14 . in the operating mode with an ambient air pressure of approximately three psi and a cabin pressure of approximately twelve psi , the turbine 18 may generate approximately twenty kilowatts of power . accordingly , depending upon the operating conditions of the aircraft , capturing the energy created from the depressurization of the discarded air from the cabin can result in up to a twenty percent reduction in power consumption of the aircraft air - conditioning system . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ” and / or “ comprising ,” when used in this specification , specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one more other features , integers , steps , operations , element components , and / or groups thereof . the corresponding structures , materials , acts , and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure , material , or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed . the description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description , but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure . the embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and the practical application , and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . while the preferred embodiment to the disclosure had 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 disclosure first described .	1

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