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the present invention is an optical memory device . the invention disclosed herein is , of course , susceptible of embodiment in many different forms . shown in the drawings and described hereinbelow in detail are preferred embodiments of the invention . it is to be understood , however , that the present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of the invention and does not limit the invention to the illustrated embodiments . referring to the drawings , fig1 illustrates a crystal cell structure 10 of an optical memory device according to the invention . crystal cell structure 10 includes optical leads 12 and 14 . optical leads 12 and 14 ensure that individual photon data streams move into and out of crystal cell structure 10 properly . fig2 and 3 illustrate a photon data stream 22 passing through an optical channel of the crystal cell structure 10 shown in fig1 . optical memory cell 24 includes a wavelength filter 26 and a read / write / erase filter 28 and is composed of photonic band gap materials that control the propagation of electromagnetic radiation by creating periodic dielectric structures . since photonic crystals include periodicity in one , two , or three directions depending on their structures , they can be used to control the direction and wavelength of photon streams . wavelength filter 26 takes advantage of technologies that include dielectric interference filters and interference mirrors and optics to allow the passage of a single wavelength and prohibit the transmission of other wavelengths . read / write / erase filter 28 utilizes nanocrystal technology to create structures that are sensitive to predetermined wavelengths in order to store and erase data . for a read signal , a photon data stream 22 transmitted by an external laser array ( not shown ) passes through optical lead 20 , wavelength filter 26 , and read / write / erase filter 28 ( see fig2 ). for a write or erase signal , a photon data stream 22 transmitted by an external laser array ( not shown ) passes through optical lead 30 and interacts with read / write / erase filter 28 ( see fig3 ). wavelength filter 26 allows photon data streams having wavelengths within a predetermined wavelength range to pass through . read / write / erase filter 28 interacts with photon data streams having wavelengths within a predetermined wavelength range . for example , wavelength filter 26 may be configured to allow photon data streams having wavelengths within the range of 390 nm and 780 nm to pass through , and read / write / erase filter 28 may be configured to interact with photon data streams having wavelengths lower than 390 nm or greater than 780 nm . read / write / erase filter 28 initially starts in a neutral or relaxed state . data in the photon data stream 22 entering optical memory cell 24 for storage is in standard binary format . in order to write to optical memory cell 24 a laser array flips the ones and zeroes to their alternate state . ones become zeros and generate a wavelength that will cause tension to read / write / erase filter 28 . zeros become ones generating no photon data stream and leaving read / write / erase filter 28 in a neutral state . a second memory device following the same set of procedures may be utilized to change the data back to its proper original state of ones and zeros . erasing flushes read / write / erase filter 28 of tension and returns it to a relaxed state . optical strands 20 and 30 provide passage of photon data streams transmitted from a laser array ( not shown ) that interacts with the optical memory device . photon data streams passing through optical strand 20 perform the read function . to read stored data a photon data stream broadcast is used to check the state of every filter . photon data streams that pass filters 26 and 28 are relayed to an outgoing photon detector array ( not shown ) that interacts with the optical memory device . photon data streams passing through an array of optical strands 30 perform the write / erase function . in order to write or erase data photon data streams pass through an array of optical strands 30 to the read / write / erase filters . photon data streams for writing and / or erasing interact with the read / write / erase filters . outgoing data that have been read passes through these optical strands as well . these optical arrays lead to an outgoing photon detector array that interacts with the optical memory device . the laser arrays interact with the optical memory device to perform three operations . they transmit photons that read data , write data , and / or erase data . reading data occurs by photon transmission from a laser in one direction . this may be done utilizing multiple wavelengths in order to read data on multiple layers of the optical memory device . writing and / or erasing data occurs by photon data stream transmission from a laser in an opposite direction . photon data stream transmissions for writing and / or erasing occurs at two different wavelengths . these wavelengths are used to apply tension to read / write / erase filters and to relax read / write / erase filters during the write and / or erase processes . a third laser may be used to change outgoing read data into a single wavelength depending on processor applications . [ 0065 ] fig4 illustrates a plurality 40 of optical memory cells 60 , 62 , 64 , and 66 . photon data streams 44 , 46 , and 48 pass through optical leads 42 , 50 , 52 , and 54 and optical memory cells 60 , 62 , 64 , and 66 . fig5 illustrates an optical processing arrangement 70 . optical processing arrangement 70 includes optical processing motherboard 72 upon which is mounted cpu 74 , laser array 75 , photon detector array 76 , and optical memory device 78 . cpu 74 , laser array 75 , photon detector array 76 , and optical memory device 78 are optically interconnected with one another . optical memory device 78 has a crystal layer formation that includes optical leads and optical memory cells . the optical memory cells include wavelength filters and read / write / erase filters . the crystal layers are configured to allow easy access by optical leads . the crystal layers direct photon data stream flow through optical memory device 78 and separate photon data streams into the optical memory cell corridors . with multiple layers of optical memory cells matching up through the crystal structure the optical memory cell corridors maintain photon data stream flow and data integrity . the optical memory cells are separated from each other by the wavelength and read / write / erase filters . the wavelength and read / write / erase filters allow for access of stored data on each optical memory cell of optical memory chip 78 . by using multiple wavelengths and filters that allow for passing of individual wavelengths , the data at each optical memory cell is not confused with other optical memory cells . this allows for high speed multiplexing and demultiplexing of incoming and outgoing optical data . on the backside of each optical memory cell is a read / write / erase filter . the read / write / erase filter is the mechanism by which data is stored in the optical memory cell . the density of the filters can be altered through the interaction of photon streams . this density change inhibits the ability of filters to allow photon data streams that are reading data from passing through them . in order to control the direction and destination of the photon data streams entering and leaving the optical memory chip , a series of optical leads are used . the optical leads start at a laser array on the read side of the optical memory chip . this set of leads directs photon data streams to the proper crystal sectors and corridors depending on the address space requested . after passing through the crystal layer formation , the wavelength filters , and the read / write / erase filters , an optical lead directs the photon data streams to an exit laser array . this set of optical leads , because of their position , directs read / write / erase photon streams to the read / write / erase filters . when performing the read / write / erase process , photon data streams interact with laser array 75 , which generates the proper wavelength photon data stream and sends it to the proper set of optical leads . these optical leads then direct the photon data streams to the read / write / erase filters . data that has been read are directed to photon detector array 76 that either consolidates the wavelengths or leaves them in their current form , depending on requirements , and then forwards them to their next destination . [ 0071 ] fig6 illustrates an optical memory arrangement 80 that summarizes the passage of read , write , and / or erase signals . initially , incoming data 100 interacts with a laser array 82 . for a read signal , photon data stream 102 passes through optical lead 84 and optical memory cell 85 that includes wavelength filter 86 and read / write / erase filter 87 . for a write or erase signal , photon data stream 104 passes through optical lead 88 and interacts with read / write / erase filter 87 . read photon data streams 110 that pass filters 86 and 87 are relayed to an outgoing photon detector array 112 that interacts with optical memory cell 85 . two primary wavelengths perform the write and erase functions . to perform the read function a number of wavelengths equal to the number of crystal layers in the optical memory device are employed . these wavelengths may be designated as follows : the presence or non - presence of a photon data stream determines binary data . the presence of a photon data stream determines a one in binary form . the non - presence of a photon data stream determines a zero . since bits entering the device to be written are in this form they must be changed in order to cause action upon the photon detector and subsequently the filter . a photon data stream representing a one will contact the photon detector and initiate the transmission of a photon data stream of wavelength λ w to interact with the filter . this causes the filter to take on a state of density that will not allow a photon data stream of λ r to pass the filter during the read process . this will produce a bit state of zero . a photon data stream representing a zero will have no effect on the photon detector . this will cause no action on the read / write / erase filter and result in a bit state of one . the writing of data is done through the backside of the crystal formation of the optical memory cell so that interaction only occurs with the read / write / erase filter . to erase stored data on an optical memory cell a broadcast or flood of photon data streams using the wavelength λ e will be sent to all of the filters in a sector . this causes the filters to relax if storing data or have no action upon them if they are already in a relaxed state . this will cause an active state through out the storage sector and show as clean to receive new data for storage . these λ w and λ o data streams travel in a backward direction in the optical memory device . they are unaffected by wavelength filters due to the fact that their destination are read / write / erase filters . an optical memory cell stores and transmits data through photon data streams . minimal electronic conversion of information is required to read , write , or erase the data stored on the optical memory device . the optical memory device is built around crystal formations with surface areas that are sensitive to certain photonic wavelengths . these wavelengths can be used to create surface tension that will allow or inhibit the transmission of a photon data stream . when data needs to be retrieved , a photon data stream having a neutral wavelength can be sent resulting in the reading and transmission of stored data . when no longer needed , the surfaces can be flashed with a tension relieving wavelength , cleaning the crystals and allowing them to be reused . since multiple wavelengths can be transmitted in a photon dat stream , multiple layers of data can be stored and accessed on corresponding layers of crystal cells . while the invention has been described with references to its preferred embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teaching of the invention without departing from its essential teachings . | 6 |
reference should now be made to the drawing figures , on which similar or identical elements are given consistent identifying numerals throughout the various figures thereof , and on which parenthetical references to figure numbers direct the reader to the view ( s ) on which the element ( s ) being described is ( are ) best seen , although the element ( s ) may be seen also on other views . fig1 illustrates a lower leg exercise device constructed according to the present invention , generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 . device 10 includes a planar base member 12 which may be placed on a horizontal surface such as a floor ( not shown ). base member 12 may be formed from a suitable plastic material , about 18 inches long by about 24 inches wide , and with a handle cutout 14 defined medially along a long edge of the base member for the convenient carrying of exercise device 10 . rotatably mounted on base member 12 are two elongate , steel plates 20 and 22 having , respectively , non - skid rubber layers 24 and 26 adhesively attached to the upper surfaces of the plates . plates 20 and 22 are fixedly mounted , respectively , on horizontal shafts 30 and 32 journaled , respectively , in bearing block pairs 34 / 36 and 38 / 40 , the bearing blocks being fixedly attached to base member 12 . orthogonally mounted , respectively , on the distal ends of plates 20 and 22 are 1 - inch diameter , 16 - inches long , aluminum weight posts 50 and 52 and attached to edges of the plates are , respectively , complementary hook - and - loop fabric pairs 60 / 62 and 64 / 66 . telescoping support poles 70 and 72 are rotatably attached , respectively , to mounting blocks 74 and 76 , the mounting blocks being fixedly attached to base member 12 . fig2 illustrates the movement of the moveable elements of exercise device 10 while in use . as is seen on fig2 weight posts 50 and 52 ( only the latter visible on fig2 ) can accommodate thereon a number of selected conventional disk - shaped weights , as at 80 . the distal ends of plates 20 and 22 ( only the latter visible on fig2 ) are rotatable between a first , lowered , position ( solid lines ), with weights 80 supported by base member 12 , and a second , elevated position ( broken lines ), with the weights elevated from the base member . similarly , the distal ends of support poles 70 and 72 ( only the latter visible on fig2 ) are selectively rotatable to forward and rearward positions ( broken lines ) from upright positions ( solid lines ). a rubber bumper 108 is secured to the upper surface of plate , the rubber bumper being provided to engage base member the distal end of plate 22 to cushion the plate when weights 80 are moved to the first , lowered position . fig3 illustrates exercise device 10 being used by a person 90 . it will be understood that only the elements visible on fig2 are also visible on fig3 although the other moving elements of exercise device 10 are simultaneously used in the same manner as the elements visible on fig3 . person 90 stands on plate 12 with the person &# 39 ; s right foot positioned over shaft 32 , and with the person &# 39 ; s right hand grasping the distal end of support pole 72 , although use of the latter is optional . then , person 90 alternatingly flexes and relaxes the person &# 39 ; s muscles in the anterior portions of the person &# 39 ; s lower legs to move , respectively , weights 80 between the first , lowered position ( fig2 solid lines ) and the second , elevated position shown on fig3 . velcro strap 66 may be used when the force to elevate weights 80 so requires to hold the front portion of the foot against plate 22 . in addition to providing more or less weight , the amount of force required to elevate weights 80 to the second , elevated position may be selectively increased or decreased somewhat by person 90 moving , respectively , the person &# 39 ; s feet closer to or farther away from the weights . fig4 illustrates person 90 using device 10 to exercise the posterior muscles of the lower leg . here , rather than facing weights 80 , person 90 is facing away from the weights . in a similar manner as described with reference to fig3 alternatingly flexing and relaxing the posterior muscles of the lower legs will rotate , respectively , weights 80 between the first , lowered position ( fig2 solid lines ) and the second , elevated position shown on fig4 . the force required to elevate weights 80 to the second , elevated position may also be selectively increased or decreased somewhat by person 90 moving , respectively , the person &# 39 ; s feet closer to or farther away from the weights . fig5 and 6 illustrate , with reference to weight post 52 , the means by which weight posts 50 and 52 are mounted to the distal ends of plates 20 and 22 . the proximal end of weight post 52 is rotatably fixedly attached to a horizontal shaft 100 which is journaled in a support fitting 102 fixedly attached to plate 22 by means of a threaded shaft 104 and a nut 106 . a cylindrical collar 120 is movable between a first , lowered position ( fig5 ) in which the collar engages both the lower end of weight post 52 and support fitting 102 , thus locking the weight post in a position orthogonal to plate 22 , and a second , raised position ( fig6 ), permitting the weight post to be folded down on plate 22 . fig7 and 8 illustrate device 10 configured for storage or transport . here , weights 80 ( fig2 ) have been removed and weight posts 50 and 52 folded , respectively , against plates 20 and 22 . support poles 70 and 72 have been telescoped to their shortest positions and folded against base member 12 . so configured , device 10 is compact , relatively light , and easily stored or transported . device 10 can be economically constructed using conventional techniques and construction materials not noted above may be any suitable ones . it will thus be seen that the objects set forth above , among those elucidated in , or made apparent from , the preceding description , are efficiently attained and , since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown on the accompanying drawing figures shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense . it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which , as a matter of language , might be said to fall therebetween . | 0 |
referring to the drawings and initially to fig1 through 3 , a drill machine generally comprises a base 100 from which a post 10 extending vertically therefrom , a connecting body 101 slidably mounted to the post 10 and having a gear box 11 connected thereto . a motor 13 is disposed to an upper surface of the gear box 11 and a driving shaft 12 extends from an underside of the gear box 11 . the driving shaft 12 has a sleeve 120 mounted thereto and the sleeve has a toothed outer periphery . an auxiliary box 14 is disposed to a side of the gear box 11 and has a collar member 40 together with a cap 50 extending therefrom . two handles 52 are pivotally connected to the cap 50 . a control mechanism for controlling the driving shaft 12 is disposed in the gear box 12 and comprises an actuating shaft 15 having a toothed end 151 which is engaged with the toothed outer periphery of the sleeve 120 and a distal end which is fixedly connected to the cap 50 . a ring member 21 is fixedly mounted to the actuating shaft 15 and a gear 16 is freely mounted to the ring member 21 which has two pawl members 22 biasedly disposed to a side thereof . the ring member 21 has a dent 210 defined in an inner periphery thereof and a connecting pin 150 extends radially and outwardly from the actuating shaft 15 so that the connecting pin 50 is securely received in the dent 210 . the gear 16 is engaged with a power transmitting shaft 17 transmitting a dynamic power of the machine , and has a first toothed portion 160 defined in an inner periphery thereof . each the pawl member 22 having a toothed upper surface 220 and a curved lower periphery 221 has a first end thereof pivotally connected to the ring member 21 and a second end thereof connected with a first end of a spring 23 . the spring 23 has a second end thereof connected to the ring member 21 so as to normally maintain the pawl member 22 in a disengaged position with the first toothed portion 160 of the gear 16 . a first tube 24 is mounted to the actuating shaft 15 and fixedly connected to the ring member 21 by a bolt 240 and has a first threaded portion 241 defined in an outer periphery thereof . a second tube 25 is irrotatably and slidably mounted to the actuating shaft 15 and has a second threaded portion 251 defined in an inner periphery thereof so as to be engaged with the first threaded portion 241 of the first tube 24 . a slide member 30 slidably mounted to the actuating shaft 15 and has a first end with at least two notches 33 defined in an outer periphery thereof and a second end having a tapered edge 31 . the auxiliary box 14 has a hole 140 defined therethrough for the actuating shaft 15 to extend therethrough . at least one recess 141 is defined in an inner periphery defining the hole 140 and the second tube 25 has at least one ridge 250 extending radially and outwardly therefrom so as to be slidably received in the recess 141 . the cap 50 fixedly connected to the actuating shaft 15 has two cutaways 51 defined therein and the two handles 52 each have a hook portion 521 engaged with the notch 33 corresponding thereto . each the handle 52 is pivotally connected in the cutaway 51 corresponding thereto by a pin 53 so that when pivoting the two handles 52 , the slide member 30 is moved along the actuating shaft 15 . the slide member 30 has a flange 32 extending radially and outwardly therefrom which has a passage 320 defined therethrough . a pin 143 has one end thereof fixedly received in an aperture 142 defined in the auxiliary box 14 and extends through the passage 320 so that the slide member 30 is slidable along the pin 143 . it is noted that when the pawl members 22 are not engaged with the first toothed portion 160 of the gear 16 , the power transmitted from the power transmitting shaft 17 can only rotate the gear 16 while the actuating shaft 15 is maintained still . referring to fig4 when pivoting the two handles 52 toward the gear box 11 , the pawl members 22 are pushed radially and outwardly corresponding to an axis of the actuating shaft 15 by the tapered edge 31 and engaged with the first toothed portion 160 of the gear 16 . therefore , the ring member 21 is co - rotated with the gear 16 and the actuated shaft 15 is rotated to lower the driving shaft 12 . when the driving shaft 12 is lowered to a desired position , a known return means will raise the driving shaft 12 together with the sleeve 120 upwardly , this action makes the actuating shaft 15 rotate in a reverse direction such that the ring member 21 together with the first tube 24 will be rotated and the second tube 25 are actuated to be moved toward the slide member 30 as shown in fig5 . accordingly , a distal end of the second tube 25 will push the slide member 30 away from the ring member 21 such that the two pawl members 22 are disengaged with the tapered edge 31 of the slide member 30 and in turn disengaged from the first toothed portion 160 of the gear 16 . referring to fig6 a power transmitting system is disposed in the gear box 11 and comprising five first gears 170 fixedly mounted to the power transmitting shaft 17 and three second gears 600 freely mounted to a shaft 60 which is located in parallel to the power transmitting shaft 17 . the second gears 600 are engaged with the first gears 170 and each of the second gears 600 has a slot 602 defined in an inner periphery thereof . the shaft 60 has a space defined therein and at least one slot 601 defined through a peripheral wall thereof . an operating rod 70 is slidably received in the space of the shaft 60 , wherein a first end of the operating rod 70 is connected to a control means 80 which moves the operating rod 70 in the space , and a second end of the operating rod 70 has a plate 71 pivotally connected thereto . the plate 71 has one of two ends thereof optionally received in one of the slots 602 of the second gears 600 . therefore , the shaft 60 is rotated by engagement between the plate 71 , one of the second gear 600 and the first gear 170 engaged with the second gear 600 . the speed rate of the shaft 60 can be decided by moving the plate 71 to engage with different second gears 600 . the shaft 60 is then connected to the motor 13 . while particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein , it is not intended to limit the invention and changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed . | 5 |
there will be described below a first embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings . first , there is described the arrangement of a reception data synchronizer according to a first embodiment . fig1 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the reception data synchronizer according to the first embodiment . the reception data synchronizer 1 includes a collator 10 , a synchronism decider 12 , a synchronism pattern detector 14 , a synchronism controller 16 , a synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 , and a second data generator 54 . the collator 10 performs a collation between input reception data and expectation data , detecting a different data between the two data , bit by bit , that is , for a detection of bit error . the reception data input to the collator 10 is output from a first pattern generator 52 via a dut 60 . the dut 60 includes an e / o ( electric / optical ) converter 61 , an o / e ( optical / electric ) converter 62 , and an optical fiber 63 . at both ends of the optical fiber 63 are connected the e / o converter 61 and the o / e converter 92 . to the e / o converter 61 is connected the first pattern generator 52 , and to the o / e converter 62 , the collator 10 . the expectation data input to the collator 10 is input from the second data generator 54 . the synchronism decider 12 decides whether or not the reception data and the expectation data have consistent phases , that is , if they are in synchronism . the decision for synchronism is made for a synchronism to be decided if bit errors detected at the collator 10 are under a predetermined amount . if they are out of synchronism , their phases are inconsistent , causing a great amount of different data . thus , a consistency in phase can be decided by this method . the synchronism decider 12 , when deciding phases to be inconsistent , transmits the effect to a synchronism controller 16 and a synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 to be described later . the synchronism pattern detector 14 is adapted , in a state of the later - described synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 providing a permission for a detection of synchronism pattern , for detecting a synchronism pattern from the reception data to notify information of the detection timing to the later - described synchronism controller 16 and the synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 . the synchronism controller 16 is adapted , when notified of a synchronism pattern detection from the synchronism pattern detector 14 , to release the second data generator 54 from a reset state and , at a timing at which a position of the detected synchronism pattern and a position of a synchronism pattern of the expectation data are consistent , to have the second data generator 54 generate the expectation data , permitting the synchronism decider 12 to make a decision of synchronism . it is further adapted , upon reception of a phase inconsistency from the synchronism decider 12 , to reset the second data generator 54 , initializing the second data generator 54 so that the expectation data stops at a predetermined phase until the resetting becomes released . the synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 records a timing ( position ) where the synchronism pattern of the reception data is detected . further , upon reception of a notification of phase inconsistency from the synchronism decider 12 , it permits the synchronism pattern detector 14 to detect a synchronism pattern from a position next to the position in the reception data at which the synchronism pattern is detected . next , there are described actions of the first embodiment by using a status transition diagram of fig2 . ts 0 , tc , and tw 0 are necessary times for p 2 , p 4 , and p 6 , respectively . from the first pattern generator 52 is input reception data , via the dut 60 , to the synchronism pattern detector 14 . at the synchronism pattern detector 14 , there is detected a synchronism pattern in the reception data ( p 2 ). the synchronism pattern detector 14 having detected the synchronism pattern in the reception data notifies the synchronism controller 16 and the synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 of information on a timing of the detection ( p 2 → p 4 ). then , the synchronism controller 16 gives a permission for a decision of synchronism to the synchronism decider 12 ( p 2 → p 4 ). the synchronism detector 12 decides , depending on an amount of bit errors output from the collator 10 , whether the reception data and the expectation data are in synchronism ( p 4 ). if they are in synchronism , the decision of synchronism is continued to be made on the basis of a bit error amount ( p 4 → p 4 ). if they are inconsistent in phase ( synchronism disorder ), the synchronism controller 16 resets the second data generator 54 to interrupt transmission of the expectation data ( p 4 → p 6 ). then , the detection of synchronism pattern at the synchronism pattern detector 14 is stopped up to a position of synchronism pattern recorded in the synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 ( p 6 ). upon arrival to the position of synchronism pattern recorded in the synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 , the synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 gives a permission for a detection of synchronism pattern to the synchronism pattern detector 14 ( p 6 → p 2 ), and the synchronism pattern detector 14 detects the synchronism pattern in the reception data ( p 2 ). then , if the synchronism pattern is detected , the control flow goes to the synchronism deciding state ( p 4 ). like this , even in the case of a failed synchronism due to a false synchronism pattern , the synchronization can be redone . fig3 is an example of reception data and the like . using fig3 , an exemplary procedure is described to show how to obtain a synchronization . the reception data has a synchronism pattern 30 and a false synchronism pattern 32 . the expectation data also has a synchronism pattern 70 and a false synchronism pattern 72 . the synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 has an internal reference timing of an identical period to the reception data and the expectation data . if the false synchronism pattern 32 of the reception data is first mistaken as a synchronism pattern at a position of an internal reference timing 4 , the timing is recorded in the synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 and occurrence of the expectation data starts , causing a transition from the synchronism pattern detecting state to a synchronism deciding state ( p 2 → p 4 ). the synchronism pattern detected from the reception data is the false synchronism pattern 32 , which is different from the true synchronism pattern 30 , and hence is decided to be inconsistent in phase at the synchronism decider 12 , causing a transition from the synchronism deciding state to a synchronism pattern detection start timing waiting state ( p 6 ), where the second data generator 54 is initialized . next , following an interruption of synchronism pattern detection up to the synchronism pattern detecting timing internal reference timing 4 ) recorded in the synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 , there occurs a transition from the synchronism pattern detection start timing waiting state to a synchronism pattern detecting state ( p 6 → p 2 ) thereafter , the true synchronism pattern 30 is detected at a position of an internal reference timing 0 , causing a transition from the synchronism pattern detecting state to a synchronism deciding state ( p 2 → p 4 ), where a decision for a phase consistency is given at the synchronism decider 12 , with an established synchronism . it is now assumed that tw 0 is a time interval from the time when it is failed to obtain a synchronism to a start time of a detection of synchronism pattern , ts 0 is a time interval from the start time of the detection of synchronism pattern to a time when a synchronism pattern is detected , and tc is a time interval for deciding whether or not a synchronism pattern of reception data and a synchronism pattern of expectation data are identical in phase . then , an average sync gain time tsync 0 is about 0 . 5 np ×( tw 0 in average + ts 0 in average + tc in average ), where np is the number of synchronism patterns detected within one period . according to the first embodiment , even with an inconsistency in phase due to a false synchronism pattern , the synchronism pattern detecting position recorder 18 allows for the synchronism pattern detector 14 to redo a detection of synchronism pattern from a timing ( position ) where a previous synchronism is obtained , so that a synchronism can be obtained between reception data and expectation data even with a phase inconsistency . there will be described below a second embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings . the second embodiment is different in that a timing ( position ) at which a synchronism pattern in reception data is detected is recorded in a synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 , and is used for a synchronization to be redone . first , there is described the arrangement of a reception data synchronizer according to the second embodiment . like parts to the first embodiment are designated by like reference characters , omitting their description . fig4 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the reception data synchronizer according to the second embodiment . like parts to the first embodiment are designated by like reference numerals , omitting their description . the reception data synchronizer 1 includes a collator 10 , a synchronism decider 12 , a synchronism pattern detector 14 , the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 , a timing generator 22 , and a second data generator 54 . the synchronism decider 12 , when deciding phases to be inconsistent , transmits the effect to the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 to be described later . the synchronism pattern detector 14 detects a synchronism pattern from reception data , and makes a notification of the effect to the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 to be described later . the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 is notified of a detection of the synchronism pattern from the synchronism pattern detector 14 . then , it receives an internal reference timing of the reception data synchronizer 1 , from the timing generator 22 to be described later . then , it records the internal reference timing at the time when the synchronism pattern is detected . further , upon reception of a notification of phase inconsistency from the synchronism decider 12 , it transmits the internal reference timing at the time when the synchronism pattern is detected , to the timing generator 22 . upon reception of the internal reference timing at the time when the synchronism pattern is detected , the timing generator 22 gives a permission for synchronism decision to the synchronism decider 12 . moreover , it makes the second data generator 54 transmit therefrom expectation data so that a position of a synchronism pattern of the expectation data coincides with a position of the detected synchronism pattern . further , it sends a predetermined reference timing signal ( called an internal reference timing ) to the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 . next , there are described actions of the second embodiment by using a status transition diagram of fig5 . tjdg is a required time at p 4 , while the tjdg is substantially equal to tc . from the first pattern generator 52 is input reception data , via a dut 60 , to the synchronism pattern detector 14 . at the synchronism pattern detector 14 , there is detected a synchronism pattern in the reception data ( p 2 ). the synchronism pattern detector 14 having detected the synchronism pattern in the reception data notifies the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 of the effect and a position of the synchronism pattern in the reception data . the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 , receiving those , outputs to the timing generator 22 a signal ( as synchronism pattern timing information ) indicating a timing of detection of the synchronism pattern ( p 2 → p 4 ). then , the timing generator 22 responds to the synchronism pattern timing information by controlling the second data generator 54 so that the position of the detected synchronism pattern of the reception data and the position of the synchronism pattern of the expectation data coincide with each other , and by giving a permission for a decision of synchronism to the synchronism decider 12 ( p 2 → p 4 ). the synchronism detector 12 decides , depending on an amount of bit errors output from the collator 10 , whether the reception data and the expectation data are in synchronism ( p 4 ). if they are in synchronism , the decision of synchronism is continued to be made on the basis of a bit error amount ( p 4 → p 4 ). if they are inconsistent in phase ( synchronism disorder ), there is taken one of different processes depending on whether a subsequent synchronism pattern has already been detected or not . if an internal reference timing at the time when the synchronism pattern was detected has already been recorded in the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 ( p 4 → p 5 ), the timing generator 22 controls the second data generator 54 so that the synchronism pattern of the expectation data is matched with the internal reference timing at the time when the synchronism pattern was detected ( p 5 ). then , when the matching of the synchronism pattern of the expectation data is finished ( p 5 → p 4 ), the control flow returns to the decision on whether or not synchronized ( p 4 ). unless an internal reference timing at the time when the synchronism pattern was detected has already been recorded in the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 ( p 4 → p 7 ), there is kept a waiting ( p 7 ) until an internal reference timing at the time when the synchronism pattern is detected is recorded in the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 . then , the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 sends an internal reference timing at the time when the synchronism pattern is detected to the timing generator 22 , and there is made a decision of synchronism ( p 7 → p 2 → p 4 ). upon arrival to a position of synchronism pattern recorded last time , the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 restarts recording a detection timing of synchronism pattern ( p 6 → p 2 ). then , if a synchronism pattern is detected , the control flow goes to a synchronism deciding state ( p 4 ). like this , even in the case of a failed synchronism due to a false synchronism pattern , the synchronization can be redone . fig6 is an example of reception data and the like . using fig6 , an exemplary procedure is described to show how to obtain a synchronization . the reception data has a synchronism pattern 30 and false synchronism patterns 40 , 42 . the expectation data also has a synchronism pattern 70 and false synchronism patterns 80 , 82 . first , if the false synchronism pattern 40 is mistaken as the synchronism pattern 30 by the synchronism pattern detector 14 ( p 2 → p 4 ), the timing generator 22 controls the second data generator 54 so that the synchronism pattern 70 of the expectation data is matched with a timing ( position ) 4 of the false synchronism pattern 40 , to transmit the expectation data . then , there is made a decision of synchronism between the reception data and the expectation data ( p 4 ), fig6 ( a ). as a result , with no synchronism obtained , phases are inconsistent . however , as a timing ( position ) 7 of the false synchronism pattern 42 is recorded in the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 ( p 4 → p 5 ), fig6 ( b ), the timing generator 22 controls the second data generator 54 so that the synchronism pattern 70 of the expectation data is matched with the timing ( position ) 7 of the false synchronism pattern 42 , to transmit the expectation data . then , there is made a decision of synchronism between the reception data and the expectation data ( p 4 ), fig6 ( c ). as a result , with no synchronism obtained , phases are inconsistent . however , as a timing ( position ) 12 of the synchronism pattern 30 is recorded in the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 ( p 4 → p 5 ), fig6 ( d ), the timing generator 22 controls the second data generator 54 so that the synchronism pattern 70 of the expectation data is matched with the timing ( position ) 12 of the synchronism pattern 30 , to transmit the expectation data . then , there is made a decision of synchronism between the reception data and the expectation data ( p 4 ), fig6 ( e ). now , with a synchronism obtained , there is continuously made a decision of synchronism ( p 4 → p 4 ). according to the second embodiment , even with false synchronism patterns , the second data generator 54 can generate expectation data for a synchronization to be redone , in accordance with a timing when a synchronism pattern recorded in the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 is detected , so that a synchronism can be obtained between reception data and expectation data . further , in the second embodiment , a sync gain time is ( an average required time for a single decision of phase consistency )× np at the longest , or 0 at the shortest , and an average sync gain time is ( the average required time for a single decision of phase consistency )× np / 2 . the average required time for a single decision of phase consistency is substantially equal to an average of tc , and can be shortened by 0 . 5 np ×( tw 0 in average + ts 0 in average ) in comparison with the first embodiment . thus , the average sync gain time can be rendered small . therefore , bit errors can be detected in a short bit sequence such as a burst data . for example , assuming a case of data having a pattern length of 1m bits , a data rate of 100 mbps , and an np of 10 , then tw 0 is 0 at the shortest or identical in time to one period of data at the longest . therefor , an average tw 0 is ( one period of data )/ 2 . an average ts 0 is ( one period of data )/( 2 * np )( ts 0 to be 0 at the shortest or one period of data / np at the longest ). therefore , in the first embodiment , tw 0 in average =( 1m / 1000m )/ 2 = 0 . 005 [ s ]= 5 [ ms ], ts 0 in average =( 1m / 100m )/( 2 × 10 )= 0 . 0005 [ s ]= 0 . 5 [ ms ], and tc in average = 1 [ ms ]. therefore , the average sync gain time =( 10 / 2 )×( 5 + 0 . 5 + 1 )= 32 . 5 [ ms ]. on the other hand , in the second embodiment , the average sync gain time =( 10 / 2 )× tc = 5 [ ms ]. as will be seen from this example , the average sync gain time in the second embodiment is shorter than the average sync gain time in the first embodiment . there will be described below a third embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings . in comparison with the second embodiment using the synchronism pattern detecting timing recorder 20 , the third embodiment is different in that it uses a phase difference recorder 26 for recording a phase difference between a detected synchronism pattern and an initially detected synchronism pattern or a phase difference between a detected synchronism pattern and a synchronism pattern detected in a previous time . first , there is described the arrangement of a reception data synchronizer according to the third embodiment . like parts to the first embodiment are designated by like reference characters , omitting their description . fig7 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the reception data synchronizer according to the third embodiment . like elements to the first embodiment are designated by like reference numerals , omitting their description . the reception data synchronizer 1 includes a collator 10 , a synchronism decider 12 , a synchronism pattern detector 14 , a timing generator 22 , a phase difference detector 24 , the phase difference recorder 26 , and a second data generator 54 . the phase difference detector 24 , having received a notification of a detected synchronism pattern from the synchronism pattern detector 16 , detects a phase difference between the detected synchronism pattern and an initially detected synchronism pattern or a phase difference between the detected synchronism pattern and a synchronism pattern detected in a previous time , and sends it to the phase difference recorder 26 to be described later . the phase difference recorder 26 records the phase difference detected by the phase difference detector 24 . actions of the third embodiment are analogous to the second embodiment , but for the difference that a phase difference is used . the phase difference is used for changing phases of expectation data ( p 5 , see fig5 ). as a description using an example of fig6 , in the second embodiment , the synchronism pattern 70 of the expectation data is matched with the internal reference timings 4 , 7 , and 12 , one by one in this order . in the third embodiment , there are recorded in the phase difference recorder 26 a timing 4 at which a synchronism pattern is initially detected , a difference 3 ( 7 − 4 ) between a timing at which the synchronism pattern is detected twice and the timing at which the synchronism pattern is initially detected , and a difference 8 ( 12 − 4 ) between a timing at which the synchronism pattern is detected thrice and the timing at which the synchronism pattern is initially detected , and unless a synchronism is obtained at the timing 4 , the timing of the synchronism pattern 70 is shifted by 3 to make a decision of synchronism at a resultant timing , and unless a synchronism is then obtained , the timing of the synchronism pattern 70 is shifted by 8 from the initial to make a decision of synchronism at a resultant timing . or , in the third embodiment , there are recorded in the phase difference recorder 26 the timing 4 at which the synchronism pattern is initially detected , the difference 3 ( 7 − 4 ) between the timing at which the synchronism pattern is detected twice and the timing at which the synchronism pattern is initially detected , and a difference 5 ( 12 − 7 ) between the timing at which the synchronism pattern is detected thrice and the timing at which the synchronism pattern is detected twice , and unless a synchronism is obtained at the timing 4 , the timing of the synchronism pattern 70 is shifted by 3 to make a decision of synchronism at a resultant timing , and unless a synchronism is then obtained , the timing of the synchronism pattern 70 is further shifted by 5 to make a decision of synchronism at a resultant timing . like effects to the second embodiment can be achieved by the third embodiment also . according to the present invention , there can be obtained a synchronization between reception data and expectation data even with an inconsistency in phase due to a false synchronism pattern . | 7 |
fig1 shows schematically a motor vehicle 1 having a control system 2 for controlling the power of an internal combustion engine 4 when an accelerator pedal 6 and a brake pedal 8 are activated at the same time by a driver . the engine 2 has cylinders 10 , four being shown , each of which is supplied with fuel 12 from a fuel injector 14 and with air 16 via an inlet manifold 20 . if the engine 4 is a gasoline engine , then the engine will also include a throttle 18 , which is here an electronic throttle , and a spark ignition system 21 . the accelerator pedal 6 and brake pedal 8 provide respectively a driver demand signal 24 and a braking demand signal 25 to an engine control unit ( ecu ) 22 , which is used to control the operation of the engine 4 . the ecu 22 also receives inputs from a number of other sensors , including an engine speed signal ( s ) 26 from an engine speed sensor 30 , an engine temperature signal ( c ) 27 from an engine temperature sensor 31 , and an air flow signal ( a ) 28 from an inlet air mass airflow sensor 32 . the electronic throttle 18 receives a control signal 23 from the ecu 22 and optionally also sends via a throttle position sensor 33 a signal ( t ) 29 to the ecu indicative of the position of a throttle flap 19 . the invention will now be further described with reference also to fig2 , which shows an example of a driver demand signal ( dds ) 124 and a braking demand signal ( bds ) 125 , which overlap in time . the driver demand signal 124 is initially zero , indicating that the driver is not pressing on the accelerator pedal 6 . at a time t 1 the driver demand signal starts to rise . the ecu 22 , which is monitoring both the driver demand signal 124 and the braking demand signal 125 , notes this rise and begins to time a first delay ( δt 1 ) 40 . if after the first delay 40 the driver demand signal 124 is still above zero , the ecu 22 changes an internal logic value , “ sustained driver demand ” 41 ( sdd ) from zero to one , indicating that there is a sustained driver demand . in the example shown in fig2 , the driver then at time t 2 begins to activate the brake pedal 8 , which causes a rise above zero in the braking demand signal 125 . the ecu 22 notes this rise and begins to time a second delay ( δt 2 ) 42 . if after the second delay 42 the braking demand signal 125 is still above zero , the ecu 22 changes an internal logic value , “ sustained braking demand ” 43 ( sbd ) from zero to one , indicating that there is a sustained braking demand . in this example , the first and second delays 40 , 42 are both 1 s in length . the ecu 22 also notes when the driver demand signal 124 and the braking demand signal 125 return to zero at , respectively , times t 3 and t 4 . again , the ecu 22 times respective third and fourth delays 44 , 45 ( δt 3 and δt 4 ) following times t 3 and t 4 after which the sustained driver demand 41 and sustained braking demand 43 both return to a logical zero , indicating respectively that there is no sustained driver demand or braking demand . in this example , the third and fourth delays 44 , 45 are both 0 . 5 s in length . as shown in the drawing , the sustained driver demand 41 begins at a time t 5 which lies between time the t 1 at which the driver demand 124 rises above zero and the time t 2 at which the braking demand 125 rises above zero , and ends at a time t 6 , which is after the time t 3 at which the driver demand 124 falls back to zero . the sustained braking demand 43 begins at a time t 7 which lies after the time t 2 at which the braking demand 125 rises above zero , and ends at a time t 8 , which is between the time t 4 at which the braking demand 125 falls to zero and the time t 3 at which the driver demand 124 falls to zero . fig2 shows how the sustained driver demand ( sdd ) 41 and the sustained braking demand ( sbd ) 43 are combined by the ecu 22 in a logical and operation to create a resultant “ over - ride ” logical value 46 , which is a logical one when both the sustained driver demand 41 and the sustained braking demand 43 are logical ones , and which is a logical zero otherwise . in the example of fig2 , the time span of the sustained braking demand 43 falls entirely within the time span of the sustained driver demand 41 , and so the time span over which the over - ride value 46 is one is between the times t 7 and t 8 . the ecu 22 then creates a modified original driver demand ( mdd ) 47 which in its simplest form is just the original driver demand signal 124 multiplied by the inverse of the over - ride logical value 46 . in the present example , however , it is preferred if the transitions between over - ridden and non - over - ridden driver demand are smoothed , in order to provide a more gradual change in the actual engine demand experienced by the driver . this gives the driver time to modify his actuation of the accelerator and brake pedals in the event that he has inadvertently activated both at the same time . in fig2 , the smoothed transition is a linear ramp 48 that extends over a time period ( δt 5 ) 49 of the order of 1 s . thereafter , the modified driver demand 47 remains at zero until at the over - ride logical value 46 returns to zero . however , by the time t 8 at which the over - ride logical value 46 has returned to zero , the driver demand signal 124 has already returned to zero , and so the modified driver demand 47 remains at zero following time t 8 . fig3 shows schematically another example in which a driver demand signal ( dds ) 224 and a braking demand signal ( bds ) 225 overlap in time . features which are the same as those of fig2 are indicated with same symbols and reference numerals and features that correspond with those of fig2 are indicated by reference numerals incremented by 100 . the example of fig3 is the same conceptually as that of fig2 , except that here the ecu 22 monitors the driver demand signal 224 with respect to respective thresholds ( t dd and t bb ) 50 , 51 . the sustained driver demand ( sdd ) 141 therefore does not rise from a logical zero to a logical one until after the first time delay ( δt 1 ) 40 starting at a time t 9 following the rise of the driver demand signal 224 above the driver demand threshold 50 . similarly , the sustained braking demand ( sbd ) 143 does not rise from a logical zero to a logical one until after the second time delay ( δt 2 ) 42 starting at a time t 10 following the rise of the driver braking signal 224 above the braking demand threshold 51 . the ecu 22 also notes when the driver demand signal 224 and the braking demand signal 225 return below the respective thresholds 50 , 51 at , respectively , times t 11 and t 12 . again , the ecu 22 times the respective third and fourth delays 44 , 45 ( δt 3 and δt 4 ) following times t 11 and t 12 after which the sustained deriver demand 141 and sustained braking demand 143 both return to a logical zero , indicating respectively that there is no sustained driver demand above the driver demand threshold 50 or braking demand above the braking demand threshold 51 . during the calculation of the sustained driver demand 141 and sustained braking demand 143 , the ecu 22 calculates an over - ride logical value 146 , which is one if both the sustained driver demand 141 and the sustained braking demand 143 are one , and which is zero otherwise . here the over - ride logical value 146 is one between a start time which happens here to be defined by the start time t 105 of the sustained driver demand 141 , and an end time defined here by the end time t 108 of the sustained braking demand 143 . the ecu 22 then creates a modified driver demand ( mdd ) 147 which , as before , is the original driver demand signal 224 multiplied by the inverse of the over - ride logical value 146 . when the over - ride value 146 changes , the ecu 22 also applies smoothing to any required change in the modified driver demand 147 . in the example of fig3 , this smoothing results in a falling ramp 148 that lasts for a time δt 105 starting at time t 105 after the initial change in the over - ride value 146 from zero to one . similarly , a rising ramp 52 is applied that lasts for a time ( δt 6 ) 54 starting at time t 108 following the change in the over - ride value 146 from one to zero . the ramps each change the modified driver demand 147 at a constant rate , with the rate of the falling ramp 148 being less than the rate of the rising ramp 52 . the length in time 149 , 54 of the ramps 148 , 52 therefore depends on the magnitude of the required change in the modified driver demand 147 , but will normally be between 0 . 1 and 1 . 0 s . although in this example , the driver demand threshold and braking demand threshold are shown as being constant , it will normally be the case that some hysteresis is applied to the detection of zero and non - zero threshold crossings to prevent the ecu from unnecessarily resetting the timing of the first and second delays when the driver demand and braking demand is varying slightly about the threshold . one way of doing this is to use a rising threshold which is above a falling threshold . the advantage of a system having non - zero thresholds is that this allows a driver indefinitely to rest a foot lightly on either the brake pedal or the accelerator pedal , without the system then over - riding the driver demand , thereby allowing the driver to use heel - toe driving , even after a period in which both pedals have been no more than lightly pressed . the invention therefore provides a convenient system and method for controlling the over - ride of driver demand in a motor vehicle , when the driver activates at the same time both the brake pedal and the accelerator pedal . it is to be recognized that various alterations , modifications , and / or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts described above without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention , as defined by the appended claims . | 1 |
a multilayer material and method of making same that overcomes the above disadvantages has now been discovered . in accordance with this invention , the multilayer material demonstrates improved performance characteristics with surprising effects when processed , as well as better resistance to tearing , and superior weather - resistance , compared with normal materials . in particular , as a result of so - called corona pre - treatment of the substrate , the film surface is modified in such a way (“ roughened ”) by chemical and physical methods that the bonding between the polymer coating and the substrate is substantially improved compared with normal methods . this is evident in the fact that the polymer coating is more effectively bonded to the film . however , this is subject to the precondition that the polymer coating process takes place immediately after the corona treatment . the introduction of coloured pigments and / or fluorescent pigments and / or organic colorants to the reaction mixture , which consists of a hydroxy group polyurethane , preferably with hydroxyl groups in the final stage , and a low molecular weight linear polyisocyanate in a ratio of 20 : 1 with reference to solid polyurethane polymer , as the cross - linking agent , ensures a very homogenous coloration of the polymer layer . in accordance with this invention , a catalytic additive consisting of a tin - organic compound is used , reducing the polymerisation time to approximately 48 hours , compared with a period of several days if no catalyst is used . the contact adhesive layer is applied using the well - known transfer method , in which contact adhesive materials are used on a polyacrylic basis in a commonly used composition . this is applied in solution to silicone paper , and after the solvent has evaporated it is bonded with the substrate under heat and pressure . according to the invention , the side of the substrate opposite to the polymer coating is provided with a transparent reactive layer . this layer may be suitable for receiving toner or ink , and should preferably be of vinyl acetate , with the toner layer consisting of a substrate with a thickness of between 2 and 8 g / m . 2 this creates a polymer film with a compact or translucent coloured backing , which can be used with a plain paper copier to accept images and printing , without adversely affecting the quality of the text and / or images thus reproduced . such films are also ideal for advertising purposes because , as mentioned previously , the pigment is distributed homogeneously throughout the polymer layer , and they are also very weather - resistant due to the thermoset properties of the film . in order to keep the so - called blocking effect on the toner or ink compatible layers to a minimum , if necessary between 0 . 5 and 5 % of a suitable agent for preventing this effect is dispersed . such agents may consist , for example , of colloid silicon dioxide or alternatively — in the case of aqueous dispersions — of up to a maximum of 3 % rice starch . the reactive layer may be light - sensitive , thus opening up other possible uses . moreover , in accordance with the invention , it is intended that the side of the film opposite to the polymer coating should be provided with a thin metallic layer , i . e . & lt ; 1μ , made preferably of aluminium and / or chromium . this enables the area weight of the film to be substantially reduced . by applying the metallic layer to the coloured , transparent film the latter appears coloured but not translucent . compared with existing methods for producing such coloured films , the system referred to in this invention can enable weight reductions of between 25 and 30 % to be achieved , while the chemical and physical properties remain unchanged . another task is to find a process for producing the multilayer material . in accordance with the invention , these measures have resulted in a process that ensures that the multilayer material maintains a consistent quality . in accordance with the invention , if necessary , a reactive layer is applied to the side of the substrate opposite the polymer and contact adhesive coating , consisting , for example , of a layer suitable for taking toner or ink , and that , if necessary , an agent can be dispersed in this layer to avoid a blocking effect on the film . in accordance with the invention the film is fed past ionising rods in order to avoid or reduce the electrostatic charge that is built up on the substrate through friction against the rolls , causing the static on the substrate to be discharged again . an alternative is to apply a metallic layer using the vacuum vaporisation method . other advantageous measures are described in the other sub - claims . the invention is presented using examples of the processes involved , and in the accompanying drawing , and is described in greater detail below . the single illustration shows the stages in the process in diagram form , in appendix 10 . to apply the colour coating a substrate 11 made of polyethylene terephthalate is continuously unrolled from a reel 12 , and fed through guide rolls 13 and 14 to a unit 15 ( a so - called corona discharge unit ), containing a roll 16 . the substrate 11 is wound around this roll 16 in such a way that its surface is positioned facing the device 15 a , which is used to treat the surface of the substrate . the period of treatment is determined by the circumference and rate of rotation of the roll 16 . the corona discharge unit 15 can be incorporated in the process , i . e . if needed the unit can be connected up , according to the particular stage of the process . following corona treatment of the substrate 11 it continues over the guide rolls 17 , 18 and 19 to a pair of rolls , consisting of a rubber roll 20 and a chromium plated steel roll 21 . the roll 21 serves as pick - up roll and rotates in a trough 23 . the ( coloured ) polymer mixture is contained in this trough 23 , and is applied to the pick - up roll 21 by a doctor roll fitted with doctor blades ( not shown ) to ensure that the correct amount is applied . once the film 24 has been coated ( with pigment ) it is fed through parallel pairs of ionising rods 25 , 25 a and 26 , 26 a , to reduce or eliminate the electrostatic charge that is built up through the friction of the rolls . the film 11 , 24 is fed over the system of rolls 27 , 31 and 36 and through a drying tunnel , which is provided with an inlet 29 and outlet 30 , in which the solvent , for example toluol , is vaporised . heated air is blown through the drying tunnel 28 , the incoming air 32 being heated to a specified temperature by the heating spirals 34 of a heating unit 33 . the exhaust air 35 is removed from the system . the films 11 , 24 are dried using the counter - current process 32 , 35 , 48 . the film is then fed through a system of rolls 38 , 41 , 42 , 43 and 44 to a winder roll 47 , the roll 41 being fitted with a cooling device ( not shown ), to cool the heated film , thus preventing blocking of the films and / or preventing them from sticking together . the films are once again fed through parallel pairs of ionising rods 45 , 45 a and 46 , 46 a to reduce or eliminate the build up of an electrostatic charge . a slightly modified process in the same installation 10 is used to wind paper 11 , which is silicone coated on one side , from the reel 12 . this paper is then fed to the rubber roll 20 , where , in this process , the film 11 is coated with contact adhesive . for this purpose the trough is loaded with the appropriate adhesive mixture ( not shown ), which is transferred to the film 11 by means of the doctor roll 22 and pick - up roll 21 . the corona discharge unit is not used in this process . the amount of coating can be controlled or dosed by varying the pressure of the pick - up roll 21 on the rubber roll 20 . analogous to process a , the coated film 11 is dried in the drying tunnel 28 and is then dispatched to a laminating device 37 , which is not connected in process a . the laminating device 37 consists of a steel roll 38 , which can be heated , and a hard rubber roll 39 . the film 11 is fed between these two rolls 38 and 39 . at the same time a web 40 a , coated in pigment in accordance with process a , runs through the laminating device 37 from an unwinding device 40 . the pressure of the rolls 38 , 39 and the heat from the steel roll 38 causes the transfer of the adhesive from the silicone paper to the coloured film . the multilayer material produced in this way is then fed once again over the cooling roll 41 , and over the guide rolls 42 , 43 , 44 to the winding roll 47 . analogous to process a , in this process the build up of static electricity is discharged by the ionising rods 25 , 25 a , 26 , 26 a , 45 , 45 a , 46 , 46 a . analogous to processes a and b , the trough 23 can also be supplied with a mixture which is suitable for the application of a reactive layer , for example one that is suitable for taking toner or ink . this alternative process is carried out immediately after the film 11 , 24 is coated with adhesive . the film 11 can also be bonded with a non - woven polyester or with woven fabric in order to improve its mechanical properties , in particular the resistance to tearing . this alternative process takes place prior to the coating with the thermoset colour layer , in the same way as in process a . in this case the trough 23 is supplied with the adhesive mixture and , after the film 11 , 24 has been coated with adhesive and dried , it is laminated with a non - woven or woven material 40 a in the laminating device 37 . coating with the thermoset colour layer then takes place . analogous to the previous processes , the coloured , transparent polyethylene terephthlate film , which has a thickness of up to 10μ , is also provided with a thin aluminium layer (& lt ; 1μ ), which is applied using the vacuum vaporisation process ( not shown ). the vaporisation should not take place until a hardening period of at least 48 hours has elapsed . according to this invention , it should be possible for all the stages of the process to be performed in one single installation . these individual stages of the process can be carried out in some cases in an uninterrupted sequence . in other cases they have to be carried out successively , after the supply of materials has been changed . 10 - 15 percentage weight of a polyurethane polymer with final hydroxyl groups with a hydroxyl value ≦ 5 are dissolved in toluol with a water content of & lt ; 0 . 1 %. for coloration 12 - 15 per cent in weight of a coloured pigment such as titanium oxide , and / or a fluorescent pigment and / or an organic colorant are dispersed in this solution . up to 1 percent in weight , calculated as a solution of a low - molecular weight polyisocyanate and up to a maximum of 0 . 05 per cent by weight of a tin organic compound are added to this solution as a catalyst . at a wet weight which , depending on the pigment , ranges between 12 and 30 g m 2 — in the case of titanium dioxide , for example , it is 30 g / m 2 — this colour solution is diluted using toluol in a din beaker using a 4 mm nozzle with a maximum run - off time of 90 sec . the solution is then applied mechanically , using standard roll applicator systems , to polyethylene therephthalate film ( petp film ), which has been pre - treated in a corona discharge unit immediately beforehand . the petp film has a defined shrinkage of approx . 5 % both horizontally and vertically . the colour solution is dried at a maximum temperature of 80 ° c . to retain the shrinkability of the petp film . the film is simultaneously set during this drying process . the quantity of dried colour coating amounts to between 15 and 30 g / m 2 of the petp film , depending on the pigment . following intermediate storage for 48 hours at room temperature , which should not exceed 35 ° c ., a contact adhesive is applied at 21 g / m 2 ± 1 g by means of transfer coating . the chosen adhesives are contact adhesives on the basis of polyacrylates in a commonly used composition . these are applied in solution to silicone paper , and after the solvent has evaporated they are bonded to the petp film under heat and pressure . when the finished material has cooled the contact adhesive is bonded with the thermoset plastic colour coating and , until processing by the user takes place , this silicone paper serves to protect the applied coatings from scratches and from dust particles . the process takes place as in example 1 . the layer suitable for taking toner or ink is applied to the top side of the film immediately after it has been coated with contact adhesive . this is achieved using a solution of polyvinyl acetate in toluol , diluted further with toluol in a din beaker up to a run - off time of 16 sec ., using a 4 mm nozzle . the solvent is evaporated off at a temperature of between 80 and 85 ° c . the quantity applied amounts to between 2 and 8 g by dry weight per m 2 of film . the process takes place as in example 2 , with between 0 . 5 and 5 % colloidal silicon dioxide being added to the layer intended for the application of toner or ink , to prevent the blocking effect on the film . the silicon dioxide is introduced using a dispersion disc . the process described in example 1 is repeated , but in this case the petp film is bonded with non - woven polyester prior to coating , in order to improve the mechanical properties , and in particular the tear - resistance . a 2 - component adhesive on a polyurethane base , dissolved in toluol , is used to laminate the petp film with the non - woven material . thirty minutes before the solution is processed , it is mixed with 1 percent by weight , calculated on the basis of the polyurethane solution of a low molecular weight polyisocyanate , nco content 11 . 5 %. evaporation of the solvent takes place at 80 ° c . following storage for 48 hours under room conditions , the colour solution is applied to the substrate , followed by the application of the contact adhesive , as in example 1 . the process described in example 1 is repeated , but instead of the contact adhesive , a heat - activated adhesive is applied to the polymer coating of the substrate . the heat - activated adhesive consists of a solution of linearly structured polyurethane polymer containing hydroxyl groups with a hydroxyl value of ≦ 5 , in toluol . the dry coating of adhesive should amount to between 21 and 25 % g / m 2 of the film . the solvent evaporates at between 80 and 100 ° c . as explained in example 1 , the transfer process is used to apply the heat - activated adhesive . the process described in example 1 is repeated : a coloured , transparent petp film ( thickness 5 - 10μ ) is provided with an aluminium layer ( thickness & lt ; 1μ ) using the vacuum vaporisation process . films produced in this way are then provided with a heat - activated polyurethane adhesive , using the transfer process . the adhesive is produced by dissolving 12 - 15 per cent by weight of a polyurethane polymer with a hydroxyl value ≦ 5 in a mixture of toluol and thethyl ketone , in a ratio of 9 : 1 . the heat - activated polyurethane adhesive can also be replaced by a contact adhesive on a polyacrylate base , using a standard composition . | 1 |
before the present invention is described in greater detail , it should be noted that the same reference numerals have been used to denote like elements throughout the specification . referring to fig2 to 5 , the first preferred embodiment of a heat dissipating system according to the present invention is installed in a computer module 3 . the computer module 3 has a housing 33 defining upper and lower chambers 31 , 32 , a mounting board 34 fixed inside the lower chamber 32 , and a plurality of module chips 35 mounted on the mounting board 34 . the heat dissipating system of the present invention comprises a condenser 4 , a heat - absorbing unit 5 , and a tubing unit 6 . the module chips 35 are heat sources to undergo heat dissipation by the system of the present invention . the condenser 4 is disposed in the upper chamber 31 of the computer module 3 , and includes a vapor - receiving part 411 formed on a top end thereof , an inlet 414 connected fluidly to the vapor - receiving part 411 , a liquid - receiving part 412 formed on a bottom end thereof , an outlet 415 connected fluidly to the liquid - receiving part 412 , a plurality of channels 413 connected between the vapor - receiving and liquid - receiving parts 411 , 412 , and a thermoelectric cooler 42 . the thermoelectric cooler 42 is controlled through a circuit , and has a cold side 421 in contact with the liquid - receiving part 412 , and a hot side 422 opposite to the cold side 421 . the cold side 421 has a cooling function so as to keep the liquid - receiving part 412 at a constant temperature . the heat dissipating system of the present invention further comprises a heat sink 43 and a fan 44 . the heat sink 43 is disposed adjacent to the condenser 4 , and has an l - shaped configuration . the heat sink 43 includes a horizontal plate 431 having a contact portion 4311 in contact with the hot side 422 of the thermoelectric cooler 42 , a vertical plate 432 extending upwardly from an end periphery of the horizontal plate 431 and parallel to the condenser 4 , and a plurality of fins 433 provided on the vertical plate 432 . the fan 44 is disposed proximate to the condenser 4 and the heat sink 43 , and directs a current of cold air toward the condenser 4 and the heat sink 43 , as best shown in fig5 . the heat - absorbing unit 5 , in this embodiment , includes first , second , and third cavity bodies 51 , 52 , 53 respectively in contact with the chips 35 of the computer module 3 . each of the first to third cavity bodies 51 , 52 , 53 has an inlet 511 , 521 , 531 , and an outlet 512 , 522 , 532 . the inlet 414 and the outlet 415 of the condenser 4 are disposed at a level higher than those of the first to third cavity bodies 51 , 52 , 53 . the tubing unit 6 , in this embodiment , includes first , second , third , and fourth tubes 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 . the first tube 61 is connected to the outlet 415 of the condenser 4 and to the inlet 511 of the first cavity body 51 . the second tube 62 is connected to the outlet 512 of the first cavity body 51 and to the inlet 521 of the second cavity body 52 . the third tube 63 is connected to the outlet 522 of the second cavity body 52 and to the inlet 531 of the third cavity body 53 . the fourth tube 64 is connected to the outlet 532 of the third cavity body 53 and to the inlet 414 of the condenser 4 . as such , the first to fourth tubes 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , the condenser 4 , and the first to third cavity bodies 51 , 52 , 53 form a closed circulating loop , as best shown in fig4 . a working fluid 30 is injected into the system of the present invention after the first to fourth tubes 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , the first to third cavity bodies 51 , 52 , 53 , and the condenser 4 are evacuated , so that the working fluid 30 circulates in a vacuum environment . in this embodiment , the working fluid 30 is a coolant that is in a liquid state at room temperature . alternatively , the working fluid 30 may be a super - thermal - conductive liquid . referring to fig6 , the steps involved in the method for dissipating heat from the chips 35 are shown . in step 71 , the first , second , and third cavity bodies 51 , 52 , 53 are placed in contact with the respective chips 35 , which have the lowest , medium , and highest temperatures , respectively . initially , the working fluid 30 is in a liquid state and is in the first and second cavity bodies 51 , 52 . after the computer module 3 is switched on , the liquid - state working fluid 30 in the first and second cavity bodies 51 , 52 is vaporized . as the pressure inside the first cavity body 51 increases , the working fluid 30 in a vaporized state flows into the second cavity body 52 through the second tube 62 . as the pressure inside the second cavity body 52 also increases , the liquid - state working fluid 30 in the second cavity body 52 is pressurized and is caused to flow through the third tube 63 and into the third cavity body 53 where the temperature is the highest . the liquid - state working fluid 30 is vaporized in the third cavity body 53 . the number of tubes of the tubing unit 6 can be set according to the number of the module chips 35 . as such , the working fluid 30 can flow successively from the lowest - to the highest - temperature module chips 35 through the cavity bodies 51 , 52 , 53 . in step 72 , the vaporized working fluid 30 flows upward by natural convection through the fourth tube 64 from a high - density region , which is the third cavity body 53 , into a low - density region , which is the vapor - receiving part 411 of the condenser 4 . in step 73 , the fan 44 blows cold air toward the condenser 4 and the heat sink 43 so that the condenser 4 and the heat sink 43 exchange heat with the cold air . the vaporized working fluid 30 from the fourth tube 64 is condensed in the condenser 4 , and flows downward through the channels 413 by gravity into the liquid - receiving part 412 . in step 74 , through the cooling function of the cold side 421 of the thermoelectric cooler 42 , the temperature of the working fluid 30 in a condensed state and in the liquid - receiving part 412 continues to drop to a preset value , and the hot side 422 of the thermoelectric cooler 42 transfers the heat from the condensed working fluid 30 to the heat sink 43 , which dissipates the heat . in step 75 , the cooled condensed working fluid 30 in the liquid - receiving part 412 then flows back into the first cavity body 51 through the first tube 61 by gravity so as to repeat the aforementioned steps . hence , by circulating the working fluid 30 through the condenser 4 , the first to third cavity bodies 51 , 52 , 53 , and the first to fourth tubes 61 - 64 , heat is effectively dissipated . referring to fig7 , the heat dissipating system and method according to the second preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to be similar to the first preferred embodiment . however , in this embodiment , the tubing unit 6 includes spaced - apart first and second manifolds 65 , 67 , three spaced - apart first tubes 66 each connected between the first manifold 65 and the inlet 511 , 521 , 531 of the respective cavity body 51 , 52 , 53 so as to direct the liquid - state working fluid 30 into the respective cavity body 51 , 52 , 53 , three spaced - apart second tubes 68 each connected between the second manifold 67 and the outlet 512 , 522 , 532 of the respective cavity body 51 , 52 , 53 so as to direct the vaporized working fluid 30 into the second manifold 67 , a third tube 69 connected between the first manifold 65 and the liquid - receiving part 412 ( see fig2 ) of the condenser 4 , and a fourth tube ( 69 ′) connected between the second manifold 67 and the vapor - receiving part 411 of the condenser 4 . the condensed working fluid 30 in the liquid - receiving part 412 of the condenser 4 flows down first into the first manifold 65 by gravity , and enters simultaneously the first to third cavity bodies 51 , 52 , 53 through the first tubes 66 . the vaporized working fluid 30 in the first to third cavity bodies 51 , 52 , 53 is collected at the second manifold 67 , and from the second manifold 67 , the vaporized working fluid 30 flows through the fourth tube 69 ′ and into the vapor - receiving part 411 of the condenser 4 . the working fluid 30 can self - circulate through the condenser 4 , the first to third cavity bodies 51 , 52 , 53 , and the first to fourth tubes 66 , 68 , 69 , 69 ′, thereby effectively dissipating the heat in the system . referring to fig8 , the heat dissipating system and method according to the third preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown to be similar to the second preferred embodiment . however , in this embodiment , the heat - absorbing unit 5 includes five cavity bodies 54 connected in parallel to each other using the first and second manifolds 65 , 67 of the tubing unit 6 . each cavity body 54 is in contact with an electronic component 7 that can generate heat . the arrangement of the tubing unit 6 is as illustrated in fig8 . the heat dissipating system and method of the present invention may also be applicable to dissipating heat of an engine or a machine of a car , or any other article that needs heat dissipation . from the aforementioned description , the advantages of the heat dissipating system and method of the present invention may be summarized as follows : 1 . through phase change of the working fluid 30 from liquid to vapor and vapor to liquid , the working fluid 30 can undergo a self - circulating effect . hence , compared to the conventional heat dissipating system that utilizes the pressure - increasing pump 13 ( see fig1 ), the system of the present invention not only utilizes simple components , and reduces cost and noise to a minimum , but also minimizes self - generated heat . 2 . the working fluid 30 of the present invention , while in a liquid state , can effectively absorb heat from the module chips 35 through heat conduction , and is then vaporized so as to exchange heat with the condenser 4 . as such , not only can a heat dissipating effect and efficiency be enhanced , the present invention can also cooperate with the thermoelectric cooler 42 to control the temperature through an electric - controlled process , so that the condensed working fluid 30 can be maintained in a particular temperature range for any length of time , thereby ensuring a favorable heat dissipation effect . 3 . the working fluid 30 of the present invention makes use of a coolant or a super - thermal - conductive liquid , so that no freezing of the working fluid 30 is likely to occur when the working fluid 30 is used at a temperature below 0 ° c . hence , the heat dissipation process can be carried out smoothly . further , even if there is a leak in the system , the working fluid 30 will turn immediately into vapor so as not to damage electronic circuitry and / or elements of the heat dissipating system . while the present invention has been described in connection with what are considered the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements . | 7 |
fig1 schematically shows a patient 10 during heart bypass surgery , wherein a cardiopulmonary bypass ( cpb ) system , also known as a heart / lung machine 100 , is connected to the patient &# 39 ; s heart 12 . the cpb system 100 includes an arterial cannula 102 inserted into the ascending aorta at the heart 12 and a venous cannula 104 inserted into one or both of the vena cava . arterial pump 106 ( and associated components to be described hereinafter ), receives deoxygenated blood from the venous cannula 104 , via inlet line 108 , and delivers externally oxygenated blood via outline line 110 , to the arterial cannula 102 . fig2 shows additional details represented schematically , of one conventional arrangement by which the cpb system 100 is connected to the patient 10 during bypass surgery . deoxygenated blood in the inlet line 108 enters a venous reservoir 112 , which is fluidly connected to the arterial pump 106 . the discharge from the pump 106 enters a heat exchanger and oxygenator 114 , passes through an arterial filter 116 , before eventually entering the arterial cannula 102 . the components and lines 102 - 116 , can be considered collectively , as defining a cpb circuit 118 . the cpb system 100 typically includes other circuits as well . a field suction circuit 120 includes a roller pump 122 , a suction inlet line 124 to the pump 122 , and a suction outlet line 126 which returns to the venous reservoir 112 ( or optionally a cardiotomy reservoir 130 prior to the venous reservoir ). the suction inlet 124 terminates in a so - called &# 34 ; field sucker &# 34 ; 128 , by which bleeding at the field can be recovered during surgery . another circuit is the vent circuit 132 , having a vent inlet line 134 leading to a roller pump 138 , from which air and blood vented from the heart 12 , can eventually be delivered via outlet line 136 to the venous reservoir 112 or cardiotomy reservoir 130 . a cardioplegia circuit 140 is typically present , whereby sometimes oxygenated blood can be drawn from the oxygenator 114 , via cardioplegia inlet line 142 , into the cardioplegia pump 146 , where cardioplegia solution from bag 144 can be mixed therewith , for delivery via cardioplegia outlet 148 , to a cardioplegia processing unit 150 . the processing unit 150 typically includes a heat exchanger , a bubble trap , and temperature and pressure monitor . the outlet line 152 from the unit 150 , terminates in a cardioplegia cannula 154 . those familiar with surgery understand that when the patient and the cpb system 100 represented in fig2 are situated in the operating room , a pre - defined space immediately surrounding and extending upwardly from the patient 10 , is referred to as the &# 34 ; field &# 34 ; of surgery , which is subject to extra precautionary procedures and access . the surgeon and surgical assistants perform the operation in the field , with support from several specially trained nurses and assistants . the perfusionist operates the cpb system 10 , outside the field of surgery . only the surgeon and surgical assistants , can place and manipulate the cannulas and other terminal end effectors of the various cpb circuits , within the field of surgery . with reference now to fig3 and 4 , the preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail . a specially adapted hemo - bag 200 of appropriate size such as shown in fig4 is selected by a surgical assistant who in the field , will transfer most of the blood in the cpb circuit 118 , into the bag 200 . the bag 200 with blood , is sealed and removed from the surgical field and , outside the surgical field , the bag is connected to a hemo - concentrating circuit 300 , as shown in fig3 . the bag 200 as shown in fig4 is in effect a bag system , comprising a closed , sterile bag 218 of substantially transparent , biocompatible material , of a type conventionally used for blood storage / and or transfusion , e . g ., polyvinyl . such bags are typically oblong , thereby defining upper ( top ) and lower ( bottom ) ends 202 , 204 . the front side of the bag is marked with a scale 206 , indicating the volummetric gradations of the content of the bag . typical bag sizes are 750 , 1000 or 1500 milliliter . an arterial infusion port 210 is situated at the top of the bag , and serves as the conduit for entry of blood from the arterial line 110 of the cpb circuit 118 after the cannulas 102 , 104 have been removed from the patient . the conduit defining the infusion port 210 , terminates in preferably , a stepped and tapered 1 / 4 - 3 / 8 inch universal arterial infusion connector 212 . a dead end cap with a leash 214 and a clip 216 are carried by the conduit , and function therewith in a conventional manner . the clip 216 is preferably a so - called master clip , which can also serve as a hanger for the hemo - bag , after it has been filled with blood . at the lower end 204 of the bag 218 , an outlet port 220 is defined by preferably , a 1 / 4 inch conduit on which a clip 222 is carried . preferably , a 1 / 4 inch luer connector 224 is connected to the conduit 220 , or formed integral therewith , for selectively admitting a flow of air or fluid bidirectionally for reasons to be discussed more fully below . a 1 / 4 inch connection 228 extends below the luer 224 , and a dead end cap with leash 226 is carried thereon . an inlet port 235 is also situated in spaced relation from the outlet port 220 , at the bottom or lower end of the bag . the inlet port is typically defined by a conduit having a 1 / 4 inch end connector 230 , which carries a dead end cap with leash 232 . a clip 234 is carried by the inlet conduit 235 . an intravenous iv line 240 is also situated at the lower end of the bag . this is a conventional iv line , having a clip 238 and a terminal female connector 242 for receiving a male iv spike when the contents of the bag are to be transfused to the patient . the iv line 240 is preferably situated between the outlet port 220 and the inlet port 235 and has a sterile cap 244 . referring to fig3 and 4 , when the bag 200 as depicted in fig4 is handed to field personnel , the inlet clip 222 and cap 226 , outlet clip 234 and cap 232 , and iv clip 238 and cap 244 are placed in the closed condition , whereas the infusion clip 216 and cap 214 are open . in the field , the arterial cannula 102 is removed from line 110 , which is typically a 1 / 4 or 3 / 8 inch line , and the line is then secured to the universal connector 212 at the infusion port 210 of the bag . the venous cannula 104 is detached from line 108 , and a crystalloid solution , is introduced as shown at 158 , into line 108 . this chases the blood in the cpb circuit 118 , along line 108 , through the venous reservoir 112 , the pump 106 and the remaining components , whereby most of the patient &# 39 ; s blood in the cpb circuit 118 , is chased into the hemo - bag 200 . as an alternative , crystalloid solution can be introduced at the venous reservoir 112 , via line 160 , as a more convenient way of chasing most , but not all , of the blood in the cpb circuit 118 into the bag 200 . when the bag 200 has been filled in the field according to the manner described above , the field personnel closes the infusion port 210 using the clip 216 and cap 214 and reconnects the arterial and venous lines with the appropriate size luer connector for recirculation . the filled bag is then handed to personnel outside the field , typically the perfusionist , who will then establish the hemo - concentrating circuit 300 as depicted in fig3 . the bag can be hung in any convenient manner , via the master clip 216 . there are a variety of available circuits of the cpb system 100 , other than the arterial circuit 118 , which can be disconnected and reconfigured to form the hemo - concentration circuit 300 . when available , however , connections are made to a spare roller pump . in the example shown in fig3 the suction circuit 120 of fig2 has been removed from roller pump 122 . a new 1 / 4 inch line is connected through the pump 122 from the outlet port 220 of the hemo - bag via line portion 310 , and line portion 312 is connected between the outlet of the pump 122 and the inlet 306 of a hemo - concentrator 302 . the outlet of the concentrator 302 is attached via new line 304 , to the inlet port 235 of the bag . the hemo - concentrator 302 can be of any conventional configuration , e . g ., such as is available as model hph1000ts from the mintech corporation , minneapolis , minn . in such hemo - concentrators , a flow of effluent is discharged at 308 . the effluent at 308 is removed and only the hematocrit - enriched blood is delivered through line 304 to the bag 200 . alternatively , a circuit such as 120 of fig2 can be reconfigured by removing the sucker 128 from inlet line portion 124 , disconnecting outlet line portion 126 , and then reconnecting line portion 124 to the outlet port 220 of the hemo - bag and line portion 126 to the inlet 306 of the hemo concentrator 302 . in the configuration shown in fig3 and 4 , clip 222 on the bag 200 is opened , thereby permitting a blood flow down line 310 into the pump 122 . the inlet port 235 is opened via movement of clip 234 , and the pump 122 is started , to establish a circulatory flow in the hemo - concentration circuit 300 . with reference again to fig4 the hemo - bag 200 preferably includes a baffle 236 located inside the bag , and oriented for directing upward flow entering the bag through the inlet port 235 , away from the outlet port 220 . the baffle 236 assures even mixing of blood which has been received from the hemo - concentrator 302 , with the less concentrated blood in the bag . in particular , the baffle 236 is located closer to the inlet port 235 than to the iv line 240 thereby blocking lateral flow of the concentrated blood when it enters the bag . fig5 shows the baffle 236 as formed by pinching and heat sealing together , portions 246 , 248 of the front 250 and back 252 walls of the bag 218 . alternatively , a distinct , oblong member ( not shown ) could be fixed between the walls , preferably at an angle to the vertical . when the blood in the hemo - concentration circuit 300 reaches an appropriate concentration of hematocrit ( for example , as represented by the percent volume reduction from the time circulation in configuration 300 was initiated ), the roller pump 122 is stopped and outlet port 220 is closed via clip 222 . a flow of air is introduced through luer 224 , which is below the clip 222 , such that the fluid in line 310 , pump 122 , hemo - concentrator 302 , and line 304 is deprimed and chased back into the bag 200 , by pumping through inlet port 235 , and the pump 122 is turned off . the clip 234 then closes port 235 , and lines 125 and 304 are disconnected from the end connectors 228 and 230 . at this point , all clips 216 , 222 and 234 are closed , and the respective dead end drip caps 214 , 226 and 232 can be secured to the respective end connectors 212 , 228 and 230 . line 240 has remained closed by clip 238 , and sterile by cap 244 . it should be appreciated that a key feature of the invention , is that the hemo - bag 200 is filled in the field , and the closed bag with blood from the cpb circuit 118 is handed outside the field , where hemo - concentration occurs . although it is preferable that hemo - concentration occur in the operating room adjacent to the field , without undermining the integrity of the cpb circuit , this is not absolutely necessary . for example , the bag can be taken out of the operating room , and hemo - concentration achieved at a different time and different place . nevertheless , it is contemplated that in most operating rooms , the hemo - concentration will be completed and the hemo - bag with concentrated blood will be available for transfusion , during the time period when the patient is in the operating room . although the lines 108 and 110 as shown in fig3 have been disconnected from the patient , these lines are clamped immediately after the bag 200 has been filled . the cpb circuit 118 thus is filled with crystalloid solution , and need not be re - primed in the event reestablishment of the cpb circuit is necessary . in this eventuality , the patient &# 39 ; s own concentrated blood is readily available from the hemo - bag 200 , merely by spiking with a standardized connection at iv port 242 . it should also be appreciated that variations of the invention other than those specifically described herein , can fall within the scope of the appended claims . for example , a typical cpb system 100 may have five or more pumps therein , such that establishment of the hemo - concentration circuit 300 can be made with a pump that was not in use during the actual surgical procedure . furthermore , a pump from a circuit other than the suction circuit , could be used for establishing the hemo - concentration circuit . if a hemo concentrator is already in use during surgery , a &# 34 ; y &# 34 ; junction can be placed at the top and bottom of the hemo - concentrator so that hemo concentration can take place during and after bypass by means of the hemo - bag . in another variation , after the hemo bag has been disconnected from the arterial line , an appropriately sized connector with a luer can be used to connect the arterial and venous lines for added safety and recirculation . the hemo - bag system 200 according to the invention , could also vary from that described herein . the inventive hemo - bag could be manufactured and sold to a hospital , without the connectors 212 , 228 , 230 or other end - effectors . such bag would merely have port tubing ends available for insertion of end effectors , by the purchaser of the bag . furthermore , the designation of &# 34 ; top &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; bottom &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; upper &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; lower &# 34 ; ends of the bag as set forth above , should be understood in the context of the functionality of the various ports and iv line . therefore , the upper end or top 202 of the bag 218 refers to a location at which blood enters to substantially fill the bag , and the lower end or bottom 204 , refers to locations where on the one hand , substantially all the content of the bag can be drained by gravity , or on the other hand , where the relative location of the inlet port 235 and the outlet port 220 , will assure reasonably thorough mixing of the content of the bag , during flow therebetween . the equivalent functionality , may be achieved by a different geometric relationship between the ports , with or without a baffle . although not preferred , the infusion port 212 can be used as a substitution for one of the inlet or outlet ports 220 , 235 . thus , in the hemo - bag system embodiment of the invention , at least two spaced apart ports 210 , 235 and 220 with associated conduits are necessary , for filling the bag and accommodating recirculation flow as part of the hemo - concentration circuit . a separate iv line 240 is normally present , for the eventual transfusion of the blood to a patient , but the luer 224 in the outlet port conduit 220 could be used for transfusion as a substitute for or in addition to the iv line 240 . | 0 |
fig1 shows a conventional forward power converter equipped with a pfc - pwm controller 350 to drive a pfc circuit 200 and a pwm circuit 300 . a resistor 22 and a resistor 23 form a resistor divider to sense the output voltage of the pfc circuit 200 from a cathode of a rectifying diode 17 . an operational amplifier 20 generates a pfc - feedback voltage v e that is varied in inverse proportion to the voltage at the junction of the resistors 22 and 23 . the pwm circuit 300 can be viewed as the load of the pfc circuit 200 . an increased load will cause the output voltage of the pwm circuit 300 to decrease , and with that the output voltages of the pfc circuit 200 and the pwm circuit 300 will also decrease accordingly . on the other hand , when the load decreases , the output voltages of the pfc circuit 200 and pwm circuit 300 will also increase . to obtain a sinusoidal line current waveform , the pfc - pwm controller 350 accepts several input signals . the input signals include the line current information , the pfc - feedback voltage v e , the root - mean square value of the line voltage , and a current - detect voltage v cs . the line current information is taken from a positive output of a rectifying bridge diode 10 . the root - mean square value of the line voltage is taken from the junction of a resistor 11 and a resistor 38 . the current - detect voltage v cs is taken from a current - detect resistor 13 . the pfc - pwm controller 350 enables energy from the pfc circuit 200 to be delivered smoothly to the pwm circuit 300 . however , the prior - art power converters operate in a lower and fixed switching frequency under light load condition . since power consumption is proportional to the switching frequency , this fixed switching frequency still cause unavoidable power consumption . therefore , in order to save more energy under standby mode , a means for power saving is needed . fig3 shows a schematic circuit diagram of a forward power converter according to the present invention . the forward power converter according to the present invention can reduce power consumption under light - load and no load conditions further referring to fig3 , the pfc - pwm controller 360 comprises a current synthesizer 60 , an oscillator 61 , a pulse - width limiter 62 , an and - gate 77 , a buffer - gate 78 , a sr flip - flop 76 , a sr flip - flop 79 , a not - gate 75 , a saw - wave generator 74 , a comparator 72 , a comparator 73 , an error amplifier circuit 80 , a resistor 71 , a multiplier / divider circuit 64 , a current reference generator 63 , and a diode 121 . referring to fig3 , the current synthesizer 60 comprises an adder 52 , an adder 53 , adder 58 , a v - to - i converter 54 , a v - to - i converter 55 , a current mirror 56 , a current mirror 57 , and a current limiter 59 . a positive input of the adder 52 is supplied by a pwm - feedback voltage v fb , which is derived from an output terminal of an opto - coupler 27 shown in fig2 . a positive input of the adder 53 is supplied by a pfc - feedback voltage v e , which is derived from an output of an operational amplifier 20 shown in fig2 . a negative input of the adder 52 is supplied by a reference voltage v r1 . a negative input of the adder 53 is supplied by a reference voltage v r2 . an output of the adder 52 is connected to an input of the v - to - i converter 54 . the magnitude of the output signal of the adder 52 is equal to the reference voltage v r1 subtracted from the pwm - feedback voltage v fb . an output of the adder 53 is connected to an input of the v - to - i converter 55 . the magnitude of the output signal of the adder 53 is equal to the reference voltage v r2 subtracted from the pfc - feedback voltage v e . an output of the v - to - i converter 54 is connected to a first input of the adder 58 via the current mirror 56 . an output of the v - to - i converter 55 is connected to a second input of the adder 58 via the current mirror 57 . the current synthesizer 60 outputs a bias current i m from an output of the adder 58 via the current limiter 59 . the bias current i m is supplied to an input of the oscillator 61 . by modulating the bias current i m , the frequency of the oscillator 61 can be varied to control the switching frequency of the pwm signal and the pfc signal . a first output of the oscillator 61 generates a pulse signal v p , which is supplied to a first input of the pulse - width limiter 62 , an input of the not - gate 75 , a reset - input of the sr flip - flop 79 and an input of the saw - wave generator 74 . a second output of the oscillator 61 outputs a first saw - tooth signal saw 1 , which is supplied to a second input of the pulse - width limiter 62 . a set - input of the sr flip - flop 76 is connected to an output of the not - gate 75 . an output of the pulse - width limiter 62 outputs the limit signal wpls , which is supplied to a first input of the and - gate 77 . a second input of the and - gate 77 is connected to an output of the sr flip - flop 76 . the and - gate 77 outputs the pwm signal for switching the pwm circuit 300 shown in fig2 . the resistor 71 is connected between a supply voltage terminal v dd and a positive input of the comparator 72 . the resistor 71 is used to bias the opto - coupler 27 shown in fig2 . the positive input and a negative input of the comparator 72 are further connected to the output of the opto - coupler 27 and the second output of the oscillator 61 respectively . an output of the comparator 72 is connected to a reset - input of the sr flip - flop 76 . an input resistor 51 is connected between an input voltage terminal v in and an input of the current reference generator 63 . an anode of the diode 121 is connected to the input of the current reference generator 63 . a cathode of the diode 121 supplies the supply voltage v dd from the auxiliary winding of a pfc transformer 16 via a rectifying diode 15 . the pfc transformer 16 and the rectifying diode 15 are shown in fig2 . an output of the current reference generator 63 supplies an ac template signal i ac to a first input of the multiplier / divider circuit 64 . a second input of the multiplier / divider circuit 64 is supplied by the pfc - feedback voltage v e . a third input of the multiplier / divider circuit 64 is supplied by an input voltage with root - mean - square value v rms . the feedback current i f generated by the multiplier / divider circuit 64 can be expressed by following equation : i f = i a c × v e v r ms 2 ( 1 ) a resistor 65 , a resistor 66 , a resistor 67 , an operational amplifier 70 , a resistor 68 , and a capacitor 69 form the error amplifier circuit 80 . the feedback current i f is supplied to a first input of the error amplifier circuit 80 . the current - detect voltage v cs is supplied to a second input of the error amplifier circuit 80 . fig2 shows a bridge rectifier 10 and a resistor 13 . the resistor 13 is connected between a negative output of the bridge rectifier 10 and the ground reference . the input current i f will generate the current - detect voltage v cs across the resistor 13 . the error amplifier circuit 80 will generate a feedback voltage v , in response to the feedback current i f and the current - detect voltage v cs . a positive input of the comparator 73 is supplied by the feedback voltage v f . a negative input of the comparator 73 is connected to an output of the saw - wave generator 74 . the sr flip - flop 79 is set by an output of the comparator 73 . the sr flip - flop 79 outputs the pfc signal via the buffer - gate 78 to drive the pfc circuit 200 . fig4 shows a preferred embodiment of the current synthesizer 60 according to the present invention . the current synthesizer 60 comprises a current source 100 , a first current mirror composed of a transistor 101 and a transistor 104 , a second current mirror composed of a transistor 102 and a transistor 105 , an operational amplifier 103 , an operational amplifier 106 , a buffer amplifier 111 , a buffer amplifier 112 , a v - to - i transistor 107 , a v - to - i transistor 108 , a resistor 109 , and a resistor 110 . an input of the current source 100 is supplied by the supply voltage v d0 . an output of the current source 100 is connected to a source of the transistor 101 , a source of the transistor 102 , a source of the transistor 104 , and a source of the transistor 105 . a gate of the transistor 101 , a gate of the transistor 104 , a drain of the transistor 101 , and a drain of the v - to - i transistor 107 are tied together . a gate of the transistor 102 , a gate of the transistor 105 , a drain of the transistor 102 , and a drain of the v - to - i transistor 108 are tied together . a gate of the v - to - i transistor 107 is driven by an output of the operational amplifier 103 . a gate of the v - to - i transistor 108 is driven by an output of the operational amplifier 106 . the pwm - feedback voltage v fb is supplied to a positive input of the operational amplifier 103 . the pfc - feedback voltage v e is supplied to a positive input of the operational amplifier 106 . a negative input of the operational amplifier 103 is connected to a source of the v - to - i transistor 107 . a negative input of the operational amplifier 106 is connected to a source of the v - to - i transistor 108 . a negative input of the buffer amplifier 111 is connected to an output of the buffer amplifier 111 . a negative input of the buffer amplifier 112 is connected to an output of the buffer amplifier 112 . a positive input of the buffer amplifier 111 and a positive input of the buffer amplifier 112 are supplied by the reference voltage v r1 and the reference voltage v r2 respectively . the resistor 109 is connected between the negative input of the operational amplifier 103 and the negative input of the buffer amplifier 111 . the resistor 110 is connected between the negative input of the operational amplifier 106 and the negative input of the buffer amplifier 112 . a drain of the transistor 104 and a drain of the transistor 105 are connected together to generate the bias current i m . further referring to fig4 , under light - load conditions , both the pwm - feedback voltage v fb and the pfc - feedback voltage v e will be reduced . the current i fb flowing through the resistor 109 can be expressed by the following equation : i fb = v fb - v r1 r 109 ( 2 ) where r 109 is the resistance of the resistor 109 . the current i e flowing through the resistor 110 can be expressed by the following equation : i e = v e - v r2 r 110 ( 3 ) the first current mirror mirrors the current i fb to the current i 1 . the second current mirror mirrors the current i e to the current i 2 . the currents i 1 and i 2 are summed together to generate the bias current i m the bias current i m can be expressed by the following equation : i m = i 1 + i 2 = n 1 × i fb + n 2 × i e ( 4 ) where n 1 and n 2 are the mirror ratios of the first current mirror and the second mirror respectively . the bias current i m varies in response to the load conditions of the pfc circuit and pwm circuit . the bias current i m is supplied to the oscillator 61 to modulate the switching frequency . fig5 shows a preferred embodiment of the oscillator 61 according to the present invention . the oscillator 61 comprises a third current mirror composed of a transistor 84 and a transistor 85 , a switch 82 , a switch 83 , a capacitor 87 , a comparator 88 , a comparator 89 , a nand - gate 90 , a nand - gate 91 , a not - gate 86 , and a current source 81 . an input of the current source 81 is supplied by the supply voltage v dd . an output of the current source 81 is connected to an input terminal of the switch 82 . an output terminal of the switch 82 and an input terminal of the switch 83 are tied together , and are connected to a negative input of the comparator 88 and a positive input of the comparator 89 . a positive input of the comparator 88 is supplied by an upper - threshold voltage v h . a negative input of the comparator 89 is supplied by a lower - threshold voltage v l . an output of the comparator 88 is connected to a first input of the nand - gate 90 . an output of the comparator 89 is connected to a second input of the nand - gate 91 . an output of the nand - gate 91 is connected to a second input of the nand - gate 90 . an output of the nand - gate 90 , which outputs the pulse signal v p , is connected to a first input of the nand - gate 91 , an input of the not - gate 86 , and a control terminal of the switch 83 . an output of the not - gate 86 is connected to a control terminal of the switch 82 . the third current mirror formed by the transistors 84 and 85 mirrors the bias current i m to a discharge current i discharge . a source of the transistor 84 and a source of the transistor 85 are connected to the ground reference . a gate of the transistor 84 , a gate of the transistor 85 , a drain of the transistor 84 , and an output of the current synthesizer 60 shown in fig2 are connected together . a drain of the transistor 85 is connected to an output terminal of the switch 83 . the capacitor 87 is connected between the negative input of the comparator 88 and the ground reference . initially , the voltage of the capacitor 87 is zero . the comparator 88 will output a logic - high signal to the first input of the nand - gate 90 , and the comparator 89 will output a logic - low signal to the second input of the nand - gate 91 . therefore , the output of the nand - gate 90 will output a logic - low signal to the input of the not - gate 86 to turn on the switch 82 . the current source 81 will then start to charge the capacitor 87 . when the voltage of the capacitor 87 reaches the upper - threshold voltage v h , the comparator 88 will output a logic - low signal to the first input of the nand - gate 90 . the nand - gate 90 will output a logic - high signal to turn off the switch 82 and turn on the switch 83 . at the moment the switch 83 is turned on , the discharge current i discharge , which is varied in proportion to the bias current im , will start to discharge the capacitor 87 . the discharge time of the capacitor 87 modulates the off - time of the pulse signal vp . the discharge time of the capacitor 87 also determines the switching period of the pfc - pwm controller . besides the pulse signal v p , the oscillator 61 outputs the first saw - tooth signal saw 1 from the capacitor 87 for pwm control . the pulse signal vp provides a base frequency for easily synchronizing the pwm signal and the pfc signal . fig6 shows a preferred embodiment of the pulse - width limiter 62 according to the present invention . the pulse - width limiter 62 comprises a nand - gate 126 , a nand - gate 128 , and a comparator 127 . a reference voltage vr 3 is supplied to a negative input of the comparator 127 . the first saw - tooth signal saw 1 is supplied to a positive input of the comparator 127 . the pulse signal v p is supplied to a first input of the nand - gate 126 . an output of the nand - gate 126 is connected to a first input of the nand - gate 128 . a second input of the nand - gate 128 is connected to an output of the comparator 127 . an output of the nand - gate 128 is connected to a second input of the nand - gate 126 and outputs the limit signal wpls . the magnitude of the reference voltage v r3 determines a maximum on - time of the pwm signal . while the pulse signal v p is logic - low and the first saw - tooth signal saw 1 is less than the reference voltage v r3 , the nand - gate 128 will output a logic - high limit signal . once the first saw - tooth signal saw 1 reaches the reference voltage v r3 , the comparator 127 will output a logic - high signal , causing the limit signal wpls to become logic - low . fig7 shows a preferred embodiment of the saw - wave generator 74 . similar to the way the first saw - tooth signal saw 1 controls the pwm signal , a second saw - tooth signal saw 2 is generated by the saw - wave generator 74 for pfc control . the saw - wave generator 74 comprises a transistor 131 , a current source 130 , a switch 132 , a capacitor 133 , and a fourth current mirror composed of a transistor 134 and a transistor 135 . a source of the transistor 131 , a source of the transistor 134 , and a source of the transistor 135 are connected to the ground reference . the pulse signal v p is provided to a gate of the transistor 131 and a control terminal of the switch 132 . an input of the current source 130 is supplied by the supply voltage v dd . an output of the current source 130 is connected to a drain of the transistor 131 . a drain of the transistor 131 , a drain of the transistor 135 , a gate of the transistor 134 , and a gate of the transistor 135 are tied together . an input terminal of the switch 132 is supplied by a reference voltage v r4 . an output terminal of the switch 132 is connected to a drain of the transistor 134 . the capacitor 133 is connected between the drain of the transistor 134 and the ground reference . while the pulse signal v p is logic - high , the switch 132 will be turned on and the reference voltage v r4 will immediately charge the capacitor 133 to the voltage level of v r4 . meanwhile , the current source 130 will be grounded and no current will flow into the drain of the transistor 135 . once the pulse signal v p drops to logic - low , the switch 132 is turned off and the energy stored in the capacitor 133 will be discharged by a discharge current i d , which is mirrored from the current source 130 . the capacitor 133 supplies the second saw - tooth signal saw 2 for pfc control . fig8 shows one embodiment of the present invention that uses the input resistor 51 to start up the pfc - pwm controller 360 . this embodiment also uses the input resistor 51 to provide the ac template signal i ac for pfc control . the input resistor 51 is connected between the input voltage terminal vin shown in fig2 and the anode of the diode 121 . the supply voltage v dd is supplied from a cathode of the diode 121 , which is also connected to the auxiliary winding of the pfc transformer 16 via the rectifying diode 15 . a start - up capacitor 120 is connected between the ground reference and the supply voltage terminal v dd of the pfc - pwm controller 360 . the current reference generator 63 comprises a transistor 123 and a fifth current mirror composed of a transistor 124 and a transistor 125 . a drain of the transistor 123 is connected to the anode of the diode 121 . a gate of the transistor 123 is supplied by a reference voltage v r5 . a source of the transistor 123 , a drain of the transistor 124 , a gate of the transistor 124 , and a gate of the transistor 125 are tied together . a source of the transistor 124 and a source of the transistor 125 are connected to the ground reference . once the power converter is turned on , the input resistor 51 will convert the input voltage v in to a start - up current i s . the start - up current i s will then start to charge the start - up capacitor 120 via the diode 121 . when the voltage of the start - up capacitor 120 reaches the start - up threshold voltage of the pfc - pwm controller 360 , the reference voltage v r5 will be initialized . the reference voltage v r5 will turn on the transistors 123 , and the voltage at the anode of the diode 121 will drop to inverse - bias the diode 121 . when the diode 121 is inverse - biased , the current path via the diode 121 will be cut off , and the supply voltage v dd will be supplied by the auxiliary winding of the pfc transformer 16 via the rectifying diode 15 . since the start - up current is no longer flows through the diode 121 , a third current 13 will flow through the transistors 123 and 124 . the transistor 125 will generate the ac template signal i ac in response to the third current 13 . fig9 shows the timing diagram of the pfc - pwm controller 360 according to the present invention . by properly setting the reference voltage v r3 and the feedback voltage v f , the pwm and the pfc signal can interleave each other . since the pwm signal and the pfc signal are generated alternately , transmission efficiency is improved . further , since the pwm signal and the pfc signal are synchronized by the pulse signal v p , the off - times of the pwm signal and the pfc signal are extended under light - load and no - load conditions . the switching frequencies of the pwm signal and the pfc signal will then be reduced by expanding the switching period . therefore , power consumption under light - load and no - load conditions can be greatly reduced by the pfc - pwm controller 360 according to the present invention . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention . in view of the foregoing , it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided that they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents . | 7 |
turning now to fig1 through 8 there is shown an electrical connector 20 ( fig1 ) constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention . the connector 20 comprises a base member 22 , a cover member 24 overlying the base member 22 and releasably interlocked thereto by a series of latch means 26 . the base member 22 comprises a series of contact support members 28 formed in a strip and interconnected to one another by frangible portions shown as discrete protrusions 30 ( fig2 ) selectively located along the side of each support member 28 . the protrusions 30 serve a dual function as will be described in greater detail hereafter . the cover member 24 comprises a series of elements 32 formed in a strip and interconnected to one another by frangible portions shown as thin elongate webs 34 of reduced cross section coincident with the protrusions 30 for parting the elements 32 at preselected locations commensurate with the parting of the support members 28 . the latch means 26 is shown as comprising a pair of spaced deflectable legs or struts 36 depending from each element 32 , each of the struts 36 having a hooked end portion 38 ( fig3 ) which engages the undersurface of a corresponding protrusion 30 as the cover member 24 and the base member 22 are urged together in the manner shown in fig6 and 7 . to unlatch one or more of the elements 32 from a corresponding support member 28 , the appropriate pair of struts 36 are forced together at each location to release their hooked end portions 38 from engagement with the corresponding protrusions 30 . as further illustrated , each of the contact support members 28 includes a contact receiving recess 40 ( fig4 ) in which is located a contact element 42 shown in fig4 as formed in a loop to provide resilient electrical engagement with the conductive portion 44 of a further external member such as 46 ( fig8 ). although only the support members 28 are shown as having contact elements 42 , an arrangement such as that shown in fig1 may be readily and conveniently provided wherein a cover member 48 similar to member 32 is illustrated as containing a further contact element 50 similar to element 42 . in this embodiment electrical engagement may be made to either or both surfaces of a part such as 46 ( fig8 ) which may comprise a conductive surface such as 44 on both surfaces thereof . the protrusions 30 which function as frangible portions interconnecting the support members 28 one to another also serve as engaging elements for the deflectable struts 36 . as is more clearly shown in fig4 each protrusion 30 comprises a tapered edge 52 for camming a respective strut 36 inwardly during the latching operation , and a locking surface 54 forming the underside of each protrusion 30 for engaging the hooked end portion 38 of a respective strut 36 to maintain the support member 28 and a corresponding cover member 32 in locked relationship . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 each of the members 28 is provided with foreshortened sidewalls 56 to expose a portion of the contact element 42 and to provide a contiguous elongate opening or slot 58 ( fig7 ) along one edge of the connector 20 . the slot 58 may thus be utilized to receive the edge of a flat elongate part such as 46 which may comprise , for example , the edge of a printed circuit board or like element . the contact element 42 may be suitably formed so as to extend rearwardly within the support member 28 adjacent to an opening 60 ( fig8 ) into which may be inserted a further external member ( not shown ) for electrical connection to selective elements of the part 46 . the contact support members 28 and cover member elements 32 are initially formed in strips comprising a given number of positions in accordance , for example , with the maximum number of positions which may be required in a particular application or for a particular use . if less positions are required , each of the strips may be parted or fractured at a respective frangible portion such as 30 , 34 , whereby both the upper and lower parts of the connector 20 contain the same number of positions . this may be accomplished either prior or subsequent to the latching operation . the user thus has available a basic assembly which may be readily divided into smaller assemblies of predetermined size and capacity , each of the smaller assemblies being comprised of individually latched connector elements 28 and 32 . for example , the connector 20 may originally comprise sixty positions , as manufactured . it may then be desired to provide both a twenty position and forty position connector . in such case the user simply counts off the number of positions desired and fractures the upper and lower strips at the desired locations -- which in this example , will result in two smaller assemblies containing the desired number of positions . each assembly thus becomes an integral connector complete with upper and lower connector elements individually latched to one another in the same manner as the original connector 20 . furthermore , each smaller assembly may be opened and reassembled repeatedly merely by suitably manipulating the struts 36 . it will of course be apparent that closure or latching of the elements 32 to their associated support members 28 may be accomplished in various sequences , that is , either simultaneously or progressively . for simultaneous latching , the strip containing the elements 32 is placed directly adjacent the strip containing the members 28 . a uniform force of sufficient magnitude is then applied to the outer surface of both strips to cause each of the struts 36 to engage with its respective protrusion 30 . an equally adequate method which requires somewhat less force involves placing the strips together as before , but , rather than applying a uniform force to the strips , applying a force at one end of the assembly and progressively shifting the application line of the force towards the other end so that each pair of parts 28 and 32 is latched together individually in zipper - like fashion . of course any combination of the above methods may be employed to effect the same result . in fig9 there is shown a further embodiment of the latch means of the invention wherein a cover member element 62 comprises struts 64 similar to struts 36 but spaced apart from one another so as to straddle engaging elements 66 on the outboard side thereof , elements 66 being essentially similar to elements 36 but having their tapered camming edges 68 facing away from one another . it will be appreciated that the unlatching operation associated with the embodiment of fig9 will be the reverse of that described with respect to the embodiment shown in fig1 through 8 in that the struts 64 are required to be moved apart rather than together to effect their disengagement from the engaging means 66 . it should also be appreciated that in the embodiment shown in fig9 the two elements 66 may be combined to provide a single protrusion ( not shown ) having tapered edges corresponding to the edges 68 . the resiliency and deflectability of the struts 36 and 64 may of course be readily controlled by varying their cross sectional dimensions which will also control the force required for the latching and releasing operation . it should be further understood that the relative positions of the struts 36 and 64 with respect to the respective engaging means 30 and 66 may be reversed , i . e ., the struts may be located on the contact support members 28 and the engaging means located on the corresponding cover member elements 32 or 62 in accordance with the spirit of the invention and within the concepts herein disclosed . it will of course be appreciated that the engaging means 66 may also serve as frangible portions in the same manner as elements 30 described above . however , in either case , there may be provided additional elements such as 70 ( fig4 ) on each contact support member 28 which may serve as an additional frangible portion where necessary or desirable , or may be alternatively employed as the sole interconnecting frangible member between adjacent members 28 wherein the engaging means 30 will then function solely in conjunction with the struts 36 to provide the latch means for the connector 20 . in the latter case , the means 30 will be attached to only one sidewall between adjacent members 28 . fig1 , 11 , and 12 illustrate a further embodiment of an electrical connector 72 constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention and which differs from the connector 20 in providing a series of fully enclosed discrete pin receiving openings 74 ( fig1 ) adapted to receive individual pins such as 76 ( fig1 ) which may comprise wire - wrap posts or the like attached to a circuit board 78 . in this embodiment there is provided a series of frangibly interconnected contact support members 80 connected to one another in an arrangement similar to that shown in fig1 and 2 with respect to members 28 . in this case , however , each member 80 is provided with fully extended sidewalls 82 flanking a contact receiving recess 84 so that the upper edges of the sidewalls 82 communicate with lower edges 86 of a cover member strip 88 having recesses 90 forming the upper half of the openings 74 while the recesses 84 define the lower half thereof . the strip 88 is otherwise similar to the strip 24 and includes pairs of struts 92 duplicative of elements 36 described heretofore . fig1 shows a further embodiment of an electrical connector 93 constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention . the connector 93 , although otherwise similar to connector 72 , is provided with pin - like extensions 94 adapted to mate with suitably formed socket elements ( not shown ), the connector 93 being essentially the male counterpart of the connector 72 . it is also contemplated that combinations of the connectors 72 and 93 may be fabricated to provide , for example , alternating male and female positions . it should be understood that each of the embodiments shown in fig1 and 13 also include the frangible portions and latch means described heretofore with respect to the embodiment illustrated in fig1 . as further illustrated in fig1 , the embodiment shown therein may comprise two rearwardly facing openings 96 and 98 , each being associated with a corresponding contact element 42 and 50 , respectively to provide discrete connections to an external member ( not shown ) inserted within either of the openings 96 or 98 . it will also be appreciated that the strips 22 and 24 may be conveniently constructed from any one of a number of suitable dielectric materials having good electrically insulating properties , and may be individually fabricated in continuous lengths which may be readily separated into the desired segment sizes by the user . | 7 |
preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings . the following embodiments are applied to a video camera having a still picture photographing mode . the hardware arrangement of the video camera is the same as that shown in fig1 , and a description thereof will be omitted . af processing in still picture photography according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flow charts of fig8 and 9 . after af processing starts ( step s 801 ), a cpu 115 a of an af microcomputer 115 performs af processing in moving picture photography described with reference to fig3 to 7 ( step s 802 ). the cpu 115 a checks whether a still picture release switch 118 has been turned on to input a still picture release signal ( step s 803 ). if no in step s 803 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 802 , and continues af processing in moving picture photography . if yes in step s 803 , the cpu 115 a checks whether a focus lens 105 stays in almost the same area for a predetermined time or longer in af processing in moving picture photography , in other words , whether the focus lens 105 repeats direction reversal a predetermined number of times or more in almost the same area ( step s 804 ). if yes in step s 804 , this means that an in - focus position has been detected by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography . the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to a position corresponding to the maximum af evaluation value obtained by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography ( step s 805 ). the cpu 115 a records a still picture by controlling a camera signal processing circuit 108 and still picture recording device 116 ( step s 806 ), and ends af processing in still picture photography ( step s 807 ). if no in step s 804 , this means that any in - focus position has not been detected yet by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography . the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to the closest focusing ( wide - angle ) direction at a high speed ( step s 808 ), and checks whether the af evaluation value decreases ( step s 809 ). if no in step s 809 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 808 , and continues lens moving processing to the closest focusing direction . if yes in step s 809 , the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to the infinity ( telephoto ) direction at a high speed ( step s 810 ). the cpu 115 a monitors changes in af evaluation value , and checks whether the af evaluation value exceeds its peak ( step s 811 ). if no in step s 811 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 810 , and continues lens moving processing to the infinity direction . if yes in step s 811 , the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to the peak position ( in - focus position ) ( step s 812 ). the cpu 115 a performs fine driving in fig4 to search for a peak position ( step s 813 ). fine driving processing is done in consideration of a case in which an actual in - focus position includes an error even if a peak position is detected during high - speed driving , or a case in which an object to be photographed moves . then , the cpu 115 a checks whether the focus lens 105 repeats direction reversal a predetermined number of times or more in almost the same area in fine driving processing of step s 813 ( step s 814 ). if no in step s 814 , this means that any in - focus position has not been detected yet by fine driving processing of step s 813 . the cpu 115 a returns to step s 813 , and continues fine driving processing . if yes in step s 814 , this means that an in - focus position has been detected by fine driving processing of step s 813 . the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to a lens position corresponding to the maximum af evaluation value obtained by fine driving processing ( step s 815 ). the cpu 115 a records a still picture by controlling the camera signal processing circuit 108 and still picture recording device 116 ( step s 816 ), and ends af processing in still picture photography ( step s 817 ). in the first embodiment , when an in - focus position is considered to be detected by the preceding moving picture af processing upon reception of a still picture photographing / recording instruction , the focus lens 105 is quickly moved to the in - focus position , af processing is stopped , and a still picture is recorded . the first embodiment can , therefore , realize photography free from any shutter time lag . if an in - focus position is considered not to be detected by the preceding moving picture af processing upon reception of a still picture photographing / recording instruction , an in - focus position is immediately detected , the focus lens 105 is moved to the in - focus position , af processing is stopped , and a still picture is recorded , thereby preventing recording any blurred still picture . af processing in still picture photography according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flow charts of fig1 and 11 . after af processing starts ( step s 1001 ), a cpu 115 a of an af microcomputer 115 performs af processing in moving picture photography described with reference to fig3 to 7 ( step s 1002 ). the cpu 115 a checks whether a still picture release switch 118 has been turned on to input a still picture release signal ( step s 1003 ). if no in step s 1003 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1002 , and continues af processing in moving picture photography . if yes in step s 1003 , the cpu 115 a checks whether a focus lens 105 stays in almost the same area for a predetermined time or longer in af processing in moving picture photography , in other words , whether the focus lens 105 repeats direction reversal a predetermined number of times or more in almost the same area ( step s 1004 ). if yes in step s 1004 , this means that an in - focus position has been detected by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography . the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to a position corresponding to the maximum af evaluation value obtained by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography ( step s 1005 ). the cpu 115 a records a still picture by controlling a camera signal processing circuit 108 and still picture recording device 116 ( step s 1006 ), and ends af processing in still picture photography ( step s 1007 ). if no in step s 1004 , the cpu 115 a advances to step s 1008 , and checks whether the current lens position is near an in - focus position . this determination processing is performed based on the ratio of a luminance difference component and high - frequency component . if the cpu 115 a determines in step s 1008 that the current lens position is near an in - focus position , i . e ., the focus lens 105 is slightly in an out - of - focus state , the cpu 115 a executes fine driving in fig4 , and searches for a peak position ( step s 1009 ). after that , the cpu 115 a checks whether the focus lens 105 repeats direction reversal a predetermined number of times or more in almost the same area in fine driving processing of step s 1009 ( step s 1010 ). if no in step s 1010 , this means that any in - focus position has not been detected yet by fine driving processing of step s 1009 . the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1009 , and continues fine driving processing . if yes in step s 1010 , this means that an in - focus position has been detected by fine driving processing of step s 1009 . the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to a lens position corresponding to the maximum af evaluation value obtained by fine driving processing ( step s 1011 ). the cpu 115 a records a still picture by controlling the camera signal processing circuit 108 and still picture recording device 116 ( step s 1012 ), and ends af processing in still picture photography ( step s 1013 ). if the cpu 115 a determines in step s 1008 that the current lens position is not near an in - focus position , i . e ., the focus lens 105 is greatly in an out - of - focus state , the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to the closest focusing ( wide - angle ) direction at a high speed ( step s 1014 ), and checks whether the af evaluation value decreases ( step s 1015 ). if no in step s 1015 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1014 , and continues lens moving processing to the closest focusing direction . if yes in step s 1015 , the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to the infinity ( telephoto ) direction at a high speed ( step s 1016 ). the cpu 115 a monitors changes in af evaluation value , and checks whether the af evaluation value exceeds its peak ( step s 1017 ). if no in step s 1017 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1016 , and continues lens moving processing to the infinity direction . if yes in step s 1017 , the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to the peak position ( in - focus position ) ( step s 1018 ). the cpu 115 a performs processes in step s 1109 and subsequent steps . in the second embodiment , when an in - focus position is considered to be detected by the preceding moving picture af processing upon reception of a still picture photographing / recording instruction , the focus lens 105 is quickly moved to the in - focus position , af processing is stopped , and a still picture is recorded . the second embodiment can realize photography free from any shutter time lag . when the focus lens 105 is not located near an in - focus position ( is greatly in an out - of - focus state ) in the preceding moving picture af processing upon reception of a still picture photographing / recording instruction , an in - focus position is immediately detected , the focus lens 105 is moved to the in - focus position , af processing is stopped , and a still picture is recorded . even if the focus lens 105 is greatly in an out - of - focus state in release operation for a still picture , a still picture free from any blur can be recorded as quickly as possible . when the focus lens 105 is located near an in - focus position ( is slightly in an out - of - focus state ) in the preceding moving picture af processing upon reception of a still picture photographing / recording instruction , an in - focus position is detected by fine driving , the focus lens 105 is moved to the in - focus position , af processing is stopped , and a still picture is recorded . hence , a still picture free from any blur can be quickly recorded . af processing in still picture photography according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flow charts of fig1 and 13 . the third embodiment considers the following situation . in the first and second embodiments , the focus lens 105 is located at an in - focus point with high possibility when the focus lens 105 performs direction reversal a predetermined number of times or more in the same area in moving picture af processing . for this reason , when a still picture photographing / recording instruction is issued , af operation is switched in accordance with whether the focus lens 105 repeats direction reversal a predetermined number of times or more in the same area in moving picture af processing . the depth of field is shallower on the telephoto side than on the wide - angle side . on the telephoto side , the in - focus range is narrower than on the wide - angle side , and the blur probability is higher . if the number of direction reversal operations for in - focus determination is equal between the telephoto side and the wide - angle side , like the first and second embodiments , a blur occurs on the telephoto side at high possibility with a small number of direction reversal operations for in - focus determination . with a large number of direction reversal operations , a blur hardly occurs on the telephoto side , but the number of in - focus point detection processes is increased on the wide - angle side . to solve this problem , the third embodiment performs the following af processing . more specifically , after af processing starts ( step s 1201 ), a cpu 115 a of an af microcomputer 115 performs af processing in moving picture photography described with reference to fig3 to 7 ( step s 1202 ). the cpu 115 a checks whether a still picture release switch 118 has been turned on to input a still picture release signal ( step s 1203 ). if no in step s 1203 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1202 , and continues af processing in moving picture photography . if yes in step s 1203 , the cpu 115 a checks whether the current position of a focus lens 105 is on the telephoto side ( step s 1204 ). if yes in step s 1204 , the cpu 115 a checks whether the focus lens 105 stays in almost the same area for a predetermined time or longer in af processing in moving picture photography , in other words , whether the focus lens 105 repeats direction reversal a predetermined number of times ( n times ) or more in almost the same area ( step s 1205 ). if yes in step s 1205 , this means that an in - focus position has been detected by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography . the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to a position corresponding to the maximum af evaluation value obtained by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography ( step s 1206 ). the cpu 115 a records a still picture by controlling a camera signal processing circuit 108 and still picture recording device 116 ( step s 1207 ), and ends af processing in still picture photography ( step s 1208 ). if no in step s 1205 , this means that any in - focus position has not been detected yet by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography . the cpu 115 a advances to step s 1210 , and moves the focus lens 105 to the closest focusing ( wide - angle ) direction at a high speed . if no in step s 1204 , the cpu 115 a checks whether the focus lens 105 repeats direction reversal a predetermined number of times ( m times : n & gt ; m ) or more in almost the same area ( step s 1209 ). by setting n & gt ; m , the focus lens 105 is determined to be in focus for a large number of direction reversal operations on the telephoto side where the depth of field is shallow . on the wide - angle side where the depth of field is large , the focus lens 105 is determined to be in focus for a smaller number of direction reversal operations than on the telephoto side . this setting can increase the in - focus / out - of - focus determination precision on both the telephoto and wide - angle sides . if yes in step s 1209 , this means that an in - focus position has been detected by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography , and the cpu 115 a shifts to step s 1206 and subsequent steps . if no in step s 1209 , this means that any in - focus position has not been detected yet by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography . the cpu 115 a advances to step s 1210 , and moves the focus lens 105 to the closest focusing ( wide - angle ) direction at a high speed . after moving the focus lens 105 to the closest focusing ( wide - angle ) direction at a high speed , the cpu 115 a checks whether the af evaluation value decreases ( step s 1211 ). if no in step s 1211 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1210 , and continues lens moving processing to the closest focusing direction . if yes in step s 1211 , the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to the infinity ( telephoto ) direction at a high speed ( step s 1212 ). the cpu 115 a monitors changes in af evaluation value , and checks whether the af evaluation value exceeds its peak ( step s 1213 ). if no in step s 1213 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1212 , and continues lens moving processing to the infinity direction . if yes in step s 1213 , the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to the peak position ( in - focus position ) ( step s 1214 ). the cpu 115 a performs fine driving in fig4 , and searches for a peak position ( step s 1215 ). fine driving processing is done in consideration of a case in which an actual in - focus position includes an error even if a peak position is detected during high - speed driving , or a case in which an object to be photographed moves . the cpu 115 a checks whether the focus lens 105 repeats direction reversal a predetermined number of times ( arbitrary in this case ) or more in almost the same area in fine driving processing of step s 1215 ( step s 1216 ). if no in step s 1216 , this means that any in - focus position has not been detected yet by fine driving processing of step s 1215 . the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1215 , and continues fine driving processing . if yes in step s 1216 , this means that an in - focus position has been detected by fine driving processing of step s 1215 . the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to a lens position corresponding to the maximum af evaluation value obtained by fine driving processing ( step s 1217 ). the cpu 115 a records a still picture by controlling the camera signal processing circuit 108 and still picture recording device 116 ( step s 1218 ), and ends af processing in still picture photography ( step s 1219 ). in this manner , the third embodiment can increase the in - focus / out - of - focus determination precision by changing the in - focus determination threshold ( number of direction reversal operations ) in accordance with a focal length set when a still picture photographing / recording instruction is issued . similar to the first embodiment , when an in - focus position is considered to be detected by the preceding moving picture af processing , the focus lens 105 is quickly moved to the in - focus position , af processing is stopped , and a still picture is recorded . photographing free from any shutter time lag can be achieved . if an in - focus position is considered not to be detected by the preceding moving picture af processing upon reception of a still picture photographing / recording instruction , an in - focus position is immediately detected , the focus lens 105 is moved to the in - focus position , af processing is stopped , and a still picture is recorded , thereby preventing recording any blurred still picture . af processing in still picture photography according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the flow charts of fig1 and 15 . the fourth embodiment considers the following situation . in the first and second embodiments , the number of direction reversal operations used for in - focus determination processing performed immediately after a still picture photographing / recording instruction is issued , and the number of direction reversal operations used for in - focus determination processing performed after fine driving processing for newly detecting an in - focus point are set to the same value . if , however , the number of direction reversal operations for in - focus determination is set to a small value , the in - focus position is erroneously determined and the focus lens may stop in an out - of - focus state in in - focus determination processing performed immediately after a still picture photographing / recording instruction is issued . if the number of direction reversal operations is set to a large value in order to avoid the stop in the out - of - focus state , the time taken to newly detect an in - focus point is prolonged . to solve this problem , the fourth embodiment performs the following af processing . more specifically , after af processing starts ( step s 1401 ), a cpu 115 a of an af microcomputer 115 performs af processing in moving picture photography described with reference to fig3 to 7 ( step s 1402 ). the cpu 115 a checks whether a still picture release switch 118 has been turned on to input a still picture release signal ( step s 1403 ). if no in step s 1403 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1402 , and continues af processing in moving picture photography . if yes in step s 1403 , the cpu 115 a checks whether a focus lens 105 stays in almost the same area for a predetermined time or longer in af processing in moving picture photography , in other words , whether the focus lens 105 repeats direction reversal a predetermined number of times ( n times ) or more in almost the same area ( step s 1404 ). if yes in step s 1404 , this means that an in - focus position has been detected by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography . the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to a position corresponding to the maximum af evaluation value obtained by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography ( step s 1405 ). the cpu 115 a records a still picture by controlling a camera signal processing circuit 108 and still picture recording device 116 ( step s 1406 ), and ends af processing in still picture photography ( step s 1407 ). if no in step s 1404 , this means that any in - focus position has not been detected yet by the preceding af processing in moving picture photography . the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to the closest focusing ( wide - angle ) direction at a high speed ( step s 1408 ), and checks whether the af evaluation value decreases ( step s 1409 ). if no in step s 1409 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1408 , and continues lens moving processing to the closest focusing direction . if yes in step s 1409 , the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to the infinity ( telephoto ) direction at a high speed ( step s 1410 ). the cpu 115 a monitors changes in af evaluation value , and checks whether the af evaluation value exceeds its peak ( step s 1411 ). if no in step s 1411 , the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1410 , and continues lens moving processing to the infinity direction . if yes in step s 1411 , the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to the peak position ( in - focus position ) ( step s 1412 ). the cpu 115 a performs fine driving in fig4 , and searches for a peak position ( step s 1413 ). fine driving processing is done in consideration of a case in which an actual in - focus position includes an error even if a peak position is detected during high - speed driving , or a case in which an object to be photographed moves . then , the cpu 115 a checks whether the focus lens 105 repeats direction reversal a predetermined number of times ( m times : n & gt ; m ) or more in almost the same area ( step s 1414 ). in this fashion , the number ( n times ) of direction reversal operations used for in - focus determination processing performed immediately after a still picture photographing / recording instruction is issued is set larger than the number ( m times ) of direction reversal operations used for in - focus determination processing performed after fine driving processing for newly detecting an in - focus point . this is because the focus lens 105 is located near an in - focus point at higher probability after fine driving processing executed to newly detect an in - focus point than immediately after a still picture photographing / recording instruction is issued . with n & gt ; m , the stop in the out - of - focus state due to erroneous determination can be avoided in in - focus determination processing performed immediately after a still picture photographing / recording instruction is issued . the next in - focus point detection processing can also be quickly achieved . if no in step s 1414 , this means that any in - focus position has not been detected yet by fine driving processing in step s 1413 . the cpu 115 a returns to step s 1413 , and continues fine driving processing . if yes in step s 1414 , this means that an in - focus position has been detected by fine driving processing in step s 1413 . the cpu 115 a moves the focus lens 105 to a lens position corresponding to the maximum af evaluation value obtained by fine driving processing ( step s 1415 ). the cpu 115 a records a still picture by controlling the camera signal processing circuit 108 and still picture recording device 116 ( step s 1416 ), and ends af processing in still picture photography ( step s 1417 ). in the fourth embodiment , the number ( n times ) of direction reversal operations used for in - focus determination processing performed immediately after a still picture photographing / recording instruction is issued is set larger than the number ( m times ) of direction reversal operations used for in - focus determination processing performed after fine driving processing for newly detecting an in - focus point . this setting can prevent the stop in the out - of - focus state due to erroneous determination in in - focus determination processing performed immediately after a still picture photographing / recording instruction is issued . the next in - focus point detection processing can also be quickly done . the present invention is not limited to the first to fourth embodiments , and these embodiments can also be appropriately combined . the first to fourth embodiments use the number of reversal moving operations of the focus lens as in - focus information obtained in photographing a moving picture . alternatively , the high - frequency component of a video signal from a ccd , or an in - focus degree evaluation value based on the ratio of the high - frequency component and a luminance difference component can also be used . the embodiments of the present invention have been described above . the present invention is not limited to contents disclosed in each embodiment , and can be applied to any apparatus as far as functions disclosed in the appended claims or the functions of arrangements according to the embodiments can be achieved . for example , the software and hardware arrangements of the above embodiments can be properly replaced . the above embodiments and their technical elements may be combined , as needed . in the present invention , arrangements disclosed in the appended claims , or all or some of the arrangements of the embodiments may form one apparatus , an apparatus coupled to another apparatus , or an element which constitutes an apparatus . the present invention can also be applied to various cameras such as a video camera capable of photographing a still picture , an electronic camera including a digital camera , an interexchangeable photographing lens type camera , a single - lens reflex camera , a lens shutter camera , and a monitor camera , an image sensing apparatus other than the camera , an optical apparatus , another apparatus , an apparatus , method , and computer program applied to the camera , image sensing apparatus , optical apparatus , and another apparatus , and elements which constitute them . as has been described above , the above - described embodiments enable quickly photographing an in - focus still picture and improve the autofocus performance in photographing a still picture . as many apparently widely different embodiments of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments thereof except as defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
in the following the technical solutions in embodiments of the invention will be described clearly and completely in connection with the drawings in the embodiments of the invention . obviously , the described embodiments are just a part of the embodiments of the invention , and not all the embodiments . based on the embodiments in the invention , all the other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skills in the art under the premise of not paying out creative work pertain to the scope protected by the invention . an embodiment of the invention provides a display apparatus comprising a light emitting unit and further comprising several layers of thin film located in the light emission path of the light emitting unit , at least one of the several layers of thin film having nanoparticles . the nanoparticles are particles with the grain diameter of 1 - 100 nm , which belongs to a range of the sizes of colloid particles . they are in a transition region between atom clusters and macro objects , and are a group composed of a small number of atoms or molecules , and therefore the nanoparticles have a novel physical - chemical characteristic . since the grain diameter is very small , and the surface curvature is very large , the nanoparticles have a certain surface scattering effect . and further preferably , the grain diameter of the nanoparticles is 1 . 5 - 5 nm . in an embodiment of the invention , the light emanated from the light emitting unit passes through several layers of thin film to exit , wherein at least one of the several layers of thin film is a thin film having nanoparticles , that is , at least one of the several layers of thin film disposed on the light emission side of the light emitting unit is a thin film having nanoparticles . then , the phenomenon of light scattering happens when the light emanated from the light emitting unit passes the thin film , which reduces the total reflection of the light , increases the output of the light , and in turn improves the light emission efficiency of the entire display apparatus , and increases the display luminance . although in the embodiment of the invention , the light emanated from the light emitting unit passes through several layers of thin film to exit , it may be appreciated by the skilled in the art that , it is also feasible that the light emanated from the light emitting unit passes through a single layer of thin film . in the latter case , the single layer of thin film may have nanoparticles , thereby increasing the output of the light . optionally , the light emitting unit is a backlight unit or an organic light emitting diode light emitting unit . it needs to be noted that , the display apparatus may be a liquid crystal display apparatus , or also may be a self - luminous display apparatus . and when the display apparatus is a liquid crystal display apparatus , the light emitting unit is a backlight unit , and the light emanated from the backlight unit of the liquid crystal display apparatus passes a pixel unit on a substrate to exit . when the display apparatus is a self - luminous display apparatus , the light emitting unit may be an organic light emitting diode light emitting unit . in an embodiment of the invention , that the light emitting unit is a light emitting diode light emitting unit is taken as an example for a detailed description . optionally , the at least one layer of thin film having nanoparticles comprises a color film layer . it needs to be noted that , when the light emitting unit emanates white light , in order to implement color display , a color film layer is generally disposed , which comprises film layers of three primary colors , red , green and blue , wherein a pixel unit comprises a red sub - pixel , a green sub - pixel and a blue sub - pixel , and color display of various colors is achieved by adjusting display gray scales of sub - pixels of different colors . therein , optionally , the light emitting diode may be a full fluorescent light emitting diode , a full phosphorescent light emitting diode , or also may be a phosphorescence and fluorescence combined luminescent light emitting diode . of course , for a self - luminous display , e . g ., an organic light emitting diode display , a diode may emit light of different colors , and then color display may be implemented without a color film layer . in particular , as shown in fig2 , nanoparticles are added into the color film layer 12 , and the light emanated from the organic light emitting functional layer 15 undergoes the scattering of the nanoparticles in the color film layer 12 , which increases the output of the light of the color film layer , and in turn improves the light emission efficiency of the entire display apparatus . optionally , the at least one layer of thin film having nanoparticles further comprises a passivation layer and / or a flat layer . the light emanated from the light emitting unit further passes through the passivation layer and / or the flat layer to exit , and the passivation layer and / or the flat layer has nanoparticles , which may be understood as follows : the light emanated from the light emitting unit further passes through the passivation layer or the flat layer to exit , and the passivation layer or the flat layer has nanoparticles ; or the light emanated from the light emitting unit further passes through the passivation layer and the flat layer to exit , and the passivation layer and the flat layer have nanoparticles . it needs to be noted that , as shown in fig2 , when the light emitting unit of the display apparatus is an organic light emitting diode light emitting unit , the light emanated from the organic light emitting diode ( organic light emitting functional layer 15 ) passes the flat layer 13 and the color film layer 12 to exit ( there is no passivation layer on the substrate ), and nanoparticles may be added in the flat layer 13 and the color film layer 12 . of course , for a liquid crystal display , since it is a backlight light emitting unit , the thin film or layered structures on an array substrate of the liquid crystal display are many . as shown in fig4 , on a first underlay substrate 10 of the array substrate 100 on the light exiting side of the backlight unit are disposed a thin film transistor 102 and a passivation layer 101 , and on a color film substrate 300 are disposed a black matrix 11 , a color film layer 12 and a flat layer 13 . the color film layer 12 and the flat layer 13 on the color film substrate 300 of the liquid crystal display may be doped with nanoparticles ; and meanwhile , nanoparticles may also be doped in the passivation layer 101 of the array substrate 100 , to further improve the transmittance of the light . optionally , the nanoparticle is one kind or several kinds of inorganic nanoparticle . that is , a kind of nanoparticle may be added in a layer of thin film , for example , only nanoparticles are added in the blue film layer . or , also several kinds of mixed inorganic nanoparticles may be added in a layer of thin film . for example , it may also be that sio 2 and sin x mixed nanoparticles are added in the blue film layer . of course , the nanoparticle may further be other nanoparticle , e . g ., may further be a gold nanoparticle , etc . in an embodiment of the invention , only the inorganic nanoparticle is taken as an example for a detailed description . optionally , the inorganic nanoparticle is produced by one or more material selected from the group of : mgf 2 , caf 2 , sio 2 , baf , b 2 o 3 , naf , alf 3 , sio , lif , na 3 alf 6 , kf , cdf 2 , dyf 3 , laf 3 , wo 3 , znse , zns , tio 2 , sb 2 s 3 , zro 2 , bao , bas , batio 3 , bi 2 o 3 , v 2 o 5 , and sin x . of course , the inorganic nanoparticle may also be other nanoparticle with a property identical or similar to those of the above materials . in an embodiment of the invention , only the above is taken as an example for a detailed description . optionally , only the color film layer has nanoparticles , and the thickness of the color film layer is 1 . 5 - 3 μm . that is , only in the color film layer are there nanoparticles , and not in other thin film or layered structure are added nanoparticles . optionally , the color film layer comprises a red film layer , a green film layer and a blue film layer , wherein only the blue film layer has nanoparticles . it needs to be noted that , in general , by means of three primary colors , red , green and blue , a display apparatus may implement multi - color display by adjusting the display gray scales of different sub - pixels , however , the display unit of an existing display apparatus may also be sub - pixels comprising other colors such as red , green , blue and white , or red , green , blue and yellow , etc . moreover , the film layers of different colors are respectively formed by performing a patterning process once , the display apparatus comprises a sub - pixel of other color , and nanoparticles may further be added in sub - pixels of other different colors , respectively . in an embodiment of the invention , that the display unit comprises sub - pixels of three colors , red , green and blue , namely , the color film layer comprises a red film layer , a green film layer and a blue film layer is only taken as an example for a detailed description . as shown in fig5 , in the organic light emitting diode display , the luminance of the blue sub - pixel 3 attenuates rapidly over time , the luminance of the green sub - pixel 1 and the red sub - pixel 2 attenuates slowly over time , the color coordinates of the light emitted by the device drift , and the phenomenon of red shift occurs in the white balance , that is , the white balance shifts towards warmness during full color displaying , which severely affects the lifetime of the display . therefore , as shown in fig3 , nanoparticles are added only in the blue ( b ) film layer , which may reduce the attenuation rate of blue , in turn cause the attenuation of the blue sub - pixel and the red sub - pixel to be close to each other , and prolong the lifetime of the display . optionally , the red film layer , the green film layer and the blue film layer all have nanoparticles . that is , as shown in fig2 , nanoparticles are added in the red ( r ) film layer , the green ( g ) film layer and the blue ( b ) film layer , to increase the overall display luminance of the display apparatus . optionally , the volume concentration of the nanoparticles in the color film layer is 1 %- 60 %. the volume concentration , i . e ., the volume percentage concentration , means the volume ( in ml ) of a solute per 100 ml of a solution . further , preferably , the volume concentration of the nanoparticles in the color film layer is 5 %- 30 %, to attain better light emitting brightness . an embodiment of the invention provides a method for manufacturing a display apparatus , which display apparatus comprises a light emitting unit , the method comprising : forming several layers of thin film located in the light emission path of the light emitting unit , at least one of the several layers of thin film having nanoparticles . the at least one layer of thin film having nanoparticles is formed on the light exiting side of the light emitting unit . it needs to be noted that , if the display apparatus is a liquid crystal display apparatus , then the light emitting unit is a backlight unit , and both the array substrate and the color film substrate of the liquid crystal display apparatus are disposed on the light exiting side of the light emitting unit . if the display apparatus is self - luminous display apparatus , it may be divided into a top light emitting display apparatus and a bottom light emitting display apparatus , however , no matter which kind of display apparatus it is , the thin film having nanoparticles in the invention is on the light exiting side of the light emitting unit , that is , the light emanated from the light emitting unit passes the layer of thin film to exit , and the nanoparticles scatter the light of the backlight unit , which reduces the total reflection of the light , increases the output of the light , and in turn improves the light emission efficiency of the entire display apparatus , and increases the display luminance . optionally , the at least one layer of thin film having nanoparticles comprises a color film layer ; and the method further comprises : forming a color film layer doped with nanoparticles on an underlay substrate . in particular , a blue film layer may be formed by spin coating a blue resin typed photoresist material which is doped with sio 2 nanoparticles and exposing , developing and curing the material , and its thickness may be 1 . 5 - 3 μm . that is , a blue film layer doped with sio 2 nanoparticles is formed on the underlay substrate . therein , the red film layer and green film layer may be a normal red film layer and a green film layer formed by not adding nanoparticles , but directly coating a red resin typed photoresist material and a green resin typed photoresist material . namely , nanoparticles are only added in the blue film layer . of course , a red film layer and a green film layer which are doped with nanoparticles may also be formed by adding nanoparticles in a red resin typed photoresist material and a green resin typed photoresist material simultaneously , and spin coating the materials . optionally , the at least one layer of thin film having nanoparticles further comprises a passivation layer and / or a flat layer . when the display apparatus is a self - luminous display apparatus , as shown in fig2 , a flat layer 13 doped with nanoparticles is formed on the underlay substrate 10 of the array substrate 100 . when the display apparatus is a liquid crystal display apparatus , a passivation layer 101 doped with nanoparticles may be formed on the first underlay substrate 10 of the array substrate 100 , and also a color film layer 12 and a flat layer 13 which are doped with nanoparticles may be formed on a second underlay substrate 301 of the color film substrate 300 . optionally , as shown in fig6 , the step of forming a color film layer doped with nanoparticles on an underlay substrate comprises : step 101 : forming a blue film layer doped with nanoparticles on the underlay substrate ; and step 102 : forming a red film layer and a green film layer which are not doped with nanoparticles on the underlay substrate . the formed display apparatus is as shown in fig3 , the blue ( b ) film layer in the color film layer 12 is doped with nanoparticles , and the red ( r ) film layer and the green ( g ) film layer are not doped with nanoparticles . in particular , in the organic light emitting diode display , the luminance of the blue sub - pixel attenuates rapidly over time , the luminance of the green sub - pixel and the red sub - pixel attenuates slowly over time , and the color coordinates of the light emitted by the device drift , and the phenomenon of red shift occurs in the white balance , that is , the white balance shifts towards warmness during full color displaying , which severely affects the lifetime of the display . therefore , as shown in fig3 , nanoparticles are added only in the blue ( b ) film layer , which may reduce the attenuation rate of blue , in turn cause the attenuation of the blue sub - pixel and the red sub - pixel to be close to each other , and prolong the lifetime of the display . it needs to be noted that , the manufacture order for forming color film layers of different colors may be variable . since each color film layer is formed by exposure once , color film layers of different colors may be formed as needed . optionally , the step of forming a color film layer doped with nanoparticles on an underlay substrate comprises : forming a red film layer , a green film layer and a blue film layer which are doped with nanoparticles on the underlay substrate . that is , the formed display apparatus is as shown in fig2 , the blue ( b ) film layer , the red ( r ) film layer and the green ( g ) film layer in the color film layer 12 are all doped with nanoparticles , to increase the overall display luminance of the display apparatus . in the following , a specific embodiment is provided for illustrating a manufacturing method for forming a display apparatus as shown in fig2 , and as shown in the figure , the method comprises the following steps . at step 201 , a black matrix film layer is formed on a first underlay substrate . in particular , after the first underlay substrate is formed , a layer of thin film is formed on the first underlay substrate by spin coating a resin typed material , and a black matrix is formed by exposing , developing and curing the thin film . at step 202 , a red film layer , a green film layer and a blue film layer which are doped with sio 2 nanoparticles are formed on the first underlay substrate . in particular , a red film layer is formed by spin coating a red resin typed material doped with sio 2 nanoparticles on the underlay substrate and exposing , developing and curing the material , and the thickness of the formed red film layer is 1 . 5 - 3 μm ; and the grain diameter of the sio 2 nanoparticles is between 1 - 10 nm , and the volume concentration of the sio 2 nanoparticles in the red film layer is 30 %. then , a green film layer and a blue film layer are formed in turn according to the above process . at step 203 , a flat layer is formed on the first underlay substrate . in particular , a flat layer may be formed by spin coating an acrylic - based material and curing it , and the thickness of the flat layer is about 4 μm . at step 204 , a first electrode layer , a pixel defining layer , an organic light emitting functional layer and a second electrode layer are formed on the first underlay substrate . in particular , the method for manufacturing a first electrode layer , a pixel defining layer , an organic light emitting functional layer and a second electrode layer may be referred to the prior art , and will not be repeated here . therein , the pixel defining layer may be formed by spin coating an acrylic - based material and exposing , developing and curing it , and the thickness of the pixel defining layer is about 1 . 5 μm . after the above steps 201 - 204 , individual layers of thin film or layered structures are formed on the first underlay substrate , and an array substrate 100 as shown in fig2 is formed . at step 205 , the array substrate and an encapsulating substrate are box aligned . the display apparatus formed after box alignment is as shown in fig2 , wherein nanoparticles are doped in the color film layer . it needs to be noted that , forming a display apparatus as shown in fig2 is not only limited to the above steps , but the corresponding manufacture order may also be regulated correspondingly as needed . for example , order of step 201 and step 202 may also be exchanged . in the embodiment of the invention , only the above is taken as an example for a detailed description . the above description is just specific embodiments of the invention , however , the protection scope of the invention is not limited thereto , and variations or alternatives easily occurring to any artisan familiar with the technical field within the technical scope disclosed by the invention should be encompassed within the protection scope of the invention . therefore , the protection scope of the invention should be subject to the protection scope of the claims . | 7 |
referring now to the drawing , wherein the present system is shown as 10 . this system includes two different network cores 12 and 14 . each core includes a series of routers . in network 12 , routers 16 , 18 and 20 are shown . in network 14 , routers 24 , 26 and 28 are shown . network 14 also includes a route reflector 22 . the routers in network 12 are connected to each other as shown by lines 30 , 32 and 34 . likewise , the routers in network 14 are connected by lines 54 , 56 and 58 . while these are shown as individual lines , in fact each of the lines may include a series of other routers along the way . also , of course , each of the networks contains considerably more than three routers . in addition to the lines for carrying data between the routers , there are also connections to establish addresses between the various routers . thus , in network 12 these are labeled as 36 , 38 and 40 . when data packets are passed from one router to another , a path is first established by advertising addresses to other routers in the network . the path is then established before the data packet is passed . it is also possible for data to be transferred between routers in different networks . thus , lines 42 , 44 and 46 connect corresponding routers in different networks . a route reflector 22 is also provided in network 14 to advertise addresses between the two different networks . thus , address connections 48 , 50 and 52 are provided between this route reflector and the routers of network 12 . in operation , incoming data packets are connected to a label edge router in each core . alternatively , one edge router may be used which is connected to routers in both cores . when data is set to be transferred , a private virtual network is established by advertising addresses in both cores . two different paths are established with one path in each core . this arrangement allows a permanent virtual circuit to be formed in each network so that the data can be carried in either network . weights are assigned to the different paths . if the weights are equal , the various packets will balance the load of the traffic over each core . however , normally one route will be favored over the other and assigned a higher weight . this is manually configured into the network . as a result , packets are carried through one core rather than the other under normal conditions . however , this arrangement provides the ability of the other core to also carry the data . this arrangement can be especially useful in certain circumstances . thus , if the system is being upgraded to a different type of network , it is possible to slowly bring data into the new network as it is being implemented . thus , customers can be migrated from one network core to another . it is also possible to use both cores in order to increase the capacity of the system . it further provides the ability to use different parallel carriers when necessary . in operation , if the input is connected to router 16 which operates as the edge router , a first path is established in network 12 by first advertising addresses over connections 36 , 38 and 40 and a path is established across the network using paths 30 , 32 and 34 . of course , both the addressing and data paths have many more possible combinations . at the same time , a second path is configured through network 14 by advertising addresses with route reflector 22 as indicated by 48 , 50 and 52 . the route is then established using routers 24 , 26 and 28 and data paths 54 , 56 and 58 . however , once the two paths are established , a weight is given to each path , which is preset into the networks manually . the weighting causes one path to be favored over the other . it is also possible to utilize two cores merely as redundancy feature to avoid problems with quality of service or to handle overload situations . numerous additional modification 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 . | 7 |
the features and advantages of the invention are explained in more detail in the description below , with reference to the only fig ., which shows a metallographic section through a part according to the invention . the invention favours the technique of electrolytic deposition , since it offers the advantage of being easily included in an existing sequence of processing . other depositing techniques , such as for example deposition by sputtering , are also within the scope of the invention . unfortunately , it is impossible to deposit pure tungsten by electrolytic means in an aqueous medium . further , after examining all the deposition techniques , only co - deposition of tungsten - cobalt seems to be suitable . in fact , such deposition , well - known to the person skilled in the art and described in the work of a brenner ( electrodeposition of alloys , principle and practice , academic press , 1963 ) may contain up to 65 % by mass tungsten ( codeposition of cobalt and tungsten from an aqueous ammoniacal citrate bath , d l roy , p l annamalai , h v k udupa and b b dey , electrodeposition and metal finishing , indian sect . electrochem . soc ., karaikudi , 1957 pp 42 - 51 , 1957 ), contrary to the other electrodeposited alloys where the content of tungsten reaches 50 % maximum . during the annealing of this deposit , the cobalt diffuses into the alloy , thus promoting the formation of islets rich in tungsten which will serve to capture the rhenium originating from the substrate . after a second deposition of nickel intended to form the β - nial , the part can be aluminised by any method known to the person skilled in the art , e . g . by aluminisation of the low - activity type in a tank or by vapour phase or high - activity aluminisation in a tank or by painting or even by vapour - phase chemical deposition . it is possible , in addition to the deposition of nickel , to carry out a deposition of platinum and / or palladium according to the type of coating desired ( aluminide modified or otherwise ). the aluminisation selected can also be doped with an element such as zirconium and / or hafnium . all these modifications are well - known to the person skilled in the art . advantageously , according to the invention , the surface of the part to be coated undergoes preparation before development of the deposit itself . after a possible deoxidation cycle , in the case of a foundry blank , or degreasing in the case of a machined blank , a treatment of activation and preparation for electrolytic deposition is carried out . this preparation of the part makes it possible to avoid the problems of flaking due to the presence of residual oxides or to passivation of the alloy to be treated . moreover , it is preferable to avoid any operation tending to subject the surface to stress ( elimination of the mechanical motor ). following these surface preparation operations , electrolytic deposition of cobalt and tungsten is carried out . the composition of this deposit , by weight , is the following : this strongly adhesive deposit , whose thickness is between 10 and 20 μm , has the object , after diffusion annealing , of creating the seeds of a diffusion barrier capable of braking the diffusion of aluminium from the coating to the substrate and of the refractory elements towards to the coating . this latter action is at the origin of the progressive diffusion barrier : it is constructed by the accretion of rhenium on the tungsten precipitates by preventing the formation of a secondary reaction zone . a supplementary electrolytic deposition or post - deposition can be carried out , making it possible to form , over a thickness which may vary from 5 to 15 μm accordingly , a layer formed of nickel and / or platinum and / or palladium and / or nickel - palladium . this supplementary deposit is also strongly adhesive . after this or these deposits , the parts are subjected to the aluminisation treatment mentioned above , leading to a layer of β - nial modified or otherwise by platinum or palladium and doped or otherwise with zirconium and / or hafnium . in the comparative examples and the example following , the parts to be treated are composed of a superalloy known as mcng having the following composition in per cent by mass . cr : 4 . 05 al : 6 . 06 w : 5 . 03 ta : 5 . 16 re : 4 . 04 ru : 4 . 02 mo : 1 . 01 ti : 0 . 53 hf : 0 . 1 si : 0 . 1 ni : making up to 100 . similar results have been obtained with other superalloys having a high concentration of rhenium , such as those described in fr 2 780 982 in the name of the applicant , the alloy rené n6 according to u . s . pat . no . 5 , 482 , 789 and the alloy cmsx - 10 according to u . s . pat . no . 5 , 366 , 695 . the comparative examples and the examples given below demonstrate the importance of the preparation of the part and of the various deposits . in order to check the stability over time of the coatings obtained , the coated parts have been expertly examined after ageing for 500 hours and 1000 hours at 1100 ° c . in air . the secondary reaction zones have been quantified in the form of a percentage representing the ratio of the sum of the perimeters of the secondary reaction zones to the total perimeter of the sample in the plane of the metallographical section . the superalloy machined blank part undergoes a low - activity aluminisation treatment by vapour phase for 5 hours at 1100 ° c . the donor cement is an alloy of chromium with 30 % by weight aluminium ( ca30 ), the activator is ammonium bifluoride ( nh 4 f , hf ). the coating obtained is the compound defined as β - nial in the ni — al phase diagram . its thickness is about 40 μm . an expert examination reveals that the part treated has about 25 % of secondary reaction zones , substantially located in the strongly stressed zones , such as the angles of the part . after ageing of 500 hours the rate of secondary reaction zones as defined above is 100 %, i . e . a continuous secondary reaction zone is present under the coating . after 1000 hours , the layer of the secondary reaction zone has thickened to reach in parts more than 100 μm . this comparative example confirms the data from existing literature , in particular that a secondary reaction zone forms systematically under the coatings obtained by diffusion . the machined blank part undergoes liquid sand - blasting before being subjected to the aluminisation treatment described in comparative example 1 . on the deposited blank , expert examination shows a very high quantity of secondary reaction zones (& gt ; 90 %). the experiment was not taken further . the surface of a blank similar to that in comparative example 1 is prepared by degreasing for 5 to 10 minutes in the following solution : sodium hydroxide naoh 10 g / l sodium carbonate na 2 co 3 23 g / l anhydrous na 3 po 4 10 g / l trisodium phosphate edta , disodic salt ( nao 2 cch 2 ) 2 n ( ch 2 ) 2 n ( ch 2 co 2 h ) 2 2 ml / l temperature 80 ° c . following this operation , the part was plunged without current into a nitrohydrofluoric solution ( hno 3 40 % and hf 10 % by volume ). as soon as a uniform cloud of bubbles is formed at the surface of the part , it is plunged , this time under current , in a wood nickel bath ( bath for the electrolytic deposition of nickel in a hydrochloric medium ). the current density applied is 3 a / dm 2 , the part acting as the cathode , and the duration of treatment being 3 minutes . then , in accordance with the teaching of u . s . pat . no . 6 , 080 , 246 , electrolytic deposition of cobalt is carried out on the part thus prepared . the following conventional solution is used : cobalt sulphate heptahydrate coso 4 , 7h 2 o 500 g / l sodium chloride nacl 17 g / l boric acid h 3 bo 3 45 g / l ph ≦ 5 deposition temperature 25 ≦ t ≦ 45 ° c . current density 3 . 5 ≦ j ≦ 10 a / dm 2 after 10 minutes , a deposit of 10 μm is obtained . as is well - known to the person skilled in the art , this deposit is taut and shiny . the part thus coated then undergoes aluminisation treatment similar to that described in comparative example 1 . the expert examination of the coated blank demonstrates the presence of 10 % secondary reaction zone , mainly concentrated in the strongly stressed regions . after ageing of 500 hours , it is noted that there is an increase in the proportion of secondary reaction zones ( about 30 to 40 % of the perimeter ), especially by enlargement of those already existing . although the microstructure of the alloy rich in refractory elements seems to have resisted better than in the preceding comparative examples , the source of instability ( the aluminium of the coating ) has not been eliminated thereby . these three comparative examples confirm the part of the chemical motor ( aluminisation without sand - blasting ) and mechanical motor ( aluminisation with sand - blasting ), hence the importance of reducing the initial pre - constraints of the superalloy favoured in particular by sand - blasting and of preventing the diffusion of the aluminium towards the substrate . moreover , they confirm that a simple increase in the stability of the chemical composition of the alloy at its surface is insufficient . in the light of these comparative examples , it can be concluded that only an interdiffusion barrier between the substrate and the coating will be sufficiently effective to avoid this instability . after undergoing the preparation treatment of comparative example 3 , the part is coated with a layer of cobalt and tungsten deposited concomitantly , instead of the layer of pure cobalt . the co — w coating is obtained from a bath having the following formulation : cobalt chloride cocl 2 , 6h 2 o 100 g / l sodium tungstate na 2 wo 4 , 2h 2 o 100 g / l double na k tartrate nakc 4 h 4 o 6 , 4h 2 o 400 g / l ammonium chloride nh 4 cl 50 g / l ph ( regulated by nh 4 oh ) 8 . 5 deposition temperature 70 ° c . current density 2 ≦ j ≦ 5 a / dm 2 instead of the double system of anodes of tungsten and cobalt used in the work of a brenner cited above , an insoluble anode of titanium coated in platinum or composed of pure platinum is preferably used in the invention . the advantage of this is that the concentration of the different electroactive types is made by chemical metering and is independent of the anode potentials . the content of w may reach 65 % by weight ( according to the concentration of tungsten and the current density used ). after 30 minutes to an hour - and - a - half , a deposit of 10 to 30 μm is obtained . the appearance of the deposit on emerging from the bath is smooth and shiny . the deposit of co — w is then coated with a layer of 5 to 25 μm nickel intended to form the intermetallic nial compound , from the following electrolytic bath : nickel sulphamate ni ( so 3 nh 2 ) 2 350 g / l nickel chloride nicl 2 , 6h 2 o 3 . 5 g / l boric acid h 3 bo 3 40 g / l temperature 45 ° c . current density 3 a / dm 2 after annealing for 2 hours at 900 ° c . intended on the one hand to promote the adhesion of the deposits between themselves and to the substrate , and on the other hand to precipitate the first seeds of tungsten in a cobalt matrix so as to block the diffusion of rhenium during the aluminisation operations , the part undergoes aluminisation treatment similar to that described in comparative example 1 . following this treatment , the part has the microstructure shown in the only fig . comprising a coating formed of four consecutive layers starting from the superalloy substrate 1 , in particular a conventional interdiffusion layer 2 , a diffusion barrier of tungsten and rhenium 3 , an intermediate layer 4 where the concentration of ni and al increases from the diffusion barrier and a conventional nickel aluminide 5 of stoichiometric composition β - nial . after ageing of 500 then 1000 hours in air at 1100 ° c ., the interface is stable . the layer of oxide is dense and regular , the coating of β - nial has become discontinuous , the phase of γ ′ ni 3 al having formed at the grain boundaries . this phenomenon is due to the consumption of aluminium by the thermally formed layer of aluminium . finally , the layer of w — re is enriched with rhenium , this element being now in the majority . this layer thus acts as a diffusion barrier formed in situ . no secondary reaction zone is observed . the example was repeated by varying the content of tungsten in the co — w deposit between 35 and 65 % by weight , its thickness between 5 and 25 μm , and the thickness of the complementary nickel deposit between 5 and 25 μm . in all cases , expert examination showed the absence of secondary reaction zones , except for one or two in very strongly stressed regions ( test piece corners and / or close to porous areas in the substrate ). after the longest ageing tests ( 1000 hours ), the samples are healthy : the layer of oxide is of normal thickness for isothermic oxidation ( 6 μm on average ), there has been no diffusion of the aluminium of the coating to the substrate and the consumption of this element is only due to oxidation which brings about the appearance of the phase γ ′- ni 3 al along the grain boundaries of the coating . the most remarkable element of this series of tests is the absence of secondary reaction zones : this microstructure was not observed either before or after ageing . the result is that the mechanical properties of the alloy are preserved and the service life of the coating is increased since the aluminium it contains is reserved for the phenomena of oxidation at high temperature . on the surface of a sample of the alloy mcng , an alloy of cobalt and tungsten was deposited by triode cathode sputtering . to this end two targets were selected : one composed of pure cobalt and the other of pure tungsten . finally , the deposit obtained was about 20 μm thick and was a mixture of cobalt and tungsten with a variable tungsten content of about 50 % by weight . in order to check the effectiveness of this coating , only one face was coated . following this operation , the sample was annealed in a furnace in a vacuum better than 10 − 3 pa at a temperature of 900 ° c . for two hours in order to promote the adhesion of the deposit to the substrate and to germinate the first precipitates of tungsten . following this operation , a deposit of pure nickel of about 20 to 30 μm can be applied , which can be carried out either electrolytically or by triode cathode sputtering . after renewed annealing for 2 h in a vacuum at 900 ° c ., the sample is aluminised as is described in comparative example 1 . following this treatment , the part has on the treated face a microstructure in four layers comparable to that shown in the only fig ., whereas the untreated face shows a secondary reaction zone which is virtually continuous and has a depth of about 10 to 15 μm . after an ageing treatment of 500 hours at 1100 ° c ., the treated face still has no progressive secondary reaction zones , whereas those present on the untreated face now have a depth of about 50 μm . on the surface of a sample of the alloy mcng , an alloy of cobalt and tungsten was deposited by triode cathode sputtering . to this end two targets were selected : one composed of pure cobalt and the other of pure tungsten . finally , the deposit obtained was about 20 μm thick and was a mixture of cobalt and tungsten with a variable tungsten content of about 50 % by weight . in order to check the effectiveness of this coating , only one face was coated . following this operation , the sample was annealed in a furnace in a vacuum better than 10 − 3 pa at a temperature of 1050 ° c . for five hours in order to promote the adhesion of the deposit to the substrate and to germinate the first precipitates of tungsten and to bring about the first co - precipitations of rhenium on the tungsten seeds in the co — w deposit . following this operation , a deposit of pure nickel of about 20 to 30 μm was applied by triode cathode sputtering and then an electrolytic deposition of platinum whose thickness is between 5 and 7 μm . after renewed annealing of 1 h in a vacuum at 1100 ° c . ( conventional annealing carried out in the case of aluminides modified by platinum ), the sample was aluminised as is described in comparative example 1 , except that the cement is of very low activity ( alloy of chromium at 20 % by mass with aluminium known as ca20 ) and the deposition atmosphere is composed of argon . at the end of these aluminisation operations , the sample undergoes a final annealing in a vacuum better than 10 − 3 pa for 1 h at 1100 ° c . with the aim of obtaining a coating of nickel aluminide modified by the strictly monophase platinum . following this treatment , the part has a microstructure in four layers reminiscent of that shown in the only fig . however , it should be noted that a negative gradient of concentration of platinum ( from the edge of the coating towards the substrate ) exists in zone 5 of the only fig . it is also noted that the thickness of the diffusion barrier ( zone 3 of the only fig .) is then denser , a fact explicable by the duration of the annealing of the cow deposit . on the treated side , no secondary reaction zone was visible , whereas on the other face 100 % of the interdiffusion zone surmounts a secondary reaction zone of about 20 μm thick . this difference is even more visible after ageing of 500 hours at 1100 ° c . : on the treated face , the aluminide is still substantially formed of the beta phase ( nipt ) al without subjacent secondary reaction zone , whereas on the other face the nickel aluminide is substantially formed of gamma apostrophe ni 3 al surmounting a secondary reaction zone of more than 100 μm thickness . the examples 2 and 3 above show that the cobalt and tungsten alloy can be deposited by other techniques than electrolysis and in particular by sputtering . as is indicated above , the invention is applicable in the case of nickel aluminide coatings modified by platinum and / or palladium and / or doped with zirconium and / or hafnium . by way of illustration , the procedure given below can be carried out on a foundry blank such as a blade of a turboengine , embarked or otherwise : deoxidation in alkaline solution with a high content of soda ( such as that sold by the firm turco under the commercial name turco 4008 - 3 ) for one hour at 110 ° c . activation of the surface in a solution of hydrochloric acid at 20 % ([ hcl ]≈ 2 m ) for the time necessary to obtain homogeneous activity at the surface of the part to be treated ( between 30 seconds and 3 minutes ), electrolytic deposition of nickel in a hydrochloric acid bath ( wood nickel ) for 3 minutes to reach a thickness of about 0 . 1 to 0 . 2 μm , electrolytic deposition of co — w in a bath such as that described in the example , having a tungsten content of between 35 and 65 % by weight and a thickness of between 5 and 25 μm , electrolytic deposition of pure nickel in a conventional nickel bath , having a thickness of 5 to 25 μm , electrolytic deposition of platinum in a conventional solution ( e . g . the bath sold by the firm englehard - clal under the reference pt 209 ), of a thickness between 5 and 15 μm , and / or electrolytic deposition of palladium - nickel in a conventional solution ( e . g . the bath sold by the firm englehard - clal under the reference “ palladium nickel spécial aéro ”), following the whole of these electrolytic depositions , interdiffusion annealing without any reactive atmosphere ( vacuum , argon etc .) for a duration of between one and five hours at a temperature of between 850 and 1050 ° c . the part thus treated is then placed in an enclosure to receive aluminisation . this can be carried out for 2 to 16 hours in hydrogen and / or in argon at a temperature of between 700 and 1150 ° c ., these two parameters ( time and temperature ) being selectable according to the alloy being treated , as is well - known to the person skilled in the art . according to the donor cement of aluminium , this aluminisation will be high - or low - activity . this aluminisation can also be doped with zirconium or hafnium as is described in fr 2 853 329 . at the end of this treatment , the superalloy with a base rich in refractory elements , in particular rhenium and / or ruthenium , is coated with a nickel aluminide modified or otherwise with platinum and / or palladium and doped or otherwise with zirconium and / or hafnium , having a diffusion barrier rich in tungsten , rhenium / ruthenium and chromium , formed in situ on seeds of pure tungsten . the service life of such a coating is related to that of the alloy itself . | 8 |
according to the present invention a fuel cell electrode is provided which makes use of a class of ` redox promoters ` that enhance the activity of noble metal catalysts such as platinum during the electroxidation of methanol or methanol reformate . the redox promoters a ) are characterized by well defined oxidation states at a given potential that have affinity for co like species and / or oxygen ; b ) are coordinated to water , hydroxo or oxo groups that can catalytically oxidize poisoning impurities ; and c ) that are electrochemically reversible . the redox promoters utilized in the present invention belong to ruthenium or tin complexes of macrocyclic ligands such as pyrazine ( fig1 a ), phthalocyanines ( fig1 b ), porphyrins ( fig1 c ), and cyclam types ( fig1 d ), as well as heterocyclic ligands derived from pyrazine ( fig1 e ), pyrimidine ( fig1 f ), pyridazine ( fig1 g ), and imidazoles ( fig1 h , 1i , & amp ; 1j ) and polymeric imines such as polyethyleneimine ( fig1 k ( branched ) and fig1 l ( linear )). ligands such as bipyrimidine ( fig1 f ) are capable of binding two metals and can form bridges between two metals coordinated to other ligands . these complexes have been synthesized . the biimidazole and bibenzimidazole ( fig1 h & amp ; 1i ) have been also synthesized as bridge systems . one of the objects of the invention is to use some of the ligand systems to construct ml 1 , m ( l 1 ) 2 , ml 2 l 1 , or m 2 ( l 3 ) 2 complexes ( where m stands for ru , sn , ir , os , mo , mn , rh , pt , co or fe ) that will have open coordination at the axial sites , where l 1 refers to a ligand system that can form an -- n 4 coordination around the metal centers , l 2 to simple coordinating species such as cl - , h 2 o , etc ., and l 3 to ligand systems such as dppn ( fig1 g ) which are capable of forming binuclear complexes . the syntheses of the metal complexes derived from the ligands from fig1 are described in detail in example 1 . ligands , such as tetrapyridyl pyrazine ( fig1 a ), porphyrins ( fig1 b ), phthalocyanines ( fig1 e ), cyclam types ( fig1 d ), dipyridyl pyrazine ( fig1 e ) and pyrimidines ( fig1 f ), and dimethyl biimidazoles ( fig1 j ) and polyethyleneimine ( fig1 k ), can be purchased from commercial sources indicated in example 1 . the other ligands can be synthesized using published procedures . the principles of the covalent attachment scheme is shown in fig2 . this coupling of -- nh 2 to -- oh groups on surfaces is achieved by the use of cyanuric chloride as the coupling agent . the -- nh 2 or -- nh groups on the ligands could be thus anchored onto high area carbon surfaces . tetraminophenylporphyrins containing ru or sn were anchored to carbon surfaces . the water soluble ligand cyclam could be successfully attached to carbon and complexed with ruthenium in a second step . the example 3 describes the redox behavior of some of the promoters . the ru ( iii )/( ii ) couples are reversible and occur at different potentials for different ligand environments , in the range of + 0 . 0v and + 0 . 6v vs . sce . at higher potentials around 1 . 0v , futher oxidation to ru ( iv ) and ru ( vi ) species occurs in some cases . a method of making promoter modified carbons by chemisorption is described in detail in example 4 . the promoter complexes are dissolved in suitable solvents with quantities representing 10 % w / w to the carbon . after this step the promoter modified carbons are platinized using prior art . this method results in different degrees of platinization . such platinization can also be carried out on promoters bound to carbon by covalent attachment . in order to maintain a constant platinum , another method where the redox promoters are directly chemisorbed onto platinized carbon ( where pt content is fixed ), directly is described in example 5 . the preparation of porous gas diffusion electrodes for testing in fuel cells is based on known designs . such gas diffusion electrodes are described by , for example , watanabe et al ., j . electroanal . chem ., 183 , 391 - 394 ( 1985 ). these electrodes are produced by sintering carbon black together with carbon black particles covered with the catalyst , polytetrafluoroethylene on a suitable conductor , for instance carbon paper . the resulting electrode consists of a porous network in which the catalyst particles are in contact with one another , forming a percolation network . a percolation network has permanent connection between the catalyst particles . such electrodes prepared from examples 4 and 5 were tested in a methanol half cell setup shown in fig4 and fig5 shows the electrode holder structure . the ruthenium complexes in different ligand environments , when present as promoters along with platinum , show improvements to varying degrees when methanol is oxidized at a half cell and galvanostatic polarizations are carried out . such differences are attributed to the electronic effects of the ligand . one striking discovery was that when tin and ruthenium are bound to certain ligands or when tin or ruthenium are bound to polyethyleneimine performances excelling that of the state of ru -- pt black were observed . the details are described in example 6 . the full cell tests were carried out in a conventional fuel cell structure , conforming to known designs for solid polymer electrolyte ( spe ) fuel cells having gas diffusion type anodes and cathodes capable of providing a three - way interface / gas / electrocatalyst / spe for the oxidation of fuel at the anode and oxygen to water at the cathode . at the anode the alcohol is fed in a liquid such as water and a gas diffusion type structure can accommodate a liquid fell . in this invention it is generally preferred that alcohol be in the liquid mode for methanol and gaseous methanol reformate for methanol reformate oxidation . the results of full cell tests are discussed under example 7 . the gas diffusion electrode is in contact with solid polymer acidic electrolytes such as sulfonated fluorinated polymer membrane - like materials under trademark nation by e . i . dupont de nemours and co . of wilmington , del ., usa . such membrane - like materials have a fluorinated olefin homopolymer or copolymer &# 34 ; backbone &# 34 ; and pendent partially or fully fluorinated hydrocarbon or ether chains or groups terminated with acidic groups , preferably -- so 3 h , but phosphonic or boric acid type groups are known from the patent literature . the anode for fuel cell from this invention can therefore be used in a conventional fuel cell . the fully assembled fuel cell can have stack designs . any conventional way of producing a steady stream of fuel or oxygen to the cathode can be used . electrode to the anode leads and extended circuitry are conventional . by fine - tuning such promoters in terms of the producing of an active redox state at potentials where methanol oxidation occurs , the poisoning effect is overcome . the same redox promoters that clean platinum during methanol oxidation could be used for anodes that use h 2 contaminated by small amounts of co 2 . this is quite common in hydrogen - oxygen fuel cells that use methanol reformate at the anode ( h 2 , co , co 2 and trace organics ). the platinum catalyst under these conditions become poisoned . by producing an electrode cell in accordance with the teachings of this invention the co 2 tolerance of platinum in the presence of redox promoters is considerably improved , especially at high current densities . the ruthenium complex of ligand la is synthesized as follows : the ligand 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 tetrakis ( 2 &# 39 ;- pyridyl ) pyrazine ( tppz , gfs chemicals , usa ) ( 3 mmoles ) 1 . 165 g is dissolved in ethanol ( 95 %) and rucl 3 . 3h 2 o ( johnson matthey ) ( 3 mmoles ) 0 . 783 g in 95 % ethanol is slowly added under reflux with stirring . the mixture is refluxed under argon for 24 h and the precipitate formed is filtered and washed with cold 95 % etoh five times and dried at 110 ° c . the ligands shown in fig1 b and 1c phthalocyanines and porphyrins and their metallocomplexes can be obtained by custom order from mid - century chemicals , posen , ill ., or porphyrin products , utah . the ligand cyclam or tetramethyl cyclam can be obtained from aldrich co . the preparation of the ruthenium complexes are described in the literature ( che et al ., inorg . chem ., 24 , 1797 - 1800 ( 1985 ) and references therein ). the synthesis involves the addition of stoichiometric quantities of tetramethyl cyclam ( tmc ) or cyclam dissolved in absolute ethanol to a refluxing solution of k 2 ruci 5 h 2 o ( strem chemicals , r . i ., usa ). the metal ligand ratio is 1 : 1 . the addition of the ligand to the metal solution is done dropwise over an extended period of over 6 - 8 h . the resulting solution is concentrated , and the solid filtered and recrystallized from 2mhcl . the ligand shown in fig1 e is purchased from aldrich co . or alfa . refluxing equimolar amounts of rucl 3 . 3 h 2 o ( alfa , usa ) and the ligand 1e in 95 % ethanol for 72 h gave a maroonish precipitate which can be recrystallized from 1 : 1 ethanol , water . a bimetallic complex could be prepared by reacting 2 equivalents of the metal with one equivalent of the ligand . a similar preparation and purification of a related complex is described by braunstein et al ., inorg . chem ., 23 ( 1984 ). the ligand fig1 f can be purchased from alfa , usa . typically the ligand 3 mmoles is dissolved in 95 % ethanol and 3 millimoles of rucl 3 . 3h 2 o ( 6 mmoles for the bimetallic complex ) is added and stirred under reflux for about 16 - 18 h under argon . the precipitated complex is filtered and washed with a small amount of 95 % etoh and dried at 110 ° c . the ligand fig1 g is prepared according to literature ( butte and case , j . org . chem ., 26 , 4690 ( 1961 ). ru 2 ( dppn ) 2 cl 4 : the precursor of 1 g , 3 , 6 - bis ( 2 &# 39 ;- pryidyl )- 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 - tetrazine was prepared as follows : a solution of 10 . 4 g . ( 0 . 1 mole ( of 2 - cyanopyridine and 13 . 4 g . ( 0 . 4 mole ) of 95 % hydrazine in 59 ml . of absolute ethanol was refluxed gently for 6 hr . the resulting orange precipitate was removed and recrystallized from ethanol providing 9 . 1 g . ( 76 %) of the dihydro base , large yellow needles , m . p . 193 °- 194 ° c . ( m . p . 194 . 2 ° c .). the dihydro base obtained above was dissolved in 50 ml . of warm glacial acetic acid , and 8 . 0 ml . of concentrated nitric acid was added dropwise and the mixture was made distinctly alkaline by the addition of sodium bicarbonate . the crystalline precipitate was separated and washed with ethanol to give 5 . 5 g . ( 64 %) of 3 , 6 - bis ( 2 &# 39 ;- pryidyl )- 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 - tetrazine , a deep red solid , m . p . 222 ° c . ( m . p . 224 . 5 ° c .). the ligand 3 , 6 - bis ( 2 &# 39 ;- pyridyl ) pyridazine ( dppn ) was prepared from the precursor as follows . acetylene was slowly bubbled through refluxing dimethylformamide containing 1 . 0 g . of finely divided precursor tetrazine . the disappearance of the red color indicated the completion of the reaction . the solvent was recovered by distillation and the solid residue was recrystallized from absolute ethanol producing 0 . 79 g . ( 84 %) of colorless needles , m . p . 179 °- 180 ° c . the ligand dppn , ( 2 mmoles ) was dissolved in dmf ( 50 ml ), warmed , and an acetonitrile solution containing 2 mmoles of rucl 3 . 3h 2 o ( 100 ml ) was added slowly while vigorously stirring . the resulting brown solution was refluxed while vigorously stirring for 10 - 12 hours . the reflux flask was covered with aluminum foil to avoid light . at the end of this period , a maroon purple microcrystalline deposit was obtained , which was insoluble in several common organic solvents . absolute ethanol was used to wash the precipitate which was dried in an oven . ru - biimidazole rillema et al ., inorg . chem ., 29 ( 2 ), 167 - 173 ( 1990 )! : biimidazole was prepared as described by fieselmann et al ., full reference from recent phase ii ( 1978 ). biimidazole ( 0 . 2 g ; 1 . 5 mmol ) was added to 30 ml of a 2 : 1 ethanol / water mixture in a 3 neck flask fitted with a gas inlet tube and a reflux condenser . ruthenium chloride ( 0 . 38 g ; 1 . 5 mmol ) was dissolved in 15 ml 2 : 1 ethanol / water and added to the biimidazole suspension . the mixture was refluxed overnight to give a blue - purple solution , then cooled to room temperature and filtered . the solvent was evaporated on a hot plate until only a few ml remained and filtered to give 0 . 36 g of solid . yield 80 %. ru 2 - biimidazole : biimidazole ( 2 mmol ) was dissolved in dry ethanol containing li isopropoxide ( 1 mmol ), to deprotonate the protons on the ligand . rucl 3 ( 4 mmol ) was added to the deaerated refluxing ligand and the mixture refluxed overnight under argon . on concentration , a solid separated out that was filtered , washed with water and dried . the redox behavior of some promoters obtained by cyclic voltammetry are shown in fig2 a - 2f . the ru 2 bpmcl 4 shows two redox couples approximately around 0 . 2v and 0 . 4v ( fig2 a ). the mononuclear complex shows a redox couple around 0 . 4v ( fig2 b ). the ruthenium biimidazole complexes show redox couples around + 0 . 2v ( fig2 c ). the binuclear species show a two step wave indicating two metal centers ( fig2 d ). the redox behavior of ru 2 ( dppn ) 2 cl 4 is shown in fig2 e and its electrochemical oxidation states are indicated in the same figure . the cyclic voltammogram of ru 2 tppz species is shown in fig2 f . the two redox couples around + 0 . 3v and + 0 . 9v are due to the two ruthenium . this example describes the attachment of -- oh , nh 2 , -- nh - bearing ligands to -- oh groups of carbon surface on the carbon that is used for electrode fabrication using cyanuric chloride as the coupling agent . about 2 - 4 % of cyanuric chloride ( sigma co .) in dry acetone was equilibrated as a slurry with a known weight of dry vulcan xc - 72 distributed under the trade name ( oxidized ) ( cabot co ., billerica , mass .) or m - 1300 ( cabot co .) and allowed to react overnight at 4 ° c . with stirring . the resulting slurry was filtered the next day , washed with dry acetone to remove excess cyanuric chloride . the filtered carbon was then allowed to react with the following solutions . cyclam in nahco 3 / naoh ph ˜ 8 , tin or ruthenium tetramino phenyl porphyrin slurry in nahco 3 at ph = 8 . the mixtures were heated up to 80 ° c . to enable full coupling ( fig2 ) for about 6 - 8 hours with vigorous stirring . the solid is then filtered , washed several times with warm acetone , and dried . the analysis of the surface modified carbons showed increase nitrogen contents and the infrared spectra showed the signals for the respective ligands . this example describes the preparation of promoter modified carbons by simple chemisorption , followed by platinization . for compounds that were soluble in methylene chloride or methanol or dilute sulfuric acid , the following procedure was adopted . the quantities of promoters used are around at 10 % w / w with respect to the carbon . dissolved 250mg each in separate solutions of ruthenium octaethyl porphyrin ( oep ), tin octaethyl porphyrin , ruthenium tetraphenyl porphyrin ( tpp ), ruthenium or tin ( vi ) tetramino phenyl porphyrin ( tapp ), ruthenium or tin tetramethoxy phenyl porphyrin ( tmpp ) in 30 ml of methylene chloride or methanol . after sonication , the solutions were mixed each with 2 . 5 g of vulcan xc - 72 carbon . the slurries were sonicated for a standardized period of time . complex ru 2 ( dppn ) 2 cl 4 was soluble only in 2m h 2 so 4 and 2 . 5 g of the carbon was mixed and sonicated . since most of the complex adsorbed very strongly on high area carbon , the acid could be washed off with a dilute solution of nahco 3 ( 1m ) followed by di water . the resulting carbons were allowed to equilibrate under stirring for about 2 hours and filtered . the carbons were washed with water and dried 110 ° c . a loading of 10 % w / w complex on carbon was aimed at . this was prepared by adding 0 . 3 g of pei polyethylene imine polysciences mw 1800 in water to 1 . 7 g of 20 % pt / c followed by the addition of 0 . 3 g rucl 3 . 3h 2 o . heated to boiling and evaporated the solvent to obtain semi - dry solid , which is further dried in an oven at 110 ° c . platinization of promoter modified carbons : the prototech method which is described in petrow and allen , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 004 , 193 was adopted . this procedure refers to the deposition of a controlled amount of platinum black on carbon . prepared 200 ml of platinum acid sulfite is mixed ( strem chemical company ) in water to give a platinum metal concentration of 2 . 5 g / l . the solution was divided into 20 ml batches to which 0 . 45 g of each of the chemically modified carbons and the unmodified controls is added . the slurry was stirred and sonicated . to the well dispersed slurry 1 ml of 30 % h 2 o 2 ( without stabilizer ) was added dropwise slowly as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 004 , 193 . the resulting solution was heated to boiling while stirring for one hour . the platinized carbon was filtered , washed with distilled water and dried in an oven at 110 ° c . followed by vacuum drying . the quantities used represent an aim to load 10 wt . % platinum . the same procedure for platinization was used for surface modified carbons from example 3 . the amounts of pt from this platinization procedure varied from 4 - 9 % for various promoted carbons . this example describes the preparation of mixtures of 20 % pt on carbon or pt black with 10 % promoter w / w . solutions of macrocycles in methylene chloride or acetonitrile were mixed with 20 % pt on carbon . typically 0 . 1 g of the promoter complex is dissolved in methylene chloride or acetonitrile and mixed with 20 % pt on carbon ( johnson - matthey co .) ( 0 . 9 g ) and sonicated . the methylene chloride is slowly evaporated and the carbon vacuum dried ( table ii ). ( note : complexes soluble in methanol or any oxidizable organic solvent cannot be exposed to 20 % platinized carbon as platinum tends to react violently |) pre - wetting the platinum / c or pt black with water and using 50 : 50 alcohol - water mixture is recommended . table i______________________________________ % pt % ru % sn______________________________________c / ru . ( tppz )/ pt 18 1 . 8c / ru bpm / pt 18 3 . 06c / ru . sub . 2 ( bpm )/ pt 18 4 . 02pt on vulcan xc - 72r 20 ( johnson / matthey ) c / snoep / pt 18 1 . 82pt / ru / vulcan xc 12 8 . 0 ( johnson / matthey ) pt black ( engelhardt )/ 85 3 . 0rubpmcl . sub . 2pt black ( engelhardt ) 100rutapp / c / pt 18 1 . 5rubiimidazole / c / pt 18 3 . 3______________________________________ this table shows the amounts of platinum and promoted metal contents in the mixtures used for the electrodes . since the amount of platinum that is used to make the mixture is well defined , the percentage of platinum in the mixture can be calculated easily . the promoter metal content is calculated from the formula weight of the complex and its weight percentage in the mixture . the catalyst ( 200 mg ) is weighed into a 100 ml beaker and wetted with approx . 50 ml of distilled water . the mixture is stirred with a magnetic stirrer for 10 minutes and subsequently sonicated with 40 watts of power for 3 minutes to obtain a uniform wetted slurry . the ph of this suspension is then measured and adjusted to 3 , with a dilute solution of sulfuric acid or naoh . 67 mg ( properly adjusted for the solids content ) of teflon t - 30 suspension is added to the ph adjusted catalyst slurry while stirring with a magnetic stirrer . the addition is carried out slowly to allow proper and uniform mixing . the catalyst - teflon suspension is then sonicated with 40 watts of power for 3 minutes to initiate the flocculation process . at the end of sonication , the suspension is set aside . the flocculated slurry is now filtered through a millipore filtration setup ( available from millipore corporation , ma ) with fluoropore 5 micron membranes . to make electrodes , the slurry is filtered through this set up onto a microporous teflon sheet or to the carbon paper itself . the filtered slurry is washed several times to remove acid and surfactants . the filter cake is then transferred to a carbon paper support . the filtered cake is then pressed at 100 psi first at room temperature for 10 minutes , then at 110 ° c . for another 10 minutes . the baking and sintering of the electrode are carried out in a furnace equipped with inert atmosphere . the electrode is placed in a furnace pre - heated to 270 ° c ., and baked for 20 minutes ; the temperature is then raised to 340 ° c . and the electrode is maintained another 20 minutes at that temperature . polarization studies with liquid phase methanol : the apparatus shown in fig4 and 5 was used for this study . the ir drop was measured using par potentiostat on several different occasions with a fixed cell configuration . several measurements , over a time period gave values around 0 . 5 kohm , the average of which was 0 . 5 ohm . all data have been corrected for ir assuming this average value of 0 . 5 ohm . this example describes the effect of various promoters on the platinum catalyst . ligand effects and metal effects are discussed . the half cell polarization data obtained in liquid phase methanol is shown in fig6 a - 6g . the fig6 a uses electrodes from example 4 where tetaminophenyl tin porphyrin was covalently bound to carbon and platinized . the pt content was found to be 6 . 78 and the control carbon had a pt content of 9 . 36 . in spite of the lower pt content in the former , the polarization behavior shows a remarkable improvement over the control . similarly in fig6 b , compares the behavior of rubpm chemisorbed carbon after platinization ( pt content ) 5 . 86 vs . pt control . the behavior of promoted carbons with fixed amounts of pt ( from example 5 ) are shown in fig6 c . the effect of various ligand environments are shown ( fig6 d ). the effect of various metals in combination with the bipyrimidine ligand on the oxidation of methanol is shown in fig6 e . it is interesting to note that snbpm and rubpm show about the same improvement in polarization . the ligand biimidazole in combination with ru showed the best performance also ( fig6 f ). it is thus found that 20 % pt / c combined with suitable promoters could match or exceed the performance of pure 100 % ru / pt blacks . it is noteworthy that tin and ruthenium bridged by bpm ligand appears more effective ( fig6 g ). the polyethyleneimine - ru promoted electrode also shows performance on par with ruthenium - pt black ( fig6 h ). the catalyst carbon powder is teflonated with tfe - 30 ( 25 w %) by mixing teflon suspension dispersed in a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water approximately 50 / 50 . the mixture is ultrasonically dispersed and resulting slurry is filtered and dried . the dried powder is spread on toray carbon paper and the powder pressed ( 500 psi ) and sintered at 340 ° c . approximately for 30 minutes in the absence of oxygen . the results of the full cell testing are shown in fig7 a - 7c . the bpm - ru combination was studied in detail both with 20 % pt / c as well as with pt black ( fig7 a and 7b ). fig7 c compares the performance of a supported 20 w % pt , 10 w % ru ( johnson matthey ) catalyst at 0 . 56 mg pt / cm 2 to rubpm 10 % on 20 % pt ( 0 . 24 mg / cm 2 pt ). a substantially better performance by the rubpm promoted system is seen compared to the high ruthenium catalyst . | 7 |
in fig1 , the fastening device 100 may fasten a trolley to a wall of an aircraft . the fastening device 100 comprises a support bar 101 , a first belt retractor 102 , and a second belt retractor 106 . the first belt retractor 102 includes a retractable belt 103 and a fitting 104 . the second belt retractor 106 contains a retractable belt 107 and a fitting 108 . the first belt retractor 102 is coupled using a first connection part 105 to the steel support bar 101 . the second belt retractor 106 is coupled using a second connection part 109 to the support bar 101 . the fitting 104 is attached to an end section of the retractable belt 103 , and the fitting 108 is attached to an end section of the retractable belt 107 . each of the two belt retractors 102 , 106 may be arranged such that if the support bar 101 is placed on a trolley to be fastened ( not shown ) and the fittings 104 and / or 108 are fastened to a wall in an aircraft , to which the trolley is to be fastened , they prevent unrolling of the belt 103 , 107 by more than a predefinable range if a vertical force ( according to fig1 ) acts on a trolley . the first belt retractor 102 is fastened to a first end section of the support bar 101 , while the second belt retractor 106 is fastened to a second end section of the support bar 101 . the support bar 101 may be a rigid , flattened oblong body and has a curved section 110 on a first end section , and a second curved section 111 on a second end section of the support bar 101 . however , any geometric shape for the support bar may be utilized . the curved sections 110 , 111 are shaped and dimensioned in such a way that a trolley may be inserted into the u - shaped cavity in the lower area of the fastening device 100 . in one example , the u - shaped cavity is defined by the support bar 101 with the curved sections 110 , 111 . in other words , the fastening device 100 may be placed on a trolley in such a way that it not only contacts the trolley along the main extension direction of the support bar 101 , but rather also abuts the trolley on the left and right end sections ( i . e ., on the curved sections 110 , 111 ) to avoid slipping . the belt retractors 102 , 106 each have a biasing mechanism , which is set up in such a way that it pulls in the particular belt 103 , 107 up to a predefinable length to tension the belt 103 and / or 107 . in one example , the biasing mechanism is a spring . a centrifugal clutch in each of the belt retractors 102 , 106 ensures unrolling of the belts 103 , 107 by more than a predefinable range if an external force acts on a trolley . the support bar 101 may include a porous rubber coating 112 as an anti - slip and damping material in a surface area in contact with the trolley . the fastening device 100 is placed on the top of a trolley ( not shown in fig1 ). the belts 103 , 107 are then pulled out , and the fittings 104 , 108 are fastened to corresponding fittings on passenger seats and a passenger area of an aircraft . the biasing mechanism in the interior of the belt retractors 102 , 106 then ensures that the belts are tensioned and that the fastening device 100 is seated securely on the trolley to be fastened . if a vertical force ( for example , because of turbulence during flight operation ) acts on the trolley , the trolley is protected from undesired movement because of the centrifugal clutch and the mode of operation of the belt retractors 102 , 106 . in fig2 , a fastening device 200 is depicted . the detailed structure of the belt retractors 102 , 106 of the fastening device 200 is known in the art . perspective views of a fastening device trolley 300 , which is fastened in the interior of an aircraft using the fastening device are depicted in fig3 through fig5 . in fig6 , one view of the fastening device 200 is depicted . fig7 shows another view of this system . in the fastening device 200 , the fittings 104 , 108 are fastened to corresponding fittings on a first passenger seat 601 and / or on a second passenger seat 602 . more precisely , the fittings 104 , 108 are attached to aisle - side fastening points of the passenger seats 601 , 602 ( additional fittings , not shown , may be provided ). in fig8 , a fastening device 8 may include only one single belt retractor 102 having a belt 103 and having a fitting ( not shown in fig8 ) for fastening to a corresponding fitting on a passenger seat of an aircraft . a support member 801 may have a u - shaped profile or cross section , such that it is attachable on a trolley to be fastened . in fig9 , a fastening device 900 for fastening a trolley 300 to an aircraft cabin inner wall 901 may be fastened to the aircraft cabin inner wall 901 ( in one example , by screws ) and includes a support member 902 and a belt retractor 102 having a retractable belt 103 and having a fitting 104 . the belt retractor 102 is fastened to the support member 902 . the belt retractor 102 may be arranged in such a way that , if the fitting 104 is coupled to a fitting 903 of a trolley 300 , the retractor prevents unrolling of the belt 103 by more than a predefinable range if an external force acts on the trolley 300 . the fittings couple the trolley 300 to the aircraft cabin inner wall 901 . in this example , the trolley 300 may have only one fitting 903 . the fastening device 900 is attached to the aircraft cabin inner wall 901 as a structure . the fittings 104 and 903 are fastened to one another in order to fasten the trolley 300 to the aircraft cabin inner wall 901 . implementation of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated by the drawings and described as examples in the specification . instead , many variations may be made to the examples that will nonetheless be within the scope of the claims . | 1 |
hereinafter , an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings . however , as those skilled in the art would realize , the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways , all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . fig1 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a kick exercise apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , fig2 is a perspective view illustrating a kick exercise apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , fig3 is a perspective view illustrating an internal body of a kick exercise apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , fig4 is a top plan view illustrating an internal body of a kick exercise apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , fig5 is a side view illustrating an internal body of a kick exercise apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , fig6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a kick exercise apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is installed in a fixing frame , fig7 is a left side view illustrating a state in which a kick exercise apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is installed in a treadmill , and fig8 is a right side view illustrating a state in which a kick exercise apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is installed in a treadmill . a kick exercise apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig1 to 8 . the present invention relates to a kick exercise apparatus in which a plurality of striking portions are coupled to a body fastened to a gravity center frame or a treadmill that can move a position in order for a user to exercise martial arts such as taekwondo , karate , and kick boxing and to a kick exercise apparatus which can be used for a user to exercise martial arts with a method in which a user strikes a striking portion using hands and feet . referring to fig1 to 8 , in a kick exercise apparatus 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a body 30 formed with a vertically installed rectangular parallelepiped frame and an upper cover 21 and a lower cover 22 for protecting the body 30 at an upper part and a lower part of the body 30 . the kick exercise apparatus 10 further includes a striking portion 40 installed at a front side of the body 30 and at an upper part and a lower part of both sides of the body 30 and an impact absorption member 41 fixedly installed at the outside of a plate 42 of the striking portion 40 . the impact absorption member 41 is coupled by a volt to a fixing hole 42 a of the plate 42 , and a hook is formed at the inside of the impact absorption member 41 , and the impact absorption member 41 is coupled to the fixing hole 42 a of the plate 42 using the hook . one end of moving portion 46 of a straight shaft 44 in which a rack gear 45 is formed is coupled to an inner center of the plate 42 , and one end of a guide plate 43 in which a long hole 43 a is formed is coupled to a hinge rib 42 b of one of both sides of an upper part and a lower part of the plate 42 , and the long hole 43 a of the guide plate 43 is inserted into and is moveably coupled to a guide rib 31 of the body 30 . the straight shaft 44 is inserted into and coupled to a bushing 32 coupled to the body 30 , and the rack gear 45 is installed to engage with a pinion gear 61 of a rotation shaft 60 installed in the body 30 . an elastic spring 50 is installed around the straight shaft 44 between the body 30 and the plate 42 , and a gravity center frame 100 or a front frame 201 of a treadmill 200 is coupled to a rear frame of the body 30 . a sensor 70 is fixedly installed by a fixing volt 71 at one side of the body 30 in which the rotation shaft 60 is installed . the sensor 70 is connected to a controller ( not shown ), and the controller is connected to a display unit and an input unit , and in the input unit , various data of a time , a striking speed , the number of times of striking , a weight upon striking , a time change amount upon striking , an impact amount , and a impact force are set , and the display unit distinguishably displays measured values of striking applied to the striking portion . the display unit is separately formed and is connected to the controller through a wired or wireless means . a rotation belt 204 is installed at the inside of a floor frame 202 of the treadmill 200 , a handle in which an angle adjustment button 213 is installed in an upper part thereof is installed at the left side of the treadmill 200 , a vertical shaft 210 is coupled to a lower side of the handle , and a spring 211 is installed between the vertical shaft 210 and a handle portion 212 . at the right side of the treadmill 200 , a handle having a treadmill on / off button and a front - rear movement button 213 a at an upper part thereof is installed , a vertical shaft 210 a is coupled to a lower part of the handle , and a spring 211 a is installed between the vertical shaft 210 a and the handle portion 212 a . an upper rail 203 is installed in an upper part of the treadmill 200 , a roller 221 of a support shaft 220 is inserted into a guide groove 203 a of the upper rail 203 , a ring 223 is installed at both sides of a support plate 222 coupled to the support shaft 220 , and a safety line 224 is connected to the ring 223 and is connected to both sides of a protective vest 225 . the plate 42 of a light metal material such as aluminum , or of a synthetic resin having high strength is provided in the striking portion 40 . the impact absorption member 41 is coupled to the plate 42 . the gravity center member 100 may be welded by disposing a connecting piece in the body 30 or may be fastened by a bolt and a nut to the body 30 . the kick exercise apparatus 10 can be moved and installed according to a location and position to install . when the impact absorption member 41 of the striking portion 40 is struck by punch or kick , the plate 42 moves inwardly and the central straight shaft 44 moves , and the pinion gear 61 installed in the rotation shaft 60 rotates by the rack gear 45 . in this case , the sensor 70 fixed to one side of the body 30 by the fixing volt 71 detects a rotation speed of the rotation shaft 60 and sends the rotation speed to a general display unit . in this case , at the same time with termination of striking to the striking portion 40 , the striking portion 40 is returned to an original position by a restoring force of the elastic spring 50 installed in the straight shaft 44 . the display unit is positioned at a location adjacent to the striking portion 40 . the display unit has an input unit , and an input operation can be manually / automatically performed . as described above , a striking mode of various methods according to a program can be set at the input unit , and various data such as a striking time period , the number of times of striking , a striking speed , a weight upon striking , a time change amount upon striking , an impact amount , and an impact force are previously input and set . when data are input to the input unit , in the display unit , a reference value is displayed with a numeral or a lamp , and a user can perform a striking mode of an initial state according to a preset value . thereafter , when a predetermined striking time period is terminated or when a striking exercise is terminated , exercise results such as a time , a striking speed , the number of times of striking , a weight upon striking , a time change amount upon striking , an impact amount , and an impact force are displayed in the display unit . if a performed result of a striking mode of an initial state is satisfied , a striking mode of a next step is performed , and if a performed result of a striking mode of an initial state is not satisfied , a striking mode of an initial state is again performed . in this way , striking is performed according to a preset mode and thus striking is repeatedly performed and striking of a next stage is performed according to the result . in the above process , after the kick exercise apparatus 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is installed , the user can adjust a striking exercise amount according to a reference value that is set to the input unit , and as data of the striking exercise are displayed with numerals in a display unit , the user can easily recognize striking strength , accuracy of striking , a striking speed , the number of times of striking , a weight upon striking , a time change amount upon striking , an impact amount , and an impact force . although embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative embodiments thereof , 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 . | 0 |
in the method and apparatus of the present invention , a sequence of voxel elements is used to locate the intersection of a surface of interest with the voxels . a &# 34 ; voxel &# 34 ; in this connection is a three - dimensional parallelepiped defined by an array of data values representing physical values measured in the interior of a solid body by non - intrusive means . in accordance with the present invention , data from consecutive nmr or cat scan slices are assembled into a three - dimensional array of values which can then be analyzed or processed to obtain two - dimensional images of the three - dimensional information . the generation of such three - dimensional interior data arrays is well known in the art and will not be further described here . it is sufficient to note that such data arrays are readily obtainable by well - known , non - intrusive methods such as computed axial tomographic ( cat ) x - ray scanning systems , nuclear magnetic resonance ( nmr ) imaging systems , ultrasound scanning , positron emission tomography ( pet ) emission computed tomography ( ect ) and multimodality imaging ( mmi ). such methods produce planar arrays of data points , one planar array at each of a regular succession of adjacent &# 34 ; slices &# 34 ; through the solid body being scanned . taken together , this succession of slices forms the three - dimensional array of data values . the system of the present invention can be used to improve the quality of the surface images generated from data acquired in any of the above non - invasive data - gathering techniques . the system of the present invention is particularly useful , however with nmr data due to the inherently smaller dynamic range in pixel intensities provided by nmr and the more complex morphology of the soft tissues contrasted by nmr techniques . the array nature of the data values acquired by such non - invasive techniques can be seen in fig1 which illustrates a single voxel element 10 with vertices v1 through v8 . each voxel element , such as element 10 , spans two successive slices of data values . associated with each vertex v1 - v8 of voxel element 10 is a data value which represents the measurement of at least one physical property associated with the corresponding spatial position within the three - dimensional body . the spatial positions are located in regular patterns defining regularly spaced grid locations within the body . the grid positions , in turn , define a plurality of adjacent voxels like voxel 10 in fig1 . in accordance with the present invention , a new and superior connectivity algorithm is used to follow a preselected internal surface through the voxels making up the data array . in particular , the immediately adjacent voxels , i . e ., those voxels sharing a common face with the voxel of interest , are tested to determine whether or not each of the common faces is actually penetrated by the surface of interest . only those voxels sharing a common face actually penetrated by the surface of interest are considered as candidates for surface voxels . the remaining adjacent voxels , also sharing a common face with the voxel of interest , but not actually penetrated by the surface of interest , are not considered as candidates for surface voxels . it is this elimination of adjacent voxels which are not intersected by the surface of interest that accounts for the superior discrimination of the algorithm of the present invention . as noted above , fig1 discloses a single voxel . in fig2 a perspective view of all of the immediately adjacent voxels sharing a common face with the voxel of interest is shown . these adjacent voxels with common faces are called the &# 34 ; neighborhood &# 34 ; voxels of the voxel of interest . the voxel of interest cannot be seen in fig2 because it is concealed by the immediately adjacent neighborhood voxels . the neighborhood voxels include a front voxel 20 in front of the voxel of interest , a rear voxel 21 behind the voxel of interest , a right voxel 22 and a left voxel 23 , on the right and left , respectively , of the voxel of interest , and an above voxel 24 and a below voxel 25 respectively located above and below the voxel of interest . thus there are six neighborhood voxels which are immediately adjacent to , and share common faces with , the voxel of interest . in following a surface of interest , the algorithm of the present invention proceeds from the voxel of interest to one or more of the neighborhood voxels of fig2 which share a common penetrated face . prior art algorithms either tested all voxels in the data space for intersection with the surface of interest , or tested all voxels in the neighborhood of a seed voxel for intersection with the surface of interest . since the test for intersection comprises a comparison with a constant value indicative of the surface , the prior art failed to discriminate against surface intersections with other surfaces having the same or a similar surface constant . this lack of discrimination causes bridging to the other surfaces , thereby increasing the number of voxels to be processed while , at the same time , reducing the value of the resulting image . it can readily be seen that , if the address of the voxel of interest is given by ( x , y , z ) coordinates , then the addresses of the neighborhood voxels are given by : ______________________________________front voxel 20 address : x + 1 , y , z ( 1 ) rear voxel 21 address : x - 1 , y , zright voxel 22 address : x , y + 1 , zleft voxel 23 address : x , y - 1 , zabove voxel 24 address : x , y , z + 1below voxel 25 address : x , y , z - 1______________________________________ these relative addresses provide a mechanism to readily access the neighborhood voxel vertex values . these neighborhood voxel values , in turn , are used for both the calculation of the normal values , to be described hereinafter , and for following a surface of interest through to the adjacent voxels . in order to understand the connectivity algorithm of the present invention , it is first necessary to analyze the ways in which a surface of interest can intersect a voxel . although there are an infinite number of ways in which such a surface can intersect a voxel , these intersections can be classified by noting which of the eight voxel vertices are inside of the surface of interest , and which of the eight voxel vertices are outside of the surface of interest . representing the inside vertices as &# 34 ; 1s &# 34 ; and the outside vertices as &# 34 ; 0s &# 34 ;, each voxel has associated with it a binary voxel index made up of the &# 34 ; 1s &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; 0s &# 34 ; corresponding to the &# 34 ; insidedness &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; outsidedness &# 34 ; of the voxel vertices v1 through v8 ( fig1 ). it is clear that there are 256 different values for the voxel index , and hence 256 classes of different ways in which a surface can intersect a voxel . these 256 different ways of intersecting a voxel can be classified into only 15 topologically distinct patterns from which all of the others can be obtained by rotation and complementing . these 15 distinct patterns are illustrated in fig3 . fig3 shows perspective views of 15 cubic voxels , 14 of which are exemplary of all of the topologically distinct ways in which a surface can intersect a voxel . the voxel vertices inside the intersecting surface of interest are represented by a closed circle . case 0 , of course , represents the case where there is no intersection . for convenience , the intersecting surfaces in the remainder of the cases of fig3 are approximated by tessellations of triangular areas having their vertices located at the midpoints of the voxel edges . since the algorithm employed in the present invention is concerned only with identification of the faces of the voxel penetrated by the surface of interest , this approximation is entirely adequate . using the topologically distinct cases illustrated in fig3 a voxel face adjacency table can be constructed , showing which of the voxel faces are actually penetrated by the intersecting surface for each of the cases . the following table i is such an adjacency table . in table i , a &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; stands for a face which is penetrated by the surface of interest , while a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; stands for a face not penetrated by the surface of interest . the faces are identified by the front , rear , right , left , above and below designations of the adjacent voxels in fig2 . the adjacency information of fig3 can be summarized as follows : table i______________________________________caseno . index front rear right left above below______________________________________0 00000000 0 0 0 0 0 01 10000000 1 0 0 1 0 12 11000000 1 0 1 1 0 13 10000100 1 0 1 1 1 14 10000010 1 1 1 1 1 15 01110000 1 1 1 1 0 16 11000010 1 1 1 1 1 17 01001010 1 1 1 1 1 18 11110000 1 1 1 1 0 09 10110001 1 1 1 1 1 110 10101010 1 1 1 1 1 111 10110010 1 1 1 1 1 112 01111000 1 1 1 1 1 113 10100101 1 1 1 1 1 114 01110001 1 1 1 1 1 1______________________________________ the face adjacencies for all of the other voxel indices can be derived from these 15 by the standard rotation and complement operations inherent in the cubic symmetry . it can be seen that table i can be expanded into a table taking into account all of the possible 256 different voxel indices . moreover , only the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; entries in such a table indicate an adjacent voxel with a penetrated common face . in recursively following a surface from a seed voxel , the adjacent voxels represented by a &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; in table i ( and its expansion ) need not be considered . the resulting decimation of the adjacent voxels to be considered not only reduces the amount of processing which must be done but also increases the surface discrimination in the resulting image . a system for carrying out the algorithm of the present invention is shown in block diagram form in fig4 . the system comprises a voxel decimator for selecting only those voxels from the data array which actually intersect a surface of interest . it is assumed that the address of a seed voxel , known to be on the surface of interest , is supplied to the decimator of fig4 by way of a lead 47 . such seed voxel can be identified , for example , by using the cross - sectional image generator described in the copending application of h . e . cline et al . ser . no . 247 , 183 , filed sep . 21 , 1988 , now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 984 , 157 and assigned to applicants &# 39 ; assignee . such cross section generator , set to a high contrast and oriented perpendicular to the surface of interest , provides a readily usable technique for locating a voxel in the surface of interest . a blood vessel , for example , appears as a circle on such cross section , and is readily identified and located . the seed voxel address thus obtained is supplied by way of lead 47 to a voxel address store circuit 40 . voxel store circuit 40 is capable of storing a large plurality of addresses of voxels such as the voxel of fig1 but fewer than the total number of voxels in the data array . each of these voxel addresses is capable of accessing the eight voxel vertex values of the addressed voxel from a bulk memory 42 . voxel address store 40 is also capable of storing , for each voxel address , a mark which is associated with the voxel address but is not used as part of the address in accessing bulk memory 42 . an unmarked address selector 41 scans through the addresses in voxel address store 40 and locates and accesses the first address lacking an associated mark . this unmarked address is supplied by selector 41 to bulk memory 42 to access the eight voxel vertex values and store these vertex values in a voxel register 44 . at the same time , an address marker circuit 43 is energized to mark that address in voxel address store 40 . it is therefore apparent that each address in store 40 is accessed by selector 41 once , and only once , after which it is marked by circuit 43 and can no longer be accessed by selector 41 . the eight voxel vertex data values in voxel register 44 are compared to the constant surface value in an 8 - value compare circuit 45 . compare circuit 45 determines if the surface value is greater than or less than each of the vertex values , and combines the binary results of these comparisons into an eight - bit binary index which is called the voxel index . this voxel index is used as a pointer to access the addresses ( or address increments ) of those voxels that share a common penetrated face with the voxel whose vertex values are stored in register 44 . a voxel adjacency table 46 is , of course , an expanded version of table i where the &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; entries can be used to increment or decrement the voxel address from selector 41 as shown in address definitions ( 1 ). the new addresses thus formed are added to the addresses in voxel address store 40 . these new addresses can thereafter be selected , one at a time , by selector 41 , to be used to access memory 42 for yet other voxels on the surface of interest . if 8 - value compare circuit 45 determines that the current voxel does not intersect the surface of interest , the address of that current voxel is removed from voxel address store 40 by way of a lead 48 . that is , if the voxel index is all 0s ( 00000000 ) or all 1s ( 11111111 ), the surface is entirely inside of , or entirely outside of , the voxel and no intersection occurs . this is a further check on the connectivity implied by voxel adjacency table 46 , and further improves the discrimination afforded by the algorithm of the present invention . the circuit of fig4 operates to accumulate in store 40 the addresses of all of the voxels in the data array which satisfy the adjacency criteria stored in abbreviated form in table 46 , and which actually intersect the surface of interest , given at least one seed voxel address in store 40 . the surface - following algorithm implemented by fig4 terminates when selector 41 can no longer find an unmarked address in store 40 . at that time , store 40 contains the addresses of all of the voxels in the data array which include intersections with a single surface represented by the seed voxel and by the surface constant applied to compare circuit 45 . these voxel addresses can then be used , by any known prior art technique , to actually create the image for display . it should be noted , however , that the subsequent processing for image generation can be initiated just as soon as there is one address in store 40 and can proceed just as fast as new addresses are added to store 40 . in the alternative , a complete set of addresses for a surface can be accumulated in store 40 and used at some later time to generate an image of the surface of interest . fig5 is a block diagram of one such processor for generating an image of the surface of interest . the processor uses highly parallel circuits and a highly parallel architecture to rapidly generate images from the data identified in store 40 . for purposes of illustration , the circuit of fig5 uses the &# 34 ; dividing cubes &# 34 ; algorithm of the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 4 , 719 , 585 , and the parallel processor of copending application ser . no . 07 / 275 , 154 , filed nov . 22 , 1988 , now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 985 , 834 , to obtain images in real time to support ongoing surgical or other procedures . alternatively , other algorithms , such as the &# 34 ; marching cubes &# 34 ; algorithm of the aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 4 , 710 , 876 , and other processors , can be used to process the data and to form the desired image of the surface . in the system of fig5 an address selector 50 selects the addresses from voxel address store 40 ( fig4 ), one at a time , and uses these addresses to access the voxel vertex values for storage in a voxel register 52 and to access the neighborhood voxel vertex values for storage in a neighborhood register 55 . using the &# 34 ; dividing cubes &# 34 ; algorithm , a voxel subdivider 54 generates sub - voxel addresses used by a voxel interpolator 53 to generate sub - voxel vertex values , all as described in the aforementioned application ser . no . 07 / 275 , 154 , now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 985 , 834 . these sub - voxel vertex values are also compared to the surface constant by the voxel interpolator to identify the sub - voxels intersected by the surface of interest . simultaneously , the neighborhood voxel vertex values in neighborhood register 55 are used in a normal calculator 56 to calculate the value of the normals to the surface intersecting the voxel . the gradient of the density function represented by the data array is used as the intensity of the image pixels in order to provide shading for the generated image . such shading is proportional to the difference between the density gradient angle and the viewing angle . if the data array is a rectangular lattice with a unit cell of dimensions a , b and c , then the gradient vector g =( g x , g y , g z ) can be established from the density function by taking central differences between the densities , f ( x o , y o , z o ), evaluated at the lattice point ( x o , y o , z o ): ## equ1 ## the normal calculator 56 implements equations ( 2 ) to derive unit normal vectors for each voxel vertex . the normal vector values for the sub - voxels identified by voxel subdivider 54 are interpolated from the voxel vertex unit normal values in a normal interpolator 57 . the surface location values from voxel subdivider 54 and the normal ( intensity ) values from normal interpolator 57 are supplied to a display system 58 . display system 58 rotates the pixel points into the display plane , imposes the intensity value of the closest surface pixel at the display point , and displays the resulting image . controls on the viewing angle and viewing depth are used to vary the view of the surface , all in accordance with well - known imaging techniques . the process carried out in the processing systems of fig4 and 5 of the drawings can be represented by the flow chart of fig6 . starting at start box 60 , the seed voxel address or addresses are obtained at box 61 and added to the address list at box 62 . at decision box 63 , it is determined if there are any unmarked addresses . if there is at least one unmarked address , box 64 is entered to get the next unmarked address . at box 65 , this address is marked and , at decision box 66 , the corresponding voxel vertex values are tested for surface intersection with this voxel . if there is no intersection with this voxel , the voxel address is eliminated from the voxel address store and the next unmarked address is obtained by re - entering box 64 . if the voxel is intersected , the voxel index obtained from the comparison is obtained at box 67 and used at box 68 to obtain the address of adjacent surface voxels from the voxel adjacency table 69 . these additional voxel addresses are added to the voxel address store at box 62 and the process continues . if decision box 63 determines that there are no more unmarked addresses in the voxel address store , box 70 is entered to calculate the display points , using the output of a view orientation generator 71 . the calculated display points are displayed at box 72 and the process terminated at box 73 . it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments of the present invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the teachings of the present invention . | 6 |
referring to fig1 , in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , an apparatus for potentiating ( i . e ., for promoting or encouraging ) penile erection 100 is generally made up of a transducer 102 , a controller - oscillator 104 , and a power source 106 . the power source supplies power to the controller - oscillator which , in turn , generates and sends electrical signals ( i . e . electrical current having a voltage , frequency , amplitude and waveform controlled or regulated by the controller - oscillator ) to the transducer . the transducer transduces the electrical signal into a pulsating or modulated weak magnetic field . the transducer 102 is made up of a tube 108 having a magnetic coil 110 mounted , wrapped or wound around the external surface of the tube . the tube 108 is generally a hollow , cylindrical - shaped tube , preferably flexible . the tube 108 is made from a non - metallic , non - conductive material such as plastic . the tube is “ dimensioned ” ( i . e ., sized , shaped , constructed and arranged ) to be able to comfortably hold or contain a fully erect penis therein . a temperature sensor ( not shown ) such as a thermistor may be mounted on the tube to measure the temperature of the penis . the tube helps to support the magnetic coil and also serves to protect the penis . the magnetic coil 110 is made from a wire - type material that is electrically conductive , for example , copper wire . the magnetic coil is wound or wrapped around the outside surface of the tube in a spiral - like manner like a spring . the magnetic coil may be embedded within the material of the tube . the magnetic coil is connected to the controller - oscillator by leads 122 . upon energization of the magnetic coil by electrical signals or current from the controller - oscillator , the magnetic coil produces a magnetic field . the controller - oscillator 104 provides the electrical signals or current to the transducer . preferably , the controller - oscillator has a frequency controller 112 for controlling the frequency of the pulsating magnetic field , an amplitude controller 114 for controlling the intensity of the magnetic field ; a temperature readout display 116 for showing the temperature of the penis ; a frequency display 118 for showing the frequency of the pulsating magnetic field and an on / off switch 120 for turning the apparatus on or off . the power source 106 supplies the electric power to the controller - oscillator and , if needed , also supplies power to other devices ( e . g ., vibrator , buzzer ). the power source is preferably a battery . the power source may be mounted inside the controller - oscillator or attached to the controller - oscillator as a separate unit . to use the apparatus , the penis is inserted into the tube and the apparatus is turned on . the pulsating magnetic field produced when the apparatus is activated is directed along the length of the penis and around its circumference . the magnetic field has an intensity of not more than about 5 microtesla in the volume occupied by the penis or , when measured in the magnetic coil , a peak intensity , of about 100 nanotesla to about 500 nanotesla or more . the frequency of the magnetic field is between about 8 hertz and about 64 hertz , preferably about 15 . 94 hertz and about 16 hertz . the waveshape is sinusoidal . once the penis is fully erect , the apparatus is turned off , the tube removed and sexual intercourse commences . in another embodiment ( fig2 ), the transducer of the apparatus 200 is a carry - it - through transducer 202 that is made up of a collar 208 and magnetic coil 210 . the collar is basically a tube having a short length and formed in the shape of a ring . the magnetic coil 210 is wound around the collar 208 in the same manner as the magnetic coil 110 of fig1 . the ring - like carry - it - through or short transducer 202 is designed to be mounted or worn around the root of the penis ( i . e ., its most proximal section ) to allow the continuous utilization of the device “ on line ”, i . e ., during sexual intercourse . the collar 208 is preferably about 2 cm . long and has a diameter sufficient to encircle the base of the penis at the junction of the pubis , preferably about 4 to 5 cm . the collar is made from a non - conductive , non - metallic , elastic and , preferably , light material such as plastic . the transducer is dimensioned to allow it to adapt concomitantly in size with the dilation of the penis . thus , the collar 208 is preferably made from an elastic material that is sufficiently pliable to allow the collar to accommodate a fully - erect penis . the magnetic coil 210 is made from a wire - type material that is electrically conductive and also sufficiently elastic to allow the magnetic coil to adjust in size as the penis becomes erect or more 100 % increase in penile diameter . the controller - oscillator 204 is dimensioned to be a minute and compact unit in order to allow it to be mounted on the collar 208 . the power source ( not shown ) is also a small and compact unit , e . g . a tiny battery like a watch battery that is also mounted on the collar 208 and may be mounted inside the controller - oscillator . a thermistor ( not shown ) and a buzzer - vibrator 218 may be attached to the collar 208 . the thermistor is in contact with the ventral surface of the penis and the buzzer - vibrator 318 signals when the penis temperature , as measured by the thermistor reaches a certain optimum for the promotion of intercourse . preferably , power source provides a minute current ( preferably on the order of about 1 ma or less ) so that the coils do not drain the battery . the power source also supplies power to the thermistor and buzzer - vibrator . to use the apparatus 200 , the penis is inserted into the collar 208 and the collar is moved to the root of the penis and the apparatus is activated . the pulsating magnetic field produced when the apparatus is activated , is directed along the length of the root of the penis and around the circumference of the penis &# 39 ; s root . the magnetic field has an intensity of not more than about 5 microtesla in the volume occupied by the penis or , when measured in the magnetic coil , a peak intensity , of about 100 nanotesla to about 5 microtesla . the frequency of the magnetic field is between about 8 hertz and about 64 hertz , preferably about 15 . 94 and about 16 hertz . the waveshape is sinusoidal . once the penis is fully erect , sexual intercourse can commence without the apparatus having to be removed or the apparatus being turned off . in an alternate embodiment , not shown , the carry - it - through transducer may be connected to the distal end of a condom . a magnetic coil similar to the magnetic coil 210 of fig2 is embedded within the material of the condom and is connected to a controller - oscillator . another embodiment of an apparatus embodying the features of the present invention is shown in fig3 . in this embodiment , the apparatus comprises a controller - oscillator 304 having a power source , an active transducer 302 and one or more remote passive transducers ( not shown ). the controller - oscillator is similar to the controller oscillator 104 discussed above with respect to fig1 , but preferably , dimensioned to be smaller and lighter . the passive transducer is constructed and assembled using methods and materials that are well - known and may include a flat magnetic coil or , alternatively , multiple flat , minute magnetic coils . the active transducer and passive transducers are constructed and assembled using methods and materials that are well - known . the controller - oscillator 304 and active transducer 302 are mounted or attached to a strap 324 worn by a user around the thigh . alternatively , the controller - oscillator and active transducer may be attached to a belt ( not shown ) worn around the waist of the user . the remote transducers are attached to the inner surface of the thighs , adjacent to the penis using attachment means such as belts , straps , pouches , but preferably using medical adhesive patches 330 . this configuration has certain advantages in the event the user practices sex out of his usual residence , and thus , the user carries the apparatus with him wherever he goes . in use , the active transducer generates a pulsating magnetic field . since the active transducer is not located near the penis , the magnetic field is described as being remotely generated from the penis , that is , generated or originating at a distance away from the penis . this pulsating magnetic field is received by the passive transducer . as a result of induction , the passive transducer , in turn , re - directs or re - transmits this magnetic field to the penis . the pulsating magnetic field has an intensity of not more than about 5 microtesla in the volume occupied by the penis or , alternatively , when measured in the surroundings . the frequency of the magnetic field is between about 8 hertz to about 64 hertz , preferably about 15 . 94 to about 16 hertz . once the penis is erect , sexual intercourse can begin without the apparatus having to be turned off or removed . the foregoing apparatus is constructed to be friendly to the user , relieving him of the inconvenience of having devices mounted on his organ while being involved in sexual contact . the operation of this apparatus is achieved discretely by manipulating the controller - oscillator mounted on the belt which leaves the penis bare from any attachments . as such , the individual &# 39 ; s partner is oblivious that her mate is assisted by an electromagnetic field . another embodiment is shown in fig4 . here , the apparatus comprises a combined controller - oscillator , active transducer unit and power supply , hereafter called a remote generator - controller 404 and one or more passive transducers worn by the user . the controller - oscillator , active transducer unit , remote transducer and power supply are similar to and function in the same manner as the controller - oscillator 304 , active transducer 302 , passive transducer and power supply described in fig3 . the remote generator - controller and passive transducers are constructed and assembled using methods and materials that are well - known the remote generator - controller 404 is constructed , adapted and arranged to produce a pulsating magnetic field that can affect the remote transducer at a distance , preferably up to a range of about 10 centimeters . the remote generator - oscillator is mounted to the thigh of the user by attachment means such tape , pouch , belt , or a strap 424 . the passive transducer is attached to the thigh , adjacent to the penis with attachment means such as adhesive patches 430 . in use , the remote generator controller generates a pulsating magnetic field . since the remote generator - controller - oscillator is not located near the penis , the magnetic field generator is “ remotely generating ” a magnetic field , that is , it is generating a magnetic field at a distance away from the penis . the pulsating magnetic field has an intensity of not more than about 5 microtesla in the penis or when measured in its peak intensity . the frequency of the magnetic field is between about 0 . 2 hz and about 300 hz , preferably about 15 . 94 hertz and about 16 hertz . this pulsating magnetic field is received by the passive transducer . as a result of induction , the passive transducer , in turn , re - directs or re - transmits this magnetic field to the penis . once the penis is erect , sexual intercourse can begin without the apparatus having to be turned off or removed . referring to fig5 , another aspect of the invention relates to an apparatus for treating medical conditions or diseases in women ( for example , treating sexual dysfunction by promoting sexual arousal or treating incontinence ) by directing a pulsating magnetic field to the affected area or portion of the woman ( e . g . the pelvic area in case of incontinence or sexual dysfunction ). the apparatus comprises a patch transducer 502 for generating a pulsating magnetic field and a controller - oscillator 504 having a power supply . the transducer 502 is connected to the controller - oscillator by leads . the apparatus may also have a temperature sensor ( not shown ) for measuring body temperature . the controller - oscillator 504 is similar to the controller - oscillators 104 , 204 previously described above with respect to fig1 and 2 . the patch transducer 502 comprises a generally rectangular shaped flat patch 501 made from a non - conductive material , preferably sized about 10 cm .× 15 cm . multiple flat magnetic coils 510 ( preferably having a diameter of about 15 - 20 mm ) are attached or mounted to the patch by attachment means such as glue or sewing . the flat magnetic coils 510 are made from a conductive material such as copper and are attached by the leads to the controller - oscillator . in a one embodiment , to treat sexual dysfunction or incontinence , the patch transducer is mounted near the bottom of ladies underwear such as panties 532 , adjacent to the pelvic region using attachment means , such as velcro ® or sewing . in use , the controller - oscillator 504 generates electrical signals which are sent to the patch transducer which , in turn , transduces these signals into a pulsating magnetic field directed at the pelvic region . the pulsating magnetic field has an intensity of not more than about 5 microtesla and a frequency of between about 4 hertz and about 128 hertz , preferably between about 15 . 94 hertz and about 16 hz . while the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for members thereof without departing from the scope of the invention , in addition , modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation to the teaching of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention be not limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims . | 0 |
a preferred embodiment of the present invention is explained with figures . however , the scope of the invention is not limited by the illustrated embodiments of the figures . a lawn niower shown in fig1 ( a ) and 1 ( b ), which is the arm coupling type , comprises an operation ann 10 as a main body , a driven shaft 11 rotatably provided inside the operation arm 10 as shown in fig2 , a discoid metal cutter 13 installed on the driven shaft 11 at one end of the operation arm 10 , an arm side joint case 16 provided at the other end of the operation arm 10 with a large diameter than the operation arm 10 and either one of an engine 17 and an electic motor 18 selectively installed on the operation arm 10 through the joint case 16 . the operation arm 10 is formed of a hollow shaft . a holder 12 is attached to the one end of the operation arm 10 . the metal cutter 13 has a plurality of saw - edged cutting tooth on its outer peripheral and is rotatably attached to the holder 12 . the cutter 13 is connected to the end of the driven shaft 11 through a pair of bevel gears ( not shown ). the operation arm 10 has a cover 14 at its end to partially cover the cutter 13 so that the safety of work is secured . in addition , the cutter 13 may be replaced by a cutter composed of one or more strings extending radially from the center of rotation two handles 15 are installed on a center part of the operation arm 10 so that the user can work on mowing grass by grpping the handles 15 with both hands . in place of the two - handed type handles 15 as shown in fig1 ( a ) and 1 ( b ), a looped type handle may be used . furthermore , a loop - like belt can be attached to the operation arm 10 for shoulder carrying the mower . the arm side joint case 16 , as a main body side joint case , is provided on the opposite end of the operation arm 10 from the cutter 13 . the arm side joint case 16 is constructed by a cylindrical member of a large diameter than the operation arm 10 . either an engine 17 as shown in fig1 ( a ) or an electric motor 1 s as shown in fig1 ( b ) is selectively attached to the operation arm 10 through the arm side joint case 16 . the electric motor 18 has a power supply cable 20 with an electrical plug 19 which is inserted into the power supply outlet so as to supply electric power to the electric motor 18 . otherwise , a battery may be used as the power supply instead of the commercial power supply . by using the battery as the power supply , the lawn mower can be quietly driven by the motor in the outdoors with no power supply outlet . the engine 17 is a single cylinder 4 - stroke cycles engine . inside of an engine cover 21 , there are engine coxnponents such as a crankcase for rotatably supporting an engine output shaft 22 connected to a crankshaft shown in fig2 , and a cylinder in which a piston tavels reciprocally is provided in the crankcase . also , the engine 17 is equipped with a fuiel tank 23 storing fuel of gasoline . a cooling fan 24 generating engine cooling air is installed on the output shaft 22 . the cooling fan 24 comprises a disk 25 connected to the output shaft 22 and a plurality of fan blades 26 fixed to the disk 25 . further , the engine 17 is equipped with a recoil starter for turning the output shaft 22 manually so that the engine 17 can be started by pulling a recoil knob 27 as shown in fig1 ( a ). an engine side joint case 28 , as a power source side joint case , which can be attached to and removed from the arm side joint case 16 , is provided on the engine cover 21 . as shown in fig2 , this engine side joint case 28 is partly fitted to the arm side joint case 16 . on the outer surface of the arm side joint case 16 , one end of a link 32 is swingably connected to a supporting point 31 of the outer surface of the arm side joint case 16 and the other end of the link 32 is swingably connected to a middle portion of a tightening lever 33 . a detent projection 34 is provided at one end of the tightening lever 33 as a fastener member , so as to be selectively engaged with a projection 29 formed on the engine side joint case 28 . when the tightening lever 33 is pushed down to the arm side joint case 16 after engaging the detent projection 34 with the projection 29 , the tightening lever 33 tightly couples the joint case 16 of the operation arm 10 and the joint case 28 of the engine 17 . in addition , regarding the fastener member , it is not limited to the structure shown in fig2 . for example , bolts can be used to couple the joint cases 16 and 28 of the operation arn 10 and the engine 17 . furthermore , a connecting sleeve is rotatably attached to the outside of the arm side joint case 16 , and the engine side joint case 28 may be provided with a male screw to be coupled with a female screw which is provided inside the connect sleeve so that the operation arm 10 and the engine 17 can be screwed . the arm side joint case 16 , which is formed of a cylindrical member , incorporates a centrifugal clutch 35 inside . this centrifugal clutch 35 comprises a clutch drum 36 fixed to the driven shaft 11 and a clutch input shaft 38 rotatably supported by a supporting wall 37 . as shown in fig3 , a plurality of pivot members 42 are rotatably supported by a pin 41 on a rotor plate 39 fixed to the clutch input shaft 38 . spring force of an extension spring 43 is applied to each pivot member 42 so as to leave a frictional contact region 44 of the pivot member 42 from an internal surface of the clutch drum 36 . thus , when the rotational speed of the clutch input shaft 38 increases , the centrifugal force applied to the pivot members 42 moves the pivot members 42 toward the internal surface of the clutch drum 36 against the spring force of the extension springs 43 , whereby the clutch input shaft 38 and the driven shaft 11 are connected through the pivot members 42 . on the other hand , when the engine 17 is started by pulling the recoil knob 27 , the centrifugal clutch 35 has not been engaged so that the recoil knob 27 can be pulled without a big resistance being applied . an engaging groove 45 is provided across the end of the clutch input shaft 38 of the centriflgal clutch 35 in a diametrical direction an engaging projection 46 to be engaged with the engaging groove 45 is provided on the side of the disk 25 of the cooling fan 24 opposite to the fan blades 26 . thus , the driven shaft 11 and the engine output shaft 22 are coupled through the centrifugal clutch 35 with the engagement of the engaging groove 45 and the engaging projection 46 . in addition , it is also suggested that the engaging groove and the engaging projection can be provided vice versa as shown in fig2 , in order to attach the engine 17 to the operation arm 10 , first the engaging groove 45 and engaging projection 46 are engaged each other , then the engine side joint case 28 of the engine cover 21 is fitted to the arm side joint case 16 of the operation arm 10 , and fially the tightening lever 33 as the fastenmg member is manipulated to tighten the joint cases 16 and 28 . according to this structure , the lawn mower drives the cutter 13 by the driving force of the engine 17 so that grass can be mowed . as shown in fig1 ( b ), the electric motor 18 has motor cover 47 shown in fig4 , a cylindrical motor side joint case 48 , as the power source side joint case , which is the same size as the engine side joint case 28 is attached to this motor cover 47 . the mnotor side joint case 48 has a projection 49 with which a detent projection 34 of a tightening lever 33 installed in the arm side joint case 16 is adapted to engage . an engaging projection 51 is provided on the end of a motor output shaft 50 so as to engage with the engaging groove 45 provided across the end of the clutch input shaft 38 . according to this structure , the driven shaft 11 and the motor output shaft 50 are coupled through the centrifugal clutch 35 with the engagement of the engaging groove 45 and the engaging projection 46 . thus , as shown in fig4 , in order to attach the electric motor 18 to the operation arm 10 , first the engaging groove 45 and the engaging projection 51 are engaged each other , then the motor side joint case 48 of the motor cover 47 is fitted to the arm side joint case 16 of the operation arm i 0 , and finally the tightening lever 33 as the fastening member is manipulated to tighten the joint cases 16 and 48 . according to this structure , the lawn mower drives the cutter 13 by the driving power of the electric motor 18 so that grass can be mowed . according to the above disclosure , the user can selectively install either one of the engine 17 and the electric motor 18 on the operation arm 10 with the preparation of both the engine 17 and the electric motor 18 as attachments to a lawn mower . that is , the lawn mower can be used as whichever with an engine drive type and a motor drive type on the basis of the mowing environment for example , the engine 17 would be used as the power source in the situation where there is no power supply outlet or at the place where silence is not required . on the other hands , the electric motor 18 would be used as the power source in the situation where there is a power supply outlet . that is , the user can select either the engine 17 or the electric motor 18 as the power source based on the working environment . in addition , even if the user has purchased the lawn mower comprising the operation arm 10 and the engine 17 as a set , the lawn mower can be changed to the electric motor operation by purchasing the electric motor 18 , additionally . fig5 is a sectional view of a second embodiment of the lawn mower of the present invention . this view shows the same portion as fig2 . in this lawn mower , the centrifugal clutch 35 is incorporated inside the joint case 28 of the engine cover 21 . a large - diameter flange 52 having the engaging groove 45 is provided on the end of the driven shaft 11 . and , a large - diameter flange 54 having the engaging projection 46 is provided on the end of a clutch output shaft 53 secured to the clutch drum 36 of the centrifugal clutch 35 . the engaging projection 46 is adopted to couple with the engaging groove 45 . in this embodiment , the motor output shaft 50 of the electric motor 18 is coupled with a large diameter flange 52 of the driven shaft 11 directly . furthermore , the centrifugal clutch 35 may be installed to the extent of the operation arm 10 or may be installed inside the engine 17 . the present invention is not limited by the abovedescribed preferred embodiment ; it can be changed in various ways in the range that does not deviate from the subject matter . for example , this invention can be applied to such a lawn mower that the power source and the cutter are installed on a carriage . | 0 |
referring to fig1 , a vertebral column 10 includes a damaged vertebra 12 a ( shown in phantom ) extending between a vertebra 12 b and a vertebra 12 c . an intervertebral disc 14 a ( shown in phantom ) extends between vertebrae 12 a and 12 b , and an intervertebral disc 14 b ( shown in phantom ) extends between vertebrae 12 a and 12 c . in a surgical excision , the vertebra 12 a can be removed together with discs 14 a and 14 b creating a void between the two intact vertebra 12 b and 12 c . this procedure may be performed using an anterior , anterolateral , or other approach known to one skilled in the art . a vertebral implant assembly 20 as described in the rabbe patent can then be provided to fill the void between the two intact vertebrae 12 b and 12 c . referring now to fig2 , the vertebral implant assembly 20 is shown as a turnbuckle in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the implant assembly 20 generally includes a threaded tubular body 22 extending between threaded endplate assemblies 24 and 26 . the threaded tubular body 22 is provided with a plurality of apertures 28 that may be used for installation of the assembly 20 and that may also provide an avenue for bone or tissue ingrowth to further enhance the stability of the replacement assembly after implantation . in the present embodiment , the opposite ends of the tubular body 22 are formed into external threads 30 . the threads 30 may extend from each opposite end over most or all of the length of the tubular body 22 and may be configured to threadedly engage endplate assemblies 24 and 26 . the endplate assembly 24 may include a flange 32 , which may cover a substantial load - bearing area of the endplates of the adjacent intact vertebral bodies . a cylinder 34 may be integrally formed with flange 32 to extend toward the threaded tubular body 22 when the endplate assembly 24 is placed within the excised vertebral space . the cylinder 34 and flange 32 define a bore 36 there through . the inside surface of the bore 36 is provided with internal threads 38 which are configured to mate with the external threads 30 of the tubular body 22 . in one embodiment , the threads 38 extend along the entire length of the cylinder 34 and into the flange 32 . endplate assembly 26 may be configured similar or identical to endplate assembly 24 and therefore will not be described in detail . the endplate assemblies 24 and 26 may further include one or more apertures 40 configured to engage a holding instrument ( as described below for fig6 a and 6 b ). in one specific embodiment , the external threads 30 on the threaded tubular body 22 may be cut in opposite directions ( e . g ., right handed and left handed ) so that the endplates can be drawn together or apart by rotating only the body . thus , as the body is rotated in one direction , the threads 30 at each of the ends engage the internal threads 38 of each of the end caps 24 and 26 in the proper direction to draw the end caps together . alternatively , the handedness of the threads 30 can be the same at each end so that it is necessary to individually thread each end cap in opposite directions onto the tubular body 22 . the disadvantage of this arrangement is that it is more difficult to adjust the height of the total assembly 20 while maintaining the proper orientation of each of the endplate assemblies 24 and 26 . an advantage is that in situ the assembly is unable to unthread itself . further details of the assembly 20 and its operation are described in the embodiments shown in the rabbe patent . the assembly 20 may be inserted into the vertebral column ( as shown in fig1 ) and then expanded to achieve the desired fit and alignment between the adjacent intact vertebrae . in one embodiment , expansion of the assembly can be achieved by rotating the tubular body 22 using an expander apparatus 50 as shown in fig3 . referring now to fig3 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , the expander apparatus 50 includes a handle section 52 , an extension section 54 , a main gear box 56 and an engager 58 . the expander apparatus 50 may allow the assembly 20 to be adjusted without the use of lateral movement , thereby reducing the size of a patient &# 39 ; s wound and decreasing the time and labor involved to complete the procedure . referring to both fig3 and fig4 , the handle section 52 can receive and enclose a portion of the extension section 54 . in the present embodiment , the extension section 54 may comprise an outer casing 60 through which an interior axle 62 may extend . the handle section 52 may include a handle 64 that receives , surrounds and rotationally engages the outer casing 60 of the extension section 54 through one or more bushings 66 . it is understood that in other embodiments , the rotational engagement of the outer casing 60 may be accomplished using ball bearing assemblies and / or the material comprising the handle 64 . although not shown , in some embodiments , the handle 64 may be separated into two independent portions , with one portion being fixed to the outer casing 60 to secure and position the expander apparatus 50 during use , and the other portion being free to rotate for providing the rotational force discussed below . in the present embodiment , the handle section 52 may further include a distally located selector gear box 70 . the selector gear box 70 may include a set or plurality of gears 72 a , 72 b , 72 c configured to selectively engage with the distal end of the interior axle 62 of the extension section 54 . each of the gears 72 a , 72 b , and 72 c may be of a different size so that a user of the expander apparatus 50 may choose from a range of selectable gear ratios , enabling the user to achieve a desired speed or torque for adjusting the vertebral implant assembly 20 . the selector gear box 70 may be configured to engage with a cap member 74 . the cap member 74 can be both axially and rotationally movable about the handle 64 and can further include a gear selection member 76 which , as the cap member 74 is moved , can engage any of the different gears 72 a , 72 b , or 72 c to create the desired gear ratio . although the present embodiment depicts three gears , it is understood that in other embodiments a fewer or a greater number of gears may be used . further , any of a variety of gear train systems may be employed incorporating a variety of gear components such as a planetary gear systems , a layshaft , a clutch , a worm gear system , a bevel gear system , a rack and pinion system , or other gear based systems . in the present embodiment , the cap member 74 rotates or translates about the handle 64 to select a particular gear , but other gear selection mechanisms can also be used . in some embodiments , the selector gear box may not be located in the handle section 52 , but rather , may be included in the extension section 54 or elsewhere in the expander tool 50 . although not shown , in another embodiment , the selector gear box 70 may be omitted and the distal end of the axle 62 may be fixedly engaged with the gear selection cap 74 and / or a rotating portion of the handle section 52 . in this embodiment , the rotation of the axle 62 may be directly driven by rotation of the gear selection cap 74 . in still another embodiment , the axle 62 may be driven by a motor coupled to the axle 62 or to the selector gear box 70 . referring now to fig5 , while one end of the extension section 54 engages with the handle section 52 , the opposite end may engage with the main gear box 56 . the main gear box 56 may include a main gear / tooth assembly 80 and a secondary gear assembly 82 . the main gear / tooth assembly 80 can be partially enclosed and secured within a casing 83 , and can include a gear section 84 coaxially attached to a toothed section 86 . the casing 83 may include a pin 88 about which the main gear / tooth assembly 80 can rotate . in the present embodiment , the rotational axis of the pin 88 and the gear section 84 may be aligned perpendicular to the rotational axis of the axle 62 , although different embodiments may have different arrangements . the secondary gear assembly 82 may be attached to the proximate end of the interior axle 62 , opposite from the end engaged with the selector gear box 70 , and may rotate about the axis of the axle 62 . the secondary gear assembly 82 may engage with the gear section 84 of the main gear / tooth assembly 80 causing any rotational force from the axle 62 to be transferred to the main gear / tooth assembly 80 . referring to fig2 and 5 , the main gear box 56 can be further connected to the engager 58 . the casing 83 of the main gear box 56 may be attached to a positioning mechanism 90 , which in the embodiment of fig2 is shaped like a semi - circle with opposing arc portions 92 a and 92 b . the arc portions 92 a and 92 b can define a cross - section of an engagement area 91 into which the implant assembly 20 may be positioned . the positioning mechanism 90 is shaped to mate with the tubular body 22 of the implant assembly 20 , allowing the tubular body 22 to rotate while assisting in maintaining the general position and proximity of the engager 58 to the tubular body 22 . as described above , the casing 83 may cover only a portion of the main gear / tooth assembly 80 . the other portion , which can include the tooth section 86 , may extend into the engagement area 91 of the engager 58 . the tooth section 86 may include a plurality of teeth 93 that are sized , spaced , and shaped to engage the apertures 28 on the tubular body 22 when the tubular body 22 is positioned in the engagement area 91 . with the endplate assemblies at least tentatively affixed to the adjacent vertebral endplates , the tubular body 22 can rotate as the tooth section 86 is rotated . furthermore , the positioning mechanism 90 and the arrangement of the apertures 28 can minimize any translation of the tubular body 22 , ensuring that the next tooth 93 easily locates and engages the next aperture 28 , to thereby maintain the rotation . in the present embodiment , the teeth 93 are radially arranged on the tooth section 86 in a gear - like configuration . in other embodiments , a toothed belt or another gripping mechanism can be used to drive the rotation of the tubular body 22 . referring more specifically to fig5 , in some embodiments , the positioning mechanism 90 is shaped more like a “ c .” in these embodiments , the positioning mechanism 90 also helps to prevent the engager 58 from accidentally disengaging from the replacement assembly 20 . in one embodiment , the opposing arc portions 92 a , 92 b are selectively pivotable about pins 94 a and 94 b with friction keeping the arc portions 92 a , 92 b either open or closed . in the open position , the tubular body 22 can be positioned in or removed from the engagement area 91 . in the closed position , the arc portions 92 a and 92 b aid in keeping the positioning mechanism 90 engaged to the tubular body 22 while the body rotates . it is understood , that other embodiments may use a clip , a spring , or some other means of engagement to selectively allow the positioning mechanism 90 to remain engaged . in some embodiments , the positioning mechanism 90 may be configured to more securely maintain the desired position of implant assembly 20 . for example , the positioning mechanism 90 may extend laterally along the tubular body 22 to restrain the assembly 20 from pivoting about its longitudinal axis . another example ( e . g . fig6 a and 6 b ) may include a second positioning mechanism 90 extending from the casing 83 in which case the assembly 20 can be held in position by arc positions both above and below the tooth section 86 . referring now to fig1 - 5 , in operation , once the implant assembly 20 is placed in position between the endplates of the two adjacent vertebrae 12 b and 12 c ( as shown in fig1 ), the expander apparatus 50 may be positioned within the surgical area proximate to the implant assembly 20 . it is understood , however , that in some instances the expander apparatus 50 can be used to facilitate the placement of the assembly 20 inside the vertebral column 10 . the expander apparatus 50 is positioned so that the engager 58 is engaged with the tubular body 22 of the implant assembly 20 . specifically , at least one of the teeth 93 may engage one of the apertures 28 . the handle 60 can extend away from the vertebral column 10 , for example , in an anterior surgical approach , the handle may be positioned in the anterior area of the patient , within easy reach of the surgeon . after the expander apparatus is in place , the surgeon can rotate or axially translate the cap member 74 to engage the appropriate gear 72 a , 72 b , 72 c to achieve the desired gear ratio , although it is understood that in some embodiments the selector gear box 70 can be omitted . the surgeon can then turn either the handle 64 or the rotatably movable portion of the handle 64 around the axis of the interior axle 62 to expand ( or contract , if necessary ) the implant assembly 20 . specifically , the rotation of the handle 64 or handle portion is transferred through the gear box 70 to rotate the axle 62 . the axle , in turn , rotates the secondary gear assembly 82 , which rotates the gear section 84 . the rotation of the gear section 84 , causes the fixedly attached tooth section 86 to rotate which , in turn moves the teeth 93 . with the endplate assemblies 24 and 26 held immovably in place by compression of the vertebral endplates , by structural features of the endplate assemblies 24 and 26 , or by mechanical means , the movement of the teeth 93 can cause the tubular body 20 to rotate which may cause the endplate assemblies 24 and 26 to move relative to one another , thereby expanding , contracting , or otherwise adjusting the implant assembly 20 . referring now to fig6 a and 6 b , in this embodiment , a holding instrument 100 may be coupled to the expander apparatus 50 to hold the implant assembly 20 in position during the expansion , all the while minimizing backlash or lateral movement of the assembly 20 . the holding instrument can be attached to the extension section 54 by an attachment device 102 which may include one or more rings 104 configured for fastening to the outer casing 60 . the one or more rings 104 may be fixedly attached to the extension section with one or more fastening mechanisms 106 which can be , for example , screws . in one alternative embodiment , to avoid interference with the interior axle 62 running through the extension section 54 , the fastening mechanisms 106 may engage a protrusion ( not shown ) extending from the outer casing 60 . a plurality of expansion members 108 may connect the attachment device 102 to a pair of alignment arms 110 and 112 . each expansion member 108 may be a rigid bar pivotally connected at one end to the attachment device 102 and at the opposite end to one of the alignment arms 110 or 112 . in alternative embodiments , the expansion member may be a spring , an elastic member , or another mechanism capable of expanding with the alignment arms 110 and 112 as the implant 20 is expanded . an alignment member 114 may further extend between the alignment arms 110 and 112 and may be adjustable to maintain a relatively parallel alignment of the alignment arms . each of the alignment arms 110 and 112 extend toward the engagement area 91 where the ends of each alignment arm 110 and 112 are configured with holding assemblies 116 and 118 , respectively . the holding assemblies 116 and 118 may be arc - shaped to accept the assembly 20 and may further include fasteners 120 for engaging the apertures 40 on the endplate assemblies 24 and 26 to maintain the assembly 20 in a generally rigid vertical position while the assembly 20 is expanded . the fasteners may be , for example , pins , screws , or clamps . in some embodiments , the holding assemblies 116 and 118 may fasten to the endplate assemblies 24 and 26 without engaging the apertures 40 . referring still to fig6 a and 6 b , in operation , once the implant assembly 20 is placed in position between the endplates of the two adjacent vertebrae 12 b and 12 c ( as shown in fig1 ), the expander apparatus 50 with the attached holding instrument 100 may be positioned within the surgical area proximate to the implant assembly 20 . it is understood , however , that in some instances the expander apparatus 50 and holding instrument 100 can be used to facilitate the placement of the assembly 20 inside the vertebral column 10 . the expander apparatus 50 is positioned so that the engager 58 is engaged with the tubular body 22 of the implant assembly 20 . specifically , at least one of the teeth 93 may engage one of the apertures 28 . to further secure the implant assembly 20 , the pins 120 may be engaged with the apertures 40 on the endplate assemblies 24 and 26 . the handle 60 can extend away from the vertebral column 10 , for example , in an anterior surgical approach , the handle may be positioned in the anterior area of the patient , within easy reach of the surgeon . after the expander apparatus is in place , the surgeon can rotate or axially translate the cap member 74 to engage the appropriate gear 72 a , 72 b , 72 c to achieve the desired gear ratio . it is understood that in some embodiments the selector gear box 70 can be omitted . the surgeon can then rotate either the handle 64 or the rotatably movable portion of the handle 64 along the axis of the interior axle 62 to expand ( or contract , if necessary ) the implant assembly 20 . specifically , the rotation of the handle 64 or handle portion is transferred through the gear box 70 to rotate the axle 62 . the axle , in turn , rotates the secondary gear assembly 82 , which rotates the gear section 84 . the rotation of the gear section 84 , causes the fixedly attached tooth section 86 to rotate which , in turn moves the teeth 93 . with the endplate assemblies 24 and 26 held immovably in place by the holding instrument 100 , the movement of the teeth 93 can cause the tubular body 20 to rotate , which in turn can cause the endplate assemblies 24 and 26 to move relative to one another , thereby expanding ( or contracting , if necessary ) the implant assembly 20 . as the implant assembly 20 expands , the expansion members 108 may pivot to allow the alignment arms 110 and 112 to move apart while remaining in relatively parallel alignment . as the alignment arms 110 and 112 move , the alignment member 114 may adjust to further preserve the parallel alignment of the alignment arms 110 and 112 . after the implant assembly 20 has attained the desired height , the pins may be removed from the apertures 40 , disconnecting the holding instrument 100 from the implant assembly 20 . although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described in detail above , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention . accordingly , all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention . | 0 |
fig1 and 2 show a decoupled , multiple stage positioning system 10 , which , in a preferred embodiment , supports components of a laser processing system through which a laser beam propagates for incidence on a target specimen . positioning system 10 includes a dimensionally stable substrate 12 made of a stone slab , preferably formed of granite , or a slab of ceramic material , cast iron , or polymer composite material such as anocast ™. substrate 12 has a first or upper flat major surface 14 and a second or lower flat major surface 16 that has a stepped recess 18 . major surfaces 14 and 16 include surface portions that are plane parallel to each other and conditioned to exhibit flatness and parallelism within about a ten micron tolerance . a surface portion of upper major surface 14 and a first guide track assembly 20 are coupled to guide movement of a laser optics assembly stage 22 along a first axis , and a surface portion of lower major surface 16 and a second guide track assembly 24 are coupled to guide movement of a specimen stage 26 along a second axis that is transverse to the first axis . optics assembly stage 22 supports a laser beam focal region control subsystem 28 , which includes a scan lens 30 that depends downwardly below lower major surface 16 of substrate 12 . specimen stage 26 supports a specimen - holding chuck 32 . the guided motions of stages 22 and 26 move scan lens 30 relative to laser beam processing locations on a surface of a specimen ( not shown ) held by chuck 32 . in a preferred implementation , substrate 12 is set in place so that major surfaces 14 and 16 define spaced - apart horizontal planes and guide track assemblies 20 and 24 are positioned so that the first and second axes are perpendicular to each other and thereby define respective y - and x - axes . this split axis architecture decouples motion along the x - and y - axes , simplifying control of positioning the laser beam and chuck 32 , with fewer degrees of freedom allowed . fig3 shows in detail optics assembly stage 22 , which operates with first guide track assembly 20 shown in fig2 . first guide track assembly 20 includes two spaced - apart guide rails 40 secured to support portions of upper major surface 14 and two u - shaped guide blocks 42 supported on a bottom surface 44 of optics assembly stage 22 . each one of guide blocks 42 fits over and slides along a corresponding one of rails 40 in response to an applied motive force . each rail guide 40 — guide block 42 pair of first guide track assembly 20 shown in fig2 is a rolling element bearing assembly . a motor drive for optics assembly stage 22 includes a linear motor 46 that is mounted on upper major surface 14 and along the length of each guide rail 40 . linear motor 46 imparts the motive force to propel its corresponding guide block 42 for sliding movement along its corresponding guide rail 40 . each linear motor 46 includes a u - channel magnet track 48 that holds spaced - apart linear arrays of multiple magnets 50 arranged along the length of guide rail 40 . a forcer coil assembly 52 positioned between the linear arrays of magnets 50 is connected to bottom surface 44 of optics assembly stage 22 and constitutes the movable member of linear motor 46 that moves optics assembly stage 22 . a suitable linear motor 46 is a model mth480 , available from aerotech , inc ., pittsburgh , pa . a pair of encoder heads 60 secured to bottom surface 44 of optics assembly stage 22 and positioned adjacent different ones of guide blocks 42 includes position sensors that measure yaw angle and distance traveled of optics assembly stage 22 . placement of the position sensors in proximity to guide rails 40 , guide blocks 42 , and linear motors 46 driving each of stages 22 and 26 ensures efficient , closed - loop feedback control with minimal resonance effects . a pair of stop members 62 limits the travel distance of guide blocks 42 in response to limit switches included in encoder heads 60 that are tripped by a magnet ( not shown ) attached to substrate 12 . a pair of dashpots 64 dampen and stop the motion of optics assembly stage 22 to prevent it from overtravel movement off of guide rails 40 . an oval slot 66 formed in substrate 12 between and along the lengths of guide rails 40 provides an opening within which scan lens 30 can travel as optics assembly stage 22 moves along guide rails 40 . a pair of through holes 68 formed in the region of stepped recess 18 in substrate 12 provides operator service access from upper surface 14 to encoder heads 60 to maintain their alignment . processing equipment mounted to optics assembly stage 22 in fig3 comprising laser beam control subsystem 28 includes an air bearing assembly 202 , a lens forcer assembly 210 , and a yoke assembly 212 . elements of yoke assembly 212 , forming a supporting structure for the processing equipment , and therefore prominently evident in fig1 , 2 , 3 , 8 , and 9 , include a voice coil bridge 236 , side members 238 , uprights 240 , yoke side plates 300 , and a yoke mount 310 . visible components of the processing equipment thus supported include an encoder 328 and a beam deflection device 346 . a detailed description of preferred optical processing equipment is set forth in copending u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 676 , 937 , of which the present patent application is a continuation - in - part . fig4 shows in detail specimen stage 26 in operative association with second guide track assembly 24 of fig2 . second guide track assembly 24 includes guide rails , u - shaped guide blocks , linear motors , u - channel magnet tracks , magnets , forcer coil assemblies , and encoder heads that correspond to and are identified by the same reference numerals as those described above in connection with first guide track assembly 20 . linear motors 46 and the components of and components supported by second guide track assembly 24 are mounted on a surface 70 of a specimen stage bed 72 . the mechanical arrangement of stages 22 and 26 and motors 46 results in reduced pitch and roll of stages 22 and 26 , and enhances accuracy of high velocity motion . symmetric placement of motors 46 on opposite sides of stages 22 and 26 improves control of yaw . the placement of motors 46 along the sides of stages 22 and 26 , as opposed to underneath them , minimizes thermal disturbance of critical components and position sensors . second guide track assembly 24 and specimen stage 26 supporting chuck 32 fits into and is secured within stepped recess 18 . surface 70 of specimen stage bed 72 is secured against a surface portion 74 of lower major surface 16 adjacent the wider , lower portion of stepped recess 18 , and chuck 32 is positioned below the innermost portion of stepped recess 18 of lower major surface 16 and moves beneath it in response to the motive force imparted by linear motors 46 moving specimen stage 26 along second guide track assembly 24 . a pair of stop members 76 limits the travel distance of guide blocks 42 in response to limit switches included in encoder heads 60 that are tripped by a magnet ( not shown ) attached to substrate 12 . a pair of dashpots 78 dampen and stop the motion of specimen stage 26 to prevent it from overtravel movement off of guide rails 40 . laser optics assembly stage 22 has an opening 200 that receives control subsystem 28 , which includes an air bearing assembly 202 containing scan lens 30 . control subsystem 28 controls the axial position of a laser beam focal region formed by scan lens 30 as the laser beam propagates generally along a beam axis 206 , which is the optic axis of scan lens 30 , and through scan lens 30 for incidence on a work surface of a target specimen supported on specimen stage 26 . the following description is directed to a specimen inspection stage and stage - coupling apparatus shown in fig5 - 9 . the inspection equipment along with its stage is an optional sub - assembly that can be included in , but is not required by , the overall wafer processing system . fig5 shows the back end of a preferred specimen inspection stage 400 to which inspection equipment and three coupling devices are mounted . specimen inspection stage 400 rests parked at its home position located at the end of its travel along guide rails 40 , at the edge of substrate 12 . specimen inspection stage 400 includes a monolithic aluminum carriage 404 that has four buttresses 406 forming a support structure to stabilize inspection equipment 408 being transported . inspection equipment 408 includes a microscope 410 and a specialized camera 412 mounted at the upper end of a microscope column 414 . in this embodiment , microscope 410 includes a 6 . 5 × ultra zoom lens 415 and two objective lenses 416 with motorized zoom and focus adjustment control ( fig6 ). a suitable ultra - zoom lens 415 and suitable objective lenses 416 are , respectively , part nos . 1 - 62638 and 1 - 60228 , both available from navitar , inc ., rochester , n . y . a suitable digital microscope camera 412 is a model no . flea - hicol - cs , available from point grey research , vancouver , british columbia . three guided cylinder blocks are attached to specimen inspection stage 400 , and they include two guided cylinder blocks 418 positioned on either side , and a guided cylinder block 420 positioned at the rear , of specimen inspection stage 400 . guided cylinder block 420 , located at the rear , locks specimen inspection stage 400 into its home position via a v - groove mount 422 , which is bolted to the surface of substrate 12 . guided cylinder blocks 418 , located at the sides of specimen inspection stage 400 , attach inspection stage 400 to a specimen processing and transporting stage , which , in this embodiment , is optical assembly stage 22 ( fig8 ). suitable guided cylinder blocks 418 and 420 are each a part no . sgdaq - 12x20 ze 155a1 , available from koganei corporation , kalamazoo , mich . each of guided cylinder blocks 418 and 420 houses a central pneumatic cylinder 424 and two guide rods 425 fitted in guide bushing assemblies . pneumatic cylinder 424 and guide rods 425 extend and retract as a unit into and out of the housing , along the z - axis . pneumatic cylinder 424 is attached to a lower actuation plate 426 , the underside of which is fitted with an adaptor 428 . fig6 presents an enlarged view of guided cylinder blocks 418 , each of which functions as a component of a coupling device 429 that releasably couples inspection stage 400 to optical assembly stage 22 . each coupling device 429 employs a kinematic mount to ensure repeatable positioning . adaptor 428 bonds actuation plate 426 to a hemispherical coupler 430 , which fits snugly into v - groove 432 when cylinders 424 are lowered . the vertical cylinder position is sensed by a photodetector 434 when a flag 436 that extends along the y - axis intercepts a light beam ( not shown ) that propagates along the x - axis , as defined by the coordinate system in the diagram . the light beam propagates from a light source 438 mounted inside the front of photodetector 434 to a sensor 440 mounted inside the back of photodetector 434 . interruption of the light beam by flag 436 indicates that specimen inspection stage 400 is coupled to optical assembly stage 22 . a flange 442 extending from a v - groove member 444 is bolted to , and thereby causes specimen inspection stage 400 to move in response to movement of , optical assembly stage 22 when they are coupled . when coupling is complete , u - shaped guide block 42 associated with optical assembly stage 22 is positioned adjacent to u - shaped guide block 42 associated with specimen inspection stage 400 , so that both stages glide together along fixed guide rail 40 . an l - shaped bracket 446 bolted to stage 400 opposite adaptor 428 serves as a mounting surface for guided cylinder blocks 418 . fig7 shows a mechanism providing vertical travel for inspection equipment assembly 408 . microscope 410 features internal led coaxial illumination that enables use of camera 412 . to dissipate energy , the leds require a large heat sink 448 , which is shown mounted to the front of microscope column 414 . the back of microscope column 414 is attached to a paddle - shaped bracket 450 , which is in turn attached to linear motor - driven cross - roller stage 452 , such as part no . prc43al0025c d3 h2 l1e7 , available from primatics , inc ., tangent , oreg . cross - roller stage 452 raises and lowers microscope 410 along the z - axis . this z - axis motion is counter - balanced by compression springs 454 ( only one shown ) that are contained in a compression spring housing 456 having slots 457 into which the free ends of a u - shaped spring bar 458 are inserted to constrain its movement . compression springs 454 resist motion by pushing upward against u - shaped spring bar 458 , which is attached to cross - roller stage 452 . counter - balancing the mass of cross roller stage 452 aids in positioning and establishing a rest position for cross roller stage 452 , and thereby prevents microscope 410 from striking specimen inspection stage 400 in the event of a power failure . a harness connector 460 mounted on the top end of cross - roller stage 452 receives at one end a cable terminator 462 . cable terminator 462 indicates where power supply and data transmission wiring that feeds inspection equipment 408 plugs into harness connector 460 . fig8 shows specimen inspection stage 400 coupled to optical assembly stage 22 , which accommodates inspection equipment 408 via a rectangular cutout 464 . fig9 shows a similar view to that of fig8 , with laser beam focal region control subsystem 28 in place . it will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many changes may be made to the details of the above - described embodiments without departing from the underlying principles of the invention . the scope of the present invention should , therefore , be determined only by the following claims . | 1 |
referring to fig1 , the system of the present invention comprises a network control center 10 a plurality of primary servers 20 media servers 30 users 40 and control servers 50 and an administration server 60 the servers are interconnected by a communications network , which in the preferred embodiment is the global connected internetwork known as the internet . the network control center 10 is the source of the information being distributed . it receives audio feeds from satellite , over the air broadcast or in other ways and processes this information for delivery over the network on multiple channels of information . this processing consists of optionally recording the information for future broadcast and dynamically inserting paid commercial advertisements . for each channel of information , there is a primary server 20 that receives the stream of information from the network control center 10 and compresses the information stream to allow for more efficient transmission . the primary servers 20 are directly connected to the network . the primary servers forward information via the network to a number of media servers 30 there may be a large number of media servers and in fact there may be many levels of media servers . for example , a media server that receives a stream of information from a primary server may forward that stream via the network to another media server that then forwards it to a user 40 this multilevel hierarchical structure is described in more detail below . the topology of the internet dictates the ideal placement of media servers , the fan - out of each media server and the number of levels of media servers between the primary server and users . for example , the media servers that feed from a primary server might be placed at major points of presence ( pops ) of each of the large internet service providers . these media servers might also be placed near clouds that serve as high bandwidth exchange points between the major carriers . similarly , media servers that feed to users might be placed on or close to networks that have a large number of subscribers to minimize the distance and number of data streams being transmitted . control servers 50 are responsible for keeping track of which users are listening to which channels and for directing the media servers to start and stop streams of information to those users . the control servers are also responsible for handling other interactions among the various components of the system as will be described in more detail below . each control server is responsible for managing a cluster of media servers ; and each media server is managed by a single control server at any given time . as a result , the control servers are distributed throughout the internet , preferably located close to the media servers . the administration server 60 is responsible for registering new users , authenticating users who want to log onto the system , and maintaining audit logs for how many users are listening to which channels and at which times . maintaining audit logs and gathering statistics are features critical to monitoring the delivery of paid commercial messages as well as for other purposes . for example , for purposes of assessing copyright royalties , the audit logs can record the number of listeners for each musical or video selection that is distributed by the system . another application is to determine the percentage of listeners who are interested in listening to a particular musical selection by determining how many listen to the entire selection and how many turn it off . the system of the present invention can be considered a distribution architecture integrated with a control architecture . the distribution architecture handles scalable real - time delivery of information to any number of users on a packet switched network , such as the internet . the control architecture represents a second scalable system integrated with the distribution architecture for managing and administering the delivery of that information . the remainder of this description is divided into three sections . in the next section the distribution architecture will be described in more detail . following that , the control architecture will be described . in the third section the user interface will be illustrated . the distribution architecture provides for the delivery of real - time information to any number of users distributed throughout a network . as will be described in detail below , the distribution architecture is scalable to allow for efficient delivery of multiple simultaneous information channels in real - time to a large number of users . in the preferred embodiment , the information that is being distributed consists of high - quality audio in addition to other information . it should be appreciated that the basic architecture and other general principles set forth herein would also apply to the delivery of video , graphics , text or any other type of information that can be delivered over a digital network . in addition , it should be appreciated that an information stream can consist of audio with supplemental information such as text and graphic images and commands to control software running on the user &# 39 ; s computer . the source of information in the preferred embodiment is the network control center 10 depicted in the schematic diagram of fig2 . control centers of this type of design are available from broadcast electronics , inc . and are similar to what would be found in a conventional radio station serving multiple frequencies . referring to fig2 , the incoming signal can be received in a variety of ways such as from a satellite , over - the - air broadcast , cable or hard disk . it is then processed by receiver / decoder 110 , which decodes the signal and provides an incoming audio stream . routing switcher 120 is responsible for routing the incoming audio feed from the receiver to either delay recording workstation 140 or to one of the playback / control workstations 130 . real - time insertion of paid commercial advertising takes place at the playback / control workstations and the resulting integrated audio stream is delivered to the primary servers . the delay recording workstation is responsible for recording an incoming broadcast so that it can be played back at a later time . supervisory workstation 150 is responsible for managing and controlling the playback / control workstations , delay recording workstations and other computers as may be connected to the local area network within the network control center . production workstation 160 and audiovault - nfs server 170 are used to manipulate audio samples , such as commercial messages for use by the playback / control workstations . the audio being delivered can consist of syndicated tv or radio programs , such as would be received over satellite or cable and delivered as described above . these can be delivered live and / or played back at a later time . it is also possible for the delivery of information , such as music , to take place from information that is all stored locally such as on a hard disk . a new play list and its associated music data can then be downloaded periodically to update the channel . additionally , it is possible to deliver commercial - free programming , for example public service announcements or label - specific music . in the preferred embodiment the primary servers are responsible for compressing the audio stream using an advanced perceptual technique developed and licensed by at & amp ; t corp . and lucent technologies , inc . this highly sophisticated algorithm is used to maximize the benefit of the bandwidth available . advantageously , two bitrates are available , a first rate of approximately 20 kbps and a second rate of approximately 56 kbps . using the perceptual technique , the quality of the first rate is similar to fm monaural ( with a sampling rate of approximately 22 , 000 16 - bit samples per second ) and the second rate is close to cd quality stereo ( with a sampling rate of approximately 32 , 000 16 - bit samples in stereo each second ). the signals at the two different bitrates comprise two different audio channels and thus require two different compression processes . the computational requirements of compressing an audio stream in real time using techniques such as the advanced perceptual technique are approximately 100 % of a pentium - pro 200 mhz computer and the computational requirements of decompressing an audio stream in real time are approximately 30 % of a pentium 75 mhz computer . future improvements and / or changes to the algorithm could significantly change these requirements . for the present , a dedicated computer is required within the primary server to compress the audio stream . the decompression process takes place on end users &# 39 ; computers and preferably would use only a portion of the computers &# 39 ; computational requirements , allowing the computers to be used for other tasks while they are processing the audio stream . it is important to appreciate that the compression and decompression techniques employed by the present invention are not critical to the overall operation of the system and the advantages obtained therefrom could be obtained with other compression methodologies . advantageously , the identity of the compression technique used can be encoded into the audio stream in the packet header . this makes it possible to identify to the receiver the nature of the decompression algorithm to use ; and thereby make it possible for the computer within the primary server to select an optimum compression algorithm depending on the nature of the audio stream to be compressed . the remainder of the distribution architecture comprises the multilevel hierarchy of data transmission originating at the primary server 20 and terminating at the users 40 as shown in fig3 . in the preferred embodiment , the network is the global connected internet . it can also include private networks that are connected to the internet and it could be implemented on any packet switched network , cable - modem - based or satellite - based cable system . it is possible that certain links within the overall system , for example , the link between the primary server and the first level of media servers , are private data links that carry only data associated with this system . this could also be true of other data transmission paths in the distribution architecture . the user receiving the information preferably can be anyone who has access to the internet with sufficient bandwidth to receive the resulting audio data . it should be appreciated that the distribution architecture of the present invention provides for scalability . using such a structure , any number of users , and as widely distributed as necessary , can be accommodated . in the preferred embodiment , the fan - out at each level of media server ( given the state of technology today ) is on the order of ten , but the same structure could be applied with other fan - outs . the location and fan - out of the media servers is chosen to minimize overall network bandwidth consumed . the flow of information from primary server 20 through network to user 40 is based on the delivery of a continuous sequence of individual pieces of information , or packets . thus the distribution architecture implements a form of multicast packet delivery to a group . the group in this case is the set of all users who are listening to a given channel at a given time . group membership is dynamic ; users can start and stop listening to a channel at any time . multicasting can be implemented in a variety of ways , any or all of which can be used in the present invention . in the preferred embodiment , the media servers receive unicast packet streams and they then duplicate these streams into more unicast streams to other media servers that are in the membership group for that stream . the lowest level media servers use hardware broadcast , multicast and / or unicast to reach all users served by that media server . if the media server is directly connected to the same physical network as the user , hardware broadcast or multicast can be used to transmit the packet stream to all users listening at that time on that network . in this case the media servers can translate the incoming packets into broadcast or multicast packets for transmission on the local network . only a single packet is transmitted at - a - time on the local network and any computer directly connected to the local network can receive that packet . hardware multicast is built into most networks and it is lower in overall overhead than hardware broadcast since computers not interested in a transmission do not have to process the packets . in the case that a media server is serving a user who is not on the same physical network , a unicast transmission is used to reach that user , which requires a separate packet transmission for each user so connected . in the preferred embodiment , the assignment of users to media servers is done using control transactions among the user 40 control servers 50 and administration server 60 . this system will be described more fully in the following section . multicasting can also be implemented within the internet at the ip level using ip class d addresses and the igmp group control protocol . fig4 illustrates how the multilevel hierarchical distribution architecture would operate using ip multicast delivery . under this system , a packet is transmitted with a multicast address for a destination and each router maintains group membership lists for each interface that it is connected to and will forward packets across the internet to other routers such that all users within the global group eventually receive a copy of the packet . unless and until all routers within the internet understand multicasting in this way , it is necessary to supplement it with ip tunneling in which multicast packets are encapsulated in unicast packets and routed by unicast routers to multicast routers . the present invention can and will be able to take advantage of ip multicasting as it becomes widely available . each channel of information would be given its own class d address and the media server would then simply transmit packets using the appropriate ip destination address . in this case no media servers would be used as this function would be accomplished by the routers in use to store and forward other ip packets . thus it can be appreciated that the implementation of the multicast delivery structure can be implemented using a combination of ip unicast , ip multicast and hardware multicast or any other system that provides for distributed delivery of information to a specific group of destinations . it is expected that special relationships with internet providers will be established so that delivery of the audio steams can take place with a guaranteed bandwidth and in the most efficient way possible . in the preferred embodiment , packets of information for distribution use the udp protocol under ip rather than the tcp protocol . tcp provides for reliable stream delivery but at the cost of retransmission and delays . for real - time information , it is usually more appropriate to use udp since the information is time critical and low latency is more important that reliability . since tcp is a point - to - point protocol , it is incompatible with ip multicasting . however , tcp could be used on the ip unicast links between media servers that are expected to have very low packet loss . in order to handle out of order , lost , duplicate and corrupted packets , the udp packets are serialized . in the preferred embodiment the size of the audio packets being transmitted is variable and can change on a packet by packet basis . it is expected that when using compression schemes that have a fixed bit rate , such as adpcm , all packets for that stream would be the same size . alternatively when using a variable bit rate compression algorithm , it is expected that packet size would vary so as to establish approximately the same amount of time for each sample . for example , if each packet corresponds to a 20 millisecond segment of speech , this could correspond to 100 bytes during one time period and 200 bytes during another . additionally , the media server may choose to dynamically vary the packet size to accommodate changes in network conditions . since the resulting playback of audio information is sensitive to packet loss and network congestion , software running on the various computers that make up this system monitors the ongoing situation and adapt to it in the best possible way . this may involve using different media servers and / or lowering the data rate to the user . for example , similar to analog dynamic signal quality negotiation present in many analog radio receivers , the user software may request a lower bitrate until the situation is improved . also , note that the audio information being delivered to the user is preferably interleaved so that a contiguous segment of the audio stream is distributed for transmission over several packets . as a result , the loss of one packet is spread out over multiple audio samples and causes minimal degradation in audio . advantageously , a small degree of redundancy may be incorporated within the audio stream to further guard against packet loss . preferably , there are two bitrate options available to the user for audio delivery . these are approximately 20 kbps for standard audio and approximately 56 kbps for high quality audio . thus , a 28 . 8 kbps modem connection over an analog phone line is sufficient to listen to standard audio broadcasts . to listen to high quality audio , an isdn connection to the internet is required , or some other connection with greater than 56 kbps bandwidth . it should be appreciated that higher bandwidths are currently becoming available to end users . in particular the use of cable modems and residential fiber networks are enhancing the bandwidths available to users and thus making broadcasts of higher bitrates more practical . in addition to the content of the audio channel being delivered , it is also possible to deliver out of band of side - bar information such as graphics , images and text . this side - bar information is synchronized with the audio channel . this may only involve small increases in bandwidth requirements , such as 1 - 2 kbps . for example a music program could deliver images of an album cover , the text of song lyrics , or urls for use by a web browser . the user can preferably choose to have the side - bar information show up automatically or be hidden . it is also possible to incorporate two - way interaction into the system , such that for example users can participate in a global chat session during the audio broadcast . these and other details are explained in more detail below under the description of the user interface . the delivery of paid commercial advertising information is an important aspect of the present invention . advertising may be incorporated into the audio stream within the network control center as described above . it may also be incorporated into the audio stream at the user level , or at some intermediate point in the distribution architecture . in addition , the side - bar information discussed above can also include advertising content . fig5 illustrates the provision to the user of two separate streams 32 , 34 of packets , one of which may be used for advertising . in this case the insertion of the stream of commercial advertising into the non - commercial stream occurs on the user &# 39 ; s computer . fig5 also illustrates packet stream 36 , which identifies the user to the system . this enables the system to monitor which users are listening to which channels and also allows the system to vary , for example , the advertising content delivered to a user . one advantage of this alternative is to allow targeted commercial delivery based on the individual user . that is , an individual user would receive the main audio feed plus a particular advertising stream unique to his demographic group . note that the advertising stream typically is lower in overall bitrate and generally does not require real - time delivery , thus lowering the overall load on the network . for example , the advertising stream could be delivered to the user in advance of the regular programming , stored in a buffer in the user &# 39 ; s computer and inserted into the stream of regular programming upon receipt of a cueing signal embedded in the stream of regular programming . thus , a substantial number of targeted groups , perhaps 10 or 100 or even more could be accommodated without an impractical increase in network load . the control architecture described in this section is responsible for managing and administering the users who are receiving the information being delivered by the distribution architecture described in the previous section . the control architecture handles new user registration , user login , the starting and stopping of audio streams and the monitoring of ongoing transmissions . the control architecture is scalable just as is the distribution architecture so that any number of users can be managed . this section describes the control protocol , which consists of the format and sequence of control messages that are exchanged among users , control servers , media servers , primary servers and the administration server . these messages are in the form of objects that have specific data formats . objects are exchanged preferably using the tcp protocol although other options are possible . below we describe the sequence of objects passed among the various computers and detail the internal structure of each object . the major objects used in the present embodiment of the invention are set forth in table 1 for each object , table 1 provides a brief description of its function , identification of the names of the fields in the object , their types and a brief description of their function . unlike traditional protocols based on state computers , the control protocol of the present invention is a light - weight , stateless protocol comprising simple sequences of objects . it is light - weight in that in most sequences only two objects are involved in the transaction and after a sequence is completed the connection can be reused . it is also stateless in that the server maintains no information about the client . every transaction is handled independently of the previous ones . states exist in the lower levels , for example within the tcp layer , to express logical states of a network connection but they are not actually part of the control protocol . in the preferred embodiment , the software running on the control servers , media servers and primary servers is programmed for windows nt and unix environment using the ole environment . in addition , com interfaces are used between components . the rogue wave system is used to transfer objects between the applications running on the various computers . the software running on the user computer is preferably programmed for a windows 32 - bit environment , so it will run on a windows 95 or windows nt computer . alternatively , macintosh and unix environments can be accommodated by other user software . the basic process of a control transaction consists of a version sequence followed by one or more protocol sequences . the version sequence starts after the computer initiating the transaction , the client , has established a connection with the computer completing the transaction , the server . the client sends a version object ( defined in table 1 ) and in response the server then sends back its own version object . this version sequence is used so that both client and server are aware of the version numbers of the software they are using . if a version number is older than expected , either client or server can choose to conform to the previous version or abort the transaction , depending on its needs and capabilities . if a version number is newer than expected , in most cases the current transaction can be completed since the software systems are designed to be fully backward compatible with previous versions . additionally , in the case that the server of the transaction is the administration server , the client receives information about what the latest version number is and thus the client can be informed that a software update is needed . the process of handling automatic updating of user software is described more fully below . after the version sequence , one or more protocol sequences occur in which other objects are exchanged between client and server . when a particular protocol sequence is completed , another independent protocol sequence can be serviced . the protocol sequences that are part of the control architecture of the present invention are summarized in table 2 and described below in conjunction with fig6 - 17 the user registration and login sequences are the processes by which a new user registers with the system , logs in and retrieves programming information . the channel play sequence takes place when a user asks to listen to a particular channel . the token validation sequence is used to verify that a computer requesting a service is authorized to do so . the server registration , login and activation sequences are used by control and media servers when they become active . the control server and media server activation sequences are used to manage the control and media servers . the control channel , media channel and distribution activation sequences are used to cause a channel to be distributed to a media server . finally , the statistics request is used for administrative purposes . fig6 illustrates the user registration and login sequence in more detail . this sequence takes place after the user has installed the user software on his / her computer . it is expected that the user will download the software from the internet and then invoke it , which in the preferred embodiment will use the windows wizard interface . this will guide the user through the installation process including filling out the registration form , which we will describe more fully in the next section . after the user has selected a name and password and selected the option to register , the user computer opens a tcp connection to the administration server . advantageously , the full domain name of the administration server is embedded into the user software , although it could be discovered in other ways . the user and administration server then exchange version objects with the administration server as described above . if the version numbers meet expectations , the user sends a user object to the administration server . the format of the user object is shown in table 1 . once the administration server receives the user object , it verifies that the information is filled in properly and that the selected user name is unique . if the user object is invalid for any reason , the administration server returns a result message object with a code indicating the reason . the format of the result message object is shown in table 1 . if the user information is valid , the administration server updates the global database of user names and passwords and then generates a security token for that user . this security token is then returned to the user in a result message object . upon receiving the result message object , the user saves the security token for future use . this token is an identifier that allows the user to request services from the administration server and other computers within the overall system . the security token is not saved permanently or registered on the user computer . normally , the user software then immediately sends a channel guide request object to the administration server and a channel guide object is returned . the format of these objects is also shown in table 1 . note that in principle , this is a separate transaction and could take place in a separate tcp connection to the administration server . in particular , once the user has registered and logged in , he / she can request the channel guide object again since it may have been updated since the previous request . at this point the tcp connection to the administration server is closed . the process of user registration only needs to take place once for each user . however anyone can re - register at any time , even after the software has been installed . in particular , it is expected that if multiple persons use a computer , each person will register and obtain his / her own user name and password . if the registration process is not completed successfully , the user software saves the registration information and asks the user if they would like to try again the next time the software is invoked . since the security token is not permanently saved by the user software , it is lost when the user software is closed , and the security token must again be retrieved from the administration server the next time the user wants to use the system . this process is the purpose of the login sequence illustrated in fig7 . this sequence is used if a user has already registered and needs only to retrieve a valid security token . in this case the sequence consists of the user &# 39 ; s sending a login information object to the administration server . the administration server then queries the user database to validate the login name and password . if the login name and password are correct , then a security token is returned to the user . normally the receipt of the security token will immediately be followed by a channel information request sequence , just as in the registration sequence described previously . the control sequence that takes place when a user initiates a channel play operation is illustrated in fig8 a , 8 b and 8 c . first the user software requests a control server list from the administration server . note that the server list request object , illustrated in table 1 contains a channel identifier . the administration server generates a sorted list of control servers based on overall system load and the location of the user on the network and returns this list to the user using a protocol list object . once the control server list is returned to the user , the administration server is no longer needed and the tcp connection is closed . the user software then searches the list of control servers and opens a tcp connection to the first host listed . if that host computer does not respond , then the next control server on the list is tested and so forth in succession . upon obtaining a response from a control server , the user software uses a server list request object to request a media server list from the control server . if the control server is too busy to service the user , it returns a result message object so indicating and the user software tries the next control server on the list . however , in the likely scenario that the control server is able to handle the user &# 39 ; s request , a sorted list of media servers is generated and returned to the user computer using a protocol list object . the tcp connection to the control server is then closed by the user software . at this point the user software initiates a tcp connection to the first media server on the list provided by the control server . as in the previous case , it attempts to connect to the first host on the list and if unsuccessful tries the next hosts in succession . once the version objects are exchanged , the user software sends an mci request object to the media server . an mci request object can be used for four basic commands : open , play , stop and close . the user software must first send an open command for the desired channel . if the returned result message object indicates success , the user software then sends a play command . when the media server receives a valid play command , it initiates the delivery of audio information to the user as described in the previous section . note that this could be in the form of broadcast , multicast or unicast packets to a specific udp port . the tcp connection through which the mci request objects were sent stays open during the audio play operation . in addition , ping objects are sent to the user on a periodic basis to verify that the computer is still working and active . when the user software receives a ping object , it simply returns it . the media server uses the ping objects to measure round trip time and also to determine when a user &# 39 ; s computer has terminated abnormally . in that case the audio stream is terminated . in the case of normal termination of the audio stream , the user makes an explicit selection to stop and this causes a stop command to be sent to the media server in an mci request object . the media server then terminates the audio stream to that user . when the user closes the application software or selects another channel to play , the user software will send a close command to the media server in an mci request object and the tcp connection is closed . the initiation of the audio stream by the media server causes a log entry to be generated and sent to the administration server . this information is important so that the administration server can update its database to indicate which users are listening to which channels . the security token is used to identify the user initiating the audio stream . additionally , when the audio stream is terminated to any user , another log message is generated and sent to the administration server . fig9 a illustrates the process by which security tokens are validated . the administration server is the only server that can validate a security token . thus , when a user requests services from a control server or from a media server , that server must go back to the administration server with a token validation sequence . however , control servers and media servers are allowed to cache validations of security tokens so that they do not have to validate tokens repeatedly once they have validated it the first time . in the case where a media server receives a request , the token will be validated with the control server that is managing that media server . fig9 b identifies the various token validation scenarios . fig1 illustrates the process by which a new server is registered . this process is similar to new user registration . it is expected , however , that the server installation will be through a web interface rather than a wizard . the administration server , upon receiving a user object from a media server or control server , validates the user name and password and generates a security token just as in the case of user registration . normally the server then immediately sends back a server activation object indicating that it is ready to be used as a system resource . once this process has been completed , the tcp connection to the administration server is closed . if a media server or control server that has sent a server activation object to the administration server becomes inactive , it will send another server activation object indicating this condition . in the case of a media server , this object is sent to the managing control server . in the case of a control server , this object sent to the administration server . as in the case of user registration , media server and control server registration needs only take place once per computer . however , if the computer is restarted , the server must login and again retrieve a security token . this is the server login and activation sequence shown in fig1 . once a control server has indicated to the administration server that it is ready , the administration server can activate that control server by sending the control server a server activation object as illustrated in fig1 . this is a separate transaction and is used to tell the control server which media servers it is supposed to manage . recall that a control server and a number of media servers form a cluster of media servers . the single control server that manages that cluster must be given a list of host computers corresponding to the media servers in that cluster . the process by which a control server activates the media servers that it manages is illustrated in fig1 . the control server sends a server activation object to the media server indicating that it is responsible for channel management . this tcp connection between the control server and the media server stays open during the time that both servers are active . the control server periodically sends ping objects to the media server across this open tcp connection to verify that the media server is still running . fig1 illustrates the process by which a given channel is activated by the administration server . the administration server opens a connection to a control server that its wishes to have carry a given channel and provide a channel activation object . this object indicates to the control server the media or primary server from which the control server should direct its media servers to get the feed . at this point the control server is said to be carrying that channel and it will be a valid host on a list of control servers requested by a channel play sequence . fig1 illustrates what happens when a control server needs to provide a channel . first it sends a channel activation object to one of the media servers that it manages across the open tcp connection described previously . this object indicates to the media server that it should start receiving the channel identified and from where it should receive it . in fig1 a and 16b depict how the media server requests distribution of an audio channel from another media server or from a primary server . this sequence is much the same as that in which a user requests the distribution of audio information from a media server . note that a media server receives a single incoming stream for each channel that it is carrying and then redistributes this stream to all users or other media servers that request it . finally , fig1 illustrates the statistics request sequence . this sequence is used by the administration server to gather information from the media servers and control servers in order to manage the overall system . it can use this information to detect failures and to balance load as the dynamic conditions change . as indicated above , it can also use this information to monitor which users are listening to which channel or whether users stop listening to a channel at any time , such as during the play of a particular song . it can also use this information to control the advertising content that is downloaded to a particular user in advance of receipt of regular audio programming and / or monitor the delivery of advertising to the users . the control architecture described in this section is scalable to handle any number of users . note that the user registration process only happens once for each subscriber and the login process only happens once per session . these interactions , which require the administration server , are expected to constitute a very small percentage of the overall system bandwidth . if the administration server were to become a bottleneck , however , it would be possible to duplicate it and to have the database it maintains distributed and automatically updated to guarantee consistency . the control servers are distributed throughout the network and can handle the lower level interactions with the users and the media servers . a single control server can handle preferably on the order of ten media servers up to several hundred users . the bitrate among the users , the control servers and the media servers is expected to be small in comparison to the audio transmission bitrate . the ping objects normally only involve the user and the nearest media server . they are also low in overhead since they are small and only get transmitted infrequently . the user interface is provided by the client application running on an individual computer and its associated graphical interface . in the preferred embodiment the user interface is available for 32 - bit windows ( 95 and nt ), macintosh and unix platforms . preferably anyone on the internet can freely download a copy of the client software and install it in their computer . fig1 illustrates the main user screen in the preferred embodiment . the screen is composed of three sections : channel guide ( upper left frame ), program guide ( upper right frame ), and multimedia frame ( lower half of screen ). the channel guide lists , as a tree hierarchy , the channels that are available from the system . the user selects a channel from the list of those displayed on the channel guide . the program guide provides information pertaining to the channel selected . this information can be a detailed schedule of the programming that has played or will be playing on the channel selected . additionally , other relevant information will be displayed in this frame , for example , a notice regarding an upcoming special event on another channel . the multimedia frame provides an integrated web browser that displays information via a series of tabbed sections . the information contained in the channel guide , program guide , and the tabs of the multimedia frame is dynamically transmitted to the client . for example , if a new channel begins operation , the client application can immediately display it as being available . furthermore , the tabs displayed can be specifically relevant depending on what song is playing . for example , tabs displaying the album cover , information on the artist , song lyrics , tour dates can be displayed . additionally , as shown in the example in fig1 , a tab can be available allowing the user to place an order for the cd or allowing the user to participate in a chat session related to the channel . fig1 illustrates the key pull - down menus available in the main user screen in the preferred embodiment . table 3 provides a description of each of the functions available through the pull down menus , as shown in fig1 . as will be apparent to those skilled in the art , numerous modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
referring now to fig1 , a schematic diagram of an apparatus for producing co - registerable images is shown . an imaging sensor system 100 images , in two different spectral bands , a light beam traveling on a light path 102 from a target 104 . in one embodiment , the sensor system 100 includes an imaging sensor 105 to image light with a spectral responsivity that encompasses the two transmitted spectral bands , an objective lens 106 of convenient arrangement capable of imaging the object or target 104 , and an intervening pair of optical elements comprising one dichroic reflecting element 108 and one fully reflecting element 110 . the system 100 generates two independent beams 112 , 114 which may in turn be selectively filtered by additional absorbing filters 116 , 118 placed in the beam path between the two plane optical elements 108 , 110 and the objective lens 106 in front of the detecting focal plane array 105 . it is understood that the objective lens 106 may actually comprise a combination of mirrors and optics , rather than a single objective lens . the two plane optical elements 108 , 110 present two beams 112 , 114 to the detecting focal plane array 105 at two different locations 120 , 122 on the focal plane array 105 , yet each sub - beam 112 , 114 contains substantially identical spatial information regarding the object 104 . because the two beams 112 , 114 do not overlap on a single optical element , they may be independently modified by intervening optical elements 116 , 118 to alter the transmitted polarization or band of wavelengths transmitted in each sub - beam 112 , 114 . the system 100 may be used to image meat carcasses , fugitive gas emissions , and other surfaces where a single fused image containing two or more wavelengths provides useful analytical information . in one embodiment , the present disclosure relates to a modification of the fore - optics of an imaging camera system 100 for purposes of multispectral imaging . multispectral imaging may be used to infer information from a viewed scene due to spectral or related optical parameters that may provide information about the scene . for example , if a scene contains a fugitive gas , as might be obtained from a smoke stack , gas pipeline , or refinery , such gas may have a characteristic spectral absorption in the mid wavelength infrared red ( mwir ). when an image of the scene is obtained using wavelengths outside of , but spectrally near to , this spectral range absorbed by the analyte gas and is compared with an equivalent image obtained using a band of wavelengths covering primarily those wavelengths absorbed by the analyte gas , a comparison of those two images will reveal information about the fugitive gas . if the two images obtained as described above are co - registered , the local spatial information related to background clutter will be substantially identical in the two images . this is because the typical field of view is radiating in the mwir with an intensity dependent on the surface temperature and emissivity of the objects in the field of view and the background temperature . the emission spectrum of such objects in a typical field is , in general , somewhat featureless . thus , a specific anomaly in the field such as a fugitive gas which has a narrow absorption spectrum against this broad spectral background may be inferred by differential image comparison . while fugitive gases may be inferred this way through mwir imaging , soil surface disturbance resulting in surface emissivity changes may also be inferred . in addition , differential comparisons in the visible and near uv spectral ranges may also be used to determine local mineral composition , contamination of food surfaces , chemical contamination of surfaces and other anomalies , commonly observed by multispectral imaging techniques . the systems and methods of the present disclosure may be applied to imaging cameras in the uv , visible and mwir spectral regions . the systems and methods of the present disclosure may present optical data to the detecting focal plane array present in a video and / or single frame camera a pair of images which may be co - registered . the pair of images may be subjected to differing spectral separation methods . one application of such a multi - spectral system involves video rate imaging . furthermore , the imaging system is typically scanned across the field . since the anomalies will be typically determined by mathematical subtraction of one image from the other , failures in the co - registration may result in an anomaly associated with the spatial referencing background . this may appear equivalent in spectral signature to the analyte . for these and other reasons , previous stereoscopic imaging systems will not suffice for these multi - spectral analysis operations . this is owing in part to the fact that , by design , these prior systems present a pair of images to the detector focal plane array which contain a substantial amount of parallax generated differentiation ( from which the stereoscopic perspective is inferred ). the present disclosure provides an arrangement which permits spectral and optical modification of two sub - beams 112 , 114 , yet presents both sub - beams to the focal plane array 105 with substantially eliminated parallax error between the two presented images . the present disclosure provides an optical arrangement which may be placed between the objective lens and the object for any imaging system , thereby producing on the detecting elements of the imaging system a pair of images that are substantially identical . as used here , a “ spectral band ” refers to a limited range of wavelengths . in accordance with the present disclosure , an imaging system images in two different spectral bands a light beam traveling on a light path from a target . the imaging system may consist of a focal plane array receiving a transmitted beam from an objective lens arrangement . preceding the lens arrangement , a preceding fore - optics may be used to generate two sub - beams which are imaged into two different and independent locations at the sensor located at the focal plane of the objective lens . referring now to fig1 , in operation of the system 100 , the primary beam 102 from the subject 104 impinges first on a dichroic filter element 108 . this element transmits light in the transmission band which is defined by the nature of the dichroic spectral response at the angle of incidence of the primary beam . in the example displayed , the dichroic element would reflect 95 % of the incident light within the spectral band required for sub - beam 112 . the remainder of the primary beam 102 is transmitted to reflecting element 110 . the first dichroic element 108 and the second reflecting element 110 are separated by a distance in the axis of the incoming primary beam 104 sufficient that the reflected beams 112 , 114 from each element 108 , 110 arrive at different and non - overlapping regions of the surface of the primary objective lens 106 . note that in the present system , the second sub - beam 114 is not retransmitted back through the first dichroic element 108 . because the two sub - beams 112 , 114 are spatially distinct prior to being transmitted through the objective lens element ( s ), each may be optically modified with polarizers or absorbing filters 116 , 118 for purposes of further enhancing the spectral differences between the two sub - beams 112 , 114 . the filters 116 , 118 may also be combinations of narrow band pass filters , polarizers , or other devices . both the dichroic element 108 and the reflecting element 110 are not necessarily at exactly 45 degrees to the axis of the incoming primary beam 102 . by slight angular deviation , the individual sub - beams are then directed through the objective lens 106 in a manner that enables spatial separation of the two images on the focal plane array 105 . one result of this arrangement of elements is the avoidance of a preliminary set of optics that might otherwise be required so as to form an intermediate image . the intermediate image would then be re - imaged by intermediate optics so as to form a collimated beam , which is then subsequently divided into separate beams for individual presentation to the imaging sensor . thus , the present disclosure provides an optical arrangement that may be appended to an imaging system such that the imaging system may be presented with two nearly co - registerable images which may be optically or spectrally modified , depending on the application . the dichroic reflector 108 may have a prescribed bandwidth of wavelengths that is reflected with an efficiency ranging from 5 % to 95 %, and transmits the remaining spectral range of the incident primary beam 102 . the second optical element 110 may comprise a reflecting mirror , or a second dichroic reflecting element that reflects the second sub - beam into the common objective element . the first optical element and second optical element may be deviated from the normal to the primary beam optical axis by an amount sufficient to produce two spatially distinct images on the focal plane of the detecting system . the first and second optical elements may be arranged such that that the second sub - beam reflected from the second optical element is not transmitted through the first optical element . the imaging sensor 105 may be a single common imaging sensor that images the light of the two different spectral bands . in one embodiment , a preceding arrangement of mirrors or prisms may be used to rotate the primary beam by 90 degrees with respect to the optical axis , thus presenting a pair of vertical images to the sensing focal plane array rather than a pair of horizontal displaced images to the sensing focal plane array . as described , optical modifiers 116 , 118 may be placed between the first and / or the second optical element and the objective lens for purposes of spectral or polarization modification of the respective sub - beams . the optical modifier for each sub beam may be a combination of narrow bandpass filters , polarizers , or other devices . it can be appreciated that if the two images may be exactly co - registered , then the dual optical paths may be independently modified by optical filters ( diffractive , refractive , reflective , or absorptive ), thus presenting to the fpa 105 a pair of images which convey the same spatial information but with differing spectral information . this may be useful for dynamic multispectral imaging . such an imaging sensor may find use in inflight missile recognition , chemical weapons detection , food contamination ( such as examination of meat for contamination ), fugitive gas emission for refineries and chemical plants , house fumigation measurement , and first responder to chemical spills use . in some embodiments , the field of view is limited only by the parameters of the collection optic 106 . one embodiment will provide a zoomed optical arrangement . following the first beam splitter 108 , the two independent beams of light 112 , 114 may each be independently modified by the insertion of absorbing , reflecting , refracting or diffracting elements which in turn may be fixed or dynamically varying in bandwidth and / or transmission band . referring now to fig2 , a perspective view of a portion of an exemplary implementation of the system of fig1 is shown . in the embodiment shown , the final reflecting element is a front surface aluminized mirror 110 , though for certain applications a dichroic reflecting element may provide additional benefits ( such as additional wavelength discrimination or optical bandwidth limiting ). the dichroic filter 108 is a 1 mm quartz substrate on which is deposited a nominally 50 % reflecting dichroic filter , for which the wavelength is centered at 632 . 8 nm . the objective lens element 106 is a 10 × zoom lens built into a sony 5 . 0 megapixel cyber - shot ® digital camera operating in the visible spectral region . it should be noted that the images may be zoomed with the optical zoom operation of the objective lens without alteration in the overall reduction in parallax errors . filter 108 and mirror 110 are not exactly at 45 degrees with respect to the optical axis 102 . they are displaced by an angle that represents what is necessary to present the incoming bundle of light rays at an angle to the objective lens sufficient to cast the resulting image in the correct position on the final fpa of the camera device itself . referring now to fig3 , a perspective view of one embodiment of a complete system employing the apparatus of fig1 is shown . in fig3 , the dual beam optic system described with respect to fig1 and 2 is shown in a packaged form 100 . the system 100 of fig3 contains all of the afore - described components necessary to produce a parallax free dual beam co - registerable image . the objective element 106 of the previous figures is now subsumed in the camera system 302 of fig3 . the target object 104 , in this example , is a fugitive gas emission from a fractured pipeline . the requisite parallax free image of the gas emission 104 is produced by the system 100 and passed to the camera system 302 , which will also provide the detecting focal plane array previously described . in some embodiments , the camera system 302 will connect via a data link 304 to a computing device 306 . in some embodiments , the data link 304 may be a universal serial bus interface ( usb ), an ieee 1394 interface , or another suitable communications link . the computing device 306 may be a computer , or a computer program , capable of performing the necessary image and data manipulation on the co - registerable images obtained from the camera system 302 to detect and identify the target 104 and its associated properties of interest . thus , the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above as well as those inherent therein . while presently preferred embodiments have been described for purposes of this disclosure , numerous changes and modifications will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . such changes and modifications are encompassed within the spirit of this invention as defined by the claims . | 7 |
in the following detailed description , various preferred embodiments of the invention are described . it is to be understood however , that the invention is not to be limited to its preferred embodiments ; to the contrary , the invention includes various alternatives , modifications and equivalents within its spirit and scope as will be apparent to the skilled artisan . in the process and apparatus of the invention cigarettes are individually conveyed so that the tobacco filled end of each cigarette passes between an infrared emitter or source , and a detector . fig1 schematically illustrates a preferred process and apparatus embodiment of the invention . a tobacco filled cigarette end 10 is shown passing between an infrared emitter 12 and an infrared detector 14 . the cigarette is carried by any of various conveyor systems such as that illustrated in fig3 - 5 and discussed in detail hereinafter . returning to fig1 a beam of infrared light 16 is shown passing through cigarette paper 18 and tobacco 20 and then being received by detector 14 . the emitter and the detector are held in substantial alignment by a bracket 22 and are each spaced at a distance , a , of between , for example , 0 . 1 and 2 mm from the radial edges of the cigarette . preferably , this spacing will be between about 0 . 25 and about 1 . 5 mm . a portion of the end of the cigarette constituting between about 2 and about 10 mm , preferably between about 3 and about 7 mm is inserted into the bracket so that the infrared light beam 16 passes through a portion of the end of the cigarette between about 1 mm and 10 mm , preferably between about 2 mm and about 6 mm from the end of the cigarette . the signal from infrared detector 14 is passed via wire 24 to an amplifier and filter 26 , wherein the signal is first amplified . the signal is filtered to remove various periodic electrical signals or &# 34 ; noise &# 34 ; which is generated by the conveyor ( not shown ) or the cigarette manufacturing equipment ( not shown ) which are concurrently transporting the cigarette through the inspection system . the thus amplified and filtered signal is next passed to convertor 28 wherein the analog signal is converted into a digital signal . the digital signal is sent to a comparator 30 which may also receive input from a timing signal generator 32 which , in turn , generates a signal each time a cigarette moves through a cigarette manufacturing or conveying apparatus for synchronization of the inspection system with the conveying system . in comparator 30 , the digital signal from converter 28 is compared to a predetermined value . the predetermined value employed in comparator 30 is an experimentally determined value and will be dependent on the strength of the ir source , sensitivity of the ir detector and amplification of the resultant signal as will be apparent to the skilled artisan . in addition , the value used in the comparator may be different for different types of cigarettes . thus , for example a lower value will be used with a dense tobacco blend , and a higher value will be used with a low density or highly puffed tobacco . if the signal is less than the predetermined value , cigarette 10 is satisfactory . if the signal is greater than the predetermined value , the cigarette is determined to be defective and a defect signal is supplied to shift register 34 . the defect signal is transferred from one shift register stage 34a , to the next stage , 34b , and so on , in synchronism with the application of shift signals to the shift signal input 36 of the shift register . when the defect signal reaches the last shift register stage , it is applied to the input of an amplifier 38 and then in amplified form to the winding of an electromagnetic valve 40 . this causes valve 41 to open , permitting pressurized air to pass through conduit 42 and emerge as a blast of air which expels a defective cigarette having a loose end . the shift register 34 provides the proper time delay corresponding to the time required for the defective cigarette to pass from the infrared examination stage to the location at which it should be ejected . fig2 illustrates schematically a well known filter cigarette making or tipping machine which can assemble plain cigarette rods of single length with filter mouthpieces of double unit length to form filter cigarettes of double unit length , and which thereupon converts each filter cigarette of double unit length into two filter cigarettes of single unit length . such apparatus is known and sold commercially by hauni - werke korber and co ., kg , hamburg , germany . the apparatus generally includes a rotary conveyor 58 which receives double length tobacco rods from an upstream rod forming apparatus ( not shown ). the double length tobacco rods are carried by rotary drum 60 across rotary cutter 62 which cuts the double length tobacco rods into single length tobacco rods . the cut rods are passed to rotary drum 64 where each pair of freshly cut , abutting single length rods are spread apart longitudinally to provide room between the aligned rods for a double length filter . a plurality of filters of six unit length are maintained in reservoir 64 and are cut and fed via rotary cutters and conveyors 66a , 66b , 66c , and 66d to drum 65 where double unit length filters are inserted into the longitudinal space between each pair of axially aligned , single length tobacco rods . paper bobbins 70a and 70b supply double width tipping paper 72 to rotary drum 74 for the application of tipping paper to the middle of the double unit cigarettes . the tipping paper is rolled around the cigarettes on rotary drum 78 employing a special rolling block 76 to thereby join the double filter to the two tobacco rods to form the double unit cigarettes . the double unit cigarettes are then passed via rotary drum 80 to rotary drum 82 where rotary knives 84 are employed to cut each double unit cigarettes at its center to thereby provide single unit cigarettes . a special turning unit made up of drums 84 , 86 and 88 turns every other cigarette so that drum 90 receives a single row of filter cigarettes of unit length wherein all filters face in the one direction and all tobacco filled ends of the cigarettes face in the opposite direction . drum 90 conveys the cigarette past inspection unit 92 . reject signals are sent to machine control section 94 which additionally supplies timing signals for rejection of defective cigarettes on drum 96 . rejected cigarettes are carried by conveyor 98 to a reclaiming operation . fig3 is an exploded view , taken in perspective , of rotary drum 90 and includes the loose end inspection system of this invention . a particularly preferred apparatus embodiment of this invention is shown . rotary drum includes a plurality of flutes 110 , each of which include a bore connected to a vacuum source ( not shown ) via a central bore 114 ( fig5 ) in the center of rotary drum 90 . two cigarettes 120 and 122 are shown carried by the flutes of the rotary drum . those skilled in the art will recognize that in the cigarette manufacturing operation each of the flutes of drum 90 will carry a cigarette . as best seen in fig5 each of the cigarettes have a filter end 124 and a tobacco end 126 , and the cigarettes are oriented so that the tobacco ends are all on the same side of the rotary conveyor . as the cigarettes are carried in a clockwise direction on the rotary conveyor , the tobacco filled ends thereof pass between infrared emitter 12 and detector 14 . the emitter and detector are carried by bracket 22 so that they are maintained in substantial alignment with each other . at the same time the filter ends of the cigarettes are passed across a conventional missing filter detector 128 . as best seen in fig4 the emitter 12 and the detector 14 are in substantial alignment along a diameter , d , of rotary conveyor 90 so that the end of cigarette 122 passes through a beam of infrared light which is substantially perpendicular to the tangential path of the cigarette . bracket 22 , which is generally u - shaped , thus positions the infrared emitter and detector adjacent the path of travel of the cigarettes while maintaining each of the emitter 12 and detector 14 spaced from the path of travel of the cigarette ends , on opposite sides thereof . an enlarged view of the inspection apparatus is shown in fig6 . u - shaped bracket 22 is connected via a plurality of rods 130 to a second bracket 132 which is slidably mounted on support 134 . thumb screws 136 are provided for locking bracket 132 at the desired location with respect to the cigarette end . thus , with reference to fig5 bracket 132 can be moved to the left or to the right on support 134 in order to adjust the position of emitter and detector 12 and 14 , respectively with respect to end 126 of cigarette 122 . any of various infrared emitters may be used in the process and apparatus of the invention . advantageously , a high power output ir emitter having an output greater than 100 milliamps is employed . for example , a high powered gaalas ir emitter having an output of 880 nanometers ( nm .) non - coherent infrared radiant energy emission with a 50 mw power output has been successfully employed . such emitter has an overall diameter of about 8 . 25 mm and is commercially available from opto diode corporation , 750 mitchell road , newbury park , calif . 91320 , under the designation od50l . other wavelengths of infrared radiation can be successfully used in the method and apparatus of this invention . advantageously the emission is within a narrow spectral region of between about 800 and about 900 nm . however , light of 860 - 900 nm nanometers is particularly preferred . a preferred ir detector which can be employed as detector 14 , is one which preferably has a built - in amplifier section . advantageously , the detector will be of the high - speed , solid state silicon photodiode type . by employing a built - in operational amplifier , low - level measurements can be made while ensuring low - noise output under a variety of operating conditions . the detector can be extremely small , for example , having an active surface area of less than about 10 - 15 mm 2 , for example , about 5 mm 2 , and an active diameter of less than about 4 mm , for example , about 2 - 2 . 5 mm . the detector must be sensitive to the ir emission of the emitter . one detector which has been successfully employed herein is commercially available from united detector technology , 12525 chardron avenue , hawthorne , california 90250 - 9964 , under the designation photops udt - 451 . this detector has a responsivity of 0 . 5 amps / watt at 850 nm . ; a breakdown voltage of 50 volts ; an operating temperature range of 0 °- 70 c . ; a supply voltage of ± 15 volts ; a slew rate of 13 μ / us and an open loop gain ( dc ) of 200 v / mv . it will be apparent that preferred detectors should have a high sensitivity for the wavelength of ir light being emitted by the emitter . it will be apparent that fiber optics may be substituted in bracket 22 for either or both of emitter 12 and / or detector 14 , in which event the ir emitter and or receiver are provided at a remote location and are optically connected to the optical fibers which are provided in bracket 22 . although illustrated in connection with a rotary conveyor employed in the cigarette manufacturing process , this invention , as will be recognized by the skilled artisan , can also be used in various other environments for serially inspecting tobacco ends of cigarettes . thus , the apparatus may be employed in connection with a linear conveyor including for example , a channel where cigarettes are gravity fed , located prior to a packer operation where cigarettes are packed into packages . if desired , the inspection may be conducted in an off - line environment on selected cigarettes in order to provide an indication of percentages of cigarettes having loose ends being manufactured , i . e . for quality control inspection purposes . various other brackets and support arrangements may be provided for the ir receiver and emitter combination which will allow tobacco ends of cigarettes to pass between the ir emitter and detector without interfering with the conveyance of the cigarettes . special lenses may be provided on the ir emitter in order to focus the ir emission into a narrow beam or in order to broaden the width of the ir beam . as previously indicated , the system of the invention is advantageously employed in combination with a reject means for rejecting cigarettes having loose ends . however , the system of the invention is also advantageously employed in combination with systems wherein signals from the inspection system are used to modify operation of a cigarette manufacturing operation , i . e ., in feed forward or feedback systems such as described , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 844 , 100 to holznagel in which cigarette end inspection signals are employed to adjust the location of a densifying station in a cigarette rod manufacturing process . one preferred control system for the method and apparatus of the invention is schematically illustrated in fig7 . such control system is advantageously implemented by a conventional microcomputer system . a continuous ir signal is emitted by an ir emitter and continuously detected by an ir detector . the signal is amplified , filtered and converted into a digital signal representative of the intensity of infrared light being received by the ir detector . the digital signal is continuously received and read as indicated in block 200 of fig7 . as a cigarette end passes between the ir emitter and the detector , the digital signal will decrease in amplitude by a significant amount . when such a decrease in the signal strength is identified , as shown in block 210 , an indication is thus provided that a cigarette is beginning to enter into the ir beam . no special part detect is needed in accordance with this preferred aspect of the invention since by continuously monitoring the signal strength , the emitter and detector , themselves , operate as a part detect . any of various control methods can be employed for determining signal strength decrease . advantageously a single reading is compared to a predetermined experimental value or to a predetermined value representing the average value of several previous readings . similarly , an average of several current readings may be compared to an average of several previous readings . upon identification of decrease in the signal greater than the predetermined amount , control of the system is passed to block 212 wherein a predetermined delay is provided , depending on the rate of travel of the cigarette . if the system is being employed with a conveyor having varying operating speeds , the delay time of block 212 is calculated as a function of the conveyor speed . if the conveyor is operating at a single , preset speed , for example , 7 , 200 cigarettes per minute , only a set , predetermined time delay is employed . in either case , sufficient time delay is employed to allow sufficient transverse movement of the cigarette so that a major portion of the cigarette is located between the ir emitter and the ir detector . following the time delay , control is passed to block 214 . in this step , the ir signal is read to obtain a sample signal representative of the amount of ir light passing through a cigarette end . the signal may be read only a single time , or advantageously , a plurality of e . g ., from 2 - 10 readings , are obtained and averaged to provide a single reading representative of the intensity of ir light passing through the cigarette tip or end . a reading having been obtained in block 214 , control is then passed to block 216 where the value or amplitude of the sampled signal is compared to a second predetermined value . if the value of the sampled signal obtained in block 214 is less than the second predetermined value , this indicates that the cigarette is satisfactory . if the value of the sampled signal obtained in block 214 is greater than the second predetermined value , too much infrared radiation has passed through the cigarette end , indicating a defective cigarette and control passes to block 218 where a defect signal is generated . advantageously , the defect signal will comprise a reject signal and the reject signal then is synchronized with a timing signal from the rotary conveyor . the defective cigarette is rejected at a downstream location . following generation of either the reject signal or the determination earlier that the cigarette is satisfactory , system control is passed to block 220 for return to block 200 wherein the above sequence is repeated with the next cigarette on the conveyor . it will be understood b those having skill in the art that control systems other than those described in fig1 and 7 may be employed , according to the invention , to detect loose ends . for example , the digital control system of fig1 may be replaced by an analog control system . in one example of an analog system , a / d converter 28 , comparator 30 , timing signal generator 32 and shift register 34 ( fig1 ) may be replaced with analog components . analog differentiators ma be employed to detect the local minima in the detected ir signal , and the signal voltage at each local minima may be compared to a preset voltage to identify loose ends . an analog delay unit may apply the loose end signal to valve 40 after an appropriate delay . alternatively , digital control systems other than that described in fig7 may also be employed . for example , loose end detection may be triggered by detecting a local minimum in the digitized ir signal , rather than by sensing a decrease in the ir signal greater than a predetermined amount . in this alterative , block 212 of fig7 is replaced with a block which detects a difference between adjacent samples of the digital signal which is less than a predetermined amount , to indicate that a local minimum has occurred . alternatively , digital differentiation techniques may be used . compared to the technique of fig7 these alternative techniques have the advantage that speed variations in the conveying system are automatically accommodated . it can thus be seen that the method and apparatus of the invention provides a cigarette inspection system wherein cigarettes having end portions having insufficient tobacco are detected by passing an infrared beam transversely through the end of the cigarette . the inspection system of the invention can be employed in combination with high speed conveying of cigarettes since the passage of infrared light through cigarette end is accomplished virtually instantaneously . since the end of the cigarette , itself , is not examined transversely along the longitudinal axis of the cigarette , slight variations in the lateral location of the cigarette on the conveyor have an insignificant impact on the inspection system . by proper choice of the infrared light , a wavelength of infrared light can be employed which is not influenced by humidity in the tobacco or in the ambient atmosphere . apparatus embodiments of the invention , as illustrated , are compact and can readily be employed in connection with commercially available cigarette manufacturing equipment . the invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to its preferred embodiments . however , variations and modification can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the foregoing specification and defined in the appended claims . | 8 |
below are definitions and explanations of several terms used in the description and in the appended claims . the term “ liquid - based separation means ” refers to any method or apparatus for separation of a mixture of analytes or antagonists that are dissolved in a physiologically buffer , solution or any other liquid . examples could be variations of capillary electrophoresis , as capillary zone electrophoresis , capillary gel electrophoresis , micellar electrokinetic capillary electrochromatography , capillary isolectric focusing , capillary isotachophoresis , and affinity capillary electrophoresis , as well as variations of micro liquid chromatography , such as open tube liquid chromatography . the term “ cell - based biosensor ” refers to an intact cell , a part of an intact cell ( such as a membrane patch ), or a cell in electrical communication with a patch - clamp glass - electrode or another material , a patch or piece of a cell - membrane which is in electrical communication with a solid material as , for example , a glass capillary , plastic or silicon surface or anything related . the term “ target molecule ” refers to a macromolecule composed of a protein , glycoconjugates or lipids , which interacts with or binds to a ligand , analyte , an antigen or anything related . a target molecule can be a receptor , an antibody , an enzyme , or anything related . the binding of an analyte , ligand or antigen may trigger a physiological relevant process which signals the ligand &# 39 ; s or the analyte &# 39 ; s biological activity . a target molecule may be associated to an artificial or a natural lipid monolayer or bilayer membrane , such as a plasma membrane , mitochondrial membrane or golgi membrane . the term “ receptor ” refers to a macromolecule capable of specifically interacting with a ligand molecule . receptors may be associated with lipid bilayer membranes , such as the extracellular , golgi or nuclear membranes , and / or be present as free or associated molecules in the cell &# 39 ; s cytoplasm . further , receptors may be either native to the cell biosensor , i . e . normally expressed by the cell from which the cell biosensor is derived , or recombinant , i . e . expressed in transfected cells or xenopus oocytes . the term “ ligand ” refers to a molecule which binds to a receptor which either becomes activated or inactivated . ligands can act on the receptor as agonists or antagonists or by modulating the response of the receptor by other agonists or antagonists . binding of the ligand to the receptor is typically characterized by a high binding affinity . as used in the description below and in the claims , the term “ receptor antagonist ” relates to receptor antagonists as well as to receptor modulators and receptor blockers . below , the term antagonist is used in the singular form , but the invention is of course also applicable to mixtures of different antagonists and / or receptor modulators . to decrease the time needed for screening and to minimize the number of purification steps , screening of receptor antagonists and receptor modulators using biosensors , which include target molecules ( i . e . receptors ), is according to the present invention coupled , preferably on - line , to a miniaturized liquid - based separation technique . this combination of a separation technique and an on - line biosensor is based on a highly efficient one - at - a - time receptor antagonist delivery to the biosensor for functional detection . the miniaturized liquid - based separation means used according to the present invention are suitable for separating ligand analytes in picoliter and nanoliter volumes . preferably , the miniaturized liquid - based separation means used is capillary electrophoresis . the capillary electrophoresis can e . g . be any different mode of capillary electrophoresis known in the art , such as capillary zone electrophoresis , cze ( see e . g . jorgenson , j . w ., trends anal . chem . 3 : 51 , 1984 , and altria , k ., et al ., anal . proc . 23 : 453 , 1986 ), capillary gel electrophoresis , cge ( see e . g . hjerten , s ., et al ., j . chromatogr . 327 : 157 , 1985 ; hjerten , s ., et al ., protides biol . fluids 33 : 537 , 1985 ; cohen , a . s ., et al , chromatographia 24 : 14 , 1987 ; and cohen , a . s ., et . al ., j . chromatogr . 397 : 409 , 1987 ), micellar electrokinetic capillary electrochromatography , mecc ( see e . g . terabe , s ., et al ., anal . chem . 61 : 251 , 1989 , and tsuda , t ., et al ., j . chromatogr . 248 : 241 , 1982 ), capillary elect rochromatography , cec ( see e . g . knox , j . h ., chromatographia 26 : 329 , 1988 , and jorgenson , j . w ., et al ., j . high resolut . chromatogr . chromatogr . commun . 8 : 407 , 1985 ), capillary isotachophoresis , cipt ( see e . g . everaerts , f . m ., et al , isotachophoresis : theory . instrumentation . and application , elsevier , amsterdam , 1976 , and bocek , p ., et al ., anal . isotachophoresis , vch verlagsgesellschaft , weinhein , 1988 ), or affinity capillary electrophoresis , ace ( see e . g . chu , y - h , et al ., j . med . chem . 35 : 2915 , 1992 ; avila , l . z ., et al ., j . med . chem . 36 : 126 , 1993 ; and gomez , f . a ., et al ., anal . chem . 66 : 1785 , 1994 ). in its simplest and most common embodiment capillary electrophoresis is a miniaturized separation technique that fractionates chemical species on the basis of differences in their ratios of electrical charge - to - frictional drag in a solution . since different molecules have different charge - to - frictional drag ratios , separated components migrate at characteristic rates , making identification possible . with capillary electrophoresis it is possible to separate complex chemical mixtures with high efficiency ( up to 10 6 theoretical plates ) in typically less than 20 minutes . since capillary electrophoresis handles samples down to 10 − 18 liter , it is well suited for micro - and nanotechnology applications . in its simplest and most common embodiment , a capillary electrophoresis system consists of a narrow - bore ( inner diameter 5 - 75 μm fused - silica capillary ( usually with a length of 20 to 100 cm ) filled with an electrolyte solution . the ends of the capillary are placed in electrolyte - containing reservoirs having either a cathode or an anode connected to a high - voltage source . when an electrical field is applied across the solution - filled fused silica capillary , a layer of mobile charge that accumulates along the counter - charged fused silica surface induces electroosmosis ( bulk solution flow ). under typical operating conditions for capillary electrophoresis this sheath of ions is positively charged , and consequently , drags bulk solution from the anode to the cathode . a practical result of electroosmosis flow is that during a separation in free - solution capillary electrophoresis , all species — whether possessing positive , neutral , or negative charge — can be made to migrate in the same direction past a single detector . the biosensor used according to the present invention is preferably an eukaryotic or a prokaryotic cell containing specific receptors , a confluent layer of such cells , a part of a cell membrane containing specific receptors or a cluster of cells containing specific receptors . it is also possible to use a detector based on receptors inserted into or on liposomes , lipid films or other materials as a plastic surface or any related material . the cells used for the biosensor , including a target molecule or a recombinantly expressed target protein , preferably a receptor , can be human , bacterial and / or yeast cells . mammalian tissue cultured cells such as chinese hamster ovary ( cho ) cells , nih - 3t3 and hek - 293 cells , for example , are especially advantageous as cell - based biosensors expressing recombinant target molecules , in that they provide an environment that is similar to the milieu of the natural human cells ( see e . g . beohar , n ., et al ., j . biol . chem . 273 : 9168 , 1998 ; park , k ., et al ., j . membr . biol . 163 : 87 , 1998 ; and hirst , r . a ., et al ., j . neurochem . 70 : 2273 , 1998 ). to a great degree permeability , post - translational processing , signalling and coupling to other cellular factors in these cells are similar to these processes in most mammalian cells . another cell - system frequently used for expression of recombinant proteins is yeast ( see e . g . li , z ., et al ., eur . j . biochem . 252 : 391 , 1998 ). yeast cells offer a number of advantages ; they are well characterized , they are easy to manipulate genetically and fast growing . it has also been shown that they contain the machinery for post - translational modification and they possess intracellular signalling systems . furthermore , gurdon and colleagues ( see gurdon , j . b ., et al ., nature 233 : 177 , 1971 ) opened a broad spectrum of possibilities for the study of the function of proteins by demonstrating the ability of xenopus oocytes to synthesize exogenous proteins when injected with mrna . the oocyte - model is a particularly attractive approach to the investigation of the structure - function relations of membrane proteins . consequently , expression of functional receptors for neurotransmitters and ion - channels were demonstrated in oocytes in the beginning of the 1980s ( see sumikawa , k ., et al ., nature , london 292 : 862 , 1981 , and barnard , e . a ., et al ., proc . r . soc . london ser . b 215 : 241 , 1982 ). thus , living cells used as biosensors are particularly advantageous because of the physiological and functional information which can be extracted from a receptor - induced response . as stated above , the present invention involves the use of receptor agonists making it possible to detect receptor antagonists . nearly all cells possess on their surface a wide range of various receptors specific for appropriate agonists as well as antagonists . when binding a specific agonist , the receptor is activated and undergo a conformational change which triggers a cellular response . these receptors have evolved their specificity during billions of years , which makes them very suitable as highly specific functional units in biosensors . glutamate receptors , for example , play a crucial role in neurotransmission ; the formation of neuronal circuits , in synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity , including long - term potentiation ( ltp ) and long - term depression ( ltd ). excessive activation of glutamate receptors is also thought to contribute to the neurodegeneration which takes place in a wide range of neurological insults such as brain ischemia ( see e . g . beneviste , h , et al ., j . neurochem . 43 : 1369 , 1984 , and hagberg , h ., et al ., j . cereb . blood flow metab . 5 : 413 , 1985 ) and epilepsy ( see e . g . aram , j . a ., et al ., j . pharmacol . exp . ther . 248 : 320 , 1989 ; yeh , g . c ., et al ., proc . natl . acad . sci usa 86 : 8157 , 1989 ; and hosford , d . a ., et al ., soc . neurosci . abstr . 15 : 1163 , 1989 ). the roles of glutamate receptors are strongly coupled to their ion - permeability properties , both in the normal and dysfunctional brain . their selective permeability to na + , k + and ca 2 + makes them mediators of synaptic transmission in many neurons of the central nervous system ( cns ). a key event in glutamate induced cell death , for example , is increased intracellular ca 2 + which generates free radicals and endonucleases ( see e . g . siesjö , b . k ., et al ., j . cereb . blood flow metab . 9 : 127 , 1989 , and coyle , j . t ., et al ., science 262 : 689 , 1993 ) as well as transcriptional activation of specific “ cell death ”. thus naturally expressed receptors , as for example glutamate receptors , constitute excellent and selective detectors for detection and discovering of endogenous drug candidates , which may modulate or inhibit a wide range of receptor systems involved in the development of various diseases . bacteria such as escherichia coli , bacillus sp . and staphylococcus aureus as well as yeast such as saccharomyces cerevisiae provide alternative expression systems for cloned recombinant mammalian genes as well as microbial targets . bacteria are genetically well characterized , have a short generation time , are easy to manipulate and inexpensive to grow . thus these amplification systems provides a means of producing sufficient material of cdna expressing a specific protein , which can be used in production of mrna for injection in xenopus oocytes or for transfection into mammalian tissue cultured cells . the advantage with expressing recombinant genes in a cell - based biosensor used according to the invention is that the receptors in any of the cell - or cell membrane - based biosensors can be of any kind , e . g ., voltage - gated ion channels , ligand - gated ion channels , metabotropic , hematopoetic , tyrosine - kinase - coupled receptors , etc . biosensors , expressing recombinant receptors , can also be designed to be sensitive to drugs which may inhibit or modulate the development of a disease . this sensitivity of the biosensor will be governed by the role of a specific recombinant receptor in disease development . thus , the choice of the biosensor is based on the receptor antagonist one wishes to screen . for example , it is possible to use liver cells in order to study receptor antagonists used in pharmaceuticals meant to affect the liver . since the receptor antagonist to be detected binds to the biosensor , e . g . containing cell receptors , without eliciting a response , the biosensor system needs to be activated , preferably constantly and preferably by a receptor agonist , in order to enable detection . the activation caused by the receptor agonist is changed , normally decreased , by the receptor antagonist and this change of the response is detectable . as stated above , the biosensor is either preactivated or constantly activated by use of a receptor agonist . this receptor agonist is preferably included in the buffer solution in the liquid - based separation means . the detection of the response generated by the activated biosensor and of the change of the response caused by the receptor antagonist to be detected are made by an appropriate technique depending on the type of the generated response . the response can e . g . be a transmembrane current measured by patch clamp or two - electrode voltage clamp , it can be fluorescence from voltage - sensitive dyes or it can be fluorescence from calcium - chelated fluorophores , such as fura and fluo - 3 ( ca 2 + chelating dyes ), which are included in measurements of intracellular calcium coupled to activation of metabotropic receptors in the cell membrane . the preferred detection technique according to the invention is patch clamp detection , and the generated response measurable is thus an electrical current . katz and thesleff discovered that the macroscopic endplate conductance falls within a few seconds when acethylcholine ( ach ) is added to an endplate ( see katz , b ., and thesleff , s ., j . physiol ., london , 138 : 63 , 1957 ). this process is called desensitisation . desensitised channels were unresponsive to added ach and recover their sensitivity only some seconds or even minutes after the removal of ach . generally , a broad range ligand - receptor interactions at cell surfaces , which triggers cell responses with varying characteristics , i . e . increased conductance across the cell membrane , activation of g - protein coupled intracellular cascade processes , phosphorylation of proteins or triggering of intracellular modulations of transcription , desensitise . such receptor properties may cause problems in detecting antagonists with similar electrophoretic migration times when biological samples are separated and detected by the capillary electrophoresis - patch clamp ( ce - pc ) technique , where the receptor systems comprises the functional unit in the detector . if two analytes ( analyte 1 and analyte 2 ), as for example glutamate and aspartate , with similar migration times are separated and detected by a conventional detector such as an absorbance detector , the recorded trace will give gaussian distributed and overlapping peaks , as illustrated in fig1 a where the separation and detection of analyte 1 and analyte 2 , with similar migration times , by absorbance detection in capillary electrophoresis is shown . even if the responses are improperly resolved , the trace gives information about two existing compounds in the sample . however , if the same sample is separated by the ce - pc technique , analyte 2 will not be detected when both analytes activate the same desensitising receptor system . the receptor population will be activated and desensitised by analyte 1 before analyte 2 reaches the receptor surface leading to a single response in the electropherogram , as illustrated in fig1 b , where capillary electrophoresis - patch clamp detection of the same separation of analyte 1 and analyte 2 as in fig1 a is shown . notable is that just analyte 1 is detected due to desensitisation . a solution to this problem involves pulsed resensitisation of the environment surrounding the cell - based detector . this will reactivate the receptors at a specific frequency due to repeated dissociation of the eluting analytes from the binding site of the receptor . the reactivation of the receptor population enables the analytes to repeatedly give desensitised responses which will be presented with a gaussian distribution , as illustrated in fig1 c ., where a theoretical prediction of that repeated resensitisation of the detector by pulsing gives an increased resolution in ce - pc detection of analyte 1 and analyte 2 is shown . this will also improve the quantitative abilities of the technique . according to the first preferred embodiment the miniaturized separation technique is capillary electrophoresis and the biosensor is a patch - clamped cell or part of a cell membrane , and the detection means are thus a patch clamp electrode . according to the patch clamp technique , a cell or part of a cell is firmly attached by suction to the tip of a glass micropipette , or a patch clamp electrode , and manipulated to yield one of several desired configurations , i . e ., outside - out , inside - out , or whole - cell recording modes . the outside - out and inside - out configurations refer to the word “ patch ”, that is a small piece of a cell membrane which is attached to the tip of an electrode for recording of single ion - channel currents ( see , e . g ., hamill , o . p ., et al ., pflug . arch . 391 : 85 , 1981 ). the patch clamp technique utilizes in its simplest embodiment a highly sensitive feedback current - to - voltage converter , which has the ability to measure sub - picoampere currents . the measuring principle of patch clamp relies on the fact that the ionic flow across a cell membrane can be measured as an electrical current if the membrane potential is held constant , typically for neuronal cells in the range − 30 to − 90 mv . there are three main reasons to use the patch clamp technique to measure small currents crossing the cell - membrane : ( 1 ) clamping the voltage eliminates the capacitive current , except for a brief time following a step to a new voltage . ( 2 ) except for the brief charging time , the currents that flow are proportional only to the membrane conductance , i . e . to the number of open ion - channels . ( 3 ) if ion - channel gating is determined by the transmembrane voltage alone , voltage clamp offers control over the key variable that determines the opening and closing of ion channels . a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention is shown in fig2 . the inlet end , i . e . the sample injection end , of a fused silica capillary electrophoresis separation capillary 1 is connected to a high - voltage power supply 2 , preferably a positive high - voltage power supply , through a buffer vial 3 . the buffer vial 3 is preferably housed in a polycarbonate holder equipped with a safety interlock to prevent electric shock . the capillary is grounded , e . g . approximately 5 cm above the outlet 4 . the grounding can be accomplished by use of another buffer vial 5 . the outlet 4 of the capillary 1 is positioned in a cell bath 6 . the cell bath 6 contains the same media as the one used as electrolyte in the capillary electrophoresis capillary 1 with one exception — the media in the electrophoresis capillary 1 also comprises agonists which is lacking in the media in the cell bath . the same media as used in the cell bath is also used in the inlet buffer vial 3 and in the buffer vial 5 . the use of only one media enables avoiding liquid junction potentials . the tip 7 of the patch clamp electrode 8 holding the patch - clamped cell 9 is preferably positioned approximately 5 - 25 μm from the capillary outlet 4 by means of at least one micropositioner 10 , 11 controlling the capillary and / or the path clamp electrode . according to one embodiment , the whole system is placed in a faraday cage ( not shown ). the patch clamp electrode is connected to a i - v - converter 12 . in order to facilitate positioning of the capillary and the patch clamp electrode holding the cell , the cell bath is preferably placed on a microscope objective 13 . the function of the biosensor , in this case a patch - clamped cell , is illustrated in fig3 a and 3b . the capillary electrophoresis capillary 1 in fig3 a is filled with a receptor agonist - supplemented buffer with its flow directed onto the surface of a patch clamped cell 9 . the receptor agonists , shown in fig3 a and 3b as unfilled stars , continuously activate the ligand - gated ion channels 19 in the cell membrane 20 which , in this case , are permeable to sodium ions . thus , when the receptor agonists bind to the receptors the sodium channels open and sodium ions diffuse from the outside of the cell into the cytoplasm . this flux of ions can be measured with the patch clamp electrode 8 , preferably an ag / agcl - electrode , connected to a patch clamp amplifier , as an inward current , provided that the cell membrane is kept at a constant potential . in the capillary 1 there are also receptor antagonists , shown in fig3 a and 3b as filled tailed stars , i . e . the compound that are to be screened , which have been injected into the capillary 1 and have migrated a distance proportional to the charge - to - friction drag ratio of the receptor antagonist and the applied field strength . in fig3 b the receptor antagonists have migrated through the entire length of the capillary electrophoresis capillary 1 and started to antagonize the binding of receptor agonists . when the receptor antagonists bind to the receptors , the sodium permeable ion channel close and the inward transmembrane currents decrease . this decreased current is detected with the patch clamp electrode 8 . according to this preferred embodiment of the invention the receptors in the cell membrane are constantly activated by bathing of the cells in a solution containing specific receptor agonists . preferably the separation technique used , in this case capillary electrophoresis , both deliver the receptor agonists and fractionates the receptor antagonists . thus , this preferred embodiment of the invention can be used for detection of any natural and synthetic receptor antagonists or receptor modulators that inhibit or negatively modulate receptor / ion - channel functions and effectively decrease receptor agonist - evoked membrane currents . this preferred embodiment of the invention thus offers possibilities to identify endogenous and synthetic receptor antagonists and to determine their mode of action on any ionotropic receptor system . another advantage of this preferred embodiment of the invention is that when ionotropic receptors are used in the capillary electrophoresis - patch clamp system , it is possible to gain full recovery of the detection system in milliseconds after the bioactive molecule has been washed away from the cell . another preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to re - activation of desensitising detector systems coupled to pulsed superfusion , i . e ., superfusion of the desensitised biosensor is used to resensitise the biosensor . this can be performed by pulsing the activation of the biosensor by delivery of the receptor agonist to the biosensor for short period of times , said periods being separated by other periods when no agonist is delivered to the biosensor , which is further described below . according to the present invention it is thus possible to improve the resolution of the detected bioactive analytes by using a method or apparatus according to which a pulsed flow of a buffer solution washes an area around the biosensor constituting the detector which is coupled to a separation system . practically , this can be performed in two ways , as illustrated in fig4 a - c , and fig5 respectively . the strategy illustrated in fig4 a - c involves two capillaries . one of the capillaries , capillary 1 , is used for electrophoretic separations and for delivery of the agonist to the biosensor , and the other capillary 14 is used for delivery of buffer , for rinsing of the biosensor , in front of the capillary outlet . a means 15 fixes the capillaries 1 , 14 parallelly together . the position of the capillaries fixed together is controlled by a micromanipulator 10 . in this system a switching mode places the patch - clamped cell 9 either at the outlet of the capillary 14 coupled to the superfusion system 16 — position one — or at the outlet of the electrophoresis capillary 1 — position two , as illustrated in fig4 b and 4c . in fig4 b the situation when the cell is placed in position one is illustrated . in this position the receptors at the cell - surface are resensitised due to superfusion of the cell by a physiological compatible buffer when the cell is position one . in fig4 c the situation when the cell is placed in position two is illustrated . in this position the electrophoretically separated analytes are detected by means of patch - clamp . thus by shifting the capillaries at a specific frequency a train of desensitised responses is attained , an example of which is illustrated in fig1 c . a second strategy is illustrated in fig5 a and 5 b . this set up involves a superfusion system comprising a glass micropipette 17 which is placed close to the cell 9 in the vicinity of the capillary outlet 4 . the buffer flow applied from the glass - micropipette 17 leads to washing of the analytes from the surface of the patch clamped cell 9 , as shown in fig5 a . the dissociation of the analytes from the receptors makes the cell detector resensitised . when the buffer flow is interrupted , as shown in fig5 b , the electrophoretically separated analytes are able to bind to the receptors at the cell surface and an ion - channel mediated current is recorded by the patch - clamp amplifier system . the buffer flow from the pipette 17 is pulsed at a specific frequency by a external device ( not shown in the figure ) thereby reactivating the receptors for detection . the pulsing device can be any appropriate device known to persons skilled in the art ( see e . g . smart , t . g ., j . physiol . 447 : 587 , 1992 ). these examples are intended to further illustrate the invention and should in no way be considered to limit the scope of the invention . separation of mixtures of glutamate receptor antagonists were performed using cell - based biosensor - compatible buffers . a cell - based biosensor - compatible buffer is a buffer which effectively keeps the cell - based biosensor in a functional and viable condition during the course of the experiment or the analysis procedure . slightly modified standard hepes - saline buffer containing 140 mm nacl , 5 mm kcl , 1 mm mgcl 2 , 1 mm cacl 2 , 10 mm glucose and 10 mm hepes ( ph 7 . 4 , naoh ) was used as extracellular and capillary buffer in examples 1 and 2 except in the separation of mg 2 + where mgcl 2 were omitted . as described in the examples , the preferred agonist were only — included in the capillary solution . the cells used were interneurons from rat olfactory bulb acutely isolated according to the procedures described by jacobson et al . ( see jacobson , i ., neurosci . res . comm . 8 : 11 , 1991 , and jacobson , i ., et al ., neurosci . res . comm . 10 : 177 , 1992 ). newborn or adult rats ( 10 - 200 g ) were anaesthetized with halothane ( isc chemicals ltd ., avonmouth , england ) and decapitated . the olfactory bulbs were dissected and sliced into four pieces and placed in an incubation chamber . the chamber contained proteases from aspergillus oryzae ( 2 . 5 mg / ml ) which were dissolved in pre - warmed ( 32 ° c .) hepes - saline buffer ( see above ). after 25 - 30 min ., the slices were washed with the same buffer solution for 20 min . the solutions were constantly perfused with 95 % o 2 and 5 % co 2 during both the enzymatic treatment arid the washing . the slices were then kept at 20 ° c . in a hepes - saline buffer containing 1 mm cacl 2 , and bubbled with 950 o 2 and 5 % co 2 . the slices were then disintegrated by shear forces by gentle suction through the tip of a fire - polished pasteur pipette . the cell suspension was then placed in a petri dish and diluted with a ca 2 + —- containing ( 1 mm ) hepes - saline buffer . the petri dish was transferred to the microscope stage . viable interneurons were harvested up to six hours after the interruption of the enzymatic treatment . chemicals and enzymes were obtained from sigma ( st louis , mo ., usa ). the capillary electrophoresis separations were performed in fused silica capillaries ( length : 25 - 50 cm , inner diameter : 50 μm ) from polymicro tech ., phoenix , ariz . usa . the electrophoresis was performed by applying a positive potential of 12 kv to the inlet of the capillary by a high voltage supply , manufactured by lkb , bromma , sweden . since the high voltages produce electrical field strengths of several hundred volts per centimeter , the outlet of the capillary was fractured and grounded 5 cm above the outlet to create an almost field free region at the position of the cell detector . the injections were made hydrodynamically by placing the capillary inlet in sample solution 20 cm above the outlet end for 10 sec . the patch clamp detection was performed in the whole - cell configuration as described by hamill , et al . ( see hamill , o . p ., et al , pflug . arch . 391 : 85 , 1981 ). the tip of the patch clamp electrode was placed 5 - 25 μm from the center of the capillary outlet . patch pipettes were fabricated from thick - walled borosilicate glass ( code no gc150 - 10 , clark electromedical instruments , pangboume , reading , uk ). the diameters and the resistances of the tips were about 2 - 5 μm and 5 - 15 mω , respectively . the estimated series resistance was always less than 50 mω . the experiments were performed at room temperature of 18 - 22 ° c . the electrodes ( reference and patch electrodes ), contained a solution of 100 mm kf , 2 mm mgcl 2 , 1 mm cacl 2 , 11 mm egta , 10 mm hepes ; the ph was adjusted to 7 . 2 with koh . the signals were recorded with a patch clamp amplifier ( model list l / m epc - 7 , list - electronic , darmstadt , germany ), digitized ( 20 khz , pcm 2 a / d vcr adapter , medical systems corp ., ny , usa ), and stored on videotape . for the production of electropherograms the signals from the videotape were digitized at 2 hz . it is of outmost importance to sample the signals at proper rates for gaining complete information . for spectral analysis of whole - cell currents ( see colquhoun , d ., et al ., proc . r . soc . lond . b . biol . sci . 199 : 231 , 1981 ) the signal from the videoadaptor was filtered with an 8 pole butterworth filter ( bandwith 3 khz ) and digitized at 6 hz . records were divided into 0 . 7 s blocks prior to calculation of the spectral density and the mean power spectrum was calculated by averaging all power spectra obtained from these blocks ( at least 20 ). the receptor agonist - induced power spectra were subtracted from power spectra obtained during membrane resting conditions . the resulting power spectra were fitted by a double lorentzian function using a least - squares levenberg - marquardt algorithm with proportional weighting . the relationships between the current and the voltage ( i - v ) were obtained from current responses evoked by continuous perfusion of receptor agonist , and from blocked responses activated by electrophoretically separated receptor antagonist . the holding potential was changed by using a voltage ramp (− 80 to + 40 mv , duration 3 to 7 s , pclamp software , axon instruments ; foster city , calif ., usa ). for elimination of responses evoked by voltage - dependent ion channels , the i - v curve obtained between the responses were subtracted from the ramp obtained during the receptor agonist - or receptor antagonist - activated responses . in this example mg 2 + ions , that reversibly block the n - methyl - d - aspartate receptor in a voltage - dependent manner , were separated and detected by the patch - clamped cells . the n - methyl - d - aspartate receptors on the cells were activated by n - methyl - d - aspartate ( agonist ) and glycine ( co - agonist ), continuously delivered from the electrophoresis capillary . the electrolyte in the capillary electrophoresis capillary and in the inlet vial used in this example was a mg 2 + — free hepes - saline containing 200 μm n - methyl - d - aspartate ( nmda ) and 20 μm glycine . the same buffer was used in the cell bath , but without nmda and glycine . in fig6 a there is a control trace showing activation of nmda receptors by nmda ( 200 μm ) and glycine ( 20 μm ), delivered to the cell through the capillary electrophoresis capillary . the response occurs immediately following the start of the electrophoresis . mg 2 + ions ( 2 mm ) hydrodynamically injected into the electrophoresis capillary migrate through the capillary in less than a minute and are detected as a transient gaussian - distributed attenuation of n - methyl - d - aspartate - activated current responses at a holding potential of − 70 mv . this is illustrated in fig6 b by an electropherogram showing a blocked response of the nmda receptor mediated current by separated mg 2 + ions migrating at approximately 20 s . the response is fitted to a gaussian function . in fig6 c there is a control trace presenting the unaffected nmda receptor response after injection of hepes - saline containing 200 μm nmda and 20 μm glycine . the current - to - voltage relationships obtained during constant activation of the nmda receptor and during the attenuation of this response by separated mg 2 + ions are shown in fig5 . the relationships display the characteristic features , i . e . blockade of inward currents at membrane resting potentials and unaltered outward currents at positive potentials . the current - to - voltage relationship for the nmda receptor by activation of nmda in mg 2 + - free media is represented by open squares , and in mg 2 + - containing media by filled diamonds . the plot in fig7 is based on averages of three normalized current amplitudes at each decade ( from − 80 mv to + 40 mv ). since glutamate receptors are implicated in a wide range of diseases in the central nervous system ( cns ) of mammals , including alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease and parkinson &# 39 ; s disease , and cns dysfunctional processes such as epilepsy and neuronal death due to mechanical trauma and stroke , 6 - cyano - 7 - nitroquinoxaline - 2 , 3 - dione and its analogues can be useful as drugs protecting against such diseases and disorders ( see honore , t ., et al ., science 241 : 701 ( 1988 ). 6 - cyano - 7 - nitroquinoxaline - 2 , 3 - dione ( cnqx ) and 6 , 7 - dichloro - 3 - hydroxy - 2 - quinoxaline - carboxylic acid ( dcqxc ), both which reversibly block α - amino - 3 - hydroxy - 5 - methyl - 4 - isoxazolepropionate ( ampa ) and kainate ( ka ) receptors , belonging to the glutamate receptor superfamily , were separated by capillary electrophoresis and detected online by patch - clamped cells . the electrolyte in the capillary electrophoresis capillary , the medium in the cell bath and the buffer used in this example are the same as used in example 1 , with the exception that the agonist in this example was kainate instead of nmda and glycine . non - desensitising ampa receptors were activated by 100 μm ka ( agonist ) continuously delivered from the electrophoresis capillary . at a holding potential of − 70 mv cnqx and dcqxc were detected at characteristic migration times as transient attenuations of ka - activated current responses . this is shown in fig8 . | 8 |
while this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms , there is shown in the drawings , and will be described herein in detail , specific embodiments thereof 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 invention to the specific embodiments illustrated . the present invention provides a gas filtration unit 100 for collection of dust from industrial applications and particulate ( smoke ) from coal fired boiler applications . the gas filtration unit 100 is capable of processing high gas flow rates in excess of 30 , 000 actual cubic feet of gas per minute . the filter units are capable of removing sufficient particulate material , smoke , dust and optionally sulfur dioxide to be discharged into the environment within the legal limits set by the environmental protection agency and other federal and state laws governing such matters . fig5 shows the gas filtration plant 100 having a gas inlet manifold 112 , a gas outlet manifold 114 and four gas filter assemblies 116 in fluid communication with the gas inlet and outlet manifolds 112 , 114 . four gas filter assemblies 116 are shown but it should be understood that a fewer or a greater number could be provided such as from two to twenty without departing from the invention . the term “ plurality ” used herein is meant to refer to a number greater or equal to two . each gas filter assembly 116 has an outer wall 120 defining a vertically extending tube having a generally square or rectangular shape in horizontal cross section and a top wall 122 closing a top of the tube . it should be understood the outer wall 120 could have other cross - sectional shapes such as circular , oval , polygonal or irregular without departing from the scope of the present invention . the outer wall 120 has a plurality of support bands 124 extending about the periphery of the wall and vertically spaced from one another . the top wall has a plurality of support bands 126 extending along a top surface and lateral sides of the top wall and horizontally spaced from one another . the outer wall 120 and top wall 122 define a chamber 123 therein . the support bands 124 support the outer wall from damage , such as imploding or exploding , from severe pressure changes that occur within the chamber 123 during operation of the filter unit as compared to the ambient conditions outside the chamber 123 . the outer wall 120 has four generally triangular - shaped surfaces that taper 128 axially inwardly and downwardly to define a generally downwardly extending pyramidal - shaped bottom end section 129 . the end section terminates in an opening 130 sealed by a closure member 131 . the bottom end section 129 defines a particulate collection hopper 132 therein in fluid communication with the chamber 123 . the closure member 131 is moveable from a closed position to an open position where cumulated particulate material can be withdrawn from the hopper 132 . the filter assemblies 116 are supported and elevated by surface engaging legs 134 attached to the filter assemblies 116 to provide an area underneath the hopper 132 for personnel and equipment necessary to collect and remove the particulate from the filter units . a filter unit is positioned within the chamber 123 to remove particulate material from the gas flow . in one preferred form of the invention , the filter unit has a plurality of vertically extending , elongate filters 140 and more preferably the filters 140 are in the form of tubes tubes 141 having an inner conduit through which pressurized air flows and having a first end 142 in fluid communication with the inlet manifold 112 and the second end 144 is in fluid communication with the outlet manifold 114 . the filter tubes 141 are preferably arranged in an array having a first plurality of columns of tubes and a second plurality of rows of tubes . the first plurality and the second plurality can be equal numbers or can be different numbers and preferably the first plurality and the second plurality are within a range of from 2 to 50 , more preferably 4 to 25 and most preferably 6 to 15 . in a most preferred form of the invention there are fifteen rows and fifteen columns of filter tubes . the filter tubes are suspended from a horizontally extending cell plate 150 seal welded to the inner wall of the compartment 120 . the filter tubes are held in an open position by internal wire cages not shown . the filter tubes 141 are effective in removing particulate material from a particulate laden flow of gas that is delivered under pressure through the inlet manifold 112 and having a first quantity of particulate material to the first end 142 of the filter tubes , the particulate laden flow of gas flows through the tube and exits the tube through the second end with a second quantity of particulate material . the second quantity of particulate is substantially reduced from the first quantity and by an amount of 95 %, more preferably 98 % and most preferably 99 % or greater . in a preferred form of the invention the filter material is a fabric material , and more preferably a woven or felted material . suitable woven material includes any fibrous material and even more preferably a fibrous material containing fibers of a long - chain polysulfide containing material . one suitable type of long - chain polysulfide fiber is polyphenylene sulfide ( pps ) formed by the reaction of sulfur with dichlorbenzene followed by extrusion by melt spinning to form fibers or filaments . woven fiberglass is an example of another acceptable woven material . suitable felted materials include polytetrafluoroethylene ( teflon ®) felted material , polyimide felt , polyester felt , acrylic felt or other suitable woven or felted material well known to those skilled in the art . during operation of the filter unit particulate material collects on the filter tubes . excess particulate material must be removed from the tubes to maintain an acceptable gas pressure and flow rate through the tubes . accordingly , a cleaning mechanism 153 is associated with each filter unit and the cleaning mechanism is preferably positioned proximate the second end of the filter tubes 144 and even more preferably connected to the frame 150 . ( see fig5 and 6 ) in one preferred form of the invention the cleaning mechanism includes a valve 155 for controlling the flow of pressurized air through a blow tube 157 . one valve 155 and blow tube 157 assembly will be associated with either each row or each column of the filter tube array . the valve 155 is connected to a source of pressurized air and is moveable from a closed position where no air flows into the blow tube 157 to an open position where air is supplied under pressure through the blow tube 157 . the blow tube 157 has a plurality of exit holes 158 axially spaced along a length of the tube and having one of each hole associated with either each column or row of the array . in a preferred form of the invention the blow tube 157 is tuned which means that the diameter of the holes 158 are smaller at a proximal end nearest the valve 155 and increase in diameter with increasing distance from the valve 155 to ensure that an approximate equal velocity of air is delivered from each hole regardless of its axial distance from the valve . the exit holes 158 of the blow tube 157 are positioned above the second end 144 of each of the filter tubes and when the valve 157 is opened pressurized air flows downward through the filter tubes 141 and is effective in moving the filter tubes in a manner that shakes excess particulate from the filter tubes . the particulate material falls downward into the hopper 142 where it cumulates . the cleaning mechanism can be operated in various manners including opening and closing each valve one at a time , or by opening more than one valve at a time . in a most preferred form of the invention one valve is opened and closed at a time before opening and closing a second valve and this process is repeated until all of the valves have been opened and closed and then the process starts over again . thus , the dirty , particulate laden gas flows from the inlet manifold 112 , into the first end of the filter tubes 142 , upward through the filter tubes where particulate is removed by the filter tubes and clean air exits from the top of the filter tubes . the clean air is removed from the chamber by the outlet manifold 114 where it can be vented to the environment or used for other purposes . fig7 - 9 show the inlet manifold and outlet manifold 112 , 114 extending in a first direction between two opposed lines of horizontally spaced filter units . branches 160 from the inlet manifold extend in a second direction transverse to the first direction and individually supply a gas inlet 162 of each filter unit . similarly , branches 164 from the outlet manifold extend in a third direction transverse to the first direction and individually remove clean gas effluent from each filter unit 116 and direct it to the outlet manifold . as shown in fig1 and 13 , the inlet manifold 112 has opposed first and second vertically extending sidewalls 180 , 182 and a generally horizontally extending segmented bottom wall 184 . the segmented bottom wall 184 has three segments , a bottom - most first segment 184 a , a second segment 184 b connecting a first lateral edge of the first segment to a bottom portion of the first sidewall 180 , and a third segment 184 c connecting a second lateral edge of the first segment 184 a to a bottom portion of the second sidewall 182 . the second segment 184 b forms a first acute angle 185 a with a planar surface 186 of the first sidewall 180 and the third segment 184 c forms a second acute angle 185 b with a planar surface 188 of the second sidewall 182 . the first acute angle and the second acute angle can be of equal value or of different values and the magnitude of the angles do not take into account whether the angle is a positive angle or a negative angle . each of the first acute angle and the second acute angle should be from about 15 degrees to 85 degrees and more preferably from 35 degrees to 65 degrees and most preferably 55 degrees . in a most preferred form of the invention the first acute angle 185 a and the second acute angle 185 b are of relatively equal magnitude . fig1 and 13 also show a closure members 200 a , b positioned over an openings 202 a , b in the second and third segments 184 b , c of the bottom wall . the openings 202 a , b define a fluid inlet into their respective filter unit . each filter unit has a corresponding inlet and a corresponding closure member . each closure member can be independently operated so that one filter unit can be removed from service at a time unlike prior art systems , such as shown in fig3 and 4 which requires that an entire series of filter units associated with a single inlet manifold be taken out of operation simultaneously . the present invention provides an independently operable closure member for each filter unit , and , therefore , filter units can be taken out of service one at a time and independently of one another . the closure members 200 a , b are capable of being moved from an opened position ( fig1 shows closure member 202 a open and 202 b closed ) where dirty gas can flow into the filter unit and up through the filter tubes and to a closed position where the closure members 200 a , b block the flow of dirty air into their respective filter units . the closure member must be capable of blocking the flow of pressurized air when in a closed position and allowing the flow of air in an open position and in one form of the invention the closure member is a louvered - type closure member having numerous generally rectangular shaped , and spaced slats that when in the closed position the lateral edges of each slat are in contact with a lateral edge of an adjacent slat to form a air tight , generally flat outer surface . to move the closure member to an open position the slats are rotated about their axes to form open channels between adjacent slats to allow dirty air to flow through the closure member and into the filter units . the closure member can take on other forms such as a hinged door or can be a valve such as a butterfly valve , a gate valve , a sliding gate valve , rotating plate valve , check valve or similar valve . when the closure member 200 a is in a closed position as shown in fig1 to allow for servicing of a filter unit , an outlet closure valve 210 is also moved to a closed position to stop the flow of air from the top of the filter tubes into the outlet manifold to equalize the pressure across the filter tubes . the outlet closure valve 210 is , in a preferred form of the invention , a poppet valve . however , other valves could be used without departing from the scope of the present invention . as shown in fig1 when the second closure member 202 b is in the closed position particulate material 250 ( fig1 ) that drops from the dirty air cumulates on the bottom wall . since the closure member is placed on the third segment of the bottom wall the cumulating particulate material is directed toward the opposed open closure member 200 a , and , therefore , the cumulating particulate material is not allowed to place an undue burden on the closure member 200 b which can lead to premature failure of the closure member 200 b which in turn can require repair of the closure member . when the closure member 200 b is in the open position as shown in fig1 , dirty air is allowed to flow downwardly in the direction of the arrow 201 into the hopper and then upwardly through the filter tubes . the dirty air flow is required to change directions thereby substantially decreasing the flow rate of particulate when compared to the flow rate through the inlet manifold . the flow rate of dirty gas entering the filter tubes is reduced from is flow rate of from around 3200 - 3600 ft / min rate through the inlet manifold to about 500 ft / min or less rate as the dirty gas flow enters the hopper . consequently , much of the particulate material that is entrained in the dirty gas flow drops out and cumulates in the hopper instead of traveling up through the filter tubes . thus , the filter tubes can be kept in operation over a longer period of time , and the filter tubes do not have to be cleaned as frequently as they would have to be if the dirty gas flow rate was not reduced . fig1 , 12 and 13 show a filter plant 100 of the present invention with a configuration of filter units similar to the low particle design of fig1 but having an optional circulating fluid bed scrubber ( cfb ) 220 which is used to reduce the quantity of sulfur dioxide contained in the dirty gas flow . otherwise , like numerals will be used to refer to like parts of fig1 . the cfb has an inlet 222 for receiving the dirty gas flow and a venturi section 224 for increasing the velocity of the dirty gas flow to keep the particulate material entrained in the dirty gas flow . upstream of the venturi section 224 the dirty gas enters a chamber where it is subjected to a pressurized stream of hydrated lime , pressurized water spray , re - circulated ash and lime from the hoppers provided through a recirculation line 230 that is in fluid contact with each of the hoppers . the lime or calcium hydroxide reacts with sulfur dioxide to form calcium sulfite and calcium sulfate . the pressurized water spray drives this reaction forward by cooling the gas through evaporation of the water . due to the use of particulate material such as ash and lime , the dirty gas experiences a substantial increase in the quantity of particulate material entrained in the dirty gas flow . the quantity of particulate material can reach as high as 500 grains mass / ft 3 . accordingly , the reduction in the dirty gas flow rate to cause the substantial particulate drop out into the hopper discussed above is significant and important particularly when using the optional cfb . from the foregoing , it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . it is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred . it is , of course , intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims | 1 |
there has thus been outlined , rather broadly , the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated . there are , of course , additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto . in this respect , before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings . the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways . also , it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting . referring to fig1 a and 1 b , it can be seen that the prior art hoist drum and wire rope arrangement has both ends of the wire rope 4 wound in the same direction at opposite sides of a constant diameter drum 2 . in this manner , any rotation of the drum 2 retracts or pays out the same amount of wire rope 4 from either side of the drum 2 . here the amount of shaft torque ( y ) ( denoted by arrow 6 ) required to raise a load is the lifting force or sum of all the tensions multiplied by the drum radius ( r ). since there is equal tension on both wire ropes ( t ) and because the radius is ½ the drum diameter , shaft torque ( y 1 )=( 2t )×( d / 2 )= td . each full revolution of the drum will raise the load by the diameter of the drum ( d ) multiplied by pi π ( the drum circumference ), multiplied by 2 wire ropes and ÷ ½ ( for the midpoint of the wire rope ). load lift = d π looking at fig4 a and 4 b , the simplest of the tlss drum designs of the present invention , it can be seen that the fundamental tlss drum and wire rope arrangement has the ends of the wire rope 4 wound in opposite directions at opposite sides of a dual diameter drum 8 . in this manner , any rotation of the dual diameter drum 6 retracts and pays out different amounts of wire rope 4 simultaneously from either side of the drum 6 . here , the amount of shaft torque ( y 2 ) ( denoted by arrow 10 ) required to raise a load is the amount of lifting force times the diameter of the raising drum section ( d ′) ( denoted by arrow 14 ) reduced by the amount of lowering force times the diameter of the lowering drum section ( d ′) ( denoted by arrow 12 ). this is ( td ′/ 2 )−( td ′/ 2 )=( t / 2 )( d ′− d ′). ( note again there is equal tension ( t ) on both wire ropes .) each full revolution of the drum 8 will raise the load ( load lift ) by the diameter of the large drum ( d ′) multiplied by pi π ( the drum circumference )− the diameter of the small drum ( d ′) multiplied by pi π ( the small drum circumference )÷ ½ . load lift =( d ′− d ′)/ 2π hence , in the arrangement of fig1 a if the drum diameter 5 ( d ) was 2 feet and the load to be lifted was 10 tons , the shaft torque ( y )=( 2 ft / 2 )× 5 tons × 2 wire ropes = 10 ft . tons . each complete revolution of the drum would lift the load ( d π ). this is 2π ft . however , in the arrangement of fig4 a if the large drum diameter 14 ( d ″) was 2 feet , the small drum diameter 12 ( d ′) was 1 . 5 feet and the load to be lifted was 10 tons , the shaft torque ( y )=( t / 2 )( d − d )=( 5 ton / 2 ) ( 2 ft − 1 . 5 ft )= 1 . 25 ft . tons . each complete revolution of the drum would lift the load ( d − d )/ 2π . this is 0 . 25π ft . as can be seen in this comparison , opposite wrapping of the drum wire ropes onto drums having a 4 / 3 ratio of their diameters decreases the amount of torque required to raise the same load by a factor of 8 ( 10 ft / tons ÷ 1 . 25 ft / tons ) but requires 8 times the number of drum revolutions to raise the load through the same distance . simply stated , where opposite wrapped wire ropes are spooled onto different diameters , the desired shaft torque can be obtained by altering the ratios of the drum diameters . essentially the tlss drum itself functions as a torque / gear reducer and provides for a slower takeup / payout of wire rope . this allows the use of smaller powered tlss drum motors , a longer response time and most importantly , smaller friction clutches or friction brakes . now that the basic design of the present invention has been disclosed , the specific embodiments and their applications as part of a tlss system for a container crane can best be explained . note that although ( for purposes of explanation ) these embodiments are directed to use on a container crane , they are appliwire rope to a plethora of other applications , craning related or otherwise that would be well known to one skilled in the art . container cranes are commonly found in harbors where the loading and unloading of large containers from ships , rail cars and transport trucks occurs . fig2 depicts a simplified perspective view of the main hoist reeving of a typical container crane . the container crane has two main crane lifting wire ropes 16 that are spooled out or in from two main crane drums 18 . these two main wire ropes 16 each traverse around the four main wire rope sheaves 20 and are arranged in four separate wire rope lifting loops 22 that hang in a vertical orientation and which attach to the four corners of the container 24 via a lifting beam ( beam not illustrated ). a wire rope from the tlss system 25 runs about a tlss sheave 26 which is mechanically affixed to one of the four main wire rope sheaves 20 . when raising a container 24 , the vertical length of the lifting loops 22 is adjusted by the rotation of the two main crane drums 18 . when making a tls adjustment , one or a combination of tlss drums is rotated to spool in or out tlss wire rope 28 so as to adjust the horizontal position of one or more of the main crane sheaves 20 . this main crane sheave movement adjusts slightly the vertical length of one or more of the lifting loops 22 so as to tilt , list or skew the container lifting beam . there are four tlss systems 25 required to enable all possible tilt , list and skew configurations . fig3 depicts a simplified perspective view of the reeving of a typical container crane with a variation on the tlss system location and arrangement . here an additional four main crane sheaves 20 have been utilized so as to allow the tlss system 25 to be physically located elsewhere . the operation is otherwise , functionally identically . fig5 illustrates a consistent tapered , opposite wire rope wrapped tlss drum 30 . this drum 30 , despite appearing differently , operates the same as the dual diameter , opposite wire rope wrapped drum 8 because as the wire ropes spool on and off the drum from their respective sides , the ratio of their drum diameters is maintained . this tapered drum arrangement only offers advantages for purposes of fabrication and maintenance . it offers the same effects of torque reduction and increased response time for snag events coupled with the use of a smaller friction clutch and rotational equipment . fig6 a and 6 b illustrates a dual diameter , opposite wire rope wrapped drum with a center transitional taper 32 . here where the small diameter 34 is d and the large diameter 36 is d , the shaft torque 10 is y =( t / 2 )( d ′− d ′). however , when the left wire rope side 38 spools onto the drum 32 and climbs onto the transition diameter 42 , the shaft torque 10 reduces until the left wire rope side 38 climbs onto the large diameter 36 . once the left wire rope side 38 and the right wire rope side 40 are on the same diameter 36 the same amount of wire rope is spooled out as is spooled in for every revolution of the drum . at this time the torque y = 0 . this occurs when the hoist drum 32 is revolving counterclockwise and the midpoint of the wire rope ( around the tlss sheave 26 ) is moving away from the tlss system 25 allowing the main hoist drum sheave 26 to move and lengthen the lifting loops 22 to reduce the stress on the main crane wire rope 16 . fig7 and fig8 although different in geometrical design , are operational equivalents . the differences in design between account for manufacturing preferences . the dual diameter , opposite wire rope wrapped drum with dual transitional tapers 44 of fig7 and the a dual tapered diameter , opposite wire rope wrapped drum 46 of fig8 accomplish the tls adjustments and the snag compensation described herein , substantially similar . as can be seen , the dual tapered diameter drum 46 has a first increasing diameter taper 48 that extends from the first side of the drum 50 beyond the drum centerline 52 to a transition point 54 where a second decreasing diameter taper 56 extends to the second side of the drum 58 . the dual diameter , dual transitional tapered drum 44 of fig7 has four sections as follows : the primary section 60 is a fixed diameter section that extends from the first side of the drum 50 to the secondary increasing diameter section 62 which extends to the tertiary fixed diameter section 64 which extends to the quaternary decreasing diameter section 66 which extends to the second side of the drum 58 . fig9 to 15 sequentially depict the various configurations that a tlss system undergoes when in operation . although represented with the dual diameter , opposite wire rope wrapped drum with a dual transitional tapers 46 of fig7 the operation with the dual tapered diameter , opposite wire rope wrapped drum 46 of fig8 would be substantially similar in that the ratio of the diameters of the drum ( taken at the present location of the left wire rope side 38 and the right wire rope side 40 on the drum ) utilized to let out or spool in the wire rope sides would be identical with that of the dual diameter , opposite wire rope wrapped drum with a dual transitional tapers at all times . it is important to note that a crane drum has a spiraling groove ( pitch ) 70 formed on the exterior surface of the drum that serves to guide the winding of the wire rope . in all embodiments , the wire rope payout and take - up is such that there is a constant number of pitches 70 between the different sides of the of the wire rope , regardless of the position of the tlss sheave 26 . in operation , on a conventional container crane there will be four separate tlss systems 25 installed . each one will control the fine adjustment of the length of one of the four main crane wire rope loops 22 . each will have its individual motor speed / gear reducer set 82 to provide the power to adjust the hoist wire rope loop length for tls functions . the amount of power is adjusted by the main crane &# 39 ; s computer system automatically after determining load demand and is also adjusted for differential hoist wire rope stretch . in normal operation the tlss system 25 must make small compensations in the tlss sheave position to accommodate the tls functions to get a container 24 oriented correctly to accommodate it &# 39 ; s transfer from one location to another . the tlss drum 44 is configured such that within the normal , calculated and expected range of tlss sheave travel for the tls functions , the left wire rope side 38 and the right wire rope side 40 are on drum sections that offer a constant ratio of the drum diameters so as to optimize the torque requirements for the tlss sheave adjustments and to require a greater number of drum rotations per unit of tlss sheave movement . these components allow for a simplier , finer control by the tlss system 25 over the tls movements . fig9 - 11 illustrate the tlss drum 44 in it &# 39 ; s normal operating range for tls functions . fig9 shows the tlss drum 44 and wire ropes when in the uppermost position for tls adjustments . tlss left side wire rope 38 resides in pitches 70 on the primary fixed diameter section 60 and the right wire rope side 40 resides in pitches 70 on the tertiary fixed diameter section 64 at the interface of the tertiary fixed diameter section 64 and the secondary increasing diameter section 62 . fig1 shows the tlss drum 44 and wire ropes when in the neutral ( or mid range ) position for tls adjustments . tlss left side wire rope 38 resides in pitches 70 on the primary fixed diameter section 60 and the right wire rope side 40 resides in pitches 70 on the tertiary fixed diameter section 64 . there is more tlss wire rope 28 wound on the primary fixed diameter section 60 and less on the tertiary fixed diameter section 64 than in the uppermost position , but the number of pitches between the tlss left side wire rope 38 and the tlss right side wire rope 40 is the same as for the uppermost position for tls adjustments ( and will remain this way throughout all operational modes ). fig1 shows the tlss drum 44 and wire ropes when in the lowermost position for tls adjustments . tlss left side wire rope 38 still resides in pitches 70 on the primary fixed diameter section 60 and the right wire rope side 40 still resides in pitches 70 on the tertiary fixed diameter section 64 . there is again more tlss wire rope 28 wound on the primary fixed diameter section 60 and less on the tertiary fixed diameter section 64 than in the neutral position and the uppermost position . in the snag function mode , as illustrated by fig1 - 15 the left side wire rope 38 moves onto the secondary increasing diameter section 62 and onto the tertiary fixed diameter section 64 while the right wire rope side 40 moves off the tertiary fixed diameter section 64 and on to the quaternary decreasing diameter section 64 so as to adjust the torque from a positive value through zero to a negative value . this enables the snag desirable features as previously disclosed . fig1 illustrates a conservative estimate of the tlss wire rope 26 location where the earliest a snag could begin . at this time there is still the maximum positive torque developed by the tlss system 25 but in the number of drum rotations necessary to get to the normal snag stop position the quick responding tlss system 25 should have compensated for the snag . in fig1 , the normal tlss wire rope 26 position where snags are stopped is illustrated . should the tlss system 25 not have compensated for the snag and tension in the main crane wire ropes 28 continues to increase , the torque begins to reduce to zero as the left wire rope side 38 and the right wire rope side 40 move onto their respective increasing and decreasing diameter drum sections as shown in fig1 . if the snag has not been fully compensated for by this time , the torque becomes negative as the left wire rope side 38 continues onto the tertiary fixed diameter section 64 and the right wire rope side 40 moves further down the quaternary decreasing diameter section 66 as shown in fig1 . snags are calculated to occur at certain elevations of the main crane &# 39 ; s wire rope loops 22 which correspond to certain positions of the tlss sheaves 26 . the tlss drums are designed so that when the tlss sheaves are in expected snag locations , the left tlss wire rope side 38 and right tlss wire rope side 40 are on tlss drum sections that begin reducing the torque and slowing the movement of the tlss sheaves 26 . the diameter of the tlss drum section that the wire rope spooling in resides on will be increasing in diameter , and the diameter of the tlss drum section that the wire rope spooling out resides on will be decreasing in diameter . if the snag is longer in duration than calculated ( i . e . slow response of the main crane &# 39 ; s computer , main crane drum rotation and main crane brakes ) the right tlss wire rope side 40 and left tlss wire rope side 38 continue to spool on or off of tlss drum sections that reduce the torque to zero and stop the movement of the tlss sheaves 26 . if the snag continues in duration the diameter of the tlss drum section that the wire rope spooling in resides on will be larger in diameter than the diameter of the tlss drum section that the wire rope spooling out resides so as to offer negative ( reverse ) torque and to have a net release of tlss wire rope from the tlss drum thus allowing the tlss sheave 26 to move so as to compensate for the tension building in the cranes loops 22 . this is an extra safety precaution to make it nearly impossible to break the tlss wire rope end attachment free from the tlss drum 44 . when a snag event occurs , generally the main crane drum 18 is spooling up the main crane wire rope loops 25 at a high rate of speed . ( this is fastest if there is no load .) because of wire rope stretch the tension does not build instantaneously but rather takes a fraction of a second to rise to the preset level where the main crane &# 39 ; s tensiometer detects an increase in load commensurate with a snag . the preset level must have enough margin to allow for the balancing of a load ( generally 25 %) or the crane would be stopping unnecessarily on a regular basis . generally the main crane tensiometer reacts to a snag at 25 % beyond the normal balancing limits for the load . this results in a fraction of a second lost reaction time before the main crane &# 39 ; s computer can differentiate a snag event from a load balancing event and stop the crane drum from turning and apply the main crane &# 39 ; s brakes . it is within this fraction of a second that damage is done if the tlss system 25 does not come into play . to compensate for this long reaction time of the main crane drum operation ( approximately 0 . 3 seconds ), the tlss system friction coupling or friction brake 84 , which is precisely preset for a specified slip torque , releases the tlss gearbox 82 from the tlss drum 44 in a controlled fashion . this is precisely coordinated with the location of the tlss wire rope 28 on specific sections of the tlss drum 44 designed so that the tlss torque is optimal for snag compensation or snag reset . this is a passive system and does not require input from the main crane &# 39 ; s computer . it is able to stop the tlss drum 44 from rotating by the friction clutch 84 . the drum 44 is not freewheeling , but can let the wire rope 26 spool rapidly away for the fraction of a second it takes for the main crane &# 39 ; s drum 18 to stop rotating and for the hoist breaks to set , thereby avoiding snag damage or broken main crane wire ropes 22 . keeping in mind that the tlss system 25 is designed to operate within a narrow specified length of the main crane wire rope loops 22 ( that length between where the containers are raised and lowered ). the various tlss drum diameters , the longitudinal axis length of the tlss drums and the longitudinal axis length of the various drum sections are designed for specific main crane applications and the tlss wire rope is on specific drum sections at specific vertical heights of the main crane wire rope loops 22 . it is these parameters that enable the tlss system to function so precisely for normal tls functions and so quickly for snag events . the above detailed invention relates primarily to use with container cranes . such units are commonly found around harbor docks . these cranes remain at a fixed height from the containers they lift , and most of the repetitive lifts are done with similar amounts of vertical wire rope travel by the main crane wire rope loops 22 . because of this , the location of the tlss wire rope sides upon the discrete tlss drum sections are known with relative certainty and specificity . tlss drums can thus easily be designed for different cranes . looking at fig1 and 17 views of the tlss system dual diameter , opposite wire rope wrapped drum with dual transitional tapers 44 the remaining elements that comprise the tlss system 25 can best be seen . drum 44 is mounted upon axle 72 that has bearings 74 affixed at or near the axle &# 39 ; s distal and proximate ends . the bearings 74 reside in pillow block assemblies 76 rigidly attached mechanically to a mountable base 78 . one end of the axle 72 is connected to a gearbox 82 . a friction clutch / brake 84 may be mounted internal to the drum 44 about the axle 72 ( as shown if fig1 ) or may be mounted external to the drum 44 about the axle 72 ( as shown if fig1 ). the tlss system feedback signal to the main crane computer is developed and sent by an encoder 86 ( illustrated on fig1 ). it is well known in the art that the tlss system components besides the drum 44 itself , may have plethora of different configurations that accomplish the features of turning and braking the drum rotation , to numerous to delineate herein . it is to be noted that the spacing , more specifically the number of pitches 70 between the tlss wire rope 28 when on a tlss drum never changes . each tlss drum has its size , tapers , section diameters and wire rope wraps designed for a specific crane system based on the normal operating length ranges of the tlss wire rope 28 . by using various combinations of multiple drum regions with different drum diameters , a precise , fast acting tlss system 25 using conventional electric motors can be designed to meet the specific needs of a crane &# 39 ; s tlss system 25 . the above description will enable any person skilled in the art to make and use this invention . it also sets forth the best modes for carrying out this invention . there are numerous variations and modifications thereof that will also remain readily apparent to others skilled in the art , now that the general principles of the present invention have been disclosed . as such , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception , upon which this disclosure is based , may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures , methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention . it is important , therefore , that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 1 |
in this specification , all elements that are described in the figures have three digit numbers . additionally , this specification uses equations to describe the operation of the invention . all equations are numbered using only one or two digits . fig1 gives a side view of the spotter system 100 . fig2 gives a top view and fig3 gives a frontal view . a pair of horizontal beams 101 forms a base for a pair of vertical beams 102 . two beams 103 each form a stabilizing triangle joint between each horizontal beam 101 and vertical beam 102 . each of two top beams 104 are held in place by vertical beams 102 . a pair of beams 105 also form stabilizing triangle joints between top beams 104 and vertical beams 102 . vertical beams 102 are spaced apart by upper lateral beam 151 and lower lateral 152 . for stability , two beams 153 each form a stabilizing triangle joint between lower lateral beam 152 and each vertical beam 102 . beams 154 also each form a stabilizing triangle joint between lower lateral beam 152 and horizontal beam 101 . the spotter system 100 can have a bench press board 110 , to support the weightlifter for various exercises , such as the bench press . board 100 is supported by uprights 111 and 112 . upright 112 can be secured in holes 113 in horizontal beams 101 by pins 114 , to secure the location of board 110 relative to spotter system 100 . by securing the location of board 110 relative to spotter 100 , the safety of the weightlifter can be enhanced and the efficiency of the exercise improved . a pair of vertical smooth shafts 106 are fixedly held in parallel between horizontal beams 101 and top beams 104 . shafts 106 each have stop ring 107 to hold the shaft in place against top beams 104 . a pair of brackets 108 each support a clamp 109 . each clamp 109 grips one of shafts 106 . spotter - arms connecting - plate 131 is slidably attached to vertical smooth shafts 106 via top ball bushing 136 and bottom ball bushing 137 . the spotter arms 132 are held in place via this spotter - arms connecting - plate 131 . each spotter arm 132 has a forward vertical protrusion 133 and a rearward vertical protrusion 134 , to keep the barbell confined on the spotter arms 132 when the barbell is resting on spotter arms 132 . one or both of spotter arms 132 are hollow and contain a force transferring system 800 . the force transferring system 800 transfers the weight of the barbell supported on the arms 132 to a load - cell 807 thereby allowing a computer control system 200 to determine the extent to which the weightlifter requires a spot . the majority of the force transferring system 800 is contained within the hollow interior 132 a of one of the spotter arms 132 . the force transferring system 800 includes a top plate 801 . the top plate 801 extends between the forward vertical protrusion 133 and the rearward vertical protrusion 134 and supports the weight of the barbell . internally threaded nut 125 is attached to nut mount 130 . nut mount 130 is connected to spotter - arm connecting - plate 131 via reinforcing plate 138 . direct current ( dc ) motor 120 rests on motor mount 121 . dc motor 120 is chosen among motors commercially available , to deliver torque to gear box 122 . gear box 122 can have two purposes . the first purpose may include providing a mechanical advantage ( ma ) to the torque of dc motor 120 , at the expense of motor rpm ( revolutions per minute ). thus , the gear box 122 will multiply the torque of motor 120 by a factor of ma while dividing the rpm of dc motor 120 by the same factor of ma . this torque - speed tradeoff can provide increased torque to lead screw 124 . it is possible that gear box 122 may simply have a mechanical advantage of unity . gear box 122 has a second purpose , in fig1 which is to provide a right - angle change to the direction of the torque generated by dc motor 120 . gear box 122 is connected to flexible coupling 123 , to accommodate misalignment between lead screw 124 and gear box 122 . flexible coupling 123 is then connected to lead screw 124 . lead screw 124 is an externally - threaded shaft . lead screw 124 may also be called a power screw . lead screw 124 passes through internally threaded nut 125 . the external threads of lead screw 124 and internal threads of nut 125 are identical in pitch and thread profile , to allow these two members to be in mating rotational contact . lead screws can have threads with profiles including square threads , modified square threads , acme threads , stub acme threads , 60 - degree threads , or national buttress threads . both nut 125 and lead screw 124 should have the same direction of thread , either right - handed or left - handed . thus , it is critical that the nut and the lead screw have both the same pitch , the same thread profile , and the same right or left handedness of the thread . the rotation of lead screw 124 about the vertical axis moves mating nut 125 either up or down , depending on the rotation of lead screw 124 . dc motor 120 , gear box 122 , flexible coupling , 123 , lead screw 124 , and mating nut 125 form a power - train subassembly . since nut 125 is mechanically connected to the spotter arms 132 , rotation of dc motor 120 raises or lowers the spotter arms 132 , depending on the direction of rotation of dc motor 120 . the above power - train subassembly is the preferred embodiment . however , other power - train subassemblies could be used in spotter system 100 . dc motor 120 , gear box 122 , flexible coupling , 123 , lead screw 124 , and mating nut 125 could be inverted from that shown in fig1 - 3 , where the dc motor could be suspended from the top of the frame and the gear box and lead screw could be underneath the motor . alternately , dc motor 120 , gear box 122 , flexible coupling , 123 , lead screw 124 , and mating nut 125 could be replaced by a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder . either the hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders would serve the purpose of elevating or lowering spotter arms 132 . dc motor 120 has an integral encoder 360 for the purposes of providing rotation feedback to dc motor servo control 126 . this same feedback is used for determining the rotational motion of lead screw 124 and , hence , the position of spotter arms 132 . such an encoder 360 is well known in the industry and typically has an internal disk which is either transparent or opaque . if this internal disk is transparent , it is typically made of glass with uniformly spaced dark radial lines etched on it . if this internal disk is opaque , it is typically stainless steel foil with uniformly spaced open radial slots etched in it . either way , the internal disk is typically interposed between an internal light source and a light detector . as the internal disk rotates , it thus passes or blocks light and this is detected by the light source . one pair of alternating light and dark as detected by the light detector is called a count . if there is a pair of light sources and light detectors , the encoder is said to have quadrature , which means that the encoder can tell both the direction ( clockwise or counterclockwise ) as well as the magnitude ( count ) of the rotational motion of the internal disk . typically counts in one rotational direction are considered positive and counts in the opposite rotational direction are considered negative . so , by summing the positive and negative counts , the sum of these counts gives the desired rotational position . by measuring the time duration between counts , the rotational velocity of the internal disk in revolutions per second , and hence the lead screw 124 , can also be determined by the dc motor servo control 126 . this internal disk is connected to shaft of dc motor 120 . typically , encoders are classified by the number of lines per revolution , regardless of whether these lines are dark radial lines on transparent glass or open radial slots in opaque stainless steel foil . a 100 line encoder would have 100 uniformly spaced lines in the internal disk . thus , if controller 126 measured 550 line counts , it would know that the internal disk and hence the dc motor 120 made 5 . 5 revolutions ( 550 / 100 ). if the mechanical advantage ( ma ) of the gear box 122 was unity , then the lead screw 124 would have also made 5 . 5 revolutions . in all subsequent example calculations , it will be assumed that the mechanical advantage of the gear box 122 is unity . the external threads of lead screw 124 have a pitch p which is the amount of distance a point moves along the threads for one revolution of the lead screw 124 . the units of pitch p are typically inches per revolution . the angular rotation and angular velocity of lead screw 124 are known by servo controller 126 via ( a ) the encoder feedback from dc motor 120 and ( b ) the known mechanical advantage of gear box 122 . dc motor servo control 126 can convert these angular rotation and angular velocity quantities into linear vertical position and linear vertical velocity by multiplying these angular quantities by the pitch of the lead screw p and then dividing by the mechanical advantage of the gear box 122 . assuming that the gear box has a mechanical advantage of unity , if the count of a 100 line encoder is + 550 , the lead screw 124 has turned + 5 . 5 revolutions (+ 550 / 100 ). if the pitch p is 1 inch , then the lead screw 124 has raised nut 125 and spotter arms 132 + 5 . 5 p or 5 . 5 inches . similarly , if the encoder disk , and hence the lead screw 124 , is rotating at + 10 revolutions per second , the vertical velocity of the nut 125 and spotter arms 132 are equally + 10 p or + 10 inches per second . this is summarized in the following equations , equations 1 - 2 , which would be calculated by dc motor servo control 126 . control 126 would need to have the number of lines of encoder 360 and the mechanical advantage of gear box 122 stored in its memory to convert the line count into revolutions . vertical position of spotter arms 132 , in inches =( motor revolutions )*( inches / screw - revolution )/( mechanical advantage ) ( eq . 1 ) vertical velocity of spotter arms 132 , in inches / second =( motor revolutions / second )*( inches / screw - revolution )/( mechanical advantage ) ( eq . 2 ) in fig4 this cabling diagram shows that dc motor servo control 126 provides current and voltage to dc motor 120 via power cable 195 . cable 196 provides the encoder signal from the rotation of dc motor 120 to dc motor servo control 126 . this dc motor servo control 126 could be a dedicated unit , as shown in fig2 - 4 , or it could be a card inside of a personal computer 200 or a laptop or other microprocessor configuration . alternately , computer 200 could be resident inside of dc motor servo control 126 . computer 200 and dc motor servo control 126 communicate via cable 201 . either dc motor servo control 126 or computer 200 holds key parameters , such as spot position a , the low limit of exercise motion b , and the upper and lower limits of permitted - travel of spotter arms 132 . the upper and lower limits of travel of spotter arms 132 are needed so that the spotter arms will not collide with beams 104 or 101 when positions a and b are being defined by the weightlifter . other key parameters would include how far to lower the spotter arms 132 from the lower limit of exercise b , so that spotter arms are out of the way during the free - weight exercise period . there may be a database for the weightlifter which stores the positions a and b for that person , based on the exercise done . thus , the weightlifter would not have to reenter positions a and b every time an exercise was done . uninterruptable power supply ( ups ) 190 provides backup power to dc motor servo control 126 via power cable 191 . ups 190 is connected to a standard wall outlet or other power outlet via power cable 192 . dc motor 120 could have an internal brake which locks the motor from further rotation once power is cut to it . in case of a power outage , dc servo control 126 would first move spotter arms 132 , and hence the exercise weights , to spotter position a before cutting power to such a dc motor with an internal brake . ups provides backup power to computer 200 via power cable 193 . computer 200 normally gets its power from a standard wall outlet or other power outlet via power cable 199 . similarly , controller 126 normally gets its power from a standard wall outlet or other power outlet via power cable 198 . the amount of current needed to be supplied by dc motor servo control 126 to dc motor 120 to raise or lower the barbell can be estimated by the following screw - torque equations for a single - threaded lead - screw . lift screw - torque = ft * d 2 * p + pi * u * d pi * d - u * p + ft * u * d 2 ( eq . 3 ) lower screw - torque = ft * d 2 * p - pi * u * d pi * d + u * p + ft * u * d 2 ( eq . 4 ) u = coefficient of friction between lead screw 124 and mating nut 125 ft = weight of the barbells borne by spotter arms 132 plus the weight of the spotter arms 132 , back plate 131 , nut mount 130 , and reinforcing plate 136 dividing the screw - torque in equations 3 - 4 by ( a ) the torque constant kt of dc motor 120 and ( b ) by the mechanical advantage of gear box 122 gives ( c ) the current needed to be provided by control 126 to dc motor 120 during the normal operation of the spotter arms 132 . this calculation is shown in equation 5 . this same current would have to be provided via ups 190 to dc motor servo control 126 during emergency operation of the spotter arms 132 . equation 5 can be used to estimate the current required to lift , i ( lift ), and lower , i ( lower ), the spotter arms and the barbells being spotted . i ( lift ) is given in equation 6 and i ( lower ) is given in equation 7 . paddle board 250 has setup button 251 , exercise button 252 , and spot button 253 . paddle 250 is connected to computer 200 via cable 210 . buttons 251 - 253 could be foot activated , if paddle 250 resides on the floor and the weightlifter is using his or her hands to hold the weights . however , if the weight lifer is using the spotter for leg exercises , the buttons 251 - 253 could be hand operated . paddle 250 could be complimented by voice input 270 to computer 200 , via cable 271 . alternately cables 210 and 271 could be an infrared “ wireless ” link to computer 200 . computer 200 could display activity items to the weightlifter via display 260 . display 260 could be a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) or a common cathode ray tube ( crt ) display . display 260 is electrically connected to computer 200 via cable 261 . contact sensors 135 are connected to computer 200 via cables 280 . position a shown in fig1 is the upper limit of spot desired by the weightlifter . position b is the lower limit of spot desired by the weightlifter . positions a and b will vary from exercise to exercise for an individual . positions a and b will vary from individual to individual for a given exercise . thus , a setup phase is recommended to establish positions a and b for each user for each desired exercise . fig5 shows the beginning of the setup phase 500 of the use of spotter system 100 . in step 502 , the user enters his or her name and optional pin ( personal identification number ) into computer 200 . if the user has already established positions a and b for various exercises in step 504 , the user picks which exercise he or she wants to perform in step 506 . then the process jumps to the exercise phase in step 508 . the reason for steps 502 , 504 , and 506 is that the user would not have to repetitively define exercise positions a and b each and every time the user desired to exercise . weightlifters can be short or tall and exercises can range from squats ( low exercises ), to bench presses and curls ( middle height exercises ), to military presses done overhead ( high exercises ). thus , positions a and b have to be defined . if positions a and b are not already defined , the step 510 checks to see if setup button 251 was pushed . if not , step 510 cycles back to itself . if setup button 251 was pushed , step 510 jumps to step 512 , where spotter arms 132 are elevated . step 514 checks to see if setup button 251 was pushed again because spotter arms 132 are at the desired position a . if not , the process cycles back to step 512 and spotter arms 132 are elevated more . however , if setup button 251 is pushed in step 514 , signifying the location of position a , spotter arms 132 are now lowered in step 518 . step 520 checks to see if setup button 251 was pushed again . if not , the process goes back to step 518 and spotter arms 132 are lowered more . if setup button 251 is pushed again in step 520 , signifying the location of position b , the process goes to step 524 , where the newly defined positions a and b for this exercise are stored in the computer 200 . by storing values a and b , they will not have to be continually be redefined for this weightlifter . then step 524 flows to step 508 , to begin the exercise phase . in fig6 the free - weight exercise phase begins with step 600 . in step 602 , the process checks to see if exercise button 252 was pushed . if not , the process cycles back to step 602 . however , once exercise button 252 is pushed in step 602 , spotter arms 132 are dropped below position b in step 604 . how far spotter arms 132 are dropped below position b could be user - adjustable . dropping spotter arms 132 to their lowest possible position could be done . alternately , spotter arms 132 could be dropped a fixed distance below position b , such as 6 inches below position b . after the spotter arms are dropped out of the way , the user may engage in free weight lifting until he or she presses spot button 253 , in step 606 . if spot button 253 is not pressed , step 606 cycles back to itself . however , once spot button 253 is pressed in step 606 , the process flows to step 608 and the spot phase begins . the spot phase begins in step 700 . the process moves to step 702 , where spotter arms 132 lift at vertical velocity v 1 . vertical velocity v 1 may be set in computer 200 or dc motor servo control 126 by either the factory or by the weightlifter . step 704 checks to see if contact has been made with the barbells yet . contact would be determined by either ( a ) a change in the force on the load - cell 807 or ( b ) a jump in the motor current provided to dc motor 120 by dc motor servo control 126 once the weight of the barbells is engaged by spotter arms 132 , per equations 3 and 5 . once contact is made by spotter arms 132 with the barbells , the barbells are raised to position a at a velocity v 2 until n percent of the weight is on the arms 132 in step 706 . the n percent of weight on the arms 132 is measured by the load - cell 807 . the information gathered by load - cell 807 is transmitted to the computer 200 . n is a constant programmed by the user into the computer 200 . velocity v 2 is preferably less than velocity v 1 , or may be equal to it . the user may set velocity v 2 to his or her preference and store it in computer 200 in her user profile . once at position a , step 708 checks to see if the weight on the arms 132 is increasing by determining the force on the load - cells 807 . if the weight on the arms 132 is not increasing , the spotter arms 132 are sufficiently spotting the weightlifter . in this case , the spotter arms 132 are raised to position a . in step 713 , the computer 200 checks to see if the spotter arms 132 have reached position a . if the arms 132 have not reached position a , the computer 200 cycles through steps 706 and 708 again . once the arms 132 have reached position a , the computer 200 proceeds back to step 600 . referring again to step 708 , if the weight on the arms 132 is increasing , the computer 200 interprets the increasing weight as evidence that the weightlifter is not managing to lift the barbell successfully with the present spot . in this case , in step 710 , the computer 200 increases the amount of the spot given to the weightlifter . specifically , in step 710 the percentage of weight supported by the arms 132 in the spot phase is increased by n percent . again , the computer 200 determines the amount of weight supported by the arms 132 through measuring the force on the load - cells 807 . in step 714 , the computer 200 determines if the weight supported by the arms 132 has been adjusted four times in step 710 . if the computer 200 has adjusted the weight supported by the arms four times in step 710 , the computer proceeds to step 717 where the arms 132 are automatically raised to position a . after step 717 , the computer 200 stops the exercise in step 718 . step 714 and 717 are a safety feature . if it is necessary to adjust the weight supported by the arms four times in step 710 , the weightlifter is no longer in a position to lift the weight in a meaningful sense . if n is equal to 10 percent of the weight of the barbell , four increments of step 710 will cause the spotter arms to support 50 percent of the weight . at this point , it is clear that the mechanical spotting device , and not the weightlifter , is performing the exercise . the computer 200 therefore just removes the weight . if the computer 200 has not reset the weight supported by the spotter arms four times in step 710 , the computer 200 cycles again to step 706 . fig8 shows a sectional view of one of the spotter arms revealing the force transferring system 800 . the sectional view shown in fig8 is taken along section b shown in fig2 . the force transferring system 800 is comprised of a top plate 135 that is rigidly connected to three supporting bars 802 . each supporting bar 802 is rotationally mounted to a pivot wheel 803 with a set of pins 808 . there are three slots 810 that are cut into the top of the arm 132 that the supporting bars 802 pass through . there are a total of three pivot wheels 803 . the three pivot wheels 803 are rotationally mounted to the sides of the interior hollow portion of the spotting arm by pivot rods 804 . a bottom push - rod 805 connects the three pivot wheels 803 together thereby causing the pivot wheels 803 to rotate in unison . an end 806 of the push - rod 805 is mechanically engaged to the load - cell 807 . the load - cell 807 is rigidly mounted within the interior of the hollow portion 809 of the spotting arm 132 . the load - cell 807 measures the amount of force that is placed on the top plate 135 . the load cell 807 is electrically connected to the computer 200 via an electrical cable or wireless transmitter . the barbell rests upon the top plate 135 . the weight of the barbell pushes the top plate 135 down thereby causing the pivot wheels 803 to rotate . the rotation of the pivot wheels 803 caused by a downward movement of the top plate 135 pushes the bottom push - rod 805 into the load cell 807 . this force transferring system 800 thereby enables the load cell 807 to measure the amount of force placed upon the top plate 135 by the barbell . one advantage of the force transferring system 800 is that the barbell can rest anywhere along the top plate 135 and the load cell 807 will measure the same amount of force . therefore , the weightlifter can conduct his exercise routine normally without worrying about the position of the barbell along the spotter arm 132 . as described in fig1 fig8 also shows how the arms 132 are moveably secured to the shaft 106 by a top bushing 136 and a bottom bushing 137 . the bushings 136 and 137 allow the arm 132 so slide along the shaft 106 . note that the load - cell 807 is rigidly secured to the arm 132 . in addition , the pivot rods 804 are rigidly secured to the sides of the arm 132 . fig9 , and 11 show the side , top , and front views of the force transferring system 800 . in fig9 note that there are ridges 133 and 134 that are formed in the arm 132 to prevent the barbell from sliding off the arm 132 . the side view shown in fig9 is taken along section b shown in fig2 . referring to fig1 , a top view of the arm 132 and the force transferring mechanism 800 is shown . the top view shown in fig1 is taken along section c shown in fig1 . note that each wheel 803 is actually a pair of wheels 803 . the pivot shaft 804 extends through both wheels 803 and is rigidly secured to the sides of the arm 132 within the hollow interior 809 . the wheels 803 are free to rotate about pivot rods 804 . each of the three supporting bars 802 are rotationally mounted to the pair of wheels 803 by a pair of pivot pins 808 . a second set of pivot pins 808 rotationally mount the push - rod 805 to the wheels 803 . note that the entire force transferring system 800 is contained within the hollow interior 809 of the arm 132 except for the top plate 135 and the supporting bars 802 . a front sectional view of the arm is shown in fig1 . the front sectional view shown in fig1 is taken along section a shown in fig2 . the rear ridge 134 restricting the movement of the barbell is shown . the push - rod 805 is rotationally mounted to the pair of wheels 803 by a pair of pins 808 . the top plate 135 is rigidly fixed to the rod 802 that is rotationally mounted to the wheels 803 by a pair of pins 808 . note that the pivot rod 804 that rotationally secures the two wheels 803 is rigidly secured to the sides of the arm 132 within the hollow interior 809 . the coefficient of friction in equations 3 - 4 can vary with temperature , age , and environment . however , equations 3 - 7 can provide the background for estimating the percentage of the weight being spotted by the spotter system 100 and the amount being actually lifted by the weightlifter without precise knowledge of the coefficient of friction . by controller 126 cycling the spotter system ( a ) with the barbell through a spot cycle , steps 700 through 714 , and ( b ) without the barbell through an identical spot cycle , ( c ) each time without the weightlifter touching the barbell or the spotter arms , then ( d ) the current supplied to dc motor 120 to lift the barbell during a 100 % spot - lift ilift ( 100 ) and a 0 % spot lift ilift ( 0 ) can be empirically measured . this is called the 100 % spot - calibration and the 0 % spot - calibration . by measuring the current ispot during the actual lift portion of step 706 , the percent of the weight of the barbell being spotted is defined by equation 8 and the percent of the weight of the barbell being supported by the weightlifter is defined by equation 9 . percent spotted = ispot - ilift ( 0 ) ilift ( 100 ) - ilift ( 0 ) * 100 % ( eq . 8 ) percent lifted = ilift ( 100 ) - ispot ilift ( 100 ) - ilift ( 0 ) * 100 % ( eq . 9 ) for example , if ilift ( 100 ) equals 12 amperes , ilift ( 0 )= 2 amperes , and ispot during step 706 is 6 amperes , then the percent lifted is 60 %, [( 12 - 6 )/( 12 - 2 )]. similarly , the percent spotted is 40 %, [( 6 - 2 )/ 12 - 2 )]. the sum of equations 8 - 9 is unity , meaning that the percent spotted plus the percent lifted add up to 100 %, as expected . it should be noted that ilift ( 0 ) the current necessary to lift the weight of just the articulated portion of spotter system 100 , namely ( a ) spotter arms 132 , ( b ) spotter - arm connecting - plate 131 , ( c ) reinforcing plate 138 , ( d ) internally threaded nut 125 , and ( e ) nut mount 130 , could be measured at the beginning of the exercise period for that day or at some other convenient time . ilift ( 0 ) need not be measured for each exercise . however , ilift ( 100 ) would have to be measured each time the weight of the barbell changed . the results of the estimated percentages of ( a ) weight spotter and ( b ) actually lifted during the spot phase , step 706 , could be displayed on display 260 . the calculations required by equations 8 - 9 would be done by computer 200 . computer 200 would know the current used during step 706 by querying dc motor servo control 126 , both during the 100 % spot - calibration and during the actual spotting of the weightlifter . as previously described , it is dc motor servo control 126 which is providing that current to dc motor 120 . equations 1 - 9 could equally be solved in system international ( si ) units , which are commonly called metric units in the united states . one last feature of this invention has to do with designing lead screw 124 to be self - locking , meaning that in the event of a compound failure , namely a power outage of normally available power and the failure of the ups 190 , that the barbell and spotter arms 132 do not descend down upon the weightlifter . the term self - locking does not mean that the lead screw 124 and nut 125 “ freeze .” rather , the term self - locking means that the coefficient of friction between the lead screw 124 and nut 125 is sufficient that the barbell and spotter arms 132 stay in place based on friction alone , without the assistance of electrical power to dc motor 120 . if lead screw 124 has a square thread , the condition for self - locking is that the pitch p of lead screw 124 is equal to the diameter d of the lead screw 124 times pi times the coefficient of friction u between lead screw 124 and nut 125 . this is given in equation 10 . thus , by prudent selection of the lead screw 124 and nut 125 , additional safety can be designed into spotter system 100 . while the invention has been shown and described with reference to a particular embodiment thereof , it will be understood to those skilled in the art , that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
the prior art circuit 50 shown in fig1 can be commonly found in usb devices , such as a digital camera . it comprises a usb digital asic 1 ( which contains a microprocessor ), a transceiver 2 , and a usb core 3 . the asic 1 controls and regulates the operation of the circuit 50 . the transceiver 2 transmits signalling between a connected usb host ( not shown ) and the asic 1 . the usb core 3 is used to configure the circuitry 50 to the usb standard , and is shown combined with the asic 1 . both the asic 1 and the transceiver 2 source power along track p . the transceiver 2 receives signalling from the host along a number of tracks 10 , 11 , and 12 . specifically , track 10 transmits power signalling ( vbus ) to the transceiver 2 , and tracks 11 and 12 transmit data signalling ( d +, 0 −) between the host and transceiver 2 . in contrast to track 10 , tracks 11 and 12 are used for two - way transmission between the transceiver 2 and the host . tracks 11 and 12 are interrupted by resistors 40 and 41 respectively to adapt the signals ( d +, d −) into a suitable form for transmission between the host and transceiver 2 . a further track 13 is provided to ground the transceiver 2 . in order to allow convenient connection to the host , the host end of each of these tracks 10 , 11 , 12 , and 13 terminates at a connection port 4 . communication between the transceiver 2 and the asic 1 is along tracks 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 and 26 . each of these tracks are attached to the asic 1 using separate i / o asic pins . however , whereas tracks 20 , 21 and 22 are used to transmit signalling from the transceiver 2 to the asic 1 , tracks 23 , 24 , 25 and 26 are used to transmit signalling from the asic 1 to the transceiver 2 . with regard to data transmission down tracks 20 and 21 , the transceiver 2 is arranged to take data signalling ( d +, d −) from tracks 11 and 12 and feed the data signalling to tracks 20 and 21 respectively . the transceiver 2 is also arranged to modify the data signals into a form ( vp , vm ) suitable for the asic 1 . this is done by passing the signals ( 0 +, 0 −) through single end receivers 42 and 43 respectively . in the case of data transmission down track 22 , a differential signal ( rcv ) is sent to the asic 1 along this track 22 , and is used by the asic 1 to remove noise which may have been added to the data signals ( d +, d −). the differential signal is generated in the transceiver 2 by comparing the 0 + and 0 − data signals which should be the inverse of one another . turning to signalling from the asic 1 to the transceiver 2 , track 23 is used to switch the transceiver 2 between transmitting and receiving modes . track 24 is used to place the transceiver 2 into a low power mode upon host command , and track 25 is used to tell the transceiver 2 to transmit the usb signalling state called single ended zero ( seo ), where both 0 + and d − are set to ‘ 0 ’ at the same time . track 26 is a data transmission line and is used to send data vo from the asic 1 to the transceiver 2 . the transceiver 2 is further configured to take this data vo and pass it back along tracks 11 and 12 to the host . an alternative transmission technique allows the transceiver 2 to transmit 0 + data according to the stimulus on a vpo transceiver pin , and 0 - data according to the stimulus on a vmo transceiver pin . the circuit 50 comprises a further track 32 which is used to notify the host that the device circuitry 50 has been connected to the host . the track 32 is interrupted by a resistor 46 and effectively connects the transceiver end of track 10 back to the host via track 11 . in operation , connection of the host to the device circuitry 50 using connection port 4 sends a vbus signal down track 10 to the transceiver 2 . the vbus signal is then transmitted along track 32 , through resistor 46 , and back to track 11 . this signal travels down track 11 , through connection port 4 and back to the host , whereupon it is detected by the host . the circuit 50 also has an additional track 30 which connects track 10 to the asic 1 using a separate i / o asic pin , and without first passing through the transceiver 2 . the track 30 is interrupted by circuitry 31 to control the vbus signal from track 10 within a range which is suitable for the asic 1 . this is done by using a comparator ( operational amplifier ) 44 and a potential divider 45 . this circuitry 31 is used to provide the asic 1 with the connection status of device . simply , if the asic 1 receives a signal then the asic 1 recognizes connection to the host . otherwise , the asic 1 recognizes disconnection . fig2 illustrates a circuit 100 according to the present invention . common components have corresponding reference numerals to circuit 50 , and perform the same functions as described previously . in contrast to circuit 50 however , circuit 100 does not have track 30 or circuitry 31 ( components 44 , 45 ). instead , the transceiver 2 is configured to analyze the signal down track 10 . if the transceiver 2 detects the vbus signal , the transceiver allows the asic 1 to determine that the circuit 100 is connected to a host by the receipt of data packets from tracks 20 and 21 . however , if the circuit 100 is disconnected from the host , there will be no vbus signal in track 10 . in such a case , the transceiver 2 is configured to change the vp , vm signals in track 20 and 21 to the simultaneous ‘ 1 ’ state i . e . on receipt of a ‘ 0 ’ signal from the vbus line 10 , the transceiver 2 inverts the signal into a ‘ 1 ’ signal and sends this signal for transmission through tracks 20 and 21 . this inversion of signalling is done by using a not gate 111 ( fig3 ). in such an arrangement , the asic 1 is configured to recognize this simultaneous ‘ 1 ’ state with a disconnected state . some additional circuitry may be required to prevent the simultaneous ‘ 1 ’ signalling being sent back along tracks 20 and 21 to tracks 11 and 12 respectively . one solution is to incorporate the circuitry 110 shown in fig3 into the transceiver 2 . in this arrangement , the inverted signal from the not gate 111 is sent to one input of each of the two or gates 112 , 113 . the remaining input of the two or gates 112 , 113 are each connected to receive signalling d +, 0 − from tracks 11 and 12 , and the output of each of the or gates 112 , 113 are connected to send signalling vp , vm to corresponding tracks 20 and 21 . this configuration not only prevents signalling being sent back along tracks 11 and 12 , but it also identifies the disconnected state by analyzing 0 +, d − signals together with the vbus signal . the circuit 100 is configured to positively change the vp , vm signal state when power is not being received from the host through track 10 . as power is required to positively change the vp , vm signals to the simultaneous ‘ 1 ’ state , the invention is only applicable to self - powered circuitry i . e . those circuits which do not rely on power from the host . a convenient embodiment of the invention provides the asic 1 with a nand gate 125 to convert the simultaneous ‘ 1 ’ state vp , vm signals into a single unique ‘ 0 ’ state ( vbus detect ). the truth table of fig2 illustrates the logic . of course , the asic 1 would be configured to identify the ‘ 0 ’ state with a disconnected state . in an alternative embodiment , the nand gate 125 could be replaced by an and gate ( not shown ) and the asic 1 configured to identify the ‘ 1 ’ state with a disconnected state . during changing of signal states , the 0 + and d − signals can both be at the logic ‘ 1 ’ state for up to l4ns and thus the vp , vm signals require filtering . a suitable filter circuit 120 incorporating the nand gate 125 is shown in fig4 and comprises two inputs 121 , 122 , an and gate 123 , a delay buffer 124 and a output 126 . the circuit prevents the “ l4ns ( max ) glitch ” being sent to the asic 1 . it will be appreciated that the size and cost of the nand gate 125 and / or the filter circuit 120 added to the digital asic 1 is / are much smaller than the size and cost of the external vbus comparator detection hardware 30 , 31 . this is also true of the logic circuitry 110 incorporated in the transceiver 2 . it will also be appreciated that the embodiment shown in fig2 eliminates both the use of a separate i / o asic pin and also a separate external track and comparator circuitry . the tracking complexity of the circuit is thus reduced , which is a particular advantage in densely packed printed circuit boards ( pcbs ) or printed wiring boards ( pwb ). | 6 |
fig1 a and 1b are schematic diagrams illustrating how a speaker apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention and a television set are placed . fig1 a is a perspective view , and fig1 b is a side view . a speaker apparatus 1 described in the present embodiment is a bar speaker having a rectangular parallelepiped housing 10 whose size is large in a lateral direction and small in a height direction . the speaker apparatus 1 is placed in front of a television set 2 . the television set 2 includes a light receiver 102 for receiving infrared rays ( light signal ) serving as an operation signal . the light receiver 102 receives infrared rays transmitted from a remote control 200 for the television set 2 . the light receiver 102 is provided at a panel located below a display screen 101 included in a housing 100 . further , the housing 100 is provided at its lower right and left parts with a speaker 103 r and a speaker 103 l . the remote control 200 emits infrared rays corresponding to , for example , operation signals for turning on / off the power of the television set 2 , and operation signals for increasing / reducing sound levels of the speakers 103 r and 103 l . in the present embodiment , since the speaker apparatus 1 is placed in front of the television set 2 , the light receiver 102 is blocked by the speaker apparatus 1 , and the light receiver 102 cannot directly receive the infrared rays from the remote control 200 . the speaker apparatus 1 includes a plurality of speakers ( two speakers in the present embodiment ), i . e ., a speaker 11 r and a speaker 11 l , at a front face of the housing 10 . the speaker apparatus 1 is connected to the television set 2 via unillustrated wiring , thus receiving a sound signal from the television set 2 and emitting sounds of the television set 2 from the speakers 11 r and 11 l . at positions below an approximate center of the front face of the housing 10 , the speaker apparatus 1 includes two light receivers , i . e ., light receivers 12 and 13 , for receiving infrared rays from the remote control 200 . the speaker apparatus 1 is placed so that a path between the light receiver 102 of the television set 2 and the remote control 200 is blocked ; hence , when a user operates the remote control 200 while pointing the remote control 200 at the television set 2 , the light receivers 12 and 13 will receive infrared rays from the remote control 200 . the speaker apparatus 1 further includes a light emitter 20 at aback face of the housing 10 . upon reception of infrared rays from the remote control 200 by the light receiver 12 , the speaker apparatus 1 outputs , from the light emitter 20 , the infrared rays received by the light receiver 12 ( in other words , the infrared rays are passed through the speaker apparatus 1 ) as indicated by solid arrows in fig1 b . as a result , the speaker apparatus 1 functions as a relay apparatus for relaying an operation signal from the remote control 200 . moreover , the speaker apparatus 1 has a so - called “ remote control learning function ” in which upon reception of infrared rays from the remote control 200 by the light receiver 13 , the speaker apparatus 1 transmits the infrared rays to a microcontroller 52 ( see fig2 ) of the speaker apparatus 1 , and the speaker apparatus 1 is also operated in accordance with an operation signal outputted from the remote control 200 . fig2 is a block diagram illustrating components of the speaker apparatus 1 ( concerning the relaying function and the remote control learning function ). in addition to the light receivers 12 and 13 and the light emitter 20 , the speaker apparatus 1 includes the microcontroller 52 , a memory 53 and a pass - through circuit 55 . the memory 53 serves as a rewritable storage and stores , for example , an operation program for the microcontroller 52 , and a table in which correspondences between operation signals and operation information are provided . the microcontroller 52 reads the operation program from the memory 53 and expands the program into a ram ( not illustrated ), thereby performing various operations . in the present embodiment , the microcontroller 52 receives an operation signal outputted from the remote control 200 and received by the light receiver 13 , makes reference to the above - mentioned table stored in the memory 53 , and allows the speaker apparatus 1 to execute an operation corresponding to the operation signal outputted from the remote control 200 . for example , a power on / off operation signal from the remote control 200 and operation information thereof are provided in the table in the memory 53 so that the operation signal and the operation information are associated with each other ; thus , when the power on / off operation signal is received from the remote control 200 , the microcontroller 52 makes reference to the table , thus performing an operation for turning on / off the power of the speaker apparatus 1 . the above - mentioned table is created upon designation of a learning mode by the user . upon designation of a learning mode by the user , the microcontroller 52 associates an operation signal , which is subsequently received from the remote control 200 , with operation information thereof to update the information stored in the memory 53 , and thus learns the operation signal outputted from the remote control 200 . for example , an unillustrated power button provided at the housing is pressed and held , and thus the microcontroller 52 receives designation of a learning mode . subsequently , for example , when the power button at the housing is pressed down , a power learning mode is established ; then , upon reception of infrared rays by the light receiver 13 , the received operation signal is associated with a power on / off operation , and the table in the memory 53 is updated . thus , the microcontroller 52 learns the power on / off operation signal emitted from the remote control 200 . then , upon reception of the infrared rays corresponding to the power on / off operation signal by the light receiver 13 during normal operation , the microcontroller 52 makes reference to the table in the memory 53 using the operation signal and performs an operation for turning on / off the power of the apparatus . note that in the speaker apparatus 1 , correspondences between operation signals , used for remote controls provided by various television set manufacturers , and operation information thereof may be registered in the table in advance . in that case , an operation for allowing the microcontroller 52 to learn an operation signal from the remote control 200 upon designation of a learning mode is not essential . on the other hand , the microcontroller 52 performs control to turn on / off a switch of the pass - through circuit 55 serving as a switch circuit . the switch of the pass - through circuit 55 is turned on in accordance with the control performed by the microcontroller 52 ; thus , an operation signal ( infrared rays ), outputted from the remote control 200 and received by the light receiver 12 , is passed through the pass - through circuit 55 to the light emitter 20 , and the infrared rays are relayed to the light receiver 102 of the television set 2 . as described above , the speaker apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment relays an operation signal , outputted from the remote control 200 and received by the light receiver 12 , to the television set 2 , and receives the operation signal by the light receiver 13 so that the speaker apparatus 1 is also operated in accordance with the received operation signal . for example , upon reception of the power on / off operation signal , the speaker apparatus 1 and the television set 2 are operated as follows . when the speaker apparatus 1 and the television set 2 are in standby states , both of the speaker apparatus 1 and the television set 2 each make a transition to a power on state upon reception of the power on / off operation signal ; on the other hand , when the speaker apparatus 1 and the television set 2 are in the power on states , both of the speaker apparatus 1 and the television set 2 each perform a power off operation ( or make a transition to the standby state ) upon reception of the power on / off operation signal . thus , the power of the speaker apparatus 1 and the power of the television set 2 are allowed to be turned on / off in conjunction with each other . in this embodiment , as for particular operation signals such as an operation signal for enabling / disabling a mute mode and an operation signal for increasing the sound level , the microcontroller 52 turns off the switch of the pass - through circuit 55 , thereby preventing the operation signals from being relayed . as illustrated in fig1 , the television set 2 is provided with the speakers 103 r and 103 l , and sounds of the television set 2 are also emitted from the speakers 103 r and 103 l . accordingly , sounds emitted from the speakers 11 r and 11 l of the speaker apparatus 1 are mixed with sounds emitted from the speakers 103 r and 103 l of the television set 2 , thus creating an unfavorable situation in terms of acoustic effects . therefore , in general , it is preferable that the sound level of the television set 2 is reduced and the user mainly listens to sounds of the speaker apparatus 1 . however , in a case where an operation signal received by the speaker apparatus 1 is relayed , information of an operation signal from the remote control 200 is learned , and the speaker apparatus 1 is also operated in accordance with the operation signal , the following problem might occur . for example , when the user operates the remote control 200 with the intention of increasing the sound level of the speaker apparatus 1 , not only the sound level of the speaker apparatus 1 but also the sound level of the television set 2 might be increased , thereby exerting an adverse influence on acoustic effects . or in a case where the television set 2 is put in a mute mode and the user listens to only sounds of the speaker apparatus 1 , the following problem might occur . when the user operates the remote control 200 with the intention of putting the speaker apparatus 1 in a mute mode , the speaker apparatus 1 is put in the mute mode , but the mute mode of the television set 2 might be cancelled , so that sounds will be emitted from the television set 2 . to cope with the above problems , as for the particular operation signals such as an operation signal for enabling / disabling the mute mode and an operation signal for increasing the sound level , the microcontroller 52 turns off the switch of the pass - through circuit 55 , thereby preventing the operation signals from being relayed as mentioned above . as a result , unintentional increase in the sound level of the speaker apparatus 1 and cancellation of the mute mode are prevented , thus preventing an adverse influence on acoustic effects . fig3 is a flow chart illustrating operations of the speaker apparatus 1 ( microcontroller 52 ). upon reception of infrared rays by the light receiver 13 , the microcontroller 52 performs the operations illustrated in the flow chart . first , the microcontroller 52 determines whether or not an infrared ray pass - through function is enabled ( s 11 ). when the pass - through function is turned off by the user by using an operation section ( not illustrated ) provided at the housing of the speaker apparatus 1 or a dedicated remote control ( not illustrated ) of the speaker apparatus 1 , the microcontroller 52 turns off the switch of the pass - through circuit 55 to make settings so that an operation signal received by the light receiver 12 will not be relayed ( s 15 ). on the other hand , upon determination that the pass - through function is enabled ( i . e ., upon determination that the pass - through function is turned on by the user ), the microcontroller 52 determines whether or not a learning function is enabled ( s 12 ). when the learning function is turned off by the user by using the operation section ( not illustrated ) provided at the housing of the speaker apparatus 1 or the dedicated remote control ( not illustrated ) of the speaker apparatus 1 similarly to the above description , the microcontroller 52 turns on the switch of the pass - through circuit 55 to make settings so that an operation signal received by the light receiver 12 will be relayed ( s 14 ). in this case , only the relaying function of the speaker apparatus 1 is enabled ; hence , even when the speaker apparatus 1 receives an operation signal from the remote control 200 , the speaker apparatus 1 does not perform an operation corresponding to the operation signal . upon determination that the learning function is enabled , the microcontroller 52 makes reference to the table in the memory 53 using the operation signal received by the light receiver 13 , and determines whether or not the operation signal is a particular operation signal , e . g ., whether or not the operation signal corresponds to an operation for increasing a sound level in this embodiment ( s 13 ). when the received operation signal is not the particular operation signal , the microcontroller 52 turns on the switch of the pass - through circuit 55 to make settings so that the operation signal received by the light receiver 12 will be relayed ( s 14 ). on the other hand , upon determination that the received operation signal is the particular operation signal , the microcontroller 52 turns off the switch of the pass - through circuit 55 to make settings so that the operation signal received by the light receiver 12 will not be relayed ( s 15 ). thus , the relay of the operation signal is interrupted , thereby preventing increase in the sound level of the television set 2 and cancellation of the mute mode . note that the microcontroller 52 performs a determination process in which reference is made to the memory 53 , for example ; hence , it might take time to perform the determination process , and an operation signal might be transmitted from the light emitter 20 before the relay of the operation signal is interrupted . further , in general , a particular operation such as an operation for increasing the sound level is often performed by pressing and holding a button of a remote control , and therefore , operation signals are often outputted in a continuous manner . in this case , when it is determined whether or not each of the operation signals , which are continuously received , is the particular operation signal , it might eventually be impossible to interrupt the relay of the operation signals . to cope with such problems , when the particular operation signal is once received , the microcontroller 52 preferably performs operations illustrated in fig4 ( note that steps similar to those in fig3 are identified by the same reference characters and the description thereof will be omitted ). in the operation flow of fig4 , upon determination that the learning function is enabled , the microcontroller 52 then performs the operation of s 21 . specifically , until a given period of time elapses since a time at which the reception of the last particular operation signal has been determined , the microcontroller 52 turns off the switch of the pass - through circuit 55 without performing any determination process , and thus interrupts the relay ( s 21 ). in other words , it is assumed that the same operation signals are continuously received until the given period of time elapses . the given period of time is set to a time ( e . g ., about 0 . 5 seconds ) in which a different button is not pressed down by the user . as described above , when the particular operation signal is once received , the microcontroller 52 determines that the operation signals , continuously received before the lapse of the given period of time , are outputted by pressing and holding of a button of the remote control 200 by the user , and the microcontroller 52 interrupts the relay of the operation signals without making reference to the table in the storage , thus making it possible to prevent the relay of the particular operation signals . note that although an example in which the light receiver 13 for remote control learning is provided separately from the light receiver 12 for the relaying function has been described in the present embodiment , only a single light receiver may be provided . when a single light receiver is provided in the block diagram of fig2 , infrared rays received by the light receiver may be inputted to the microcontroller 52 and the pass - through circuit 55 through branched paths . alternatively , the microcontroller 52 may also perform functions of the pass - through circuit 55 . for example , the microcontroller 52 may regenerate an operation signal having the same encoded information as that of an operation signal of the remote control 200 , and may allow the light emitter 20 to emit the regenerated signal . also in that case , the microcontroller 52 can implement functions similar to those of the pass - through circuit 55 . note that in the present embodiment , a received operation signal is immediately passed through the pass - through circuit 55 when the switch of the pass - through circuit 55 is on . however , as illustrated in fig5 , which is a block diagram according to a variation of the present invention , the speaker apparatus 1 may include , in the pass - through circuit 55 , a buffer 551 for temporarily storing an operation signal to delay output of the operation signal , and the buffered operation signal may be prevented from being passed through the pass - through circuit 55 until a determination on whether or not the operation signal is the particular operation signal has been made by the microcontroller 52 . in that case , the relay of an operation signal is delayed , but an operation signal that should be interrupted can be interrupted with reliability . furthermore , also when the microcontroller 52 regenerates an operation signal having the same encoded information as that of an operation signal of the remote control 200 and allows the light emitter 20 to emit the regenerated signal , the regeneration may be delayed until the determination is ended , thus making it possible to implement functions similar to those of the pass - through circuit 55 . according to an aspect of the invention , the particular operation signal such as an operation signal for increasing a sound level or an operation signal for canceling a quiet mode ( i . e ., canceling a mute state ) is not relayed to the external apparatus . thus , even when the external apparatus is a television set including a speaker , an unintentional increase in sound level of the television set will be prevented , thereby making it possible to prevent an adverse influence on acoustic effects . in general , a particular operation such as an operation for increasing the sound level is often performed by pressing and holding a button of a remote control , and therefore , operation signals are often outputted in a continuous manner . since the controller is operated to determine whether or not there is information relevant to the particular operation signal by making reference to the storage , the operation signal might be relayed before transmission to a transmitter is stopped . in that case , when the controller determines whether or not each of the operation signals , which have been continuously received , is the particular operation signal , it might eventually be impossible to interrupt the relay of the operation signals . therefore , in the invention , when reception of the particular operation signal is once determined , the relay of the operation signals , which are subsequently transmitted in a continuous manner , is stopped without making reference to the storage , thus making it possible to prevent the relay of the particular operation signal . further , the storage may store correspondences between several operation signals and operation information in advance . alternatively , the controller may receive a learning mode and associate an operation signal , received during the learning mode , with received operation information to update the information stored in the storage , thus allowing the speaker apparatus to be adaptable to any remote control . according to an aspect of the invention , even when the speaker apparatus relays an operation signal and the apparatus is also operated in accordance with the operation signal , the speaker apparatus is capable of preventing an adverse influence on acoustic effects . | 6 |
fig1 shows a portion of a network 1 ( further nodes and signalling links have not been shown ) in which two signalling points ( a and b ) 3 , 5 are connected to one another via two signalling transfer points ( x and y ) 7 , 9 . fig1 further shows possible allocation tables 11 , 13 , 15 that allocate sls values to the individual signalling links ( link ) of the signalling link set ( ls ). referring to the allocation table for the link set between signal transfer points x and y 13 , one can see that the 16 sls values within the ls are uniformly distributed onto the links , with 4 sls values per link . however , one can also see that the allocation of sls values changes between signalling points . for example on the link from a to b , a message having sls = 2 uses link 2 in the ls from a to x , link 1 in the ls from x to y 13 , and again uses link 2 from y to b 15 . in each of the illustrated ls , further , the link with number 1 should be a link distinguished by special capacity . as shown in fig2 when an outage in a link occurs 19 , here link 1 , sls values are redistributed . sls values allocated to link 1 between points x and y are re - allocated to the remaining functional links 2 - 4 . referring to the allocation tables of fig1 and 2 , one can see that in the absence of an outage a message with an sls value of 1 would take link 1 between x and y 13 , however , after an outage , the same message would travel along link 3 between x and y 31 . a preferred embodiment of the present invention ensures that the appropriate messages are routed to links with enhanced properties . to accomplish this , the signalling links that make this expanded capacity available have the same sls values , for example the value 1 , allocated to them in the entire signalling network in every signalling link set in which they are employed . the allocation of sls values occurs upon commissioning of the signalling link with the expanded capacity , either via a central administration center or , on the other hand , by individual administration in the nodes affected . additionally , a preferred embodiment of the invention limits the message transfer part such that it keeps the allocation between signalling link and the sls value of the signalling link selection field constant during normal operation ( i . e . no outage of this specific signalling link ) or , respectively , at least re - allocates the excellent values of the signalling link selection field to it after outage and re - initialization of this specific signalling link . further , in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the sccp ( see q . 711 through q . 715 ) of the message transfer part is expanded to the effect that it correspondingly selects the sls value for signalling message streams that can benefit from the expanded capacity link . the sccp utilizes allocation data stored in a central administration center or in individual administration centers in the appertaining nodes . fig2 shows a situation wherein the link with the increased capacity , link 1 , 19 ( for example , according to q . 2110 and q . 2140 ) has failed between x and y . a message that requires this enhanced capacity , for example due to its length , can no longer be transmitted between x and y . if no solution is required for this problem because , for instance , one wishes to forego burdening the network with the specific traffic in this case , affected signalling messages can be simply discarded . otherwise , the role of the sccp in addressing signalling problems between broadband and narrowband signalling network ( parts ) can be expanded to address the present problem . this known solution functions such that , when the mtp in a node that handles the interworking between broadband and narrowband networks recognizes a message of the sccp that cannot be transmitted over the narrowband network , it delivers it to the local sccp even though this message is intended for a different signalling point . fig3 and 4 , show the components of narrowband and broadband networks and the interaction thereof . after receiving the undelivered message , the local sccp then has the possibility of correspondingly segmenting this message , so that it can also be transmitted over the narrowband network . this is shown in fig3 where the sccp message 23 is divided into segments 1 and 2 25 . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , this method is expanded to the effect that , when the mtp recognizes a message that requires the expanded capacity without a corresponding signalling link being available , it delivers it to the locally affected user of the mtp , generally the sccp , even though this message is destined for a different signalling point . the local user then has the possibility of correspondingly reshaping this message so that it can also be transmitted with the existing possibilities ( see fig4 ). said reshaping by the sccp can , for example , be a segmenting of a message that is too long . in another embodiment of the invention , the local user could also initiate an error handling . for example , the sccp could implement the “ return on error ” procedure ( i . e ., return an ( l ) udt service message ( l ) udts ) to the source of the message ) ( see , for example , q . 711 through q . 715 ). although various minor changes and modifications might be proposed by those skilled in the art , it will be understood that my wish is to include within the claims of the patent warranted hereon all such changes and modifications as reasonably come within my contribution to the art . | 7 |
the problems discussed in the background may be removed through the use of process agents and process integration persistence data stores , discussed in the related applications numbered as ser . no . 11 / 319 , 514 ( filed on dec . 29 , 2005 ) and attorney docket 11884 / 479 , 101 ( filed on even date ). process agents act as intermediaries between business objects , each handling observation of a single business object and notification to another process agent of any changes that must be conveyed to another business object . by removing those functions from the business objects and placing them in associated but separate objects , business objects no longer act as obstacles to integration and updating of application systems . these business objects and process agents may still be placed in deployment units ( dus ) as discussed in the background . the use of process agents , however , may result in problems with maintaining some kinds of persistence in the application system . for example , a business object may store its data in a persistent manner so that , even when the system is not operating the data is not lost . storing earlier message data regarding inter - business - object communications in a business object would make the objects far slower and more burdensome , defeating the advantages gained through the use of process agents and persistence datastores . process agents do not internally store the messages they have sent or received , however , and thus they do not maintain any state or information from moment to moment . thus , when a process agent receives notification that an update to an order has been received , it may not know the status of that order nor which business objects to notify of the update . furthermore , a process agent may need to know the messages sent by or to another business object , where those messages were never viewed by the process agent in the first place . these problems may be solved through use of a process integration persistency data store , a persistent data store that preserves messages sent to and from the various process agents . these messages may be retrieved by process agents in order to facilitate integration between the business objects and logical deployment units . though this allows process agents to have some integration and persistence , it does not resolve problems that arise where the messages are sent and received properly but the messages create problems at a business level . for example , an ordering du may take an update to an existing order and , with the assistance of a pipd , correctly send messages to update that order . if that update is unacceptable at a business level , however , because it may deplete inventory below an acceptable threshold or may allot more items to a single customer than it is allowed under a quota , the order may still go through . there is a great need , then , for a method to catch and resolve such errors or conflicts within an application system . fig1 shows a simplified block diagram of an application system consisting of business objects integrated through process agents , using a process integration persistence data store . the application system of fig1 shows three different logical deployment units ( dus ), du 1 110 , du 2 120 and du 3 130 . in an example system , these dus could each represent departments of a business or different functional groups within a company , such as customer relationships , billing , inventory , human resources and accounting . an application system may have any number of dus , but for simplicity this example shows only three dus . each du contains any number of business objects ( again for simplicity , only one business object is shown for each du in this example ). business objects represent closely related data and business logic . within an du representing the billing department , for example , one might find a business object for invoicing , another for handling the processing of charges and another for generating packaging instructions for shipping . thus , while a billing object represents data that is closely related , an du represents a set of business objects that are related at a higher level . though business objects represent closely related data , they must still communicate with certain related business objects due to data dependencies . in order to communicate with other business objects , each business object is associated with a set of process agents . in one embodiment , all communications between business objects must pass through two process agents . a first process agent creates and sends a message relating to its own business object ; this message is received by a second process agent associated with the receiver business object . the receiving process agent then handles tasks relevant to the receiver business object based on the message from the first process agent . in fig1 , for example , business object 111 is associated with process agents pa 1 . 1 112 and pa 1 . 2 113 . each of these process agents communicates with an associated process agent regarding the relationship between business object 111 and another business object . in fig1 , for example , business object 111 is associated with process agent pa 1 . 1 112 , which is in turn associated with process agent pa 2 . 1 121 within du 2 120 . process agent pa 2 . 1 121 is associated with a business object within du 2 120 , business object 123 . process agents pa 1 . 1 112 and pa 2 . 1 121 handle any communication that must take place between business object 111 and business object 123 . process agent pa 1 . 2 113 handles communication between business object 111 and business object 133 ( through process agent pa 3 . 1 131 ) in the same manner . each of these other business objects has its own set of process agents ; for simplicity , only two process agents are shown for each of these business objects . in fig1 , business object 123 is thus associated with two process agents , pa 2 . 1 121 and pa 2 . 2 122 . while pa 2 . 1 121 is used for communications between business object 123 and business object 111 , as described above , pa 2 . 2 122 is used for communication between business object 123 and some other business object not shown . when process agents communicate , they do not retain an internal record of previous communications . thus , updating an existing order could prove difficult without numerous messages to other business objects . for example , if a customer has already placed an order for goods and wishes to change one quantity of an item in that order , process agents within the ordering du must coordinate the change with shipping ( to ensure that the order is modified before it is sent ) and billing ( to ensure that the bill accurately reflects the new quantity of items ordered ). if the order has already shipped , a message may be sent from the shipping du to the ordering du to inform it that no update can be made . this message is passed to the process agent within the ordering du that handles only ordering - shipping messages ; this process agent is unable to notify the billing du that the update should not be processed . for this reason , the system also includes one process integration persistence datastore ( pipd ) 140 . the pipd 140 stores a record of each message that is sent between process agents on a system . in some embodiments , there may be several pipds ; each could retain a complete set of records of all messages or merely a set of messages ( such as all messages to or from a certain du , for example ). in some embodiments , such as the embodiment shown in fig1 , there is a single pipd 140 that handles all messages between all dus . the messages are stored in the pipd 140 by the process agents pa 1 . 1 112 , pa 1 . 2 113 , pa 2 . 1 121 , pa 2 . 2 122 , pa 3 . 1 131 , pa 3 . 2 132 and any other process agents , not shown , that operate within the system . the pipd 140 may also retrieve records of messages for the same process agents , sometimes in response to a request for messages sent by the process agents . in the order update example discussed above , then , the ordering process agents could each retrieve copies of messages regarding the order from the pipd 140 ; each ordering process agent would then determine whether the order could be updated . this enables the system to operate quickly , without needless messages between numerous process agent or slower messages to other dus that may exist on different machines . as two dus may be on separate computing devices and may even be separated by slow network components , these inter - du communications may be incredibly slow . thus , using pipd 140 allows much faster operation . depicted in fig2 is an example of how the process integration persistency database ( pipd ) functions in one embodiment . fig2 shows the communications and steps involved when a customer 201 , having previously placed an order for goods into the system , wishes to cancel that order . for demonstrative purposes , this example uses two dus ; in reality all communication could also occur between process agents associated with business objects within the same du . though messages are depicted as sent or received by dus , in the preferred embodiment the messages are sent and received by process agents within the respective dus ; for simplicity only the dus are shown . customer 201 first sends a cancellation request 202 to the ordering du 203 . the ordering du 203 receives the cancellation request 202 at processing block 203 . in order to cancel the order , the ordering du 203 must determine the current status of the order , including all steps taken to fulfill the order by other dus . thus , after the cancellation request is received , the ordering du 203 generates and sends a request for messages relating to the relevant order 204 to the pipd 205 . the pipd 205 maintains records of messages that have been sent between business objects within the same du or across different dus . at processing block 208 , the pipd 205 retrieves from its store the records of the most recent messages related to the order in question . in some embodiments , the pipd 205 may retrieve all records related to the order . in some embodiments , the pipd 205 may retrieve records determined by different criteria , based on the business object that requests them . once the records are retrieved , the pipd 205 sends the retrieved records 209 to the ordering du 203 . the ordering du 203 may then determine the status of the order based on the retrieved records 209 retrieved from the pipd 205 at processing block 210 . these retrieved records 209 may indicate which business objects have received the order and taken action to fulfill it . using this information , the ordering du 203 may determine if cancellation is even possible , at processing block 208 . the ordering du 203 may include logic that determines that an order may be canceled until it has been shipped , for example . in that case , the ordering du 203 may find within the retrieved records 209 a record of a message from a shipping du ( not shown ) that an order has been shipped . alternatively , it may send a query message to the shipping du itself , which could retrieve and send its own internal data regarding the order . the ordering du 203 could then take steps to reject the cancellation request 202 . these steps may include generating and conveying error message 212 to the system operator 213 . error message 212 may include any information . in some embodiments , error message 212 may include merely a denial of the cancellation , such as “ this order may not be cancelled .” in some embodiments , the error message 212 may include more detailed information , including the relevant messages 209 and the reasons why the order could not be cancelled . the system operator 213 may be the customer , a customer service representative or any other person . the error message 212 may be conveyed to the system operator 213 in any manner . this method is only one possible embodiment of the present invention ; many other embodiments may exist . in other embodiments , the error message 212 may be relayed to another du , for example , or may only be stored internally . alternatively , if the order may be cancelled , the ordering du 203 may handle whatever steps are necessary to cancel the order at processing block 214 . fig3 shows another example of how the pipd functions in one embodiment . the example shown in fig3 demonstrates the process followed when a customer places an order and subsequently changes the order . when an order is received by the ordering du 301 at processing block 304 , an order message is created and sent to the shipping du 302 in order to initiate the shipping process at processing block 305 . the order message is also sent to the pipd 303 for storage at processing block 306 . at a later time , the customer may wish to change the order to reflect different items or quantities for purchase . a request to update the order may then be sent to the ordering du 301 , either by the customer directly ( using an internet - accessible user interface , for example ) or indirectly ( through the customer &# 39 ; s own systems , which are connected to the ordering du 301 by some network , for example ). when the ordering du 301 receives a request to update the order at processing block 307 , it may first determine the status of the order . in order to send appropriate messages to other dus or to the customer , the ordering du 301 must first determine what actions have already taken place . if the order has already been shipped , it may be too late for the customer to update the order , for example . the changes made to a billing procedure may be different depending on whether the customer has not yet been billed ( possibly requiring only an updated bill be sent to the customer ) or has been billed and has paid ( possibly requiring a refund or an additional bill and explanation be generated ). in order to determine the status of the order , the ordering du 301 may send a message request 309 to the pipd 303 . the message request 309 identifies the subject of the request ( in this case , for example , an order number may suffice , or a customer number and a temporal identifier ). the pipd 309 may receive the message request 309 and , in processing block 310 , may retrieve the records of messages that are relevant to the request . in some embodiments , this may entail retrieving only the most recent records regarding the order in question ; in some other embodiments it may entail retrieving all records regarding the customer who placed the order . the criteria for determining which records are relevant may be specified differently for each system . the relevant records 311 are then sent to the ordering du 301 . once the ordering du 301 has processed the relevant records 311 at processing block 312 , the ordering du 301 may determine whether the update may be performed at processing block 313 . if the update cannot be performed for any reason , the ordering du 301 may send an error message 314 to a system operator 315 . the system operator 315 may be the customer who submitted the order or any other person . if , instead , the order may be updated , the ordering du 301 may handle updating operations at processing block 316 . fig4 depicts an example flow chart representing the conflict resolution method of one embodiment of the invention . conflict handling method 400 may begin at processing block 404 when an order is received by an ordering du 401 . the ordering du 401 may respond to the order by sending order information 405 to a shipping du 402 and the process integration persistence datastore ( pipd ) 403 . the shipping du 402 , at processing block 406 , may then begin the shipping process . the pipd 403 , at processing block 407 , may store the order information 405 upon receipt . some time later , the ordering du 401 may receive an update to the order at processing block 408 . the ordering du 401 may send update information to the shipping du 402 , received at processing block 410 , and to the pipd 403 , stored at processing block 411 . the pipd 403 may contain logic to determine , at processing block 412 , whether there is a business conflict created by the update . this logic may include rules such as “ an order may not be updated once shipping has begun .” the pipd 403 may contain a record of messages sent between business objects and thus may apply its internal rules to the record of messages to determine the existence of a conflict . if no conflict is detected , the pipd 403 has completed its analysis and the conflict handling process is complete . if a conflict is detected , however , the pipd 403 , at processing block 413 , may determine a set of different possible causes of the conflict . this determination may instead occur in ldu 402 as a function of a business object , process agent , or other internal component . for simplicity , the following discussion will only discuss the pipd 403 as the error handling mechanism , but one skilled in the art will recognize that this role may instead be taken by the a business object , process agent , or other component . the determined set of different possible causes may be called the category of the conflict . in the case of an update that arrives after shipping has begun , for example , the possible causes of the conflict include late updates submitted by the customer ( which may be considered a likely cause in this example ), an update message that was submitted in a timely fashion but is received late ( which may be considered a less likely cause in this example ), a duplicate update message that is received after the original , timely update message ( which may be considered a highly improbable cause in this example ), or any number of other causes . after the pipd 403 has determined the possible causes of the error and their respective probabilities , the pipd 403 , at processing block 414 , assesses the potential impact each cause and potential solution could have on the transaction . regardless of the likelihood of the cause , each cause and solution may have a different impact . erroneously accepting a minor update to an order from a customer that does not represent a large portion of the system &# 39 ; s business will likely have little or no effect on the business , while erroneously canceling a substantial addition to an order from a major customer may have severe consequences . the pipd 403 , after assessing the probabilities of various possible causes and the impact of possible solutions , may be able to generate an automatic conflict resolution at processing block 415 . for very likely causes , the solutions to which will have little impact even if the cause was incorrectly diagnosed , an automatic resolution may be found . if a likely cause has a potentially disastrous solution if incorrectly diagnosed , however , an automatic resolution may be unlikely . this may also be true of situations where equally likely causes have dramatically different solutions . some automatic resolutions to a conflicting update order include sending a command to rollback the transaction within order 416 to ordering du 401 which , at processing block 417 , may cause the order update to be refused . another automatic resolution may be a command to initiate a new shipment within order 418 , sent by the pipd 403 to the shipping du 402 , resulting in a new shipment process at processing block 419 . in other embodiments of the present invention , or even in response to different conflicts that arise within this example embodiment , any number of other automatic resolutions are possible . if an automatic resolution is not available based on the particular conflict , the pipd 403 by send a user intervention request 420 to a system operator 421 . this request may be an error message , an email or any other signal to the system operator 421 that intervention is required to resolve the conflict . the system operator 421 may be any user of the system , including customers , system managers and technical support staff . the user intervention request 420 may include details regarding the conflict , possible causes and solutions , or any other information . though many of the above descriptions detailed the error and conflict handling as occurring within a pipd , for example , these functions may be located within one or several different components . for example , all of the error and conflict handling may be handled within individual business objects . this arrangement would make sense where errors are easily found based solely on the business object &# 39 ; s own data . this arrangement is far simpler , requires less inter - business - object communication , and is sufficient in many situations . alternatively , a separate component could handle all error handling for a du , monitoring all business objects for conflicts or errors . the functions could also be split amongst several objects in a du , each performing a part of the whole method . the above discussion deals only with error and conflict handling within a pipd for simplicity . nothing in the method need be restricted to that component or any other . a simple embodiment of this invention may consist of a routine within each business object for automatically handling business logic problems whenever problematic messages arrive . a far more complicated embodiment of the present invention may involve a dedicated object for handling coordinated conflict resolution between the various business objects within a single du and for handling communication with other similarly dedicated objects in other dus . nothing in this description of the present invention should be construed to limit the methods to a particular embodiment depicted or described . | 6 |
as shown in fig1 the prior art charging system consists of external charger 1 , controller 2 and charging switch 3 . a comparator 4 , forming part of the intelligent circuitry of controller 2 , senses the condition of battery pack 5 and provides controller 2 with the data required to operate charging switch 3 and a start up charger 6 . start up charging module 6 consists of a constant current source connected to the battery pack 5 and enabled by controller 2 . controller 2 is a microprocessor containing the required hardware and software to manage the operation of a cellular phone in a standard manner . charger switch 3 is operated by controller 2 in response to the voltage level supplied by battery pack 5 and monitored by comparator 4 . since the controller 2 requires a certain threshold voltage in order to operate , the charging switch 3 is therefore disabled when battery pack voltage levels are below the threshold . when the supply voltage falls below the threshold , the constant current source is enabled by controller 2 and charging switch 3 , and the comparator 4 is disabled by the signal from the controller 2 . below the threshold voltage , external charger 1 is not loaded with a sufficiently high current and it will remain in the voltage limited or idle mode . in the prior art system shown in fig1 start up module 6 initially applies a limited charging current to the battery pack 5 . the start up module 6 continues its function until the comparator 4 or controller 2 senses that the output of battery pack 5 has reached the threshold level . it has been found that low level charging currents of 100 ma to 180 ma are effective , but require unacceptable periods of time to charge the battery pack to threshold levels . in addition significant power is used which tends to generate undesirable heat within the current generator of module 6 . according to the system of this invention , in order to accelerate the charging time and to reduce the power loss in the appliance , a start up module 7 is designed as shown in fig2 . start up module 7 is constructed to generate a pulsating signal suitable for cycling charger switch 8 off and on to restore the voltage of battery pack 10 to a desirable level . charger switch 8 controls a charger 9 to recharge the battery back 10 in a conventional manner , when connected to an external power supply ( not shown ). under normal conditions , controller 11 functions to enable the switch 8 when the voltage of battery 9 is depleted to an undesirable level above the operative threshold of controller 11 . the closing of switch 8 initiates the conventional charging cycle . as was discussed above , a certain threshold battery voltage is required before the controller 11 will function in any manner . the unique start up module 7 of this invention operates to charge the battery pack 10 to the threshold level of controller a comparator 12 senses battery voltage and compares it to the predetermined threshold voltage needed to operate controller 11 . the controller 11 is disabled when the battery voltage falls below the threshold level . the startup charging module 7 consists of a pulse generating circuit 13 which drives an or gate 14 to cycle the charging switch 8 on and off and thereby apply a pulsed charging current to the battery pack 10 from the charger 9 . in order to power the pulse generating circuit 13 during the process , a capacitor 15 is connected across the charger 9 through a diode 16 . when the charger switch 8 is off , the capacitor 15 is charged by the idle voltage of charger 9 . this provides the operational voltage for the pulse generator 13 . the duty cycle of the pulse generator 13 may be rapid , but it has been found that an off period , sufficient for the capacitor 15 to reach a voltage equivalent of the idle state voltage of the charger 9 , is desirable . capacitor 15 is selected accordingly . the characteristics of the pulsed signal to the switch 8 will be in part determined by the components selected and the type of cell phone used . in operation , the cellular phone is connected to the charger 9 when charging is warranted . if the comparator 12 senses a battery voltage that is at or above the threshold level for controller 11 to operate , then the charging switch 8 is enabled by the controller 11 according to a stored charging algorithm . the charging operation then occurs in a conventional manner . when the comparator 12 senses that the voltage output of the battery pack 10 has been depleted below the operational threshold of the controller 11 , then the pulse generator 13 will be enabled . the pulsed signal will cycle the charging switch 8 off and on thereby applying a pulsed charging current to the battery , as shown in fig4 a . in this manner the start up charge is obtained up to the threshold value in less time and while wasting less energy than the prior system . once the threshold voltage is reached , the comparator 12 disables the pulse generator 13 and enables the controller 11 which assumes control of the remaining charging requirement . an example of a charging cycle using the start up charger of this invention is shown in the graph of fig4 a . the voltages indicated are relative to a 6 volt system and for illustration only as they will vary considerably depending on the specifications for the cellular phone and the associated battery pack . a typical voltage profile for the start up capacitor 14 is shown in fig4 b related to the pulsed actuation of charger 9 shown in fig4 a . the embodiment described above may be varied to accomplish the desired result without deviating from the invention as described in the claims below . | 7 |
one technique for introducing a filling into a hollow baked product is to introduce that filling into the intended hollow space utilizing needle injection . in needle injection a fine needle pierces the surface skin of a hollow biscuit or cracker , and via a pressure on a filling material , deposits this filling material into the inside of the hollow biscuit or cracker . it is notable in this technique that the filling is inserted into the baked product which has a hard exterior surface subsequent to the baking step . in order to effectively insert the filling into the baked forms at this point the exterior surface of the baked form must be sufficiently strong in order to withstand the piercing of the surface by a needle . this thus requires products which are formed from fairly specific dough formulations . this has already been discussed above in some detail . dough formulations suitable for forming hollow biscuits are set forth in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 613 , 508 . other dough formulations which are suitable for forming a hard cracker that can withstand the penetration of a needle are known in the art . although the preferred embodiment in practicing the present invention is with regard to hollow biscuits and hollow crackers the process can be utilized with essentially any baked good . however , the preferred method is to make and to fill baked hollow forms of biscuits and crackers . the first step in any process consists of forming a suitable dough . this can be a dough formed in accordance with the process of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 613 , 508 or that which is described in the example of this present application for patent . after the step of combining and mixing all of the ingredients forming the dough , which includes the forming of the dough into particular forms and shapes , such as the designs of animals , plants , or various articles , they are conveyed to a baking oven . however , prior to being baked the dough can also have a fanciful design embossed on one side . in the baking oven the forms are simultaneously baked and expanded . the doughs contain at least one leavening agent which during baking releases carbon dioxide which significantly expands the dough forms and aids in forming the hollow interior space . the temperature of the oven ranges from about 300 ° f . to about 700 ° f . the baking time will usually range from about 1 minute to about 15 minutes . this will depend on oven temperature and other factors . the baking temperature and baking times are interrelated . after baking , the baked forms leave the oven and are conveyed into a plurality of channels . in the plurality of channels the baked forms are moved along to an inverting wheel . the inverting wheel consists of a series of longitudinal stepped sections that are adapted to hold a plurality of the baked forms in each step area . upon the rotation of the wheel the baked forms in each stepped section will be transferred to a lower conveyor belt in an inverted form . this lower conveyor belt will have a plurality of channels which direct the baked forms into an indexing mold . when each opening of the indexing mold has been filled with the baked forms a series of injecting needles extend downwardly to pierce each of the baked forms and to insert a filling into each of the baked forms . the now filled baked forms are removed from the indexing , mold and are conveyed to packaging . fig2 sets forth an overall plan view of the present apparatus . the various expanded forms that are to be baked are conveyed into or placed into baking oven 9 . in oven 9 the particular forms are baked and will expand during the baking process . depending on the speed of the oven conveyor mechanism the time in the oven will range from about 1 minute to about 15 minutes . the hot baked and expanded forms 30 leave oven 9 and enter onto conveyor 10 which consists of a plurality channels 10a . the channels 10a are separated by barriers 10b . the function of the channels 10a are to align the baked forms into lines 30 so that they can be deposited in a reasonable order onto inverter wheel 12 . optionally just prior to inverter wheel 12 there can be a gate 11 which can be operated via a timer or via photoelectric mechanism to hold the shaped forms until there is a shaped form in each channel to be deposited onto the inverter wheel . the baked forms that are placed on the inverter wheel remain on the inverter wheel until they are deposited by gravity onto conveyor 13 in an inverted form . the steps of inverter wheel 12 are designated in this figure . as 12a , 12b , 12c , 12d , 12e , 12f , 12g and so on . the number of step sections on inverter wheel 12 will depend on the circumference of the wheel and the size of the baked good to be inverted . the inverter wheel is rotated on axle 17 by means of an electric motor . the speed of the inverter wheel 12 can be controlled using a common rheostat . the baked and inverted items are deposited onto conveyor belt 13 in one of the conveyor channels 13a . these channels 13a are separated one from the other by means of barriers 13b . the conveyor 13 moves the now inverted baked forms 30 along to gate 14 . gate 14 lines up a plurality of the inverted baked forms 30 that are to be filled . this gate 14 will stay closed until there is a baked form abutting the gate in each of the lanes 13a . at this point in time the gate 14 is opened and an inverted baked form is deposited into each of the openings 15a in indexing mold 15 . when each of the mold openings 15a is filled with a baked form , a series of needles 18 project downwardly to pierce the surface of the biscuit or cracker and to inject a filling into each of the biscuits or crackers . after the biscuits or crackers have been filled they are removed from the indexing mold 15 and conveyed by means of conveyor 16 to final packaging . the mold 15 is of a design where it has a series of openings , each adjacent to one of the channels 13a . therefore when gate 14 opens a baked form 30 will move into a mold opening 15 ( a ) by means of conveyors 13 and 16 . the baked form will be held in the mold 15 until the forms are filled . the inverter wheel 12 is shown in more detail in fig3 . this wheel rotates on axle 17 and consists of a plurality of stepped sections which are designated 12a , 12b , 12c , 12d , 12e , 12f , 12g and so on . as noted above the size of each of these stepped areas will depend on the size of the item that is to be inverted . the number will depend on the circumference of the inverter wheel . the speed at which this wheel is rotated will depend to a large degree on the speed of the other operations under which the baked product must go . for instance , in the process of filling hollow biscuits and crackers the rate determining step is the step of piercing the biscuit or cracker with the needle and injecting the filling into the hollow form product . the production of other products will have other rate controlling steps . however , it will be rare that the rate controlling step will be the step of inverting the baked product . this step can be conducted quite rapidly . in making the present hollow biscuits and crackers the conveyor belt 16 is operated at a speed so as to provide a spacing between the biscuits or crackers as they exit the inverter wheel . it is desired to operate conveyor 13 at a higher speed so that the biscuits or crackers will not bunch up on conveyor 13 . conveyor 13 is carried by tensioning rollers 24 and 25 . these rollers both tension and rotate belt 13 . conveyor 16 is carried by rollers 26 and 27 . these rollers both tension and rotate belt 16 . the injection apparatus consists of a plurality of needles 18 which are fed with an injection filling material from chamber 17 . chamber 17 receives the filling material from a supply through tubing 19 . in the operation of the needle injection system the needle injector assembly will move upwardly and downwardly via shaft 20 which is connected to chamber 17 by clamp 23 . when there is a biscuit or cracker in each of the mold openings 15a of mold 15 the needle injection system moves downwardly and injects a filling into each biscuit or cracker . the shaft 20 then retracts the needle injection system upwardly . the mold - 5 will then also move upwardly and release the filled biscuits and crackers to move along conveyor 16 to packaging at 21 . the mold 15 is raised and lowered by means of shaft 22 . there is a coordination of the gate 14 , the raising and lowering of mold 15 and the raising and lowering of the needle injectors 18 . the inverting wheel can be made out of metal or out of various plastic materials . however , for durability and for ease of cleaning it is preferred that this wheel be constructed out of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel . fig4 shows the indexing mold 15 and each of the openings 15a holding a cracker or biscuit for filling . also shown is a series of needles 18 which are adapted to move downwardly to penetrate the biscuits or crackers and to inject the filling into the biscuit or cracker . after the biscuits or crackers have been filled they move along conveyor 16 to the point of packaging at 21 . conveyor 16 can be continuously moving as its operation can be coordinated with the needle injection filling mechanism . as has been noted this baking technique and in particular this inverting wheel mechanism is specifically adapted to the filling of hollow biscuits and crackers . the fillings that can be inserted into these hollow biscuits and crackers vary over a wide range . these can be fat and or sugar based fillings and include chocolate fillings , peanut butter fillings , fruit fillings , vegetable fillings , meat based fillings , cheese fillings , seafood based fillings , and essentially any substance that can be formed into a puree and injected through a needle mechanism . the injection can be conducted while the injecting material is at room temperature or an elevated temperature . an elevated temperature is used in many instances in order to decrease the viscosity of the filling material . while this inverting wheel has been specifically described with regard to filling hollow crackers or biscuits it can be used in any operation where a food product or essentially any other item needs to be inverted . what is required is an upper conveyor to convey the food product or other item to the inverting wheel , a stepped inverting wheel , and a lower conveyor to receive the food product or other item in an inverted manner . once inverted essentially any operation can be performed on the food product or other item . besides providing a method of making hollow filled crackers and biscuits it provides a unique technique for inverting items . this example sets out a method of making and filling a hollow cracker using inverting wheel 12 to invert the hollow crackers . based on 100 pounds of wheat flour , the ingredients are as follows : ______________________________________shortening 8 . 5 poundsemulsifier 0 . 375 poundsbarley flour 0 . 0875 poundsgranulated sugar 6 poundssalt 0 . 75 poundssodium bicarbonate 0 . 75 poundscalcium acid phosphate 0 . 625 poundsproteolytic enzymes 0 . 19 poundswater 32 pounds______________________________________ the shortening , emulsifier , granulated sugar , salt , calcium acid phosphate and water are added to a dough mixer and mixed until fully blended . the mixture of wheat flour , barley flour , sodium bicarbonate is then added to this mixture followed by the addition of the proteolytic enzymes dispersed in a small amount of water . this is mixed for about 8 minutes . after mixing , the dough is proofed for about 3 hours . following this proofing the dough is mixed for 1 minute and proofed again for 1 hour . the dough is now machined so that it can be cut into the desired shapes . machining consists of rolling the dough and folding the dough over onto itself to form a multilayered laminate of the dough . the dough is then sheeted to the correct thickness and cut into the desired shapes . the shapes are then fed to the oven where they are baked at 410 ° f . to form a hollow cracker 30 . the baked crackers 30 are then conveyed from the oven on conveyor 10 and fed to inverter wheel 12 . upon the opening of gate 11 a series of hollow crackers are placed on a step of the inverter wheel . upon the rotation of wheel 12 the hollow crackers drop onto conveyor 13 in an inverted state . the inverted crackers 30 move along conveyor 13 to gate 14 . gate 14 opens when there is a cracker in each lane and permits a cracker to fall into each mold opening 15 ( a ). each cracker is then injected with a filling and is then conveyed by means of conveyor 16 to packaging at 21 . | 0 |
in accordance with the present invention , when liquid suspending medium containing water is added , pigments or extender pigments are made hydrophobic in an aqueous environment with an agent having a lipophilic moiety , such as a water - insoluble polyvalent metal salt of a fatty acid , an acylamino acid , hydrogenated lecithin , acyl collagen or like materials . in particular , the surface of the particles of the pigments and extender pigments carry lipophilic moieties ( provided by the fatty acid etc .) linked to the surface of the particles by means of the polyvalent metal . suitable polyvalent metals include alkaline earth metals , such as magnesium , and calcium , and other polyvalent metals , such as aluminum , titanium , zinc , zirconium and the like . this linking is more than just a coating as takes place in prior art materials such as disclosed in said miyoshi patents , with resultant differences in dispersion properties as discussed above . after the liquid suspending medium containing water is added and the mixture is kneaded , liquid suspending medium and an oily substance ( if desirable but not required ) are added until the resultant slurry reaches an appropriate viscosity . this slurry is then used for the preparation of cosmetic products . the slurry composition may be ( but not necessarily ) injected into the back of a container for the cosmetic product by an injection machine , while the injected material is vacuum dehydrated via a filter on the top surface of the container . then the cosmetic product is dried at an appropriate temperature . alternatively , the slurry composition can be used as is . when liquid suspending medium containing water is added , the pigments or extender pigments will be made hydrophobic thus carry lipophilic groups on the surface thereof as a result of the treatment with the water - insoluble polyvalent metal salt of the fatty acid or other treating agent . the oily substances ( if added ) will bind to the lipophilic radicals on the pigments or extender pigments by displacing the water surrounding the treated pigments or extender pigments after the process of kneading ( mixing ). the pigments or extender pigments are coated with lipophilic - moieties and surrounding oily substance ( if added ), and are stable and form fine micelles and become a slurry without the use of a surfactant . the pigments and extender pigments are originally hydrophilic and do not require large energy to be dispersed in the water containing slurry . after the surface treatment , the surface of each particle is coated with lipophilic - moieties and further covered by the surrounding oily substance ( if added ). thus , the pigments and extender pigments will not agglomerate and will have excellent dispersibility for cosmetic use . using the composition of the invention for hydrophobic pigments or extender pigments as described previously , cosmetic products with very intense color tone and without color bleeding can be produced . moreover , the cosmetic products of the present invention do not exhibit color fading or color bleeding and have excellent skin “ feel ”, adhesiveness , and smoothness compared to cosmetics that use pigments or extender pigments surface - treated in a conventional manner . the agents useful for imparting hydrophobic properties to the pigments and extender pigments have a lipophilic moiety , and include water - insoluble polyvalent metal salts of fatty acids , acylamino acids , hydrogenated lecithin , acyl collagen and the like . suitable polyvalent metals include the alkaline earth metals , such as magnesium or calcium , and other metals , such as aluminum , titanium , zinc or zirconium . surface treatment agents having suitable lipophilic moieties are described in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 606 , 914 , 4 , 623 , 074 and 4 , 863 , 800 and japanese patents 60 - 69011 and 61 - 73775 . the pigments and extender pigments may be made hydrophobic by adding liquid suspending medium containing water to the composition of current invention containing the pigment and extender pigment particles , a water - soluble metal salt having a lipophilic moiety , and a water - soluble polyvalent metal salt , whereby the lipophilic moiety becomes linked to the particles by means of the polyvalent metal . the amount of the surface - treating agent used in the present invention is dependent upon the particle size or specific surface area of the pigments or extender pigments being treated . suitably , the amount of the surface - treating agent is from about 0 . 1 to about 20 % by weight based on weight of the pigments or extender pigments , preferably from about 2 to about 5 % by weight . suitable fatty acids providing the lipophilic moiety include lauric acid , myristic acid , palmitic acid , oleic acid , stearic acid , isostearic acid , behenic acid and the like . water - soluble salts of such fatty acids may be formed with sodium , potassium , lithium , ammonium , or amine . suitable acylamino acids include n - acyl - l - glutamic acid , n - acyl - n - methylglycine , n - acyl - n - methyl -: β - alanine and the like . the acyl group may include a residue of lauric acid , myristic acid , palmitic acid , oleic acid , stearic acid , isostearic acid , and behenic acid . water - soluble salts of such acylamino acids may be formed with sodium , potassium , lithium , ammonium , or amine . suitable hydrogenated lecithins include ( 1 ) hydrogenated natural lecithin obtained by extraction of lecithin from egg yolk , soy bean oil , corn oil , and rapeseed oil followed by hydrogenation ; and ( 2 ) hydrogenated synthetic lecithin . the iodine value of the hydrogenated lecithin should preferably be less than 30 . the term “ lecithin ” refers to the overall composition ; therefore , the lecithin which can be used in the present invention does not have to be pure phosphatidyl choline , but may contain other phospholipids and neutral fats in addition to phosphatidyl choline . suitable acyl collagens include those obtained by acylation of an oligopeptide or peptide . useful oligopeptides or peptides are obtained by partially hydrolyzing protein and / or collagen and have n = 1 - 100 . the acyl group may include a residue of lauric acid , myristic acid , palmitic acid , oleic acid , stearic acid , isostearic acid , and behenic acid . water - soluble salts of such acyl collagens may be formed with sodium , potassium , lithium , ammonium , or amine . the water - soluble salts having a lipophilic moiety used in the present invention are soluble at room temperature or in warm water . when liquid suspending medium containing water is added to the composition of current invention , the lipophilic moiety of one or more of these salts is adsorbed on the surface of the pigment and / or extender pigment particles . in order to complete the adsorption of the lipophilic moiety , a water soluble polyvalent metal salt , such as a water - soluble salt of al , mg , ca , zn , zr , or ti is added in sufficient amount to give a proportion of 1 - 2 equivalents of the polyvalent metal salt of the fatty acid , acylamino acid , hydrogenated lecithin , or acyl collagen and the like . useful water - soluble , polyvalent metal salts include aluminum sulfate , aluminum chloride , aluminum nitrate , aluminum potassium sulfate , magnesium sulfate , magnesium chloride , magnesium nitrate , magnesium potassium sulfate , calcium chloride , calcium nitrate , calcium acetate , zinc sulfate , zinc chloride , zinc nitrate , zinc acetate , zirconium sulfate , zirconium chloride , titanium oxysulfate , and titanium chloride . the polyvalent metal salt reacts with the salt of the fatty acid , acylamino acid , hydrogenated lecithin , acyl collagen and the like to form a water - insoluble reaction product which becomes chemically bound onto the surface of the pigment and extender pigment particles . in accordance with the present invention , the hydrophobidizing agents and / or water - soluble metal salts are prevented from pre - mature reaction such as by being encapsulated by materials commonly used for encapsulation in the cosmetic or pharmaceutical industries ( for other purposes ), such as albumen and gelatin . alternatively , the salts may be entrapped by porous materials , such as alumina , silica , titanium dioxide , zirconium oxide , zinc oxide , acrylate , nylon , and other cosmetically acceptable materials to prevent the undesirable premature reaction between hydrophobidizing agent and water - soluble metal salt that may be triggered by moisture during storage . the oily substance used in the present invention may be any cosmetically acceptable oily substance commonly used in cosmetics . examples of the oily substance include : a ) silicone fluids : methicone ; dimethicone ; cyclomethicone ; phenyl methicone ( methylphenyl polysiloxane ); and other cosmetically acceptable silicone fluids ; b ) hydrocarbons : mineral oil ; petrolatum ; isobutane ; isododecane ; isoeicosane ; isohexadecane ; isopentane ; paraffin ; squalane ; squalene ; and other cosmetically acceptable hydrocarbons ; c ) vegetable and animal oils : lanolin oil ; sunflower oil ; caster oil ; olive oil ; wheat germ oil ; and other cosmetically acceptable vegetable and animal oils ; d ) fatty acids : isostearic acid ; myristic acid ; stearic acid ; and other cosmetically acceptable fatty acids ; e ) esters : mono -, di -, triglycerides ; octyldodecyl myristate ; octyldodecyl oleate ; octyldodecyl erucate ; octyldodecyl ricinoleate ; octyldodecyl laurate ; octyldodecyl palmitate ; octyldodecyl stearate ; octyldodecyl isostearate ; hexyldecyl myristate ; hexyldecyl laurate ; hexyldecyl palmitate ; hexyldecyl stearate ; hexyldecyl isostearate ; neopentyl glycol dicaprate ; neopentyl glycol diheptanoate ; neopentyl glycol diisostearate ; neopentyl glycol dilaurate ; neopentyl glycol dioctanoate ; trioctanoin ; isononyl isononanoate ; and other cosmetically acceptable esters ; f ) ethers : ethylene glycol ; propylene glycol ; butylene glycol ; polyethylene glycol ; polypropylene glycol ; and other cosmetically acceptable ethers ; these oily substance may be one oily substance or a mixture thereof . the oily substance may be added to the pigments or extender pigments either before or after liquid suspending medium is added . the amount of the oily substance useful in the present invention is dependent upon the size , specific surface area , or oil absorption of the pigments or extender pigments being treated . suitably , the amount of the oily material is from 0 to about 300 % by weight of the pigments or extender pigments , preferably from about 2 to about 100 % by weight . the liquid suspending medium consisting essentially of water required for the reaction between hydrophobidizing agent and water - soluble metal salt is not less than 10 %, and is preferably from 10 % to 450 %, by weight with respect to the weight of pigment being dispersed . the pigments or extender pigments used in the present invention include organic and inorganic pigments , such as titanium dioxide , zinc oxide , zirconium dioxide , yellow iron oxides , black iron oxides , red iron oxides , ultramarine blues , prussian blues , chromium oxides , chromic hydroxides , and the like , pearlescent pigments , such as mica coated with titanium dioxide , bismuth oxychloride , coal - tar pigments , natural pigments , silica beads , nylon beads , acrylic beads , talc , kaolin , mica , mica - like minerals , such as sericite type materials , magnesium carbonate , calcium carbonate , aluminum silicate , magnesium silicate , calcium silicate and clay and the like . the most distinctive feature of the present invention is the excellent dispersibility of fine particles or ultra fine pigment or extender pigment particles ( those smaller than 1 micron ), such as titanium dioxide , zinc oxide , yellow iron oxides , black iron oxides , red iron oxides , ultramarine blues , prussian blues , chromium oxides , chromium hydroxides or coal tar pigments . in addition to containing pigments and extender pigments as described above , molding additives may be included depending on the need , to further improve the product quality . these molding additives may be natural cellulose powder , metal soaps , calcium phosphates and like materials used in molding cosmetics or pharmaceuticals . if desired , humectants , binders and / or thickeners may also be used . the invention is illustrated by means of preferred embodiments in the following examples . the following composition of pigments and extender pigments was mixed using a home type mixer and pulverized with a pulverizer : to above mixture , 200 g of water at 40 ° c . was added and mixed until well dispersed . the resultant slurry was injected into the rear of a pan using the injection machine described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 967 , 810 , while excess water needed to make a finished pressed make - up was vacuum extracted from the product from the top of the surface via a filter . the cosmetic product was dried for 8 hours at room temperature . the pressed make - up product obtained had excellent hydrophobicity , skin feel , skin adhesion , extendibility , payoff and uniformity . to above mixture 150 g of water was added and mixed until well dispersed . the resultant slurry was injected into the rear of a pan using the injection machine described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 967 , 810 , while excess water needed to make a finished pressed make - up was vacuum extracted from the product from the top of the surface via a filter . the cosmetic product was dried for 4 hours at 50 ° c . the pressed make - up product obtained had excellent hydrophobicity , skin feel , skin adhesion , extendibility , payoff and uniformity . the following composition of pigments and extender pigments was mixed using a home type mixer and pulverized with a pulverizer : to above mixture , 180 g of water at 75 ° c . was added and mixed until well dispersed . the resultant slurry was injected into the rear of a pan using the injection machine described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 967 , 810 , while excess water needed to make a finished pressed make - up was vacuum extracted from the product from the top of the surface via a filter . the cosmetic product was dried for 6 hours at 40 ° c . the pressed make - up product obtained had exceptional skin feel , excellent hydrophobicity , skin adhesion , extendibility , payoff and uniformity . it is evident from the above that treated pigments maintained in accordance with the present invention prior to mixing into a slurry provide cosmetic products on a par with similar materials initially processed in a slurry . it is understood that the above description is exemplary of the present invention and that changes in components and relative amounts as well as processing steps are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims . | 8 |
preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings . in the following description , the term “ flux ” means a flux of magnetic field lines and the term “ magnetic path ” means a path of the magnetic field lines . further , notation of “ a magnetic path is formed by the magnetic flux ” may be read as “ a magnetic path is formed by the magnetic field lines .” as shown in fig1 to 3 , an electric generator 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a rotor portion 2 and a stator portion 3 . the rotor portion 2 comprises a rotor yoke 4 made of a soft magnetic material of a cylindrical shape . in the rotor yoke 4 , there are provided a cylindrical hollow portion 5 having a square cross - section hollow and two grooves 6 u and 6 l penetrating from an outer periphery “ a ” of the rotor yoke 4 to a non - magnetic portion of the hollow portion 5 in the circumferential direction . an annular permanent magnet 7 u is provided so as to be sandwiched between the wall surfaces of the groove 6 u and an annular permanent magnet 7 l is provided also so as to be sandwiched between the wall surfaces of the groove 6 l . the rotor yoke 4 has a plurality of rectangular - shaped protrusions 8 u made of magnetic material at the axially upward side of the permanent magnet 7 u shown in fig1 - 3 , a plurality of rectangular - shaped protrusions 8 l made of magnetic material at the axially downward side of the permanent magnet 7 l shown in fig1 - 3 , and a plurality of rectangular - shaped protrusions 9 made of magnetic material between the permanent magnet 7 u and 7 l . respective outer surfaces of the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l are arranged so as to form equally - spaced angular intervals respectively about the center axis c of the rotor yoke 4 and so as to be linearly arranged in the axial direction . the outer periphery “ a ” has an arc - shaped cross section for each of the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l . supposing the length of a part of the outer periphery “ a ” for one protrusion being l , the span of a virtual outer periphery “ a ” with the neighboring protrusion 8 u , 9 or 8 l is set as l . at the center of the rotor yoke 4 , a rotation shaft 10 is provided . the portion the rotation shaft 10 contacts with the rotation shaft 10 is joined so that the rotor yoke 4 can rotate integrally in accordance with the rotation shaft 10 rotating . in a housing of the electric generator 1 , which is not show in fig1 - 3 , the rotor portion 2 and the stator portion 3 are accommodated such that slight gaps are maintained between the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 and respective protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator unit 3 described below . on the outside of the housing , the rotation shaft 10 is extending directly , or indirectly through a gear train or else so that the rotor portion 2 can rotate together with the rotation shaft 10 at the inside of the stator portion 3 when a rotation torque is applied on the rotation shaft 10 from outside . the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l may be manufactured by integral molding together with the main body of the rotor yoke 4 . the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 described below may be also manufactured by integral molding together with stator yokes 12 u and 12 l . in the example shown in fig1 - 3 , the rotor part 2 is configured as the upper end face of the upper - side permanent magnet 7 u takes the north pole , the lower end face of the same takes the south pole , the upper end face of the lower - side permanent magnet 7 l takes the south pole , and the lower end face of the same takes the north pole . that is , the annular permanent magnets 7 u and 7 l are magnetized in the axial direction together and are arranged such that the opposing faces of the permanent magnets 7 u and 7 l have the same polarity . on the rotor portion 2 itself , the magnetic flux of the upper - side permanent magnet 7 u is to pass from the lower end of the projecting portions 8 u through the outside of the rotor part 2 , direct to the upper end of the protrusions 9 shown in fig1 , and return to the south pole . at the same time , the magnetic flux of the lower - side permanent magnet 7 l is to pass from the upper end of the protrusions 8 l through the outside of rotor portion 2 , direct to the lower end of the protrusions 9 shown in fig1 , and return to the south pole . in the rotor portion 2 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention having such a configuration , magnetic flux always directs from the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 9 l to themselves . by forming such protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l , it is possible to increase the density of the magnetic flux to increase the attractive force . the stator portion 3 has a double decker construction of stator yokes 12 u and 12 l being piled in the axial direction , wherein the stator yokes 12 u and 12 l are made of a soft magnetic material in a cylindrical shape with a cylindrical hole portion 11 in the center for inserting the rotor portion 2 . in this description , it is explained , for the purpose of illustration , that the stator yokes 12 u and 12 l are constructed as the “ double decker construction .” practically , these may be constructed from one yoke member to form one part corresponding to the stator yoke 12 u and another part corresponding to the stator yoke 12 l . two stator yokes 12 u and 12 l may be formed separately and joined in double decker . in the stator yoke 12 u and 12 l of the stator portion 3 , there are provided annular hollow portions 13 u and 13 l each having a square cross - section , and annular grooves 14 u and 14 l penetrating from the inner periphery ( facing to the hole portion 11 ) of the stator yoke 12 u and 12 l to the hollow portions 13 u and 13 l . an annular permanent magnet 15 u is attached on the groove 14 u of the stator yoke 12 u and an annular permanent magnet 15 l is attached on the groove 14 l of the stator yoke 12 l . protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 made f magnetic material arranged in two stages by two longitudinally are provided on the hole portion 11 or the inner - side surface of the stator yoke 12 u and 12 l so as to sandwich the permanent magnet 15 u and 15 l in the axial direction . the inner periphery “ b ” of the protrusions 6 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 are configured so as to be opposed to the outer periphery “ a ” of the rotor yoke 4 and each part of the inner periphery “ b ” for the protrusions 6 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 is slightly longer than the length l of the outer periphery “ a ” in the circumferential direction . protrusions 16 u 1 and 16 u 2 of the stator yoke 12 u and protrusions 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator yoke 12 l are arranged so as to shift by a half pitch each other in the circumferential direction with respect to the central axis of the stator yokes 12 u and 12 l . the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 are also arranged so as to form equally - spaced angular intervals along the inner - side face of the stator yokes 12 u and 12 l in the circumferential direction about the center axis of the stator yokes 12 u and 12 l and be spaced in the same length with the width of each inner periphery “ b ” of the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 . in the hollow portions 13 u and 13 l , there are provided wound portions 17 u and 17 l respectively . the wound portion 17 u has a wound in the circumferential direction multiply and both ends of the wire ( not shown ) are drawn from the stator yoke 12 u to the outsid . the wound portion 17 l similarly has a wound and both ends of the wire ( not shown ) are drawn from the stator yoke 12 l to the outside . each of the wires leads electric current generated by the electric generator 1 to the outside . in the example shown in fig1 and 2 , it is configured that the upper end face of the permanent magnet 15 u of the stator yoke 12 u takes a south pole and the lower end face of the same takes a north pole . if the stator yoke 12 u is in a condition that the rotor portion 2 is not inserted in the hole 11 , a magnetic path is generally formed on the stator yoke 12 u starting from the north pole of the lower end face of the permanent magnet 15 u , passing the inner periphery and the inside of the stator yoke 12 u , directing to the lower side of the stator yoke 12 u , turning in the vicinity of the boundary between the stator yoke 12 u and the stator yoke 12 l , directing from the center of the stator yoke 12 u to the outside , turning at a point of the outer periphery side , directing along the outer periphery and through the inside of the upper end to the inside in the radial direction , turning at a point of the inner periphery side to downward again , and returning to the south pole of the permanent magnet 15 u ( not shown in the drawings ). in addition to this magnetic path , a portion of the magnetic flux forms a magnetic path of directing from the stator yoke 12 u near the north pole of the permanent magnet 15 u to the hole 11 side and returning to the stator yoke 12 u near the south pole of the permanent magnets 15 u . at the same time , in the example shown in fig1 and 2 , it is configured that the lower end face of the permanent magnet 15 l of the stator yoke 12 l takes a south pole and the upper end face of the same takes a north pole . if the stator yoke 12 l is in a condition that the rotor portion 2 is not inserted in the hole 11 , a magnetic path is generally formed on the stator yoke 12 l starting from the north pole of the upper end face of the permanent magnet 15 l , passing the inner periphery and the inside of the stator yoke 12 l , directing to the upper side of the stator yoke 12 l , turning in the vicinity of the boundary between the stator yoke 12 l and the stator yoke 12 u , directing from the center of the stator yoke 12 l to the outside , turning at a point of the outer periphery side , directing along the outer periphery and through the inside of the lower end to the inside in the radial direction , turning at a point of the inner periphery side to upward again , and returning to the south pole of the permanent magnet 15 l ( not shown in the drawings ). in addition to this magnetic path , a portion of the magnetic flux forms a magnetic path of directing from the stator yoke 12 l near the north pole of the permanent magnet 15 l to the hole 11 side and returning to the stator yoke 12 l near the south pole of the permanent magnets 15 l . the protrusions 16 u 1 and 16 u 2 of the stator portion 3 shown in fig1 are not opposed to the protrusions 8 u and 9 of the rotor portion 2 . on the other hand , the protrusions 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator unit 3 shown in fig1 ig 1 1 , 16 l 2 are opposed to the protrusions 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 . in this electric generator 1 in this way , the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of the rotor yoke 2 take a condition that there is no portion being opposed to the protrusions 16 u 1 and 16 u 2 of the stator yoke 12 u when being opposed to the protrusions 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator yoke 12 l entirely . in the electric generator 1 , as shown in fig4 , the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 pass across the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 in the circumferential direction in accordance with the rotor yoke 4 of the rotor portion 2 rotating along with rotation of the rotation shaft 10 . it causes a change of the magnetic flex and this change induces an electric current on each of the wound portions 17 u and 17 l to generate electricity . the electric generator 1 may be used for storing of electricity and / or driving a load by extracting the electric current flowing in the wound portions 17 u and 17 l . as shown in fig5 , for example , a state s 1 is defined as the protrusions 16 u 1 and 16 u 2 of the stator unit 3 are not opposed to any of the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l , a lower half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 l 1 of the stator portion 3 , and the protrusion 8 l of the rotor 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 . in such a state s 1 , since the stator yoke 12 u of the stator portion 3 is not affected so much by the attractive force from the protrusions 8 u and 9 of the rotor portion 2 , most of the magnetic flux from the permanent magnet 15 u of the stator yoke 12 u forms , as shown in fig6 , a magnetic path m 1 ( shown by dashed - dotted lines ) starting from the north pole of the permanent magnet 15 u , passing around the hollow portion 13 u and returning to the south pole of the permanent magnet 15 u . at this time , most of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7 u of the rotor portion 2 is made direct to the south pole side of the stator yoke 12 l because of strong affection of the protrusions 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator yoke 12 l which have the inner periphery “ b ” of the stator portion 3 being closer to the outer periphery “ a ” of the stator portion 3 than the protrusions 16 u 1 and 16 u 2 of the stator yoke 12 u . since the inner periphery “ b ” of the protrusions 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 comes very close to the outer periphery “ a ” of the protrusions 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 , most of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7 l of the rotor portion 2 directs from the protrusions 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 into the stator yoke 12 l side while most of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 15 l of the stator portion 3 directs to the rotor portion 2 . consequently , as shown in fig6 , in the rotor portion side , a magnetic path m 2 is formed starting from the north pole of the upper end face of the permanent magnet 7 u , passing around the vicinity of the upper end face of the rotor yoke 4 , once entering into the stator yoke 12 l side at the vicinity of the lower end face of the rotor yoke 4 , entering into the rotor part 2 side again at the vicinity of the upper end face of the stator yoke 12 , and returning to the south pole of the lower end face of the permanent magnet 7 u . a magnetic path m 3 is also formed such that most of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 15 l of the stator yoke 12 l of the stator portion 3 directs to the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 while most of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7 l of the rotor portion 2 directs to the protrusion 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 . as is formed the magnetic path m 2 , the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7 u of the rotor portion affect the stator portion 3 little and it makes the magnetic path m 3 between the permanent magnet 7 l of the rotor portion 2 and the permanent magnet 15 l of the stator portion 3 more efficient . in the state s 1 as described above , changes are happened on the wound portions 17 u and 17 l such that most of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 15 l having passed around the wound portion 17 l until just before the state s 1 is absorbed into the rotor portion 2 side to become weak and that the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 15 u having directed to the rotor portion 2 side until just before the state s 1 returns to the wound portion 17 u of the stator portion 3 to become intensive . accordingly , an electric current flows through the wound portions 17 u and 17 l so as to generate magnetic lines counteracting the changes of the magnetic flux . it will be describe in detail about the current flowing through the wound portion 17 u and 17 l . as shown in fig7 , a state s 2 is defined as each half of the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l in view of the circumferential direction is opposed to each half of the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 , and 16 l 2 in the same direction . in such a state s 2 , as shown in fig8 illustrating a cross section along the line a - a in fig7 , in comparison with the state s 1 , a part of magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 15 u of the stator yoke 12 u directs to the rotor portion 1 side and directs from the protrusion 16 u 2 of the stator portion 3 to the rotor portion 2 side . on the other hand , most of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7 u of the rotor portion 2 side directs to the stator portion 3 side . that is , it directs from the protrusion 8 u of the rotor portion 2 to the stator portion 3 side . as a result , a magnetic path m 4 is formed directing from the north pole of the permanent magnet 7 u of the rotor portion 2 side to the south pole of the permanent magnet 15 u of the stator portion 3 side and directing from the north pole of the permanent magnet 15 u of the stator portion 3 side to the south pole of the permanent magnet 7 u of the rotor portion 2 side . according to this , the magnetic flux of the magnetic path m 5 passing around the wound portion 17 u is weakened as compared with the magnetic path m 1 in the state s 1 ( shown as s 1 : thick dashed - dotted lines to s 2 : thin dashed - dotted lines ). in the state s 2 , a part of magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7 l of the rotor portion 2 , which has directed to the stator yoke 12 side of the stator portion 3 in the state s 1 , passes through the hollow portion 5 to return the rotor 2 side . a part of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 15 l also becomes to pass around the wound portion 17 l . that is , compared to the state s 1 , a magnetic path m 6 is formed by weak magnetic lines directing from the north pole of the permanent magnet 7 l of the rotor portion 2 side to the south pole of the permanent magnet 15 l of the stator portion 3 side and from the north pole of the permanent magnet 15 l of the stator portion 3 side to the south pole of the permanent magnet 7 l of the rotor portion 2 side . the magnetic flux of the magnetic path m 7 passing around the wound portion 17 is made intensive as compared to the state s 1 ( shown as s 1 : thick dashed - dotted lines to s 2 : thin dashed - dotted lines ). the magnetic path m 2 described above is yielded in the rotor portion 2 opposing to the protrusions 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 and its intensity becomes weak . in the state s 1 , a magnetic path m 9 described below is also yielded and its intensity is becoming intensive . in the state s 2 as described above , compared to the state s 1 , changes are happened such that the magnetic flux passing around the wound portion 17 u is made weak and that the magnetic flux passing around the wound portion 17 l is made intensive . so that an electric current flows so as to generate magnetic lines counteracting l the changes of the magnetic flux . since the permanent magnets 7 u and 7 l of the rotor portion 2 are arranged for opposing portions to be different and to be connected by the hollow portion 5 , the magnetic flux of the respective permanent magnets 7 u and 7 l directs to the stator portion 3 effectively . as shown in fig9 , a state s 3 is defined as the protrusion 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 are not opposed to any of the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 , an upper half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 u 2 of the stator portion 3 and the protrusion 8 u of the rotor portion 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 u 1 of the stator portion 3 . as shown in fig1 , the state s 3 can be interpreted as an upside down state of the state s 1 shown in fig6 . that is , since the stator yoke 12 l of the stator portion 3 is not affected so much by the attractive force from the protrusions 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 , the magnetic flux from the noth pole of the permanent magnet 15 l forms a magnetic path m 8 ( shown by dashed - dotted lines ) passing around the hollow portion 13 l and returning to the south pole of the permanent magnet 15 l . at this time , since the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7 l of the rotor portion 2 is strongly affected by the protrusions 16 u 1 and 16 u 2 of the stator yoke 12 u of the stator portion 3 rather than the protrusions 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator yoke 12 l , most of the magnetic flux of rotor portion 2 is directed to the stator yoke 12 u side . since the protrusions 16 u 1 and 16 u 2 of the stator portion 3 become very close to the protrusions 8 l and 9 l of the rotor portion 2 , most of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7 u of the rotor portion 2 directs from the protrusion 8 u of the rotor portion 2 to the stator yoke 12 u side . thus , as shown in fig1 , a magnetic path m 9 is formed in the rotor portion 2 side starting from the north pole of the lower end face of the permanent magnet 7 l , passing around the hollow portion 5 from the vicinity of the lower end face of the rotor yoke 5 , once entering into the stator yoke 2 side at the vicinity of the upper end face of the rotor yoke 4 , entering into the stator yoke 12 u side at the vicinity of the lower end face of the stator yoke 12 u , and returning to the noth pole of the upper end face of the permanent magnet 7 l . a magnetic path m 10 is also formed such that the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 15 u of the stator yoke 12 u of the stator portion 3 directs to the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7 u of the rotor portion 2 directs from the protrusion 8 u of the rotor portion 2 to the protrusion 16 u 1 of the stator portion 3 . in the state s 3 as described above , changes are happened on the wound portions 17 u and 17 l such that most of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 15 u having passed around the wound portion 17 u until just before the state s 3 is absorbed into the rotor portion 2 side to become weak and that the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 15 l having directed to the rotor portion 2 side until just before the state s 3 returns to the magnetic path passing around the wound portion 17 u of the stator portion 3 to become intensive to form a magnetic path m 8 . accordingly , an electric current flows through the wound portions 17 u and 17 l so as to generate magnetic lines counteracting the changes of the magnetic flux . fig1 shows a positional relationship between the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 , along with a process of transitions of the states s 1 , s 2 and s 3 from s 1 through s 2 to s 3 over passing time of t 1 to t 5 . fig1 shows a state of the electric current generated on the wound portions 17 u and 17 l of the electric generator 1 at each time of t 1 to t 5 . as shown in fig1 , an electric current occurs in a sinusoidal wave form by rotating the rotor portion 2 in a constant rate . in the example shown in fig1 , the current is generated in the opposite directions at the wound portions 17 u and 17 l because these wires are wound in a same direction and the directions of the magnetic lines on the wound portions 17 u and 17 l are opposing . if the winding directions of the wound portions 17 u and 17 l are made opposite , it can be generate the current in a same direction on the wound portions 17 u and 17 l . in fig1 , the time t 1 corresponds to the state s 1 shown in fig6 . at the time t 1 , since a lower half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 8 l of the same are opposed to the protrusions 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 , and the magnetic flux around the wound portion 17 u becomes a maximum and then decreases , an electric current starts to flow in a direction through the wire so as to generate magnetic lines counteracting the change of the magnetic flux . defining this direction as positive , a positive current is starting to flow . it is shown in fig1 by a point w 11 . on the other hand , since the magnet flux around the wound portion 17 l becomes a minimum and then increases , an electric current starts to flow through the wire so as to generate magnetic lines counteracting the change of the magnetic flux . this direction is the reverse of that of the wound portion 17 u . this reverse direction is defined as negative in opposition to the positive described above . it is shown in fig1 by a point w 12 . at this time , the lower part of the rotor portion 2 is generating a maximum attractive force with the stator portion 3 . therefore , at time t 1 , as shown in fig1 , since reversal of the direction of current flow occurs on the wound portion 17 u and 17 l 17 l , it takes an intermediate point of positive and negative values in the ac curve . that is , at the time t 1 , as shown in fig1 , neither positive current nor negative current flows at the wound portions 17 u and 17 l ( minimum current value = 0 amp ). in fig1 , the time t 5 corresponds to the state s 3 shown in fig1 . at the time t 5 , since an upper half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 8 u of the same are opposed to the protrusions 16 u 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 , and the magnetic flux around the wound portion 17 l becomes a maximum and then decreases , an electric current starts to flow in a direction through the wire so as to generate magnetic lines counteracting the change of the magnetic flux . this direction may be defined as negative in accordance with the above mentioned basis . it is shown in fig1 by a point w 12 . on the other hand , since the magnet flux around the wound portion 17 u becomes a minimum and then increases , an electric current starts to flow through the wire so as to generate magnetic lines counteracting the change of the magnetic flux . this direction is the reverse of that of the wound portion 17 l . this direction is positive in relation to the negative described above . it is shown in fig1 by a point w 22 . at this time , the upper part of the rotor portion 2 is generating a maximum attractive force with the stator portion 3 . therefore , at the time t 5 as shown in fig1 , a current of the positive maximum ( w 12 ) is generated at the wound portion 17 u and a current of the negative maximum ( w 22 ) is generated at the wound portion 17 l . the time t 3 corresponds to the state s 2 shown in fig8 . at the time t 3 , each half of the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of rotor portion 2 in the circumferential direction is opposed to each half of the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 in the same direction . the point of the time t 3 is an intermediate point of the transition from the state s 1 to the state s 5 . therefore , at the time as shown in fig1 , a current is generated in a medial value between the maximum and minimum ( 0 amp ) values in positive or negative at each of the wound portions 17 u and 17 l . the times t 2 and t 4 correspond to transitions from the state s 1 to the state s 2 and from the state s 2 to the state s 3 respectively . therefore , at the time t 2 as shown in fig1 , a current is generated in a medial value between the current values generated at the state s 1 ( 0 amp ) and at the state s 2 . on the other hand , at the time t 4 as shown in fig1 , a current is generated in a medial value between the current values generated at the state s 2 and at the state s 1 ( 0 amp ). in this way , at the times t 1 to t 5 , a current occurs in a quarter cycle of a sinusoidal waveform to be generated on the wound portions 17 u and 17 l . that is , when the rotation shaft 10 of the electric generator 1 is rotating in a constant rate , one cycle part of the sinusoidal current waveform to be generated on the wound portion 17 u and 17 l is completed in four times periods of the times t 1 to t 5 . here , considering the reason why cogging is generated in a general electric generator , cogging would be caused by changing of attractive or repulsive force between a rotor side and a stator side according to the rotor position . according to the electric generator 1 of this embodiment on the other hand , the attractive force will be constant between protrusions 8 u , 8 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 and protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 in any positional relationship of the rotor portion 2 and the stator portion 3 at the times t 1 to t 5 . for example , at the time t 1 ( the state s 1 ), the lower half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 8 l of the same are fully opposed to the protrusions 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 and are attracting them in the maximum attractive force . on the other hand , the protrusion 16 u 1 and 16 u 2 of the stator portion 3 are not opposed to any of the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 and the attractive force therebetween becomes a minimum . therefore , it can be considered that the strength of the attractive force between the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 side and the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 side depend on the total of the strengths of the opposing and non - opposing areas therebetween . supposing q cm 2 ( square centimeter ) as a maximum value of an area where the protrusion 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 or 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 is opposed to the protrusions 8 u , 9 , and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 , and p 1 as strength of attractive force per 1 cm 2 unit , then , at the time t 1 , the opposing area between the lower half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 l 1 of the stator portion 3 becomes q cm 2 and the attractive force becomes q × p 1 . the opposing area between the protrusion 8 l of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 also becomes q cm 2 and the attractive force becomes q × p 1 . the non - opposing area between the protrusion 8 l of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 u 1 of the stator portion 3 and the non - opposing area between the upper half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 u 2 of the stator portion 3 are q cm 2 respectively and the attractive forces become q × p 2 respectively where p 2 is strength of attractive force per 1 cm 2 unit . therefore , the attractive force between the rotor portion 2 and stator portion 3 becomes 2q × p 1 + 2q × p 2 = 2q ( p 1 + p 2 ) at the time t 1 on each of the protrusions 8 u , 9 , 8 l , 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 . similarly , at the time t 2 , the protrusion 8 u of the rotor portion 2 is opposed to the protrusions 16 u 1 of the stator portion 3 at respective quarters in the circumferential direction , the protrusion 9 of the rotor 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 u 2 of the stator portion 3 at a quarter in the circumferential direction of the upper half of the former and a quarter in the same direction of the latter , the protrusion 9 of the rotor 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 l 1 of the stator portion 3 at three quarters in the circumferential direction of the lower half of the former and three quarters in the same direction of the latter , and the protrusion 8 l of the rotor 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 at three quarters in the circumferential direction of the former and three quarters in the same direction of the latter to attract each other . in this case , the opposing areas are ( ¼ ) q cm 2 for between the protrusion 8 u of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 u 1 of the stator 3 and for between the upper half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 u 2 of the stator 3 respectively , and ( ¾ ) q cm 2 for between the lower half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 l 1 of the stator 3 and for between the protrusion 8 l of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 l 2 of the stator 3 respectively . therefore , at the time t 1 , the total attractive force between the rotor portion 2 and stator portion 3 on the opposing parts of each of the protrusions 8 u , 9 , 8 l , 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 becomes as follows : ( 1 / 4 ) q cm 2 × p 1 + ( 1 / 4 ) q cm 2 × p 1 + ( 3 / 4 ) q cm 2 × p 1 + ( 3 / 4 ) q cm 2 × p 1 = ( 8 / 4 ) q cm 2 × p 1 = 2 q cm 2 × p 1 on the other hand , the attractive force of the non - opposing parts can be similarly calculated to become 2qcm 2 × p 1 . therefore , the attractive force at the time 2 becomes 2q × p 1 + 2q × p 2 = 2q ( p 1 + p 2 ) same as that at the time t 1 . similarly , at time t 3 , the protrusion 8 u of the rotor portion 2 is opposed to the protrusions 16 u 1 of the stator portion 3 at respective halves in the circumferential direction , the protrusion 9 of the rotor 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 u 2 of the stator portion 3 at a half in the circumferential direction of the upper half of the former and a half in the same direction of the latter , the protrusion 9 of the rotor 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 l 1 of the stator portion 3 at a half in the circumferential direction of the lower half of the former and a half in the same direction of the latter , and the protrusion 8 l of the rotor 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 at respective halves in the circumferential direction to attract each other . in this case , the opposing areas are ( ¼ ) q cm 2 for between the protrusion 8 u of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 u 1 of the stator 3 , for between the upper half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 u 2 of the stator 3 , for between the lower half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 l 1 of the stator 3 and for between the protrusion 8 l of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 l 2 of the stator 3 respectively . therefore , at the time t 3 , the total attractive force between the rotor portion 2 and stator portion 3 on the opposing parts of each of the protrusions 8 u , 9 , 8 l , 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 becomes as follows : ( 1 / 2 ) q cm 2 × p 1 + ( 1 / 2 ) q cm 2 × p 1 + ( 1 / 2 ) q cm 2 × p 1 + ( 1 / 2 ) q cm 2 × p 1 = ( 4 / 2 ) q cm 2 × p 1 = 2 q cm 2 × p 1 on the other hand , the attractive force of the non - opposing parts , which are parts of the stator portion 3 other than the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 being opposed to the protrusions 8 u , 8 and 8 l , becomes 2qcm 2 × p 2 as the area of the non - opposing parts becomes q2 cm 2 . therefore , the total attractive force at the time t 3 becomes 2q ( p 1 + p 2 ) same as that at the times t 1 and t 2 . similarly , at time t 4 , the protrusion 8 u of the rotor portion 2 is opposed to the protrusions 16 u 1 of the stator portion 3 at respective three quarters in the circumferential direction , the protrusion 9 of the rotor 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 u 2 of the stator portion 3 at three quarters in the circumferential direction of the upper half of the former and three quarters in the same direction of the latter , the protrusion 9 of the rotor 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 l 1 of the stator portion 3 at a quarter in the circumferential direction of the lower half of the former and a quarter in the same direction of the latter , and the protrusion 8 l of the rotor 2 is opposed to the protrusion 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 at respective quarters in the circumferential direction to attract each other . in this case , the opposing areas are ( ¾ ) q cm 2 for between the three quarters of the protrusion 8 u of the rotor portion 2 and the three quarters of the protrusion 16 u 1 of the stator 3 and for between the three quarters of the upper half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the three quarters of the protrusion 16 u 2 of the stator 3 respectively , and ( ¼ ) q cm 2 for between the quarter of the lower half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the quarter of the protrusion 16 l 1 of the stator 3 and for between the quarter of the protrusion 8 l of the rotor portion 2 and the quarter of the protrusion 16 l 2 of the stator 3 respectively . therefore , at the time t 4 , the total area of the fully opposing parts of the protrusions 8 u , 9 , 8 l , 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 between the rotor portion 2 and stator portion 3 is as follows : ( 3 / 4 ) q cm 2 + ( 3 / 4 ) q cm 2 + ( 1 / 4 ) q cm 2 + ( 1 / 4 ) q cm 2 = ( 8 / 4 ) q cm 2 = 2 q cm 2 therefore , the attractive force caused by the protrusions being opposed each other becomes 2q × p 1 . on the other hand , the area of the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 being opposed to the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 becomes 2qcm 2 so that the total attractive force becomes 2q ( p 1 + p 2 ) same as that at the times t 1 , t 2 and t 3 . similarly , at time t 3 ( the state s 3 ), the upper half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor 2 and the protrusion 8 u of the same is opposed to the protrusions 16 u 1 and 16 u 2 of the stator portion 3 and attract therebetween , but the protrusions 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 are not opposed to any of the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 . in this case , the opposing areas are q cm 2 for between the upper half of the protrusion 9 of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 u 2 of the stator 3 and for between the protrusion 8 u of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusion 16 u 1 of the stator 3 respectively . therefore , at the time t 5 , the total area of the fully opposing parts of the protrusions 8 u , 9 , 8 l , 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 between the rotor portion 2 and stator portion 3 is as follows : therefore , the attractive force caused by the protrusions being opposed each other becomes 2q × p 1 . on the other hand , the area of the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 being opposed to the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 becomes 2qcm 2 so that the total attractive force becomes 2q ( p 1 + p 2 ) same as that at the times t 1 , t 2 , t 3 and t 3 . as described above , the total attractive force between the rotor portion 2 and the stator portion 3 on each of the protrusions 8 u , 9 , 8 l , 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 does not change at any of the times t 1 to t 5 shown in fig1 and 12 . the current waveform occurring at the times t 1 to t 5 is a waveform of a quarter cycle of the sinusoidal waveform to be generated on the wound portions 17 u and 17 l . a sinusoidal wave is to be continued by the quarter cycle of the current waveform with changing the increasing and decreasing direction and the positive and negative direction . therefore , it is obvious that the attractive force becomes constant at all times between the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l of the rotor portion 2 and the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 of the stator portion 3 at any part of the sinusoidal current waveform to be generated on the wound portions 17 u and 17 l . this means that the attractive force is always constant between the rotor portion 2 and the stator portion 3 even how the positional relationship thereof is . therefore it is obvious that no cogging occurs in the electric generator 1 . the electric generator in which no cogging occurs as described above can generate power in high efficiency because rotation torque applied on the rotation shaft 10 from outside is not reduced by cogging torque and most of it is used a torque for electric generation . in the electric generator 1 , the hollow portion 5 of the rotor portion 2 is continuously passing through the two permanent magnets 7 u and 7 l . according to this , as shown in fig6 and 10 , the magnetic flux of the two permanent magnets 7 u and 7 l of the rotor portion 2 forms one magnetic path m 2 or m 9 without the respective magnetic fluxes of the permanent magnets 7 u and 7 l being divided . on one side of the permanent magnets 7 u and 7 l , the magnetic fluxes are direct into the stator portion 3 integrally so that magnetic flux passing around the wound portion 17 u or 17 l can be reduced almost perfectly while , on the other side the permanent magnets 7 u and 7 l , less of the magnetic flex direct into the stator portion 3 so that the flux passing around the permanent magnet 7 u or 7 l can be used up to the maximum . consequently , power generating efficiency can be further improved . fig1 shows , as a comparative example , a rotor portion 2 a comprising two hollow portions 5 u and 5 l . fig1 shows an example in the state s 1 same as fig6 , wherein loops of magnetic fluxes of the respective permanent magnets 7 u and 7 l of the rotor portion 2 a are divided each other and magnetic paths m 11 and m 12 are formed as individual closed loops . as a result , a magnetic path m 13 occurs around the wound portion 17 u and a magnetic path m 14 occurs around the wound portion 17 l . it hardly changes at any state of the times t 1 to t 5 shown in fig1 . it makes the difference between the maximum and the minimum of the magnetic path occurring around the wound portion 17 u and 17 l small so that the electric generator 1 a cannot fully function for a generator . however , some extent of magnetic flux may occur in this configuration , this configuration may be adopted . the embodiment described above can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , the hollow portion 5 may not be hollow and be embedded by non - magnetic material such as aluminum or resin material . although it has been described that each of the protrusions 8 u , 9 and 8 l is formed integrally with the body of the yoke 4 and each of the protrusions 16 u 1 , 16 u 2 , 16 l 1 and 16 l 2 is formed integrally with the body of the yoke 12 u and 12 l , each protrusion may not be formed integrally but be made as a separated member and fixed on the respective body by such as glue . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , a rotor portion 2 b comprises four protrusions 8 u 1 , 8 u 2 , 8 l 1 and 8 l 2 along the axial direction and the protrusions 8 u 1 and 8 u 2 are arranged to shift by a half pitch with the protrusions 8 l 1 and 8 l 2 on the axial direction . on the other hand , the stator portion 3 b comprises three protrusions 16 u , 16 m and 16 l along the axial direction . configuring such an electric generator 1 b , it can be realize the function same as that of the electric generator 1 according to the above described embodiment . in this case , the rotor portion 2 b may be configured by arranging to pile one rotor member having protrusions 8 u 1 and 8 u 2 along the central axis direction with a same pitch and another rotor member having protrusions 8 l 1 and 8 l 2 with the same pitch linearly arranged in the axial direction , in two stages , such that the protrusion 8 u 1 and 8 u 2 are shifted a half pitch with the protrusions 8 l 1 and 8 l 2 . the stator portion 3 b may also be configured by arranging to pile one stator member having protrusions 16 u and 16 m 1 with a same pitch linearly arranged in the axial direction and another stator member having protrusions 16 m 2 and 16 l with the same pitch linearly arranged in the axial direction , in two stages , such that the protrusion 16 u , 16 m 1 , 16 m 2 and 16 l are linearly arranged in the axial direction and have the same pitch . the rotor portion 2 b and / or the stator portion 3 b may be made from on yoke member by , for example , cutting out . although it has been described that each of the electric generators 1 and 1 b comprises the stator portion 3 having a two stage piled structure of the stator yokes 12 u and 12 l , the number of the piled stages may be any even number . in this case , the rotor portion part 2 preferably has a construction in that the structure shown in fig1 is piled along the axial direction . similarly , although it has been described that the electric generator 1 b comprises the rotor portion 2 b consisting of a rotor member of a two stage piled structure , the rotor portion 2 b may be preferred to be piled same structures and the number of the piled stages may be any even number . although it has been described that each of the electric generators 1 and 1 b is an inner rotor type generator , an outer rotor type generator may be adopted . although the rotor yoke 4 and the stator yokes 12 u , 12 l are preferable made of soft magnetic material , these may be made by simple magnetic material . grooves 6 u , 6 l , 14 u and 14 l may not be grooved if each of them is formed integrally with the permanent magnet but these are called as “ grooves ” including ones formed integrally . although the axial length of the hollow portion 5 as a non - magnetic portion is set equal or longer than the axial distance between the outer ends of the combination of the permanent magnetics 7 u and 7 l , it may be equal to , slightly longer or slightly shorter that the axial distance between the outer ends of the permanent magnetics 7 u and 7 l . although the width of each protrusion and the distance between protrusions are preferably equal for cogging to be suppressed , the width the distance may not be equal and be set slightly different by another requirement . as shown in fig1 , an electric generator 1 c may be configured by comprising stator yokes 12 cu and 12 cl on which the permanent magnets 15 u , and 15 l are not provided . that is , the electric generator 1 c is configured so as to use the spaces where the permanent magnetics 15 u , and 15 l are removed from the stator portion 3 of the electric generator 1 as a non - magnetic portion . this space may be filled by resin , aluminum which is a non - magnetic material , or the like . although the electric generator operates similar to the electric generators 1 , 1 b according to the embodiments described above , the current waveform shown in fig1 should be inversed at the wound portions respectively because the permanent magnets 15 u and 15 l are not provided ion the stator portion 3 c . the state shown in fig1 , for example , corresponds to the state s 1 in the electric generator 1 shown in fig6 . considering the case of the state s 1 in the electric generator 1 shown in fig6 , since the stator yoke 12 l has the permanent magnet 15 l , the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 15 l is sucked into the rotor portion 2 side so that the magnetic flux around the wound portion 17 l becomes weak . on the other hand , in the electric generator 1 c , since the permanent magnet 15 l is not provided on the stator yoke 12 cl , the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7 l of the rotor portion 2 extends through the opposing protrusions 9 , 8 l and 16 l 1 , 16 l 2 into the stator yoke 12 cl side . as a result , a magnetic path m 15 is formed and the magnetic flux around the wound portion 17 l becomes intensive . similarly , in the electric generator 1 , since the permanent magnet 15 u is provided on the stator yoke 12 u , the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 15 u forms the magnetic path m 1 around the wound portion 17 u on the state s 1 so that the magnetic flux around the wound portion becomes intensive . on the other hand , in the electric generator 1 c , since the permanent magnet 15 u is not provided on the stator yoke 12 cu , the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet 7 u of the rotor portion 2 u extends into the stator yoke 12 cu side to form the magnetic path m 16 but the protrusions 16 u 1 and 16 u 2 of the stator portion 3 c are not opposed to the protrusions 8 u and 9 so that the magnetic flux around the wound portion 17 u becomes weak . as described above , it can been seen that the intensity states of the magnetic flux on the wound portion 17 u and 17 l are reversed between the electric generators 1 and 1 c . thus , the waveform shown in fig1 is reversed on the wound portions respectively between the electric generators 1 and 1 c . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings , the respective elements of the case having the same reference numerals in the various views , particularly fig1 the case is designated generally by reference numeral 10 and has a pair of sidewalls 11 and a pair of endwalls 12 and bottom 13 , with an open top 14 . the case has no inner compartmentation and is particularly adapted for receiving six two liter plastic beverage bottles of either of the two present commercial types , i . e ., with a flat bottom or with small projecting bottom bosses ( neither shown ). the upper portions of the sidewalls and endwalls are constituted by a rectangular panel 15 that extends around the entire upper portion of the case . each sidewall 11 has a pair of end vertical column members 16 and a pair of intermediate column members 17 each having outwardly extending rib members 18 disposed along the respective outer edges of each column from the bottom to the top of the case . each intermediate column member 17 has corresponding inwardly extending vertical rib members 19 disposed along the interior 20 of the case from the bottom adjacent the upper stacking rim 21 and having tapered upper ends 22 . extending around the sidewalls and endwalls of the case is an outwardly projecting horizontal rim 23 disposed adjacent , but spaced from upper stacking rim 21 and intersecting the respective ribs 18 . an additional pair of similar horizontal rib members 24 are disposed adjacent the bottom edge of panel 15 . triangular gusset plates 25 are formed adjacent the merger of the vertical column members 16 , 17 with panel member 15 ( see fig5 ) and have outwardly projecting diagonal rib members 26 along the open edges 27 thereof . each sidewall has a similar horizontal bottom panel member 28 which has outwardly projecting horizontal rib 29 along the upper edge 30 and similar rib member 31 at the bottom 32 thereof . rib 29 and bottom panel 28 have upwardly disposed portions 29a and 28 a respectively extending between column members 16 , 17 . similar triangular gusset plates 25a are formed adjacent the merger of the vertical column members 16 , 17 with bottom panel member 28 and have outwardly projecting diagonal rib members 26a along the open edges 27a thereof . the upper and lower horizontal panels and gusset plates define polygonal openings 33 in each sidewall which provide visual access to the interior of the case to identify beverage containers located therein during use . each endwall has similarly constructed vertical column members 34 and a central column member 35 ( see fig4 ) with associated vertical rib members 36 and horizontal rib members 37 and upper and lower horizontal panels 38 , 39 respectively . the central vertical column member 35 has an upper extension 40 extending through and bisecting hand hole 41 as shown . the lower portion of each endwall has access openings 42 . column member 35 has corresponding inner vertical ribs 43 disposed on the interior of the case similar to the inner vertical ribs 19 of the sidewalls previously described . at the upper end of the inner vertical ribs 43 is disposed a bearing block 44 having an upper rectangular flat surface 45 ( see fig1 ) coplanar with the stacking rim 21 to provide additional stacking support for cases in criss - cross relation . triangular gusset plates 25b interconnect vertical column members 16 with upper and lower horizontal panels 15 and 28 respectively . referring to fig2 and 3 , the case bottom is comprised of a rectangular lattice work defined by longitudinal ribs 46 and horizontal ribs 47 . the inner bottom of the case has a plurality of open circular flat disc members 48 contiguous with the lattice work and adapted to receive the bottoms of beverage containers or bottles . on the outer bottom of said lattice work are disposed a plurality of rectangular rib configurations 49 adapted for aligned and / or criss - cross palletizing of similar cases one upon the other in a well - known manner . fig8 is a fragmentary view showing the general arrangement of the stacking of palletized cases . upper pallet 50 is shown with five layers of stacked cases in criss - cross fashion and the structural strength of the cases according to the present invention permits the stacking of three sets of five high palletized cases to be stacked one upon the other . referring to fig9 the stacking relationship of portions of four cases is shown in an 8 × 8 stacking assembly as depicted in fig1 . the cases would be those designated a and b in solid lines and c and d in dotted lines in fig1 , and having the same letter designation in fig9 . the various configurations of criss - cross palletizing from 6 × 6 up to 10 × 10 are shown in the schematic diagrams fig1 through 17 . as is well known in the art , the case can be constructed of any conventional molded high - impact strength plastic material such as high - density polyethylene , polypropylene and the like . it has been found with the present design that the case will support 5 , 000 pounds on a criss - cross system of stacking while maintaining structural rigidity and dimensional stability which is achieved by the novel vertical column arrangement . while one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described , it is to be understood that changes and additions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . | 1 |
the present description relates to shelving systems and equipment storage management and more particularly to a structurally integrated building - block shelf frame system for storing electronic and non - electronic equipment subframes that can be mechanically interconnected with minimal labor content to assemble the resultant structure without the requirement of equipment racks or equipment rack cabinets . the present description is given to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements . various modifications to the embodiments described herein and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . for instance , although a finite number of shelf frame structure configurations are illustrated in the embodiments , it is clear that any number or even one shelf frame unit could be utilized . in accordance with some embodiments , the modular building - block shelf frame system comprises extruded side members designed to withstand and transfer the vertical load of a plurality of stacked shelf frame modules . extruded side members include a plurality of symmetrical and non - symmetrical geometric mating features to facilitate module assembly and alignment , the incremental stacking of a plurality of shelf frame modules , and the interlocking and self - alignment of a plurality of shelf frame modules without the need for additional tooling . a symmetrical top and bottom shelf member includes features to facilitate initial shelf frame module assembly alignment with side members , the alignment of electronic or non - electronic equipment subframes in the shelf frame module , and a system for securing optional equipment subframes to the shelf frame module that efficiently adds additional structural integrity to the overall shelf frame system . an optional electronic equipment subframe system includes features to facilitate securing equipment subframes to the top and bottom members and also provides additional structural integrity to the shelf frame module system . the system also provides ruggedized mounting of standard 1 u electronic components in less than 1 . 75 ″ ( 44 . 5 mm ) on an optional electronic equipment subframe . the system also provides electrical connectivity to a plurality of optional equipment subframes in an efficient manner that also provides additional structural integrity to the shelf frame module system . the resultant structurally integrated building - block shelf frame module can be optionally populated with electronic or non - electronic equipment subframe modules , then individually shipped to a location and stacked to an optimal height and density for a given facility without the use of equipment racks , or can be optionally configured for mounting into legacy equipment racks . an equipment storage system can be constructed incrementally using structurally integrated shelf frame modules . each module is adapted to couple to another module side - to - side on plane , or side - to - side on a staggered plane to form a plurality of mated module columns , or to additional side members to form an individual column , or to mounting brackets to enable mounting into standard equipment racks . fig1 a and 1b illustrate a perspective view and an exploded perspective view , respectively , of one shelf frame module 100 , in accordance with an embodiment . as shown , two extruded side members 110 are coupled perpendicularly to a top and bottom member 120 with a plurality of self - tapping screws 130 to form shelf frame module 100 . due to the symmetrical design of the side members 110 , both side members utilize one common part in the present embodiment . similarly , due to the symmetrical design of the top and bottom members 120 , both top and bottom members utilize one common part in the present embodiment . therefore , side members 110 and top and bottom members 120 are economical to manufacture since they represent singular elements needed to implement both side members , and both top and bottom members , respectively . for purposes of illustration , the shelf frame module 100 has a front 100 a and back 100 b . due to the symmetrical design of the side members 110 and the top and bottom members 120 , the front 100 a and back 100 b are identical in the resultant assembly 100 . while the height , width and depth of shelf frame module 100 is largely a design choice , in some particular embodiments , the height y of each shelf frame module 100 is 4 us high ( 7 inches or approximately 178 mm ), the width x is 17 . 75 inches wide ( approximately 450 mm , leaving an internal usable shelf width of approximately 420 mm ), and a depth z of 900 mm as illustrated in the present embodiment to facilitate optional mounting in 19 ″ standard equipment racks . one skilled in the art could readily deduce that proportionate symmetrical adjustments could be made in the design of the extrusion profile of side member 110 to accommodate other heights . one skilled in the art could also readily deduce that adjustments could be made in the design width x and depth z of top and bottom member 120 to facilitate mounting into 23 ″ equipment racks , or to attain any other desired equipment shelf width or depth if mounting into legacy equipment racks is not a requirement . to facilitate shelf frame module assembly , alignment and coupling of side members 110 with the top and bottom members 120 , each side members 110 has an alignment feature 140 integrated into the top and bottom edge of each extruded side member 110 to mate with a plurality of embossed countersink features 150 on top and bottom members 120 that are then secured with self - tapping screws 130 , as shown in fig1 a and 1b . fig2 a , 2b , and 2c contain an exploded cross - sectional view , a partially exploded cross - sectional view and a cross - sectional view , respectively , of a coupling and alignment system of side members and top and bottom members , in accordance with an embodiment . fig2 a , 2b and 2c illustrate the system of alignment and assembly to facilitate coupling of side members 110 to top and bottom members 120 . as shown in fig2 a , feature surface 241 a and 241 b located at each end of side member 110 , establish a parallel set of alignment planes with surface 242 on top and bottom member 120 creating a perpendicular orientation between top and bottom member 120 and side member 110 , thereby fixing the x and y axis for assembly . symmetrical surface features 245 a and 245 b on the end of each side member 110 are set at a predetermined distance and angle to one another to create a set of alignment planes that receive a plurality of conical emboss countersink alignment features 150 , located on top and bottom member 120 , thereby fixing the z axis for final assembly as shown in fig2 b . insertion of a plurality of self - tapping screws 130 through emboss countersink features 150 into the self - tapping feature channel 210 secure the bottom and top member 120 to side members 110 into a fully aligned assembly as seen in fig2 c and 1b . fig3 a , 3b , and 3c contain perspective views of coupling variations of a plurality of shelf frame modules in accordance with some embodiments . to facilitate shelf frame module 100 coupling and alignment with other shelf frame modules into single columns , as shown in fig3 a , or a plurality of coupled columns , as shown in fig3 b and 3c , each side member 110 has a pair of shelf frame alignment and coupling feature systems 160 integrated into the profile of each extruded side member 110 at a predetermined position , as shown in fig1 a and 1b . fig4 a , 4b , 5a , 5b , 6a and 6b contain schematic cross - sectional views illustrating variations of side member coupling configurations in accordance with some embodiments . fig4 a and 4b provide a detail front perspective view of side members 110 in a mated view , and an aligned and fully assembled view , respectively , to illustrate the shelf frame alignment and coupling feature systems 160 developed to facilitate the coupling of a plurality of shelf frame modules 100 . shelf frame module coupling and alignment feature system 160 comprises a longitudinal attachment feature 160 a , which in some embodiments is a female trapezoid feature or channel 160 a , and a set of self - tapping coupling and alignment channels 160 c as shown in fig4 a . two shelf frame alignment and coupling feature systems 160 can be mated with joint member 310 or 315 as shown in fig4 a and 3a . the mating illustrated in fig4 a results in a partially coupled and aligned set of female trapezoid features 160 a and partially aligned pair of self - tapping coupling and alignment channels 160 c . the insertion of self - tapping screws 130 into each pair of self - tapping coupling and alignment channels 160 c secures the joint member 310 or 315 with the set of female trapezoid features 160 a in a fully aligned assembly as illustrated in fig4 b . the predetermined positioning of self - tapping screws into self - tapping and alignment channels 160 c is designed to accommodate accessory attachment such as wire management brackets and security doors ( not shown ), in addition to providing coupling and alignment for a plurality of shelf frame modules 100 . in another embodiment , a female trapezoid feature 160 a in side member 110 can be mated directly to a male gendered side member 111 containing a male gendered trapezoid feature 160 b as shown in fig5 a and fig5 b . fig5 a illustrates a female trapezoid feature 160 a on side member 110 mated with partially coupled with a male trapezoid feature 160 b on side member 111 . referring to fig5 b , the insertion of self - tapping screws 130 into each pair of self - tapping coupling and alignment channels 160 c secures the side member 110 with male gendered side member 111 into a fully aligned assembly without the use of joint member 310 or 315 . in another embodiment that further reduces part count , an asymmetrically gendered side member 112 is utilized as shown in fig6 a and fig6 b . as illustrated in fig6 a , a female trapezoid feature 160 a of one dual - gender side member 112 is mated and partially coupled with a male trapezoid feature 160 b of another dual - gender side member 112 . referring to fig6 b , the insertion of self - tapping screws 130 into each pair of self - tapping coupling and alignment features 160 c secures side both side members 112 into the a fully aligned assembly with only the use of a singular side member part . it should be noted that a trapezoidal shape is described above in connection with the coupling of the side members . the feature shape can be other than trapezoidal . that is , the mating shape between side members need not be trapezoidal . for example , in some embodiments , the cross - sectional shape of the mating features may be l - shaped , t - shape or any shape which allows for the interlocking mating described herein . fig3 a illustrates a partially exploded view of three shelf frame modules 100 comprised of side members 110 coupled with additional side members 115 , joint members 310 and 315 , and anchor brackets 320 secured with self - tapping screws 130 to form a single column 300 a . fig3 b illustrates a side - by - side two - column assembly 300 b of six shelf frame modules 100 comprised of side member 110 coupled on a common plane to additional side members 110 , joint members 310 and anchor brackets 320 secured with self - tapping screws 130 . fig3 c illustrates a side - by - side three column assembly 300 c of nine shelf frame modules 100 comprised of side members 110 coupled on a staggered plane with additional side members 110 , joint members 310 and anchor brackets 320 secured with self - tapping screws 130 . anchor bracket 320 can be attached to side members 110 at the bottom of any column for horizontal stability and floor anchoring , as shown in fig3 a , 3b and 3c , or at the top of any column for overhead structural support anchoring attachment ( not shown ). a plurality of anchor holes 321 in anchor bracket 320 can be used for anchor bolts to secure a shelf module column to a floor , or for optional rolling casters ( not shown ) to provide mobility to shelf module column 300 a . fig7 a , 7b and 7c illustrate one shelf frame module 100 with optional fitments in an isometric exploded view , isometric assembled view , and an enlarged detailed view , respectively . the optional fitment embodiments include four rack adapter brackets 170 , an equipment subframe example node 180 , and a structurally integrated electronic bus rail 190 . for purposes of illustration , the shelf frame module 100 has a front 100 a and back 100 b . fig8 a , 8b and 8c include the same illustrations of the shelf frame module 100 and fitments of fig7 a , 7b and 7c , respectively , with the fitments being installed from the rear 100 b of the shelf frame module 100 . if a particular implementation requires installation of shelf frame module 100 into equipment racks , each shelf frame module 100 can be installed into standard equipment racks with optional rack adapter brackets 170 as illustrated in fig7 a , 7b and 7c . rack adapter bracket 170 is designed to slide into longitudinal attachment feature 160 a , such as female trapezoid features or channels 160 a in side member 110 to the depth required for any given equipment rack implementation as illustrated in fig7 a and 7b . to that end , the rack adapter bracket 170 may include a feature , such as a male trapezoidal feature 160 b described above in connection with fig5 a and 6a , which mates with the features , such as the female trapezoidal features 160 a described above in connection with fig5 a and 6a , in the side members 110 . the front rack adapter brackets 170 can then be secured to side member 110 with set screws 171 as show in fig8 c , then mounted to an equipment rack through mount holes 172 . the rear rack adapter brackets 170 can then be installed from the rear and secured ( as described above ) and then mounted to the rear rails of an equipment rack for additional support . optionally , the set of four rack adapter brackets 170 can be installed on the four rails of an equipment rack at a predetermined height , and then a shelf frame module 100 can be slid to the desired depth and secured with set screws 171 . to facilitate optional equipment subframe node 180 insertion alignment in a shelf frame module 100 , as shown in fig7 a and 7b , each top and bottom member 120 has a plurality of rows of alignment features 710 located at predetermined positions , as shown in fig7 c . these rows of alignment feature 710 are placed by design symmetrically and equidistantly from one another to maintain the symmetry of top and bottom member 120 . to facilitate optional equipment coupling to shelf frame module 100 , each top and bottom member 120 also has a plurality of rows of embedded threaded fasteners 720 located at predetermined positions , as shown in fig7 c . the rows of embedded threaded fasteners 720 are also placed by design symmetrically and equidistantly from one another to maintain the symmetry of top and bottom member 120 . the combined symmetry of alignment feature 710 and embedded threaded fasteners 720 enable a singular part to be utilized in production of top and bottom member 120 . each optional equipment subframe node 180 is designed to be structurally complementary to the shelf frame module 100 . as can be seen in fig8 a , each equipment subframe node 180 can be formed in a c - shape from one contiguous piece of material with a vertical equipment mount surface 830 and a symmetrical top and bottom plate support surface 835 creating an open frame . by creating an open frame and eliminating one side surface , material usage is minimized , and the total width of the optional equipment subframe node 180 is reduced . each end of the optional equipment subframe node 180 may include a symmetrical box rib feature 840 to add additional rigidity at each end of the subframe . the tab ends 850 of each end of the top and bottom have captive screws 855 installed for threaded structural fastening of the equipment subframe node 180 to embedded threaded fasteners 720 in the top and bottom plate 120 , as shown in fig7 a and 7c . the structurally integrated symmetrical design of the equipment subframe node 180 with the shelf frame module 100 enables the equipment subframe node 180 to be installed in any orientation at a variety of depths while adding structural integrity to the overall shelf frame system . as an example , the complementary symmetrical design of frame module 100 and the equipment subframe node 180 enables the equipment subframe node 180 to be installed and structurally coupled in a shelf frame module 100 from front 100 a , or back 100 b regardless of shelf frame module 100 orientation , as illustrated in fig7 a and 8a . vertical equipment mount surface 830 can be utilized to mount a wide array of equipment types , as an example , printed circuit boards for compute intensive applications , or storage drives and controllers for storage intensive applications along with device sub components such as power supplies and cooling fans to meet the requirements of a given node . the overall size and depth of the of each optional equipment subframe nodes 180 can be selected based on parameters of the shelf frame module 100 to accommodate any desired size . in the present particular exemplary embodiment , a width in the present preferred embodiment of 42 mm enables up to ten optional equipment frames to be installed . a system for device mounting according to some embodiments accommodates the ruggedized mounting and coupling of existing 1 u ( 1 . 75 inches / 44 . 5 mm ) electronic device sub - components such as 1 u power supply units ( not shown ) and cooling fans 875 , in an optional equipment subframe node 180 designed with an equipment mounting clearance of less than 1 . 75 inch ( 44 . 5 mm ), as shown in fig7 a , 8a and 9a - 9c . 1 u device sub - components are typically designed to fit just within a 1 u equipment chassis and lack the additional oscillation clearances required for anti - vibration bobbins used to isolate a vibrating component in a ruggedized environment , or to protect a component mounted in a harsh environment prone to vibration and shock . fig9 a , 9b and 9c include a fully exploded , partially exploded and assembled isometric view , respectively , of equipment subframe node 180 lying flat , with cooling fans 875 a - 875 c , as an example , to illustrate the system of ruggedized mounting and coupling 900 devised to solve this problem . fig9 d illustrates an anti - vibration bobbin 985 that includes two metal anti - vibration mount plates 986 separated by an elastic rubber or polymer 987 used to prevent shock and vibration from transferring between two isolated planes , each of which is mechanically coupled to one of the anti - vibration mount plates 986 . anti - vibration mount plates 986 may contain a threaded hole 988 or a threaded shaft 989 to facilitate coupling . as illustrated in fig9 a , individual cooling fans 875 a - 875 c are mounted into an anti - vibration adapter bracket 980 , secured with a plurality of fan screws 981 . anti - vibration bobbins 985 are coupled to anti - vibration adapter bracket 980 through threaded mount holes 986 located in the anti - vibration adapter bracket 980 to form an anti - vibration fan sub - assembly 950 and complete the first part of the system , as shown in fig9 b . the exemplary anti - vibration adapter bracket 980 is designed to mount the standard 1 u fans at a height that is lower than vertical equipment surface 830 to provide the additional clearances required for anti - vibration oscillation and low clearance mounting . to accommodate a negative depth mount design , the vertical equipment surface 830 has a plurality of relief cutouts or apertures 990 and mounting holes 995 located in predetermined positions , as shown in fig9 b . the anti - vibration fan sub - assembly 950 is coupled to the equipment subframe node 180 with mounting screws 996 through mounting holes 995 to couple the assembly and complete the system of device mounting , as shown in fig8 a , 9b and 9c . the mounting system of fig9 a through 9d allows for the additional clearances required for anti - vibration mounting and the oscillation of components for ruggedized mounting . it also reduces the mounting height required of a standard 1 u electronic device sub - component , thereby allowing 1 u standard electronic sub - components to be mounted in an equipment subframe 180 , or other chassis that is less than 1 . 75 ″ ( 44 . 5 mm ). in some exemplary embodiments , the equipment subframe node 180 has an optional male electronic connector 870 , as illustrated in fig8 a , that can be connected to an external cable or cables ( not shown ) for power or data termination . the male electronic connector 870 on the equipment subframe node 180 may also be terminated into the electronic bus rail 190 . the electronic bus rail 190 is designed to reduce cabling and provide additional structural integrity to the overall shelf frame module 100 , as illustrated in fig8 a , 8b and 8c . as shown in fig8 a , electronic bus rail 190 comprises a pair of coupled plates 191 that create a structurally integrated wire enclosure with a plurality of female electronic bus connectors 192 placed at predetermined locations to align and mate with electronic bus connector 870 on the equipment subframes 180 when inserted into the shelf frame module 100 . to facilitate coupling to the top and bottom member 120 of the shelf frame module 100 , captive screws 871 are located on the electronic bus rail 190 to align with the embedded threaded fasteners 720 on the top and bottom member 120 . once coupled to top and bottom member 120 of a shelf frame 100 module , as illustrated in fig8 a and 8b , equipment subframes 180 may be inserted into the shelf frame module 100 for consolidated power or data termination in as shown in fig8 b and 8c , while adding structural integrity to the overall shelf frame system . according to some embodiments , a structurally integrated modular shelf frame equipment storage system can be built according to a user &# 39 ; s specific needs that best utilize the capability of given facility . the systems , modules and methods described herein provide an efficient approach to storing equipment and reducing infrastructure cost . the flexibility and scalability of the structurally integrated modular shelf frame systems , modules and methods described herein satisfy those needs , as well as others . for instance , in some embodiments , because the structurally integrated frame system is modular , shelf frame modules can be fully pre - populated with equipment and wire management , and then shipped to a given location . there they can be modularly stacked and coupled without the need for existing equipment rack infrastructure , or optionally mounted into existing equipment racks . additionally , this modularity aids in the task of physically relocating equipment by eliminating the need to remove individual components . although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiments shown , one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiments and those variations would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention . for instance , the shelf frame modules described in detail above could be coupled using another method or using alternative geometric shapes to those described above , or the height and width of the members can vary depending on the user &# 39 ; s needs . accordingly , many modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
in fig1 there are shown a tuner circuit 10 for receiving dab , an integrated circuit ( ic ) 20 , and a microcomputer 40 for system control . the tuner circuit 10 uses a superheterodyne method and a synthesizer method , converts in frequency a target broadcasting signal to an intermediate - frequency signal ( an intermediate frequency is set , for example , to 3 . 072 megahertz ( mhz )) among broadcasting signals received by an antenna 11 , and sends it to the ic 20 . the ic 20 takes the audio signal of a target program out of the received intermediate - frequency signal . circuits 21 to 37 surrounded by a chain line are integrated into the ic 20 . the microcomputer 40 is connected to the ic 20 , and is also connected to various operation keys ( operation switches ) 41 . in the ic 20 , the intermediate - frequency signal sent from the tuner circuit 10 is input to an analog - to - digital ( a / d ) converter circuit 21 , and is converted to a digital signal . the digital signal is sent to an orthogonal demodulation circuit 22 , and the data of an in - phase component and orthogonal components ( real - axis component and imaginary - axis component ) is demodulated . complex fourier conversion is applied to demodulated data by an fft circuit 23 , and frequency components are output in units of symbols . the frequency components are input to a viterbi decoder 24 , deinterleaving and error correction are applied to the components , and the target program is selected to select the digital audio data of the target program . then , the digital audio data of the selected program is sent to a main bus 31 through a buffer circuit 25 . the main bus 31 is connected to a main - bus controller 32 . the main - bus controller 32 controls data flow between the main bus 31 and circuits connected to the main bus 31 , and achieves data access between tile microcomputer 40 and circuits 35 and 36 , described later . the digital audio data sent to the main bus 31 through the buffer circuit 25 is further sent to a dsp 26 . the dsp 26 includes a central processing unit ( cpu ) 261 , a memory 262 to which a program to be executed by the cpu 261 and data are loaded , a universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter ( uart ) 263 for achieving data access to an external device , and a power - management circuit 264 . the cpu 261 has an arithmetic and logic unit ( alu ) for executing arithmetic calculations ( not including multiplications ) and logical calculations , and a multiply and accumulate ( mac ) unit for executing sum - of - products calculations . when the dsp 26 receives digital audio data , it executes motion - picture - image - coding - experts - group ( mpeg ) audio decoding processing , and therefore , outputs decompressed data , that is , the original digital audio data . the dsp 26 sends the digital audio data through the main bus 31 , and further through a buffer circuit 27 to a d / a converter circuit 28 . the d / a converter circuit 28 converts the data to analog audio signals al and ar , and sends them to a terminal 29 a . the digital audio data sent to the buffer circuit 27 is output as a serial digital output dl / r to a terminal 29 d . a part of the output of the viterbi decoder circuit 24 is sent to the microcomputer 40 through a radio - data - interface ( rdi ) circuit 33 . the output of the orthogonal demodulation circuit 22 is also sent to a synchronization circuit 34 . the output of the synchronization circuit 34 is sent to the dsp through the main bus 31 . the information of the symbol tfpr ( see fig3 ) for phase reference obtained by the fft circuit 23 is sent to the dsp 26 through the main bus 31 . the correlation between the output of the synchronization circuit 34 and the symbol tfpr for phase reference is obtained to calculate offsets δt and δf of the intermediate - frequency signal in a time - domain direction and a frequency - domain direction . intermediate - frequency - signal synchronization processing is executed by the use of the calculated offsets δt and δf . more specifically , the oscillating signal of a voltage - controlled crystal oscillator ( vcxo ) 35 is sent to a clock generator 36 to generate various clocks , and the clocks are sent to circuits . data indicating the offset at in the time - domain direction is sent from the dsp 26 through the main - bus controller 32 to the vcxo 35 as a control signal to compensate for the offset error of the intermediate - frequency signal in the time - domain direction . data indicating the offset δf in the frequency - domain direction is sent from the dsp 26 through the main - bus controller 32 to the orthogonal demodulation circuit 22 to compensate for the frequency offset of the intermediate - frequency signal . afc is performed . a work - area ram 37 is connected to the main bus 31 . various data items are accessed between the interface circuit 33 and the microcomputer 40 . when an operation for changing the receiving frequency is performed by keys 41 , for example , the microcomputer 40 sends the corresponding data to the tuner circuit 10 through the main - bus controller 32 to change the receiving frequency . since the ofdm signal repeats every frame period tf , the dsp 26 repeats the same processing every frame period tf . in the present invention , the dsp 26 performs processes related to processing for obtaining received digital data , at timing , for example , shown in fig2 . specifically , the digital audio data output from the viterbi decoder circuit 24 is accumulated into the buffer circuit 25 . when the ( n − 1 )- th frame of the ofdm signal finishes at time t 0 , digital audio data in the ( n − 1 )- th frame has been accumulated into the buffer circuit 25 . a flag & lt ; 1 & gt ; indicating that one - frame digital audio data has been accumulated is set by the buffer circuit 25 at time t 0 . at time t 0 , the n - th frame starts . when the n - th frame starts , the accumulation of the data of the null symbol null , the data of the symbol tfpr for phase reference , and the data required for executing afc into the input buffers of the fft circuit 23 and the synchronization circuit 34 starts . when the accumulation has been completed , a flag & lt ; 2 & gt ; indicating the completion is set . during the period of the fast information channel fic , its data is sent from the viterbi decoder circuit 24 through the main bus 31 to the main - bus controller 32 and is accumulated into the input buffer of the main - bus controller 32 . when the fast information channel fic finishes , since the accumulation of its data also finishes , a flag & lt ; 3 & gt ; indicating the completion of the accumulation is set . rdi data is sent from the viterbi decoder circuit 24 to the rdi circuit 33 and is accumulated into the input buffer of the rdi circuit 33 . when accumulation finishes , a flag & lt ; 4 & gt ; indicating the completion of the accumulation of the data is set . as described above , in every frame period tf , data is accumulated . when accumulation is completed , the corresponding flag among the flags & lt ; 1 & gt ; to & lt ; 4 & gt ; is set . the flags & lt ; 1 & gt ; to & lt ; 4 & gt ; are set by the input buffers which accumulate the data corresponding to the flags . the states of the flags & lt ; 1 & gt ; to & lt ; 4 & gt ; are directly sent to the dsp 26 through a signal line ( not shown ). the dsp 26 is in the sleep state until the starting time t 0 of the n - th frame , which will be clear from the following description . when the flag & lt ; 1 & gt ; is set at time t 0 , the dsp 26 returns to the normal state from the sleep state , and starts decoding of one - frame digital audio data which has been accumulated at time t 0 . the decoded digital audio data is sequentially sent to the buffer circuit 27 as described above . the buffer circuit 27 outputs the received digital audio data at a correct data rate ( sampling period ). when the dsp 26 finishes the decoding of the digital audio data at time t 1 , the dsp 26 resets the flag & lt ; 1 & gt ; and checks the flags & lt ; 2 & gt ; to & lt ; 4 & gt ;. since the flag & lt ; 2 & gt ; has been set at time t 1 in fig2 the dsp 26 uses the data corresponding to the flag & lt ; 2 & gt ;, that is , the data which has been accumulated into the input buffers of the fft circuit 23 and the synchronization circuit 34 to calculate the offsets δt and δf of the intermediate - frequency signal in the time - domain direction and the frequency - domain direction , as described above . by the result of the calculation , the offsets δt and δf are compensated for . when the dsp 26 finishes synchronization processing at time t 2 , the dsp 26 resets the flag & lt ; 2 & gt ; and checks the remaining flags & lt ; 3 & gt ; and & lt ; 4 & gt ;. in fig2 since the flag & lt ; 3 & gt ; has been set at time t 2 , the dsp 26 uses the data corresponding to the flag & lt ; 3 & gt ;, that is , the data which has been accumulated into the input buffer of the main - bus controller 32 , to analyze the fast information channel fic . the result of analysis is sent to the microcomputer 40 through the main bus 31 and the main - bus controller 32 . when the dsp 26 finishes analysis processing at time t 3 , the dsp resets the flag & lt ; 3 & gt ; and checks the remaining flag & lt ; 4 & gt ;. in fig2 since the flag & lt ; 4 & gt ; has been set at time t 3 , the dsp performs the processing of the rdi data corresponding to the flag & lt ; 4 & gt ;. specifically , the dsp 26 processes the data which has been accumulated into the input buffer of the rdi circuit 33 , and sends the result of processing to the microcomputer 40 through the rdi circuit 33 . when the dsp 26 finishes the data processing of the rdi data at time t 4 , the dsp 26 resets the flag & lt ; 4 & gt ; and checks a remaining flag . in fig2 , since all the flags & lt ; 1 & gt ; to & lt ; 4 & gt ; have been reset at time t 4 , that is , data to be processed by the dsp 26 has been processed , the dsp 26 enters the sleep state at time t 4 . when the starting time t 5 (= t 0 ) of the ( n + 1 )- th frame comes , the same processing as that performed from the starting time t 0 of the n - th frame is performed . the same processing as that performed in the n - th frame is thus repeated in each frame . therefore , the dsp 26 has a sleep period from t 4 to t 5 in each frame period , as indicated by a dotted segment in fig2 . the numbers assigned to the flags & lt ; 1 & gt ; to & lt ; 4 & gt ; indicate the order of priority in which the dsp 26 executes the corresponding processes . when the flags & lt ; 1 & gt ; to & lt ; 4 & gt ; are checked , and if the flags & lt ; 2 & gt ; and & lt ; 4 & gt ; have been set , for example , the data processing corresponding to the flag & lt ; 2 & gt ; is executed first . when a plurality of flags have been set , the data processing corresponding to a flag having a smaller number is executed earlier . according to the receiver shown in fig1 since the dsp 26 has the sleep period from t 4 to t 5 in each frame period tf , power consumption is reduced by the sleep state . in addition , since the sleep state is generated without using a function such as an interrupt , simple control is used and the dsp 26 needs to have just a simple hardware structure . in a case in which data for which calculation processing is not required in every frame period is included according to the format of data , it is possible that a flag is assigned to the data for which calculation processing is not required , or to data for which calculation processing is required , and the flag is checked in each frame period or at an interval of a predetermined period to apply data processing only to the data for which calculation processing is required . with these operations , unnecessary calculation processing is positively omitted , and a sleep period can be formed near the end point of a frame period . in the above - described sleep period , a programmable calculation unit such as a dsp can be set to a sleep mode to reduce power consumption . in addition , it is also possible that another processing is executed by the dsp in this period to use the processing capability more effectively . in the above description , the receiver may be configured such that the intermediate - frequency signal output from the tuner circuit 10 is orthogonal - demodulated to obtain an in - phase component and an orthogonal component , and these components are a / d - converted and sent to the fft circuit 23 . in the above description , the receiver receives dab . the present invention can also be applied to receivers which receive other dsb when they process a plurality of types of received data items by the use of a programmable calculation unit such as a dsp in each frame period . according to the present invention , the dsp has the sleep period and power consumption is reduced . alternatively , another process can be performed in the sleep period . in addition , since the sleep state is formed without using a function such as an interrupt , control is simple and the dsp needs to have just a simple hardware structure . | 8 |
the detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention , and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized . the description sets forth the functions and sequences of steps for constructing and operating the invention . it is to be understood , however , that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments and that they are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention . an example of an environmentally friendly mineral material currently unknown in laminated flexible film applications is ground calcium carbonate ( gcc ), and other minerals which are materials that can be combined with bonding agents and extruded to form material layers of roll stock , film , and sheets . because , by weight , the bonding agents comprise a only a smaller percentage of the finished material ( approximately 15 %- 30 %), it is very cost effective , yet maintains properties typically associated with more expensive plastics , polymers , as well as laminated and cross laminated flexible films . further , it is produced using high speed blown film processes , further lowering the cost of manufacturing and increasing the accuracy maintaining manufacturing specifications and quality . because gcc in particular is naturally white , bright , and opaque , it has outstanding printability qualities and does not require corona treating or other surface coatings , further reducing costs . because the material contains thermoplastic content as a bonding agent ( albeit reduced content ) it is compatible with the various previously stated sealing methods , allowing for efficient filling and sealing during the packaging process . the gcc or other mineral content material such as earth based materials e . g . talc , diatomaceous earth , mineral - containing layer , mica , silica , glass , clays , zeolytes , slate , which are materials that can be combined with bonding agents to form flat rolls and sheets producing very dense and heavy basis weight films that provide an external printable surface for the flexible film composite of the invention at a lower cost than polymers , far offsetting lower yield with even lower cost per ton , making it a very unique , cost effective and attractive flexible film packaging material . also , the mineral content offers , without treatment or coatings some of the same gas and moisture barrier qualities at a comparatively low cost . a key feature of this primarily mineral based material is plasticity characteristics , invaluable in laminate and composite structures that enables it to be continuously deformed without rupture when acted on by a force sufficient to cause flow and allows it to retain its shape after the applied force has been removed . plasticity , like consistency , is a qualitative term , representing a composite of physical properties . plasticity may not be defined quantitatively because it is a complex property made up of yield value and mobility , or their equivalent . the mineral based materials can be fabricated from natural sources , such as limestone among others , and can be biodegradable , photo - degradable , and compostable , use less energy , no water , and fewer chemicals to manufacture than fibers , and thus when combined with and significantly displace polymers and plastics in a wide variety of flexible and semi - rigid film packaging applications . the bonding agents in the construction include but are not limited to high - density polyethylene ( hdpe ) which is a hydrocarbon polymer that has linear chains allowing for dense packing resulting in a density between 0 . 94 and 0 . 96 or more . hdpe is economical , can be processed easily by most methods , has good moisture barrier properties , and good chemical resistance . it has a comparatively low melting point , is translucent in most forms , is relatively soft for excellent machine - ability , it also has high elongation . polymers such as hdpe can be made to be photodegradable , typically by introducing one or more additives , typically during extrusion , such as ketone groups sensitive to uv light which can cause scissioning of the polymer , or other photosensitizing additives that can initiate photooxidation of the polymer , also resulting in scissioning of the polymer . another bonding agent is high molecular weight high density polyethylene ( hmwhdpe ). this polyethylene family material is generally defined as linear copolymer or homo - polymer with average molecular weights in the range of 200 , 000 to 500 , 000 . melt flow index according to astm d 1238 , condition f is another way of defining them , since the melt index is inversely proportional to molecular weight . their high load melt index is in the range of 15 grams per 10 minutes . most hmw polymer grades are copolymers in the density range of 0 . 944 to 0 . 954 grams per cubic centimeter . this mineral based material can create excellent films ( below 0 . 003 inches ) and sheets ( above 0 . 003 inches ). environmentally friendly ground calcium carbonate materials include products similar to ones with the tradename via - stone ™ that is manufactured by taiwan lung meng corporation , xterrane , taipei , taiwan , and other various manufacturers that is incorporated into a synthetic commercial printing paper . the ground calcium carbonate or other mineral content materials can be fabricated from natural sources , such as limestone , and can be biodegradable and compostable , use less energy , no water , and fewer chemicals , and thus represents an advantage over other non - biodegradable and less environmentally friendly materials . it has been discovered that great costs savings , environmental features , and improved graphics can be achieved by utilizing a layer of blown film gcc or other mineral based films containing by substantial weight up to 85 % minerals combined with bonding agents such as hdpe or other materials . one such advantage can be obtained over prior art fig1 a . fig1 a is a flexible film structure used as an ore - ida vegetable package . this film structure contains layer 1 ( pet ), layer 2 ( ink ), layer 3 ( co - extruded nylon ), layer 4 ( sealant ). fig1 b is an improvement , utilizing a unique mineral - containing layer in the composite forming a new structure comprised of layer 6 ( ink ), layer 5 ( mineral film with bonding agent ), layer 7 ( co - extruded nylon ), and layer 8 ( sealant ). by replacing pet layer 1 with cost effective mineral film layer 5 , thus making it possible to relocate ink layer 2 as shown in fig1 b , resulting in improved printability and a more pleasing and attractive presentation including print surface opacity and brightness , higher ink wetting , pick resistance , ink transfer compared to the previously used pet layer , as well as a tensile strength and other processing - related characteristics that are suitable for the production of the package . also , this was accomplished without the costly added step of corona treating . cost efficiencies include a mineral - containing layer costing less than 50 % per ton than the prior art pet containing layers . fig2 b is an embodiment that offers significant advantages over prior art fig2 a . fig2 a is a laminated structure with a top layer 9 comprised of pet , the second layer 10 comprised of ink , the third layer 11 metalized opp film and the fourth layer 12 heat seal coating . the purpose of this material is for the stouffers oven sensations package . fig2 b is comprised of surface applied ink 14 , adhered to mineral - containing layer 13 , comprised of gcc with bonding agents which is then adhered to non - metalized opp layer 16 , and finally sealant layer 15 . because of excellent surface print registration , smoothness , gloss , brightness and opacity inherent in the mineral container layer , print quality of surface applied ink 14 is excellent ( see table 1 , below ) such that the opp layer 16 does not require expensive print quality treatments . also , the bonding agent in mineral - containing layer 13 has sufficient moisture resistance for proper packaging performance . significant cost reductions result because the metalized opp layer 11 used on prior art fig2 a is no longer required , also , fig2 b layer 14 no longer requires metalized opp . further , the mineral layer 13 is 50 % less expensive than prior art pet layer 9 , which is not a required component of the structure of fig2 b . prior art fig3 a shows a 3 - layer laminated flexible film composite used as a packaging material containing nuts , dried fruits , cooking bits , and the like . prior art fig3 a is designed to print with high quality and utilize the structural rigidity , tensile strength and stiffness provided by the opp layers 17 and 20 , sandwiching ink layer 18 and sealant layer 19 . fig3 b illustrates an improvement made possible by using only a mineral - containing layer 22 and ink surface 21 . the flexible packaging composite of fig3 b dramatically reduces material costs by using a single ground calcium carbonate ( gcc ) layer 22 instead of two opp layers 17 and 20 . gcc with hdpe bonding agents layer 22 is less than 50 % cost per ton compared to the combined opp layers 17 and 20 . further , the surface print quality and printability aspects of layer 22 are improved over layers 17 and 20 . additionally , the mineral - based layer and composite of fig3 b is compostable , bio - degradable , photo - degradable , recyclable , sustainable and during manufacturing emits no water borne or airborne chemicals into the environment and uses less energy and delivers no greenhouse gas ( co 2 ) emissions . see table 2 , below . prior art fig4 a is a typical flexible film composite in varying thicknesses used for bag - in - box applications for dry mixes . layer 23 is coextruded hdpe and layer 24 is a sealant . because coextruded hdpe is much more expensive by weight than a mineral layer 25 comprised of 70 % minerals ( by weight ) and 30 % or less by weight hdpe , because of the significant reduction of hdpe , the structure of fig4 b is far more cost effective to manufacture . the improvement of the structure of fig4 b also maintains sufficient barrier characteristics required of the package . additionally , the mineral based layer and the entire composite structure illustrated in fig4 b is compostable , bio - degradable , photo - degradable , recyclable , sustainable and during manufacturing emits no water borne or airborne chemicals into the environment as well as using less energy and expelling no greenhouse gas ( co 2 ) emissions . fig5 a shows a prior art flexible packaging composite used for dry beverage mix products . it is comprised of paper layer 27 , polyethylene layer 28 , foil layer 29 , and sealant layer 30 . in this application the paper layer 27 provides some structural stiffness , the polyethylene layer some pliability , and the foil layer structure and moisture barrier properties . fig5 b shows an improved structure using a mineral material containing layer 31 . it also contains a foil layer 32 and sealant layer 33 . the flexible film structure of fig5 b offers cost advantages resulting from reducing a previously 4 layer to a 3 layer composite . also , pliability and printability are provided by the mineral - containing layer 31 . because the hdpe bonding element in mineral layer 31 has inherent moisture barrier and structural characteristics , the foil layer 32 can be reduced from in caliper further reducing costs . additionally , the mineral based layer 31 is compostable , bio - degradable , photo - degradable , recyclable , sustainable and during manufacturing emits no water borne or airborne chemicals into the environment as well as using less energy and expelling no greenhouse gas ( co 2 ) emissions . prior art fig6 a shows a flexible packaging structure used for coffee , either vacuum packed or valve vented . layer 34 is polyester , layer 36 is polyethylene , layer 37 is foil , and layer 38 is sealant . fig6 b shows an improvement over prior art structure of fig6 a . it contains 1 fewer layers comprising of layer 39 ground calcium carbonate with bonding agent , layer 40 is foil , layer 41 is sealant . layers 34 and 36 provide substantial pliability and formability as well as printability . layer 37 offers complete moisture barrier characteristics , structure , and tensile strength . however , pliability , printability and formability can be provided by the single layer , 39 , at far less cost of material per ton . further , the print quality of layer 39 , with gloss coating , exceeds that of layer 34 . the structure of fig6 b , uses fewer layers and offers more efficient production efficiencies than a 4 layer fig6 a . the prior art flexible packaging structure of fig7 a is used for liquid - filled stand up pouches , which are normally manufactured in thicknesses of 4 . 5 to 5 . 5 mil . it contains layer 42 polyester , layer 43 nylon , layer 44 foil , and layer 45 sealant . fig7 b is a structure comprised of layer 46 , a ground calcium carbonate layer with bonding agent , layer 47 foil , and layer 48 sealant . polyester layer 42 is a strongly scratch resistant , however , it is very expensive and often requires corona treatment for acceptable printability . layer 43 nylon also offers high tensile strength , however , it is also very expensive . the structure of fig7 b is an improvement such that it is far less expensive but offers excellent printability without costly corona treatments . further , as a single material , layer 46 performs the functions of both nylon and polyester in this application . the prior art flexible packaging structure of fig8 a is a coextruded 100 % hdpe film material layer 49 used for cold cereal products packaged in a bag - in - the box style . this material ranges in thicknesses from 1 . 75 mil to nearly 2 . 75 mil , with pre - extruded resin costs exceeding $ 2 , 000 per ton . a remarkable improvement is shown in fig8 b showing ground calcium carbonate with hdpe bonding agent , layer 51 and sealant layer 52 . layer 52 maintains adequate barrier characteristics compared to layer 49 at approximately 50 % less cost per ton . also , if desired , layer 51 can provide previously unavailable high quality printability . additionally , the mineral based layer 51 is compostable , bio - degradable , photo - degradable , recyclable , sustainable , and during manufacturing emits no water borne or airborne chemicals into the environment as well as using less energy and expelling no greenhouse gas ( co 2 ) emissions . the prior art flexible film packaging structure of fig9 a is a representative material used for the cold cereal printed bags with a re - closure . layer 53 is polypropylene ( pp ), layer 54 is ink , layer 55 is adhesive , and layer 56 is pp . fig9 b shows an improved structure , containing layer 57 ink , layer 58 ground calcium carbonate with hdpe bonding agent , layer 59 adhesive , and layer 60 pp . since pp is significantly more expensive than layer 58 an 85 % mineral film , significant cost savings will result by replacing pp layer 53 with mineral layer 58 . also , no corona treatment is required to achieve high quality graphics and printability . the prior art flexible film packaging composite shown in fig1 a is a representative film used packaging breakfast bars . it contains layers pp layer 61 , ink layer 62 , adhesive layer 63 , and metalized film layer 64 . an improved composite structure is shown in fig1 b . it contains ink layer 65 , adhesive layer 66 , ground calcium carbonate mineral layer with bonding agent 66 a , and non - metalized film layer 67 . since no layer 61 pp film is required , the improved structure of fig1 b offers the advantage of far lower costs . also , because the pet film layer 67 does not require metallization , additional cost reductions are achieved . the prior art film structure shown in fig1 a is flexible film structure that is often used in the manufacture of home use shelf paper . layer 68 a peel and stick label backing , layer 68 a is a commonly found label adhesive , layer 69 is comprised of pvc or similar plastic or type of polymer material . an improved structure for this application is shown in fig1 b . the improved structure contains layer 70 which is a peel and stick label backing , layer 70 a which is a commonly found label adhesive , and layer 71 which is ground calcium carbonate with bonding agent . this is a remarkable improvement because the mineral layer 71 cost per ton is far less than pvc layer 69 . also , the printability of layer 71 far exceeds pvc layer 69 , greatly improving the product &# 39 ; s appearance at the point of sale . further , layer 71 does not require corona treatment for high quality and efficient printing . prior art fig1 b shows a structure for a stand up bag containing bite - sized candy . it contains layer 72 pet , layer 73 which is a 50 gauge metalized opp , layer 74 of polyethylene , layer 75 of polyethylene , and layer 76 which is a sealant . fig1 b shows an improved flexible film composite structure . it includes layer gcc layer with bonding agent 77 , metalized opp layer 78 , polyethylene layer 79 , and sealant layer 80 . significant cost reductions occur because pet layer 72 is no longer needed and replaced by gcc layer 77 . also , because of the tensile strength and pliability of gcc layer 77 , metalized layer 73 can be reduced 50 % in caliper , resulting in a less costly metalized opp layer 78 . prior art fig1 a shows a packaging structure often used containing m & amp ; m mars candy products . it contains layer 81 reverse printed film and layer 82 paper . an improved structure shown in fig1 b contains gcc with bonding agent layer 83 . because gcc layer 83 contains all the barrier , printability , and structural attributes necessary for this application , the structure can be reduced from 2 plies to one ply , greatly increasing machine - ability and speed of manufacture . further , the cost by weight of the single ply structure shown in fig1 b is significantly less than 2 - ply structure 13 . additionally , the mineral based layer and composite of fig1 b is compostable , bio - degradable , photo - degradable , recyclable , sustainable , and during manufacturing emits no water borne or airborne chemicals into the environment and uses less energy and delivers no greenhouse gas ( co 2 ) emissions . the prior art flexible film structure shown in fig1 a is a relatively stiff structure used for chips ahoy by nabisco and includes a tin - tie from bedford industries for re - closure . it contains paper layer 84 , polyethylene layer 85 , foil layer 86 , polyethylene layer 87 , and sealant layer 88 . fig1 b shows an improved structure containing gcc with bonding agent layer 89 , layer 90 foil , and layer 91 sealant . the improved structure contains 3 plies instead of 5 , therefore , greatly reducing cost and increasing manufacturing efficiencies . because of the barrier characteristics and structure of the gcc containing layer 89 , paper layer 84 and polyethylene layer 85 are no longer needed or , if used , could be substantially downgraded in basis weight and caliper . the prior art flexible film structure shown in fig1 a is used for many of the snack well &# 39 ; s products packaged in unprinted laminated pp layer 92 with an extrusion applied sealant , layer 93 . fig1 b shows an improved structure containing gcc with bonding agent layer 94 and heat seal coating layer 95 . because gcc and mineral materials are far less expensive than pp , considerable cost savings are possible . also , pp is not adequately printable in this application without adding costs . if desired , gcc layer 94 can be printed without requiring pre - treatments , coatings , or corona treatment . the prior art flexible film structure shown in fig1 a is used with a number of variations in the packaging of dry sauces within a carton or for dry soup mixes . it contains paper layer 96 , polyethylene layer 97 , foil layer 98 , and sealant layer 99 . an improved flexible film material structure is illustrated in fig1 b . it contains gcc with bonding agent layer 100 , foil layer 101 , and sealant layer 102 . the improved structure offers great cost benefits using less plies and not requiring layers 96 or 97 . additional benefits include a brighter , whiter , more opaque printing surface on layer 100 vs . paper layer 96 . the prior art flexible film structure shown in fig1 a is a heat sealable polypropylene material used to package pasta that is not boxed . it can also be used for pouch style structures . it contains opp layer 103 and optional sealant layer 104 . an improved structure shown in fig1 b contains gcc with bonding agent layer 105 and optional sealant layer 106 . by using a substantially mineral - containing layer 105 instead of polymer containing layer 104 , significant material cost savings result . also , printability is improved without requiring pre - treatments , coating , or corona treatment . additionally , the mineral based layer 105 is compostable , bio - degradable , photo - degradable , recyclable , sustainable , and during manufacturing emits no water borne or airborne chemicals into the environment as well as using less energy and expelling no greenhouse gas ( co 2 ) emissions . prior art fig1 a shows a flexible film composite structure that is representative of a material used to package fresh and frozen seafood . it contains pet layer 107 , nylon layer 108 , foil layer 109 , and cast pp layer 1110 . an improved structure shown in fig1 b contains gcc with bonding agent layer 111 , metalized foil layer 112 , and gcc with bonding agent 113 . although the improved structure includes adding metallization to layer 112 , great cost reduction result by substituting the equally performing gcc layers 111 and 113 for the pet layer 107 , nylon layer 108 and cast pp layer 110 . also , much higher printability results over pet layer 107 without the addition of costly pre - treatments , coatings , or corona treatment . prior art fig1 a illustrates a representative structure used for meat snack products . it contains pet layer 114 , ink layer 115 , adhesive layer 116 , evoh layer 117 , and sealant layer 118 . an improved structure illustrated in fig1 b contains an ink layer 119 , a gcc with bonding agent layer 120 , and evoh layer with sealant 121 . cost reductions are gained by no longer requiring pet layer 114 . also , higher quality non - reverse printing is possible on the outside of gcc layer 120 . the structure illustrated in prior art fig2 a is representative of multi - wall bag structure that is often used as small and large pet food bags . it contains polyethylene or pet moisture barrier coating layer 122 , a paper layer 123 , and a heat seal or adhesive seal layer 124 . other structures common to the art might contain more layers of paper or polymers , depending on the requirement or the specific application . although oxygen and gas barrier properties are not required , pet foods sack and bag packaging often must prevent a combination of moisture and fatty acid penetration or leaching both from the package interior in an outward direction and from an exterior to inward direction . in these cases , multiple layers may contain polyesters or other similar barrier films such as polychlorotrifluoroethylene . on premium bags and sacks , foil or metalized films might also be used . these films are often combined with layers of fiber that provide stiffness , structure and closure facilitating dead - fold characteristics . in these applications , gcc or other mineral content materials with bonding agents such as hdpe can provide a very cost effective material accomplishing these packaging requirements . fig2 b shows an improved flexible film composite comprised of a gcc with bonding agent layer 125 and paper layer 126 . substantial cost reductions result by displacing pet or polyethylene coat layers 122 with gcc layer 125 . also , far better print quality and printability is achieved on the outer surface of gcc layer 125 vs . pet , polyethylene , or paper layers 122 or 123 . additionally , the mineral based layer 125 is compostable , bio - degradable , photo - degradable , recyclable , sustainable , and during manufacturing emits no water borne or airborne chemicals into the environment as well as using less energy and expelling no greenhouse gas ( co 2 ) emissions therefore creating an environmentally advanced composite structure illustrated in fig2 b . fig2 a shows a prior art flexible film structure that is used in a stand up pouch material for some smaller snack products such as quaker crispy minis . it contains pet layer 127 , polyethylene layer 128 , metalized opp layer 129 , and sealant layer 130 . an improved flexible film structure is illustrated in fig2 b that contains gcc with bonding agent layer 131 , metalized opp layer 132 , and sealant layer 133 . significant cost advantages in production are gained by reducing the number of layers from 4 ( fig2 a ) to 3 layers in the structure of fig2 b . also , not requiring pet layer 127 and polyethylene layer 128 reduces overall materials costs since mineral layer 131 is far less expensive per ton than polyethylene or pet resins . further , because of the superior printability of gcc layer 131 , the appearance of the packaging at the point of sales is significantly more attractive . fig2 a is a prior art flexible film structure that is commonly used across all lines of packaging retail products . it contains opp layer 134 , pe layer 135 , and opp layer 136 . an improved structure illustrated in fig2 b contains gcc with bonding agent layer 137 and opp layer 138 . fig2 a shows a prior art flexible film structure that is commonly used for packaging nuts . it contains pet layer 139 and layer 140 metalized foil . an improved flexible film structure gcc with bonding agents layer 141 and metalized foil layer 142 is illustrated in fig2 b . significant cost reductions result by substituting the pet layer 139 with gcc layer 141 . also , because of the density and structure of gcc layer 141 , the amount of material contained in metalized foil layer 140 can be minimized , further reducing material costs . in the foregoing embodiments of the invention , it should be understood that when the flexible film composite includes a non - mineral - containing layer , the mineral - containing layer is bonded directly to the non - mineral containing layer , and the mineral - containing layer is fully exposed or substantially exposed to the environment without a sealant layer or other covering material disposed over the mineral - containing layer . | 1 |
fig1 - 6 show a first embodiment of the invention including an upper steering column 4 , one end of which is pivotally supported from a supporting bracket 23 by a pair of pins 24 , 24 provided at left and right sides of the supporting bracket 23 and defining a first lateral axis ( the tilt axis ). the supporting bracket 23 is fixed to the vehicle body on a bottom portion of the upper steering column 4 , a first gearing member 9 is fixed by welding ( in the case when it is made of metal ) or by being formed into one unit with the upper steering column 4 ( in the case when it is made of plastic ). the lower surface of the first gearing member 9 has first gearing teeth 10 formed along a circular arc around the first lateral axis , defined by pins 24 , 24 . a second lateral axis is defined by a shaft 26 received by a bracket 25 which is a part of the supporting bracket 23 and fixed at front below ( left below in fig2 ) pins 24 , 24 . the shaft 26 supports a first end of a second gearing member 12 for pivotal movement about the second lateral axis . at the upper edge of a second ( right ) end of the second gearing member 12 there are formed second gear teeth 13 , which may be engaged with or disengaged from the first gear teeth 10 by operation of a tilt lever 27 to be explained later . in the tilt type steering device of the present invention , a pair of supporting plates 28 , 28 are fixed at both sides of the first gearing member 9 by welding ( when the first gearing member 9 is made of metal ) or by rivet ( when the first gearing member 9 is made of synthetic resin ). circular arc - shaped elongate holes 31 31 are formed in the respective supporting plates 28 , 28 around the first lateral axis defined by pins 24 , 24 and a shaft 30 is received in the long holes 31 , 31 of the two supporting plates 28 , 28 . one end of the said shaft 30 ( left end of fig4 ) is fixed by being connected to the lower end of the tilt lever 27 . the upper end of the tilt lever 27 is pivotally supported on the first lateral axis by pins 24 , 24 and , therefore , with the swing of the tilt lever 27 around the first lateral axis , the shaft 30 moves along the long holes 31 , 31 . the second gearing member 12 is configured such that the part facing the upper end of the shaft 30 provides an engaging surface 32 which inclines upward toward the second end ( right end in fig3 , and 6 ) of the member 12 . with movement of the shaft 30 along the long holes 31 , the upper edge of shaft 30 slidingly contacts with the engaging surface 32 , and the second gearing member 12 swings around the second lateral axis defined by shaft 26 . when the tilt lever 27 is made to swing around the first lateral axis , shaft 30 deflects and the second gearing member 12 swings around the second lateral axis , whereby the first gear teeth 10 may be engaged with or disengaged from the second gear teeth 13 . a roller may be provided at the intermediate part of the shaft 30 for engaging the surface 32 , if desired . a tension spring 33 is provided in between the shaft 30 connected and fixed to the tilt lever 27 and the bracket 25 , whereby an elastic force tending to cause clockwise swing in fig2 is exerted on the tilt lever 27 to keep the shaft 30 underneath the engaging surface 32 unless external force is applied to the tilt lever . further , between the bracket 25 and the bottom surface of a projecting part at one end ( left end in fig5 - 6 ) of the second gearing member 12 , there is provided a compression spring 34 . the compression spring 34 imparts an elastic force tending to pivot the second gearing member 12 clockwise ( in fig5 - 6 ), and thus to disengage the first gear teeth 10 and the second gear teeth 13 in the absence of a counterforce . in the case of the illustrative embodiment , a compression spring 35 is provided in between a part fixed to the supporting bracket 23 and a part fixed to the upper steering column 4 , and such compression spring 35 exerts an elastic force in the direction in which the rear end ( right end in fig1 - 3 ) of the upper steering column 4 rises . this reduces the effort required to adjust the elevation of the steering wheel . in the case of the tilt type steering device of the present invention as explained above , the force of the compression spring 34 is sufficiently weaker than the anticlockwise force loaded on the second gearing member 12 by the tension spring 33 via shaft 30 and the engaging surface 32 . therefore , unless an external force ( manual operating force ) is applied to the tilt lever 27 , the second gearing member 12 is urged anti - clockwise in fig5 - 6 so that the second gear teeth 13 are held in engagement with the first gear teeth 10 and there is no chance that the steering wheel will inadvertently ascend or descend due to disengagement of the gearing of the first and second gear teeth 10 and 13 . to adjust the height of steering wheel according to the physical constitution of an operator , the tilt lever 27 swings anticlockwise in fig2 around the first lateral axis . with the anticlockwise swing of tilt lever 27 , the shaft 30 connected and fixed at the lower end of tilt lever 27 tends to slip out from under the engaging surface 32 of the second gearing member 12 as shown in fig6 and the second gearing member 12 swings clockwise in fig2 and 6 around the second lateral axis due to the elastic force of the compression spring 34 . as the result of such swinging , the engagement of the second gear teeth 13 and the first gear teeth 10 is released . in the state where the engagement of the first and the second gear teeth is released , the upper steering column 4 swings upward around the first lateral axis due to the elastic force of the compression spring 35 . the height of the steering wheel can be properly adjusted by depressing the steering wheel resisting against the elastic force . when the height of the steering wheel is adjusted as above , the said tilt lever 27 and the shaft 30 connected and fixed to the tilt lever 27 are caused to swing clockwise in fig2 , and 6 by the elastic force of the tension spring 33 . the second gear teeth 13 are thus engaged with the first gear teeth 10 again as shown in fig5 so that the upper steering column 34 cannot turn around the first lateral axis . as a result , the steering wheel is held at the position where the height has been adjusted . under such state , the tilt lever 27 bears the elastic force of tension spring 33 , and the gear teeth 10 and 13 cannot be inadvertently disengaged , as explained before . it will be appreciated that in the above construction , engagement of long holes 31 , 31 and shaft 30 is maintained because the respective lower edges of long holes 31 , 31 form a circular arc shape around the first lateral axis . thus , the lower edge of the shaft 30 slidingly contacts the lower edges of long holes 31 , 31 . in the case of the present embodiment , the member used to connect and fix the shaft 30 is a swing plate 38 . the upper end of this swing plate 38 is supported about one of the pins 24 such that it can swing freely independent from the tilt lever 27 about the first lateral axis . the shaft 30 is connected and fixed to the lower end of the swing plate 38 . in between the shaft 30 and the bracket 25 is provided a tension spring 33 which has sufficient elastic force , so that , unless external force is applied , the shaft 30 is held beneath engaging surface 32 of the second gearing member 12 and ( as shown in fig1 - 12 described later ) the first and second gear teeth 10 and 13 engage with each other . in the case of the present embodiment , the base end of a hook plate 36 ( left end in fig9 , 12 , and 13 ) is pivotally supported by the shaft 26 on the second lateral axis . the hook plate 36 can freely swing independently from the second gearing member 12 and at the time of engagement of the first and second gear teeth 10 and 13 , a hook 37 formed at the front end of the hook plate 36 ( the right end in fig9 , 12 and 13 ) engages with the intermediate part of the shaft 30 to prevent slip - out of the shaft 30 from beneath the gearing surface 32 . the front end of the hook plate 36 is provided with a u - shaped notch opening downward to form the hook 37 , and the displacement of shaft 30 becomes impossible when the hook plate 36 swings downward and the hook 37 engages with the shaft 30 . to the side of the hook plate 36 , the base end ( lower end in fig9 ) of a horizontal guide pin 39 is connected and fixed . the opposite end ( upper end in fig9 ) of the guide pin 39 is engaged with a long guide hole ( slot ) 40 formed at the side of an end of the tilt lever 27 . the shape of the long guide hole 40 is composed of a part in the form of a circular arc 40a around the first lateral axis and an inclined part 40b which continues from an end of circular arc 40a and inclines in the direction away from the first lateral axis 24 moving away from circular arc 40a . the guide hole 40 is thus configured so that the hook 37 and shaft 30 engaged with each other at the time of engagement of the first and second gear teeth 10 and 13 . at the front edge ( left edge in fig8 , 12 and 13 ) of an intermediate part of the swing plate 38 , there is formed an abutment 41 . when tilt lever 27 swings anticlockwise by a predetermined amount , the rear edge of tilt lever 27 comes into contact with the abutment 41 , and tilt lever 27 and swing plate 38 swing conjointly . in the following , there will be explained the function of the tilt type steering device of the second embodiment of the present invention constructed as above . similarly to the first embodiment , the shaft 30 and the swing plate 38 connected and fixed to shaft 30 are urged clockwise in fig8 by the elastic force of tension spring 33 to hold the shaft 30 underneath the engaging surface 32 formed at the bottom of the front end of the second gearing member 12 . the second gearing member 12 is thus urged anticlockwise in fig1 - 13 so that the second gear teeth 13 engage with the first gear teeth 10 of the first gearing member 9 . when the height of steering wheel is adjusted according to the physical constitution etc . of the operator , the tilt lever 27 is made to swing anticlockwise in fig8 around the first lateral axis . with the anticlockwise swing of tilt lever 27 , first , as shown in fig1 , the guide pin 39 located at the end of the inclined part 40b of the long guide hole 40 moves up to the junction between the inclined section 40b and circular arc section 40a as shown in fig2 . by this movement of guide pin 39 , the front end of the hook plate 36 is pushed upward , and the hook 37 formed at front end of the hook plate 36 is disengaged from shaft 30 , whereby it becomes possible for shaft 30 to slip out from underneath the second gearing member 12 . when tilt lever 27 is caused to swing further anticlockwise , the rear edge of tilt lever 27 comes into contact with abutment 41 and together with tilt lever 27 , the swing plate 38 swings anticlockwise and the shaft 30 connected and fixed to the lower end of the swing plate 38 slips out from beneath the engaging surface 32 of the second gearing member 12 , as shown in fig1 . as a result , the second gearing member 12 swings clockwise in fig1 - 13 around the second lateral axis due to the elastic force of the aforesaid compression spring 34 . the second gear teeth 13 and the first gear teeth 10 are thereby disengaged . when the height of steering wheel is adjusted as desired , the force controlling the said tilt lever 27 is released . the swing plate 38 and the shaft 30 connected and fixed to swing plate 38 are then caused to swing clockwise in fig1 - 13 by the elastic force of the tension spring 33 . this brings the second gear teeth 13 back into engagement with the first gear teeth 10 , so that the upper steering column 4 cannot turn around the first lateral axis and the steering wheel is held at the position where its height has been adjusted . in addition , guide pin 39 fixed to the hook plate 36 moves to the end of the inclined part 40b of long guide hole 40 . with this movement of guide pin 39 , the hook 37 at the front end of hook plate 36 again engages with the shaft 30 as shown in fig1 . thus displacement of shaft 30 is prevented and the engagement of the two gear teeth 10 and 13 cannot be released inadvertently . in the case of the embodiment shown , the swing plate 38 is pivotally supported on the first lateral axis together with the tilt lever 27 . however , the swing plate 38 may be pivotally supported on a third lateral axis provided separately from the first lateral axis . likewise , it is also possible to pivotally support the base end of the hook plate 36 on a fourth lateral axis provided separately from the second lateral axis . with the tilt type steering device of the present invention , sufficient strength is obtained without the need to significantly increase the rigidity of constituent parts , and therefore it is possible to reduce the cost and size of tilt type steering equipment . | 1 |
in the following description , for purposes of explanation , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present invention . it will be evident , however , to one skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , specific apparatus structures and methods have not been described so as not to obscure the embodiments of the present invention . the following description and drawings are illustrative of the embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as limiting the embodiments of the invention . fig1 shows a processing architecture 10 having a plurality of processor cores 12 ( 12 a , 12 b ), an activity module 14 and a plurality of maximum operating points 16 ( 16 a , 16 b ) from which to select . the processor cores 12 can be similar to a pentium ® 4 processor core available from intel ® corporation in santa clara , calif ., where each core 12 may be fully functional with instruction fetch units , instruction decoders , level one ( l1 ) cache , execution units , and so on ( not shown ). in addition , the activity module 14 may be implemented in fixed functionality hardware such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor ( cmos ) technology , in microcode , in software ( e . g ., as part of an operating system / os ), or any combination thereof . in the illustrated example , the activity module 14 is implemented in hardware . in one example , each of the maximum operating points 16 includes a maximum operating frequency and voltage . the maximum operating points 16 can be determined based on knowledge of the cooling solutions available to the system and / or the thermal constraints of the system . for example , it may be determined that in a dual core architecture with only one core active , the system can be properly cooled if the active core is limited to a maximum operating frequency of 2 . 0 ghz ( and / or a core voltage of 1 . 7 v ). it may also be known , however , that if both cores are active , the cores should be limited to a maximum operating frequency of 1 . 5 ghz ( and / or a core voltage of 1 . 35 v ) in order for the cooling solution to be effective . the illustrated activity module 14 determines the number 18 of active cores in the plurality of processor cores 12 and selects a maximum operating point 17 for the active cores based on the number 18 of active cores . the maximum operating points 16 could be stored in a configuration table . for example , the activity module 14 might make use of a configuration table such as the following table i , to select a maximum operating point in a dual core architecture . table i # active max freq . 1 2 . 0 ghz 2 1 . 5 ghz where the first maximum operating point 16 a is assigned the value of 2 . 0 ghz and the second maximum operating point 16 b is assigned the value of 1 . 5 ghz . thus , if the activity module 14 determines that the first core 12 a is active and the second core 12 b is inactive , the number of active cores would be one and the first maximum operating point 16 a ( i . e ., a maximum operating frequency of 2 . 0 ghz ) would be selected for the first core 12 a . similarly , if it is determined that the first core 12 a is inactive and the second core 12 b is active , the first maximum operating point 16 a ( i . e ., a maximum operating frequency of 2 . 0 ghz ) would be selected for the second core 12 b . if , on the other hand , the activity module 14 determines that both the first core 12 a and the second core 12 b are active , the number of active cores would be two and the second maximum operating point 16 b ( i . e ., a maximum operating frequency of 1 . 5 ghz ) would be selected for both the first core 12 a and the second core 12 b . thus , under the above scenario , the illustrated activity module 14 could determine that both cores 12 a , 12 b are active and therefore set the second maximum operating point 16 b as the selected maximum operating point 17 . specific frequencies are given to facilitate discussion only . by selecting the maximum operating point 17 based on the number 18 of active cores , the architecture 10 provides a number of advantages over conventional techniques . for example , the gap between the potential maximum power and the available cooling capabilities can be narrowed in a fashion that is not directly dependent upon temperature . because the dependency on ambient temperature conditions can be minimized , more predictable performance can result . the approaches described herein are more deterministic than conventional approaches . in addition , limiting the operating point based on the number of active cores increases the effectiveness of the available cooling solutions . the maximum operating point 17 may also be selected based on active core performance levels 19 , which can be determined by the activity module 14 . in particular , the processor cores 12 may be able to operate at different performance levels based on a variety of factors . for example , one approach may involve switching between low and high frequency / voltage operating points based on core utilization and / or temperature . in any case , it may be determined that an active core is running at a relatively low performance level , which may allow the other core ( s ) to operate at a higher performance level than would be permitted under a pure active / idle determination . for example , it may be determined that cores 12 a and 12 b are active and that the first core 12 a is operating at 1 . 0 ghz . it may also be determined that under such a condition , the second core 12 b could operate at a frequency as high as 1 . 86 ghz without exceeding the cooling capability of the system . rather than selecting the maximum operating point 17 for both cores to be 1 . 5 ghz , the activity module 14 could use the active core performance levels 19 to set a first core maximum operating point of 1 . 0 ghz and a second core maximum operating point of 1 . 86 ghz . thus , the selected maximum operating point 17 could have a per - core component . turning now to fig2 , a system 20 having a multi - core processor 22 is shown , where the system 20 may be part of a server , desktop personal computer ( pc ), notebook pc , handheld computing device , etc . in the illustrated example , the processor 22 has an activity module 14 ′, a plurality of processor cores 12 ′ ( 12 a ′- 12 n ′) and a voltage and frequency controller 24 . the illustrated system 20 also includes one or more input / output ( i / o ) devices 26 and various memory subsystems coupled to the processor 22 either directly or by way of a chipset 28 . in the illustrated example , the memory subsystems include a random access memory ( ram ) 30 and 31 such as a fast page mode ( fpm ), error correcting code ( ecc ), extended data output ( edo ) or synchronous dynamic ram ( sdram ) type of memory , and may also be incorporated in to a single inline memory module ( simm ), dual inline memory module ( dimm ), small outline dimm ( sodimm ), and so on . for example , sodimms have a reduced packaging height due to a slanted arrangement with respect to the adjacent circuit board . thus , configuring the ram 30 as a sodimm might be particularly useful if the system 20 is part of a notebook pc in which thermal constraints are relatively tight . sodimms are described in greater detail in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 227 , 664 to toshio , et al . the memory subsystems may also include a read only memory ( rom ) 32 such as a compact disk rom ( cd - rom ), magnetic disk , flash memory , etc . the illustrated ram 30 , 31 and rom 32 include instructions 34 that may be executed by the processor 22 as one or more threads . the rom 32 may be a basic input / output system ( bios ) flash memory . each of the ram 30 , 31 and / or rom 32 are able to store a configuration table 36 that can be used to select maximum operating points . the table 36 , which may be calculated “ on the fly ” by software or pre - stored in memory , can be similar to the table i discussed above . in this regard , the activity module 14 ′ may include a configuration table input 38 to be used in accessing the configuration table 36 . as already discussed , the activity module 14 ′ is able to determine the number of active cores in the plurality of processor cores 12 ′. the activity can be determined by monitoring a state signal 40 ( 40 a - 40 n ) of each of the plurality of processor cores 12 ′ and identifying whether each state signal 40 indicates that the corresponding core is active . for example , the activity module 14 ′ could monitor an advanced configuration and power interface ( e . g ., acpi specification , rev . 3 . 0 , sep . 2 , 2004 ; rev . 2 . 0c , aug . 25 , 2003 ; rev . 2 . 0 , jul . 27 , 2000 , etc .) processor power state (“ cx state ”) signal of each of the plurality of processor cores 12 ′. acpi cx states are relatively unproblematic to monitor and therefore provide a useful solution to determining the number of active cores . acpi defines the power state of system processors while in the working state (“ g0 ”) as being either active ( executing ) or sleeping ( not executing ), where the power states can be applied to each processor core 12 ′. in particular , processor power states are designated as c0 , c1 , c2 , c3 , . . . cn . the shallowest , c0 , power state is an active power state where the cpu executes instructions . the c1 through cn power states are processor sleeping states where the processor consumes less power and dissipates less heat than leaving the processor in the c0 state . while in a sleeping state , the processor core does not execute any instructions . each processor sleeping state has a latency associated with entering and exiting the state that corresponds to the state &# 39 ; s power savings . in general , the longer the entry / exit latency , the greater the power savings when in the state . to conserve power , an operating system power management ( ospm ) module ( not shown ) places the processor core into one of its supported sleeping states when idle . the state signals 40 can also include information regarding performance levels . for example , the state signals 40 may indicate the performance level of each active core . such a signal could be provided by acpi performance state ( px state ) signals . in particular , while in the c0 state , acpi can allow the performance of the processor core to be altered through a defined “ throttling ” process and through transitions into multiple performance states ( px states ). while a core is in the p0 state , it uses its maximum performance capability and may consume maximum power . while a core is in the p1 state , the performance capability of the core is limited below its maximum and consumes less than maximum power . while a core is in the pn state , the performance capability of core is at its minimum level and consumes minimal power while remaining in an active state . state n is a maximum number and is processor or device dependent . processor cores and devices may define support for an arbitrary number of performance states not to exceed 16 according to the acpi specification , rev . 3 . 0 . thus , if the illustrated activity module 14 ′ monitors sleep state signals 40 , it can identify whether each sleep state signal 40 indicates that the corresponding core is active . the activity module 14 ′ can then search the configuration table 36 for an entry containing the number of active cores . a similar search could be conducted with respect to performance levels . upon finding the entry , the activity module 14 ′ may retrieve a maximum operating point , via the configuration table input 38 , from the entry , where the maximum operating point enables a parameter such as frequency or core voltage to be limited . for example , the activity module 14 ′ can generate a limit request 42 based on the maximum operating point . as already noted , the limit request 42 may specify a maximum operating frequency and / or maximum core voltage . thus , as the active cores submit operating point requests to the controller 24 , the controller 24 ensures that none of the operating points exceed the maximum operating point specified in the limit request 42 . simply put , the controller 24 can limit the appropriate parameter of the active cores based on the limit request 42 . although the illustrated system 20 includes a processing architecture that contains a single package / socket , multi - core processor 22 , the embodiments of the invention are not so limited . for example , a first subset of the plurality of processor cores 12 could be contained within a first processor package and a second subset of the plurality of processor cores 12 could be contained within a second processor package . indeed , any processing architecture in which performance predictability and / or power management are issues of concern can benefit from the principles described herein . notwithstanding , there are a number of aspects of single package / socket , multi - core processors for which the system 20 is well suited . turning now to fig3 , a method 44 of managing operating points is shown . the method 44 may be implemented in fixed functionality hardware such as complementary metal oxide semiconductor ( cmos ) technology , microcode , software such as part of an operating system ( os ), or any combination thereof . processing block 46 provides for determining the number of active cores in a plurality of processor cores and / or the performance level of each of the active cores . a maximum operating point is selected for the active cores at block 48 based on the number of active cores and / or the active core performance level ( s ). block 50 provides for generating a limit request based on the maximum operating point , where an operating parameter of the cores can be limited based on the limit request . the limit request may specify a maximum operating frequency and / or maximum operating voltage . fig4 shows one approach to determining the number of active cores in greater detail at block 46 ′. in particular , the illustrated block 52 provides for monitoring a sleep state signal of each of the plurality of processor cores . as already discussed , the sleep state signals may be acpi cx state signals . if the monitoring at block 52 is to include monitoring performance state data , the signals may be acpi px state signals . block 54 provides for identifying whether each sleep state signal indicates that a corresponding core is active . turning now to fig5 , one approach to selecting a maximum operating point is shown in greater detail at block 48 ′. in the example shown , the maximum operating point is selected based on the number of active cores . alternatively , the selection could be based on the performance level of each active core . in particular , the illustrated block 56 provides for searching a configuration table for an entry containing the number of active cores . in one embodiment , the searching is conducted on a bios configuration table . the maximum operating point is retrieved from the entry at block 58 . alternatively , the maximum operating points could be calculated . such an approach may be particularly useful if the selection of maximum operating points is based on active core performance levels . for example , the calculation could involve an averaging ( weighted or unweighted ) of core operating frequencies . a weighted average may be particularly useful in systems having non - symmetrical cores ( i . e ., large and small cores in the same system ) because the larger cores could be given a greater weight due to their potentially greater contribution to the overall power consumption . thus , the embodiments described herein can provide for the constraining of power in multi - core processing architectures while providing predictable performance throughout most of the architecture &# 39 ; s power range . by dynamically adjusting the maximum frequency and voltage operating point to the number of active cores in the architecture , these solutions offer a coarse - grained mechanism that can be used as a stand - alone technique or as a complement to traditional temperature - based throttling techniques . those skilled in the art can appreciate from the foregoing description that the broad techniques of the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in a variety of forms . therefore , while the embodiments of this invention have been described in connection with particular examples thereof , the true scope of the embodiments of the invention should not be so limited since other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings , specification , and following claims . | 8 |
the tr / dh scheme disclosed in copending patent applications ser . no . 09 / 753 , 443 and ser . no . 09 / 974 , 032 will first be described . a tr / dh code word consists of n c chips , transmitted sequentially , as depicted in fig1 . all n c chips have the same fixed duration , t c . in the impulse radio version of the invention , each chip is composed of n p pulse pairs , and each pulse pair is composed of two pulses . all pulse pairs that are transmitted in the same chip interval have the same time separation between their pulses . pulse pairs transmitted in different chip intervals are , in general , characterized by different time intervals between the leading and trailing pulses . the time between pulse pairs within a given chip interval varies randomly about some nominal or average pulse repetition time . each chip is associated with a relative polarity between the leading and trailing pulses , and all the pulse pairs in the chip share this relative polarity . the relative polarity of the two pulses is used to associate a binary value with each chip . note that the chip values are distinct both in associated delay value and in the value of the transmitted bit (± 1 ). the noise carrier version of the invention differs from the impulse carrier version only in that a pair of identical , continuous , wideband noise waveforms is transmitted rather than a sequence of pairs of rf pulses . the relative polarity of the two waveforms and the duration of the time interval separating them are both modulated in the same manner as in the impulse radio version of the invention . typical values of the parameters are as follows . the number of chips in a code word ( n c ) will be in the range of 50 to 1000 , and the duration of each chip will be in the range of 1 to 10 μs . the number of pulses in a chip interval ( n p ) will be from 4 to 50 . the average time between pulse pairs will be about 100 ns . the time intervals separating the two pulses of a pulse pair are drawn from a small set of possible time intervals , typically from 4 to 16 of them , ranging from 1 to 30 ns . the specific values of these delays will depend on the carrier , in that the interpulse delays should exceed the reciprocal of the carrier bandwidth . for example , if 500 chips , each consisting of 20 pulse pairs with an average pulse repetition time of 100 ns are transmitted , the entire tr / dh code word will take 1 millisecond to transmit . if each code word transmits one bit of information ( bpsk ), then the bit rate is 1 kbit / sec . the dh code words are the most important part of the delay - hopped cdma scheme . they can easily be found using computer search . for example , we have generated a set of 1000 of them , each composed of 200 chips , with delays drawn from a set of 16 possible delays . all of these code words have autocorrelation side lobes that are less than 7 % of the peak autocorrelation value . the maximum cross - correlation at any lag between any pair of these words is less than 10 % of the peak autocorrelation . longer codes , composed of more chips , will have even better correlation properties . the receiver for a tr / dh code word consists of a bank of pulse - pair correlators followed by a code word correlator , as depicted in fig2 . more particularly , a received signal from antenna 21 is amplified by rf amplifier 22 and input to a bank of pulse - pair correlators 23 1 to 23 n . the analog output of each pulse pair correlator is digitized before being input to the all - digital dh code correlator 25 . a typical value of the sample rate at which this digitization takes place would be in the range of 1 to 20 mhz , and would provide at least two samples in each chip interval . the outputs of the correlators 23 1 to 23 n are thus fed to respective analog - to - digital converters ( adcs ) 24 1 to 24 n , the outputs of which are input to the delay hopped code division multiple access ( dh cdma ) code word correlator 25 . the output of the code word correlator 25 is input to bpsk symbol synchronization and bit decision logic 26 . each of the adcs 24 1 to 24 n , the code word correlator 25 and the synchronization and bit decision logic 26 receive a clock signal from a sample clock 27 . the pulse pair correlator is depicted in fig3 . a pulse - pair correlation consists of a delay 31 , a signal multiplier 32 and a finite - time integrator 33 . the signal is split into two paths , one of which is delayed by delay 31 . the two versions of the received signal are multiplied in multiplier 32 , and the product is integrated over a specified time , t c , by integrator 33 . the integration time is equal to the chip time . the delay is such that the leading pulse or noise carrier of the delayed circuit path is registered in time with the trailing pulse or noise carrier of the un - delayed circuit path . this non - zero - mean product is integrated over a chip interval to produce a chip signal . the chip signals at the outputs of the bank of pulse pair correlators are characteristically peaked as shown in fig4 . the antenna 41 provides inputs to correlators 42 1 to 42 n c , which comprise a bank of pulse - pair correlators shown in fig3 . these signals are of duration approximately equal to twice the integration time of the pulse pair correlators . this set of waveforms will be sampled at a rate yielding at least two samples per chip period , and then sent to a delay - hopped code detector . the cdma code correlator will take samples of the multiple outputs of the bank of pulse pair correlators and add them together in a manner dictated by the expected cdma code word . the objective of this operation is to produce the registered sum of all the chip signals . when the expected code word matches the transmitted code word , this operation will have the effect of applying a gating waveform , matched to the entire delay hopped ( dh ) code word waveform , to the observed data at the output of the correlators . if the gating waveform matches the shape of the chip signal waveform , a matched filter is implemented ; however , this requires knowledge of the relative timing of the sample clock and the transmitter chip clock . if the gating waveform applied to the individual chip is rectangular , with duration 2t c , then the effect of the cdma code word correlator is to add all of the individual chip waveforms in phase , producing an output which is a high - snr version of the individual chip waveform . the structure of one embodiment of the cdma code word correlator is depicted in fig5 . the specific code correlator depicted uses a cdma code word that matches the correlator bank output depicted in fig4 . the code word correlator comprises multiple chip time delays ( d chip time ) 51 1 to 51 n c , and a summer 52 . note that the chip time delays ( d chip time ) and signs ( additions and subtractions ) cause the elementary correlator peaks to be aligned in time with the same signs . the delayed outputs of the analog - to - digital converters ( adcs ) from the cdma code word correlator are summed by the summer and provided as the output . since the sample period of the adcs has been specified to be a fraction of the chip period , the delays in fig5 may , in one embodiment , all be implemented as a number of digital storage devices , with provision for passing stored data from one to the next . thus , in one embodiment , the cdma code word correlator of fig5 depicts a synchronous digital circuit such as would be implemented in a programmable logic device ( pld ), such as a field programmable gate array ( fpga ) or the like , or an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ). specifically , if n is the number of samples per chip ( an integer ), then the total number of samples from each pulse pair correlator that must be retained for dh code correlation is n , times n c . if n d is the number of different intra - pulse - pair delays used by the code ( and therefore the number of pulse pair correlators in the receiver ), then the total number of samples to be retained for correlation is n , times n c , times n d . of these samples , only those delays matching the delay specified by the structure of the code word should be added . since we have specified that the number of samples in each chip interval be an integer , the number of samples in each pulse - pair correlator output waveform is an integer . furthermore the samples in each of the pulse - pair correlator output waveforms have the same time relationship to the start times of the chips for all waveforms , so that they can be added up coherently , given knowledge of the code transmitted code word . to make this idea more concrete , let us consider an example depicted in fig6 , 7 , 8 , and 9 , which show various stages in the demodulation of a tr / dh transmission with a bandpass noise carrier . fig6 is a portion of the noisy signaling waveform , and the segment depicted has a duration of 25 nanoseconds . fig7 depicts the outputs of the four multipliers in the bank of correlators . each correlator in the bank of correlators has , for example , the structure depicted in fig3 . fig8 depicts a time interval of 15 microseconds , during which the transmission of a single tr / dh code word of duration 9 . 6 microseconds takes place . the four pulse - pair correlators are tuned to the four delays used in the modulation : 1 . 8 nanoseconds , 2 . 8 nanoseconds , 3 . 8 nanoseconds , and 4 . 8 nanoseconds . note that the mean levels of the outputs of the multipliers shift away from zero at certain times ; these times correspond to the times of the transmitted chips . fig8 depicts the outputs of the four integrators of the pulse - pair correlators . the waveforms are the actual chip waveforms arising from the simulation . the dh cdma code transmitted in this example can be expressed as an ordered sequence of integers { 3 , 4 , 1 , 4 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 2 , 4 , 1 , 3 , 2 , 4 , 1 , 3 , 4 }. this sequence of numbers represents the numbers of the transmitted delays , numbered from shortest to longest , and the signs of the numbers denote the polarity of the transmitted chip . the cdma code word can be “ read off ” the waveforms depicted in fig8 . for example , reading from left to right , the first channel to produce an output waveform is channel 3 , and the polarity of that waveform is positive . fig9 shows the output of a dh cdma code correlator of the type depicted in fig5 when the input consists of the chip waveforms depicted in fig8 . for this relatively short code , the code correlator output has high side lobes . other dh cdma codes will have upwards of a thousand chips , and a much lower ratio of peak absolute side lobe level to peak main lobe level in the output correlation . the output of the dh code correlator in response to a transmitted dh code word is a sampled waveform of the same duration and shape as a chip waveform , but which has a higher snr than the individual chip waveform . this output is depicted schematically in fig1 . once the output samples of the code word correlator ( represented by black diamonds in fig1 ) have been formed , the receiver must decide if a code word has been received during the last sample interval . if this decision is positive , other data must be derived from the samples . in the data transmission application of tr / dh , the code word would be modulated by a ± 1 , which would represent the transmitted information . for the ppm / th preamble application , the time at which the code word was received is the most important piece of information . one way to estimate this value is to fit a model of the pulse - pair correlator output waveform to the samples at the output of the code word generator . such a fit could be done on the basis of minimum squared error , which would result in the optimum fit for gaussian observation noise . the possible result of this algorithm is shown in fig1 , superimposed over the sample values . the fitted model , which is triangular in shape to match the main lobe of the dh cdma code correlator output function depicted in fig9 , is controlled by two parameters , the height of the peak , h , and the location in time of the peak , τ . this information can be supplemented by the sum of squared errors for the best fit whose peak value is within the current sample interval . the absolute value of the peak value and the sum of squared errors can be combined and compared to a threshold to detect the code word . the value of c can be used as an estimate of the time of arrival of the code word . in particular , the minimum mean squared error estimate of the height of the fitted triangle , given the dh code correlator output data { x 0 , x 1 , . . . , x n } is given by h ϕ ^ = ∑ n - 0 n x n t ( n , ϕ ) ∑ n = 0 n t 2 ( n , ϕ ) , where the function t ( n , φ ) is a triangular model of the expected waveform . the first argument , n , is the sample number ; the adjacent samples of the model may be considered to be separated by the same time interval as are the data samples . there will be n + 1 samples in the model , corresponding to the number of samples expected in the mainlobe of the code correlator output waveform . the second argument of the model is the relative phase of the model with respect to the samples used in the multiplications above . the phase of the model can be explained by assuming that the model is sampled at some high rate , say m times the output sample rate of the code correlator , and so the entire model is composed of m ( n + 1 ) samples . m different sets of ( n + 1 ) model points can be chosen , for which the model points are separated by m high - rate samples . each of these sets of model points can be regarded as a different phase of the model , for phases indexed φ = 1 , . . . , m . in addition to the minimum mean squared error estimate of the height of the output waveform , given above , we may also require the error incurred by fitting the date with the model . this error is given by e ϕ = ∑ n = 0 n ( x n - h ^ t ( n , ϕ ) ) 2 , where all symbols are defined as above . in general , the sample number and phase corresponding to the smallest error will define τ , the estimate of the time of arrival of the tr / dh burst . because the model is over - sampled , the time of arrival can be determined to an accuracy of a fraction of the sample period . when the receiver is looking for a tr / dh code word without any prior synchronization information , the algorithm just described is executed for each new set of samples , that is , at the end of each sample interval . for each new sample , all phases of the model must be applied to the last ( n + 1 ) saved data samples . when a set of results is computed for which the heights exceeds a pre - defined threshold and the modeling error is lower than the error values computed for all nearby phases of the model , then we convert that sample number and phase into a time of arrival for the tr / dh burst . the resulting time - of - arrival measurement is known relative to the a / d converter sample clock , which determines the output sample times of the dh cdma code correlator . it is worth noting that , for the impulse radio version of the invention , the output of the pulse - pair correlator is only approximately triangular , even given an ideal finite - interval integrator . this is because the individual pulse - pair correlator output waveforms are not smoothly triangular , but rather ascend and descend in discrete steps , rather than smoothly , as shown in fig4 . the locations of these steps in time change randomly and correspond to the times of arrival of individual pulse pairs . it can be shown that the sum of such waveforms converges to a triangle . on the other hand , for a noise carrier , the chip waveforms are triangular , as depicted in fig8 . in the time - of - arrival ( toa ) estimation method described above , what is actually measured is the time of the peak of the last chip signal of the packet . this peak represents the time at which pulse - pairs separated by a certain lag stop arriving , and that tag corresponds to the lag of the last chip sent to form the code word . if the transmitting device has only a direct path transmission from the transmitter to the receiver , then the time - of - arrival value will be determined by the time of transmission and the distance between the receiver and the transmitter involved . on the other hand , any multipath will tend to spread out ( in time ) the peaks of the chip signals , which will have the effect of delaying the detected times of arrival relative to the direct path times of arrival . this delay will amount to about half the observed multipath spread and is likely to be on the order of 10 to 50 ns for an indoor environment resembling an office building . ( see saunders et al ., antennas and propagation for wireless communication systems , john wiley & amp ; sons , 1999 , pp . 282 – 285 .) however , the time - modulated uwb pulse that is to be located by means of the tr / dh preamble will be subject to exactly the same multipath as modifies the toa estimate for the tr / dh header . this means that the estimate will still fall , on average , in the middle of the elongated pulse that arrives at the receiver after passing through the multipath channel . another potential source of inaccuracy in the toa estimate is clock mismatch between the transmitter &# 39 ; s chip clock and the receiver &# 39 ; s sample clock . such a mismatch has the effect of shifting the locations of the samples on the waveforms that emerge from the pulse - pair correlators &# 39 ; integrators . over the course of the reception of a transmitted tr / dh word , this precession of the phase of the sample clock with respect to the phase of the received waveform has the effect of smearing out the output waveform in time . for example , if the transmitted word is 400 microseconds long , and the transmit and receive clock frequencies are mismatched by 10 ppm , then the composite waveform at the output of the cdma code correlator will be smeared by 4 nanoseconds . the expected value of the resulting toa estimation error would be half that value . unlike multipath , which produces only over - estimation errors , this precession in clock frequencies may result in either over - or under - estimation of the toa . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the maximum clock mismatch is determined by the stability of the oscillators used to produce the transmit and receive clock waveforms . the maximum clock frequency mismatch and the allowable error due to it will determine the maximum length of a word that may be coherently combined to form a toa estimate , and therefore the maximum length of a tr / dh preamble . the word length directly influences the detection probability , and therefore the maximum transmission range . such design trade - offs can be made by one skilled in the art . in general , the accuracy of the time - of - arrival estimate will decrease with the noise level and the multiple access interference level . on the other hand , the accuracy will increase with the length of the code word , because the effective snr of the final step will increase with coding gain . the accuracy will also increase with the sample rate , because with more samples , the error in fitting the model will decrease . the invention disclosed here is the use of a single tr / dh code word as a preamble for a message transmitted using ppm / th . fig1 depicts the proposed ppm / th burst transmission with tr / dh preamble 81 and ppm / th transmission data packet 82 . fig1 is an example of what the output of the tr / dh correlator output might look like at the receiver during reception of this burst . ( in the context of the algorithm described above , the estimated value of the parameter “ h ”, possibly modified by the sum of squared errors , is the correlator output .) the time of the largest peak value of the correlator output is used as a time mark , which synchronizes the receiver to the ppm transmission that follows . ( this time would be estimated by the parameter τ in the waveform fitting algorithm described above and depicted in fig4 .) the smaller peaks in the correlator output represent autocorrelation side lobes and should be small compared to the value of the largest peak . experimentation with prototype tr / dh transmitters and receivers in an indoor environment has shown that the accuracy of the method described above is in the range of less than ten nanoseconds of error . in a typical indoor multipath situation , this means that the error in location the first pulse of the time - modulated burst is less than the elongation that the pulse will suffer . ( recall that at least part of the measured error is from multipath .) this means that the tr / dh preamble can be used to locate the first pulse of a time modulated burst . this will speed up synchronization dramatically over the current performance of time modulated uwb in burst mode , but it will not remove the current requirement that additional synchronization hardware be in place to perform the fine synchronization after initial synchronization has been achieved . fig1 is a block diagram of a receiver for a time modulated uwb burst with a tr / dh preamble for synchronization . it is based on the receiver shown in fig2 , but has been modified to have the demodulation mechanism replaced by a mechanism for deriving time mark from a tr / dh preamble and using it to trigger a receiver from time modulated uwb . therefore , like reference numerals in fig2 and 13 represent identical or similar structures . the output samples of the dh cdma code correlator 25 are input into a polyphase filter module 91 . this module implements the minimum mean squared error computations given above . this is a polyphase computation in that , for every input sample , all the squared error computation must be done for all the phases of waveform model . since the input to this module could be sampled at a rate as great as 20 msamples / second , this module can be implemented as a small asic or pld . the logic to process the sequence of minimum mean square error and determine a time of arrival from it has been shown as part of this module in fig9 . alternatively , for lower sample rates and longer chip times , this function could be implemented in a digital signal processor ( dsp ). the output of the polyphase filter and decision mechanism would be conveniently expressed in the form of a sample number , relative to the most recent sample , and a phase , which can be regarded as a fraction of a sample period . this numerical data identifies a moment in time and must be converted into a trigger signal by the “ generate start time signal ” logic 92 that starts the correlation receiver 93 for the time modulated uwb transmission at the proper time . this function is conveniently performed by a dsp that has access to the sample clock 27 to which the numerical time mark is referenced . note that , although the sample clock is the only clock shown on the block diagram of fig1 , one or more higher frequency clocks will have to be distributed to run the asics , plds or dsps used in the implementation . these clocks are not shown in fig1 . while the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . in particular , it will be understood that the synchronization method and apparatus according to the invention may be applied to any rf burst transmission , no matter what the modulation format , by the use of a tr / dh preamble . | 7 |
the sprouted vegetable seeds sterilizing method and the sprouted vegetables cultivating method according to the present invention will be concretely described in accordance with their preferred embodiments . in the sprouted vegetable seeds sterilizing method according to the present invention , at first , seeds for sprouted vegetables are exposed to a high temperature of 70 ° c . or more for a short period of time , for instance for a short period to several tens seconds in such a range that embryos existing in the seeds are not damaged , and then the seeds are quenched quickly . as for the said temperature and time of exposure to that temperature , optimum values will be concretely selected depending upon an object of seeds . as a medium by which seeds are exposed to such high temperature , there can be used wet heat such as heated water or steam or dry heat such as heated air or heated gas . in a case where seeds for sprouted vegetables are subjected to a sterilizing treatment by dry heat and quenched quickly by cold air or the like , the seeds can be preserved as sterilized and they can be immediately used for cultivation in needs because their humidity is not increased after such treatment and they are not deteriorated or putrefied during the preservation . in the sterilizing treatment according to the present invention , in general , the higher the temperature to which sprouted vegetable seeds are to be exposed is , the shorter the time of exposure becomes . however , the manner for giving heat to sprouted vegetable seeds will depend upon whether wet heat or dry heat is used , and the temperature and time which have no bad influence upon the life of sprouted vegetable seeds as a living thing will also vary as mentioned above . combinations of the temperature and time which are applicable to the high - temperature sterilizing treatment of seeds for sprouted vegetables , according to the present invention , will be generally exemplified for a standard as follows . since the selected temperature and time must be accurate because the object is a living thing , seeds are accurately exposed to a predetermined temperature for a given period of time . it is therefore important to put the seeds into a water tank kept nearly at normal temperature after that heating so that they are quickly quenched nearly to normal temperature , and also to preheat then below to 45 ° c . as occasion demands . furthermore , it is important to expose seeds to a predetermined temperature uniformly as they are stirred during the heating sterilization . in short , it is the point to effectively destroy microorganisms on the outer surface of seed shells or on the injured or broken portions thereof , without damaging the life function of seed embryos . in the next place , the sprouted vegetables cultivating method according to the present invention will be concretely described in accordance with its preferred embodiment . in a case where seeds are sprouted and grown up , thereby making sprouted vegetables , the seeds are usually subjected to the so - called soaking which comprises dipping them in warm water having a temperature of about 30 °- 40 ° c . the present invention comprises , before the afore - mentioned soaking step , carrying out a sterilizing treatment comprising exposing seeds to the aforesaid high temperature of 70 ° c . or more . then , the seeds which have been subjected to the sterilizing treatment as mentioned above will be cultivated after they are passed through the same soaking step as in the prior art . in the soaking or intermediate sterilizing treatment carried out in the course of their cultivation , a further sterilizing treatment using chlorine or the like is carried out . the effect of said further sterilizing treatment applied in the course of their cultivation will be remarkably revealed in the sprouted vegetables cultivating method according to the present invention . that reason will be understood to be that the said further sterilizing treatment using clorine or the like acts effectively upon microorganisms which are weakened , but not destroyed by the high - temperature treatment . in addition , when seeds are heated by hot water or steam , they are given humidity and therefore the soaking time will vary . a manner for carrying out the sterilizing treatment comprising exposing seeds to a high temperature of 70 ° c . or more and then quenching the seeds quickly , which is applicable in the sprouted vegetables cultivating method according to the present invention , is the same as mentioned above . however , an optimum temperature and treatment time can not be absolutely determined because the kinds and quantitys of microorganisms deposited on seeds vary depending on the growing districts of seeds and the occasional growing grades thereof , even in a case of the same kind of seeds . so , the temperature will be concretely selected on each occasion . it is important to adopt a new method comprising cultivating seeds for sprouted vegetables which have been exposed to a high temperature of 70 ° c . or more and then quenched quickly . the test results in a case where the method according to the present invention which comprises exposing seeds to a high temperature of 70 ° c . or more for a short period of time and rearing the seeds has been applied to the cultivation of mung bean sprouts , is given by way of example in table 1 . in table 1 , sample nos . 3 and 4 represent , for comparison , the data obtained on the seeds which have not been subjected to the high - temperature sterilizing treatment according to the present invention . sample nos . 1 and 2 represent the results obtained on the seeds which have been subjected to the high - temperature sterilizing treatment according to the present invention , which comprises dipping seeds in hot water having a temperature of 70 ° c . or more for a short period of time , and then dipped in normal temperature water so as to be cooled . these seeds have been the same kind of seeds subjected to the same specific gravity selection , and they have been reared under the quite same cultivating condition and within the same cultivation room , as represented in table 1 . table 1______________________________________sample no . 1 2 3 4______________________________________pretreatment specific gravity selectionsterilizing treatment dipping steril - not not ization in hot treated treated water for short timetemperature of soaking 23 ° c . 23 ° c . 23 ° c . 23 ° c . waterquantity of occured putre - 0 . 01 kg 0 . 3 kg 12 . 3 kg 11 . 3 kgfaction ( per 500 kg of harvest ) ______________________________________ in a case where the seeds were reared after subjected to the high - temperature treatment according to the present invention , as described above , the quantity of putrefied sprouts could be decreased to below several tenth parts as compared with the prior art . also in the result of the preservation test , the remarkable result could be obtained in the present invention . the sprouted vegetable seeds sterilizing method according to the present invention comprises exposing seeds to a temperature of 70 ° c . or more for a short period of time and then quenching the seeds quickly , as described above . by virtue of this method , it is possible to obtain seeds whose putrefaction can be effectively prevented in the rearing of sprouted vegetables . in a case where dry heat such as heated air or combustion gas is used as a high temperature to which seeds are to be exposed , moreover , according to the sprouted vegetable seeds sterilizing method of the present invention , it is possible to preserve seeds as sterilized and to cultivate the seeds as they are , with no fear of deteriorating or putrefying the seeds during the preservation , becaused their humidity is not increased as in a case where they are treated by wet heat such as hot water . according to the sprouted vegetables cultivating method of the present invention , furthermore , seeds are used which have been subjected to a sterilizing treatment comprising exposing the seeds to a high temperature of 70 ° c . or more , as mentioned above . accordingly , it is possible to rear sprouted vegetables , with their putrefaction remarkably reduced whereby microorganisms breed to a much lesser entent . it is also possible to obtain sprouted vegetables capable of being preserved for a long period of time , because seeds can be cultivated under such a condition that microorganisms breed less , thereby obtaining sprouted vegetables on which microorganisms are less deposited . in the sprouted vegetables cultivating method according to the present invention , moreover , seeds are cultivated after they have been exposed to a high temperature of 70 ° c . or more . accordingly , it is possible to remarkably reduce the breeding of microorganisms because various sterilizing treatments subjected to seeds in the course of their cultivation act effectively upon microorganisms which are weakened by the high - temperature treatment subjected to the seeds . | 0 |
reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . referring now to fig1 an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown wherein a top level flowchart for carrying out a generalized software driven tool employing the principles of the present invention . the tool may be written in any computer language and run by any general - purpose computer system , preferably a computer with ample primary and secondary memory storage , or any specialized hardware or firmware . depending on the language used to construct and implement the annotation tool software , the software may have any number of classes , functions , subroutines , objects , variables , templates , module ( s ), lines of code , portions of code and constructs ( collectively and generally , and as depicted by the flowcharts herein , “ a process step ”, “ step ”, “ block ”, “ block step ” or “ software module ”, with the understanding “ module ” is also a keyword in verilog ) to carry out the invention in successive stages as described and taught herein , and may be either a standalone software application , or employed inside of or called by another software application . the software process or software module may be constructed so that one portion of code in the application performs a plurality of functions , as for instance in object oriented programming ( e . g ., an overloaded process ). the converse is also true in that a plurality of software modules or process steps may be constructed to perform the function of a single process step described herein , without loss of generality for the present invention . at any stage of the process step of the present invention , intermediate values , variables and data may be stored for later use by the program . generally , the software program of the present invention may be broadly broken into three phases . in an exemplary embodiment , the present invention may accurately predict the properties of resistance ( r ), capacitance ( c ), and inductance ( l ) of wires or vias in a microchip , so that the delay properties of the complete interconnection may be estimated . the first phase of the software is the collection software module phase , indicated by reference number 1 - 03 in fig1 which asks for input from a user , which may be read from a file from a computer system , over a network , directly from instrumentation , and the like , and / or input by the user in real - time . two sets of data may be collected during the collection phase : ( 1 ) the collection of process factors for the interconnections , and ( 2 ) the collection of environmental conditions data for the interconnections . an analysis software module phase , indicated by reference number 1 - 05 in fig1 may analyze data , collected during the collection software module phase , according to a variety of equations to determine a range of adjusted values for r , c and l that incorporate the environmental condition data and process condition data . a delay prediction software module phase , indicated by reference number 1 - 07 , where the values derived in the second phase , such as r , c and l , may be used to predict a time delay for each interconnect . the final output from the program is also output at this stage . turning attention now to fig1 there is shown a software module block step 1 - 40 receiving input from box 1 - 10 . block 1 - 10 represents input of process values that affect the values of resistance ( r ), capacitance ( c ) and inductance ( l ) for one or more interconnects under consideration . these process values may include , but are not limited to such factors as : the software program may store these process values , which can be input by a user in real - time or input from a text or binary file either from a system attached locally , over a network , and the like as contemplated by a person of ordinary skill in the art . additionally , there may be input in the program module block step 1 - 40 any environmental conditions data that would affect the calculation of r , c and l for the interconnect . this is shown by block step 1 - 30 , which can be input by a user or from reading a text or binary file . environmental conditions data may include temperature of the ambient surroundings of the microchip , temperature of the ambient surroundings of the microchip , physical dimensions of the interconnects ( area a , length l ), humidity , pressure and the like without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . the program of the instant invention may derive a list of interconnects for analyzing , such as obtaining a list from a hdl netlist . next , the program begins to quantify each interconnect in terms of estimated resistance ( r ), capacitance ( c ) and inductance ( l ). in decision module step 1 - 50 , there is shown a first decision block for determining whether the estimated resistance ( r ) for a particular interconnect of the microchip under consideration has been calculated . if it has not been calculated , the “ yes ” branch is selected and control of the program is passed to procedure module step 1 - 60 , where the resistance is calculated according to the following formulas . first resistance is calculated according to the resistance formula ( r1 ): r ( nom ) = ρ l a , ( r1 ) where r ( nom ) = nominal resistance , ρ = the resistivity of the material constituting the interconnect , l = the length of the interconnect , and a = cross - sectional area of the interconnect , assumed to be a rectangle ( e . g ., if a rectangle , width * depth ). next , the worse case scenario for resistance is calculated , which is useful for computing time delay , according to the worse case resistance formula ( r2 ): where r ( wc ) = worse case scenario resistance , which may greater or smaller than nominal resistance depending on conditioning , r ( nom ) = nominal resistance , k rp = correction factor for resistance representing process variations which may be obtained through measurement during fabrication , and k rt = correction factor for resistance representing environmental temperature variations which may be obtained through measurement during fabrication , and typically is found in a range of approximately 0 . 5 to 2 . 5 . after these calculations , the results of the calculations for formulas r1 and r2 are stored by the program in a temporary storage file for later use , and control of the program is passed back to the main loop , as shown by reference number 1 - 65 . in decision block step 1 - 70 , the software program of the present invention determines if the capacitance of the particular interconnect under consideration has been calculated . if it has not , control of the program is passed to procedure module block step 1 - 80 , where capacitance is calculated according to the following formulas . where a = the area of the interconnect , e = the dielectric constant for the material forming the interconnect , and t ox = the distance of separation of two via forming an interconnect . next , the worse case scenario for capacitance is calculated , according to the worse case capacitance formula : where c ( wc ) = worse case scenario capacitance , c ( nom ) = nominal capacitance from equation c1 , k cp = correction factor for capacitance representing process variations , and k ct = correction factor for capacitance representing environmental temperature variations , k cp and k ct may both be measured during fabrication and the like as contemplated by a person of ordinary skill in the art . after these calculations , the results of the calculations for formulas c1 and c2 are stored by the program in a temporary storage file for later use , and control of the program is passed back to the main loop , as shown by reference number 1 - 85 . in decision block step 1 - 90 , the software program of the present invention determines if the inductance of the particular interconnect under consideration has been calculated . if it has not , control of the program is passed to procedure module block step 1 - 100 , where inductance is calculated according to the following formulas . where l ( nom ) = nominal inductance , u = magnetic permeability of the interconnect ( typically 1 . 257 × 10 − 8 h / cm ), h = height above the substrate ( distance to backplane ); w = width of the interconnect . next , the worse case scenario for inductance is calculated , according to the worse case inductance formula : where l ( wc ) = worse case scenario for inductance , l ( nom ) = nominal inductance according to formula l1 ; k lp = correction factor for inductance representing process variations , and k lt = correction factor for inductance representing environmental temperature variations based on measurements during fabrication . after these calculations , the results of the calculations for formulas l1 and l2 are stored by the program in a temporary storage file for later use , and control of the program is passed back to the main loop , as shown by reference number 1 - 105 . at decision block step 1 - 109 , the program determines whether other interconnects are present , and , if so , control is passed to the beginning of the loop comprising the analysis software module phase , otherwise , the program proceeds to the delay prediction software module phase . at this phase , as indicated by procedure block step 1 - 110 , the delay for a semiconductor device based on the delay for the interconnects ( or vias ) is calculated , based on the information previous derived for the r , c , and l values for each interconnect . the output of step 1 - 110 may include electronic and / or hardcopy formats , and is represented by output block step 1 - 120 in fig1 . the method of practicing the present invention may include a series of steps as disclosed in the embodiments of fig1 supra . for example , as shown in fig2 an exemplary method 200 of the present invention is shown wherein environmental condition data and process factor data is utilized to predict a time delay . process factor data and environmental condition data is collected 202 . the data is then analyzed to determine a range of adjusted values 204 , such as by utilized the exemplary equations previously discussed in regard to fig1 . a time delay is then predicted based on the determined range 206 . in this way , a more accurate delay may be predicted , such as by including interconnects and the like of a circuit . additionally , a system 300 may be provided to implement the present invention , an example of which is shown in fig3 . though the preferred embodiments are disclosed in the present invention , alternative mechanisms may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , the geometric shape of the interconnects can be varied , and the above referenced formulas can be accordingly modified . it is to be understood that while the invention has been described above in conjunction with preferred specific embodiments , the description and examples are intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention , which is defined by the scope of the appended claims . although the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity , it should be recognized that elements thereof may be altered by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . one of the embodiments of the invention can be implemented as sets of instructions resident in memory of one or more information handling systems . until required by the information handling systems , the set of instructions may be stored in another readable memory device , for example in a hard disk drive or in a removable memory such as an optical disk for utilization in a cd - rom drive , a floppy disk for utilization in a floppy disk drive , a floppy / optical disk for utilization in a floppy / optical drive , or a personal computer memory card for utilization in a personal computer card slot . further , the set of instructions can be stored in the memory of an information handling system and transmitted over a local area network or a wide area network , such as the internet , when desired by the user . additionally , the instructions may be transmitted over a network in the form of an applet that is interpreted or compiled after transmission to the computer system rather than prior to transmission . one skilled in the art would appreciate that the physical storage of the sets of instructions or applets physically changes the medium upon which it is stored electrically , magnetically , chemically , physically , optically or holographically so that the medium carries computer readable information . in exemplary embodiments , the methods disclosed may be implemented as sets of instructions or software readable by a device . further , it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the methods disclosed are examples of exemplary approaches . based upon design preferences , it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the method can be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present invention . the accompanying method claims present elements of the various steps in a sample order , and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented . it is believed that the system and method of electrical circuit modeling of the present invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the forgoing description . it is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form , construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages . the form herein before described being merely an explanatory embodiment thereof . it is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes . | 6 |
referring to fig1 a front surface glass mirror comprises a float glass substrate 1 carrying a coating 2 comprising an inner layer 3 of relatively high refractive index , for example of pyrolytic silicon , and intermediate layer 4 of relatively low refractive index , for example of silicon oxide having a refractive index below 1 . 8 and containing silicon and oxygen in atomic proportions of about 1 : 2 , and an outer layer 5 of relatively high refractive index , for example of pyrolytic silicon . if only one of the layers 3 and 5 of relatively high refractive index is of silicon , it will usually be the inner layer , with a material having a lower absorption for visible light , for example silicon oxide containing carbon or titanium oxide , being used as the outer layer 5 . each of the intermediate layer 4 and the outer layer 5 has an optical thickness of nλ / 4 , wherein n is an odd integer ( preferably 1 ) and λ is a wavelength of light in the visible region of the spectrum i . e . from about 400 nm to 750 nm . if the inner and outer layers 3 and 5 are of an absorbing material such as silicon , the thickness of the inner layer is less critical , but it may also correspond to an optical thickness of nλ / 4 wherein n and λ are as defined above and n is an odd integer preferably 1 . a protective layer 6 more durable than outer layer 5 is applied over layer 5 . the protective layer may be of tin oxide , and may be applied by chemical vapour deposition . when the outer layer 5 is of silicon , such a protective layer of tin oxide should be applied only after a surface layer of silicon oxide has been formed on the silicon , for example , as described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 661 , 381 . an electroconductive heating layer 7 is disposed on the back surface of the glass substrate 1 , the heating layer preferably comprising a coating of fluorine - doped tin oxide . the thickness of the heating layer 7 is typically around 3200 angstroms . the heating layer 7 typically has a sheet resistance of around 14 ohms / square or lower although the sheet resistance may be varied as required depending upon the end application of the heatable mirror . busbars 8 preferably composed of silver - containing frit are silk screen printed on opposed sides of the heating layer 7 . electrical connections ( not shown ) are made to the busbars 8 , for example by using insulated wires and an indium - based solder . an obscuring layer 9 which may be an opaque layer of backing paint , which may be a conventional mirror backing paint , applied over the heating layer 7 on the back surface of the glass 1 . referring to fig2 a back surface glass mirror comprises a float glass substrate 11 carrying a coating 12 comprising an inner layer 13 of relatively high refractive index , for example of pyrolytic silicon , silicon oxide , tin oxide or titanium oxide , an intermediate layer 14 of relatively low refractive index , for example of silicon oxide having a refractive index below 1 . 8 and containing silicon and oxygen in atomic proportions of about 1 : 2 , and an outer layer 15 of relatively high refractive index . the outer layer 15 preferably comprises a layer of silicon . as in fig1 busbars 18 are deposited onto the heating layer 16 . each of the inner layer 13 and intermediate layer 14 has an optical thickness of nλ / 4 , wherein n is an odd integer ( preferaly 1 ) and λ is a wavelength of light in the visible region of the spectrum i . e . from about 400 nm to 750 nm . if the inner and outer layers 13 and 15 are of an absorbing material such as silicon , the thickness of the outer layer is less critical , but it may also correspond to an optical thickness of nλ / 4 wherein n and λ are defined above and n is preferably 1 . the use of titanium oxide as one of the inner or outer layers instead of silicon has been found to increase the reflectivity of the mirror products . for example , for back surface mirrors , the use of titanium dioxide as the inner layer can increase the reflectivity , as compared to such mirrors having a silicon inner layer , by about 3 to 7 %. an opaque layer 19 of backing paint , which may be a conventional mirror backing paint applied over the heating layer 16 on glass substrate 11 as an obscuring layer . fig3 illustrates diagrammatically , a float glass production line comprising a glass melting section 21 , a float bath section 22 for forming the molten glass into a continuous ribbon , a lehr section 23 for annealing the said glass ribbon and a warehouse section 24 for cutting pieces of glass from the ribbon for storage and / or distribution and use . for the production of mirrors in accordance with the method of the invention , each of the three coating stations for respectively applying the inner , intermediate and outer layers will normally be located in or between the float bath section 22 and lehr section 23 ; in the illustrated embodiment of the invention , the said three coating stations 25 , 26 , 27 are arranged in the float bath section 22 as shown in fig3 . in the illustrated embodiment , a heating layer deposition section 28 is located between the float glass section 22 at which the reflecting coating is applied to the glass substrate and the lehr section 23 . the heating layer deposition section 28 may have the same structure as the coating apparatus disclosed in gb 2225343 . this section is provided with reactants as described above in order to enable a heating layer , such a fluorine - doped tin oxide , to be deposited onto the reflecting coating . the float glass production line of fig3 is specifically arranged to produce a back surface mirror having a reflecting coating on the back surface of the glass and a heating layer on the back surface of the reflecting coating . in alternative embodiments , one or each of the coating stations for applying inner , intermediate and outer layers in accordance with the invention may be located between the float bath section 22 and the lehr section 23 . the location of each coating station is selected to be at a position where the glass ribbon has substantially reached its final thickness ( usually at a glass temperature of around 750 ° c .) so that it is not subject to further stretching which might crack any coating applied , but where its temperature remains sufficiently high for formation of a further pyrolytic layer ( usually a glass temperature of at least 300 ° c .). the heating layer applying station 28 is required to be downstream in the direction of glass flow from the coating stations for applying the inner , intermediate and outer layers to the reflecting coating . the heating layer is preferably deposited at a position where the glass temperature is around 600 ° c . the following example illustrates the present invention without limiting it , and in the example mirrors were produced on - line using a float glass production line having the structure shown in fig3 ( but without the heating layer deposition section 28 ) and a heatable layer was subsequently applied over the reflecting coating of the mirrors in an off - line deposition furnace . glass mirrors , intended for use as back surface heatable mirrors , were produced using the laminar vapour coating process and apparatus described in gb 1507996 incorporating the modification described in gb 2209176a . three separate coating beams , each as described in said patent specifications , were used to apply successive silicon , silicon oxide and silicon layers to a ribbon of float glass . each of the three coating beams was located in the float bath where the glass ribbon was supported on a bath of molten metal . the upstream beam was fed with 0 . 4 liters per minute of monosilane and 36 liters per minute of nitrogen , both being measured as a gas . the intermediate beam was fed with 1 . 9 liters per minute of monosilane , 0 . 4 liters per minute of ethylene and 14 . 5 liters per minute of nitrogen , each being measured as a gas , and 0 . 0045 liters per minute of acetone , being measured as a liquid . the downstream beam was fed with 0 . 8 liters per minute of monosilane , 0 . 2 liters per minute of ethylene and 30 liters per minute of nitrogen , each being measured as a gas . the glass speed was 180 meters per hour and the glass thickness was 2 mm . the glass side reflection of the coating was measured as being 70 to 72 % using illuminant d65 source 1931 observer conditions . in example 1 the gas flows were all measured at ambient temperature and pressure 0 . 7 bar , except for flows of nitrogen which were measured at ambient temperature and 1 bar pressure , and acetone which is measured as a liquid , and all are quoted per meter width of glass coated . no modification of the lehr conditions was required to anneal the resulting coated ribbon which had a highly reflecting appearance . a mirror cut from the glass ribbon having dimensions of 160 mm × 160 mm was edge worked and cleaned and then supported , with the reflecting coating being upwardly oriented , on a 2000 × 1000 mm piece of 6 mm float glass . the glass assembly was then lowered onto a conveyor system of a fluorine - doped tin oxide application plant having a coating apparatus similar to that disclosed in gb 2225343 . the glasses were conveyed into the furnace of the plant and were held in the furnace for a time period which was sufficient to raise the glass temperature to approximately 600 ° c . the furnace was then fed from an upstream slot with 250 ml / min of tin tetrachloride in 25 m 3 / hr of air as a carrier gas at a temperature of 250 ° c . at a downstream slot a mixture of hf and methanol , and steam , all being in air as a carrier gas , were introduced into the flow of tin tetrachloride . the hf / methanol mixture comprised 4 . 76 % by volume of methanol together with 95 . 24 % by volume of a 20 % solution of hydrofluoric acid . the steam was supplied at a rate of 11 kg / hr and the carrier gas was applied at a rate of 120 m 3 / hr with the temperature being 450 ° c . the exhaust gases were extracted at a pressure of 0 . 3 inch of water gauge pressure . a coating of fluorine - doped tin oxide around 3200 angstroms thick was deposited on top of the reflecting coating . the sheet resistance of the coated glass was measured at 14 ohms / square by using a 4 point probe . the reflection of the reflecting coating on the glass side was measured at 70 % using the same conditions specified above . subsequently , silver busbars 5 mm wide were silk screened along two opposed lengths of the coated surface , the busbars being 137 mm apart . the printed assembly was pre - dried in an oven for 1 hour at 100 ° c . followed by firing at approximately 500 ° c . in the coating furnace to consolidate the printed busbars . electrical connections were then made to the busbars by using insulated wires and indium as the solder . the resistance across the busbars was then measured using a multimeter as 13 . 7 ohms . a voltage of 6 to 12 volts was applied across the busbars with a current of from 0 . 47 to 0 . 9 amps . this established sufficient heating to produce a demisting surface . the process and product of the preferred embodiments of the present invention have important advantages over the prior art . the process enables heatable glass mirrors to be produced &# 34 ; on line &# 34 ; in a single manufacturing process starting with the batch which is melted to produce the molten glass , which is formed into a continuous ribbon , coated with reflecting and heating layers , annealed and cut to size for subsequent storage and for distribution . this is quite unlike the prior art processes used commercially for the production of heatable mirrors which involve the initial production of glass panes cut from a ribbon , followed by a separate coating process ( commonly carried out at a different location ) on a separate production line , and then followed by assembly with a separate heating element which is in contact with an electrically insulating film disposed between the heating element and the silver reflecting layer of the mirror . the present invention can provide the advantage that because the reflecting layer is insulating this obviates the requirement for an additional insulating layer between the heating layer and the reflecting layer as is required for the known silvered mirrors incorporating heating assemblies . | 6 |
as illustrated in fig1 , a braking management system is adapted to a motor vehicle not shown in the figure , comprising a power - assisted parking brake ( fpa ). the vehicle comprises a drive train schematized in the form of an engine 1 that may comprise a heat engine and one or more electric machines , and of which the operation is controlled by an electronic control unit represented in the form of an engine management computer , referenced 2 in the figure . a power supply module 3 connected to the computer 2 via a connection 4 is connected to the engine 1 via a connection 5 so as to provide the electric power supply necessary for the engine to operate . the main members of the braking management system are combined in an assembly 6 which comprises a module for detecting whether the engine has been stopped , referenced 7 , and a module for commanding the increase in application , referenced 8 . the module 8 for its part comprises a module for determining the conditions for increasing the application of the parking brake , referenced 9 , and a module 10 for requesting an increase in application . the module 7 for detecting whether the engine has been stopped receives via a connection 11 information on the state of the engine , that is to say in particular if the engine has been stopped or if the engine is running . an item of information on the electric power supply of the engine is also supplied to the detection module 7 via a connection 12 originating from the power supply module 3 , that is to say whether or not the electric ignition is switched on . the module 7 for detecting whether the engine has been stopped transmits signals that correspond to the engine being stopped , these signals being transmitted via the connection 13 to the module 9 for determining the conditions for increasing the application . the module 9 also receives information on the state of the parking brake actuators . in the example illustrated , the braking system comprises two parking brake actuators , no . 1 and no . 2 , referenced respectively 14 and 15 . the state of these two actuators 14 and 15 is transmitted via the respective connections 16 and 17 to the module 9 . the module 9 is connected via connections 18 to the module 10 for requesting an increase in application , which is capable of transmitting increased application of instructions that are transmitted via the connections 19 and 20 to the parking brake actuators 14 and 15 . the system thus described operates in the following manner : the module 7 for detecting whether the engine has been stopped is capable , depending on the state of the engine , which comes to it via the connection 11 , and on the state of the engine power supply which comes to it via the connection 12 , of transmitting reliably over the output connection 13 , a signal corresponding to the engine actually being stopped . the module 9 for determining the conditions for increasing the application takes account for its part of the state of the brake actuators 14 and 15 which is transmitted to it via the respective connections 16 and 17 . if the two actuators are working and are also applied , which corresponds to a first application made at an earlier time , the module 9 is capable of transmitting a signal over the output connections 18 when it has also received a signal corresponding to the engine being stopped , a signal that is transmitted to it via the connection 13 from the module 7 for detecting whether the engine has been stopped . the module 10 generates the control signals that act via the connections 19 and 20 on the two actuators 14 and 15 so as to cause the increase in application . fig2 illustrates a possible embodiment of the module for detecting whether the engine has been stopped , referenced 7 in fig1 . the module illustrated in fig2 transmits an engine stopped signal after a series of logic tests corresponding to certain conditions that relate to the input parameters that are , in the example illustrated , five in number , namely : etat_m which corresponds to the state of the engine supplied by the computer 2 illustrated in fig1 ; etat_m_valide which is a parameter reflecting the fact that the engine state signal is enabled , that is to say effectively corresponds to the state of the engine in the absence of any malfunction , for example of the computer 2 ; alim_confirm is a parameter representing the confirmation of the state of the electric power supply of the engine appearing on the local control network ( can network ); alim_confirm_valide is a parameter that reflects the enabled character of the previous parameter , that is to say the absence of any malfunction in the can network ; alim_fil is a parameter that corresponds to the electric power supply of the engine that results this time from an item of information originating from a direct wire connection and not from the can control network . this parameter is capable of supplying an item of information on the electric power supply even if the can network malfunctions . the first logic tests that are run relate to the state of the engine . accordingly , first of all a check is made in the equals unit 21 whether the parameter etat_m is equal to the reference value arrêt_m . if this is the case , a logic signal is transmitted to one of the inputs of a logic unit and 22 . in parallel , the validity of the parameter relating to the state of the engine is verified . accordingly , the parameter etat_m_valide is conveyed to the second input of the logic unit 22 . if these two inputs actually correspond to a state in which the engine has been stopped , this state being valid , a logic signal appears at the output of the unit and 22 and is conveyed to one of the inputs of the output unit or 23 . a certain number of logic tests are also run on the electric power supply of the engine . first of all , the parameter alim_confirm is compared , in the equals unit 29 , with the reference value no ignition . if the engine power supply is indeed switched off , a logic signal appears at the output of the equals unit 29 and is conveyed to one of the inputs of a logic unit and 25 . in parallel , a check is made on whether the information concerning the electric power supply of the engine is indeed valid , that is to say that there is no malfunction on the can network . accordingly , the parameter alim_confirm_valide is conveyed to the second input of the logic unit and 25 . if the power supply is indeed switched off and this information is valid , a signal appears at the output of the logic unit and 25 and is conveyed to one of the inputs of a logic unit or 30 . account is also taken of the case in which a malfunction appears on the can network . in this case , a unit no 28 to which the parameter alim_confirm_valide is conveyed transmits at its output a logic signal to one of the inputs of a unit and 26 . the second input of this unit and 26 receives a logic signal originating from a unit no 27 which receives on its input the parameter alim_fil . if the power supply is switched off and this information cannot come from the can network because of a malfunction but comes from the wire connection of the vehicle , a logic signal therefore appears at the output of the unit and 26 , this signal being conveyed to the second input of the unit or 30 which also receives the output from the logic unit and 25 . in these conditions , whether the absence of power supply is transmitted normally via the can network , or , in the event of a failure of the latter , via the wire network , a logic signal appears at one of the inputs of the logic unit or 30 which transmits on its output a signal that is conveyed to the second input of the logic unit and 31 . the latter moreover receives on its first input a logic signal transmitted via a unit no 24 , which receives on its input the parameter etat_m_valide . it is in this way that a logic signal appears at the output of the unit and 31 , when an absence of electric power supply has been confirmed as indicated above , or the signal corresponding to the state of the engine is not valid . a logic signal at the output of the unit and 31 is conveyed to the second input of the unit or 23 . the engine being stopped is therefore detected according to the following conditions : etat_m ( an item of information supplied by the can network and corresponding for example to the injection of fuel into the engine ) switches from “ engine running ” to “ engine stopped ” the item of information etat_m is not valid and the information on the electric power supply of the engine ( the information appearing on the can network and originating from the power supply module 3 of fig1 ) is switched off the item of information etat_m and the item of information alim_confirm are not valid on the can network and the wire information on the power supply is switched off . in this manner , the increase in application of the brake actuators is systematically requested when it is effectively ascertained that the engine has been stopped . if the information on the state of the engine is not available on the can network , the information relating to the electric power supply is used . if the items of information on the state of the engine and on the electric power supply are not available on the can network , the information originating from the wire connections is used directly . however , only one valid item of information is used by virtue of the existence of the unit or 23 in order to limit false detections of the engine being stopped . fig3 illustrates a possible embodiment for the module 9 for determining the conditions for increasing the application . the module for determining the conditions for increasing the application runs various logic tests based on information concerning the brake actuators no . 1 and 2 , referenced 14 and 15 in fig1 . these items of information are symbolized by parameters which are as follows : etat_act1 is the state of actuator no . 1 , referenced 14 in fig1 . this state corresponds to the application made previously or to a “ being applied ” situation , the parameter act1_cassé corresponds to a malfunction of actuator no . 1 , the parameter etat_act2 corresponds to the state of actuator no . 2 , referenced 15 in fig1 , and the parameter act2_cassé corresponds to a malfunction of actuator no . 2 . the first logic test is run in the equals units 32 a , 33 a and 32 b , 33 b . the indices “ a ” correspond to actuator no . 1 while the indices “ b ” correspond to actuator no . 2 . during these tests , the state of each of the actuators is verified by comparing the information originating from the actuator corresponding to a value brake applied or brake being applied . a logic signal corresponding to one or other of these situations is conveyed to the input of two or units 34 a , 34 b which transmit a logic signal which is then conveyed to the input of two other or units 35 a , 35 b . a check is also made as to whether each of the actuators is operating based on the parameter act1_cassé and the parameter act2_cassé . a malfunction situation gives rise to a logic signal that is conveyed to the second input of the respective or units 35 a and 35 b . when the two actuators no . 1 and no . 2 are both operating correctly , corresponding logic signals are conveyed at the output of the respective no units 36 a , 36 b to the input of the or unit 37 . the outputs of the or units 35 a , 35 b and 37 are conveyed to the input of the and unit 38 which also receives at an input the engine stopped signal originating from the module for detecting whether the engine has been stopped , referenced 7 in fig1 , and which runs the logic tests illustrated in fig2 . at the output 18 of the and unit 38 appears the signal for commanding the increase in application that is transmitted to the module 10 illustrated in fig1 in order to control the increase in application of at least one of the two brake actuators 14 and 15 . an instruction to increase the application in a situation in which the engine has been stopped is therefore transmitted according to the following conditions : the parking brake actuators are in the applied state or are being applied , or one of the actuators is faulty while the other actuator is in the applied state or is being applied , on the other hand , there is no request to increase the application when the two actuators are in a state of malfunction . the increase in the application is then disabled for safety reasons . nor is there any request for an increase in the application if the brakes are in the released state , which corresponds to a specific desire of the driver . although , in the example illustrated , two parking brake actuators no . 1 and no . 2 have been used , it will be understood that the invention applies without major modification in the case of a power - assisted parking brake system that has only one actuator . it would also be possible to command an increase in application if insufficient application is detected , the equals logic units 32 a , 33 a and 32 b and 33 b then being able to compare the state of each of the actuators to a value corresponding to insufficient application . | 1 |
fig1 shows a setting sleeve 20 and a mandrel 22 that are part of a wireline setting tool that is not shown . the mandrel 22 supports the plug 24 due to tab 26 being positioned on shoulder 28 and retained there by bushing 30 which is further retained by set screw 32 . during the setting the wireline setting tool such as an e - 4 made by baker hughes incorporated of houston , texas pushes down on sleeve 20 while pulling up on mandrel 22 so that the cone 34 ramps out the top end 36 of the plug 24 . near the top end 36 are a series of ribs 38 made preferably from a disintegrating material when exposed to certain well conditions or fluids . one such material is a controlled electrolytic material or cem as described in us publication 2011 / 0136707 and related applications filed the same day . the related applications are incorporated by reference herein as though fully set forth . as a result when the proper conditions are obtained the plug 24 will fully disintegrate as it constituent components such as the cone 34 and it body now missing tab 26 that was sheared off when the plug 24 was set and the mandrel 22 removed from the plug 24 are now all made from the disintegrating material . it should be noted that the lower end 40 of the cone 34 will come to a stop before or at travel stop 42 . the use of the disintegrating material for the creation of the ribs allows the points 44 of the ribs 38 to move out radially into contact with the surrounding tubular that is not shown . in applications such as fracturing an absolute seal is not required as long as enough volume under the needed pressure gets delivered to the formation . while the points 44 do not necessarily penetrate the surrounding tubular and when made of a disintegrating material will most likely provide a friction grip , the advantage of the use of the disintegrating material is that there is no well residue when the disintegration is initiated because the entirety of the plug is from a disintegrating material . contrary to the prevalent though of those skilled in the art , hardened materials that penetrate the surrounding tubular are not required particularly if the treatment is fracturing because some leakage is tolerable while the fracturing gets done . the number of ribs 38 may be increased for additional grip . the use of the disintegrating material also makes the expansion easier and requires less force with a reduced chance for cracking due to overexpansion . additionally , the configuration of the plug 24 is such that on setting the tab 26 is sheared off and removed with the mandrel 22 when the running tool that is not shown is actuated to set the plug 24 and removed from the borehole . as a result , the embodiment of the plug 24 that is made of a fully disintegrating material results in complete removal after the plug 24 has served its purpose as a barrier . beyond that a piece of the body of the plug 24 in the form of tab 26 has already been sheared off . it should be noted that the top of the cone 34 has a formed seat for an object such as a ball for isolation . with the mandrel 22 removed during the expansion that sets the plug 24 the seat 44 is exposed to accept an object such as a ball that is not shown . the cone 34 defines a drift dimension through the plug in the set position . fig2 shows an alternative embodiment that differs from fig1 in the sense that there is an o - ring 4 in an associated groove that is designed to engage the surrounding tubular that is not shown . unlike the consensus in the past designs that provided a long rubber sleeve that was secured to the plug body , the present design dispenses with building up a wide rubber sleeve and putting ribs within the rubber or at opposed ends for an extrusion barrier . in the present design , it has been determined that one or more o - rings 4 in respective grooves on the plug body 8 will provide adequate sealing in applications such as fracturing where liquid tightness is not mandatory as long as there is enough pressure retention that allows the desired volume at the desired pressure to get into the formation to fracture the formation . while the o - ring ( s ) 8 do not disintegrate when the treatment with the plug body 8 is completed the other plug components can be made of a disintegrating material such as cem so they can disintegrate when needed . in an option for the design with the o - ring 8 there can also be hardened inserts that can take the form of discrete segments or a split ring that can be snapped over the body 8 . the segments form of the inserts 6 can be forced in an interference fit using elastic flexing of a nearby rib 50 . on the other hand when using a c - ring shape for the insert 6 there is the availability of the potential energy in the snap ring that is initially flexed and then released into an associated groove . such a groove can be formed with an adjacent rib such as 50 to get the combined effect of the potential energy in the ring and the interference fit from the flexing rib . while the hardened insert ( s ) 6 penetrate the surrounding tubular wall for enhanced grip they also do not disintegrate after use so that there is some residue from removal of the plug body 8 and the cone 2 . as with the fig1 embodiment , the setting process involves pushing with setting sleeve 12 and pulling the mandrel 10 . as before when that happens the tab 52 is sheared off and taken out with the mandrel 10 . while a single o - ring 4 and a single hardened insert 6 are shown multiple rows can also be used with the understanding that more material will not disintegrate at the end of the treatment procedure . the insert 6 can be carbide or polycrystalline diamond and it is designed to penetrate the surrounding tubular that is not shown for a grip . the points 54 of the ribs 50 do not penetrate the surrounding tubular and in this embodiment it is not even necessary that they even engage the surrounding tubular . this is because the anchoring is accomplished substantially by the insert ( s ) 6 . as before the shoulder 56 can act as a travel stop but it is more likely that the cone 2 will stop well before reaching shoulder 56 as the inserts 6 penetrate the surrounding tubular . tab 52 is retained by retaining nut 14 that is further held on with a set screw 16 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the illustrated plug designs can be used for treating operations at a subterranean location such as fracturing , injection , acidizing or conditioning the formation for production among other uses . in the fig1 embodiment the plug is fully disintegrating after use as it is made from disintegrating materials that respond to well conditions created after use so that no residue remains for the subsequent operations or to injure other equipment that is in the vicinity . the plug can permit some leakage and still be useful for operations like fracturing even with a plurality of ribs that friction grab the surrounding tubular rather than penetrating the surrounding tubular . additional anchoring can be obtained with adding more ribs but it has been determined that hardened inserts are not mandatory for functionality in fracturing service . an elongated rubber seal is also not needed if some leakage flow is tolerated . the advantage is the full disintegrating capability of a plug made from such materials in its entirety . on the other hand , fig2 represents a design that leaves some but a minimal amount of residue while the balance of the plug disintegrates after use . it uses a spaced apart o - ring from a hardened insert . the use of one or more o - rings leaves less residue than larger rubber sleeves that had been used before to not only secure the inserts in position but to also give what was then thought to be the needed sealing area . as it turns out , one or more o - rings can give the needed or adequate sealing capability even if some leakage ensues from tubular out of roundness . the inserts are secured with an interference fit or a snap action independently of the o - rings . rather than anchoring with a friction fit with rib tips as in the fig1 embodiment , the fig2 design uses the hardened inserts to penetrate the surrounding tubular so that the rib tips can either add the friction force for anchoring or simply not even contact the surrounding tubular . on the other hand when it comes time to disintegrate the plug there will be some residue to contend with since the carbide or diamond nature of the inserts will not disintegrate and neither will the rubber of the o - ring seals . however , at least 80 % of the volume of the plug will disintegrate making the fig2 design a more practical compromise design for some applications where very high pressure differentials are expected or where some leakage is also not tolerated as well . in both cases the cone has a seat for an object that is exposed when the plug is set and the setting mandrel comes out bringing with it the sheared tab from the plug body . the above description is illustrative of the preferred embodiment and many modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention whose scope is to be determined from the literal and equivalent scope of the claims below : | 4 |
in the following figures , the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same components . in the following description , various operating parameters and components are described for different constructed embodiments . these specific parameters and components are included as examples and are not meant to be limiting . with respect to fig1 a through 1d , sectional views of wires having a copper core and overcoated with a metal , such as aluminum , as used in the disclosed invention are illustrated . while aluminum is preferred for layering over the copper core because of its good electrical insulating characteristics when anodized , other metals may also be used . such metals include , without limitation , titanium , zinc and magnesium . the illustrated shapes and thickness of the layers are only suggestive and are not intended as being limiting . the metal - covered copper wires are preferably although not necessarily formed according to the methods and materials set forth in the above - discussed u . s . pat . no . 7 , 572 , 980 and incorporated by reference in its entirety herein . the &# 39 ; 980 patent is assigned to the same assignee to which the disclosed invention is assigned . with particular reference to fig1 a , a sectional view of a wire , generally illustrated as 10 , is shown . the wire 10 includes a copper or copper alloy core 12 and a metal layer 14 . as set forth in the &# 39 ; 980 patent , the metal layer 14 is formed by enveloping the copper core 12 with a uniform thickness thin sheet of metal . referring to fig1 b , a sectional view of an alternate embodiment of the wire , is generally illustrated as 16 , is shown . the wire 16 includes a copper or copper alloy core 18 formed from a plurality of independent copper or copper alloy strands . the wire 16 further includes a metal layer 20 . fig1 c and 1d illustrate variations in the shape of the wire for use in the disclosed invention . with reference first to fig1 c , a sectional view of a wire is generally illustrated as 22 . the wire 22 includes a generally flat copper or copper alloy core 24 . the wire 22 further includes a metal layer 26 . with reference to fig1 d , a sectional view of an additional variation of the wire is generally illustrated as 28 . the wire 28 includes a generally rectangular copper or copper alloy core 30 . the wire 70 includes a metal layer 32 . regardless of the size or shape , and to this end it is to be understood that the shapes of the wire illustrated in fig1 a through 1d are intended as being illustrative and non - limiting , the wire is to be wound onto a spool to form a coil . the wire forming the coil may be partially anodized prior to winding followed by anodization or may be anodized once coiled as disclosed above . fig2 through 4 relate to the first variation of the method for anodizing wire for a coil shown in fig1 a through 1d , that of partially anodizing the wire prior to winding followed by further anodization . fig5 through 7 relate to the second variation of the method for anodizing wire for a coil shown in fig1 a through 1d , that of only anodizing the wire once it has been coiled . referring to fig2 , a flow chart describing the first variation of the method is shown . at the first step 40 the copper core is formed . as set forth above with respect to fig1 a through 1d , the copper core may be solid or may be composed of multiple strands . furthermore the copper core may be copper or copper alloy . once the copper core is formed , the copper core is enveloped in a thin sheet or foil of a metal such as aluminum at step 42 . particularly , and as set forth in the &# 39 ; 980 patent , at step 42 the copper core ( 12 , 18 , 24 , 30 ) is enveloped in a thin sheet of metal ( 14 , 20 , 26 , 32 ). one or more thin sheets of the metal may be used depending on desired core geometry or other parameters . the metal sheet may be applied by any technique including but not limited to mechanical cold - forming techniques , co - extrusion techniques , vacuum welding , or rf bonding or any combination thereof . once the metal layer , for example an aluminum layer , envelops the copper core at step 42 the outer surface of the metal is partially anodized at step 44 . this is done using an electrolytic process to form a single homogeneous dielectric layer . the step of partially anodizing the metal layer may be undertaken before being applied to the copper core . at step 46 the anodized metal may be rinsed according to an optional step of the disclosed invention . rinsing of the anodized metal stops the anodization process by removing the electrolytic solution . a further optional step arises at step 48 in which the conductor , now a composite , is annealed . the annealing process reduces or eliminates stresses that may be present in the core , the metal layer , the dielectric metallic oxide layer , or between layers . once the metal layer has been anodized and optionally rinsed and annealed the partially - anodized wire is wound onto a spool to form a coil at step 50 . any one of several coils may be formed by this process . after being wound to form a coil on a spool , the wire is anodized again to substantially or entirely complete the process of forming the oxide layer . this occurs at step 52 . at step 54 the anodized wire is again optionally rinsed to remove any residual electrolytic fluid and to thus fully halt the anodization process . the rinsed coil may optionally be annealed thereafter . as noted , at step 44 the wire is partially subjected to anodization to form a partial dielectric layer of metallic oxide , such as aluminum oxide where aluminum is used . referring to fig3 , a graphical representation of a continuous process for partially anodizing the metal layer of the wire is illustrated . particularly , a supply or feed roll 60 having a continuous length of wire 62 is provided . the wire 62 has a copper or copper alloy core ( 12 , 18 , 24 , 30 ) and is enveloped in a thin sheet of metal ( 14 , 20 , 26 , 32 ). a power supply 64 has a negative terminal 66 connected to either the roll 60 or the wire 62 . the positive terminal 68 of the power supply 64 is also provided and is connected to an electrolyte solution 70 . the electrolyte solution 70 provides a bath for the wire 62 . at least partially submerged in the electrolyte solution 70 is a guide roller 72 . the guide roller 72 guides the wire 62 into and out of the solution 70 . the voltage across the terminals 66 and 68 causes an electric current to run through the solution 70 , thereby causing a chemical reaction of the solution 70 with the outer surface of the metal . the reaction results in the formation of a partial dielectric layer of metallic oxide . by regulating such parameters as rate of travel of the wire 62 through the solution 70 , current strength in the solution 70 , and the density of the solution 70 the anodization process can be controlled and the amount of dielectric layer formed can be restricted to partial anodization . another guide roller 74 is provided to guide the partially anodized wire 62 out of the solution 70 . at this point the wire 62 may optionally pass through a rinse 76 to remove any remaining electrolyte solution . a guide roller 78 guides the partially anodized wire 62 through the rinse 76 . the rinsed wire 62 is taken up on a spool to form a coil 80 . the illustrated coil 80 is only suggested and is not intended as being limiting . as illustrated in fig4 , the partially anodized wire on the coil 80 is then introduced into a second electrolyte solution 82 . a power supply 84 has a negative terminal 86 connected to either the coil 80 or the wire 62 . a positive terminal 88 of the power supply 84 is also provided and is connected to an electrolyte solution 82 . the electrolyte solution 82 provides a bath for the wire 62 coiled on the coil 80 . once the anodization process is completed , the coil 80 may be rinsed to remove residual electrolytic solution followed by optional annealing . referring to fig5 , a flow chart describing the second variation of the method of the disclosed invention is shown . at the first step 90 the copper core is formed . again as set forth above with respect to fig1 a through 1 d , the copper core may be solid or may be composed of multiple strands . furthermore the copper core may be copper or copper alloy . once the copper core is formed , the copper core is enveloped in a thin sheet or foil of a metal , such as aluminum , at step 92 . again as set forth in the &# 39 ; 980 patent , at step 42 the copper core ( 12 , 18 , 24 , 30 ) and is enveloped in a thin sheet of metal ( 14 , 20 , 26 , 32 ). one or more thin sheets of the metal may be used depending on desired core geometry or other parameters . the metal sheet may be applied by any technique including but not limited to mechanical cold - forming techniques , co - extrusion techniques , vacuum welding , or rf bonding or any combination thereof . once the metal layer envelops the copper core at step 92 the wire is taken up on a spool to form a coil at step 94 . any one of several coils may be formed by this process . after the wire is wound to form a coil on a spool , the wire is anodized to form the metallic oxide layer on the formed wire . this occurs at step 96 . at step 98 the anodized wire is again optionally rinsed to remove any residual electrolytic fluid and to thus fully halt the anodization process . the rinsed coil may optionally be annealed thereafter at step 100 . as noted , at step 94 the wire is wound on a spool to form a coil . referring to fig6 , a graphical representation of a process for winding a continuous length of wire 102 onto a spool to form a coil 104 is illustrated . the illustrated coil 104 is only suggested and is not intended as being limiting . as illustrated in fig7 , the coil 104 is introduced into an electrolyte solution 106 . a power supply 108 has a negative terminal 110 connected to either the coil 104 or the wire 102 . a positive terminal 112 of the power supply 108 is also provided and is connected to the electrolyte solution 106 . the electrolyte solution 106 provides a bath for the wire 102 coiled on the coil 104 . once the anodization process is completed , the coil 104 may be rinsed to remove residual electrolytic solution followed by optional annealing . the foregoing discussion discloses and describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention . one skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion , and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes , modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the invention as defined by the following claims . | 7 |
referring now to fig1 and 2 there is shown a method and apparatus for continuously forming the tubular member and inserting the electrical conductors therein . in particular , there is shown two reels 10 and 11 for storing the required lengths of the strip material from which the tubular member is formed and the electrical conductors . while any desired material may be used for forming the tubular member , it is preferred that it be a corrosion - resistant material having relatively high strength at the elevated temperatures encountered in thermal injection wells . a suitable material is a stainless steel sold under the trade name of incoloy 8250 ®, a tradename of international nickel company , inc . the electrical conductors are shown as comprising two three - wire twisted assemblies 21 plug five single wires 23 . only one of two three - wire conductors and two of the single conductors are shown in fig3 and 4 for clarity . the strip material 20 is fed through a series of rollers 12 , 13 and 14 which bend and roll the flat strip material into a tubular member 31 . at the same time that the strip is being formed into a tubular member , the twisted conductors 21 and straight conductors 23 are fed into the tubular member . the completed tubular member 31 with the electrical conductors installed is reeled or stored on a drum 32 . as the conductors are uncoiled from the reel 11 , the conductors will retain a coiled shape . the retained shape will cause the conductors to assume a helical shape as they are inserted into the tubular member . the exact size of the coil is not critical although some coiling of the wire is necessary . the juxtaposed edges of the strip 20 are welded by means of a shielded gas welding mechanism 30 . in the preferred embodiment , a tungsten inert gas welding system is used to continually weld the juxtaposed edges to provide a fluid - tight tubular member . to protect the twisted pairs of conductors from damage from the welding operation , a tapered spring steel member 22 is positioned so that one end 24 extends into the tubular member to within 1 &# 34 ;- 2 &# 34 ; upstream of the welding station 30 . the taper of the spring steel member 22 conforms loosely to the shape of the tubular member as it is formed by the rollers 12 , 13 and 14 . the opposite end of the spring steel member 22 is fixedly attached to a suitable support 25 . the spring steel member serves to depress the electrical conductors and ensure that they are positioned at the bottom of the tubular member as it passes under the welding station 30 . the spring steel member 22 partially shields the electrical conductors from the direct heat of the welding operation . in addition to utilizing the spring steel strip 22 to maintain the conductors outside the field of the welding operation , it is also desirable to provide some means for cooling the tubular member after the welding operation . normally , the tubular member can be cooled by spraying with water or similar cooling medium 33 immediately after the welding operation to cool it and prevent heat buildup in the completed tubular member . obviously , any excessive heat buildup in the tubular member would destroy the electrical conductors disposed in the member . from the above description it can be seen that the present invention provides a means by which a continuous length of a tubular member may be fabricated while installing electrical conductors therein . this is accomplished by forming the tubular member from a thin strip of material and inserting the electrical conductors as the tube is formed . the tube is sealed by welding the juxtaposed edges while protecting the conductors from damage during the welding operation . while the method can be adapted to any size tubular member , in the present instance the tubular member was provided with a 0 . 375 - inch o . d . and a wall thickness of 0 . 049 &# 34 ;. similarly , the electrical conductors comprised eleven 22 - gauge copper wires which were provided with tetrafluoroethylene polymer insulation that is capable of withstanding temperatures of at least 500 ° f . the eleven wires are disposed in two twisted groups , each containing three wires and five individual wires . referring now to fig3 and 4 , there is shown the electrical conductors at atmospheric temperatures and elevated temperatures , respectively . in fig3 the twisted electrical conductors 21 and single conductors 23 are positioned randomly within the interior of the tubular member and the individual loops of the twisted triads are of relatively small diameter while the single conductors are relatively straight . in contrast , in fig4 at elevated temperatures , the individual loops of the twisted triads have expanded in diameter and tend to interfere with the motion of adjacent conductive wires . in addition , some of the loops in the triads and loops in the single conductors contact the interior wall of the tubular member and prevent the conductors from moving . interference between the triads and the interior wall provides sufficient friction to hold the electrical conductors in place and prevent them from dropping to the bottom of the tubular member as it is inserted into a thermal injection well . when the tubular member is withdrawn from the well and stored on a suitable storage drum , the electrical conductors can contract or shorten in dimension as they cool without causing breakage of the conductors due to their inability to move within the tubular member . | 7 |
reference is made herein to the attached drawings . like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the perforated shipping and display device for merchandise . for the purposes of presenting a brief and clear description of the present invention , the preferred embodiment will be discussed as used for shipping and displaying knives and a variety of other articles utilizing a single unit . the figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect . referring now to fig1 , there is shown a perspective view of the present invention . the present invention is a container for articles of merchandise that is adapted for use as both shipping packaging and a display stand for the articles once they have reached their intended retail destination . the present invention comprises a container 11 having a base 12 , a tray 13 having an upper surface 14 that is securable within the interior volume of the base 12 , and a lid 16 that is securable thereover . the base 12 is hollow and the tray 13 occupies the entire interior volume thereof . in the depicted embodiment of the present invention the tray 13 is secured to the base 12 via a line of connection between the upper perimeter edge of the base 12 and exterior the circumference of the tray 13 ; however , any means of connecting the tray 13 and the base 12 known in the prior is currently contemplated by the present disclosure . furthermore , embodiments of the present invention in which the tray 13 and the base 12 are integrally connected , i . e . are a unitary unit , are also contemplated by the present disclosure . in these embodiments of the present invention , the tray 13 is not removable from the base 12 . in the depicted embodiment of the present invention , the container 11 is cylindrically shaped ; however , no claim is made as to the precise size or configuration of the present container 11 . the present invention further comprises a series of slots 15 that are disposed across the upper surface 14 . the slots 15 are preferably arranged in an organized , symmetrical fashion that is aesthetically pleasing to consumers . the slots 15 are specifically cut for each article of merchandise that is to be stored , transported , and displayed . this ensures that the article is held within a slot 15 that substantially conforms to the size of the article , securely holding the item within the slot 15 and preventing it from moving or shifting during transport . in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the articles of merchandise to be stored are knives . in this embodiment of the present invention , the slots 15 are recessed channels that conform to the size and shape of the blade of the knife so that the knife is securely held therein , while still leaving the handle of the knife exposed for aesthetic and convenience purposes . loosely secured knives are undesirable to transport because they can be dangerous since they can pierce the exterior surface of the container and they can also become damaged or damaged other objects . in other embodiments of the present invention , the articles of merchandise to be transported comprise wine bottles , cheese , cupcakes , and other such articles . for these embodiments of the present invention , the slots 15 are sized and shaped to conform to these articles so that they are held securely therein . varying different types of slots can be provided together in a number of different combinations and configurations , allowing multiple different types of items to be shipped together in a secure and convenient manner that is suitable for display once they arrive at their destination . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the tray 13 is composed of a durable material suitable for preventing objects held therein from damaging other objects or being damaged themselves during shipping , such as ethylene vinyl acetate ( eva ) or cork . the preferred embodiment of the present invention utilizes eva as the material for the tray 13 due to the fact that it is aesthetically appealing , scratch and water - resistant , can be shipped safely with no breakage , can me dyed any color , and can be molded to any size , shape , or height . the base 12 portion of the container 11 is preferably constructed from cardboard due to its resilient , versatile properties that make it suitable for applications in shipping or transportation . the present invention is adapted for use as both shipping packaging and as a display stand . referring now to fig2 , there is shown a perspective view of a knife within a sheath aligned over a slot in the tray portion of the present invention . the present invention further comprises sheathes 18 into which articles of merchandise , such as knives 31 , can be inserted , prior to being inserted into the slots 15 . the sheaths 18 , as with the slots 15 , are specifically adapted to conform to the size and shape of the given knife 31 . the sheaths 18 provide a second layer of durable , puncture - resistant material that further keeps knives 31 and other such articles secured within the slots 15 . the sheaths 18 are composed of plastic or any other such material that is formable to substantially conform to the size and shape of the knives 31 to be stored within and displayed by the present invention . the present invention further comprises a plurality of half - moon shaped recesses 17 disposed along the upper surface 14 of the tray 13 , adjacently to the slots 15 . the recesses 17 are provided in order to improve the design and safety of the present invention . the recesses 17 allow users to remove the knives 31 by gripping the top of the blade portion of the knife 31 , which can help prevent injuries for especially long knives 31 . referring now to fig3 , there is shown a cutaway view of a knife within a sheath inserted into a slot in the tray portion of the present invention . the slots 15 of the present invention are adapted to substantially conform to the size and shape of the articles to be inserted therein , such as knives 31 . the slots 15 are recesses that extend into the volume of the tray 13 that halt a given distance from the bottom of the tray 13 , creating a thickened bottom portion 19 between the tray 13 and the cardboard base 12 . this thickened bottom portion 19 creates a barrier further preventing the knives 31 from slipping through the tray 13 and puncturing through the exterior surface of the container 11 . the thickened bottom portion 19 is composed of the same material as the rest of the tray 13 , i . e . preferably eva . the slots 15 hold the knives 31 in a generally vertical orientation . in the depicted embodiment , the slots 15 hold the knives 31 perpendicular to the upper surface 14 of the tray 13 ; however , in other contemplated embodiments of the present invention the slots 15 are disposed within the tray 13 at angles . the nature of the size and shape of the slots 15 helps to ensure that the articles are securely held therein and do not shift or move while being transported . because the articles cannot shift or move within their packaging , they cannot become damaged via physical contact with other objects stored within the packaging , damage other objects themselves , or present a safety risk by puncturing the exterior surface of the packaging material . all of this is accomplished while still maintain an aesthetically pleasing appearance . conventional manufacturers &# 39 ; packaging for articles of merchandise is not suitable to simultaneously serve as a display stand for the packaged articles because the articles are not packaged in an aesthetically pleasing manner . conversely , the present invention is adapted to both secure articles in a secure manner and serve as an attractive , engaging display stand when the lid is removed by the retail store or other seller . referring now to fig4 a and 4b , there are shown a perspective view of a first alternative embodiment of the present invention having slots adapted to hold cheese wedges and a perspective view of a second alternative embodiment of the present invention having slots adapted to hold wine bottles , in addition to knife slots . the present invention is adaptable for a variety of different articles , including cheese , bottles of wine , other bottled products , cupcakes , and the like . for these embodiments of the present invention , the slots 15 are adapted to hold these specific items and the items are generally not interchangeable between these different types of slots 15 . the present invention may have any number and distribution of the various types of slots 15 , thereby allowing the present combination shipping and display stand to simultaneously hold a variety of different items . for example , as seen in fig4 b , the tray 13 can have a plurality of knife slots 20 disposed in a circular configuration about a central wine slot 21 . these depicted embodiments of the present invention are merely exemplary and are not intended to otherwise limit the configurations of the present invention , as any number of various types of slots 20 , 21 can be provided together in a number of different aesthetically pleasing arrangements . the slots 15 can have a variety of different depths within the tray 13 , even among slots 15 provided for the same types of items . these varying depths for the slots 15 in turn vary the heights to which the various stored and displayed items extend from the upper surface 14 , thereby creating a more visually interesting display environment that is more engaging for consumers . the depths of the slots 15 are determined by the thickness of the thickened bottom regions disposed beneath the slots 15 . it is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in what is considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments . it is recognized , however , that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art . with respect to the above description then , it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention , to include variations in size , materials , shape , form , function and manner of operation , assembly and use , are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art , and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention . therefore , the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention . | 0 |
the present invention provides an automatic device for the convenient and hygienic sequestering of waste packets . waste packets are understood to comprise diapers or similar malodorous waste contents . for the purpose of this invention , any device that closes off tubing at a point along the length of the tubing is considered a “ tube - sealing means .” therefore , for example , fusion devices , which close off tubing with heating elements , and twisting devices , which close off tubing by inducing a twist , are considered “ tube - sealing means .” several tube - sealing means are disclosed herein above in the background of the invention . other tube - sealing means are disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 128 , 890 and 6 , 065 , 272 , and u . s . publication no . us 2002 / 0162304 , the contents of all of which are incorporated by reference herein . in this description and the accompanying figures of the automated sequestering and waste disposal apparatus , reference is only made to a flexible tubing - twisting or twist - locking mechanism for closing off the flexible tubing to sequester the individual waste packets within the tubing as well as the associated downward placing of the sequestered waste packets by a plunger device . the present invention as described in this embodiment is an improvement over other waste disposal devices or systems in that it comprises an automatically controlled mechanism for sequestering the waste packets individually inside a flexible tubing bay of some length dispensed from a refillable cassette . the hands - off embodiment features a motor - driven rotation of the refillable cassette comprising an inner core of dispensable tubing . when the waste device is actuated , the rotational movement of the cassette effects the twisting of the tubing so as to form a sealed waste packet while the packet is held in place by spring - aided holder / brackets . one embodiment comprises a driveshaft connected to the motor through a gear assembly or transmission . the driveshaft is activated when rotational movement of the cassette is completed and the waste packet is closed off or sequestered in the tubing material . in this embodiment , the driveshaft , for example , is connected by a pinion through the connecting scissor slots to the thrust plate of the plunger . the rotation of the driveshaft , i . e ., a rod with a screw - type outer ridge , winds through the nut - like center hole of the pinion , which is thereby slideably moved along holding or locating means or rod causing the scissor connectors to extend and vertically move the thrust plate to plunge or press downwardly on the sealed waste packet , which is consequently placed in the receptacle portion of the waste container . the motorized two - step mechanism of the apparatus controlling the twisting and plunging of the automated waste sequestering operation can be manually turned on by pushing a button , for example , on the top portion of the container , lid or head portion of the container . alternatively , the mechanism may be controlled by a foot operated switch or lever . the motorized system is activated by pressing the button , and the button makes electrical contact with the actuator of the motor in the apparatus causing an initial twisting rotation of the cassette core tube . the rotational movement of the cassette by the motor driveshaft being transmitted through a set of gears to the rotational ring that engages the cassette rim through the small ridges projecting therefrom on top of the cassette when the attached upper head or lid compartment of the waste receptacle is closed . the second step of the automated control of the waste sequestering mechanism causes a plunging device to downwardly thrust and extend so that the sealed waste package is pushed into the receptacle space of the bottom portion of the container . thus , the flexible tubing is pulled from the storage compartment of the cassette through a gap between the inner core tube and the rim atop the refill cassette to form a new space for depositing new waste . alternatively , the lid can be operationally configured to be opened by foot . in this embodiment , the waste disposal device is provided with a pedal - like structure which is operably configured and attached to the lid so that the motorized mechanism can be operated or activate by the closing of the lid . a waste load is deposited into the open center of the cassette . upon release of foot - operated mechanism , the lid closes and the motorized actuator mechanism is activated , for example , using a cog gearing system which causes rotation of the cassette holding a tubing bag receptacle . the rotation accomplishes two activities for sequestering a diaper or similar waste load and dropping or moving the same downwardly into the tubing bag and into the container bin . in the closed lid position , the actuator initiates the rotational force on the tubing cassette by the refill twister exerting pressure on the beveled ring surface of the cassette . the rotational movement is measured to continue until sufficiently tight twisting has been effected on the tubing containing the waste so as to seal the top opening and thereby retain the waste load . at the moment when the twisting or tightening by cassette rotation is complete for sufficient closure of the tubing tubular bag , a vertically dispensed gearing mechanism is turned on and causes a downward movement of the cassette holder and cassette with attached waste loaded tubular receptacle portion . this downward thrust is mediated through a scissor link assembly which stretches out to extend along the axis of the cassette opening , moving the sequestered waste load downward . simultaneous to the motorized rotational force input on the cassette rim , a film grip ring is activated to contact and clamp down on to the flexible tubing emanating and hanging over the top edge of the inner core tube of the tubing cassette . this contact prevents release of tubing from the storage compartment of the cassette during the rotational twisting operation . throughout this specification , the word “ comprise ” or variations such as “ comprises ” or “ comprising ” will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers . the general embodiment of the present invention is best understood by reference to fig1 - 7 of the drawings . referring to fig1 , a waste container 10 is shown comprising a lower or waste storing bin compartment 15 and an upper lid or head compartment 20 with an optional activation start button 5 . the automated twist waste disposal apparatus useful for sequestering waste packets such as diapers in twist - sealable flexible tubing as illustrated in one embodiment of the invention by taking reference to fig1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 . the disposal device 10 comprises top or lid portion 20 which comprises hingedly attached and latch - secured pivoting lid or cover configuration and a bottom or bin portion 15 , comprising an approximately cylindrical or cone - like shape . in fig2 , the lid portion 20 is shown to contain an apparatus for automatic control of twisting and lowering of tubing below the refill cassette , the apparatus comprising an upper body portion 21 and a lower body portion 22 . more specifically , the lid 20 houses or contains the apparatus upper body 21 , comprising an electronic motor - driven control gear assembly 110 , an actuator 45 , a rotatory grip ring or refill twister 35 for contacting and rotating the tubing refill cassette body 50 effectively twisting the flexible tubing 52 which emanates through a gap 54 between the rim 57 of the cassette 50 and the core tube 61 , and is folded down through the open cassette tube core area 51 into the interior bin space 16 as partially shown in fig3 and 4 . the lower body of apparatus 22 encompasses the removable refill cassette 50 as well as a retaining means or spring assembly 55 positioned to hold the flexible tubing 52 which encloses a waste pack ( not shown ) in the bin space 16 during the twist - closure operation . the tubing cassette 50 houses a length of tubing material 52 for sequestering the waste packets sequentially in the waste bin space 16 . a lid 20 secured by a hinge 81 to the waste bin 15 includes a latch 82 . the waste bin 16 also includes a hinged base 19 for providing access to the lower interior of the second waste bin 16 . the hinged base 19 includes a latch ( not shown ) for securing the hinged base 19 in a closed position . the bottom rim of the tubing refill cassette body 50 rests on a flange support or holding ring 70 which is affixed to the internal wall side of the bin 15 of the device 10 . the flexible tubing material 52 is stored in a continuously folded manner in the tubing storage compartment 59 of the cassette 50 . referring to fig5 , the apparatus embodiment of the gear assembly 110 in a housing or cap structure 155 of the upper body portion 21 of the electronic motor - driving apparatus 30 has a motor 47 located near the gear idler 25 , which motor 47 is started when the manually depressed button 5 on the lid 15 makes contact with the switch 95 . the first action of the motor - driven gear assembly causes rotation of the refill twister 34 comprising a tubular ring structure 36 which exhibits a notched bottom surface 130 that is situated to make contact with the top ring or collar of the refill cassette 50 so as to propel the cassette into rotational motion . the tubular refill twisting device 36 is provided with a ridge 150 . referring to fig6 and 7 , an embodiment of the invention is represented showing the scissor link assembly 210 linked a slideable u - joint type linkage 215 . the pinion is saddled on a radially positioned carrier device 36 with a bracket 225 while at one point attached to a linkage 210 connecting assembly holder 215 , and at another point attached to a drive rod 235 . the drive rod 235 comprising a screw - like wound surface is inserted into the nut - type center of the which can be centrally moved along the carrying means or rod 36 by the revolutions of the screw - type positioning rod so that the drive rod 235 rotations cause the scissor link connecting linkage 215 to move towards the center so as to move the plunger plate 40 vertically downward through open central portion 37 of the upper apparatus configuration 21 and the cassette core opening 62 . the twisting operation is further facilitated by the film grip ring 35 which , during the twisting operation , acts as a brake pressing onto the flexible tubing 52 atop the cassette core tube 61 , and prevents the tubing 52 from being pulled out of the refill cassette 50 storage compartment 60 during the cassette rotation . a revolution counting mechanism is included in the upper portion of the apparatus 21 controlling the twisting operation as well as the downward motion of the plunger 40 . referring again to the illustrations of fig3 and 4 , the refill cassette 50 stores the flexible tubing 52 which emanates from the storage compartment 59 through the gap 54 between the rim 57 and the cassette &# 39 ; s core tube wall 61 and then folds into the inner core area 62 , hanging into the bin space 16 below . the rim 57 is provided with small ridges 58 for effectively engaging the refill twister 34 , in particular , the gear surface of the refill twister 130 when rotating the cassette 50 and the top portion of the flexible tubing enclosing the diaper deposit ( not shown ). an exemplary tubing cassette is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 934 , 529 , the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein . taking reference again to fig2 , the lid portion 20 of this embodiment 10 can be opened by depressing a foot pedal arrangement 65 which acts through a push rod 66 on the hinge assembly 81 of the lid 20 , exposing the open core area 62 of the refill cassette 50 for depositing a waste packet . as further illustrated in fig2 , the retention springs 55 are attached to the flange 70 and retain or hold a waste package ( not shown ) stationary while the rotating refill twister 34 causes the cassette collar or rim 57 to rotate the tubing cassette 50 inducing a twisting motion in the flexible tubing 52 . as used herein , the term “ retention means ” shall include any retention device for retaining or restraining a waste package ( not shown ) in a stationary position while the cassette 50 and the flexible tubing 56 dependent through the cassette core tube area 62 is rotated . the term shall include , for example , retention devices as disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 869 , 049 , 5 , 590 , 512 , 6 , 170 , 240 , 6 , 128 , 890 , 6 , 370 , 847 , jp 592039015 ( p2000 - 247401 a ), and u . s . patent publication no . us 2002 / 0162304 , the contents of all of which are incorporated by reference herein . other means for rotating the tubing cassette 50 may be employed . as used herein , the term “ retention means ” shall include any retention device for retaining a tubing enclosed waste package stationary while the flexible tubing 52 is rotated . the term shall include , for example , retention devices as disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 869 , 049 , 5 , 590 , 512 , 6 , 170 , 240 , 6 , 128 , 890 , 6 , 370 , 847 , jp 592039015 ( p2000 - 247401 a ), and u . s . patent publication no . us 2002 / 0162304 , the contents of all of which are incorporated by reference herein . although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . for example , components in one figure can be combined with components shown in another figure . while the invention has been described with respect to preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various changes and / or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . all documents cited herein are incorporated in their entirety herein . | 1 |
it has been found that the heat - sensitive transfer material of this invention unexpectedly exhibits excellent ability of multi - gradation reproduction . in this invention , the adhesive layer formed to firmly bond the substrate film and the heat - melting ink layer can prevent the separation of the substrate film and the heat - melting ink in their interface , i . e . it prevents the transfer of the heat - melting ink and the transfer control layer at one time , and due to the transfer control layer , the amount of the ink can be suitably controlled . for this reason , the transfer amount of a coloring material can be controlled depending upon image signals , etc ., i . e . the magnitudes of charged energy from a thermal head . in this invention , the receptor referred to hereinabove stands for ordinary heat - sensitive recording media such as paper , and when the heat - melting ink layer uses a leuco dye but does not contain any developer , a developer - containing sheet is used as a receptor . fig1 to 3 are cross - sectional views of an embodiment of a heat - sensitive transfer material 10 of the present invention , which is formed by providing one surface of a substrate film 11 with an adhesive layer 12 and a heat - melting ink layer 13 and providing a transfer control layer 14 onto said heat - melting ink layer . in some cases , a heat - resistant layer 16 , which is called a backcoat , may be formed on the other surface of the substrate film ( i . e . on one surface on which no heat - melting layer is formed ). the transfer control layer 14 has a surface which is provided with many micropores which reach up to the ink layer 13 . in a more preferable embodiment , a heat - melting resin ( low - melting point resin ) or heat - melting ink 15 is filled or held in said pores . the drawings show a state where the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink 15 partially projects above the surface of the transfer control layer 14 . however , in some cases , it is almost embedded . in this invention , the transfer control layer stands for a layer which permits a molten ink of the heat - melting ink layer to pass through said pores or pores which are filled with the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink , and the transfer amount can be also controlled by suitably selecting the diameters of said pores and the number of said pores . usable as the substrate film 11 are those which are usually used as a heat - sensitive transfer substrate film , i . e . plastic films such as polyester films or condenser papers . preferably usable as the adhesive layer 12 are high - molecular - weight compounds which have an adhesion ability to both the substrate film and the heat - melting ink at a temperature in the range of from 0 ° c . to 80 ° c ., preferably from 10 ° c . to 60 ° c . examples of such high - molecular - weight compounds include an ethylene - ethyl acrylate copolymer , ethylenevinylacetate copolymer , polyvinyl butyral , polyester resin , polyamide resin , styrene - butadiene copolymer , acryronitrile - butadiene coplymer , raw rubber , acrylic resin , polyurethane resin , etc ., and they can be used alone or as a mixture of two or more of these . in addition to the above - mentioned thermoplastic resins , crosslinking resins such as thermally crosslinking high polymers or radically crosslinking resins may be used , if they have adhesion ability within the above temperature range . the adhesive layer 12 has a thickness , preferably , of 0 . 05 to 5 μm , and may be sufficiently formed on the substrate layer 11 from a solvent solution of one or more of the above high - molecular - weight compounds by using a coating device such as a device for a gravure method . the heat - melting ink layer 13 is that which is obtained by melting and kneading a pigment or dye such as carbon black , leuco dye , paraffin wax or natural wax , thermoplastic resin such as ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymer , etc ., dispersant , or the like . the heat - melting ink layer 13 may be usually applied by hot - melt coating , and in some cases , it may also be formed by gravure coating of a dispersion obtained by dispersing the above heat - melting ink composition in a solvent . the thickness of the heat - melting ink layer 13 is preferably 1 μm to 20 μm . the transfer control layer 14 is that which is obtained by converting an essentially heat - resistant high - molecular - weight compound to a porous one . as examples of such a high - molecular - weight compound , it is possible to cite thermoplastic resins or thermosetting resins such as polyester resin , acrylic resin , polyurethane resin , butyral resin , polyamide resin , cellulose resin and polycarbonate resin . in some cases , instead of using the above resins , the above high - molecular - weight compound may be formed by applying a radiation - curing monomer and then irradiating ultraviolet ray , electron beam and the like . the high - molecular - weight compound of the transfer control layer can be rendered porous by any known methods , for example : ( 1 ) a method of forming a coating from a solution of a high - molecular - weight compound containing a blowing agent and then permitting the blowing agent to blow by heat treatment . ( 2 ) a method of forming a coating from a solution of a high - molecular - weight compound in which a water - soluble substance is finely dispersed and then removing the water - soluble substance by immersion in water . ( 3 ) a method of adding a solvent having a relatively high boiling point to a solution of a high - molecular - weight compound , forming a coating and then evaporating the high - boiling - point solvent by heat treatment . ( 4 ) a method of forming a coating from a solution of a high - molecular - weight compound in which a low - melting - point substance such as wax or a low - molecular - weight compound , or heat - melting ink is finely dispersed , and then drying . of the above - cited methods of forming pores , the method ( 4 ) is practically preferable from the viewpoint that no post treatment is necessary . more specifically , the fine dispersion of a heat - melting resin or heat melting ink in the high - molecular weight compound which is a heat - resistant resin is prepared by finely dispersing the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink by adding a solution of 20 to 400 parts by weight , preferably 50 to 200 parts by weight , of the high - molecular - weight compound to 100 parts by weight of the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink . the organic solvent to be used for the preparation of the above fine dispersion needs to be selected from those which dissolve the heat - resistant resin but do not dissolve the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink . the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink is converted to fine particles by using a dispersing apparatus such as a ball mill , atriter , sand mill , or the like . for example , the solution of the heat - resistant resin may be mixed with the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink and stirred to convert the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink to fine particles by using glass beads or steel beads . when the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink is converted to fine particles , additives such as a dispersant , fine powder silica gel , etc ., may be added in combination . examples of the above solvent which does not dissolve or hardly dissolves the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink include alcohols such as methyl alcohol , ethyl alcohol , isopropyl alcohol , n - butyl alcohol , etc ., ketones such as acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl - n - propyl ketone , etc ., esters such as ethyl acetate , isopropyl acetate , n - butyl acetate , etc ., water , a mixture of these , and the like . as the resin component of the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink usable in this invention , it is possible to cite natural waxes such as candelilla wax , carnauba wax , rice wax , haze wax , montan wax , etc ., petroleum waxes such as paraffin wax , microcrystalline wax , etc ., synthetic waxes from coal , polyethylene wax and synthetic waxes from fats and oils such as fatty acid amide , aliphatic ketone , aliphatic amine , fatty acid ester etc ., and others . when the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink is converted to fine particles and dispersed in the presence of the solution of the heat - resistant resin , if the viscosity of the solution of the heat - resistant resin is too high , it is difficult to convert the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink into fine particles . the viscosity of the solution of the heat - resistant resin is , preferably , not more than 2 , 000 centipoise . the size of the fine particles of the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink influences on the density and resolution of characters and letters in thermal transfer . the diameter of the fine particles of the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink is in the range of , preferably , from 0 . 01 μm to 50 μm , and more preferably , of from 0 . 1 μm to 20 μm . if said diameter is in the above range , multi - gradation recording is excellent and the resolution of transferred letters is sufficient . if said diameter is larger than the above range , resolution of letters is insufficient . further , the transfer control layer may be formed by using a polymer ( particles ) of vinyl - type monomer which is a heat - melting resin and a heat - resistant resin which is incompatible with said polymer ( particles ). the above polymer , which is usually particulate , is a ( co ) polymer containing at least one monomer selected from the following vinyl - type monomer group a as essential component and monomer ( s ) selected from the following vinyl - type monomer group b as optional component . the vinyl - type monomer , which has a long chain alkyl group having not less than 17 carbon atoms , is , in general , acrylic ester or methacrylic ester of higher alcohol having not less than 17 carbon atoms , represented by the following general formula ## str1 ## wherein r 1 is h , ch 3 , c 2 h 5 , c 3 h 7 , or the like and r 2 is a long chain alkyl group having not less than 17 carbon atoms , such as ester of an alcohol such as heptadecyl alcohol , stearyl alcohol , nonadecyl alcohol , eicosyl alcohol , heneicosyl alcohol , docosyl alcohol , tricosyl alcohol , tetracosyl alcohol or the like with acrylic acid or methacrylic acid . vinyl - type monomers such as acrylic esters of acrylic acid , methyl acrylate , ethyl acrylate , hexyl acrylate , etc ., methacrylic esters of methacrylic acid , ethyl methacrylate , hexyl methacrylate , etc ., acrylonitrile , acrylic acid amide , methacrylic acid amide , styrene , vinyl acetate , vinyl esters , styrene , and the like . the particulate polymer is obtained by polymerizing the above vinyl - type monomer ( s ) according to an ordinary method of solution polymerization , suspension polymerization , emulsion polymerization or the like , and preferably , the polymer has a molecular weight of about 1 , 000 to about 100 , 000 . the polymer ( particles ) has a melting point in the range , preferably , of from 30 ° to 150 ° c ., and more preferably of from 40 ° to 120 ° c . the particulate polymer may be an ink which is colored with a coloring agent having the same color as that of the heat - melting ink layer . the particulate polymer is dispersed in a solvent , which does not dissolve said particulate polymer , or in water , to form a fine dispersion . for this purpose , examples of the solvent usable to polymerize the vinyl - type monomer ( s ) are water or solvents which do not dissolve the particulate polymer at room temperature such as alcohols and hydrocarbons , and these solvents are used alone or in combination . the resultant fine dispersion of the particulate polymer is mixed with a solution of the heat - resistant resin , and the mixture is applied on the heat - melting ink layer formed on the substrate film and then dried to give a transfer control layer of this invention . the polymerization of the vinyl - type monomer may be carried out in a solution of part or whole of the heat - resistant resin in the above - mentioned solvent . examples of the heat - resistant resin are those which have high glass transition points and are selected from acrylic resins , polyamide resins , polyester resins , epoxy resins , polyvinyl butyral , cellulose - type resins , polyvinyl alcohol , etc ., and these are used alone or in combination with each other or in combination with a curing agent . the heat - resistant resin is at least required to be soluble in the solvent used to form the dispersion of the particulate polymer , and further it is essential that the vinyl - type polymer particles and the heat - resistant resin are not mutually dissolved . that is , in order to achieve multi - gradation expression by means of the transfer control layer formed of the particulate polymer and the heat - resistant resin , it is necessary that the particulate polymer alone should melt to flow out and that the heat - melting ink should seep out little by little through the same places by means of head energy when printing . for this reason , the particulate polymer and the heat - resistant resin are required not to dissolve each other . the size of the vinyl - type particulate polymer can be controlled to some extent by means of the amount of an initiator , composition of the solvent and cooling speed . fig1 and 2 show a transfer control layer 14 formed by the above method ( 4 ), in which the small and large particles 15 of the heat - melting resin or heat - melting ink are held in the layer of the heat resistant resin of the high - molecular - weight compound . fig3 shows a transfer - control layer 14 formed by the above methods ( 1 ), ( 2 ) and ( 3 ), in which many through - pores 14a are formed in the layer of a high - molecular - weight compound which is a heat - resistant resin . the transfer control layer 14 so formed may be further subjected to heat treatment by a heating roll , etc ., to fill the through - pores 14a with an ink of a heat - melting ink layer 13 . further , a heat - sensitive transfer material having the transfer control layer ( containing fine particles of heat - melting resin ) obtained by the above method ( 4 ) may be heat treated at a temperature not lower than the softening point of the heat - melting resin . when the heat - melting resin is held in the pores , heat treatment is preferable , since the resin is mixed with the ink layer positioned beneath by the heat treatment , and excellent printing can be carried out with even a low charge of energy . the transfer control layer 14 has a thickness , preferably , of from 0 . 1 μm to 5 μm . in addition , the transfer control layer 14 is substantially non - transferable . in the heat - sensitive material of this invention , the substrate film and the heat - melting ink layer have an adhesive layer therebetween and are firmly bonded . hence , the separation of the substrate film and the heat - melting ink in their interface can be prevented . this is also one of the factors for achievement of multi - gradation recording . further , in this invention , a heat - sensitive transfer material of full color multi - gradation recording type can be obtained by arranging ( coating ) the pigments of the ink layer such that they are positioned side by side in the order of , e . g . yellow , magenta , cyan , black , etc . a heat - sensitive transfer material of full color multi - gradation recording type can be also obtained by arranging ( coating ) leuco dyes such that developed colors are in the order of , e . g . yellow , magenta , cyan , black , etc . a developer may be contained in the ink layer or in the receptor . fig4 shows an embodiment of a heat - sensitive layer in which the pigments or leuco dyes are repetitively arranged in the order of yellow 13a , magenta 13b and cyan 13c . black also may be added . this invention will be explained hereinbelow according to examples and comparative examples , in which &# 34 ; part &# 34 ; stands for &# 34 ; part by weight &# 34 ;. ten parts of an ethylene - vinyl acetate coplymer ( ultrathene ue - 760 , trade name , made by toyo soda k . k .) was dissolved in 90 parts of toluene to obtain an adhesive ( a1 ). separately , 20 parts of carbon black , 50 parts of paraffin wax , 20 parts of carnauba wax and 10 parts of an ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymer were fully kneaded at 90 ° c . to prepare a heat - melting ink ( b1 ). further , 5 parts of polyester resin ( vylon 200 , trade name , made by toyo boseki k . k . ), was dissolved in 25 parts of methyl ethyl ketone . then , 30 parts of this polyester resin solution and 5 parts of the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) were dispersed in a ball mill with 30 parts of glass beads to obtain an ink dispersion coating liquid ( c1 ). then , the adhesive ( a1 ) was coated on a polyester film having a thickness of 6 μm by using a wire bar such that its thickness was 0 . 5 μm , and then the solvent was dried off . the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) was melted at 90 ° c . and applied on this adhesive layer by a wire bar such that its thickness was 4 μm . thereafter , the coated material was cooled to room temperature . the ink dispersion coating liquid ( c1 ) was coated on the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) such that its thickness was 1 μm , and the solvent was dried off to give a heat - senstive transfer film sample 1 . example 1 was repeated except that a styrene - butadiene copolymer [ adhesive ( a2 )], ( califlex tr - 1101 , trade name , made by shell chemical k . k . ), was used in place of ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymer used in example 1 for the adhesive ( a1 ), to give a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 2 . a heat - melting ink was obtained by melting and kneading 20 parts of carbon black , 45 parts of paraffin wax , 30 parts of carnauba wax and 5 parts of an ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymer was used , as a substitute for the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) of example 1 , and the heat - melting ink so obtained was dispersed in a polyester resin solution in the same way as in example 1 to obtain an ink dispersion coating liquid ( c2 ). and the procedure thereafter was repeated in the same way as in example 1 to give a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 3 . five parts of polyester resin ( vylon 200 , trade name , made by toyobo k . k .) was dissolved in 25 parts of methyl ethyl ketone . 30 parts of this polyester resin solution and 5 parts of carnauba wax were dispersed in a ball mill with 30 parts of glass beads to obtain a heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c3 ). the adhesive ( a1 ) of example 1 was applied onto a polyester film having a thickness of 6 μm such that its thickness was 0 . 5 μm , and then the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) was melted at a temperature of 90 ° c . and applied thereon with a wire bar such that its thickness was 4 μm . the coated material was cooled to room temperature . then the heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c3 ) was applied on the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) with a wire bar such that its thickness was 0 . 5 μm , and the solvent was dried off to give a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 4 . example 4 was repeated by using a heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c4 ) obtained by using acrylic resin ( br - 80 , trade name , made by mitsubishi rayon k . k .) in place of vylon 200 of example 4 , to give a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 5 five parts of nitro cellulose ( celnova bth 1 / 2 second , trade name , made by asahi kasei k . k .) was dissolved in a mixture solvent containing 15 parts of methy ethyl ketone and 15 parts of isopropyl alcohol . 35 parts of this solution and 6 parts of rice wax were dispersed in a ball mill with 30 parts of glass beads to obtain a heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c5 ). an adhesive layer was formed on a polyester film having a thickness of 6 μm in the same way as in example 2 by using the adhesive ( a2 ) of example 2 . further , the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) of example 1 was melted at 90 ° c . and applied with a wire bar such that its thickness was 4 μm , and , after the coated material was cooled , the heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c5 ) was applied with a wire bar such that its thickness was 1 μm . the solvent was dried off to give a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 6 . the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) prepared in example 1 was coated on a polyester film having a thickness of 6 μm at 90 ° c . with a wire bar such that its thickness was 4 μm . the resultant material is referred to as a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 7 . the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) prepared in example 1 was coated on a polyester film at 90 ° c . with a wire bare such that its thickness was 4 μm . then , the heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c3 ) prepared in example 4 was coated thereon such that its thickness was 0 . 5 μm . the resultant material is referred to as a heat - sensitive transfer material sample 8 . twenty parts of carbon black , 50 parts of paraffin wax , 20 parts of candelilla wax and 10 parts of an ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymer were fully kneaded at 90 ° c . to prepare a heat - melting ink ( b2 ). five parts of polyester resin ( vylon 200 , trade name , made by toyobo k . k .) was dissolved in 25 parts of methyl ethyl ketone . this solution and 5 parts of the above heat - melting ink ( b2 ) were kneaded in a ball mill for 1 hour to obtain an ink dispersion coating liquid . polyisocyanate ( 0 . 5 parts , colonate l , trade name , made by nippon polyurethane k . k .) as a curing agent and 0 . 01 part of stannous octenoate as a catalyst were added to 20 parts of the above ink dispersion coating liquid , and fully mixed to obtain an ink dispersion coating liquid ( c6 ). the adhesive ( a1 ) of example 1 was applied on a polyester film having a thickness of 6 μm such that its thickness was 1 μm , and the solvent was dried off . the heat - melting ink ( b2 ) was melted at 90 ° c . and applied on the adhesive layer with a wire bar such that its thickness was 4 μm . the coated material was then cooled to room temperature , and the ink dispersion coating liquid ( c6 ) was applied on the ink ( b2 ) with a wire bar such that its thickness was 1 μm , and the coated material was dried at 50 ° c . for 1 day . the resultant film is referred to as a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 9 . four parts of acrylic resin ( aronix m - 7100 , trade name , made by toa gosei chemical k . k . ), 1 part of acrylic monomer ( a - tmpt , trade name , made by shin - nakamura chemical k . k . ), 0 . 2 part of a sensitizer ( dalocure 1173 , trade name , made by merck japan k . k . ), 25 parts of methyl ethyl ketone and 6 parts of the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) were mixed and shaken in a ball mill with 30 parts of glass beads for 1 hour . this ink is referred to as an ink dispersion coating liquid ( c7 ). the adhesive layer of example 2 was applied on a polyester film having a thickness of 6 μm such that its thickness was 0 . 5μ , and the solvent was dried off . the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) was melted at 90 ° c . and applied on the adhesive layer with a wire bar such that its thickness was 4 μm . the coated material was then cooled to room temperature , and the ink dispersion coating liquid ( c7 ) was applied on the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) with a wire bar such that its thickness was 1 μm . then the solvent was dried off at room temperature . that surface of the resultant sample which was coated with the ink dispersion coating liquid ( c7 ) was subjected to irradiation with an 80 w / cm high pressure mercury lamp located at 15 cm apart at a conveyer speed of 10 m / minute to give a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 10 . twenty parts by weight of methyl isobutyl ketone , 44 . 5 parts of isopropyl alcohol and 10 parts of stearyl acrylate were charged into a flask , and while the mixture was stirred in nitrogen atmosphere , the temperature was elevated to 85 ° c . twenty - five parts of methyl isobutyl ketone and 0 . 5 part of benzoyl peroxide were charged into a dropping tube , and added dropwise to the flask over 1 hour . while the temperature was maintained at 85 ° c ., the reaction was continued for 1 hour after the addition was finished . then , the reaction liquid was cooled with water while it was rapidly stirred , to give a dispersion . separately , 3 parts of nitrocellulose ( celnova bth 1 / 2 second , trade name , made by asahi kasei k . k .) was dissolved in 40 parts of methyl isobutyl ketone , and 27 parts of the dispersion and 30 parts of isopropyl alcohol were mixed therewith to give a heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c8 ). an adhesive layer was formed on a polyester film having a thickness of 6 μm in the same way as in example 1 by using the adhesive ( a1 ), and the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) was melted at 90 ° c . and applied on this adhesive layer with a wire bar such that its thickness was 5 μm . the coated material was then cooled to room temperature , and the heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c8 ) was applied on the heat - melting ink ( b1 ) with a wire bar such that its thickness was 1 μm and the solvent was fully dried off . the resultant film is referred to as a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 11 . fifteen parts of nitrocellulose ( celnova bth 1 / 2 second , trade name , made by asahi kasei k . k . ), 25 parts of methyl isobutyl ketone and 10 parts of isopropyl alcohol were charged into a flask , and while the mixture was stirred , the temperature was elevated to 85 ° c . 15 parts of stearyl acrylate , 0 . 75 part of 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- azobisisobutyronitrile , 17 . 25 parts of methyl isobutyl ketone and 17 parts of isopropyl alcohol were charged to a dropping tube and fully mixed . then , the mixture was added dropwise to the flask over 1 hour . the mixture was further stirred for 1 hour at 85 ° c ., and then cooled with ice water with stirring it rapidly . forty parts of isopropyl alcohol and 44 parts of methyl isobutyl ketone were added to 16 parts of the above dispersion and mixed fully therewith to give a heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c9 ). the adhesive ( a2 ), the heat - melting ink ( b2 ) and the heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c9 ) were applied successively on a polyester film having a thickness of 6 μm to give a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 12 . example 9 was repeated except that no adhesive layer was formed , to give a thermal transfer material . the obtained sample is referred to as a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 13 . a gravure ink each of yellow , magenta and cyan was obtained by fully kneading and dispersing the following ink composition of each color . ten parts of linol yellow gr ( trade name , made by toyo ink manufacturing co ., ltd ., c . i . pigment yellow 12 ), 55 parts of paraffin wax , 20 parts of carnauba wax and 15 parts of an ethylene - vinyl acetate coplymer ( ultrathene ue - 760 , trade name , made by toyo soda k . k .) were fully kneaded at 90 ° c . to give a heat - melting yellow ink . then , 20 parts of the above heat - melting yellow ink and 80 parts of isopropyl alcohol were dispersed in a ball mill with 100 parts of glass beads to give an yellow gravure ink ( b3 ). ten parts of linol red b ( trade name , made by toyo ink manufacturing co ., ltd ., c . i . pigment red 38 ) was substituted for linol yellow gr used in the preparation procedure for the above &# 34 ; heat - melting yellow ink &# 34 ;, and the procedure was repeated to give a heat - melting magenta ink . then , 20 parts of the above heat - melting magenta ink and 80 parts of isopropyl alcohol were dispersed in a ball mill with 100 parts of glass beads to give a magent a gravure ink ( b4 ). ten parts of linol blue kl ( trade name , made by toyo ink manufacturing co ., ltd ., c . i . pigment blue 15 - 3 ) was substituted for linol yellow gr used in the preparation procedure for the above &# 34 ; heat - melting yellow ink &# 34 ;, and the procedure was repeated to give a heat - melting cyan ink . then , 20 parts of the above heat - melting cyan ink and 80 parts of isopropyl alcohol were dispersed in a ball mill with 100 parts of glass beads to give a cyan gravure ink ( b5 ). the adhesive ( a1 ), yellow gravure ink ( b3 ), magenta gravure ink ( b4 ) and cyan gravure ink ( b5 ) were coated on a polyester film having a thickness of 6 μm by using a four - color gravure printing machine such that their thicknesses were respectively 0 . 5 μm , 4 μm , 4 μm and 4 μm and that the certain sizes of the yellow gravure ink ( b3 ), magenta gravure ink ( b4 ) and cyan gravure ink ( b5 ) were positioned side by side . then , the heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c3 ) was coated thereon by using the above gravure printing machine such that its thickness was 0 . 5 μm , to give a heat - sensitive tranfer film sample 14 . example 11 was repeated except that gravure inks using dyes for yellow , magenta and cyan in place of the pigments for such colors were used to give a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 15 . the preparation of each of the above gravure inks was as follows : the yellow gravure ink ( b6 ) was obtained by dispersing the following components in a ball mill with 100 parts of glass beads . oil color yellow # 101 ( trade name , made by orient chemical co ., ltd . ): 10 parts ethylene - vinyl acetate coplymer ( ultrathene ue - 760 , trade name , made by toyo soda k . k . ): 5 parts for the magenta gravure ink ( b7 ), oil color pink # 312 ( trade name , made by orient chemical co ., ltd .) was used in place of the oil color yellow # 101 , and the same procedure as above was repeated . for the cyan gravure ink ( b8 ), oil color blue bos ( trade name , made by orient chemical co ., ltd .) was used in place of the oil color yellow # 101 , and the same procedure as above was repeated . example 11 was repeated except that gravure inks using heat - melting coloring matters for yellow , magenta and cyan in place of the pigments for such colors were used , to give a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 16 . the heat - melting magenta coloring matter ( d1 ) was prepared by dissolving 3 parts of sodium oleate in water having a temperature of between 60 ° c . and 70 ° c ., adding thereto 5 parts of rhodamine 6 gcp ( trade name , made by hodogaya chemical co ., ltd ., c . i . basic red 1 ), continuously stirring the mixture with maintaining the above temperature for 3 hours , then filtering a reaction product , washing it and drying it at 60 ° c . for 48 hours . the heat - melting yellow coloring matter ( d2 ) was prepared in the same way as above except that c . i . basic yellow 11 was used in place of c . i . basic red 1 . the heat - melting cyan coloring matter ( d3 ) was also prepared in the same way as above except that c . i . basic blue 24 was used in place of c . i . basic red 1 . the yellow gravure ink was obtained by dispersing the following components in a ball mill with 100 parts of glass beads . ethylene - vinyl acetate coplymer ( ultrathene ue - 760 , trade name , made by toyo soda k . k . ): 5 parts for the magenta gravure ink , the heat - melting magenta coloring matter was used in place of the heat - melting yellow coloring matter , and the same procedure as above was repeated . for the cyan gravure ink , the heat - melting cyan coloring matter was used in place of the heat - melting yellow coloring matter , and the same procedure as above was also repeated . example 11 was repeated except that gravure inks using leuco dyes to color yellow , magenta and cyan in place of the pigments for such colors were used , to give a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 17 . a developer dispersion ( d4 ) was prepared by dispersing 40 parts of n - butyl p - xoxybenzoate , 4 parts of a polyvinyl alcohol resin ( pva224 , trade name , made by kuraray co ., ltd ) and 56 parts of water in a ball mill with 100 parts of glass beads . a leuco dye dispersion ( d5 ) was prepared by dispersing 10 parts of 3 - cyclohexylamino - 6 - chlorofluorine , 50 parts of a 20 % paraffin wax emulsion , 4 parts of pva224 and 36 parts of water in a ball mill with 100 parts of glass beads . the the developer dispersion ( d4 ) and the leuco dye dispersion ( d5 ) were mixed in a mixing ratio of 1 : 1 and stirred to give an yellow gravure to develop a yellow color at a thermal transfer time . for magenta gravure ink ( d6 ), 3 - diethylamino - 7 , 8 - benzfluorine was used in place of 3 - cyclohyxylamino - 6 - chlorofluorine , and the same procedure as above was repeated . for cyan gravure ink ( d7 ), 3 , 3 - bis ( p - dimethylaminophenyl ) phthalide was used in place of 3 - cyclohyxylamino - 6 - chlorofluorine , and the same procedure as above was also repeated . example 11 was repeated except that gravure inks using leuco dyes to color yellow , magenta and cyan in place of the pigments for such colors were used , to give a heat - sensitive transfer film sample 18 . the yellow gravure ink ( d8 ) was prepared by dispersing the following components in a ball mill with 100 parts of glass beads . ethylene - vinyl acetate coplymer ( ultrathene ue - 760 , trade name , made by toyo soda k . k . ): 3 parts for the magenta gravure ink ( d9 ), 3 - diethylamino - 7 , 8 - benzfluorine was used in place of 3 - cyclohexylamino - 6 - chlorofluorine , and the same procedure as above was repeated . for the cyan gravure ink ( d10 ), 3 , 3 - bis ( p - dimethylaminophenyl ) phthalide was used in place of 3 - cyclohexylamino - 6 - chlorofluorine , and the same procedure as above was also repeated . example 15 was repeated except that the heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c3 ) was replaced by a heat - melting resin dispersion coating liquid ( c10 ) obtained by dissolving 5 parts of a polyvinyl alcohol resin ( r - 1130 , trade name , made by kuraray co ., ltd .) in 25 parts of water and dispersing 30 parts of the resultant polyvinyl alcohol resin solution and 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 &# 39 ; hydroxyphenyl ) propane in a ball mill with 30 parts of glass beads , and as a result a heat - sensitive transfer film sample ( 19 ) was obtained . the heat - sensitive transfer films obtained in examples 1 to 14 and comparative examples 1 to 3 were tested to see printing on sheets of ordinary paper with a thermal printer under the conditions that the resolving power was 8 dots / mm , the charged voltage was 0 . 2 w / dot and the pulse width was changed . separately , a developer coating liquid was prepared by dispersing 20 parts of 2 , 2 - bis ( 4 &# 39 ; hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 10 parts of fine powder silica , 5 parts of polyvinyl alcohol ( r - 1130 , trade name , made by kuraray co ., ltd .) and 100 parts of water in a ball mill with 50 parts of glass beads . and the heat - sensitive transfer films obtained in examples 15 and 16 were tested to see printing on sheets prepared by coating the developer coating liquid on a high quality paper having a basis weight of 30 g / m 2 with a wire bar such that its dried coating weight was 7 g / m 2 . the results of measurement of optical reflection densities after the above printing are shown in table 1 by using charged energy and reflection density . the optical reflection densities were measured by using a macbeth rd918 ( made by a division of kollmorgen corporation ). table 1______________________________________optical reflection densityheat - sensitive transfer charged energy ( mj / dot ) film sample no . 0 . 6 0 . 9 1 . 2 1 . 5______________________________________1 0 . 4 0 . 8 1 . 2 1 . 42 0 . 4 0 . 7 1 . 1 1 . 43 0 . 3 0 . 7 1 . 1 1 . 44 0 . 3 0 . 7 1 . 1 1 . 35 0 . 4 0 . 8 1 . 1 1 . 46 0 . 3 0 . 7 1 . 1 1 . 37 ( cex . 1 ) 1 . 2 1 . 2 1 . 3 1 . 48 ( cex . 2 ) peeld 0 . 8 1 . 2 1 . 49 0 . 4 0 . 7 1 . 1 1 . 510 0 . 3 0 . 8 1 . 2 1 . 411 0 . 3 0 . 6 1 . 0 1 . 312 0 . 3 0 . 6 1 . 0 1 . 313 ( cex . 3 ) peeld 0 . 8 1 . 1 1 . 414 yellow 0 . 2 0 . 3 0 . 7 0 . 9 magenta 0 . 2 0 . 5 1 . 0 1 . 2 cyan 0 . 2 0 . 4 0 . 9 1 . 215 yellow 0 . 2 0 . 3 0 . 6 0 . 9 magenta 0 . 2 0 . 4 0 . 7 1 . 1 cyan 0 . 2 0 . 5 0 . 8 1 . 216 yellow 0 . 2 0 . 4 0 . 7 1 . 0 magenta 0 . 2 0 . 5 0 . 8 1 . 2 cyan 0 . 2 0 . 6 0 . 8 1 . 217 yellow 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 6 0 . 9 magenta 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 6 1 . 1 cyan 0 . 1 0 . 3 0 . 7 1 . 218 yellow 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 5 0 . 8 magenta 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 6 1 . 0 cyan 0 . 1 0 . 3 0 . 7 1 . 019 yellow 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 4 0 . 7 magenta 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 5 0 . 9 cyan 0 . 1 0 . 3 0 . 6 0 . 9______________________________________ | 8 |
the present disclosure is directed to compositions and methods for preventing or substantially reducing soil erosion , while simultaneously creating a seed bed and broadcasting seed . with regard to the composition , it is to be understood that raw or green manure is fed to a digester to extract methane gas , and the resultant waste product , or sludge , provides the organic component of the present inventive composition . the present inventive composition includes the waste sludge from the digestive process , and a polymer tackifier can be used in one form to assure adhesion between the particles and the desired seed to be germinated . it is to be understood that for purposes of consistency and predictability the waste or sludge must be dried to a certain point , for example 6 % moisture , such that the formula may be carefully constructed . the resultant composition could be either in a dried form and packaged such that it can be liquefied to the desired concentration at the time of application , or in the alternative , may be pre - mixed , including the required water carrier to permit the hydraulic distribution of the material . in actual practice , the soil will require some pre - preparation to ensure that purpose is as desired and is receptive to the inventive solution . the inventive solution is applied at a predetermined rate and the sludge or waste organic material serves to both retain moisture for germination and provides the nutrients necessary for promoting rapid and uniform growth . it is thus to be seen that the present disclosure contemplates the utilization of the waste byproduct of another eco - friendly process to greatly reduce soil erosion and simultaneously promote the reproduction and growth of oxygen - producing matter . because the composition is primarily waste product and water , it is extremely economical to use . as shown in the highly schematic fig1 , there is shown a digesting process 20 where byproduct is forcibly repositioned from the process by way of a conveyer - like member such as an augur 22 , and of course any plurality of methods can be utilized to reposition the material which is eventually deposited as shown schematically at 24 . the post processed material 24 is essentially from a manure - like original source which in one form is cow manure or the like , which utilizes the digester 20 to conduct an anaerobic process to extract energy therefrom , in particular by way of combustible methane . the digesting byproduct 24 in one preferred form is a result from a base input product to the digesting system 20 from cows , specifically cow manure . of course , other types of raw inputs for the digesting system 20 could be utilized such as dog feces , turkey droppings and other types of materials that have high nitrogen content , which is advantageous as described below . however , the cow manure is a desirable digestive byproduct because it does have a matrix - like structure as described herein which is desirable in a hydro seeding application , and further has a high nitrogen content which aids in the germination and the facilitation of the growth of the seed in the hydro seeding process . referring again to fig1 , after the digesting byproduct 24 is positioned from the digestion process 20 it is transferred to a post - processing phase schematically indicated at 26 . in one form , the material is dried , screened and bagged . further , depending upon the certain parameters it could be finely shredded . it should be noted that the digesting material can have a water weight between 4 % and 20 % in one form . for purposes of shipping and a final mixing process for the hydro seeding composition , such specific water density of the material should be known . it is desirable to have a low water retention within the material during the process 26 for purposes of shipping or a desirable range is approximately 6 % the post - processing procedure 26 which in one form could include an existing wood fiber mulching plant to conduct such processing , at some phase during the processing it dries the material in a drying assembly grid - like process known in the art . it is advantageous , as mentioned above , to lower the water weight to approximately 5 % to 6 % moisture content for purposes of shipping the material when it is bagged , and further handling the bags by hand by the individuals mixing up the hydro seeding slurry mixture . the post - processing phase 26 further can provide a screening process to remove out the larger sized particulate matter from the digestion product and bags the material as schematically indicated at 28 . the bag material 28 now is ready to be drop shipped or otherwise delivered to be utilized on - site for a hydro seeding process . in general , the hydro seeding process includes a mixture generally comprised of seed 30 , fertilizer 32 , and a matrix substance such as the material 28 . ( prior art forms of hydro seeding utilize wood fiber .) further , in other forms , a tackifying agent 35 can be utilized to create a more rigid matrix - like structure to aid in water retention and the integrity of the distributed hydro seed . of course in the present embodiment , as opposed to having wood fiber as done in the prior art , the material 28 can be utilized . as described above , the digestion byproduct material schematically indicated at 28 in fig1 has a higher nitrogen content , and further when the byproduct is cow manure , the grass - like structure provides a desirable interlocking matrix to aid in the water retention of hydro seed composition . as shown in fig1 , the material 28 , the seed 30 and a mixture of fertilizer 32 can all be utilized to make the hydro seed composition indicated at 34 . present analysis indicates that due to the high nitrogen content of the material 28 , perhaps in some cases less fertilizer can be utilized . in actual application , fertilizer bags are positioned on a trailer and shipped to the site where the hydro seeding is to be commenced . this takes up a fair amount of space and weight which can oftentimes cause logistical issues in transporting the material . therefore , the high nitrogen content of the material 28 can be particularly useful for facilitating the growth of the seed and reducing the total cost of the operation . it should be noted that in other forms , the material 28 can be mixed with existing known similar material such as wood pulp , straw , grass clippings , or paper byproduct for purposes of a making a hydro seed composition 34 . as noted above , an optional ingredient to be included in the hydro seed composition is the tackifying agent 35 such as a guar material or other hydrophilic material , which increases the integrity of the distributed hydro seed material which is schematically shown in the lower left - hand portion of fig1 at 36 . the hydro seed distributing member 38 distributes the composition 34 and the hydro seed may be germinated , pre - germinated or post - germinated when distribution occurs . while the present disclosure is illustrated by description of several embodiments and while the illustrative embodiments are described in detail , it is not the intention of the applicants to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail . additional advantages and modifications within the scope of the appended claims will readily appear to those sufficed in the art . the disclosure in its broader aspects is therefore not limited to the specific details , representative apparatus and methods , and illustrative examples shown and described . accordingly , departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of applicants &# 39 ; general concept . | 0 |
an exemplary system which incorporates the teachings of the present invention is shown in fig1 . it is readily apparent that the present invention is applicable to a variety of systems and system configurations . fig1 is illustrative of the bandwidth that the bus system of the present invention can provide . referring to fig1 , the synchronous bus system 100 shown provides connections between a controller 115 , which functions as a bridge between a microprocessor bus 110 , to which one or more microprocess devices are connected , or a memory bus ( not shown ) to which one or more memory devices are connected , and bus expander bridges 117 , 120 , and 125 . as is shown in one embodiment , bridges 117 and 120 expand and format the data received across the bus 100 to provide output to a 64 bit peripheral component interface ( pci ) bus 121 or two 32 bit pci buses 122 , 123 to which pci compatible devices ( not shown ) are connected . furthermore , it is illustrated that the bus 100 can provide data to a bridge that interfaces to a graphics bus and connected devices ( not shown ). the signaling topology of the bus system of the present invention is illustrated in fig2 a , 2 b , 2 c , 2 d and 2 e . referring to fig2 a , synchronous bus 200 connects a controller 215 to an expander bridge 220 , such as a pci expander bridge which bridges to a pci bus ( not shown ). in the present embodiment , a controller is shown to be connected to a bus expander bridge via the bus . however , it is readily apparent that the bus can connect a variety of types of devices and subsystems . fig2 b , 2 c , 2 d and 2 e are tables describing the different signals used in the present embodiment . in one embodiment , the bus is a 16 bit wide data bus , which carries commands , addresses , data and transaction id information . in addition , two additional bits carry mask and other information for the data fields . in one embodiment , the function of the two additional bits varies according to the clock cycle . for example , the fields provide byte enables ( mask information ) identifying the bytes consisting of valid information and may alternately carry a command type or parity . the bus is bi - directional between the sending and receiving devices . in the present embodiment , the bus transactions are full split transactions and consist of a request packet and a completion packet . the request packet initiates a transaction . completion packets are used to return data , indicate that a transaction has completed on the destination device , and reallocate buffer sources between the source and destination device . all transactions can be classified as a read request or a write request . read requests contain command address bit enables for non - fetchable reads , routing information and length for desired data . the read completion packet contains the status of the request , the data retrieved in response to the read request , and routing and transaction information to identify the corresponding request . a write request includes the write data in its packet . the write completion contains no data but indicates if the write is completed successfully . each bus cycle ( xclk ) is equivalent to the system host clock cycle . however , each bus cycle contains a “ p ” half cycle and “ n ” half cycle . the “ p ” half cycle occurs for example while xclk clock is high . the “ n ” half cycle occurs while the xclk clock is low thus the throughput is doubled by transmitting packets on each half cycle . a packet of information consists of multiple 32 bit words . one word associated byte enables are sent over the bus each xclk cycle . each word is distributed between the positive and negative phase of the bus clock cycle with bits [ 31 : 16 ] set on the positive phase and bits [ 15 : 0 ] set on the negative phase . it is readily apparent that the bus is not limited to this packet structure and a variety of implementations may be used . one key aspect of the high speed synchronous bus of the present invention is that the reset signal ( xrst #) enables the synchronization of all devices connected to the bus . once synchronized , the transmitting and receiving devices operate synchronously in accordance with prespecified timing protocols to synchronously transmit packets between devices over multiple clock cycles . as illustrated in fig2 a , both the reset signal ( xrst #) and clock signal ( xclk ) arrive at each connected component simultaneously in order to maintain synchronous operation . in the present embodiment , the xclk and xrst # signals are issued by one component 215 and transmitted to the second component 220 and back into the first component 215 through lines 217 , 219 , which are approximately equal in length to lines 221 , 223 connected between the first and second components 215 , 220 . this ensures that both components 215 , 220 receive the signals at the same time and maintain synchronous operation . preferably the lengths of lines 217 , 223 are matched as closely as possible as the clock timing is critical . the matching of lines 219 , 221 may be less accurately matched in length . an illustrative timing diagram for the reset process for a 2 clock cycle timing budget is shown in fig3 . each device connected to the bus sees the xrst # deasserted on the same generating xclk clock signal . each component starts its synchronous strobes signal running a predetermined number of clock cycles ( e . g . three clock cycles ) after observing an xrst # deassert . although a three clock cycle is specified in the present embodiment , the number of predetermined cycles can vary so long as all devices start their synchronous strobe signal on the same cycle . with reference to fig3 , each device captures the xrst # deassertion on the rising edge of clock t 3 . each component , therefore , initiates its strobe signal generator after the rising edge of clock t 6 . the source synchronous signal capture circuit can therefore synchronize its sampling clocks , since it knows the timing relationship between the xrst # deassertion and the first data strobe . the system and timing relationships can be defined in a variety of ways . however , in the present embodiment the rising clock edge that samples xrst # deassertion is referred to the odd cycle and the first data strobe is started from an even clock edge . the earliest even clock edge that starts the strobe signals is the second even clock edge after the xrst # deassertion is sampled . in the present embodiment which implements a two clock cycle timing budget , the sampling , for reception of data , always selects the capture element ( e . g . flip - flop ) that contains data that was launched two clock cycles earlier . for example , in a three clock cycle mode , the selection would select that which was launched three clock cycles earlier . the multiplexor identifies the odd clock when xrst # deasserts . since it is defined that the first strobe is always sent on an even clock , the capture flops and sampling multiplexors remain synchronized . as described earlier , the distance between devices is longer than typical synchronous bus systems as the timing budget has been expanded to span multiple clock cycles . furthermore , greater data throughput using fewer pins is achieved in part by launching data on both the even and odd numbered clock cycles . the capture mechanism at the receiver , which enables this capability as well as expansion of the timing budget , is shown in fig4 . data is received via one of two capture flops 405 or 410 . the flop enable is controlled by a third flop 415 , which causes the enabled flop to toggle between capture flops 405 and 410 , as driven by the positive data strobe signal ( p_stb #). thus , data that is launched on an even clock is captured by the even capture flop 410 . data that is captured on an odd clock is always captured by the odd capture flop 405 . the present circuit , illustrated in fig4 , illustrates the capture circuitry for the positive data phases of the signals . therefore , a negative data phase capture circuit would also be included driven by a negative strobe signal ( n_stb #). in such a circuit the core clock - to - sampling flop would also be inverted . referring again to fig4 , the sampling multiplexor 420 samples the data from the capture flops two clock cycles after transmission of the data was initiated ( i . e . launched ). the multiplexor 420 is synchronized by the reset signal xrst # and the circuitry 430 , which is driven by the reset signal . thus , as the sampling multiplexor 420 is synchronized to sample initially on the even clock and the data first arrives on the even , clock as shown in the strobe start up timing detail , the multiplexor 420 properly samples the odd and even clocks data two cycles after launch . once the data is processed through the sampling multiplexor , the data is input to combinatorial logic and into a sampling flip - flop 440 . this is subsequently output into other circuitry of the device . it should be noted that the circuitry 430 shows a number of flip - flops which cause a delay sufficient to provide adequate initialization for valid sampling of data . the delay path synchronizes the sampling multiplexor 420 to the launched data . the delay can be varied according to the configuration implemented . preferably , as shown in fig2 , xclkout ( the clock signal ) and xrstout # ( the reset signal ) are generated by a common source . both are generated by the controller in the present embodiment and are kept synchronous by routing both through an external clock driver and maintaining approximately the same routing signal line length as shown in fig2 . it is preferred that the length of the bus is limited by the following factors : xclk , xclk to p_stb #+ tof ( time of flight between devices )+ p_stb # to capture data valid + set up time for p data sample is less than or equal to the number of allocated clock periods ( in the present illustration two clock periods ). thus , in the present embodiment , the delay through the combinatorial logic 435 between the sampling flop and sampling multiplexor must be included in the set up time . preferably , the turn around time from receiving to sending must increase from one xclk period to two when xclk to p_stb + tof is greater than or equal to one clock cycle . this is required to prevent sending data from colliding with the trailing negative data phase receive data . a timing circuit showing the timing of exemplary packet transmissions is shown in fig5 . referring to fig5 , xrst # already has deasserted at some time prior to t 5 . the strobes ( p_stb #, n_stb #) already are running and the sampling circuitry is synchronized . signals bracketed at the left and labeled “ send ” indicate the observed signal timing at the sending end . “ receive ” indicates the same observed signals at the receiving end . the difference is the time shift due to the flight time of the signals between the sender device and the receiver device . at time t 37 the sender device asserts hrts # to indicate its request to send . at time t 37 , xrts # ( not shown ) was not observed asserted , so the sending device knows that it has won arbitration of the bus . the sender asserts xads # at time t 38 to frame the packet information indicated as 1 p , 1 n , 2 p , 2 n . at the receiving end , the receiver device observes ( captures ) hrts # asserted at time t 38 . this is the time shifted hrts # signal asserted at time t 37 . the receiver knows to expect xads # during the next clock ( t 39 ). the present embodiment utilizes a distributed arbiter . thus , if the sender in this example did not have high priority , xads # would have been sent two clocks after hrts # instead of one clock after hrts #. each device knows its priority . by convention , the high priority device will send its data one clock earlier than the low priority device ( assuming the low priority device was not already requesting ). therefore , the low priority device must wait an additional clock when it asserts its request in order to guarantee the high priority device has observed the request . at clock t 39 , the receiver samples hrts # from the capture flop that captured it . data is then sampled starting at time t 39 from the respective flops . the processes for resetting the system to operate in a synchronous matter and transmission of data are illustrated by the simplified flow diagrams fig6 and 7 . the process for performing reset is generally described with reference to fig6 . at step 605 , reset signal is sent such that it is received by all devices at the same time . furthermore , the reset signal ( xrst #) is output through drivers and fed back into the originating device such that the line lengths are compatible and the reset signal is received by all devices at the same time . the reset signal is clocked out by a pll clock which typically is not in phase with the core clock of the controller device ( e . g ., device 215 , fig2 ). however , the equal length feedback trace assures that the clock ( and the reset signal that is synchronous to it ) will be in phase with the core clocks by the time the signal arrives at the end of the wires . the devices ( e . g ., 215 , 220 , fig2 ), at step 610 , observe the deassertion of the reset signal . at step 616 , the first rising clock edge that samples the reset signal is identified as the odd clock cycle and the next edge is identified as the even clock cycle . the first data strobe therefore is designated as the second clock edge ( even ) after deassertion of the reset signal . at step 620 , a flip - flop selecting multiplexor in the receiver circuitry of each device identifies the odd clock cycle when the reset signal is deasserted in order to synchronize sampling circuitry to the sending circuitry which issues the data strobe and data . at step 630 , data transmission is initiated on a clock edge of an even clock cycle , which coincides with the issuance of the data strobes on the even clock cycle . preferably , the system waits a predetermined number of clock cycles , such as 64 clock cycles , before initiating data transmission such that sufficient time is given for initialization of circuitry . the transmission process will now be described with reference to fig7 . at step 700 the transmitting device simultaneously launches a strobe and data to the receiving device . at step 701 , the strobe and data are received at the receiving device . at step 702 , if the strobe was sent on an even clock the data is captured by the even flops ; if the strobe was sent on an odd clock , the data is captured by the odd flops . at step 703 , data is sampled at the receiver two clocks after launch from the sending device . thus , data is sampled by the even flop if launched on even clock cycle and sampled by the odd flop if launched on an odd clock cycle . as mentioned above , once the circuitry in both devices are synchronized , the receiver circuitry simply toggles between even flops and odd flops . thus , a process of operation for synchronous bus transmission across multiple clock cycles in which the sending and receiving devices receive clock signals at the same frequency is described . although not required for operation of the high speed synchronous system as described above , the effectiveness of the system is further enhanced using the embedded flow control method and apparatus described below . in particular , bus overhead is decreased by distributing flow control to the devices coupled to the bus and embedding flow control data into the packets . each device has at least one tracker device or circuit that tracks the flow of data and bus requests inbound and outbound onto the bus . at initialization , each tracker is provided information regarding the buffer capacities of the other coupled devices . during the process of transmission of packets , the tracker accesses predetermined bits of each packet to determine the states of the queues ( i . e ., how full / empty ) and controls the flow of packets between devices . thus flow control is embedded in the packet protocol . in the present embodiment , flow control between two devices is described . however , it is contemplated that the structure can be expanded to support flow control between multiple pairs of devices by replication of trackers . a simplified block diagram of the flow control portion of the system is illustrated in fig8 . referring to fig8 , a memory controller 805 , is coupled to memory 802 and a processor 803 . alternately the memory controller is coupled to a processor bus to which one or more processes 803 are coupled . the memory controller 805 is further coupled to a bus bridge 810 through a bus 815 . in one embodiment , the bus bridge 810 is connected to a pci bus 820 . the bus bridge 810 shown provides one bus connection ( e . g ., one 64 bit connection ) to the pci bus 820 . however , it is contemplated that the bus bridge supports multiple bus connections ( e . g . 2 - 32 bit connections ). in a multiple bus connection arrangement , the tracker circuitry tracks the status of dual queues , one per connection . furthermore , device 805 is described herein as a memory controller . however , it is readily apparent that device 805 can be a variety of types of devices that coupled to the bus 815 . similarly , device 810 can be embodied as a variety of devices and is not limited to a bus bridge . the memory controller 805 includes request queue tracker logic 822 , data queue tracker logic 832 , outbound request queue 824 , outbound data buffer 826 , inbound request queue 828 and inbound data queue 830 . also shown is interface / control logic 834 which provides supporting logic for interfacing with the memory 802 and processor 803 , performing the memory operations with memory 802 and processor 803 , as well as providing the request packets and confirmation packets that are described below . for purposes of simplification of explanation , the data communicated between the memory 802 , processor 803 and the memory controller 805 is shown to be transmitted through the interface / control logic 834 ; however , it is contemplated that data may be transmitted directly between the queues and the memory 802 and processor 803 . the request queue tracker logic 822 and data queue tracker logic 832 respectively track how full the respective queues 824 , 852 and 826 , 856 are , such that once queue is full , the tracker prevents a packet from being generated and placed in the queues 824 , 826 . in the present embodiment , the tracker 822 , 832 functions as a counter to maintain counts of available queue space . the interface / control logic 834 operates in conjunction with the tracker 822 , 832 to issue the corresponding control signals / data to processor 803 and memory 802 to permit / prevent outbound packet generation and placement in the corresponding queues . inbound request queue 828 and inbound data queue 830 respectively receive inbound requests and confirmation packets ( and associated data ) from the bus bridge 810 . in one embodiment , the write data and read data is separately queued and tracked . in one embodiment , the request queue maintains both read and write requests , but the tracker permits only a predetermined maximum number of read requests and a predetermined number of write requests regardless of the number of available slots in the queue . in one embodiment , the tracker logic 822 is configured to permit only two read requests and six write requests in an eight deep queue . this is desirable so that the one type of request , e . g ., write request , does not prevent the queuing of read requests when the number of requests exceeds the size of a queue . thus in the current example , if six write requests are currently queued and the device wishes to queue a seventh write request , the tracker will not permit it even though the queue has the capacity to receive two more requests . ( those that are preallocated per read requests ). if the queue currently has six write requests and the device wishes to issue a read request , the tracker will permit the read request to be queued . the bus bridge 810 is similarly configured with a request queue tracker 850 , data queue tracker 860 , outbound request queue 852 , inbound request queue 854 , outbound data queue 856 , inbound data queue 858 and interface / control logic 882 . the queue tracking functions are performed similar to that described above . trackers 850 , 860 maintain counts of information stored in the queues 854 , 828 , and 858 , 830 , respectively , and prevent the generation of packets when one of the queues is full . interface / control logic 882 not described in detail herein represents the logic used to communicate with the bus 820 and generate the request and confirmation packets as described below . fig9 a and 9 b are simplified flow charts respectively illustrating the flow control process for requests and data . although the two processes are described separately and flow control can be initiated using either one or both processes , it is preferred that both processes are used concurrently to control flow control as shown in fig9 c . in the present embodiment , the tracker maintains a count representative of the data stored in the receiving buffer . for example , tracker 824 maintains a count of requests stored in queue 852 . when the count exceeds a predetermined maximum , the tracker controls the device , e . g . processor 803 , to prohibit the creation of the packet , and causing the device to continue to retry issuing the request until space in the queue becomes available . in the present embodiment , a packet is not created if the tracker indicates that the receiving queue is full ; it is contemplated that in other embodiments the tracker may use other mechanisms for preventing a request from entering a full queue . turning back to the present embodiment , if an inbound pci ( write ) request , for example , is attempted from bus 820 , the request will be retried until the inbound tracker 850 indicates that the inbound queue in device 805 has room for the write request . the same occurs for outbound transactions . if an inbound request queue were to accept a transaction for which there is no room in the receiving inbound queue , a deadlock can occur even though no packet is sent , until there is room in the receiving queue . referring to fig9 a , at step 900 , the request buffer count maintained by the tracker is initialized . for example , the count may be initialized to zero . however , the actual value may be some other value such that when the count reaches the predetermined maximum corresponding to the size of the corresponding buffer , a register overflow occurs . alternately , the count is initialized to a value corresponding to the predetermined maximum and the tracker decrements the count for each request to be sent . thus , the buffer maximum is reached when the count reaches zero . the maximum size of the buffer may be hardcoded or read from a configuration register or fill . preferably , the capacities of corresponding pairs of buffers , e . g . 724 , 752 are checked to determine the buffer having the smaller capacity ; in this situation the maximum size would correspond to the size of the buffers having the smaller capacity . furthermore , it is contemplated that the predetermined maximum does not necessarily equal the exact capacity of the buffer and can be a value smaller than the actual buffer capacity for a variety of reasons . for example , in the present embodiment , the predetermined maximum for write requests is 6 even though the buffer capacity is 8 requests . other embodiments are also contemplated . at step 905 , if a completion packet is received , the request tracker decrements the request buffer count , step 910 , as receipt of a completion packet is indicative that the request has been processed and is no longer in the buffer . at step 915 , if a request packet is to be sent , at step 920 , the request buffer count is incremented and it is determined whether the count exceeds the predetermined maximum , step 925 . if the count does not exceed the predetermined maximum , then the receiving buffer in the device has the capacity to receive the request and the request packet is prepared for transmission and subsequently sent out over the bus , step 940 . if the count exceeds the predetermined maximum , then the available capacity of the buffer cannot accept the request packet and the request packet tracker prevents the request packet from being created or enqueued and causes the transmission process at the initiating bus to be retried , step 935 . it should be noted that fig9 a is described with respect to the transmission of request packets from a first device ( e . g ., device 805 , fig8 ). however , the same process is performed when the same device is to send a completion packet as the packets are buffered in the same buffer ( e . g ., inbound request buffer 852 , fig8 ). in addition , if the process is performed with a dual port device such as the bus bridge described above , the first device would continue to send ( preferably sending to alternate buffers ) until both buffers are at full capacity . a very similar process is performed to control flow control with respect to data contained in the packet . a request packet is a determined size which fits in a predetermined amount of space . however , the amount of data is variable . thus for data buffers , a length field in the packet is accessed to determine the amount of buffer space needed . a similar process is then performed to determine when data to be queued would cause the capacity of the data queue to be exceeded . the tracker will not allow the capacity of the data buffer to be exceeded . for example , if a device on the bus 820 wants to write 16 dwords ( 16 × 4 bytes ), but the tracker indicates only room for 8 , the control logic 882 will only accept eight dwords . the device ( not shown ) on the bus 820 must retry a write for the remaining dwords until the tracker indicates room for them . alternately , control logic 882 will be configured such that the logic will not allow the generation of packets unless all data can be placed in the queue . referring to fig9 b , the data buffer count is initialized , step 950 . if a completion packet is received , step 955 , the data buffer count is decremented , step 960 , by the length ( len ) value stored in the completion packet . by using the len value , accurately buffer tracking relevant to the buffer capacities can be performed . it should be noted that the len value is the same length as is found in the outgoing information . at step 965 , if a request is to be sent , the len value is determined , and the data buffer count is incremented by an amount corresponding to the len . at step 970 , if the amount of data of the packet plus the current amount of data in the buffer will exceed the capacity of the buffer , the device is prohibited from creating the packet and placing the packet in the buffer . the device subsequently will retry , 990 , until the capacity of the buffer can accept the amount of data of the packet . preferably , the requesting device can indicate that a portion of the data that fits in the remaining buffer space is to be sent ( e . g ., by issuing a command to the tracker ). the requesting device subsequently issues requests , and retries if necessary , for the balance of the data . if the buffer count will not be exceeded , at step 995 the packet is formed by the requesting device and placed in the buffer . as noted earlier , it is preferable that the flow control process takes into account available request buffer space and available data buffer space . if either buffer is full and cannot receive data , the request is not processed . this is illustrated by the flow chart of fig9 c . at step 996 , it is determined if a completion packet is received and if one is received , at step 997 , the request buffer count is decremented by an amount corresponding to one request and the data buffer count is decremented by an amount corresponding to the len value . at step 998 , if a request is received , it is determined whether there is available buffer space in the request buffer and the data buffer . as the amount of data can vary , it is possible that one buffer is full while the other buffer still has capacity . if either buffer is not available to receive a request , the request is not processed . the sending device is issued a retry signal , step 1000 , to indicate to retry the request later . otherwise , at step 1001 , the request is output to the request buffer and the corresponding data to the data buffer . thus the flow control is embedded into the packet protocol . illustrative packets are shown in fig1 a , 10 b , 10 c , and 10 d . the flow control mechanism described refers to the type encoding ( tp [ 1 : 0 ]), request command encoding ( rcom [ 4 : 0 ]), completion command encoding ( ccom [ 4 : 0 ]) and length ( len [ 7 : 0 ]) fields which are found in the request packets ( fig1 a ) and completion packets ( fig1 b ). preferably writes and reads are controlled separately by the tracker such that different maximum count values can be used for write requests and read requests . for example , when a read request is pushed into the memory controller &# 39 ; s outbound transaction queue , tp [ 1 : 0 ] is 00 to indicate a request with no data and rcom [ 4 : 0 ] is 0 to indicate that the request is to use a read queue slot . the packet is formed and placed in the queue and the outbound read queue tracker therefore is decremented by one . when the completion packet corresponding to the read request is sent back by the pxb , tp [ 1 : 0 ] is [ 1 : x ], where x is 1 if the data returned and 0 if no data was return . ccom [ 4 : 0 ] is 0 to indicate this is a completion for a read request . the outbound read queue tracker therefore increments the count by one . it follows that when a read completion is popped from the memory controller inbound transaction queue , the outbound read queue tracker is incremented by one . similar operations occur with respect to the bus bridge . when a write is to be performed , the request is pushed into the device &# 39 ; s outbound transaction queue . tp [ 1 : 0 ] is 01 to indicate a request with data and rcom [ 4 : 0 ] is 1 to indicate the request is using a write queue slot . the output write request queue tracker is incremented by 1 . when the completion for a write request is sent back , tp [ 1 : 0 ] is 10 to indicate a completion with no data . ccom [ 4 : 0 ] is 1 to indicate a completion for a write request . when a write completion is popped from the device &# 39 ; s inbound transaction queue , the outbound write queue tracker is incremented by 1 . as noted above , when a transaction queue tracker decrements to zero , transactions of that type can no longer be pushed into the transaction queue preferably , the requesting device will retry any additional actions of this type . in the present embodiment , data buffer management is handled a little differently ; however , it is contemplated that data buffer management can be handled the same way as requests . the tp [ 1 : 0 ], rcom [ 4 : 0 ] and len [ 7 : 0 ] fields in the request packet header are used to allocate data buffers by the data buffer trackers . the tp [ 1 : 0 ], ccom [ 4 : 0 ] and len [ 7 : 0 ] fields in the completion packet header are used to deallocate data buffers by the data buffer trackers . for example , when a read is pushed into the memory controller outbound transaction queue , e . g . by the processor , tp [ 1 : 0 ] is 00 to indicate a request with no data and rcom [ 0 ] is 0 to indicate the request is using a read queue slot . the outbound read data buffer tracker is decremented by len where len indicates data size , in the present embodiment , the number of dwords being requested . when the completion packet for the read is sent back by the bus bridge , tp [ 1 : 0 ] is [ 1 : x ] where x is 1 if data is returned and 0 if no data was returned . ccom [ 4 : 0 ] is 0 to indicate that the packet is a completion packet for a read . when a read completion is popped from the memory controller inbound transaction queue , the outbound read data buffer is incremented by len . when a write packet is pushed into the memory controller outbound transaction queue , e . g . by the coupled processor , tp [ 1 : 0 ] is 01 to indicate a request with data and rcom [ 4 : 0 ] is 1 to indicate the request is using a write queue slot . the outbound write data buffer tracker is decremented by len where len indicates the number of dwords being written . the value in the len field of the write request packet and the associated completion packet are always equal even if the write was not successful at the other bus . when the completion packet for the write is sent back by the pxb , tp [ 1 : 0 ] is 10 to indicate a completion with no data . ccom [ 0 ] is 1 to indicate that the packet is a completion packet for a write request . when the write completion is received by the outbound write data buffer tracker , the count is incremented by len . normally , requests and completions leave a transaction queue in the same order as entered . this is necessary to preserve proper transaction ordering , i . e ., the order of occurrence on one bus is the same as the order on the receiving bus . however , a write completion contains no data , hence , no ordering requirement . therefore , it is preferred that the completion packet is sent directly to the tracker . when a data buffer tracker decrements to zero or has insufficient data buffers for a particular request , that request cannot be pushed into the transaction queue . the data buffer tracker &# 39 ; s bus interface will therefore retry any additional transactions of that type . similar logic is used to support write packets issued by the bus bridge . a simplified example of the embedded flow control process is illustrated below . for purposes of discussion , the example is simplified and does not take into account other configuration parameters such as those related to prefetching . in addition , the below example and the discussion that follows discusses the flow control mechanism in the context of a device , such as a memory controller , coupled through the high speed bus of the present invention to a pci bus bridge expander that transfers the data to 2 32 bit pci busses or 1 64 bit pci bus . certain transactions demand a fixed number of dwords to transfer . for example , a line write command ( pci mwi ) must transfer a full line . if a line consists of 8 dwords and less than 8 dwords of buffering is available , the transaction must be retried . a normal write burst , however , could result in a portion of the number of dwords being accepted and the remainder being retried . for example , memory read line ( mrl ) transaction would be retried unless buffer space corresponding to a full line of dwords is available . as noted above , the bus bridge is preferably configured to route packets for dual 32 bit operating modes and single 64 bit operating modes . in dual 32 bit mode the ‘ a ’ and ‘ b ’ transaction queues operate independently on their respective buses . the only interaction occurs at the high speed bus interface where one or the other set of queues send or receive on the high speed bus between the bus bridge and the memory controller . in single 64 bit mode the outbound transaction queues are paired up to appear as a single outbound queue and the inbound transaction queues are paired up to appear as a single inbound transaction queue . effectively , the 64 bit pci bus interface has twice the queue depth of each of the dual 32 bit pci interfaces . thus , queue tracking is configurable to track a pair of inbound / outbound queues as well as a single set of queues . the outbound transaction queues are treated in a similar manner to the inbound transaction queues . if an outbound transaction from the high speed bus interface enters the ‘ a ’ outbound queue ( outqa ), the next outbound transaction will enter the ‘ b ’ outbound queue ( outqb ) and so forth . at the bus bridge interface , logic ( e . g ., a state machine ) toggles between outqa and outqb . starting at outqa , the first outbound transaction is attempted on the bus coupled to the bus bridge ( e . g ., a pci bus ). if the transaction completes , it is popped from outqa and the completion packet is pushed into whichever inbound queue the queue pointer currently is pointing . next , the transaction at the top of outqb is attempted . if every outbound transaction completes on first attempt , the outbound queue pointer keeps toggling with each completed transaction . if a read transaction at the top of the outbound queue is retried , it is moved into the corresponding read request queue rrq ( a or b ) and the outbound queue pointer toggles to the other queue . if a write transaction at the top of the outbound queue is retried , it is preferred that the queue pointer does not toggle . a retried write must succeed before the outbound queue pointer will toggle to the opposite queue . however , between attempts to complete the write at the top of the current queue , any reads in either rrq may also be attempted . once the current outbound write succeeds it is popped from the queue and a completion packet is inserted into the current inbound queue . the outbound queue pointer will then toggle to the opposite queue even if an uncompleted read remains in the rrq . in summary , the outbound queue pointer toggles to the opposite queue as soon as a transaction is popped from the current queue . a retried write is not popped until it succeeds . a retried read is popped from the outbound queue and pushed into the rrq . a read in a rrq can be attempted at any time because its ordering requirements were met at the time it was popped from the outbound queue . ( note that outbound reads in one rrq can pass outbound reads in the other rrq in a 64 bit pci mode .) in 32 bit mode , an outbound transaction is routed from the high speed bus to either outbound queue ‘ a ’ or ‘ b ’ depending upon the packet &# 39 ; s destination identification ( destination id ). multiplexors select the next outbound request or a previously retired read as discussed in the previous section . preferably a separate multiplexor is used for 64 bit pci mode . when the bus bridge initiates a pci transaction in 64 bit mode , a multiplexor selects the command and address bits from either outbound queue ‘ a ’ or outbound queue ‘ b ’. inbound transactions can address more than 32 bits so both inbound queues support dual address cycle ( dac ) decode in 32 bit mode and 64 bit mode . the inbound request queues have separate latch enables for upper and lower 32 bits of address . in 32 bit mode , the low order address is latched in address latch ‘ a ’ or address latch ‘ b ’ for pci bus ‘ a ’ or ‘ b ’ respectively . the inbound request queue latches the low order address prior to the next pci clock in preparation for the arrival of the high order address of a dac . if the inbound transaction is a single address cycle transaction , zeros must be loaded into the high order address field of the inbound request queues . in 64 bit mode , the inbound transaction can be initiated by either a 32 bit pci master or 64 bit pci master . dac is required to be asserted on c / b [ 3 : 0 ] in packets by 32 bit and 64 bit pci masters ( e . g ., memory controller ) addressing above 4 gb because it is unknown to the master at this time if the target is 64 bit capable or not . a 64 bit pci master is not required to drive the high order address bits to zero for addresses below 4 gb . if req 64 # is asserted with frame # and the pxb decodes dac on c / b [ 3 : 0 ] during the first address cycle , it can immediately decode the full address . if c / b [ 3 : 0 ] does not indicate dac , the pxb must force the high order address to all zeros before decoding the address . as noted previously , it is preferred that the data buffers exist as separate structures from the transaction or request queues . the data for pci transactions is stored in a separate queue structure from the transaction queues . this data queue structure is referred to as the data buffers or the data queues . separate queues are needed for data because the transactions and completions in the transaction queues do not always get retired in the same order that they entered the transaction queues . for example , write transactions may pass read transactions in the same direction . also , pci delayed reads get retired in the order that the pci masters return for their data which is not necessarily the same order that the read requests or read data were received . in dual 32 bit pci mode when an inbound pci write transaction enters inqa , the data that follows the address and command on the pci bus will enter the pw data 1 inbound data queue . when the associated write packet is sent over the f 16 bus , the packet header containing the write command and address will be pulled from the inqa transaction queue and the write data will be pulled from the pw data 1 / drply data 1 inbound data queue . likewise , an inbound pci write on pci bus ‘ b ’ pushes the command and address into inqb and the associated data that follows on the pci bus is pushed into pw data 2 inbound data queue . in dual 32 bit pci mode , an outbound 32 bit pci read to pci bus ‘ a ’ is pulled from outqa or rrqa when the read succeeds on the pci bus and a read completion is pushed into the inqa inbound transaction queue . the associated read data enters the pw data 1 / drply data 1 inbound data queue . when the completion packet is sent over the f 16 bus , the packet header containing the read completion identifier will be pulled from the top of the inqa transaction queue and the read data will be pulled from the pw data 1 / drply data 1 inbound data queue . each 32 bit pci port can have two inbound pci reads outstanding . an inbound pci read on pci port a is pushed into inqa if there is a slot available in the pxb inbound queue for a read and there are inbound read data buffers available in the pxb and mioc . at this time the inbound delayed read completion tracker is loaded with the command and address fields of the inbound read so that it can identify the pci master requesting the read . a transaction identifier unique to this inbound transaction is also loaded into the inbound delayed read completion tracker so that the read completion can be identified when it arrives in the outqa . when the inbound read completes on the p 6 bus , a delayed read completion ( drc ) packet containing the read data will arrive to the bus bridge over the high speed bus . the drc translation header containing the inbound read identifier will be pushed into outqa . the read data that follows in the packet will be pushed into drc data 1 data queue or drc 2 data queue depending upon which drc data queue was assigned to this inbound read . when the pci master returns for its data ( it will be continuously retired until the data arrives ) it will receive the data from drc data 1 or drc data 2 data queue if the associated inbound read completion has been popped from the top of the outqa transaction queue and marked the inbound read as complete in the inbound delayed read completion tracker . in 64 bit pci mode , the two sets of data buffer queues are paired similar to the transaction queue in 64 bit pci mode . an inbound write will result in data being alternately pushed into pw data 1 and pw data 2 data queues . the data queues are 32 bits wide ( dword ). if data is received 64 bits at a time from a 64 bit pci master and the data queue pointer is pointing at pw data 1 queue , the first dword is pushed into pw data 1 data queue and the next dword is pushed into pw data 2 date queue . additional dwords alternate between the two inbound data queues . the drc data queues and write data queues are paired and interleaved in a similar fashion . the innovative packet format described above in addition to embedding flow control information , also provides at least one field referred to herein as the transaction identification ( tid ) field , that can be used in a variety of ways . the field is preferably configurable , depending upon the application . the advantage is that the sending device , i . e ., the device issuing a request packet , can store predetermined data in this field , e . g ., a transaction identifier or other identifier . the control logic of the receiving device , after processing the request and preparing the completion packet , simply copies the contents of the field into the completion packet for transmission back to the initial sending device . thus , the configuration can be such that the field contents is meaningful only to the sending device as the receiving device simply copies the contents and sends it back . furthermore , as the packet is not limited to specific data , the field can be used for a variety of purposes . furthermore , as the receiving device simply copies the contents into the completion packet , the contents remain undisturbed . this process is described generally with reference to fig1 . at step 1105 , the sending device forms a request packet . the request packet includes the transaction id field which is used to store requesting device data . at step 1110 , the request packet is issued and at step 1115 , the receiving device receives the packet and forms a reply packet , step 1120 . the receiving device simply copies the tid field into the reply packet for subsequent access by the sending device . thus , the contents of the tid are not required to be interpreted by the receiving device as a simple copy operation is all that is required . at step 1125 , the reply packet , including the copied contents of the tid field , is sent back to the requesting device . in the present embodiment , the field is used for a deferred outbound read ( processor to pci ) transaction . a deferred transaction is a split transaction where the read is split into the initial read request followed at a later time by a deferred reply . the requested data is returned by the deferred reply . thus , the device and transaction id of the read requester is put into the tid field . when the completion packet with the read data is sent , the tid is copied from the request packet to the completion packet . when the completion reaches the top of the inbound request queue , a deferred reply is sent to the requesting processor . the deferred reply copies the completion tid into the deferred reply where it is used to address the processor that initiated the original read . the invention has been described in conjunction with the preferred embodiment . it is evident that the numerous alternatives , modifications , variations , and uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description . | 7 |
before saffron can be used for its medicinal properties , it is first modified to extract , modify and concentrate the carotenoids comprised within the crocus sativus . fig1 is a flow chart that illustrates a preferred embodiment of the crocus sativus extraction process of the present invention . in the embodiment , a constituent mixture comprising crocus sativus is steeped in a heated solvent or liquid to extract and concentrate the crocus sativus therewithin . the steeped crocus sativus extract may then be mixed with other solvents and / or chemicals to further modify the medicinal mixture . this modification process preferably utilizes a steeping of the crocus sativus combined with other optional herbs and extracts in a heated solvent . the steeping process preferably extracts and concentrates the carotenoids comprised within the crocus sativus . in a first step of the preferred process , a solvent , such as water is heated to a desired temperature . in step 2 , the constituents comprising crocus sativus are added to the heated solvent and are allowed to steep in the solvent for a period of time to thereby extract and concentrate the medicinal properties of the crocus sativus . in the following step , the extract constituents are removed from the solvent and the extract is cooled , for example , to room temperature . the crocus sativus concentrated extract is now ready to be utilized for therapeutic applications , particularly with an inhalation delivery device . in addition , other constituents may also be added to the saffron and steeped together . examples of additional non - limiting constituents that may be added to the mixture include herbs and spices such as turmeric , lavender , cinnamon , various mints , flavorings , vitamins , aromatics or other organic materials . in a preferred embodiment , at least one of the constituents may be soluble in water , ethyl alcohol or a mixture thereof . in a preferred embodiment , crocus sativus is added to water , such as distilled water . other liquids or solvents such as , but not limited to , hydrocarbons , oils such as hemp and vegetable oils , alcohols such as ethyl alcohol , vegetable glycerins , tinctures , vinegar , glycerol , ether , infused liquids or combinations thereof , may be used as a steeping solvent . for the purpose of the present invention , the term “ steep ” is defined as soaking in a liquid such as water to soften , cleanse , extract or infuse a constituent . the term “ extract ” is defined herein as a preparation containing the active ingredient of a substance in concentrated form . the term “ infusion ” is defined herein as the extraction of an active substance through the use of steeping . the term “ tincture ” is defined herein as an extract from a plant or animal . tinctures may comprise a variety of solvents including but not limited to ethyl alcohol , vinegar , glycerol , ether and propylene glycol . a tincture comprising crocus sativus may be placed directly in the mouth , such as on the tongue or alternatively may be positioned within an inhaler , nebulizer , vaporizer or container thereof . in a preferred embodiment , the solvent , such as water is first heated to about 100 ° c . ( 212 ° f .) at which point the solvent is removed from the heat source . saffron is then added to the heated solvent , i . e ., water , to extract and concentrate the crocus sativus . the saffron may comprise any commercially available form . non - limiting examples are as dried “ threads ”, as a powder or combination thereof . in addition , the saffron may be contained within a fabric , a paper envelope or package such that the solvent and the crocus sativus extract is able to permeate therethrough . the form of the package is non - limiting and may comprise a pouch , a pillow , a bag , or similar container . alternatively , the saffron may be added directly into the solvent without being placed within a separate package or container . the steeped medium may be prepared in advance and may be bottled for future use . the saffron may be steeped using a non - limiting combination of time intervals and solvent temperatures . for example , saffron may be steeped for a longer period of time in a solvent ( i . e ., water ) having a temperature of 10 ° c . ( 50 ° f .) as compared to steeping in a solvent having a temperature of about 96 ° c . ( 205 ° f .). table 1 shown below , illustrates an embodiment of the relationship between solvent temperature and steeping time . in a preferred embodiment , steeping time may range from about 30 seconds to about 15 minutes . however , a preferred steeping time ranges from about 1 minute to about 5 minutes . in addition , the amount of saffron added to the solvent also affects the optimal steeping time interval . in general , the more saffron added to the solvent , a longer steeping time is required to extract an effective therapeutic amount of crocus sativus . a preferred steeping temperature is about 65 ° c . ( 150 ° f .) for a period of time commensurate with the amount of saffron added . table 2 shown below , illustrates preferred steeping times for different amounts of saffron . these time intervals should be added to the previously given time intervals based on liquid temperature . for example , when steeping about one gram of saffron at 60 ° c ., the total preferred steeping time is about 7 minutes , 5 minutes for 60 ° c . solvent ( table 1 ) and an additional 2 minutes for the additional 0 . 75 g of saffron . color of the steeped solvent may be used as an indicator to determine the concentration level of extraction . the concentration level of extraction is important , as the darker the infused solvent appears , typically the more concentrated the crocus sativus extract . thus , concentration of the extract can be controlled by analysis of the color and hue of the appearance of the extract . color intensity may range from a light yellow to a darker orange color . the longer the time interval the saffron is steeped at a given temperature , generally the deeper and darker the extract color and , subsequently , the more concentrated the infusion or extract . also affecting color and infusion or extract concentration is the amount of saffron being steeped . in general , the greater the amount of saffron being steeped , the deeper and darker the color and , subsequently , the more concentrated the infusion or extract . therapeutic saffron steep levels will vary from individual to individual . in a preferred embodiment , the concentration of crocus sativus in the solvent is at least about 0 . 01 mg / ml . in a more preferred embodiment , the concentration of the crocus sativus in the ranges from about 0 . 01 mg / ml to about 10 mg / ml . the solvent may comprise water , ethyl alcohol , or combinations thereof . once the saffron is steeped , the infused solvent may either be placed in a steamer or humidifier , a nebulizer , an aerosol delivery device , such as an inhaler or similar vaporizing or humidifying apparatus . other therapeutic agents may be added to the infused solvent . delivery of the vapor or mist may be assisted using oxygen , compressed air , or ultrasonic power . a non - limiting example for preparing a steeped inhalation medium is as follows . heat about 235 ml or about 235 g of water , preferably distilled water , to a temperature of about 100 ° c . remove the water from the heat and allow the water to cool to a temperature of about 65 ° c . ( 150 ° f .) it is important to allow any solvent being used to steep saffron to cool to at least 65 ° c . ( 150 ° f .) before steeping , otherwise the therapeutic advantage of the steeped agent may be significantly diminished , and might even be rendered ineffective . after the solvent reaches the desired temperature , about 0 . 25 g of the crocus sativus stigma or other saffron form is added to the heated solvent and allowed to steep from about 5 to about 10 minutes , depending upon the desired concentration strength . after the concentration of the crocus sativus is achieved , the steeping constituents are removed from the infused solvent , for example by a straining process . the extract is then cooled to about 25 ° c . at which it is then placed within a container or chamber for inhalation therapy . the mixture comprising the solvent and crocus sativus is preferably stirred until the desired concentration is achieved , as evidenced by the preferred color change of the steeped mixture . in a preferred embodiment , the mixture of the crocus sativus and solvent is steeped such that the color of the mixture changes to an orange color having a pantone ® identification number of 144c . typically , the steeping mixture changes from a brown color , having a pantone ® identification number ranging from 127c to 129c , to a darker brown , having a pantone ® identification number ranging from 135c to 137c or in the pantone ® identification number 1375 color family , and then finally to an orange color , having a pantone ® identification number of 144c . the pantone ® color matching system is a standardized color reproduction system that may be used to accurately reproduce the intensity and hue of a color . the system uses standardized color mixtures to accurately replicate various shades and intensity of colors . the pantone ® matching system may be used as a means by which to assess readiness of the steeped medium for use in inhalation therapy . pantone guides provide a number of color swatches for color matching . “ pantone ” is a registered trademark of pantone llc , of carlstadt , n . j . fig2 illustrates an embodiment of an inhaler 10 that may be used to deliver the crocus sativus infusion or medicinal extract . in a preferred embodiment , the inhaler 10 comprises a housing 12 having an opening 14 that extends to a mouth piece 16 . in a preferred embodiment , a distal end 18 of the opening 14 is designed to receive an inhaler container or vessel 20 , such as a sealed inhaler canister and an opening proximal end 22 that comprises the inhaler mouth piece 16 . the inhaler mouth piece 16 is designed to channel the released therapeutic aerosol comprising the crocus sativus mixture to a patient . in addition , the inhaler 10 comprises an actuation mechanism 24 . the actuation mechanism 24 activates the release of a therapeutic aerosol 26 from within the inhaler container or canister 20 . in a preferred embodiment , the actuation mechanism 24 comprises a moveable mechanism member 28 that operates a container release valve 30 that enables the contents within the container to expel out . in a preferred embodiment illustrated in fig2 , the moveable mechanism member 28 compresses against a distal end 32 of the release valve 30 . when compressed , the contents contained within the inhaler container 20 expel out through the valve 30 . the movable mechanism member 28 may comprise a moveable portion of a sidewall 34 of the housing 12 or may comprise an actuation button 36 that when depressed , causes the release of the contents contained within the inhaler container 20 . in a preferred embodiment , a medicinal therapeutic mixture 38 comprising the crocus sativus extract , infusion or combination thereof , is contained within the sealed inhaler container or canister 20 . in addition to the crocus sativus extract , other solvents or medicinal compounds such as ethyl alcohol , glycerin and tinctures may be mixed with the crocus sativus and contained within an interior 40 of the container 20 . in addition , a propellant such as a chlorofluorocarbon or a hydrofluoroalkane may be comprised within the container 20 . the propellant is preferably mixed with the medicinal therapeutic mixture 38 comprising the crocus sativus extract . in addition , the propellant provides an aerosol medium with which the crocus sativus extract or infusion mixture thereof is expelled from within the container 20 . once expelled from the container 20 , the aerosol crocus sativus 26 travels through the mouth piece 16 of the inhaler 10 , where it is thus inhaled by a patient . fig3 a illustrates a generalized embodiment of a jet nebulizer 42 that may be used to create an aerosol 44 of the medicinal therapeutic mixture 38 comprising the crocus sativus extract . in a preferred embodiment , the jet nebulizer 42 comprises a reservoir 46 within which the therapeutic mixture 38 comprising the crocus sativus extract or infusion may reside . in addition , the jet nebulizer 42 comprises a housing 48 having first and second openings 50 , 52 . in a preferred embodiment , the first opening 50 extends to a mouth piece 54 that interfaces with a patient . the second opening 52 comprises a gas intake end 56 . in a preferred embodiment , ambient air enters through the gas intake end 56 . as shown in the figure , a compressed gas carried by a tube 58 is introduced into the reservoir 46 . the compressed gas forces the medicinal therapeutic mixture 38 comprising the crocus sativus through a baffle 60 at which pressure from the air intake end 56 creates the aerosol mist 44 comprising the crocus sativus . the aerosol mist 44 is then inhaled by a patient through the mouthpiece 54 . in a preferred embodiment , the compressed gas may comprise ambient air , oxygen , an inert gas , or combinations thereof . fig3 b illustrates a generalized embodiment of an ultrasonic nebulizer 62 which may be used to produce a therapeutic aerosol 64 of the therapeutic mixture 38 comprising the crocus sativus extract or infusion thereof . as previously mentioned , the ultrasonic nebulizer 62 utilizes an oscillating or vibrating transducer 66 that creates the aerosol particles 64 . in this case the aerosol particles 64 comprise the infused crocus sativus mixture . as shown , the ultrasonic nebulizer 62 comprises a housing 68 having a reservoir portion 70 . in a preferred embodiment , the crocus sativus infusion mixture 38 resides within the reservoir portion 70 . in addition , the transducer 66 , such as a piezoelectric transducer , is submerged within the crocus sativus infusion mixture . in a preferred embodiment , the transducer 66 is positioned on an interior surface 74 of a bottom sidewall 76 of the reservoir 70 . vibration of the transducer 66 within the therapeutic mixture 38 comprising the crocus sativus infusion mixture creates a plurality of aerosol particles 64 which escape from the reservoir container 70 . as shown , electrical power is supplied to the transducer 66 through an electrically connected power source 72 . in addition , as shown , the nebulizer 62 has a first opening 76 that extends through a sidewall 78 of the housing 68 . the first opening 76 extends to a mouth piece 80 that interfaces with a patient . a second opening 82 opposed from the first opening 76 , extends through a second portion 84 of the housing sidewall 78 . the second opening 82 comprises an air intake designed to receive a gas such as compressed air , oxygen , an inert gas or combinations thereof . pressure created by the air or gas entering the intake opening 82 forces the aerosol 64 , created by the transducer 66 , out through the mouthpiece 80 where it is inhaled by a patient . in another embodiment , a portable inhaler device 86 such as the embodiment shown in fig4 may be used as a vehicle in which a therapeutic mixture 88 comprising the crocus sativus is inhaled . the inhaler 86 comprises a housing 90 having an elongated length 92 that extends between opposing first and second housing ends 94 , 96 . in a preferred embodiment , the inhaler housing 90 comprises an enclosure formed in an elongated tubular form . in a preferred embodiment , the inhaler housing 90 extends to an annular opening 98 at the second housing end 96 . the opening 98 extends through a housing sidewall 100 and provides access to an interior housing region 102 . in addition , the opening 98 acts as the interface to the patient . in a preferred embodiment , the inhaler 86 shown in fig4 , is positionable within a nose of a patient , wherein the medical therapeutic mixture 88 therewithin is inhaled . alternatively , the opening 98 of the inhaler 86 may be positioned within the patient &# 39 ; s mouth to facilitate inhalation of the crocus sativus extract . in a preferred embodiment , the therapeutic mixture 88 comprising the crocus sativus extract , infusion mixture or compound thereof resides within the interior region 102 of the inhaler 86 . in addition , a mixture comprising ethyl alcohol , a wax , petroleum jelly , polymeric material or combinations thereof may be mixed with the crocus sativus to thus form a therapeutic compound 104 that is positionable within the interior 102 of the inhaler housing 90 . a wick 106 or a fillable packaging 108 may reside within the inhaler housing 90 . preferably at least a portion of the wick 106 may reside within the crocus sativus comprising mixture 88 or compound 104 . the wick 106 may be made of cotton or other absorbent material . the wick 106 may also be soaked in the saffron infusion or extract or may be added by droplets to the wick 106 ( from 5 to 30 or more ) and then assembled for inhaling . a cap 110 may be positioned over the opening 98 to prevent evaporation or contamination of the therapeutic mixture 88 or compound 104 residing within the housing 90 . the inhaler housing 90 may be made of a polymer , plastic , metal , cardboard , glass , composite or other such structural material . in another embodiment , the inhaler 86 may house commercially available saffron that may be packaged within the fillable packing or secondary container 108 such as , but not limited to , a cotton pillow , a woven or non - woven fabric , or an absorbent paper pouch , that resides within the nose inhaler housing 90 . in a preferred embodiment , the saffron within the secondary container 108 may be activated with water ( or other solvent such as ethyl alcohol ). individuals may conduct repeated periodic inhalation until therapeutic relief is achieved . in a preferred embodiment , the secondary container 108 may comprise a pouch , bag or a pillow that encloses an amount of crocus sativus . the secondary container 108 may be constructed by enclosing an amount of an extract constituent , such as crocus sativus within about a 3 cm to 4 cm by a 1 cm to 2 cm area of material on three sides . the secondary container 108 is formed by , for example but not limited to , folding or sealing three of the sides of the material together . in a preferred embodiment , about 0 . 5 g to about 3 g of crocus sativus stigma or other saffron form is inserted into this 3 sided sealed package . after the saffron is positioned inside the container 108 , the fourth side of the material is sealed along with the other three sides . the secondary container 108 , comprising the extract constituent is then placed within the housing 90 of the inhaler 86 . about 3 ml to 9 ml of distilled water , preferably having a temperature greater than 10 ° c . is then poured onto the filled secondary package 108 . in addition to vaporizing the crocus sativus infusion or extract into an aerosol mist , as previously described , a concentrated form of a medicinal compound 104 may be made by combining the crocus sativus with a variety of non - limiting oils , waxes , gels , petroleum jelly , ethyl alcohol , or other solvents . in this embodiment , the crocus sativus may be mixed with a combination of these oils , waxes , and / or alcohols to create a concentrated hardened medicinal compound of crocus sativus . in an embodiment , the medicinal compound 104 may be positioned within the inhaler 86 illustrated in fig4 . in addition to vaporizing the hardened medicinal crocus sativus compound , it is further contemplated that the medicinal compound 104 may be ingested . such an ingestible crocus sativus comprising compound may contain ingestible materials such as , but not limited to ingestible oils , waxes , ethyl alcohol , flavorings , herbs such as cinnamon , turmeric , mint as well as vitamins , water and alcohol soluble additives and / or hardeners . furthermore , it is contemplated that the crocus sativus extract or infusion mixture may be ingested itself or applied to the skin . such a mixture for topical applications may also comprise a cream or oil designed for application to the skin . in an embodiment , vaporization of the medicinal therapeutic mixture 38 comprising the crocus sativus infusion , and / or the crocus sativus comprising medicinal compound 104 , may be accomplished through contact with a heat source ( not shown ) such as a heated surface . a heated or non - heated forced air source ( not shown ) may also be used in combination with the heat source to facilitate vaporization of the crocus sativus comprising mixture . the emanation of such a vapor resulting from the heating of the medicinal compound 104 or mixture 38 may be directly inhaled from a vaporization device such as a humidifier ( not shown ), through a connector device ( not shown ), such as but not limited to a mask , a tube , a balloon or a nose piece that is connectable to the vaporization device ( not shown ). the crocus sativus medicinal compound or infusion is preferably deposited within a chamber of the vaporization device such that it is in contact with the heat source . vaporizers typically reach temperatures between about 680 ° c . ( 360 ° f .) and 806 ° c . ( 430 ° f .) which is a temperature capable of vaporizing the crocus sativus infusion mixture 38 or medicinal compound 104 . digitally controlled vaporizers may be used by individuals preferring to set specific vaporization temperatures . generally , temperatures less than 842 ° c . ( 450 ° f .) are used as organic matter burns above that temperature , potentially contaminating the vapors with toxic materials . in another embodiment , a humidifier ( not shown ) containing the infused saffron 38 or medicinal compound 104 may be placed in a room without the aid of a connector device ( not shown ). in this embodiment , the vaporized crocus sativus comprising infusion mixture 38 or medicinal compound 104 is emanated through the air surrounding the humidifier . inhalation of the saffron infused steam may be achieved by the individual &# 39 ; s presence within the room being humidified . inhalation can occur while sleeping , working , or other activity being conducted within a room to provide treatment of a medical ailment , such as reducing pre - menstrual symptoms . in another embodiment , the crocus sativus extract 38 and / or medical compound 104 may be vaporized using an electric cigarette 112 as shown in fig5 . the electronic cigarette 112 typically comprises a heating element 114 , i . e ., an atomizer that heats a liquid or material contained within an electronic cigarette container or cartridge 116 until it reaches its vaporization point . the mixture 38 , in this case , the crocus sativus comprising extract or infusion mixture or compound 104 , as previously discussed , is contained within the electronic cigarette container or cartridge 116 that resides within an electronic cigarette housing 118 . a micro - controller 120 connected to an electrical power source 122 may be used to activate the atomizer 114 and vaporize the crocus sativus extract contained therewithin . an operating indicator 130 such as a light emitting diode ( led ) or other light source may be controller by the micro - controller 120 to indicate that the heating element 114 is operating . in a preferred embodiment , heat emanating from the heating element 114 heats the electronic cigarette container 116 , converting the therapeutic mixture 38 comprising the crocus sativus extract or infusion mixture into an aerosol particle vapor 124 that is inhaled by a user . alternatively , the heating element 114 may also heat the crocus sativus comprising compound 104 which may be contained therewithin , thus converting it into aerosol particle vapor 124 . the aerosol vapor particles 124 are delivered through an opening 126 of the housing 118 which serves as a mouth piece 128 through which a user may inhale , thus forcing the vapor 124 into the lungs of the user . the electronic cigarette delivery concept provides a vapor , or steam comprising crocus sativus that may be inhaled into the lungs to provide instantaneous therapy and relief of the various medical ailments previously discussed . the above detailed description and examples are intended for purposes of illustrating the invention and are not to be construed as limited . | 0 |
hereinafter , an fed and a method of manufacturing the fed according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings . the fed of the present invention will be described as having a single gate structure . however , the fed may have a double gate structure without departing from the scope of the present invention . [ 0040 ] fig3 a is a schematic cross - sectional view of a single gate type fed using micro tips as an electron emitter according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig3 a , a cathode 21 is formed on a substrate 20 . a gate insulating layer 22 is formed on the cathode 21 . the gate insulating layer 22 has a well 22 a which exposes a portion of the cathode 21 . an electron emitter 23 is formed of micro tips on the exposed portion of the cathode 21 . a gate electrode 24 , which has a gate hole 24 a corresponding to the well 22 a , is formed on the gate insulating layer 22 . in the above structure , a characteristic part of the present invention is a bellmouse type cylindrical electrode part 24 b that forms a focusing electric field around an electron beam passed through the gate hole 24 a of the gate electrode part 24 . as shown in fig3 a , the cylindrical electrode part 24 b preferably has a bellmouse shape which gradually broadens in the direction of electron beam propagation . the cylindrical electrode part 24 b forms an electric field that converges or focuses the electron beam emitted from the electron emitter , i . e ., the micro tips . fig5 is a view for explaining the principle of forming an electric field using the cylindrical electrode part 24 b and focusing an electron beam by the electric field . as shown in fig5 a positive electric lens l , much like an optical convex lens , is formed by the cylindrical electrode part 24 b ( electric lens forming part ). the positive electric lens l serves as a focusing lens that focuses a passing electron beam toward the central beam axis using an electric field . the theory behind the positive electric lens l is general electrodynamics , and thus will not be further described . [ 0042 ] fig3 b is a schematic cross - sectional view of a single gate type fed using cnts as an electron emitter . referring to fig3 b , a cathode 21 is formed on a substrate 20 . a gate insulating layer 22 is formed on the cathode 21 . the gate insulating layer 22 has a well 22 a which exposes a portion of the cathode 21 . an electron emitter 23 a is formed of cnts on the exposed portion of the cathode 21 . a gate electrode 24 , which has a gate hole 24 a corresponding to the well 22 a , is formed on the gate insulating layer 22 . [ 0043 ] fig4 a is a schematic cross - sectional view of a double gate type fed using micro tips as an electron emitter according to an embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig4 a , a cathode 31 is formed on a substrate 30 . micro tips , i . e ., an electron emitter 35 , is formed on the cathode 31 . a first gate insulating layer 32 and a second gate insulating layer 33 , which form a well 36 enclosing the electron emitter 35 , are sequentially stacked on the cathode 31 . a first gate electrode 32 a is interposed between the first and second gate insulating layers 32 and 33 . a second gate electrode 34 having a gate hole 34 a corresponding to the well 36 is formed on the second gate insulating layer 33 . as described previously , a cylindrical electrode part characterizing the present invention , preferably a bellmouse type electrode part 34 b , is formed at the second gate electrode 34 . a double gate type fed shown in fig4 b has an electron emitter 35 a formed of cnts instead of the electron emitter 35 formed of the micro tips shown fig4 a . the remaining elements of the double gate type fed shown fig4 b are the same as those of the double gate type fed shown in fig4 a . as described above , an fed according to the present invention is characterized in that a cylindrical electrode part for forming a focusing electric field , preferably a bellmouse type electrode part , is formed at a gate electrode . the bellmouse type electrode part is most effective in a single gate type fed using cnts as an electron emitter as shown in fig3 b . a double gate type fed can effectively focus an electron beam without a cylindrical or bellmouse type electrode part . however , also in the double gate type fed , a cylindrical or bell mouse type electrode part characterizing the present invention can be formed at a second gate electrode . thus , an electron beam can be further effectively focused . hereinafter , a method of manufacturing the single gate type fed shown in fig3 b will be described . methods of manufacturing feds according to other embodiments of the present invention can be easily understood through this description . as shown in fig6 a , ito is deposited on a substrate 20 , and then patterned , thereby forming a cathode 21 . as shown in fig6 b , a gate insulating layer 22 is formed on the cathode 21 . here , the gate insulating layer 22 includes first and second gate insulating layers 22 ′ and 22 ″ having different etching rates . the second gate insulating layer 22 ″ has a higher etching rate to an etchant than the first gate insulating layer 22 ′. each of the first and second gate insulating layers 22 ′ and 22 ″ undergoes coating and heating processes . for example , the first gate insulating layer 22 ′ is formed of 7870k of noritake co . to a thickness of about 5 microns , and the second gate insulating layer 22 ″ is formed of 7972c of noritake co . to a thickness of about 10 microns . as shown in fig6 c , a photoresist mask 41 having a window 41 a necessary for forming a well of a gate is coated on the gate insulating layer 22 . as shown in fig6 d , a bellmouse - shaped well 26 is formed by supplying an etchant through the window 41 a of the photoresist mask 41 . the bellmouse - shaped well 26 broadens upward due to a difference between the etching rates of the first and second gate insulating layers 22 ′ and 22 ″. as shown in fig6 e , the photoresist mask 41 is stripped by ashing . next , as shown in fig6 f , a gate electrode 24 is formed on the gate insulating layer 22 using a sputtering method . as shown in fig6 g , a photoresist mask 42 is formed on the gate electrode 24 , and then patterned , thereby forming a window 42 a that is opened to expose the floor and lower inner wall of the bellmouse - shaped well 26 . here , the photoresist mask 42 has a pattern necessary for forming the window 42 a and the gate electrode 24 . in the present embodiment , the first gate insulating layer 22 ′ and the window 42 are further formed . as shown in fig6 h , the gate electrode 24 is patterned by wet or dry etching using the photoresist mask 42 to form a gate hole 24 a corresponding to the window 42 a in the gate electrode 24 . during this patterning process , the gate electrode 24 is divided into a plurality of patterns as in a general patterning process . as shown in fig6 i , the photoresist mask 42 is stripped by ashing . thereafter , as shown in fig6 j , a photoresist mask 43 is formed . the photoresist mask 43 is spin coated and patterned to form a well - shaped window 43 a exposing the floor of the bellmouse - shaped well 26 . as shown in fig6 k , a cnt paste 23 containing photoresist is coated on the photoresist mask 43 using a printing method . as a result , the well - shaped window 43 a is filled with the cnt paste 23 . as shown in fig6 l , the cnt paste 23 is patterned by exposure and development processes to remove a portion of the cnt paste 23 at the edge of the well - shaped window 43 a , thereby forming an electron emitter 23 a in the center of the inside of the well - shape window 43 a . a portion of the cnt paste 23 remaining on the photoresist mask 43 is removed by lifting up the photoresist mask 43 . an fed having a desired structure can be manufactured through the above - described processes . in order to observe effects of an fed having the above - described structure according to the present invention , simulations were carried out for a conventional fed shown in fig7 a and an fed of the present invention shown in 8 a . [ 0059 ] fig7 b and 8b each illustrate enlarged portions around gate electrodes of the feds shown in fig7 a and 8a , and fig7 c and 8c each illustrate trajectories of divergent electron beams around the gate electrodes of the feds shown in fig7 a and 8a . as can be seen in fig7 c and 8c , in the fed of the present invention shown in fig8 c , the electron beam is focused at a narrower angle due to the gate electrode than in the conventional fed shown in fig7 c . when the electron beam diverges in the conventional fed shown in fig7 c , part of the electron beam is intercepted by the edge of the gate hole , which causes a leakage current from the gate electrode . [ 0060 ] fig7 d and 8d each illustrate trajectories of electron beams emitted from the feds shown in fig7 a and 8a . as can be seen in fig7 d and 8d , a radius of an electron beam emitted from the fed of the present invention shown in fig8 a is narrower than that of an electron beam emitted from the conventional fed shown fig7 a . according to calculation , the simulations showed that in the present invention , electron beams reaching a front substrate on which an anode and a fluorescent material are formed are focused with an approximately 10 % smaller width than in the conventional fed . also , in the conventional fed , the width of a well of a gate insulating layer was limited to 30 microns due to the height of the gate insulating layer . however , in the fed according to the present invention , the width of a well of the first gate insulating layer 22 ′ of a gate insulating layer can be adjusted by adjusting an area of the gate insulating layer to be etched . thus , the well can be minutely formed to a width of 30 microns or less . as described above , according to the present invention , since electron beams can be effectively focused , an fed having high color purity and brightness can be manufactured . since the fed according to the present invention can form electron beams having a desired width using a single gate electrode , the fed of the present invention does not need a complicated double gate electrode . however , if the fed is desired to have higher color purity , brightness , and performance than existing double gate electrode type feds , a cylindrical electrode part , preferably a bellmouse type electrode part , can be formed at a final gate electrode , i . e ., a second gate electrode . while the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims . | 7 |
the invention will now be described in detail with reference to fig1 . a readily available , titanium ore containing tio 2 , such as ilmenite , is ground ( 1 ) to expose surface area and contacted with a fluorinating agent such as an alkaline earth fluoride salt , for example casif 6 or aqueous hydrofluoric acid . in this connection caf 2 can also be used , but its high melting point i . e . in excess of 1423 ° c . would entail higher equipment costs and higher operating costs . using an alkaline earth fluoride salt the contacted ore is then roasted at at least the fusion or melting point of the alkaline earth fluoride salt . in this step , ( 2 ) the titanium values are converted to alkaline earth fluotitanate . after cooling the roasted material , it is leached with an aqueous hydrofluoric acid . preferably the material is ground or reduced in size again prior to leaching to increase the surface area of the material exposed to the aqueous hydrofluoric acid . this acidic leach is done under oxidizing conditions such as exposure to air . the oxidation converts ferrous fluoride compounds to the less soluble ferric fluoride compounds . the insoluble ferric material , and other insoluble reactants and ore residue are then filtered off from the excess acidic leach containing the soluble alkaline earth fluotitanate . if the fluorinating agent used is aqueous hydrofluoric acid then the titanium ore such as ilmenite , is ground , and then mixed with hydrofluoric acid , in aqueous solution . the slurry is then stirred at about 40 ° to 100 ° c . the hot slurry is filtered to remove the spent ore residue and produce a liquor which is mixed with an alkaline earth compound , such as calcium fluoride or calcium carbonate . the mixture is heated to between about 60 ° to 100 ° c ., to produce an alkaline earth fluotitanate . the mixture is then filtered hot to remove any excess alkaline earth compounds and insoluble materials such as iron compounds and to produce an alkaline earth fluotitanate solution ( 2 ). further purification of the alkaline earth fluotitanate solution is normally necessary to remove deleterious iron and other impurities . purification techniques , such as treatment of the solution with solvent extractants or increasing the ph from less than ph 1 to ph 3 with base materials such as ammonia gas or calcium carbonate , are used and known to those skilled in the art . after purification the alkaline earth fluotitanate is crystallized ( 3 ) from solution . if sufficient alkaline earth compounds to form the alkaline earth fluotitanate have not been added during prior process steps then these alkaline earth compounds , such as calcium carbonate , calcium fluoride or calcium hydroxide , are added at this time . in order to crystallize and recover the alkaline earth fluotitanate , the aqueous solution must be brought to saturation , by evaporation of excess water . at this point , continued evaporation or equivalent means is used to precipitate the alkaline earth fluotitanate from solution . other options , such as a common ion effect , can also be used effectively . washing the crystals ( steps 6 ), followed by dissolution and recrystallization further purifies the material . after final washing , the alkaline earth fluotitanate crystals are dried at a temperature to remove all water from the material but not at or exceeding a temperature that would decompose the fluotitanate compound . the first alkaline earth fluotitanate , alloying elements , and a second alkaline earth reductant such as calcium are mixed and fed as a solid flowing mixture ( 6 ) into the molten mixing zone ( 13 ) of an induction slag melting furnace crucible ( 9 ) under an inert gas , preferably argon , as it is cheaper and has a lower heat conductivity than helium ( fig2 & amp ; 3 ). the reduction of the first alkaline earth fluotitanate by the second alkaline earth reductant produces titanium metal or titanium alloy of any desired composition with a combination of first and second alkaline earth fluorides as byproducts . the use of the same alkaline earth throughout the process i . e . as in the roast and the melt / reduction steps is simplest and allows the easiest recycle of byproduct material . caf 2 is the preferred flux material for operation of the induction slag melting furnace . other alkaline earth halide fluxes can also be used , but these materials would have to have boiling points greater than the melting point of titanium or titanium alloys in order for the furnace to operate at , or less than the atmospheric pressure of the inert gas . for example , mgf 2 is another flux which can be used but mg boils at a lower temperature than ca , thus making it more difficult to feed into the reaction volume and more likely to be vaporized off before complete reaction . in addition , mgsif 6 is highly soluble in water , thus causing problems in the recycle of the flux material . since current induction slag furnace operation in titanium production does not incorporate and make the reduction step integral , but instead merely melts the titanium and other metal chips with caf 2 as flux , it is apparent that the inductively coupled molten volume ( 13 ) of titanium or titanium alloy of this invention serves as a reactor and mixer to reduce the alkaline earth fluotitanates to titanium and to form a titanium or titanium alloy ingot ( 10 ). alloy elements such as , but not limited to , aluminum and vanadium , can also be added during the melting step to form titanium alloys of any desired composition . the titanium metal comes out of the induction furnace ( 11 ) as an ingot ( 10 ) coated in a layer of alkaline earth fluoride ( 14 ), such as caf 2 . caf 2 is then readily chipped off from the ingot exterior and separated from the ingot ( 10 ). part of the alkaline earth fluoride , such as caf 2 , may be recycled to be reacted with hydrofluosilicic acid ( h 2 sif 6 ), a fertilizer manufacture byproduct , to form for example casif 6 and hf , which can be used in the fusion roast and leach steps respectively . the examples hereinafter set forth will delineate with specificity the reaction process and conditions for producing the titanium materials according to the invention , along with fig1 to 3 . 32 . 4 grams of ground rock ilmenite ore having a particle size as shown in table 1 and containing 27 . 9 weight percent titanium , 34 . 7 weight percent iron , and 0 . 2 weight percent carbon was mixed with 78 . 7 millimeters of 52 weight percent hydrofluoric acid and 28 . 1 milliliters of distilled water . the slurry was stirred at 90 ° c . until no liquid remained . 145 milliliters of distilled water was added , and the slurry stirred and heated at 90 ° c . for 2 hours , and 20 . 2 grams of wet residue was centrifuged out leaving 139 milliliters of light brown clear liquor . this liquor was mixed with 28 . 1 grams of calcium fluoride and stirred at 90 ° c . for 24 hours . the mixed liquor was then filtered , resulting in 138 milliliters of light brown , clear liquid and a residue waste . the filtered liquid was boiled down to 50 volume percent of the original volume , cooled on ice precipitating catif 6 which was filtered from the boiled liquid . the precipitate was dried at 85 ° c . for 72 hours and represented a theoretical yield of 59 percent . table 1______________________________________u . s . sieve weight percentmesh fraction cummulative______________________________________ + 70 0 . 00 0 . 00 + 100 . 2 . 2 + 140 1 . 7 1 . 9 + 200 5 . 1 7 . 0 + 270 10 . 6 17 . 6pan 82 . 4 100 . 0______________________________________ 100 milliliters of hydrofluoric acid leach liquor , obtained by leaching ( contacting ) ground rock ilmenite ore with aqueous hydrofluoric acid contained 27 . 7 grams per liter titanium and 24 . 9 grams per liter iron and had a ph of less than ph 1 . ammonia gas was bubbled through the liquid until ph 3 was reached . the liquid was then filtered producing 8 . 9 grams of wet residue and 110 milliliters of purified filtrate plus residue wash . the wet residue was dried overnight yielding 6 . 0 grams , was analyzed , and represented 95 % removal of iron as solid ( nh 4 ) 3 fef 6 from the liquid and a 1 . 4 percent loss of titanium from the liquor . a preliminary test was performed to investigate the feasibility of having excess alkaline earth metal fluoride present during the reaction / melting operation of the invention . in this example , a 2 - inch id copper crucible ( 9 ) was used . 2250 grams of calcium fluoride and 400 grams of titanium metal chips were mixed and fed by a vibratory feeder ( 7 ) into a 2 - inch id crucible ( 9 ) inductively heated by a coil ( 8 ) and all contained by an external vessel ( 11 ). the titanium melted satisfactorily with the calcium fluoride forming the normal crust ( 14 ) around the exterior of the ingot ( 10 ). this example indicates the feasibility of operating at 83 weight percent calcium fluoride and 17 weight percent titanium as opposed to the normal operating feed of 2 - 20 weight percent and 98 - 80 weight percent , respectively , used in the normal induction slag melting of titanium as set forth by u . s . pat . no . 3 , 775 , 091 . this high calcium fluoride - to - titanium ratio is identical to the ratio formed during the reduction of calcium fluotitanate with calcium as intended by the invention . 292 grams of calcium fluotitanate were fed with approximately 116 grams of calcium into a 4 - inch id 24 segment copper crucible ( 9 ) within an external vessel ( 11 ). the induction coil ( 8 ) was powered by a 100 kw and 10 , 000 hz power source . the mixture ( 6 ) of calcium fluotitanate and calcium was fed from the top side by a vibratory feeder ( 7 ). a 5250 gram titanium stub ( 16 ) was used , along with 150 grams calcium fluoride to begin the test and obtain a molten mass prior to feeding the reactants . the external vessel ( 11 ), which contained vibratory feeder ( 7 ), copper crucible ( 9 ), and the induction coil ( 8 ) was evacuated to 25 micrometers of hg , and then backfilled to 3 psia with argon . a power setting for the induction coil ( 8 ) starting at 30 - kw and slowly increased to 70 kw was used to first coat the crucible ( 9 ) with molten calcium fluoride slag ( 12 ), and then bring the molten mass ( 13 ) up to temperature . upon forming the molten reaction mass ( 13 ), the power was adjusted to maintain approximately 70 kw and 25 degrees lead on the power factor . feeding the calcium fluotitanate and calcium took approximately 25 minutes , during which , after a charge of reactants had been made , the reaction was allowed to go to completion prior to feeding more reactants . the ingot stub ( 10 ), after removal of the byproduct calcium fluoride , weighed 5283 grams , thus 33 grams of titanium was produced and represented a yield of 48 percent . this preliminary and simple test indicates the utility of the invention . | 2 |
fig1 illustrates one example of the induction heating or melting apparatus of the present invention . in this example of the invention , resonant bridge inverter 10 comprises commutation devices , resonance capacitors , tuning capacitors and switching elements . substantially inductive load coil lc is powered by the inverter . commutation device sd 1 with antiparallel diode d 1 , and commutation device sd 2 with antiparallel diode d 2 comprise the first branch of the inverter . the second branch of the inverter comprises resonance capacitors rc 1 and rc 2 . tuning capacitors tc 1 and tc 2 , along with switches s 1 , s 2 and s 3 and the load coil , form the diagonal of the inverter , which is connected between the midpoints of the first and second branches . inductive load coil lc , although shown with an inductor symbol , also exhibits circuit resistance . in other examples of the invention the inductive load coil may be otherwise arranged . for example , coil lc may be replaced by a primary transformer coil that is magnetically coupled to a secondary transformer coil , which serves as the coil around which the workpiece is disposed . in fig1 an ac magnetic field is established around load coil lc by flowing ac current supplied by the inverter operating with an output frequency , f , through the coil . switching elements , namely switches s 1 , s 2 and s 3 , provide a means for reconfiguring the capacitance of the inverter by selectively inserting , removing or reconnecting the tuning capacitors in the active circuit . a workpiece or susceptor may be brought into the vicinity of the magnetic field to inductively heat the workpiece or susceptor , or the load coil may be place around a crucible in which an electrically conductive load , such as a molten metal , has been placed , to inductively heat , melt and / or stir the load . for convenience of reference , the term “ workpiece ” is used to refer to a workpiece for heating , a susceptor or an electrically conductive material placed in a crucible . further the term “ surrounding the workpiece ” with reference to one or more induction load coils of the present invention includes arrangements wherein the workpiece is positioned so that the magnetic field created by the flow of ac current through the one or more induction load coils penetrates the workpiece . ideally for maximum transfer of power from the output of the inverter to load coil lc , the output frequency of the inverter should be at or near resonance . for an lc - circuit , resonant frequency , f , is calculated from the formula : wherein l is the equivalent inductance of the circuit and c is the equivalent capacitance ( c eq ) of the resonant circuit . referring to fig1 , preferably , but not limiting , tuning capacitors tc 1 and tc 2 will have substantially the same value of capacitance , c tc , and resonance capacitors rc 1 and rc 2 will have substantially the same value of capacitance , c rc . with this arrangement , when both tuning capacitors and both resonance capacitors are all in series ( switch s 1 opened , switch s 2 at position 1 and switch s 3 at position 2 ) the equivalent circuit capacitance , c eq , at resonant frequency f , can be calculated as : the change in c eq , as well as the change in resonant frequency , f , as switches s 1 , s 2 and s 3 change positions , relative to the calculated c eq above , is illustrated in the following table : therefore in this non - limiting example of the invention , induction heating or melting frequencies may be switched between f , 0 . 7 f , and 0 . 5 f with the speed of switching being dependent upon the switching speed of switches s 1 , s 2 and s 3 , which may be of any form , such as electromechanical or solid state , as required to suit a particular application . fig2 illustrates another example of the induction heating or melting apparatus of the present invention wherein a single switch s 4 provides a means for switching the circuit configuration of tuning capacitors tc 3 and tc 4 and resonance capacitors rc 3 and rc 4 . when switch s 4 is in the opened position as shown in the figure , the series combination of tuning capacitors tc 3 and tc 4 is in parallel with the series combination of resonance capacitors rc 3 and rc 4 , and when switch s 4 is in the closed position , the parallel combination of tuning capacitor tc 3 and resonance capacitor rc 3 is in parallel with the parallel combination of tuning capacitor tc 4 and resonance capacitor rc 4 , whereby the equivalent load circuit capacitance changes , along with the resonant frequency of the load circuit , when switch s 4 alternates between the opened and closed positions . fig3 illustrates another example of the induction heating or melting apparatus of the present invention . in this example , commutation device sd 1 with antiparallel diode d 1 , and commutation device sd 2 with antiparallel diode d 2 comprise the first branch of the inverter ; commutation device sd 3 with antiparallel diode d 3 , and commutation device sd 4 with antiparallel diode d 4 comprise the second branch of the inverter . tuning capacitor tc 5 , resonance capacitor rc 5 , along with switches s 5 and s 6 and the load coil , form the diagonal of the inverter , which is connected between the midpoints of the first and second branches . in one non - limiting example wherein tuning capacitor tc 5 has substantially the same value of capacitance , c , as does resonance capacitor rc 5 , the change in capacitance c , as well as the change in resonant frequency , f , as switches s 5 and s 6 change positions , relative to capacitance c , is illustrated in the following table : there is shown in fig4 ( a ) another example of the induction heating melting apparatus of the present invention . in this arrangement commutation device sd 1 with antiparallel diode d 1 , and commutation device sd 2 with antiparallel diode d 2 comprise the first branch of the inverter , and resonance capacitors rc 6 and rc 7 comprise the second branch of the inverter . tuning capacitor tc 6 , along with switch s 7 and the load coil , form the diagonal of the inverter , which is connected between the midpoints of the first and second branches . when ac current supplied from the inverter flows through the induction load coil a magnetic field is created . a workpiece can be positioned so that the magnetic field created by the flow of ac current through the induction load coil penetrates the workpiece to inductively heat or melt the workpiece as further described above . in operation switch s 7 can be opened , as shown in the figure , or closed , to either include the tuning capacitor in the circuit , or bypass the tuning capacitor out of the circuit , respectively . the circuit impedance of the load coil , the tuning capacitor ( if present in the active circuit ) and the resonance capacitors determines the resultant load impedance seen by the output of the inverter . therefore shorting tuning capacitor tc 6 by closing switch s 7 will increase the circuit &# 39 ; s equivalent capacitance and , consequently , lower the resonant frequency of the circuit . conversely opening switch s 7 will decrease the circuit &# 39 ; s capacitance and , consequently , increase the resonant frequency of the circuit . fig4 ( b ) illustrates one non - limiting example of providing the switch means for switch s 7 in fig4 ( a ). in fig4 ( b ) the switching means for shorting tuning capacitor tc 6 is accomplished by a diode bridge that is formed from diodes bd 1 , bd 2 , bd 3 and bd 4 , and is connected across the tuning capacitor . switch s 8 , for example , a transistor , is connected across the center of the bridge to short out the tuning capacitor when the switch is closed . by way of non - limiting example , when the apparatus in fig4 ( a ) or fig4 ( b ) is used to achieve dual frequency induction heating of a workpiece with a low frequency of around 3 kilohertz to 10 kilohertz and a high frequency of around 30 kilohertz to 100 kilohertz , the capacitance of tuning capacitor tc 6 should be selected as around 100 times smaller than the capacitance of resonance capacitors rc 6 and rc 7 . although a resonant inverter is used in the above examples of the invention , other inverter arrangements or topologies may be used without deviating from the scope of the invention . in all examples of the invention the output of the inverter may operate at a fixed frequency or varied . the switching devices that are used in the above examples of the invention , including transistors or other solid state devices , such as the commutation devices illustrated with insulated gate bipolar transistor symbols , are exemplary and may be replaced by any other suitable switching device or element . the examples of the invention include reference to specific electrical components . one skilled in the art may practice the invention by substituting components that are not necessarily of the same type but will create the desired conditions or accomplish the desired results of the invention . for example , single components may be substituted for multiple components or vice versa . the foregoing examples do not limit the scope of the disclosed invention . the scope of the disclosed invention is further set forth in the appended claims . | 7 |
fig1 shows a power - assisted steering system for a motor vehicle , with an assistance system acting at the steering pinion . the steering system comprises a steering gear - box 2 , which extends along a longitudinal axis a . slidingly mounted in the steering gear - box 2 is a rack 3 , the ends of which leave the ends of the casing 2 and are coupled to tie rods ( not shown here ). a power assistance motor 4 is coupled , via a speed reduction gear , to a steering pinion 5 that is engaged with the toothing 6 of the rack 3 ( see also fig2 ). reference 7 indicates the input shaft , which is connected to the steering pinion 5 and to which the steering column ( not shown ) is coupled , maneuvered using the steering wheel of the vehicle . a push device , designated overall by reference 8 , is provided near the steering pinion 5 , to press the toothing 6 of the rack 3 against the pinion 5 , the push device 8 being shown in detail in fig2 and following . the push device 8 is placed on the rear side 9 of the rack 3 , in other words opposite the toothing 6 of that rack 3 and also opposite the pinion 5 , this push device 8 being housed in a corresponding part of the steering gear - box 2 . the push device 8 , of the “ off - center ” type , comprises a pad 10 as main component , which is a part with a rounded profile , and , more particularly , an arched part with a “ corner ” shape . the pad 10 has an inner periphery 11 in an arc of circle that is off - centered relative to its outer periphery 12 , which is also in an arc of circle . the inner periphery 11 , thus off - centered , of the pad 10 forms a step pressed against the rear 9 of the rack 3 . the pad 10 is mounted and guided on a support 13 , which in turn is mounted in the considered part of the steering gear - box 2 , the configuration of the support 13 being clearly visible in fig3 . this support 13 comprises a cradle 14 with a bowed shape , on which the outer periphery 12 of the pad 10 bears slidingly . at one end , the support 13 has an oblong protuberance 15 , engaged in a corresponding recess 16 of the concerned casing portion . the pad 10 is shown as a monolithic piece , but it can also be made in two or more parts from separate materials , adapted for sliding contact with the rack 3 on the one hand and with the support 13 on the other hand . various methods of guiding the pad 10 on the cradle 14 of the support 13 can be considered , to produce the rotational connection between the pad 10 and the support 13 . the pad 10 is set in rotation relative to the support 13 by applying thrust , exerted by a clearance compensation mechanism 17 on a radial arm 18 comprised by the pad 10 . the details of the clearance compensation mechanism 17 are shown in fig2 , as well as fig4 and following . the clearance compensation mechanism 17 is made up of five main elements , i . e . : a thrust member 19 , a compression spring 20 , a movable stop 21 , a torsion spring 22 , and a bearing member 23 , all arranged coaxially . the bearing member 23 , shown only in fig7 , is connected to the support 13 in the part thereof opposite the protuberance 15 , so that there is no relative movement between the bearing member 23 and the support 13 during operation . the movable stop 21 , generally cylindrical and hollow in the center thereof ( see fig5 ), is mounted rotating relative to the bearing member 23 , in which it fits . at its end spaced away from the bearing member 23 , the movable stop 21 has two staggered toothings 24 , which respectively extend over two 180 ° sectors . each toothing 24 comprises a series of gear teeth 25 . at its end opposite the toothings 24 ( see fig6 ), the movable stop 21 has a housing 26 provided to receive one end of the torsion spring 22 . the other end of the torsion spring 22 is received in a fastening zone 27 provided on the bearing member 23 ( see fig7 ). the thrust member 19 , shown only in fig8 , is generally cylindrical . it comprises two diametrically opposite longitudinal grooves 28 , which cooperate with ribs 29 provided on opposite surfaces of the support 13 ( see also fig2 ), to guide the translation of said thrust member 19 while immobilizing it in rotation . in the mounted position , the thrust member 19 is pressed against the radial arm 18 of the pad 10 . the thrust member 19 also comprises two diametrically opposite notches 30 , which are provided each to cooperate with one of the gear teeth 25 of the toothings 24 of the movable stop 21 . in the mounted position of the clearance compensation mechanism 17 , in the illustrated example , the compression spring 20 is situated outside the movable stop 21 . one end of the compression spring 20 bears on the bearing member 23 , while the other end thereof bears against the thrust member 21 . the torsion spring 22 is housed in the central recess of the movable stop 21 ; this torsion spring 22 is hooked by one end to said movable stop 21 , in the housing 26 , while the other end thereof is fastened to the bearing member 23 , in the fastening zone 27 . during normal operation , as illustrated in fig9 , the clearance compensation mechanism 17 is in a configuration for which each notch 30 of the thrust member 19 is in contact against a wall of a gear tooth 25 of a toothing 24 of the movable stop 18 , the contact being maintained by the torsion spring 22 , which acts in the direction of arrow f 1 . the thrust from the compression spring 20 , acting in the axial direction of the arrow f 2 , is exerted on the thrust member 19 , which transmits it to the pad 10 , so that the rack 3 is kept in contact with the steering pinion 5 . this operating state is maintained for any clearance j comprised between a minimum clearance value j 1 and a maximum clearance value j 2 . when the clearance j exceeds the maximum clearance value j 2 , due to wear that has become relatively significant , the contact between the notches 30 of the thrust member 19 and the gear teeth 25 of the movable stop 21 no longer exists ( see fig1 ). at that time , the torsion spring 22 rotates the movable stop 21 , until a new contact occurs between each notch 30 of the thrust member 19 and the following gear teeth 25 of the toothings 24 of the movable stop 21 . the clearance j has thus been reduced to the minimum clearance value j 1 , the clearance compensation mechanism 17 being brought back into the configuration of fig9 , but with contact on the following , “ higher ” gear tooth 25 of each staggered toothing 24 . as also shown in fig9 and 10 , the gear teeth 25 of at least one staggered toothing 24 advantageously have a globally triangular profile . owing to such a configuration , during the rotation of the movable stop 21 , a slight withdrawal of the pad 10 is authorized in the idle position , which makes it possible to obtain clearance between the rack 3 and the steering pinion 5 , to absorb the toothing defects of those elements . fig1 shows an alternative form of the gear teeth 25 of the staggered toothings 24 . keeping a triangular appearance , the gear teeth 25 here comprise asperities and / or notches 31 , which are provided for embedding of the notches 30 , so as to stabilize the movable stop 21 in the idle position . lastly , in a manner not shown , the support 13 can be mounted in the corresponding casing portion with the interposition of one or more seals capable of absorbing noises and vibrations . it would not be beyond the scope of the invention , as defined in the appended claims , to : modify the details of the toothings of the movable stop ; use any equivalent arrangements , in particular in the clearance compensation mechanism where the position of the parts can be inverted , for example with a torsion spring having a larger diameter placed outside the movable stop , and a compression spring having a smaller diameter placed inside the movable stop , or with other staggered toothings formed on the thrust member and notches provided on the movable stop ; use this type of push device for all types of steering systems : manual steering , power - assisted steering , hydraulically - assisted steering . | 8 |
referring now to fig1 a vacuum chamber 10 is shown having four radially - arranged ports 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 . in this embodiment , port 11 serves as a loading and unloading port for substrates to be metallized . a conventional load - lock system 15 ( shown in dotted lines ) including a robot is attached to the vacuum chamber 10 . a conventional sputtering station 16 ( shown in dotted lines ) is disposed at port 12 to receive a substrate and coat a metallized surface onto it . four platter bases 17 are radially arranged within the vacuum chamber 10 . platters ( not shown ) to hold the substrates are disposed in recesses in each of the platter bases 17 . in this view , for simplicity , only one platter base 17 is shown . a carrier 18 has four radially - extending arms 19 disposed on it . linear bearings 21 are disposed on each of the arms 19 . each of these bearings 21 receives a push rod 22 . a mechanism index motor 20 drives a shaft ( not shown ) in a clockwise direction thereby driving carrier 18 and arms 19 also in a clockwise direction and carrying with it linear bearings 21 and platter bases 17 . arms 19 are peripherally supported by ring segments 23 . in the embodiment of this figure , platter base 17 is shown engaging the sealing face around port 14 . the other platter bases ( not shown ) engage the sealing faces around ports 11 , 12 and 13 . they are not free to index from one port to the next during such engagement . when retracted , however , the platter bases 17 can be indexed from the loading and unloading port 11 to the sputtering station port 12 and each of the intermediary ports 13 and 14 . in the embodiment shown , the load - lock system 15 is disposed at the 0 ° point . since port 14 at the 270 ° point and port 13 at the 180 ° point have no equipment associated with them in this embodiment , they are covered to enclose the vacuum chamber 10 and sustain the vacuum . sputtering station 16 is disposed at the 90 ° point . if desired , however , to increase production on the machine it is possible to place on port 14 another conventional sputtering station ( such as represented schematically as 16 ) and another conventional device for robotically loading and unloading substrates at port 13 . in this way substrates can be fed into port 11 and metallized at port 12 and unloaded at port 13 . in parallel , a new substrate can be inserted at port 13 and metallized at port 14 and removed at port 11 . thus , two metallizing systems work simultaneously . each of these metallizing steps can be carried out simultaneously , thereby doubling the production of the machine . the motors selected for moving substrates through the chamber are programmed to index + 90 ° and are electronically controlled to eliminate radial motion of the platters 17 during the index . such motors are well known in the art . a push rod 22 reciprocates in each linear bearing 21 . it is articulated at joint 22a in a conventional yoke and tongue arrangement . an inner segment 22b is attached to a toggle shaft 24 concentric with and rotationally independent of carrier 18 . toggle shaft 24 is attached through mechanism index motor 20 to a toggle motor 25 . toggle motor 25 indexes - 90 ° to retract inner segment 22b ( and thus push rod 22 and platter base 17 ) and then indexes + 90 ° to seal the platter bases 17 against the sealing faces around the respective ports . such motors are well known to the art . to introduce the substrates to be coated into the machine , the load - lock system 15 used is similar to systems used in other substrate metallizers currently in use . a loading robot carries a sealing door along with a substrate in the form of a compact disc blank . when the disc is placed in the load - lock , the door seals the load - lock from the atmosphere . the sealing door and the adjacent platter form a load - lock station which can be evacuated by conventional means ( not shown ) to a pressure similar to that found in the vacuum chamber 10 . after evacuation , the platter base 17 can be retracted and indexed to the next station . discs are removed from the vacuum chamber by the sealing door through the reverse of the load - lock evacuation process . in this process , air or nitrogen is vented into the load - lock to equalize load - lock pressure to the atmosphere . once stabilized , the loading robot removes the disc and places the new disc in the load - lock for indexing through the metallizing process . while fig1 shows only one platter base 17 mounted in linear bearing 21 , it is to be understood there is at least one pair of platter bases 17 and usually there are two pairs of platter bases 17 and possibly even more pairs of platter bases . each of the four platter bases 17 has a push rod 22 disposed in a linear bearing 21 . each push rod 22 is attached to an inner segment 22b which , in turn , is attached to toggle shaft 24 . the platter bases 17 are fastened to push rods 22 which translate radially through linear bearings 21 . in the preferred embodiment of our invention we use four platter bases 17 and four linear sliding push rods 22 , four inner segments 22b , a center toggle shaft 24 which contains four bearings 24a . the platter base 17 and the push rod 22 are joined together utilizing a compliant spring joint formed with concentric o - rings . these o - rings provide compliance to the platter base 17 , push rod 22 , linkage 22a and toggle shaft assembly 24 . the compliant rings provide a controlled pre - load between the platter base 17 and the sealing faces around ports 11 , 12 , 13 and 14 , and also compensate for tolerance variations from part to part in the assembly by equalizing the forces applied to opposing linkages to the toggle shaft assembly . toggling provides reduced sensitivity to dimensional variations of parts and to expansion and contraction of these parts because of ambient temperatures . the forces exerted by the platter bases 17 upon the sealing faces around ports remain similar due to the compliant spring joints in spite of tolerance variations in parts . the platter bases 17 are extended by the toggle mechanism until the sealing compliant springs contact the vacuum chamber walls . the contact compresses the springs until the outer diameters of the platter base 17 and the platter make contact with the sealing faces around the ports . when metal - to - metal contact is made between the platter base and the sealing face , further expansion caused by the toggle mechanism 24 compresses the compliant o - rings without moving the platter or the substrate . the platters can extend no further since they are in metal - to - metal contact with the chamber walls . the clamping forces rise instantaneously as mechanism deflection transfers from compression of the sealing o - rings to compression of the compliant o - rings . variations in the applied load to the joint do not significantly alter the load on the platter . the load - lock platter experiences a varying applied load since it experiences a substantial force applied by atmosphere and no force when it is under vacuum . despite the varying external force , the platter base does not separate from its metal - to - metal contact with the chamber wall which assures a constant and known deflection of the sealing o - ring in spite of widely varying applied loads . an approximate constant load on the toggle shaft 24 is maintained in spite of the varying load . the torque on the toggle motor 25 is dependent on the angular position of the toggle shaft 24 . referring now to fig2 a and 2b , the platter base and platter are shown in two compression modes . in fig2 a a platter 2 has a metal ring 27 in the form of a circular groove formed on its face side 28 . the ring 27 mates with a ring 29 around the port 11 ( for example ). the port 11 has a lip 30 disposed on it to receive a substrate 31 in the form of a compact disc carried by the platter 2 . the push rod 22 engages the obverse side 32 of the platter base 17 . the push rod 22 terminates in a hollow , conically - shaped collar 33 which is free to move ( within limits ) on the axis of the platter base 17 . the collar 33 is attached to the obverse side 32 of the platter base 17 by a ring 34 which engages part of the face of the obverse side 32 . ring 34 is held in place on the obverse side 32 by means of threaded fasteners 35 which tighten ring 34 but enable it to move on its axis . in the inside of collar 33 are a series of coaxially - arranged steps 36a , 36b and 36c . on the inside of the obverse side 32 of platter base 17 are a series of concentric grooves 37a , 37b and 37c . disposed within the grooves are springs , preferably in the form of o - rings 38a , 38b and 38c . these o - rings space the steps 36a , 36b and 36c from the top of the grooves 37a , 37b and 37c . they also enable the collar 33 to move on its axis slightly . platter 2 is carried in a recess 8 in the face side of the platter base 17 by a collar 3 which fits into a cavity 3c . an o - ring 3b holds collar 3 ( and , thus , the platter 2 ) in place in the platter base 17 , but allows it to move and shift to compensate for dimensional variations of the components of the machine . when ring 29 enters groove 27 platter 17 will adjust to compensate for variations in tolerance and expansion and contraction . substrate 31 is held in place by a conventional gripper 39 with fingers 40 that are carried on platter 2 . movement of the platter base 17 is controlled by push rod 22 and its related toggling action . push rod 22 has an inner segment 22b which can be disposed at an angle relative to push rod 22 . push rod 22 is articulated at joint 22a to enable push rod 22 ( and , thus , the platter base ) to move axially while inner segment 22b moves tangentially to provide the toggling action . as can be seen in fig2 b , inner segment 22b is axially aligned with push rod 22 . such alignment forces rings 27 and 29 together to align the platter 2 and , thus , align the substrate 31 . the outer diameter 4 of the face side of the platter base 17 engages the chamber wall 5 with metal - to - metal contact and squeezes o - ring 42 therebetween . o - ring 42 has been compressed by platter base 17 , and together with the metal - to - metal seal creates a vacuum - tight seal so that loading and unloading of substrate 31 can be provided or vacuum metallizing can be provided within the vacuum metallizer . as can also be seen , o - rings 38a , 38b and 38c are compressed to compensate for variations due to tolerances , expansion and contraction , etc . since collar 33 is free to move ( within limits ) within ring 34 , the minor variations are compensated for with this relationship between the parts . referring now to fig3 a and 3b , an elevational view of the machine at two stages of operation are shown . in fig3 b the platter bases are withdrawn towards the axis of the toggle shaft 24 for indexing from one port to the next . in fig3 b the platter bases are disposed adjacent the ports for a mechanical operation . in this embodiment , four platter bases 17 are supported on a carrier 18 by means of linear bearings 21 . the linear bearings 21 are attached to carrier 18 and receive push rod 22 . carrier 18 is supported at its periphery by ring segments 23 which connect the arms of the carrier together . carrier 18 may be turned within vacuum chamber 10 by means of a mechanism index motor ( not shown in this view ). this index motor can turn carrier 18 in a counterclockwise direction so that the platter bases 17 can be indexed from one port to the other . push rod 22 is connected to a toggle shaft 24 by means of an inner segment 22b . toggle shaft 24 is connected to a toggle motor ( not shown is this view ) and can move in two directions , both counterclockwise and clockwise . when turned in a counterclockwise direction , inner segment 22b will draw push rod 22 inward within linear bearing 21 and turn platter bases 17 and withdraw them from the ports . all four of the platters are withdrawn simultaneously by the rotation of toggle shaft 24 in a counterclockwise direction . when the platters are indexed in front of the next port , toggle shaft 24 will be rotated clockwise . when the toggle shaft 24 is rotated in a clockwise direction , inner segment 22b will cause push rod 22 to slide within linear bearing 21 which will cause platter base 17 and platter 2 to engage the respective port . this second stage of operation is shown in fig3 b , as will be explained hereinafter . in operation of the equipment , the substrates in the form of compact disc blanks are delivered to the vacuum chamber 10 by means of a load - lock system which is well known to the art . the load - lock system includes a loading robot which carries a sealing door along with a disc . when the disc is placed in the load - lock , a sealing door isolates the load - lock from the atmosphere . the sealing door and the adjacent platter form a load - lock station which can be evacuated to a pressure similar to that found in the vacuum chamber . once this occurs the platter can be retracted and rotated . a substrate which has been metallized in sputtering station 16 is removed from the vacuum chamber 10 through the reverse of the load - lock evacuation process . in this process air or nitrogen is vented into the load - lock to equalize the load - lock pressure to the atmosphere . once this occurs the loading robot removes the metallized substrate and places a new substrate in the load - lock . substrates are transported from the load - lock to the sputtering station 16 by retracting the platter base 17 , indexing the mechanism to the next position and extending platters to their new position . the retraction , rotation and expansion process transports discs around the periphery of the vacuum chamber 10 . the platter assembly rotates 90 ° with each retraction , rotation and expansion cycle . each cycle produces a metallized disc as each platter sequentially rotates from the sputtering station 16 . in the embodiment illustrated , only one load - lock mechanism 15 and one sputtering station 16 is shown , respectively , at ports 11 and 12 . if desired , another load - lock mechanism can be placed at port 13 and another sputtering station placed at port 14 . in this latter parallel process double production can be realized . on the other hand , if a plurality of sputtering stations are placed in the ports it is possible to layer metallized material on a substrate instead of having all of the metallizing occur in one sputtering station . when the platter bases 17 are extended by the toggle motor 25 , the sealing o - rings ( shown in fig2 ) compress until the platter bases make metal - to - metal contact with the walls . at that point further expansion caused by the toggle mechanism compresses the compliant o - rings without moving the platter bases 17 , since the platter bases can no longer move because they are in metal - to - metal contact with the chamber wall . the compliant o - rings apply a force to the platter which exceeds the force supplied by atmosphere on the load - lock platter . the control of pre - load force functions similar to a pre - loaded bolted joint . the load - lock platter experiences a varying applied load since it experiences a similar force applied by the atmosphere and no force when under vacuum . in spite of the varying external force , the platter does not separate from its metal - to - metal contact with the chamber wall . this assures a constant and known deflection of the sealing o - ring in spite of widely varying applied load . it also maintains an approximately constant load on the toggle mechanism in spite of the varying load . in the metallizer station 16 a thin coating of metal is applied to a substrate . with optical discs , this coating is typically either aluminum or gold . the sputtering cathode contains a sacrificial target which is the source of the deposited material . atoms from the target are ejected by electrons produced by a plasma . these atoms are ejected in a ballistic manner such that they move in a line of sight from the target and deposit themselves on the first object they strike . in the case of the metallizer used with the transfer mechanism of the present invention , target atoms are deposited on the optical disc and on adjacent shields and masks which make up the sputtering station . the sputtering process takes approximately two seconds or less . thicker layers require longer sputtering times and thinner layers require less time . with the mechanism of the present invention it is possible to provide a dual cathode which permits a net reduction of sputtering time for the same layer thickness since one cathode deposits half of the layer and the other deposits the remainder . the dual cathode option also permits the deposition of two different materials on discs . in one sputtering station one target material will be used and in another a different target material can be used . thus , layers of two different materials can be deposited on a given disc . many variations of disc metallizing can be provided with the construction of the present invention . while it is apparent that changes and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention , it is our intention , however , only to be limited by the appended claims . | 2 |
in general , the methods and apparatus of the invention provide improved capabilities to low cost production testers known in the arts . the methods and systems of the invention may be used to provide high performance testing capabilities to enhance the usefulness of preexisting test equipment . the block diagram of fig1 shows an illustration of three functional components of systems and methods embodying the invention . a testing module 10 is shown . the term “ testing module ” as used herein contemplates hardware , software , firmware , or a combination thereof suitable for storing and implementing machine - readable instructions for carrying out the functions of the invention as further described . pattern memory 12 stores the test vectors used for performing pre - selected tests . a digital test engine 14 sequences the patterned test vectors in order to provide the digital source , capture , and comparison required for each test or series of tests . this embodiment of the invention is illustrated with a bidirectional multiplexer 16 , preferably used in order to provide an interface between a semiconductor device , generally referred to as a device under test ( dut ) 18 , and automatic test equipment ( ate ) 20 . it should be appreciated by those skilled in the arts that the module 10 of the invention may also be implemented in specific applications absent associated ate 20 . the preferred arrangement shown and described , including memory 12 , test engine 14 , and mux 16 for associating with ate 20 provides a powerful test platform for performing scan testing , mixed signal testing , functional testing , and any combination of such testing selected for a particular application . fig2 shows a block diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of a testing module 10 the invention using off - the - shelf components known in the arts . those skilled in the arts will appreciate that this is but one example of a preferred embodiment of a testing module 10 of the invention . numerous alternative embodiments providing the same functionality are possible without departure from the invention . the memory function is preferably implemented using ddr sram 22 , preferably with a total capacity of 1 gb or more and speeds of up to about 400 mb per pin . those skilled in the arts will appreciate that alternative memory devices may be used without departure from the invention provided that high speed and high density are provided . the test engine functionality is provided using a field programmable gate array ( fpga ) 24 . the use of an fpga 24 as shown in this exemplary embodiment of the invention is preferred because it provides flexibility by allowing reprogramming . thus , as test needs change , the firmware may be modified to provide new testing features . current generations of readily available fpgas have the capacity to perform operations at hundreds of mhz , have plentiful internal sram , support various i / o standards and have built - in clock management . this clock management may be used to form timing control for simple and fast functionality testing . a bus switch 26 may be used to perform the role of multiplexing . solid - state based switches are preferred in order to avoid the problems associated with large , and relatively slow , mechanical relays . in the presently most preferred embodiment of the invention , the cbt family of devices available from texas instruments corporation use a single series pass transistor as the switch , allowing bidirectional use over a large range of input / output voltages . other solid - state switching mechanisms may be used without departure form the principles of the invention . to prevent the bus switch electrostatic discharge ( esd ) structure ( not shown ) from masking continuity and leakage measurements , the vss pin is preferably lowered to − 1v . since vss is only used for the gate control of the series pass transistors , this does not affect operation as long as vdd - vss is within specified limits . a high speed connection 28 is provided in order to facilitate test input and output , and in typical applications , communication with automated test equipment 20 . fig3 shows a top perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of the invention implemented in a testing environment . a testing module 10 is shown operably connected to a test socket 30 on a device interface board ( dib ) 32 familiar in the arts . a device under test ( dut ) 18 is inserted in the socket 30 as is known in the testing arts . automatic test equipment ( ate ) 20 such as a vlct is typically connected to the dut 18 trough the socket 30 for testing selected inputs and outputs . the number of i / os is generally limited by the memory configuration selected for the testing module 10 . an appropriate memory configuration must be selected for the desired number of dut i / os that must be controlled , and the number of dut sites . it should be appreciated by those skilled in the arts that in certain applications it may be desirable to perform various tests using the module 10 alone independent of the ate 20 , and that for other applications the module 10 and the ate 20 may be used to perform simultaneous and / or complementary tests . fig4 shows an example of an alternative arrangement of test modules 10 with a dual - site dib 32 . two at - speed digital test modules 10 are shown coupled to two test sockets 30 . fig3 illustrates an example of another alternative configuration embodying the invention . a typical socket 30 , dib 32 , and dut 18 arrangement as shown may be used with a testing module 10 configured for disposition between a dib 32 and ate 20 generally known in the arts . the module 10 is configured for making electrical contact at the interface 34 between the dib 14 and ate 18 by means of pogo pins , a probe membrane , or other suitable means . the examples of preferred embodiments of the invention shown and described are presented to illustrate and explain the principles and operation of the invention . it should be understood by those skilled in the arts that there are numerous possible alternative implementations of the principles of the invention . the examples shown and described are included to present features and advantages of various implementations of the invention and are not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . fig6 shows a block diagram illustrating an example of a fpga 24 firmware arrangement for scan testing . this example provides a block - level view of one possible implementation of the systems and methods of the invention . in the pattern memory 22 , drive , expect and mask data is stored for each test vector . the controller is programmed to shift in the required data and compare the results that are shifted out after capture . if a failure occurs , it triggers the controller to log the result into fail memory and either stop the test or continue on fail , as pre - determined by the practitioner of the invention . thus , the invention provides systems and methods for digital testing of semiconductor devices using a testing module . while the invention has been described with reference to certain illustrative embodiments , the methods , systems , and apparatus described are not intended to be construed in a limiting sense . various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments as well as other advantages and embodiments of the invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description and claims . | 6 |
in describing preferred embodiments illustrated in the drawings , specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity . however , the disclosure of this patent specification is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner . referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views , particularly to fig1 an image reading apparatus 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described . in fig1 the image reading apparatus 1 includes a housing unit 2 , a first slit glass 3 , a first lamp 4 , a mirror 5 , a carriage 6 , a first lens 7 , a first charge - couple device ( ccd ) 8 , a white reference plate 9 , and an automatic document feeder ( adf ) 10 . the adf 10 includes a document table ( not shown ), a pair of paper feeding rollers 11 , a pair of first conveying rollers 12 , a pair of second conveying rollers 13 , a reflector 14 , a third conveying rollers 15 , a platen roller 16 , a second slit glass 17 , a pair of paper output rollers 18 , a second lamp 19 , a second lens 20 , a second ccd 21 , and a white reference unit 22 . fig1 also shows directions of motions in the image reading apparatus 1 . an arrow a shows a sub - scanning direction . an arrow b shows a direction of paper conveying path . arrows c and d show directions in which the white reference unit 22 moves . the arrows are referred to as direction a , direction b , direction c , and direction d , respectively . p in fig1 indicates a sheet of original document paper being processed . in fig1 the image reading apparatus 1 is provided with a contact glass ( not shown ) and the first slit glass 3 on a top face of the housing unit 2 . inside the housing unit 2 , the carriage 6 , the first lens 7 , and the first ccd 8 are disposed underneath the contact glass and the first slit glass 3 . the carriage 6 includes components such as the first lamp 4 and the mirror 5 . the white reference plate 9 is disposed adjoining the first slit glass 3 inside the top side of the housing unit 2 . the carriage 6 is driven to move by a motor ( not shown ) in the sub - scanning direction a . the image reading apparatus 1 includes the adf 10 hinged at the top of the hosing unit 2 . when the adf 10 is opened , an original document can be set on the contact glass ( not shown ). when the adf 10 is closed with the original document placed on the contact glass , the adf acts as a platen member pressing the original document against the contact glass . the pair of the paper feeding rollers 11 in the adf 10 separates sheets of paper one by one from a batch set on the document table , and sends a sheet of paper p to the pair of first conveying rollers 12 in the conveying direction b . the pair of first conveying rollers 12 carries the sheet p to the pair of second conveying rollers 13 . the pair of second conveying rollers 13 sends the sheet p to a position between the first slit glass 3 and the reflector 14 arranged opposite to the first slit glass 3 , and subsequently sends the sheet p to the pair of third conveying rollers 15 . the first lamp 4 irradiates one side , a front side , for example , of the sheet p with a light beam . the mirror 5 reflects the light beam reflected on the front side of the sheet p onto the lens 7 . the lens 7 converges the light beam onto the first ccd 8 . the first ccd 8 carries out a photoelectric conversion of the light beam . by performing the above operations , the image reading apparatus 1 reads the front side of the sheet p being conveyed , thereby obtaining image data of the front side of the sheet p , or first image data . before reading the sheet p , the first ccd 8 reads the white reference plate 9 to obtain and store first shading data to be used in a first shading correction . the first ccd 8 performs the first shading correction on the first image data based on the first shading data . since the white reference plate 9 may have dust or motes disposed thereon , the image reading apparatus 1 reads the white reference plate 9 over a plurality of lines and averages data obtained to generate the first shading data . to read the white reference plate 9 , the image reading apparatus 1 moves the carriage 6 to a position above which the white reference plate 9 is disposed , and reads the white reference plate 9 over a plurality of lines ( n lines ) along with a motion of the carriage 6 . the pair of third rollers 15 in the adf 10 sends the sheet p to a position between the platen roller 16 and the second slit glass 17 where the platen roller 16 and the second slit glass 17 contact both sides of the sheet p . the platen roller 16 is arranged to press against the second slit glass 17 . the platen roller further conveys the sheet p , which has been read , to the pair of paper output rollers 18 that ejects the sheet p onto a paper output tray ( not shown ). the platen roller 16 conveys the sheet p at the position between the platen roller 16 and the second slit glass 17 while pressing the sheet p against the second slit glass 17 . the second lamp 19 irradiates the other side , a back side for example , of the sheet p with a light beam . the second lens 20 converges the light beam onto the second ccd 21 . the second ccd 21 carries out photoelectric conversion of the light beam . by performing the above operations , the image reading apparatus 1 reads the back side of the sheet p being conveyed , thereby obtaining an image data of the back side of the sheet p , or second image data . the second lamp 19 , the second lens 20 , and the second ccd 21 act as reading devices . with reference to fig2 through 4 , the image reading apparatus 1 is further described . in fig2 and 3 , the white reference unit 22 includes a solenoid 31 , an arm 31 a of the solenoid 31 , a white reference section 32 , a dust - removing brush 33 , a white reference sheet 36 , an upper dustproof glass 37 , and a lower dustproof glass 38 . in fig4 the white reference unit 22 further includes a pair of guiding rails 34 and 35 . as shown in fig2 and 3 , the slit glass 17 is arranged to have a slope along with the conveying path in which a downstream side of the slit glass 17 ( a right side in the drawings ) is disposed at a higher position than a position of an upstream side of the slit glass 17 ( a left side in the drawings ). the pair of guiding rails 34 and 35 are arranged to be disposed along the slope of the slit glass 17 and to extend downstream along the conveying path , as shown in fig4 . an angle of the slope is preferably between 40 and 60 degrees , and more preferably around 50 degrees . the solenoid 31 acts to move or lift the white reference section 32 in the direction c in fig2 , and 4 , while the white reference section 32 slides down to a standby position in the direction d in fig2 and 4 . the white reference section 32 has a width corresponding to a width of a largest original document size to be processed by the image reading apparatus 1 , as shown in fig4 . the white reference section 32 includes the white reference sheet 36 enveloped with transparent plate members , i . e ., the upper dustproof glass 37 and the lower dustproof glass 38 , integrated to prevent contact of impurities such as dust , motes , or paper powders , with the white reference sheet 36 . an entire surface of at least an upper side , a side facing the second lamp 19 , of the white reference sheet 36 is colored white . the lower dustproof glass 38 may be opaque . alternatively , the lower dustproof glass 38 can be omitted from the white reference section 32 , depending on an arrangement of the white reference sheet 36 . the white reference section 32 has a predetermined length in the sub - scanning direction . the white reference section 32 with the arm 31 a of the solenoid 31 remains at a standby position when the solenoid 31 is deactivated ( that is , when no driving force from the solenoid 31 is transferred to the arm 31 a ) as shown in fig2 . when the solenoid 31 is activated , the driving force from the solenoid 31 is transferred to the arm 31 a to lift the white reference section 32 towards a position at which the white reference is read , i . e ., the reading position of the second ccd 21 , in the direction c . [ 0047 ] fig3 shows the solenoid 31 activated . when the solenoid 31 is deactivated , the white reference section 32 smoothly slides down along with the guiding rails 34 and 35 in the direction d shown in fig2 and finally returns to the standby position . this motion is caused by the slope of the guiding rails 34 and 35 in which their ends at the side of solenoid 31 are arranged at a lower position than the other ends at the side of white reference section 32 . when disposed in the standby position , the white reference section 32 is at a position away from the reading position of the second ccd 21 , as shown in fig2 . the light beam emitted from the second lamp 19 irradiates the sheet p pressed by the platen roller 16 against the second slit glass 17 , reflects off of the sheet p , and passes through the slit glass 17 . when the white reference section 32 is disposed in the standby position , the light beam passes through the lens 20 to be detected by the second ccd 21 , without being blocked by the white reference section 32 . when the white reference section 32 is disposed at the reading position of the second ccd 21 , however , the light beam emitted from the second lamp 19 passes through the upper dustproof glass 37 of the white reference section 32 and irradiates the white reference sheet 36 . the light beam reflects off of the white reference sheet 36 and passes through the lens 20 to be detected by the second ccd 21 . in order to obtain shading data , the image reading apparatus 1 first activates the solenoid 31 that lifts the white reference section 32 to the reading position of the second ccd 21 , and subsequently deactivates the solenoid 31 . when the solenoid 31 is deactivated , the white reference section 32 gradually slides down to the standby position along with the guiding rails 34 and 35 . the white reference section 32 has the predetermined length in the sub - scanning direction as described above . according to this motion , the predetermined length of the white reference sheet 36 is irradiated with the light beam emitted from the second lamp 19 . the light beam is reflected off of the white reference sheet 36 and detected by the second ccd 21 through the lens 20 . in this way , the image reading apparatus 1 reads the predetermined length of the white reference sheet 36 over a plurality of lines to obtain shading data . the dust - removing brush 33 includes a tip portion of a brush part that is arranged to contact the upper dustproof glass 37 of the white reference section 32 . when the white reference section 32 moves between the ! standby position and the reading position , the dust - removing brush 33 cleans away impurities such as dust , motes , or paper dust , on an upper surface of the upper dustproof glass 37 . with reference to fig5 an exemplary circuit of the image reading apparatus 1 is described . the image reading apparatus 1 includes a circuit for an image processing , as shown in fig5 . the circuit includes an a / d converter 41 , a n - lines memory 42 , a calculator 42 a , a one - line memory 43 , a shading correction section 44 , an a / d converter 45 , a n - lines memory 46 , a calculator 46 a , a one - line memory 47 , a shading correction section 48 , and an image memory 49 . an image signal from the first ccd 8 is processed with the a / d converter 41 , the n - lines memory 42 , the calculator 42 a , the one - line memory 43 , and the shading correction section 44 , while an image signal from the second ccd 21 is processed with the a / d converter 45 , the n - lines memory 46 , the calculator 46 a , the one - line memory 47 , the shading correction section 48 , and the image memory 49 . to obtain shading data , the image reading apparatus 1 initially reads the white reference plate 9 over a plurality of lines ( n lines ) with the first ccd 8 , as described above . the data obtained is sequentially converted with the a / d converter 41 into digital form and stored in the n - lines memory 42 . the data stored in the n - lines memory 42 is averaged in each pixel with the calculator 42 a , and resultant data is stored in the one - line memory 43 as first shading data . in addition , the image reading apparatus 1 reads the white reference sheet 36 over a plurality of lines ( n lines ) with the second ccd 21 . in a similar manner , the data obtained is sequentially converted with the a / d converter 45 into digital form and stored in the n - lines memory 46 . the data stored in the n - lines memory 46 is averaged in each pixel with the calculator 46 a , and resultant data is stored in the one - line memory 47 as second shading data . in order to read the double - sided sheet p , the image reading apparatus 1 reads one side ( the front side ) of the sheet p at first to obtain the first image data , converts the first image data into digital form with the a / d converter 41 , and outputs the first digital data to the shading correction section 44 . the shading correction section 44 performs the shading correction based on the first shading data stored in the one - line memory 43 on the first image data of the double - sided sheet p . the shading correction section 44 outputs the corrected first image data . the image reading apparatus 1 also reads the other side ( the back side ) of the sheet p to obtain the second image data , converts the second image data into digital form with the a / d converter 45 , and outputs the second digital data to the shading correction section 48 . the shading correction section 48 performs the shading correction based on the second shading data stored in the one - line memory 47 on the second image data . the corrected second data is temporarily stored in the image memory 49 . after performing the shading correction on the first image data read with the first ccd 8 and outputting the corrected data , the image reading apparatus 1 performs the shading correction on the second image data read with the second ccd 21 and stored in the image memory 49 , and outputs the corrected data . with reference to fig6 through 10 , the exemplary procedure of an image reading operation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described . fig6 outlines steps for the image reading operation by the image reading apparatus 1 as follows : obtaining a first shading data in step s 110 ; obtaining a second shading data in step s 120 ; conveying a sheet p to a first reader in step s 1130 ; processing a front side of the sheet p in step s 140 ; conveying the sheet p to a second reader in step s 150 ; processing a back side of the sheet p in step s 160 ; and ejecting the sheet p in step s 170 . when there is at least one sheet of paper remaining on the document table in step s 180 , the operation returns to step s 130 . when no sheet of paper remains on the document table , the operation goes to end . before starting the reading operation of the a double - sided original document sheet p , the sheet p is set on the document table , information such as a resolution or a number of copies is set from an operating unit , and a start key is pressed . fig7 shows steps for obtaining first shading data , that is , step s 110 in fig6 . in order to obtain the first shading data , the image reading apparatus 1 first moves the carriage 6 under the white reference plate 9 in step s 111 . in step s 112 , the first lamp 4 irradiates the white reference plate 9 with a light beam . the light beam reflected off of the white reference plate 9 is detected by the first ccd 8 through the mirror 5 and the lens 7 , thereby causing the image reading apparatus 1 to read the white reference panel 9 . in parallel , the image reading apparatus 1 moves the carriage 6 in the direction a to read over n lines of the white reference panel 9 . in step s 113 , the a / d converter 41 converts data obtained by reading n lines of the white reference plate 9 into digital form . the converted data is sequentially stored into the n - lines memory 42 . in step s 114 , the data in the n - lines memory 42 is averaged in each pixel with the calculator 42 a , and stored in the one - line memory 43 as first shading data . in step s 115 , the image reading apparatus 1 moves the carriage 6 back under the first slit glass 3 , preparing for a reading operation of the sheet p . [ 0060 ] fig8 shows steps for obtaining second shading data , that is , step s 120 in fig6 . in order to obtain the second shading data , the image reading apparatus 1 activates the solenoid 31 in step s 121 , moves the arm 31 a in the direction c shown in fig2 to 4 towards the position at which the white reference section is read in step s 122 , and deactivates the solenoid 31 in step s 123 . when the solenoid 31 is deactivated , the white reference section 32 smoothly slides down along the guiding rails 34 and 35 in the direction d shown in fig2 and finally returns to the standby position . this motion is caused by an arrangement of the guiding rails 34 and 35 in which their ends at the side of the solenoid 31 are disposed at a lower position than the other ends at the side of white reference section 32 . in step s 124 , the second lamp 19 irradiates the white reference section 32 returning towards the solenoid 31 along the guiding rails 34 and 35 with a light beam . the light beam reflected off of the white reference section 32 is detected by the second ccd 21 through the lens 20 , thereby causing the image reading apparatus 1 to read over n lines of the white reference sheet 36 . in step s 125 , the a / d converter 45 converts data obtained by reading n lines of the white reference sheet 36 into digital form . the converted data is sequentially stored into the n - lines memory 46 . in step s 126 , the data in the n - lines memory 46 is averaged in each pixel with the calculator 46 a , and stored in the one - line memory 47 as second shading data . upon storing the second shading data in the one - line memory 47 which indicates completion of obtaining shading data , the image reading apparatus 1 drives the pair of paper feeding rollers 11 , the pair of first conveying rollers 12 , and the pair of second conveying rollers 13 to rotate , and sends the sheet p on the document table to a position between the first slit glass 3 and the reflector 14 in step s 130 in fig6 . [ 0065 ] fig9 shows steps for processing the front side of the sheet p , that is , step 5140 in fig6 . in step s 141 , the sheet p is conveyed to the first slit glass 3 . in step s 142 , the first lamp 4 irradiates one side ( the front side ) of the sheet p with a light beam . the mirror 5 reflects the light beam reflected off of the front side of the sheet p onto the lens 7 . the lens 7 converges the light beam on the first ccd 8 . the first ccd 8 carries out photoelectric conversion of the light beam . by performing the above operations , the image reading apparatus 1 reads the front side of the sheet p being conveyed , thereby obtaining an image data of the front side of the sheet p , or first image data . in step s 143 , an image signal output from the first ccd 8 is converted into digital form with the a / d converter 41 . the converted data is output as original image data into the shading correction section 44 . the shading correction section 44 performs a shading correction on the first image data based on the first shading data stored in the one - line memory 43 . the first image data of the sheet p corrected is output in step s 144 . then , the image reading apparatus 1 rotates the pair of third rollers 15 to further convey the sheet p , in step s 150 in fig6 . [ 0068 ] fig1 shows steps for processing the back side of the sheet p , that is , step s 160 in fig6 . in step s 161 , the sheet p is conveyed to a position between the second slit glass 17 and the platen roller 16 . in step s 162 , the image reading apparatus 1 reads the other side ( the back side ) of the double - sided sheet p as rotating the platen roller 16 . at this point , the white reference section 32 is disposed at the standby position that does not block a path of the light beam emitted from the second lamp 19 . the light beam irradiates the back side of the sheet p being conveyed between the second glass 17 and the platen roller 16 . the light beam is reflected off of the back side of the sheet p . the second lens 20 converges the light beam on the second ccd 21 . the second ccd 21 carries out photoelectric conversion of the light beam . by performing the above operations , the image reading apparatus 1 reads the back side of the sheet p being conveyed , thereby obtaining image data of the back side of the sheet p , or second image data . in step s 163 , an image signal output from the second ccd 21 is converted into digital form with the a / d converter 45 . the second converted data is output as original image data into the shading correction section 48 . the shading correction section 48 performs a shading correction on the second image data based on the second shading data stored in the one - line memory 47 . the image corrected data is temporally stored in the image memory 49 in step s 164 . after outputting the first image data from the shading correction section 44 , the image reading apparatus 1 outputs the second image data in step s 165 . reading and outputting operations of both sides of the sheet p are thus completed . in step s 170 in fig6 the image reading apparatus 1 rotates the pair of paper output rollers 18 to eject the sheet p onto the paper output tray . in step 180 , when any sheet of paper remains on the document table , the operation returns to step s 130 to repeat the steps described above on another sheet . when no sheet of paper remains on the document table , that is , all the sheets of paper have been processed , the operation goes to end . the above embodiment describes the image reading apparatus 1 configured to read the double - sided original document including the fixed second ccd 21 with the white reference unit 32 movably attached . the present invention , however , is not limited to the image reading apparatus for reading double - sided sheets . the present invention may be applied in a similar manner to an image reading apparatus configured to read a single - sided original document , and can include a fixed reader such as a ccd . a motor can be used to provide the driving force to the white reference section 32 . numerous additional 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 disclosure of this patent specification may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . this patent specification is based on japanese patent application , no . 2003 - 066781 filed on mar . 12 , 2003 in the japanese patent office , the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein . | 7 |
with initial reference to fig1 a refrigerator is generally indicated at 2 . refrigerator 2 includes a cabinet shell 6 to which is attached a fresh food compartment door 10 . at this point , it should be readily recognized that refrigerator 2 constitutes a bottom mount style refrigerator wherein fresh food compartment door 10 is adapted to seal off an upper fresh food compartment ( not shown ) defined within cabinet shell 6 . in a manner known in the art , fresh food compartment door 10 is preferably , pivotally mounted about a vertical axis to cabinet shell 6 through upper and lower hinges ( not shown ). a substantially vertically extending handle 12 is mounted along one front side portion of refrigerator 2 for opening fresh food compartment door 10 . refrigerator 2 also includes a lower freezer compartment door 13 . freezer compartment door 13 preferably includes a horizontally extending handle 15 for use in sliding freezer compartment door 13 relative to cabinet shell 6 . to this point , the above - described general structure associated with refrigerator 2 is known in the art and is presented only for the sake of completeness . the present invention is actually directed to a raised platform assembly generally indicated at 20 . reference will now be made to fig2 in describing the preferred construction of platform assembly 20 and the manner in which platform assembly 20 and refrigerator 2 are interconnected . platform assembly 20 preferably includes four frame members 21 - 24 and a reinforcing cross frame member 25 . frame members 21 - 25 can be any type of suitable material for supporting a refrigerator , such as square steel tubing . additionally , platform assembly 20 includes four legs 26 . each leg 26 includes an upper end plate 28 provided with a first threaded mounting aperture 30 , and a lower end plate 32 formed with a second threaded mounting aperture 34 . platform assembly 20 also includes four adjustable roller members , preferably in the form of casters 35 . each caster 35 includes a roller ball 36 , a support cup member 37 , and a mounting stud 38 . in accordance with the most preferred embodiment of the invention , each caster 35 is vertically , adjustably interconnected to the bottom end plate 32 of a respective leg 26 , with mounting stud 38 being threaded into a corresponding second mounting aperture 34 . in this manner , mounting stud 38 can be threaded into a respective leg 26 a desired amount in order to establish a requisite height for frame members 21 - 24 relative to a supporting surface . in accordance wit the most preferred embodiment , frame members 21 - 24 and legs 26 are made from steel tubing which are welded together to establish a substantially planar upper support surface 40 . various , gussets , one of which is shown at 42 , are preferably welded at the interconnection of respective ones of frame member 21 - 24 to provide additional strength to platform assembly 20 for supporting refrigerator 2 . upper end plate 28 preferably constitutes a 10 gauge metal plate which is welded to steel tubing leg 26 . additionally , bottom end plate 32 is also preferably constituted by a 10 gauge metal plate which is welded to the bottom side of a respective one of legs 26 . this preferred construction is considered to provide adequate strength and stability to platform assembly 20 for bearing the substantial weight of refrigerator 2 . of course , casters 36 function to distribute the weight of refrigerator 2 and platform assembly 20 in such way that damage to flooring is avoided . support surface 40 of platform assembly 20 is sized to accommodate refrigerator 2 . to this end , as shown best in fig2 refrigerator cabinet 6 includes a bottom end 44 provided with a plurality of fastening brackets 46 , each of which has an associated hole 47 . in general , brackets 46 are of the type associated with conventional leg levelers ( not shown ). before mounting refrigerator 2 upon platform assembly 20 , any factory installed leveling and / or moving hardware ( not shown ) is detached from fastening brackets 46 and removed from refrigerator 2 . thereafter , bottom end 44 of cabinet 6 is placed upon support surface 40 of platform assembly 20 such that holes 47 of fastening brackets 46 are aligned with the first mounting apertures 30 in platform assembly 20 . fasteners 48 are extended through holes 47 in fastening brackets 46 and threaded into a respective first mounting apertures 30 , thereby fixing refrigerator 2 upon platform assembly 20 . fasteners 48 are preferably constituted by threaded bolts , but can be any equivalent fastening means . once refrigerator 2 is secured to platform assembly 20 , a decorative faceplate 50 , including a front face portion 52 and side wall portions 53 and 54 , is placed against the front legs 26 of platform assembly 20 , while side wall portions 53 and 54 extend about the front legs 26 . decorative faceplate 50 can be made of wood , plastic , or any other decorative material that can be matched to existing wood or laminate cabinet fixtures adjacent refrigerator 2 . preferably , decorative faceplate 50 extends to directly beneath freezer door 13 as shown in fig1 . this arrangement provides a more built - in look for refrigerator 2 and platform assembly 20 . decorative faceplate 50 can be attached using any known type of fastening means , including adhesive strips , mechanical fasteners or the like ( not shown ). decorative faceplate 50 preferably includes vents 58 , which allow for air circulation under refrigerator 2 . with this arrangement , refrigerator 2 can be lifted to a more accessible height , generally in the order of 15 inches ( 38 cm ) in the most preferred embodiment with a bottom mount style refrigerator 2 having a freezer height in the order of 24 inches ( 61 cm ) and a fresh food compartment height of approximately 37 inches ( 94 cm ), with the height being fine - tuned through the use of casters 35 . at the same time , refrigerator 2 can be leveled through casters 35 for proper operation . in any event , although described with reference to a preferred embodiment of the invention , it should be readily understood that various changes and / or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof . for instance , instead of having a plurality of separate fastening brackets 46 , cabinet 6 could simply have a bottom plate which sits upon supporting surface 40 and which receives fasteners 48 . in addition , various other types of mounting arrangements could be employed . furthermore , although refrigerator 2 is shown mounted on platform assembly 20 , it is understood that this invention could be useful for supporting other types of appliances , such as raising a conventional clothes washer , clothes dryer or range , for enhanced use by a taller than average person . in general , the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims . | 5 |
as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , the drum or cylindrical magazine 10 consists of opposed end plates 11 and 12 whose interior walls are spirally indented to form tracks or channels 13 and 14 which act to guide the nose and base of cartridge 15 respectively . a weathertight cover or side wall 16 is attached between the end plates 11 and 12 by means of suitably located fasteners 17 or other similar devices . each end plate contains a line bearing 18 and 19 located to accommodate shaft or hub 20 on which are positioned the base spider arms 21 and the nose spider arms 22 . the spiders 21 , 22 are driven by spring 23 which is a commercially available torsion spring so wound as to produce an effectively constant resisting force during extension . spring 23 is externally mounted and biased tightly against post 24 of the end plate 11 or 12 and is secured to shaft 20 to rotate the assembly of shaft 20 and spiders 21 and 22 . the cartridges 15 are shown positioned within the drum 10 with axis essentially parallel to the axis of shaft 20 and constrained by the spiders 21 and 22 . a plurality of groups of four cartridges are defined by the separation between the individual arms of spiders 21 and 22 . as driven by the spiders and guided by the channels , the cartridges are progressively moved into channels 26 and 27 which are formed as integral straight or linear tangential extensions of channels 13 and 14 and end plates 11 and 12 . the extreme extension of channels 26 and 27 position the cartridges for stripping off from the magazine by the bolt carrier motion . an alternate construction would employ a cantilever mounting of the shaft 20 and combine one side plate 12 , for instance , with a deep cylindrical cover for purposes of convenience and economy . the theoretical centerline path 28 of the spiral tracks 13 and 14 in end plates 11 , 12 is defined as a segment of an archimedian spiral of mathematical definition : r = radius from origin to any point on the centerline fig3 illustrates in expanded scale the relation between the cylindrical cartridge 15 , the spiral path of the centerline 28 , and the path of the outer wall 29 of the channel for the base of the cartridge . this spiral path 29 must also take the form r 1 = radius from origin to any point on the outer wall the path 28 and the path 29 are related by the requirement that the tangent to 29 always be perpendicular to the circle representing the cartridge periphery whose center is always on 28 . this provides a numerical solution to the obtuse triangle formed by r , r 1 , and d / 2 where d / 2 is the radius of the cartridge circle , as shown in fig3 . at r , θ , the tangent to 28 is determined from tan ψ = r ( d / dr ) where ψ is the angle between r and the tangent line . by definition , the perpendicular to the tangent at the point of tangency will be the radius of the cartridge circle which will be also perpendicular to the tangent line of the cartridge circle at its periphery ; i . e ., at a point where the periphery of the cartridge circle contains curve 29 . by one of several solutions : where φ , j and k are defined in fig3 . since r 1 2 can be calculated from r 1 2 = ( r + k ) 2 + j 2 - 2 ( r + k ) j cos α whereby , with r = 0 . 0696θ + 0 . 250 and d = 0 . 375 , r 1 = 0 . 435 in . but , r 1 = k 1 θ 1 + a 1 defines the outer wall . so , from fig3 at θ = 0 guidance of the nose section by the corresponding opposite wall track will be guaranteed by the same reasoning but will have a definition of the wall of that spiral as determined by the diameter of the nose at the contact point . a second geometric relationship which is important to the present invention is the lateral faces 30 and 31 of the arms of the spider 21 and 22 which engage the leading and trailing cartridge of the four cartridge group . any curve face 30 , which provides a continuous surface over the span from the inner to the outer channel such that the point of contact with the cartridge is maintained will satisfy the design requirement . an infinite number of curves will do this and , for manufacturing simplicity , a bilinear development along faces 30 and 31 is elected . the tangent to the cartridge case , in cartesian form , for θ = 0 is y = 0 . 15 in ., for 1 . 3 in & lt ; r & lt ; 1 . 6 in ., and for the outer section is y = 0 . 557x - 0 . 75 in . the reverse face 31 of the spider forms a compartment of constant width . the face 30 and 31 diverge radially to provide the constant circumferal width . the relationship of the design of spiral channels and the lateral faces of the spider arms are best illustrated by the resulting forces on the cartridges . fig4 illustrates the initial forces as statically disposed on the cartridge which bears on the leading contact face 30 of the spider arm 21 . from the previous geometric discussion , it is obvious that adjacent cylindrical cartridges 15 will contact at their radii locating a point interior to the centerline of motion 28 and producing resisting force f 1 directed radially through the cartridge center of gravity . application of f from face 30 of spiders exterior to the centerline path 28 will thus produce a resultant force which will be disposed at the inner wall 32 as reaction f 2 . since the three remaining cartridges in this group will contact at their periphery and the contact point will always be interior to path 28 , these cartridges will bear against the outer wall 29 in the first and third quadrants . in the second and fourth quadrants the disposition will be reversed . f 3 , f 4 , and f 5 indicate corresponding forces on these cartridges . the friction forces will oppose the direction of local motion but , due to the small contact area and the small unitized loading from forward cartridges , they will be of negligible magnitude . the accelerating forces never exceed three &# 34 ; g &# 34 ; along path 28 and are also negligible for strength determinations . each four - cartridge group is impelled as a unit along the channel to the straight exit channel 26 , 27 . as the single cartridge at the top is stripped from the string by the forward motion of the bolt ( not shown ), the shaft 20 and spider arms 21 , 22 , under the torque produced by the spring 23 can index forward the equivalent of one cartridge rotation . the contact faces 30 of the spider at its outer extremity describes a circle which ultimately sweeps past the channel span and ceases contact with the cartridges . concurrently , the return motion of the bolt -- which contains a &# 34 ; pick off &# 34 ; lug -- acts on the top cartridge to press down on the string . the reversal of forces and of motion is contained by the progressive steps or indentures 33 machined into the radial face of the spider arms . as each step face exceeds the cartridge contact limiting location , the one following is then in position to contain the cartridge string . the following group of four cartridges is then automatically fed into the string from the spiral channel as the last step face rotates out of contact . the contact faces of the separate steps are uniformly spaced across the spider periphery and the radial extent of each step is also uniformly graduated at the rate of one cartridge diameter per step . the inner edge of the channel determines the inclination of the radial faces ; i . e ., the radial faces should align with the inner edge of the channel upon passage . the number of indentures are one less than the number of cartridges in a group . for the illustrated embodiment , three indentures 33 are needed for the four cartridge group . the operation of the indentures is shown in fig5 wherein a cartridge 15 engages the last indenture 33 of spider arm 21 . the spider arm design and configuration constitutes the central element of this invention . a predetermined , uniformly stepped motion is required by the gun operating cycle and is delivered by the self - compensating spring drive in combination with the individual regulation of the cartridges by the stepped outer controur of the spiders at the transition section in the movement of the cartridges from the spiral channel to the straight feed or exit channel . the preceding description of preferred embodiments is evidence that the objects of the invention are obtained in that a drum cartridge magazine is provided having a uniquely designed channel and spider arm configuration to produce a rapid , continuous and smooth delivery of a plurality of cartridges to an automatic weapon . although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail , it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and example only . we wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described , for obvious modifications can be made by a person skilled in the art . | 5 |
hereinafter , the present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the following examples . it should be understood that the following examples only intend to illuminate the present invention without any limitation on the scope of the present invention . to a solution of 3 - chloro - 4 - methylaniline ( 14 . 16 g , 100 mmol ) in dmf ( n , n - dimethyl formamide ) ( 10 ml ), were added 1 - bromo - 3 - chloropropane ( 30 . 5 ml , 300 mmol ), potassium iodide ( 1 . 66 g , 10 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 60 ml ). the mixture was stirred for 3 days at room temperature , then distilled off the solvents with a low boiling point , diluted with ethyl ether , and washed by a saturated saline . the separated organic phase was dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( petroleum ether / ethyl acetate = 25 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain compound 1 as light brown oil ( 18 . 64 g , yield : 86 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 01 - 6 . 98 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 6 . 64 - 6 . 63 ( d , 1h , j = 2 . 4 hz ), 6 . 46 - 6 . 42 ( dd , 1h , j = 2 . 4 hz , 5 . 7 hz ), 3 . 66 - 3 . 62 ( t , 2h , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 3 . 31 - 3 . 27 ( t , 2h , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 2 . 45 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 09 - 2 . 01 ( m , 2h ). the above prepared compound 1 ( 2 . 18 g , 10 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 50 ml ), and triethylamine ( 5 . 53 ml , 40 mmol ) and 1 - acetyl - 4 - piperidylformyl chloride ( 5 . 69 g , 30 mmol ) were sequently added into the solution under ice cooling . the mixture was stirred for 1 hour under the same temperature , added with a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution ( 40 ml ) under ice cooling , and diluted with dichloromethane ( 50 ml ). the organic phase was separated , dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( dichloromethane / ethyl acetate = 1 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain compound 2 as light brown oil ( 2 . 6 g , yield : 70 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 33 - 7 . 30 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 18 ( d , 1h , j = 2 . 1 hz ), 6 . 99 - 6 . 96 ( dd , 1h , j = 1 . 8 hz , 6 . 0 hz ), 4 . 53 - 4 . 50 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 79 - 3 . 74 ( t , 2h , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 3 . 55 - 3 . 51 ( t , 2h , j = 6 . 3 hz ), 2 . 85 ( br - s , 1h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 41 - 2 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 00 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 54 ( m , 4h ). to a solution of 8 - benzyl - 3 - exo - 8 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 2 . 1 ] octyl - 3 - amine ( 7 . 231 g , 33 . 2 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 100 ml ), were added di - tert - butyl dicarbonate ( 7 . 95 g , 36 . 5 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 5 . 5 ml , 39 . 8 mmol ). the mixture was refluxed and stirred for 12 hour , and then distilled off tetrahydrofuran under reduced pressure . the residue was diluted with dichloromethane ( 100 ml ), washed sequently by 5 % sodium bicarbonate solution ( 100 ml ) and saturated saline ( 100 ml ), dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( petroleum ether / ethyl acetate = 1 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain the compound 3 as a white solid ( 8 . 664 g , yield : 82 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 37 - 7 . 23 ( m , 5h ), 4 . 32 ( br , 1h ), 3 . 81 ( br , 1h ), 3 . 53 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 21 - 3 . 19 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 04 - 2 . 00 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 77 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 52 - 1 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 43 ( s , 9h ). to a solution of the above prepared compound 3 ( 954 mg , 3 mmol ) in methanol ( 10 ml ), were added 10 % palladium - on - carbon ( pd / c ) ( 95 mg ) and ammonium formate ( 1323 mg , 21 mmol ). the mixture was refluxed and stirred for 12 hour , then distilled off methanol under reduced pressure . the residue was diluted with dichloromethane ( 10 ml ), then washed by saturated saline ( 10 ml ), dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated to obtain the compound 4 as a white solid ( 667 mg , yield : 92 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 4 . 64 ( br , 1h ), 3 . 87 - 3 . 70 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 06 - 1 . 95 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 87 - 1 . 85 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 68 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 43 ( s , 9h ). the above obtained compound 4 ( 937 mg , 3 . 87 mmol ) was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 20 ml ), and then the compound 2 ( 1440 mg , 3 . 87 mmol ), potassium iodide ( 643 mg , 3 . 87 mmol ) and potassium carbonate ( 1603 mg , 11 . 62 mmol ) were sequently added into the solution . the mixture was heated to reflux for 6 hours , then cooled to room temperature , distilled off acetonitrile under reduced pressure , diluted with dichloromethane ( 20 ml ), and washed by saturated saline ( 20 ml ). the separated organic phase was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate and concentrated . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( dichloromethane / methanol = 20 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain the compound 5 as a white solid ( 960 mg , yield : 43 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 38 - 7 . 35 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 31 - 7 . 26 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 13 ( br , 1h ), 4 . 02 - 3 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 85 - 3 . 74 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 66 - 3 . 60 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 94 - 2 . 81 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 24 - 2 . 16 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 63 ( m , 14h ), 1 . 42 ( s , 9h ). the above obtained compound 5 ( 57 mg , 0 . 1 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 2 ml ), and then trifluoroacetic acid ( 46 μl , 0 . 6 mmol ) was added therein . the mixture was stirred for 8 hour at room temperature , followed by poured into water ( 4 ml ). the ph of the aqueous phase was adjusted to 12 by using sodium hydroxide , extracted twice with dichloromethane ( 5 ml ). the combined organic phase was washed by saturated saline ( 5 ml ), dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated to obtain the compound 6 as a white solid ( 33 mg , yield : 69 %). the above obtained compound 6 ( 76 mg , 0 . 16 mmol ) was dissolved in dichloromethane ( 2 ml ), and then phenylacetic acid ( 26 mg , 0 . 19 mmol ), edci ( 1 - ethyl - 3 -( 3 - dimethyl propylamine ) carbodiimide hydrochloride ) ( 46 mg , 0 . 24 mmol ), hobt ( 1 - hydroxy benzotriazole ) ( 32 mg , 0 . 24 mmol ) and n - methylmorpholine ( 35 μl , 0 . 32 mmol ) were added therein . the mixture was stirred for 12 hour at room temperature , and distilled off dichloromethane under reduced pressure . the residue was separated through column chromatography ( dichloromethane / methanol = 20 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain the 7 a as a white foam - like solid ( 63 mg , yield : 66 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 28 - 7 . 20 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 11 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 94 - 6 . 91 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 49 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 4 . 46 - 4 . 42 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 12 - 4 . 02 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 65 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 44 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 20 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 82 - 2 . 72 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 34 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 31 - 2 . 25 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 97 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 89 - 1 . 85 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 36 ( m , 12h ); the follow examples 2 - 26 have the similar reaction conditions as example 1 , except that a derivative from benzoic acid , phenylacetic acid and phenylpropionic acid was used to replace the phenylacetic acid in the last step . 2 -( 4 - fluorophenyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 405 - 50 - 5 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 24 - 7 . 22 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 12 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 98 - 6 . 91 ( m , 3h ), 5 . 90 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 4 . 47 - 4 . 42 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 18 - 4 . 09 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 59 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 39 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 09 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 82 - 2 . 72 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 51 - 2 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 35 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 33 - 2 . 26 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 98 - 1 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 97 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 96 - 1 . 92 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 65 ( m , 9h ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 53 ( m , 3h ); 2 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 1878 - 66 - 6 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 24 - 7 . 21 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 11 - 7 . 09 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 93 - 6 . 90 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 55 ( d , 1h , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 4 . 46 - 4 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 07 - 4 . 04 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 57 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 39 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 19 ( br , 1h ), 2 . 81 - 2 . 72 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 46 ( br , 4h ), 2 . 35 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 98 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 88 - 1 . 85 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 65 - 1 . 49 ( m , 11h ); 2 -( 4 -( trifluoromethyl ) phenyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 32857 - 62 - 8 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 51 ( d , 2h , j = 7 . 8 hz ), 7 . 30 ( d , 2h , j = 7 . 8 hz ), 7 . 22 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 12 ( d , 1h , j = 1 . 8 hz ), 6 . 93 ( dd , 1h , j = 1 . 8 hz , 8 . 4 hz ), 5 . 67 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 4 . 46 - 4 . 42 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 13 - 4 . 02 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 66 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 62 - 3 . 57 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 47 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 23 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 82 - 2 . 72 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 63 - 2 . 59 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 34 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 31 - 2 . 24 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 97 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 92 - 1 . 87 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 52 ( m , 12h ); 2 -( 1 - adamantyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from aldrich reagent company , cas : 4942 - 47 - 6 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 27 - 7 . 23 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 14 ( dd , 1h , j = 1 . 8 hz , 5 . 4 hz ), 7 . 04 - 6 . 93 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 60 ( br , 1h ), 4 . 48 - 4 . 43 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 20 - 4 . 04 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 72 - 3 . 59 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 39 ( br , 1h ), 2 . 82 - 2 . 73 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 52 - 2 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 35 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 32 - 2 . 18 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 14 - 2 . 04 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 98 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 95 - 1 . 88 ( m , 5h ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 75 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 71 - 1 . 52 ( m , 15h ); 2 -( 4 - nitrophenyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 104 - 03 - 0 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 8 . 11 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 38 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 22 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 13 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 96 - 6 . 93 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 88 ( br , 1h ), 4 . 47 - 4 . 42 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 13 - 4 . 06 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 72 - 3 . 67 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 63 - 3 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 51 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 28 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 82 - 2 . 72 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 35 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 30 - 2 . 27 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 98 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 93 - 1 . 89 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 57 ( m , 12h ); 2 -( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 156 - 38 - 7 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 27 - 7 . 25 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 16 ( d , 1h , j = 1 . 8 hz ), 7 . 02 - 6 . 95 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 74 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 5 . 64 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 4 . 51 - 4 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 19 - 4 . 07 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 61 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 42 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 30 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 88 - 2 . 80 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 40 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 34 - 2 . 29 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 97 - 1 . 93 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 70 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 63 - 1 . 50 ( m , 5h ); 2 -( 3 , 4 - dichlorophenyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 5807 - 30 - 7 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 33 - 7 . 29 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 23 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 12 ( br , 1h ), 7 . 04 - 7 . 01 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 94 - 6 . 91 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 60 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 4 . 47 - 4 . 42 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 07 ( br , 1h ), 3 . 72 - 3 . 61 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 36 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 20 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 82 - 2 . 73 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 35 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 32 - 2 . 26 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 98 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 89 - 1 . 86 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 72 - 1 . 53 ( m , 13h ); the chlorosulfonic acid ( 16 . 6 ml , 250 mmol ) was added dropwise into ethyl phenylacetate ( 8 . 2 g , 50 mmol ) under stirring at 40 ° c . thereafter , the mixture was stirred for 0 . 5 hour at room temperature , and then poured on ice and extracted with dichloromethane . the combined organic phase was washed by saline , dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( petroleum ether / ethyl acetate = 6 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain yellow oil ( 7 . 4 g , yield : 56 %). a solution of 4 - chlorosulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester ( 524 mg , 2 mmol ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 10 ml ) was cooled to 0 ° c ., and pyrrolidine ( 0 . 2 ml , 2 . 4 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 84 ml ) were added therein . the mixture was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 1 hour . then the reaction mixture was diluted with dichloromethane , and washed with saline . the organic phase was dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( petroleum ether / ethyl acetate = 3 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain a yellow oil ( 378 mg , yield : 63 %). 4 -( 1 - pyrrolidine ) sulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester ( 352 mg , 1 . 18 mmol ) was dissolved in a mixed solution of 2n sodium hydroxide solution ( 10 ml ) and methanol ( 10 ml ) and stirred for 1 . 5 hour at room temperature . the reaction mixture was evaporated of methanol , diluted with a small amount of water , and extracted with ethyl acetate . the aqueous phase was adjusted by 1n hydrochloric acid solution to ph 2 , and then extracted with dichloromethane . the combined organic phase was washed with saline , dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure . the obtained solid was subject to a recrystallization ( petroleum ether / dichloromethane ) to prepare a white needlelike crystal ( 200 mg , yield : 98 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 80 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 45 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 3 . 24 ( t , 4h , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 74 ( m , 4h ). the object compound was obtained following the method in example 1 except using 4 -( 1 - pyrrolidine ) sulfonyl phenylacetic acid instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 : 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 71 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 35 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 23 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 8 hz ), 7 . 13 ( d , 1h , j = 1 . 8 hz ), 6 . 94 ( dd , 1h , j = 1 . 8 hz , 7 . 8 hz ), 5 . 79 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 4 . 46 - 4 . 42 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 14 - 4 . 03 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 71 - 3 . 67 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 63 - 3 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 48 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 25 ( br , 2h ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 15 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 82 - 2 . 73 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 35 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 32 - 2 . 23 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 15 - 2 . 09 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 98 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 92 - 1 . 88 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 53 ( m , 11h ); the 4 - chlorosulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester was prepared according to the step ( 1 ) of example 9 . the step ( 2 ) had a similar procedure as the step ( 2 ) of example 9 , except using dimethylamine instead of pyrrolidine in the step ( 2 ) of example 9 . the step ( 3 ) had a similar procedure as the step ( 3 ) of example 9 , except using 4 - n , n - dimethylaminosulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester instead of 4 -( 1 - pyrrolidine ) sulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester in the step ( 3 ) of example 9 . the 4 - n , n - dimethylaminosulfonylphenylacetic acid was obtained as a white needlelike crystal ( 450 mg , yield : 53 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 75 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 46 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 3 . 74 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 71 ( s , 6h ). the object compound was obtained following the method in example 1 except using the 4 - n , n - dimethylaminosulfonylphenylacetic acid instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 : 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 72 ( d , 2h , j = 7 . 8 hz ), 7 . 44 ( d , 2h , j = 7 . 8 hz ), 7 . 30 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 8 hz ), 7 . 19 ( d , 1h , j = 1 . 8 hz ), 7 . 03 ( dd , 1h , j = 1 . 8 hz , 7 . 8 hz ), 6 . 18 ( br , 1h ), 4 . 54 - 4 . 50 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 27 - 4 . 16 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 66 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 55 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 48 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 88 - 2 . 79 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 71 ( s , 6h ), 2 . 59 - 2 . 55 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 38 - 2 . 33 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 99 - 1 . 96 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 86 - 1 . 79 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 66 - 1 . 61 ( m , 3h ); 2 -( 4 -( methylsulphonyl ) phenyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 90536 - 66 - 6 ) was used instead of the phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 89 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 57 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 47 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 00 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 5 . 89 ( br , 1h ), 4 . 53 - 4 . 49 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 19 - 4 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 74 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 70 - 3 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 57 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 33 ( br , 2h ), 3 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 88 - 2 . 80 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 37 - 2 . 31 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 99 - 1 . 96 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 60 ( m , 10h ); 4 - chlorosulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester was prepared according to the step ( 1 ) in example 9 . the step ( 2 ) had a similar procedure as the step ( 2 ) of example 9 , except using morpholine instead of pyrrolidine in the step ( 2 ) of example 9 . the step ( 3 ) had a similar procedure as the step ( 3 ) of example 9 , except using 4 -( 1 - morpholinyl ) sulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester instead of 4 -( 1 - pyrrolidine ) sulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester in the step ( 3 ) of example 9 . the 4 -( 1 - morpholinyl ) sulfonylphenylacetic acid was obtained as a white needlelike crystal ( 207 mg , yield : 70 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 72 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 48 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 3 . 74 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 75 ( t , 4h , j = 4 . 8 hz ), 3 . 00 ( t , 4h , j = 4 . 8 hz ). the object compound was obtained following the method in example 1 except using 4 -( 1 - morpholinyl ) sulfonylphenylacetic acid instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 : 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 70 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 46 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 29 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 8 hz ), 7 . 18 ( d , 1h , j = 1 . 8 hz ), 7 . 02 ( dd , 1h , j = 1 . 8 hz , 7 . 8 hz ), 6 . 02 ( br , 1h ), 4 . 54 - 4 . 49 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 21 - 4 . 15 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 79 - 3 . 77 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 75 - 3 . 72 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 69 - 3 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 55 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 42 ( br , 2h ), 3 . 01 - 2 . 98 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 88 - 2 . 79 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 54 - 2 . 49 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 38 - 2 . 30 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 01 - 1 . 99 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 83 - 1 . 76 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 64 - 1 . 59 ( m , 3h ); 4 - chlorosulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester was prepared according to the step ( 1 ) in example 9 . the step ( 2 ) had a similar procedure as the step ( 2 ) of example 9 , except using tert - butylamine instead of pyrrolidine in the step ( 2 ) of example 9 . the step ( 3 ) had a similar procedure as the step ( 3 ) of example 9 , except using 4 - tert - butylaminosulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester instead of 4 -( 1 - pyrrolidine ) sulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester in the step ( 3 ) of example 9 . the 4 - tert - butylaminosulfonyl phenylacetic acid was obtained as a white crystal ( 180 mg , yield : 21 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 85 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 41 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 5 . 04 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 72 ( s , 2h ), 1 . 21 ( s , 9h ). the object compound was obtained following the method in example 1 , except using 4 - tert - butylaminosulfonylphenylacetic acid instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 : 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 81 ( d , 2h , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 7 . 35 ( d , 2h , j = 6 . 9 hz ), 7 . 27 - 7 . 19 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 02 - 6 . 99 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 02 ( br , 1h ), 5 . 00 ( br , 1h ), 4 . 53 - 4 . 48 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 13 ( br , 1h ), 3 . 77 - 3 . 66 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 52 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 33 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 77 - 2 . 65 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 40 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 34 - 2 . 28 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 03 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 98 - 1 . 94 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 60 ( m , 11h ), 1 . 21 ( s , 9h ); 2 -( 1 - naphthyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 86 - 87 - 3 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 8 . 04 - 7 . 98 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 88 - 7 . 77 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 50 - 7 . 40 ( m , 6h ), 7 . 21 - 7 . 15 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 45 - 4 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 12 - 4 . 05 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 95 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 87 - 3 . 80 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 74 - 3 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 39 - 3 . 34 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 90 - 2 . 82 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 56 - 2 . 48 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 63 ( m , 14h ); 2 -( 2 - naphthyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 581 - 96 - 4 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . a white foam - like solid ( 65 mg , yield : 47 %) 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 8 . 38 - 8 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 99 - 7 . 87 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 59 - 7 . 45 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 29 - 7 . 23 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 46 - 4 . 41 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 89 - 3 . 77 ( m , 5h ), 2 . 98 - 2 . 86 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 53 - 2 . 49 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 27 - 2 . 23 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 13 - 2 . 10 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 95 - 1 . 90 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 57 ( m , 6h ); 2 - hydroxyl - 2 - phenylacetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 90 - 64 - 2 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . a white foam - like solid ( 43 mg , yield : 36 %) 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 36 - 7 . 31 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 02 ( d , 1h , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 6 . 57 - 6 . 54 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 00 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 52 - 4 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 19 - 4 . 11 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 72 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 67 - 3 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 34 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 87 - 2 . 78 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 50 - 2 . 45 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 34 - 2 . 29 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 03 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 99 - 1 . 86 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 80 - 1 . 75 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 62 - 1 . 58 ( m , 3h ); 2 -( 3 - indolyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 87 - 51 - 4 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 54 - 7 . 51 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 47 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 32 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 21 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 16 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 12 - 7 . 07 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 02 - 6 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 45 - 4 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 20 ( br , 1h ), 3 . 86 - 3 . 73 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 63 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 92 - 2 . 84 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 52 - 2 . 48 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 20 - 2 . 16 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 01 - 1 . 96 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 89 - 1 . 81 ( m , 5h ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 63 ( m , 4h ); 2 -( 3 , 4 , 5 - trimethoxylphenyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 951 - 82 - 6 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 29 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 8 hz ), 7 . 18 ( d , 1h , j = 1 . 5 hz ), 7 . 01 ( dd , 1h , j = 1 . 5 hz , 7 . 8 hz ), 6 . 43 ( s , 2h ), 5 . 71 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 52 - 4 . 48 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 18 - 4 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 84 ( s , 9h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 73 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 68 - 3 . 63 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 43 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 34 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 87 - 2 . 79 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 37 - 2 . 30 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 99 - 1 . 95 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 83 - 1 . 72 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 67 - 1 . 58 ( m , 5h ); 2 -( 4 - nitro - 1 - naphthyl ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 89278 - 25 - 1 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 8 . 44 - 8 . 14 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 78 - 7 . 56 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 43 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 23 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 46 - 4 . 42 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 21 - 4 . 17 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 11 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 89 - 3 . 77 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 93 - 2 . 85 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 20 - 2 . 17 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 00 - 1 . 90 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 69 ( m , 3h ); nicotinic acid ( commercially available from sinopharm chemical reagent co . ltd , cas : 59 - 67 - 6 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 8 . 98 ( d , 1h , j = 1 . 5 hz ), 8 . 69 - 8 . 67 ( m , 1h ), 8 . 11 - 8 . 09 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 29 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 22 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 06 - 7 . 03 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 76 - 6 . 65 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 30 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 53 - 4 . 49 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 44 - 4 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 68 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 41 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 88 - 2 . 80 ( t , 1h , j = 11 . 4 hz ), 2 . 55 - 2 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 44 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 44 - 2 . 30 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 92 - 1 . 57 ( m , 13h ); p - trifluoromethylbenzoic acid ( commercially available from sinopharm chemical reagent co . ltd , cas : 455 - 24 - 3 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 8 . 01 - 7 . 93 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 68 - 7 . 65 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 38 - 7 . 35 ( d , 1h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 24 - 7 . 21 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 11 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 57 - 4 . 44 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 10 - 4 . 08 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 83 - 3 . 70 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 88 - 2 . 81 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 47 - 2 . 13 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 99 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 04 - 1 . 93 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 59 ( m , 9h ); 3 -( 3 - pyridyl ) propionic acid ( commercially available from alfa aesar reagent company , cas : 3724 - 19 - 4 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 8 . 38 - 8 . 35 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 71 - 7 . 68 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 43 - 7 . 17 ( m , 4h ), 4 . 45 - 4 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 09 - 4 . 01 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 87 - 3 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 73 - 3 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 51 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 96 - 2 . 91 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 66 - 2 . 61 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 50 - 2 . 45 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 85 - 1 . 54 ( m , 12h ); 2 -( 2 - naphthoxy ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 120 - 23 - 0 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 81 - 7 . 74 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 41 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 37 - 7 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 23 ( m , 3h ), 4 . 64 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 46 - 4 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 35 - 4 . 30 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 88 - 3 . 82 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 79 - 3 . 75 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 98 - 2 . 83 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 24 - 2 . 18 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 00 - 1 . 90 ( m , 8h ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 68 ( m , 4h ); 2 - p - chlorophenoxyacetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 122 - 88 - 3 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 45 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 27 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 21 - 7 . 18 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 96 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 4 . 46 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 26 - 4 . 14 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 88 - 3 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 74 - 3 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 39 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 92 - 2 . 82 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 57 - 2 . 47 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 38 - 2 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 04 - 2 . 00 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 54 ( m , 14h ); 2 -( 2 , 4 - dichlorophenoxy ) acetic acid ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 94 - 75 - 7 ) was used instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 46 - 7 . 43 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 29 - 7 . 25 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 21 - 7 . 18 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 04 - 7 . 00 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 56 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 46 - 4 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 25 - 4 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 88 - 3 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 75 - 3 . 70 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 40 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 92 - 2 . 82 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 56 - 2 . 49 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 39 - 2 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 03 - 2 . 00 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 83 - 1 . 77 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 72 - 1 . 58 ( m , 7h ); 4 - chlorosulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester was prepared according to the step ( 1 ) of example 9 . the step ( 2 ) had a similar procedure as the step ( 2 ) of example 9 , except using methylamine instead of pyrrolidine in the step ( 2 ) of example 9 . the step ( 3 ) had a similar procedure as the step ( 3 ) of example 9 , except using 4 - n - methylaminosulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester instead of 4 -( 1 - pyrrolidine ) sulfonylphenylacetic acid ethyl ester in the step ( 3 ) of example 9 . the 4 - n - methylaminosulfonylphenylacetic acid was obtained as a white needlelike crystal ( 686 mg , yield : 51 %). the object compound was obtained following the method in example 1 except using 4 - n - methylaminosulfonylphenylacetic acid instead of phenylacetic acid in example 1 in step 7 : 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 77 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 51 - 7 . 45 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 28 ( dd , 1h , j = 2 . 1 hz , 8 . 1 hz ), 4 . 45 - 4 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 25 - 4 . 18 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 01 ( br , 2h ), 3 . 89 - 3 . 77 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 61 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 07 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 93 - 2 . 85 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 50 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 39 - 2 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 29 - 2 . 25 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 12 - 2 . 10 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 00 - 1 . 95 ( m , 5h ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 70 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 64 - 1 . 54 ( m , 2h ). triethylamine ( 0 . 045 ml , 0 . 32 mmol ) was added into a solution of the compound 6 ( 75 mg , 0 . 16 mmol ) prepared in example 1 in dichloromethane ( 4 ml ). after cooling the mixture to 0 ° c ., benzyloxyformyl chloride ( 0 . 03 ml , 0 . 19 mmol ) was dropped therein . then the mixture was stirred at the same temperature for 1 hour , diluted with dichloromethane , and washed with saline . the organic phase was dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( dichloromethane / methanol = 30 / 1 to 5 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain the product as a yellowish foam - like solid ( 27 mg , yield : 28 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 33 - 7 . 23 ( m , 8h ), 5 . 38 - 5 . 35 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 07 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 55 - 4 . 50 ( d , 1h , j = 12 . 9 hz ), 4 . 02 - 3 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 73 - 3 . 60 ( m , 5h ), 2 . 87 - 2 . 78 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 41 - 2 . 22 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 17 - 2 . 12 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 08 - 1 . 90 ( m , 7h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 61 ( m , 3h ); triethylamine ( 46 μl , 0 . 36 mmol ) was added into a solution of the compound 6 ( 103 mg , 0 . 22 mmol ) prepared in example 1 in dichloromethane ( 4 ml ). after cooling the mixture to 0 ° c ., methane sulfonyl chloride ( 20 μl , 0 . 27 mmol ) was dropped therein . then the mixture was stirred at the same temperature for 1 hour , diluted with dichloromethane , and washed with saline . the organic phase was dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( dichloromethane / methanol = 30 / 1 to 5 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain the product as a white foam - like solid ( 86 mg , yield : 73 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 54 - 7 . 53 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 47 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 61 - 5 . 60 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 40 - 4 . 36 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 00 - 3 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 85 - 3 . 73 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 08 - 3 . 03 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 94 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 51 - 2 . 48 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 39 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 33 - 2 . 27 ( m , 5h ), 2 . 13 - 2 . 09 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 98 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 94 - 1 . 92 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 83 - 1 . 80 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 64 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 57 - 1 . 50 ( m , 3h ); the following examples 29 - 33 have similar reaction conditions as those in example 28 , except using a derivative from phenylmethylsulfonyl chloride , phenylethylsulfonyl chloride and thienylsulfonyl chloride instead of methane sulfonyl chloride in the last step . 4 - tolylsulfonyl chloride was used instead of methane sulfonyl chloride in example 28 in step 1 . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 76 - 7 . 73 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 27 - 7 . 25 ( d , 3h , j = 6 . 6 hz ), 7 . 19 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 11 - 7 . 08 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 5 hz ), 4 . 51 - 4 . 47 ( d , 1h ), 3 . 74 - 3 . 42 ( m , 7h ), 2 . 83 - 2 . 75 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 66 - 2 . 63 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 39 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 33 - 2 . 28 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 02 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 02 - 1 . 93 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 85 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 66 ( m , 9h ); 4 - nitrophenylsulfonic chloride ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 98 - 74 - 8 ) was used instead of methane sulfonyl chloride in example 28 in step 1 . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 8 . 41 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 8 . 12 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 42 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 23 - 7 . 20 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 45 - 4 . 40 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 87 - 3 . 83 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 74 - 3 . 70 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 67 - 3 . 59 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 93 - 2 . 88 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 80 - 2 . 74 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 14 - 2 . 10 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 71 ( m , 12h ); 3 - nitrophenylsulfonic chloride ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 121 - 51 - 7 ) was used instead of methane sulfonyl chloride in example 28 in step 1 . a white foam - like solid ( 102 mg , yield : 79 %) 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 8 . 68 - 8 . 67 ( m , 1h ), 8 . 49 - 8 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 8 . 29 - 8 . 26 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 88 - 7 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 23 - 7 . 21 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 45 - 4 . 39 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 87 - 3 . 82 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 75 - 3 . 71 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 70 - 3 . 61 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 87 - 2 . 84 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 16 - 2 . 12 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 84 - 1 . 81 ( m , 10h ), 1 . 71 - 1 . 67 ( m , 4h ); phenylmethanesulfonyl chloride ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 1939 - 99 - 7 ) was used instead of methane sulfonyl chloride in example 28 in step 1 . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 47 - 7 . 44 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 40 - 7 . 39 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 26 - 7 . 23 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 44 - 4 . 40 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 36 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 88 - 3 . 71 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 92 - 2 . 84 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 14 - 2 . 10 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 91 - 1 . 81 ( m , 6h ), 1 . 76 - 1 . 68 ( m , 6h ); 2 - thienylsulfonyl chloride ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 16629 - 19 - 9 ) was used instead of methane sulfonyl chloride in example 28 in step 1 . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 80 - 7 . 78 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 66 - 7 . 65 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 46 - 7 . 43 (, 2h ), 7 . 25 - 7 . 22 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 45 - 4 . 39 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 88 - 3 . 83 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 77 - 3 . 73 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 63 - 3 . 57 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 92 - 2 . 85 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 19 - 2 . 15 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 86 - 1 . 82 ( m , 9h ), 1 . 72 - 1 . 64 ( m , 4h ); p - methoxylphenylisocyanate ( 19 mg , 0 . 13 mmol ) ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 5416 - 93 - 3 ) was added into a solution of the compound 6 ( 60 mg , 0 . 13 mmol ) prepared in example 1 in dichloromethane ( 3 ml ) and stirred for 4 hour at the same temperature . the reaction mixture was diluted with dichloromethane , and washed with saline . the organic phase was dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( dichloromethane / methanol = 10 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain the product as a white foam - like solid ( 58 mg , yield : 73 %). 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 45 - 7 . 43 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 22 - 7 . 19 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 82 ( d , 2h , j = 9 . 0 hz ), 5 . 49 ( br , 1h ), 4 . 45 - 4 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 02 - 3 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 88 - 3 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 74 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 48 ( br , 2h ), 3 . 34 - 3 . 33 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 92 - 2 . 83 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 63 - 2 . 58 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 51 - 2 . 46 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 39 - 2 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 09 - 2 . 08 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 92 - 1 . 54 ( m , 14h ); the example 35 has similar reaction conditions as those in example 34 , except using 3 - trifluoromethyl - 4 - chlorphenylisocyanate ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 327 - 78 - 6 ) instead of p - methoxylphenylisocyanate in the last step . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 92 ( d , 1h , j = 2 . 1 hz ), 7 . 52 - 7 . 42 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 21 ( dd , 1h , j = 2 . 1 hz , 8 . 1 hz ), 5 . 49 ( br , 1h ), 4 . 45 - 4 . 41 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 03 - 3 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 88 - 3 . 84 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 71 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 47 ( br , 2h ), 2 . 93 - 2 . 84 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 62 - 2 . 57 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 51 - 2 . 48 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 39 - 2 . 34 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 92 - 1 . 56 ( m , 14h ). the example 36 has similar reaction conditions as those in example 34 , except using phenylisocyanate ( commercially available from acros reagent company , cas : 103 - 71 - 9 ) instead of p - methoxylphenylisocyanate in the last step . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 40 - 7 . 37 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 30 - 7 . 26 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 19 - 7 . 14 ( m , 3h ), 6 . 96 - 6 . 91 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 18 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 4 . 53 - 4 . 49 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 19 ( br , 1h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 71 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 85 - 2 . 76 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 38 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 34 - 2 . 27 ( m , 4h ), 2 . 16 - 2 . 10 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 04 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 74 - 1 . 62 ( m , 5h ). a solution of 2 , 5 - dimethoxytetrahydrofuran ( 2 . 2 ml ) in hydrochloric acid ( 0 . 1n , 20 ml ) was stirred under refluxing for 1 hour and then cooled to 0 ° c . 1 , 3 - acetone - dicarboxylic acid ( 2 . 5 g ), benzylamine ( 2 . 25 ml ) and 10 % sodium acetate solution ( 10 ml ) were added therein . the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour at room temperature , and additionally stirred for 5 hours at 50 ° c ., and then cooled under ice bath . the reaction mixture was alkalized to ph 12 using a 2n sodium hydroxide solution . after layer - separated , the aqueous phase is diluted with ethyl acetate . the combined organic phase was washed with water , dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and vaporized under reduced pressure . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( petroleum ether / ethyl acetate = 4 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain the product as brown oil ( 2239 mg , yield : 61 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 43 - 7 . 24 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 75 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 49 - 3 . 48 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 72 - 2 . 66 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 23 ( s , 1h ), 2 . 18 - 2 . 16 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 14 - 2 . 09 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 66 - 1 . 59 ( m , 2h ). a solution of the product from step 1 ( 1809 mg , 8 . 4 mmol ), hydroxylamine chloride ( 642 mg , 9 . 25 mmol ) and pyridine ( 0 . 72 ml ) in ethanol ( 40 ml ) was stirred under refluxing for 18 hour , then cooled to room temperature and vaporized off the solvent under reduced pressure . the residue was diluted with dichloromethane . the organic extracted phase was washed with water , dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and vaporized under reduced pressure . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( petroleum ether / ethyl acetate = 3 / 1 to 1 / 1 , v / v ) to provide the product as a light - brown solid ( 1151 mg , yield : 59 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 41 - 7 . 23 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 65 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 35 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 00 - 2 . 95 ( d , 1h , j = 15 . 9 hz ), 2 . 63 - 2 . 57 ( dd , 1h , j = 3 . 3 hz , 11 . 7 hz ), 2 . 27 - 2 . 21 ( dd , 1h , j = 3 . 6 hz , 12 . 0 hz ), 2 . 16 - 2 . 11 ( d , 1h , j = 14 . 4 hz ), 2 . 03 - 2 . 01 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 65 - 1 . 59 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 49 ( m , 1h ). metal sodium ( 8970 mg , 390 mmol ) was added in batches into a solution ( 100 ml ) of the product ( 6904 mg , 30 mmol ) in step 2 in n - pentanol under refluxing and stirring . after the addition of metal sodium , the stirring continued for 2 hours under refluxing , and then the reaction mixture was cooled in ice bath and the reaction was quenched by adding water slowly until no generation of hydrogen . the mixture was acidified with 6n hcl and layer - separated , and the organic phase was washed with 6n hcl . the combined aqueous phase was alkalified to ph = 12 with sodium hydroxide , and extracted with ethyl acetate . the combined organic phase was dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate , filtered and vaporized under reduced pressure to obtain a solid product ( 4492 mg , yield : 69 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 38 - 7 . 22 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 56 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 19 ( br - s , 2h ), 3 . 01 - 2 . 89 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 04 - 1 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 65 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 60 - 1 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 51 - 1 . 47 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 43 - 1 . 23 ( m , 2h ). the product prepared in step 3 ( 6092 mg , 28 . 18 mmol ) and sodium carbonate ( 5974 mg , 56 . 36 mmol ) were dissolved in a mixed solution of dichloromethane ( 30 ml ) and water ( 30 ml ), and then isobutyryl chloride ( 3603 mg , 33 . 81 mmol ) was added therein under ice - cooling . after the addition , the mixture was warmed up to room temperature and stirred for another 2 hours . the reaction mixture was diluted with dichloromethane , and layer - separated . the aqueous phase was extracted with dichloromethane . the combined organic phase was dried with sodium sulfate , and concentrated . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( dichloromethane / methanol = 40 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain the product as a white solid ( 6605 mg , yield : 82 %). a solution of phosphorus pentachloride ( 475 mg , 2 . 28 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 4 ml ) was cooled in ice bath , and a solution of the product prepared in step 4 ( 502 mg , 1 . 75 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 2 ml ) was added slowly therein while keeping the reaction temperature less than 10 ° c . after the addition , the mixture was stirred for 2 hours at room temperature , and then cooled to 0 ° c . followed by slowly adding a solution of acetohydrazide ( 260 mg , 3 . 5 mmol ) in 2 - methyl - 2 - butanol ( 3 ml ) while keeping the reaction temperature less than 10 ° c . after the addition , the mixture was warmed up to room temperature and the stirring continued for hours . the reaction was quenched by using 10 n sodium hydroxide solution under ice bath and the ph was adjusted to 12 . after layer - separated , the aqueous phase was extracted with ethyl acetate . the combined organic phase was dried with sodium sulfate , and concentrated . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( dichloromethane / methanol = 40 / 1 , v / v ) to give the product as a white solid ( 337 mg , yield : 59 %). ammonium formate ( 630 mg , 10 mmol ) was added in a solution of the product prepared in step 5 ( 321 mg , 1 mmol ) and 10 % pd / c ( 32 mg ) in ethanol ( 10 ml ). the reaction mixture was stirred and refluxed for 12 hours under nitrogen atmosphere , and then vaporized off the solvent under reduced pressure , diluted with dichloromethane , and washed with water . the aqueous phase was extracted with dichloromethane , and the combined organic phase was dried with sodium sulfate , and concentrated to obtain the product as a white solid ( 135 mg , yield : 58 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 4 . 39 - 4 . 27 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 47 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 07 - 2 . 98 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 53 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 26 - 2 . 18 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 99 - 1 . 96 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 79 - 1 . 76 ( d , 4h , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 1 . 40 - 1 . 38 ( d , 6h , j = 6 . 9 hz ). a solution of 1 - acetyl - n -( 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl )- n -( 3 - chloropropyl )- 4 - piperidinylcarboxamide ( 185 mg , 0 . 5 mmol ), the product prepared in step 6 ( 129 mg , 0 . 55 mmol ) and triethylamine ( 0 . 21 ml , 1 . 5 mmol ) in acetonitrile ( 5 ml ) was stirred and refluxed for 24 hours , and then vaporized off the solvent , diluted with ethyl acetate , and washed with water and saline respectively . the separated organic phase was dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( dichloromethane / methanol = 20 / 1 to 10 / 1 , v / v ) to give a yellowish foam - like product ( 28 mg , yield : 10 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 36 - 7 . 30 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 20 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 01 - 6 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 55 - 4 . 48 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 30 - 4 . 20 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 49 - 3 . 44 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 31 ( br - s , 2h ), 3 . 00 - 2 . 96 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 89 - 2 . 79 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 48 - 2 . 35 ( m , 6h ), 2 . 05 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 18 - 1 . 96 ( m , 5h ), 1 . 75 - 1 . 62 ( m , 12h ), 1 . 38 - 1 . 25 ( m , 6h ); n - methyl morpholine ( 0 . 54 ml , 4 . 85 mmol ) was added in a solution of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid ( 282 mg , 2 . 21 mmol ) in anhydrous tetrahydrofuran ( 10 ml ). after stirring 15 minutes under ice bath , isobutyl chlorocarbonate ( 0 . 32 ml , 2 . 43 mmol ) was slowly added in the above reaction system , and the stirring continued for 45 minutes under ice bath . then the compound 1 ( 481 mg , 2 . 21 mmol ) prepared in the above example 1 was added therein and the stirring continued for 4 hours . after removing tetrahydrofuran under reduced pressure , the residue was separated through column chromatography ( petroleum ether / ethyl acetate = 20 / 1 , v / v ) to provide the compound 12 as a colourless oil ( 323 mg , yield : 47 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 29 - 7 . 28 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 15 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 97 - 6 . 94 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 78 - 3 . 73 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 16 - 2 . 08 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 04 - 1 . 95 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 53 ( m , 8h ). triethylamine ( 0 . 81 ml , 5 . 9 mmol ) and p - toluenesulfonyl chloride ( 840 mg , 4 . 4 mmol ) were added in a solution of 8 - benzyl - 3 - exo - 8 - azabicyclo [ 3 . 2 . 1 ] octyl - 3 - amine ( 641 mg , 2 . 9 mmol ) in dichloromethane ( 10 ml ), and stirred for 6 hours at room temperature . the dichloromethane was removed under reduced pressure , and the residue was separated through column chromatography ( petroleum ether / ethyl acetate = 1 / 1 , v / v ) to provide the compound 13 as a white foam - like solid ( 516 mg , yield : 48 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 76 - 7 . 74 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 29 ( m , 7h ), 4 . 31 - 4 . 27 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 50 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 16 - 3 . 13 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 02 - 1 . 97 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 59 - 1 . 54 ( m , 6h ). 10 % pd / c ( 94 mg ) and ammonium formate ( 561 mg , 8 . 91 mmol ) were added in a solution of the prepared compound 13 ( 471 mg , 1 . 27 mmol ) in methanol ( 10 ml ). the mixture was stirred and refluxed for 12 hours . after removing methanol under reduced pressure , the residue was diluted with dichloromethane ( 10 ml ), washed with saturated saline ( 10 ml ), dried with anhydrous sodium sulfate , and concentrated to obtain the compound 14 as a white solid ( 304 mg , yield : 82 %). the above prepared compound 12 ( 131 mg , 0 . 4 mmol ) was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 10 ml ) followed by adding therein the compound 14 ( 112 mg , 0 . 4 mmol ), potassium iodide ( 47 mg , 0 . 4 mmol ) and potassium carbonate ( 166 mg , 1 . 2 mmol ). the reaction mixture was heated to reflux for 6 hours , and then cooled to room temperature . after removing acetonitrile under reduced pressure , the residue was diluted with dichloromethane ( 10 ml ) and washed with saturated saline ( 10 ml ). the organic phases were separated , dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( dichloromethane / methanol = 20 / 1 , v / v ) to give the object compound as a white solid ( 14 mg , yield : 7 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 78 - 7 . 73 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 36 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 69 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 88 - 2 . 84 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 22 - 2 . 13 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 86 - 1 . 77 ( m , 9h ), 1 . 70 - 1 . 50 ( m , 10h ); the first step of example 39 had similar reaction conditions as those in example 38 , except using 1 -( methylsulfonyl )- 4 - piperidinylcarboxylic acid instead of cyclohexanecarboxylic acid . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 33 - 7 . 28 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 18 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 99 - 6 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 80 - 3 . 70 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 52 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 73 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 61 - 2 . 53 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 32 - 2 . 26 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 03 - 1 . 98 ( m , 3h ). steps 2 and 3 are the same as those in example 38 . the fourth step in example 39 has similar reaction conditions as those in example 38 , except using n -( 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl )- n -( 3 - chloropropyl )- 1 -( methylsulfonyl )- 4 - piperidinyl carboxamide instead of the compound 12 . 1 hnmr ( cd 3 od , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 77 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 38 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 23 - 7 . 20 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 71 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 66 - 3 . 62 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 57 - 3 . 51 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 90 - 2 . 85 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 72 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 54 - 2 . 49 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 37 - 2 . 32 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 19 - 2 . 13 ( m , 2h ), 1 . 88 - 1 . 84 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 77 ( m , 9h ). after adding triethylamine ( 0 . 153 ml , 1 . 1 mmol ) into a solution of the compound 1 ( 217 mg , 1 mmol ) in anhydrous dichloromethane ( 10 ml ), the mixture was cooled to 0 ° c . followed by dropwise addition of benzyloxycarbonyl chloride ( 0 . 17 ml , 1 . 05 mmol ). the stirring continued for 1 hour at the same temperature . the reaction mixture was diluted with dichloromethane , and washed by saline . the organic phase was dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated under reduced pressure . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( petroleum ether / ethyl acetate = 10 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain the product as a white oil - like solid ( 204 mg , yield : 58 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 45 - 7 . 38 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 32 - 7 . 28 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 19 - 7 . 17 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 99 - 6 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 02 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 52 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 32 - 2 . 26 ( m , 2h ). after dissolving the above prepared compound 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl ( 3 - chloropropyl ) carbamic acid benzyl ester ( 204 mg , 0 . 58 mmol ) in acetonitrile ( 10 ml ), the compound 14 ( 163 mg , 0 . 58 mmol ), potassium iodide ( 96 mg , 0 . 58 mmol ) and potassium carbonate ( 240 mg , 1 . 74 mmol ) were added therein in turns . after heated to reflux for 6 hours , the reaction mixture was cooled to room temperature , distilled off acetonitrile under reduced pressure , diluted with dichloromethane ( 10 ml ) and washed with saturated saline . the organic phase was separated , dried with sodium sulfate and concentrated . the concentrate was separated through column chromatography ( dichloromethane / methanol = 20 / 1 , v / v ) to obtain the object product as a white oil - like solid ( 52 mg , yield : 15 %). 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 78 - 7 . 73 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 32 ( m , 8h ), 5 . 09 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 69 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 84 - 2 . 81 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 22 - 2 . 13 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 86 - 1 . 77 ( m , 8h ). the first step in example 41 has similar reaction conditions as those in example 40 , except using phenylisocyanate instead of benzyloxycarbonyl chloride . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 40 - 7 . 32 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 30 - 7 . 28 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 15 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 99 - 6 . 96 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 74 - 3 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 53 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 33 - 2 . 26 ( m , 2h ). the second step in example 41 had similar reaction conditions as those in example 40 , except using 1 -( 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl )- 1 -( 3 - chloropropyl )- 3 - phenylurea instead of the compound 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl ( 3 - chloropropyl ) carbamic acid benzyl ester . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 79 - 7 . 73 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 32 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 67 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 46 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 83 - 2 . 81 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 21 - 2 . 13 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 88 - 1 . 77 ( m , 8h ). the first step in example 42 had similar reaction conditions as those in example 40 , except using p - methylphenylsulfonyl chloride instead of benzyloxycarbonyl chloride . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 42 - 7 . 32 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 30 - 7 . 28 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 18 - 7 . 15 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 98 - 6 . 96 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 51 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 31 - 2 . 26 ( m , 2h ). the second step in example 42 had similar reaction conditions as those in example 40 , except using n -( 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl )- n -( 3 - chloropropyl )- 4 - tolylsulfonamide instead of the compound 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl ( 3 - chloropropyl ) carbamic acid benzyl ester . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 79 - 7 . 73 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 30 ( m , 7h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 68 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 83 - 2 . 82 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 21 - 2 . 12 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 89 - 1 . 77 ( m , 8h ). the first step in example 43 had similar reaction conditions as those in example 40 , except using acetyl chloride instead of benzyloxycarbonyl chloride . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 31 - 7 . 29 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 14 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 99 - 6 . 95 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 74 - 3 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 54 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 33 - 2 . 27 ( m , 2h ). the second step in example 43 had similar reaction conditions as those in example 40 , except using n -( 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl )- n -( 3 - chloropropyl )- acetamide instead of the compound 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl ( 3 - chloropropyl ) carbamic acid benzyl ester . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 77 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 45 - 7 . 38 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 23 - 7 . 20 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 68 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 83 - 2 . 80 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 43 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 22 - 2 . 13 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 88 - 1 . 79 ( m , 8h ). the first step in example 44 had similar reaction conditions as those in example 40 , except using methanesulfonyl chloride instead of benzyloxycarbonyl chloride . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 31 - 7 . 28 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 17 - 7 . 13 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 99 - 6 . 95 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 75 - 3 . 69 ( m , 2h ), 3 . 56 - 3 . 54 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 78 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 32 - 2 . 26 ( m , 2h ). the second step in example 44 had similar reaction conditions as those in example 40 , except using n -( 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl )- n -( 3 - chloropropyl )- methylsulfamide instead of the compound 3 - chloro - 4 - methylphenyl ( 3 - chloropropyl ) carbamic acid benzyl ester . 1 hnmr ( cdcl 3 , 300 mhz ) δ : 7 . 76 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 39 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 22 - 7 . 20 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 76 - 3 . 69 ( m , 3h ), 3 . 51 - 3 . 48 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 82 - 2 . 80 ( m , 1h ), 2 . 78 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 42 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 41 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 21 - 2 . 13 ( m , 4h ), 1 . 89 - 1 . 79 ( m , 8h ). ccr5 belongs to g - protein - coupled receptor ( gpcr ) family . the developing technology of gpcr - based drugs have been well - developed , among them , the experimental techniques such as ligand - receptor binding assay , gtpγs binding assay and ca 2 + flux assay have been widely used in drug - screening related to chemokine receptors . the inhibitory activities of the compounds according to the present invention against ccr5 are measured by three methods , i . e ., [ 35 s ] gtpγs filter binding assay , spa - wga - based [ 35 s ] gtpγs binding assay and calcium influx assay . at the same time , the antiviral activities in cell of the compounds according to the present invention are evaluated by using two kinds hiv - 1 subtypes : h4da5 cell model and pbmc system virus replication model . after binding with an agonist , ccr5 experiences a conformation change such that ccr5 interacts with g protein so as to active the g protein . g protein is a tripolymer composed of α - subunit and βγ - subunit . since the ability of α - subunit binding to gtp depends on the interaction of ccr5 with the agonist , the ability of an agonist for activating ccr5 can be reflected by determining the amount of gtp binding to α - subunit . in a gtpγs binding assay , a 35 s - labeled gtp analogue gtpγs , which can bind with an activated α - subunit without being hydrolyzed , is used to replace gtp in order for eliminating the defect that the amount of gtp binding to g protein can not exactly reflect the activation of ccr5 due to the hydrolysis of gto by gtpase and for convenience of detection . so , α - subunit binds with gdp when ccr5 is not activated , and after the activation of ccr5 , α - subunit binds with gtpγs such that gtpγs irreversible binds to α - subunit . therefore , the amount of [ 35 s ]- gtpγs binding to α - subunit could reflect the level of ccr5 activated by an agonist . the ability of the agonist for activating ccr5 will decrease when an antagonist is added . such experiment has been referred to as gtpγs filtration assay in which [ 35 s ]- gtpγs bound with the free g protein could be separated by membrane filtration . alternatively , spa ( scintillation proximity assay ) technique can be used to detect the [ 35 s ]- gtpγs bound to g protein , which is called spa - wga - based [ 35 s ] gtpγs binding assay . the principle of spa technique is as follows . sub - atomic particles released during the decay of radioactive atoms , for example β - ray ( electron ), can excite microspheres at a sufficiently close distance to emit light so as to be detected by a scintillation counter . in an aqueous solution , most of the energy of these rays is absorbed by the solvent , and the traveling distance of these rays is limited . hence , if light - emitting microspheres are bound to a cell membrane through wheat germ agglutinin ( wga ), only [ 35 s ]- gtpγs bound to g protein could have a sufficiently short distance to excite the microspheres to emit light so as to reflect the activation of receptors . the activation of g protein by ccr5 is determined by the following experiments . cho ( chinese hamster ovary cell ) permanent cell line expressing ccr5 ( cho - ccr5 ) ( a cell line constructed by shanghai targetdrug ltd .) was lysed with a lysis buffer ( 5 mm tris - hcl , ph 7 . 5 , 5 mm edta and 5 mm egta ) and then centrifugated at 15 , 000 × g for 10 min to obtain cell membrane . after the cell membrane was resuspended in a reaction buffer ( 5 mm tris - hcl , ph 7 . 5 , 5 mm mgcl 2 , 1 mm egta , 100 mm nacl ), the protein concentration was determined using bioford protein assay kit manufactured by bio - rad laboratories inc . subsequently , gtpγs binding assay was performed in the reaction buffer , wherein the reaction system was 100 μl containing 10 μg membrane protein , 40 μm gdp and 0 . 5 nm [ 35 s ]- gtpγs ( 1200 ci / mmol ). after the compound to be tested ( the compound was first dissolved in dmso and then diluted in gradient with the reaction buffer according to the specific situation , wherein the final concentration of dmso was 1 % ( v / v ) in the whole reaction system ) was added and shaken to mix homogeneously , the reaction tube was incubated at 30 ° c . for 1 hour . after the reaction finished , the tube was placed on ice , and the reaction mixture was diluted with pbs to quench the reaction and filtered under reduced pressure with a gf / c filter membrane . subsequently , the bound radioactive signal was read by a liquid scintillation counter after adding a scintillation fluid , which is so called gtpγs filtration assay . the spa - wga assay is the same as the gtpγs assay in the first several steps , except that 0 . 1 mg / tube spa - wga microballoons ( commercially available from amersham corporation ) were added in the reaction system , followed by the addition of the compound to be tested , and after mixed homogeneously , the reaction system was incubated at 30 ° c . for 1 hour and then placed on ice to slower the reaction . the reaction mixture was centrifugated at 1000 rpm for 15 min at room temperature and then determined on a liquid scintillation counter . the radioactive signal was read by a liquid scintillation counter . the basal binding was determined without the presence of an antagonist , and non - specific binding was determined with the existence of 10 μm non - isotopic gtpγs . binding percentage of [ 35 s ]- gtpγs was calculated through the equation : 100 ×[ c . pm . sample − c . p . m . non - specific ]/[ c . p . m . basal − c . p . m . non - specific ], wherein c . pm . sample represents the final tested cpm value of the sample adding the compound to be tested , and c . p . m . basal represents the final tested cpm value of the sample in which agonist was added without the compound to be tested . ic 50 represents the concentration of the compound when binding percentage of [ 35 s ]- gtpγs is 50 % caused by the inhibition of 10 nm rantes ( a kind of cytokine having intense chemotaxis to monocaryon - macrophage ) and can be obtained from the concentration curve of the compound . when studying the concentration - inhibition curve , the max value of cpm or rfu under the action of the agonist rantes was taken as 100 % and the basal value of cpm or rfu was taken as 0 %, and then an ic 50 value of the antagonist was obtained through fitted on the statistical software sigmaplot . when the concentration of the compound was 1 μm and the measured antagonistic effect thereof against ccr5 did not exceeded 90 %, a virtual concentration is required for convenience of plotting . in the current study , the vitural point is that when concentration of the compound was 1 mm , the antagonistic effect thereof against ccr5 was 100 %. the experimental intracellular ca 2 + level can be regulated by the activated g protein through several mechanisms to reflect the level of the gpcr activated . fluo - 4 calcium dye from invitrogen corporation is a kind of fluorescent dyes commonly used in ca 2 + detection , and the signal may be detected usually by molecular devices such as flexstation or flipr . in the present invention , the g q signaling pathway is activated by g i / o protein - coupled ccr5 receptor through the overexpression of g16 , a protein of g q family , in a cho - ccr5 stable cell line . cells were cultured in a serum - free medium ( alpha - mem from gibco ) for 4 hours before the starting of the experiment , and then digested by 0 . 04 % edta - pbs , and washed once with hbss buffer ( hank &# 39 ; s balanced salt solution ). the cells were resuspended in hbss containing 2 . 5 mm probenecid , and then a pre - prepared mixture of fluo - 4 am ( a fluorescent dye ) and cremophor el ( polyoxyethylenated castor oil ) was added into the cell suspension . after mixed homogeneously , the mixture was reacted for 40 min in an incubator at 37 ° c . and then centrifuging for 3 min at 800 rpm . the supernatant was discarded and the cells were washed twice with 5 ml hbss . the cells were suspended in 11 ml hbss and plated in 96 - well plate ( 100 μl / well ). after centrifuged for 3 min at 1000 rpm , the 96 - well plate was incubated for 10 min in dark , followed by addition of 50 μl drug solution . setting up the instrument flexstation and adding an agonist solution ( 25 μl / well ) were followed by determination . [ 35 s ] gtpγs binding assay and calcium influx assay indicate that the compounds of the present invention are ccr5 agonists , and they may inhibit the gtpγs binding induced by the activation of ccr5 by 10 nm rantes . the inhibition effects and ic 50 are listed in table 1 . a “+++” represents the compound at 30 nm has an inhibition agains ccr5 of more than 50 %; “++” represents the compound at 300 nm has an inhibition against ccr5 of more thant 50 % at 300 nm ; “−” represents the compound at 300 nm does not exhibit antagonistic activity agains ccr5 . activity data listed in table 1 suggest sufficiently that the screening results of the three assays were confirmed and consistent with each other . the compounds according to the invention are antagonists with high activity of chemokine receptor ccr5 , among them , 13 compounds have the inhibition activities against ccr5 receptor with an ic 50 at nm level , 18 compounds have an ic 50 at 10 nm level , and 11 compounds have a ic 50 of 100 nm level . 2 . 1 h4da5 cell model ( the operation was performed under p3 experimental conditions ) ( 1 ) h4da5 cells : hela cells expressing human cd4 , ccr5 receptor and reporting gene ltr - lacz ; ( 2 ) appropriate amounts of h4da5 cells were plated in 96 - well plate and cultured overnight ; ( 3 ) the compound to be tested and hiv - 1 nl ( ad8 ) virus were added ; ( 4 ) incubation for 3 days ( in cell incubator at 37 ° c . ); ( 5 ) virus replication was determined using β - galactosidase test kit . 2 . 2 pbmc system of virus replication model ( the operation was performed under p3 experimental conditions ) ( 1 ) pbmc cells were separated from the blood from two people ( using ficoll gradient separation method ); ( 2 ) the pbmc cells were stimulated using pha and incubated for 3 days in a cell incubator at 37 ° c . at a density of 2 × 10 6 cells / ml . ( 3 ) pbmc cells were resuspended in a rf - 10 medium ( rf - 10 / il2 ) containing 100 u / ml il - 2 ( 30 ul rf - 10 / il2 medium containing 4 times of the final concentration of the compound to be tested and 40 ul rf - 10 / il2 medium containing hiv - 1 ba - l virus ( 1400 pfu / well ) were added in the plate ( 200 , 000 cells / 50 ul / well ). ( 4 ) after incubated 24 hours , rf - 10 / il2 medium containing 1 time of the final concentration of the compound to be test was added in each well . after infected for 4 days , 100 ul fresh rf - 10 / il2 medium containing the compound to be tested at the final concentration to replace the original medium . after incubated for 2 days , the supernatant of each well was collected , and the content of p24 was determined . ( 5 ) the content of p24 antigen in the supernatant of each well was measured by vironostik p24 test kit to detect the virus replication . the experiments in h4da5 cell model and pbmc system of virus replication model indicated that the compounds of the present invention are ccr5 antagonists , and they can inhibit the virus replication in cell models . the inhibitory effects and ec 50 are listed in table 2 . activity data listed in table 2 suggest that the compounds of the present invention have potent inhibitory effect against virus replication at cellular level , among them , the compound 9b has an inhibitory activity ec 50 at nm level in h4da5 cell model and pbmc system of virus replication model , which is the same order as the positive control maraviroc ( a small molecular ccr5 antagonist marketed by pfizer pharmaceuticals ltd . ), and the compound 8 has an ec 50 at 100 nm level in h4da5 cell model . therefore , the compounds of the present invention are efficient ccr5 antagonists , and thus can be used as drugs for treating diseases mediated by ccr5 , such as hiv - 1 infection , autoimmune diseases , asthma , rheumatoid arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases . | 2 |
there are today a number of formats for video signals and the list of formats is growing to accommodate larger screens and higher definitions . disclosed is an n × n video data pixel mapping matrix implemented as a n × n crossbar mapping matrix , for example as an integrated circuit ( ic ), that enables the mapping of any of the n - data inputs to any of the n - data outputs . this mapping matrix allows the mapping of any existing video formats to any other existing or future video format , and allows flexibility of connectivity to any transmitter or receiver . this solution enables the achieving of the necessary mapping of video data sequences in one video format into other video data sequences corresponding to other video formats , including mapping of older video formats to newer formats and vice versa . this invention allows all of today &# 39 ; s known formats to be mapped to alternate formats efficiently . today typical video data does not exceed 36 bits . next generation video formats may require a 48 × 48 mapping matrix , or even a 64 × 64 mapping matrix . such matrices implemented in accordance with the disclosed invention can be easily implemented using currently available ic manufacturing technology . even though the current and immediate future requirements will be met by a mapping matrix of 48 × 48 , it is expected that future formats will require further extensions of the mapping matrix . there is no limitation to the possible extension of the mapping matrix to meet the needs of the future formats as they arise . the current implementation requirement of this mapping matrix is a 36 input to 36 output unit . this allows all of today &# 39 ; s commonly used formats to be mapped to alternate formats efficiently ( as long as the video data does not exceed 36 bits ). next generation video formats will require a 48 × 48 mapping matrix or 64 × 64 mapping matrix . these and even larger matrices can easily be implemented as an extension of the current 36 to 36 mapping matrix . according to the disclosed invention , shown in fig1 , the mapping matrix is designed specifically for video data bit or pixel mapping . the mapping matrix has ‘ n ’ input signals 111 and ‘ n ’ output signals 121 . each of the ‘ n ’ input signals 111 may be mapped by the mapping matrix 100 to any one of the ‘ n ’ output signals 121 . however , two input signals 111 cannot be mapped simultaneously to a single output signal 121 . for an ‘ n ’ pixel input having bit ( 0 ) to bit ( n − 1 ), the invention is shown pictorially in fig1 where the mapping matrix 100 with cross connects 110 is capable of interconnecting any one of the ‘ n ’ inputs 111 to any one , and only one , of the ‘ n ’ outputs 121 based on a specific and non - repeating select control or select signal value s [ i ] input 105 which is derived from a formatting signal . the formatting signal is decoded to produce the necessary control input values s [ i ] where [ i ] being integer values 0 to ( n − 1 ), associated with each input 111 of the 0 to ( n − 1 ) inputs of the mapping matrix 100 . these control s [ i ] inputs 105 thus enables the necessary connection through the mapping matrix 100 to the output 121 , each one input 111 of the 0 to ( n − 1 ) inputs connecting to one and only one of the 0 to ( n − 1 ) outputs 121 as designated by the control s [ i ] input 105 . the value of each output decided using this characteristic is as follows : s i = 0 : dataout [ i ] ⇐ datain [ 0 ] s i = 1 : dataout [ i ] ⇐ datain [ 1 ] si = n - 1 : dataout [ i ] ⇐ datain [ n - 1 ] ( 1 ) as a simple non - limiting example , a 24 to 24 conversion is shown . if the input video pixel is 24 - bit rgb , the format is as follows : and the desired output bit mapping , each input to a unique output , is to be as follows : then , in accordance with equations ( 1 ) above the values of s [ i ] are as follows : the information is shown in a tabular form in fig2 . fig3 is an exemplary and non - limiting block diagram 300 of a ‘ n ’ input 111 , datain [ 0 ] to datain [ n − 1 ], and ‘ n ’ output 121 , dataout [ 0 ] to dataout [ n − 1 ] of mapping matrix 100 . each block comprise of ‘ n ’ n - to - 1 multiplexers 310 ( 0 ) to 310 ( n − 1 ). each multiplexer 310 is associated with a corresponding select signal s [ i ], which decodes which input gets to be connected to which output as explained in more detail above . for each pixel format mapping configuration there will be one and only one non - repeating select signal value s [ i ] associated with each multiplexer . this ensures that only one input signal gets connected to an output . the select signals may be provided by a control unit 320 that generates the desired select signals . by providing a mapping of the ‘ n ’ inputs to the ‘ n ’ outputs according to the specific select input signal values , the mapping matrix 100 can change the input video pixel format to any desired output pixel format . the control unit 320 may be preprogrammed with currently known mapping schemes . the selection of a specific conversion would result in the use of the appropriate select signals , for example those shown in fig2 . the out put of the control unit 320 is also shown in example in fig3 as select signals s ( 0 ) to s ( n − 1 ). the control unit 320 is designed so that a no two inputs may be simultaneously connected through the multiplexers to a single output . fig4 shows a hierarchical implementation of a multiplexer 310 from a plurality of smaller multiplexers , i . e ., multiplexers having a lesser number of inputs , and enabled in accordance with the disclosed invention . in this exemplary and non - limiting implementation , the path of a single output signal in a 64 × 64 mapping matrix is implemented by 64 multiplexers 310 . each of the 64 - to - 1 multiplexers 310 , can be comprised of three levels of hierarchy , 410 , 420 and 430 using 4 - input multiplexers as shown in fig4 . the first hierarchy level 410 is comprised of sixteen 4 - input multiplexers 410 - 0 to 410 - 15 . there are hence 64 inputs into this multiplexer 310 at the first hierarchy level , one from each input , i . e ., input [ 0 ] to input [ 63 ]. the selected outputs of the 16 multiplexers of hierarchy level 410 are fed into the second hierarchy level 420 where there are four 4 - input multiplexers 420 - 0 to 420 - 3 . the outputs from the second hierarchy level 420 are fed into a single 4 - input multiplexer 430 - 0 that comprises the third hierarchical level 430 . the third hierarchy level 430 has a single output signal that is connected to the designated output of multiplexer 310 . the 64 - to - 1 multiplexer uses the decoded select signal s [ i ] as input into each of the 4 - input multiplexers of multiplexer 310 for selection of the path from input to output . the use of this simple configurable mapping matrix scheme for mapping data from one video format to another will greatly reduce the need for dedicated video transmission or reception . it will help make the systems compatible with one another , irrespective of the formats used . this will also help to map old formats to new formats and vice versa , allowing use of older transmissions to be viewed on new display devices and new transmissions to be viewed on older display devices . this will reduce the hardship to the consumer in requiring new display devices every time new formats are introduced . in a typical implementation , this mapping matrix can be a stand alone ic , or be integrated as a part of an ic used for handling video data . the use of the configurable mapping matrix for video format mapping will reduce the need for the equipment manufacturers to have a number of versions of dedicated display equipment , each covering at best a limited number of formats . the use of the mapping matrix , implemented as part of a video handling ic , to convert any system for use with any available format is disclosed . this will enable reduction of the number of system types and reduce the cost of inventory and stocking . on a chip level manufacturing of the ic , a standard chip set that is configurable will be able to take advantage of the economy of scale that will be available to improve profitability and reduce costs . even though the disclosure is for a hardware implementation , it is not limiting and the inventions herein may be implemented in hardware , software , firmware or any combination thereof . thus the present invention introduces the concept of using a configurable mapping matrix for mapping data from one format to another in the video field - unique solution for the industry . the invention will allow the mapping from any of the old formats to new formats as new formats arise as long as the number of video bits is limited to n , currently 36 in the present implementation . the idea of the expandable mapping matrix for the above purpose makes the future conversion mapping matrix development simple and easy . in addition , there is a cost advantage for equipment manufacturers in using such a mapping matrix , allowing reconfiguration between old and / or new formats as required . there is also a cost reduction of the chip due to economy of scale . thus while certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed and described herein for purposes of illustration and not for purposes of limitation , 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 |
referring now to the drawings , fig1 depicts a web server 10 having a system for eliminating viruses stored in active elements of web pages . in particular , web server 10 includes an active element filter 14 that strips active elements from web pages 22 being stored at the web server 10 . by doing this , web server 10 eliminates the dissemination of viruses launched from active elements in a web page 24 being served by web server 10 . an active element may include any type of code fragment that instructs a browser , client , interpreter , virtual machine , processor , etc ., to perform some action when the code fragment is encountered . in the exemplary embodiments described herein , active elements are described with reference to javascript constructs stored in web pages . however , it should be understood that the invention could apply to any type of active element ( e . g ., vbscript , tcl , perl , rexx , etc .) stored in any type of servable file . exemplary uses for javascript constructs in a web environment includes performing actions such as : ( 1 ) automatically changing a formatted date on a web page ; ( 2 ) causing a linked - to page to appear in a popup window ; and ( 3 ) causing text or a graphic image to change during a mouse rollover . the filtering process may strip out active elements from web pages in any manner , e . g ., with a software program that identifies and removes javascript constructs . in a typical browser application , the number of different types of javascript constructs is relatively small , e . g ., 6 - 12 . accordingly , identifying and eliminating the constructs is a relatively trivial task . once filtered , the stripped web page 23 is stored in web page storage 26 . if no active elements exist in a web page 22 that is to be stored , then no filtering is required , and the web page 22 is simply stored in web page storage 16 . if active elements exist that are needed when the page is stored , these can be noted by xml or similar replacement elements . when the web server 10 receives a request 26 for a web page 23 , e . g ., from a client or other server , retrieving system 18 fetches the web page 23 from web page storage 16 . retrieving system 18 then determines if the web page 23 requires any active elements . this determination can be made by looking for predetermined additions to each page , or by finding stored requests , such as the xml elements noted above , and replacing these elements with programmed active elements known to be ‘ safe .’ if no active elements are required , then the web page is served . if one or more active elements are required , then they are added in by active element insertion system 20 . active elements can be added to the web page 23 in any manner . in one exemplary embodiment , the active elements could be stored in compiled server code 28 . this implementation has the advantage of providing heightened security since no one can construct and leave active files with active elements on the server other than the authors of the server themselves . as an alternative embodiment , the active elements can be stored in files 30 separate from the web page storage 16 , and accessed by active element insertion system 20 . as noted above , the number of different type of active elements in a browser application is relatively small . accordingly , implementing the active element insertion system 20 is a fairly simple operation for one skilled in the art . in order to insert active elements back into web page 23 , active element insertion system 20 will typically need to first examine the attributes of web page 23 . for example , suppose that it is desired to bring every page of a certain type to a front - most window on the client &# 39 ; s computer . a bring - to - front javascript element could be added to every page being sent to clients by adding it as an ‘ onload ’ request at the start of every html page using the active element insertion system 20 . if this type of element is needed for only certain pages , this could be identified either by something unique to these pages such as something special about their names , or it could be determined by placing xml code such as & lt ; newelement & gt ; bring - to - front & lt ;/ newelement & gt ; in the proper pages and then replacing this with ‘ safe ’ active code using the active element insertion system 20 . once the active elements are inserted , the web page 24 containing the active elements is served to the requesting entity . accordingly , it is impossible to infect the web server 10 with a virus stored in an active element of a web page . referring now to fig2 , a flow diagram of a method of implementing the invention is shown . at step s 1 , the server receives a web page to be stored . at step s 2 , the server filters out any active elements from the web page , and stores the web page at step s 3 . at step s 4 , the server receives a request for a web page , and fetches the web page from storage at step s 5 . next , at step s 6 , a determination is made whether there are active elements required for the requested page . if no active elements are required , the web page is served at step s 8 . otherwise , if active elements are required , then the server adds back the active elements at step s 7 , and serves the web page with the active elements inserted at step s 8 . it is understood that the systems , functions , mechanisms , methods , and modules described herein can be implemented in hardware , software , or a combination of hardware and software . they may be implemented by any type of computer system or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein . a typical combination of hardware and software could be a general - purpose computer system with a computer program that , when loaded and executed , controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein . alternatively , a specific use computer , containing specialized hardware for carrying out one or more of the functional tasks of the invention could be utilized . the present invention can also be embedded in a computer program product , which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods and functions described herein , and which — when loaded in a computer system — is able to carry out these methods and functions . computer program , software program , program , program product , or software , in the present context mean any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following : ( a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; and / or ( b ) reproduction in a different material form . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings . such modifications and variations that are apparent to a person skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined by the accompanying claims . | 7 |
in order to satisfy the above mentioned objectives , the present invention addresses issues including but not limited to : specific pulsed power problems regarding non - ideal impedance - matched electrical characteristics associated with the operation of the previous generation of pulsed lamp technology ; necessary impedance conditions for ideal lamp electrical operation for the new generation of high power and performance pulsed lamps ; methods by which each of the three typical pulsed lamp operating modes can be electrically optimized for better uv and electrical efficiency , thereby minimizing thermal stress upon crucial lamp materials ; and methods by which the pulsed power supply output can be driven in order to produce the particular ideal and dynamically varying impedances throughout the three lamp operating modes ( ignition , simmer , and pulse ) of a lamp . fig3 a illustrates a time - amplitude curve that represents the main discharge pulse electrical current characteristics typical of a standard lc single mesh pulse forming network ( pfn ) that is utilized with conventional ( lower power and performance ) pulsed lamps . it is known by those practiced in the art that the design of a pulsed lamp system requires the achievement of several targeted specifications that are suitable to the intended application . spectral output depends upon lamp plasma temperature , which is in large part determined by the plasma electron current cross - sectional density , which subsequently determines the peak current requirement for example in many uv applications the peak current must be large enough to drive the plasma temperature to at least 10 , 000 k . the resulting specified peak current requirement , in conjunction with certain lamp physical and electrical characteristics , drives the design of the typical lc pfn , along with the design capacity of the pulsed power supply ( pps ). note that the inherent characteristics of such a system produce a pulse shape that achieves its intended output only near the peak of the pulse , and that much of the energy expended in such pulses is wasted . this is because such energy produces predominantly lower peak power output in the form of radiation that not only might not be useful for the process , but is likely detrimental to the long - term operation and performance of the lamp . in some applications , this wasted energy could account for 30 % to 50 % of the total energy expended throughout the main discharge pulse 3 b . mitigating this deleterious effect is not only advantageous , but in certain applications also a requirement in order to achieve required levels of lamp performance . fig3 b further illustrates the generalized state of poor impedance match between the lamp and the pulsed power supply / pfn for conventional ( lower power and performance ) pulsed lamps . a properly designed lamp / pps combination requires that the targeted peak current level be achieved , and this will simultaneously correspond with the targeted lowest impedance condition , or z 0 . in general , only that portion of the current pulse comprising the maximum peak current is useful for the process ; much of the remaining and lower peak power electrical energy is deposited in the system as undesirable thermal energy . by advantageously eliminating such undesirable energy , this invention creates conditions by which the overall lamp electrical efficiency is substantially increased to new levels that previously were considered not possible , in addition to dramatically reducing harmful stresses and thereby increasing lamp service lifetime . it is known by practitioners of prior art that conventional pulse power techniques typically applied to the previous generation of lower power and performance pulsed lamps do not scale well enough to achieve power and performance levels required for the new generation of high performance pulsed lamps . virtually all conventional medium - to - high power pulsed lamp systems require a pulsed power supply that at a minimum must accommodate four basic functions in this order : reliably produce an ignition pulse that drops the “ infinite ” impedance of an “ off ” lamp to some suitable level of standby , or simmer , “ on ” condition ; when so commanded , commence pulse - mode operation at some desired pulse repetition frequency ; for each pulse , deliver to the lamp the current pulse shape and amplitude required for the targeted plasma temperature and duration ( i . e ., light output spectral intensities and duration ); and throughout any subsequent post - pulse perturbations , provide optimum lamp power conditions in order to establish each following required pulse . as taught by this invention , the new generation of higher power and performance pulsed lamps require the same pps functions ; however , these functions must be augmented with new , more demanding , and higher performance characteristics , which require new methods in order to deliver such performance . there exist multiple requirements beyond those that are possible with the prior art as practiced for the older generation of pulsed lamps . a more detailed explanation of the more subtle technical issues involving each of the three lamp operating modes follows . fig4 a illustrates a semi - log scale example of the temporal and amplitude relationships among voltage , current , and impedance during the three operating modes typical to conventional ( lower power and performance ) pulsed lamps . note that these examples illustrate only relative and non - specific amplitudes and times , and are not intended to represent absolute values . as indicated , the time duration of the simmer mode can vary widely , depending upon the chosen pulse repetition frequency ( prf ), the specific pps design , and also whether or not the system is in “ standby ” ( i . e ., simmer “ on ”, prf = 0 ) or in “ pulse operation ” ( i . e ., prf & gt ; 0 ). therefore , the simmer mode duration might be as short as many microseconds , to the usual milliseconds , or ( if in “ standby ”) as long as many minutes . fig4 b outlines the temporal relationships among the said three operating modes for pulsed lamps : ignition , simmer , and pulse . here - to - for this invention , it has been standard for high power pulsed lamp systems to incorporate the general characteristics of these three modes , and in the following sequence : establish “ simmer current on ” via an ignition pulse that allows ionization of the cold gases between the electrodes ; when so commanded , trigger a main discharge pulse ; following a “ post - pulse ” period of electrical and thermal reduction , resume for as long as desired the simmer and pulse sequence . note that the ignition mode is used only once for each session of pulse operation , and only in order to initially establish the simmer , which is then always maintained “ on ” between main discharge pulses . as described , this type of pulsed lamp operation method is typically termed “ simmer ” ( e . g ., a “ simmered flash lamp ”). an alternate type of pulsed lamp operation is termed the “ pseudo - simmer ” method . it is characterized by the general absence of simmer current following each main discharge pulse . instead , there is a relatively long “ off ” time between subsequent pulses , and the simmer is then applied shortly prior to each main pulse . of course , this then requires an ignition pulse in order to initiate simmer current before each and every pulse . thus , the ignition pulse must be applied at the same pulse repetition frequency as the main pulse . when this method is applied to high pulse repetition frequency and high energy pulse ( i . e ., high power ) systems , it is detrimental to lamp performance , and therefore , not useful for such applications . fig5 illustrates examples of ignition mode to simmer mode transition waveforms typically exhibited by conventional “ pseudo - simmer ” methods . for the purpose of clarity , the main discharge pulse ( pulse mode ) that precedes the simmer is omitted from this illustration . the electric field from an “ over - voltage ” pulse , typically at an amplitude of about twice the voltage provided by the lc pfn at z 0 , eventually creates enough electron flow through the gas between the electrodes to rapidly drop the lamp impedance to some simmer level that is established by the current output limit set by the pulsed power supply ( pps ). note that the rate of current rise , along with the rate of lamp impedance change , is not intentionally limited by the pps ; neglecting power supply stiffness and parasitic z , it is in an uncontrolled and immediate “ free - fall ” mode until it suddenly encounters the simmer current output limitation characteristic of the pps design . likewise , the resulting i 2 r thermal effect upon the originally “ cold ” electrodes is one that is very high rate of rise ; more importantly , the occurrence of this thermal input is precisely coincident with the instant condition of full simmer current operation . this forces an essentially cold electrode to transfer currents at the interface between solid electrode and plasma . thermionic dispenser cathodes are used to lower the electron emitter work function on the surface of electrodes , such as are standard in pulsed lamps . properly configured , such electrodes exhibit a vastly improved lifetime . this is largely due to the resulting reduced thermal stress and materials depletion upon electrode surfaces , which are the crucial physical and electrical interface for the transition between the solid and plasma states . in order for the electrode surface to achieve the desired emitter work function , some minimum temperature state must be induced so that the special emitter - enhancing materials embedded within the ( usually ) tungsten electrode are “ boiled - off ” and out onto the surface . insufficient electrode temperatures , therefore , create low and insufficient electron emission , thereby causing thermal and physical damage to the electrode structure when the resulting abnormal , excessive - density current channels “ crater ” the surface , vaporizing electrode materials and creating deleterious deposition products . when a pseudo - simmer topology is utilized , the simmer current is initiated through relatively cold electrodes that are subsequently easily damaged , albeit only a small amount per each ignition pulse . however , when extended into the scenario where it precedes each and every main discharge pulse of a desirably higher power and performance new generation pulsed lamp , the cumulative results are quickly damaging , and in the end , not acceptable . it is the very nature of the pseudo - simmer method &# 39 ; s “ uncontrolled ” and very fast rate of rise of current that presents a practically cold electrode to the simmer current , and thus the crux of the problem for many applications . fig6 illustrates examples of ignition mode to simmer mode transition waveforms exhibited by a dynamically - matched impedance - optimized “ igniter - simmer ” method of the present invention . the igniter - simmer method has several differentiating characteristics : the igniter mode initial voltage pulse is a very high rate of rise , and has the capability to achieve an amplitude of about four times the voltage provided by the lc pfn at z 0 ; the “ breakdown ” and initial current occurs more quickly ; and the rate of voltage and z fall , and rise of current , are all relatively slow . by careful control of both the levels of and the rate of change in lamp impedance , an electrode can be “ pre - warmed ” to a required temperature before it then transfers higher levels of current , thereby overcoming the here - to - fore problem of rapid current onset through relatively cold , and thus , improperly functioning electrodes . in a further embodiment , by careful selection of the relationship between voltage and current levels , the resulting i 2 r thermal effect can be advantageously increased during the earliest period of very low current , thereby providing significantly more temperature increase at the most optimum time , which is prior to the onset of normal simmer current level . by this new “ igniter - simmer ” method , all the advantages of pseudo - simmer operation may be realized , while at the same time eliminating the inherent harmful effects that might otherwise prevent such implementation . the igniter - simmer method illustrated in fig6 , has several differentiating characteristics relative to the pseudo - simmer method : the igniter mode initial voltage pulse is a very high rate of rise , having the capability to achieve an amplitude of about four times the optimum voltage v z0 provided by the lc pfn at z 0 and at a rate of at least 1 . 4 v z0 / μsec ; subsequently the breakdown and initial current occurs more quickly ; and the rate of voltage and z fall ; and rise of current , being intentionally under control , are all relatively slower . it is understood that for any given new generation pulsed lamp system design , the specific and perhaps unique set of pulsed lamp design specifications and operating characteristics will determine the igniter - simmer requirements . the optimum igniter - simmer design solution must include at least the following 5 major pps parameters : igniter pulse voltage rise and amplitude ; current inception , rise time , and amplitude ; lamp impedance levels and rate of fall ; the relative levels , changes , and timing of i 2 r thermal input ; and the relative timing and amplitude relationships among the preceding 4 parameters . additionally , the optimum igniter - simmer design solution must include the broad range of pulsed lamp design parameters that are common in the industry and well known to those who practice the art . in order to achieve the advantages of igniter - simmer operation , it must be supported by electrical circuitry suitable for producing the required pulsed power conditions . various methods are known by which both voltage and current — controlling power supplies may precisely and instantly control the power output into varying loads ; such supply methods and derivations thereof might be utilized in applications requiring igniter - simmer devices and methods . the proper incorporation of this invention &# 39 ; s igniter - simmer method into the capabilities and operation of such power supplies thereby enables unique and advantageous pulsed power performance capabilities that are required for the new generation of high power and performance pulsed lamps . having addressed both the problems and this invention &# 39 ; s solutions regarding igniter and simmer methods , the aforementioned issues caused by a poorly impedance - matched main discharge pulse also require solutions . in order to create a main discharge pulse that achieves the required peak current and z 0 without the relatively large electrical losses associated with the standard lc pfn method of driving pulsed lamps , this invention builds upon the novel characteristics and capabilities of the igniter - simmer pps . by utilizing features of the dynamically - matched impedance - optimized igniter - simmer method , the pulse mode operation characteristics can be advantageously modified to exclude the electrical conditions that are determined to be wasteful , inefficient , and detrimental to pulsed lamp and overall system performance . fig7 illustrates exemplary main discharge pulse waveforms that can be achieved by this new pulsed lamp method , herein termed “ neo - pulse ”. a suitable voltage and current - controllable pps provides sufficient dynamic response for producing the exact desired lamp impedance across the temporal range of the pulse , thereby providing the unique ability to precisely design and achieve the ideal pulse characteristics for any particular application . this contrasts with the essentially fixed and non - ideal performance characteristics inherent with the conventional lc pfn - derived main discharge pulse that is utilized in the older generation of pulsed lamp technology . the semi - logarithmic scale waveforms 7 a illustrate a complete neo - pulse , starting with the pre - existing electrical conditions created by the igniter - simmer mode operation . differentiated from conventional pulse mode waveform 4 b by the following general characteristics , the neo - pulse : pulse mode initial voltage has a very high rate of rise , and has the capability to achieve an amplitude of about four times the voltage provided by the lc pfn at z 0 ; the current rate of rise is much higher , thereby quickly ( and practically instantly ) achieving the targeted peak current and spectral output ; the pulse shape is more square , or “ top - hat ” in form ; the subsequent rate of voltage and current fall , and rise of z , are all relatively quick ; and the end of the pulse terminates the power input into the lamp , essentially quenching any post - pulse simmer - mode operation . linear scale waveforms 7 b illustrate a more detailed view of an amplitude - scaled portion of the same neo - pulse , as does linear scale waveforms 7 c , which shows in greater detail the lamp z 0 portion . a solution to the inherent problems of a pseudo - simmered pulsed lamp operation topology is illustrated by the waveforms of fig8 , which show the resulting combination sequence of “ igniter - simmer ” and “ neo - pulse ”. in essence , the heretofore three conventional operating modes ( ignition , simmer , and pulse ) are seamlessly combined into a more capable and higher performance substitute ( neo - pulse ), which is an electrical pulse that is intelligently designed and actively controlled in order to create the optimum discharge conditions for the particular lamp system characteristics . although this invention has broad applicability and is not limited as such , in particular it can be advantageously used for those applications where the advantages of the pseudo - simmer method are negated by its subsequent deleterious effects . the semi - logarithmic scale waveforms 8 a illustrate a complete igniter - simmer neo - pulse , starting with the pre - existing of lamp “ off ”, which is one of the desirable characteristics of pseudo - simmered operation . the afore - mentioned descriptions and characteristics of both igniter - simmer and neo - pulse methods apply . likewise , linear scale waveforms 8 b illustrate a more detailed view of an amplitude - scaled portion of the same igniter - simmer neo - pulse , as does linear scale waveforms 8 c , which shows in greater detail the lamp z 0 portion . for simplicity , we shall henceforth term this operating mode combination of igniter - simmered neo - pulse as simply “ neo - pulse ”. in short , neo - pulsed lamp operation enables a new generation of higher power and performance pulsed lamps that was heretofore not achievable by means of either conventional lc pfn or pseudo - simmered operation topologies . indeed , the output waveforms of the neo - pulse method may be configured to maintain simmer between pulses , thereby also advantageously improving output efficiency , performance , and lifetime when so utilized for an otherwise standard simmered lamp topology . regarding the means by which any neo - pulsed capable power supply may be designed , it is understood that there exists a broad range of possibilities available to those practiced in the art . for example , such means could include various forms and / or combinations of supplies , including but not limited to : solid - state power modulators ; linear power ; spark and rail - gap switched ; magnetically - switched via saturable inductors ; optically and / or electrically switched thyratrons and / or other tubes ; and so forth . this invention is likewise not limited in scope to any particular pulsed power supply design approach by which the neo - pulse method may be incorporated . each reference referred to within this disclosure is herein incorporated in its respective entirety . having now described a few embodiments of the invention , it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing is merely illustrative and not limiting , having been presented by way of example only . numerous modifications and other embodiments are within the scope of one of ordinary skill in the art and are contemplated as falling within the scope of the invention and any equivalent thereto . it can be appreciated that variations to the present invention would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , and the present invention is intended to include those alternatives . further , since numerous modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention . | 7 |
in fig1 is shown an upper part of a packing container with an opening arrangement and a pouring edge strip in accordance with the invention . the packing container which is of a wellknown type , and is not , therefore , described any further in the present context , is manufactured from a flexible packing laminate which comprises layers of paper and thermoplastics . the laminate is fed in the form of a web to a packing machine , whereafter it is folded into a liquid - tight tube which is filled with the desired contents , e . g . milk . the tube is then processed with the help of sealing jaws which flatten the material tube at equal intervals , so that its walls are in contact with each other in narrow transverse zones . the material is then heated in the said zones with the help of the processing jaws so that the thermoplastic layers fuse together , as a result of which the material tube is divided into liquid - tight packing containers separated from one another . the liquid - tight packing containers thus produced are then severed from one another by transverse cuts in the sealing zones , whereupon they are subjected to a shaping process which converts the cushionlike packing containers into substantially parallelepipedic packing containers of the desired appearance . as is evident from fig1 the opening arrangement 2 of a packing container 1 is usually placed close to one of the edges or folding lines 3 which delimit the upper side 4 of the packing container from adjoining side walls 5 . the opening arrangement 2 , similarly to previously known types of opening arrangements , comprises a tear - off cover strip 6 ( shown in fig1 in partly removed condition ) which covers a pouring opening 7 punched out in the packing material whose shape and size may be adapted to the type of contents for which the packing container is intended . adjoining the pouring opening 7 is a strip or pouring edge 8 projecting over the adjacent edge line 3 of the packing container 1 , which extends from the end of the pouring opening 7 facing towards the folding line 3 and a few millimetres out over the folding line of the packing container . the design of the pouring edge 8 and the remaining parts of the opening arrangement are evident more clearly from fig2 and 3 which in strong enlargement show an opening arrangement of the type shown in fig1 with the packing laminate in a plane , non - folded condition ( fig2 ) as well as when the packing laminate has been converted into a finished packing container ( fig3 ). the packing container 1 in a conventional manner consists of a laminated packing material which comprises a central carrier layer of paper , one or more thermoplastic layers on either side of the carrier layer and possibly further layers of high gas - tightness , e . g . aluminum foil . however , the packing material may be of a different type , and its design on the whole is without importance for the opening arrangement of the invention , so that the packing material is shown only schematically without the individual layers being indicated . the cover strip 6 applied to the outside of the packing material as a rule also comprises a number of layers , e . g . a layer of aluminum foil and a layer of thermoplastic material facing towards the packing container which is laminated to the aluminum foil . the pouring edge 8 appropriately also comprises two material layers , namely an outer layer of polystyrene or polyvinyl chloride ( pvc ) and a layer laminated to the said layer of a material sealable to the outside layer of the packing container , that is to say preferably polythene in those cases where the outside of the packing container is covered with a layer of polythene . alternatively , the inner layer of the cover strip may consist of ethylene vinyl acetate ( eva ) if this is suitable for sealing to the outside of the packing material . it is also possible , of course , to use some form of melting glue ( so - called hot melt ) or a suitable sealing varnish for joining the pouring edge material to the material of the packing container . the outer layer of polystyrene or pvc may also be coated with a thin cover layer of a seal - controlling varnish . thus , an easily detachable seal can be accomplished between the pouring edge and the cover strip which is desirable in certain cases explained in more detail in the following . it is evident from the enlarged section through a packing material for the manufacture of a packing container in accordance with fig1 shown in fig2 how the pouring edge strip 8 in z - folded condition is placed against , and is sealed to , the outside of the packing material 9 . the two end parts of the z - folded pouring edge strip are sealed to the packing material on either side of the crease or folding line 3 , which in the finished condition of the packing container will delimit the upper side 4 of the packing container from the adjoining side wall 5 . as a result one sealing area of the pouring edge strip will be joined to the packing material 9 in an area which is located between the pouring opening 7 and the folding line 3 , whereas the opposite end of the pouring edge strip 8 will be joined to a part of the packing material 9 situated on the opposite side of the folding line 3 . the part of the pouring edge strip situated in between is doubled and partly sealed together and forms a pouring edge extending along the folding line which in the finished and opened condition of the packing container will extend outwardly , substantially in a plane with the upper wall 4 of the packing container ( fig3 ). fig2 also shows how the cover strip 6 is placed , and sealed to the packing material , in such a manner that it covers the z - folded , underlying pouring edge strip 8 and protects the same against any damage during the handling of the packing material or of the packing container . within the area of the pouring opening 7 the cover strip is joined , moreover , to a liquid - tight plastic layer 10 which is situated on the side of the packing material facing towards the contents and is sealed to the inside of the packing material in at least one zone extending around the pouring opening 7 . during the conversion of the packing laminate to a packing container a 90 ° folding of the packing laminate along the folding line 3 take place . a corresponding folding takes place , of course , of the corresponding parts of the pouring edge strip 8 and the cover strip 6 . however from this the cover strip 6 and the pouring edge strip 8 on the whole will retain the shape which is shown in fig2 . owing to the folding along the folding line 3 , however , the outer surface of the packing material will be stretched slightly in the region of the folding line 3 , which means that the two sealing areas of the z - folded pouring edge strip are removed a little further from each other . this increase in the distance between the sealing areas has the consequence that the pouring edge strip 8 in its z - folded state is no longer of sufficient length , but has to be stretched a little , which means that the doubled pouring edge part endeavours to unfold and rise a little from its plane position resting against the packing material . this is counteracted , though , by the cover strip 6 on top , sealed to the packing material . when the packing container is to be opened , the consumer grips a projecting lug of the cover strip 6 and pulls it in , thereby breaking the join between the cover strip 6 and the side wall 5 of the packing container . the cover strip 6 then no longer maintains the pouring edge strip 8 in position , and the doubled edge part of the latter , owing to the inherent stresses caused in connection with the folding of the packing laminate , will be folded out to the position shown in fig3 that is to say substantially in a plane with the upper wall 4 of the packing container . on continued tearing off of the cover strip 6 the inner layer 10 of the packing material will be broken in the area around the pouring opening 7 and follow the cover strip up , so that the pouring opening is uncovered and the contents can be emptied out through the same . the contents will then run off over the upper part of the pouring edge strip 8 and out over its projecting folded part serving as a pouring edge which guides the contents in a collective jet away from the packing container , so that the contents no longer obtain the tendency of retaining contact with the packing container . the increased distance between the two areas of attachment of the pouring edge strip causes the pouring edge to endeavour to be folded out and to assume the position shown in fig3 which also becomes stable and cannot be affected by external forces . neither can the material lose its springiness through prolonged storage , since the forces which tend to raise the pouring edge to the desired position are initiated only in connection with the conversion of the packing material to finish packing containers . the pouring edge strip shown in fig3 is applied in the position which is to be preferred , but it has been found in practical tests that a relatively strong displacement of the points of attachment of the pouring edge strip in relation to the folding line 3 can be tolerated without the projecting pouring edge part assuming such an incorrect position that its function would be jeopardized . if both points of attachment of the pouring edge strip 8 are displaced in the direction away from the pouring opening , the projecting pouring edge will point down a little , but its function nevertheless is satisfactory . in case of displacement in the opposite direction , the pouring edge will point upwards , but even in this position the form and sharp termination of the pouring edge ensure that the contents can be emptied out in the desired manner . in the manufacture of a packing container with a pouring edge strip in accordance with the invention the packing material is provided with an appropriately placed pouring opening in conventional manner , whereupon the cover strip 6 and the pouring edge 8 are at the same time applied and sealed to the packing material . it is a precondition for this that the cover strip 6 and the pouring edge strip 8 can be handled as a unit , which is made possible by the cover strip and the pouring edge strip being joined detachably to each other by means of a suitable sealing varnish . the pouring edge strip 8 is sealed , like the cover strip 6 , to the outer plastic layer of the packing material by means of heat sealing thus providing a seal which is appreciably stronger than the seal between the pouring edge strip 8 and the cover strip 6 . in this way it is ensured that the pouring edge 8 does not follow the cover strip 6 when the latter is withdrawn from the packing container in connection with its opening . by designing the pouring edge strip with two sealing areas , an appreciably more secure attachment is obtained than with the previously known , simple pouring edges which are attached only in the upper area , that is to say between the folding line and the pouring opening . the form moreover ensures that it is not possible to inadvertently get hold of the pouring edge strip when the cover strip is gripped and torn off , and the pouring edge in accordance with the invention has proved in practical tests to fulfill all the requirements regarding function and fixing which might be made in respect of a pouring edge on a modern packing container . it is , of course , possible to embody the invention in other specific forms than those of the preferred embodiment described above . this may be done without departing from the essence of the invention . the preferred embodiment is merely illustrative and should not be considered restrictive in any way . the scope of the invention is embodied in the appended claims rather than in the preceding description and all variations and changes which fall within the range of the claims are intended to be embraced therein . | 1 |
the present disclosure will be more completely understood through the following description , which should be read in conjunction with the drawings . the skilled artisan will readily appreciate that the methods , apparatus and systems described herein are merely exemplary and that variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure . technologies disclosed herein are directed towards sensing rotation and acceleration around all three axes of free space using an inertial measurement mems device . such devices may have six degrees of freedom in their mechanical design to be able to sense six independent motion signals , i . e . linear acceleration along and angular velocity signals around three orthogonal axes of free space . the manufacturing techniques and designs disclosed herein may be used with any number of commercially available mems gyroscopes including those disclosed in the previously mentioned u . s . pat . no . 7 , 023 , 065 united states patent application publication 2012 / 0227 , 487 , and united states patent application publication 2012 / 0227 , 487 , the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by this reference for all purposes . disclosed herein is a manufacturing process for making mems gyroscopes and accelerometers incorporating the high - aspect ratio narrow sense gaps produced by the harpss process without the use of soi as a starting material . to achieve this result in accordance with the disclosed improved manufacturing process , three silicon wafers are used — a first wafer to form a base with cavities in a surface thereof ; a second wafer in which the mems layer is formed and which is bonded to the first wafer , using for example a fusion bonding before being thinned to the desired layer thickness , and a third wafer to cap the device including electrical routing interfaces to the outside world , whether through - silicon vias ( tsvs ), lateral feedthroughs , or a cmos circuitry wafer . referring now to fig1 a an inertial measurement mems device 10 a is shown in accordance with the present disclosure . mems device 10 a comprises a first wafer 12 serving as a base with cavities , a second wafer 14 bonded to the first wafer 12 and on which the mems device is implemented , and a third wafer 16 serving as the cap to the device 10 a . devices 10 b and 10 c of fig1 b and 1c , respectively , similarly comprise wafers 12 , 14 and 16 . by inverting the structure of device 10 , the connections to the side electrodes , the out - of - plane conventional top electrodes , and any tethers to the proof masses of the harpss - based inertial sensors are formed on the bottom of the second substrate , i . e . the mems or device wafer 14 , within the cavities formed in the first substrate 12 . the disclosed process enables the production of electrode support structures , i . e . the portions of the second substrate that the poly electrodes are attached to , which have oxide anchors to the first substrate which can be & lt ; 15 um smaller than the electrode support structure itself . conventional manufacturing approaches require a greater amount of release etching ( which is not true of the disclosed process due to the ability to pre - etch the conformal oxide between the side electrodes and the resonator , in the case of a gyroscope , or proof mass structures , in the case of an accelerometer ) resulting in the oxide anchors being much smaller than the electrode support structure , e . g . on the scale of 20 um smaller or more . the ability to produce electrode support structures and oxide anchors that are more closely matched in area enable the final area of the device die containing the mems device to be smaller and for the electrode support structures to be more robustly connected to the first substrate , improving the reliability of the device 10 . another advantageous structure that can be formed by the disclosed process flow , is the partial etch on the upper surface of the second substrate layer , after it is bonded to the first substrate and thinned , to form a specific gap between the second substrate and the third substrate such that out - of - plane electrodes may also be formed on the top surface of the second substrate , in addition to those formed on the bottom surface of the second substrate , as illustrated in fig6 a and 6c . by allowing the formation of out - of - plane electrodes both above and below the second substrate mems layer , x - axis or y - axis gyroscopes or accelerometer designs can be produced with greater sensitivity to the desired motion of interest , or with reduced spurious signals . in embodiments , the mems semiconductor apparatus further comprises at least one in - plane electrode formed in the same plane as the substrate on which the mems device layer is formed . additionally , partial etching of the upper surface of the second substrate allows the second substrate to be selectively thinned , which allows mems features , e . g . resonators for gyroscopes , proof masses for accelerometers , flexures or tethers , to be formed with different thickness values , even within the same device die . this unique feature enables the design of each device functionality , e . g . accelerometer versus gyroscope , to be better optimized to its own performance targets while still being monolithically formed in one multi - functional mems device die . the process for fabricating mems devices 10 a - 10 c will be better understood in conjunction with the figures which are arranged in synchronization with the described process steps numbered 1 - 38 , as illustrated in the figures . the fabrication process comprises the following noteworthy steps : forming cavities in a first silicon substrate , e . g . the base wafer 12 , as illustrated by process steps 1 - 3 and fig2 a - c , 3 a - c and 4 a - c ; etching trenches in a second silicon substrate , e . g . the mems wafer 14 , as illustrated by process step 7 and fig2 f , 3f and 4f ; conformally coating the sidewalls of the trenches in the second silicon substrate with an insulator , e . g . an oxide , as illustrated by process step 8 and fig2 g , 3g and 4g ; filling the coated trenches in the second silicon substrate with polysilicon , wherein electrodes are derived from the polysilicon , as also illustrated by process step 8 and fig2 g , 3g and 4g ; patterning the surface insulator on the second silicon substrate to open holes in the insulator and ( optionally ) to thin the insulator in select locations , as illustrated by process steps 10 - 12 and fig2 i - k , 3 i - k and 4 i - k ; depositing a film of polysilicon and patterning such film to ensure the polysilicon filling the trenches is mechanically and electrically connected to the second silicon substrate in select location as illustrated by process steps 13 - 14 fig2 l - m , 3 l - m and 4 l - m ; removing the surface insulator on the second silicon wafer and partially removing a portion of the insulator on the trench sidewalls , as illustrated by process step 15 and fig2 n , 3n and 4n ; bonding the second silicon substrate to the first silicon substrate , as illustrated by process step 16 and fig2 o , 3o and 4o ; thinning the bonded stack to achieve a specific remaining thickness of the second silicon substrate , as illustrated by process step 17 and fig2 p , 3p and 4p ; patterning features to promote bonding on the outer surface of the second silicon substrate , as illustrated by process step 18 and fig2 q , 3q and 4q ; note variations of process step 18 are illustrated in fig2 q 1 and 2 q 2 , 3 q 1 and 3 q 2 , and 4 q 1 and 4 q 2 contributing to the final structures illustrated in fig6 a - c and 7 a - c ; patterning and etching flexures and electrical isolation trenches in the second silicon substrate , as illustrated by process step 19 and fig2 r , 3r and 4r ; etching the remaining insulator on the trench sidewalls , as illustrated by process step 20 and fig2 s , 3s and 4s ; note variations of process step 20 are illustrated in fig2 s 1 , 3 s 1 and 4 s 1 contributing to the final structures illustrated in fig6 a - c ; providing a third silicon substrate , the cap wafer as illustrated by process step 21 and fig2 t , 3t and 4t ; forming electrical routing structures on the third silicon substrate using standard silicon process techniques to either form through - silicon vias ( tsvs ), lateral feedthroughs , or a cmos circuit , as illustrated by process steps 21 - 27 and fig2 n - z , 3 n - z and 4 n - z ; providing an electrically - conducting , mechanically - robust , hermetic material on the outer surface of the third silicon substrate patterned so as to mate with receptor structures on the second silicon substrate , as illustrated by process steps 28 - 29 and fig2 aa - bb , 3 aa - bb and 4 aa - bb ; bonding the third silicon substrate to the second silicon substrate to provide electrical connections from the outer surface or edge of the third silicon substrate to the mems structures formed in the second silicon substrate , as illustrated by process step 30 and fig2 cc , 3cc and 4cc ; thinning the third silicon substrate to expose any external electrical connections ( if using tsvs ) or thinning the first / second silicon substrate to expose the external electrical connections ( if using lateral feedthroughs or a cmos circuit ), as illustrated by process step 31 and fig2 dd , 3dd and 4 dd ; note variations of process steps 31 are illustrated in fig2 dd 1 , 3 dd 1 and 4 dd 1 contributing to the final structures illustrated in fig6 a - c ; and using standard silicon processing techniques to ensure the electrical connections are made with the outside world , as illustrated by process steps 32 - 38 and fig2 ee - kk , 3 ee - kk and 4 ee - kk . the above described process results in the silicon based mems devices 10 a , 10 b and 10 c having the structures illustrated in fig1 a , 1b and 1c , respectively , all of which are free of silicon on insulator ( soi ) substrates . other possible variations of the process described herein may optionally include partially etching the second silicon substrate top surface in the resonator region during process step 18 to create a thinner mems device for certain of the mems functionalities , i . e . for an x - gyroscope while the z - gyroscope maintains the thickness established in step 17 . the mems devices having the structures illustrated in fig7 a , 7b and 7c , result , at least in part , from the variations of process step 18 illustrated in fig2 q 1 , 3 q 1 , and 4 q 1 . the mems devices having the structures illustrated in fig6 a , 6b and 6c , including the electrode configurations , result , at least in part , from the variation of process step 18 , as illustrated in fig2 q 2 , 3 q 2 , and 4 q 2 ; the variation of process step 20 , as illustrated in fig2 s 1 , 3 s 1 and 4 s 1 ; and the variation of process step 31 are illustrated in fig2 dd 1 , 3 dd 1 and 4 dd 1 . another possible variation of the process described herein may optionally include adding extra masking steps to allow oxide openings to be formed on the cavity wafer in step 3 , beneath which the silicon is not etched , allowing additional processing to enable an electrical contact to be made between the second silicon substrate and the first silicon substrate by patterning and etching a trench in the second silicon substrate after step 17 , and then filling such trench with polysilicon that is appropriately doped to achieve conductivity . the process disclosed herein provides multiple advances over current semiconductor manufacturing technologies including the following : no soi required as starting material , therefore lower device manufacturing cost no requirement for deep reactive ion etching ( drie ) process that forms side electrodes to stop on buried oxide of soi , therefore resulting in higher process yields with lower manufacturing costs and enabling use of higher aspect ratio etching , which , in turn , further enables designs to use thicker device layers , which allows for resonator designs that operate using higher - order modes and are able to sense multiple axes of rotation with one resonator proof mass possible to use deeper partial drie etch of device layer in step 18 to thin resonator device in selective regions , thereby enabling wider design space for resonators allows for sacrificial oxide to be pre - etched prior to fusion bonding ( steps 15 and 16 ), so that final release process ( step 20 ) can be shorter , thereby enabling device area reduction by undercutting the blocks of si supporting the poly electrodes less eliminates tetraethyl orthosilicate ( teos ) low pressure chemical vapor deposition ( lpcvd ) steps used to fill trenches in current monolithic multi - axis gyro and accelerometer harpss fabrication process , therefore lower device manufacturing cost the manufacturing and fabrication processes described herein are utilized in illustrative examples with the manufacture of mems devices that are capable of sensing rotational and translational motion around and along all three axes of free space , more specifically mems devices capable of sensing rotational angle or angular velocity of rotation ) and translational motion ( linear acceleration ), around and along axes of free space . for example such a semiconductor device may include in a single package any combination of the mems devices 10 a , 10 b and 10 c having the structures illustrated in fig1 a , 1b and 1c , respectively . the manufacturing and fabrication processes described herein may be utilized to manufacture an inertial measurement mems semiconductor apparatus comprising a single resonator mass capable of sensing rotation about multiple axes of rotation relative to the apparatus , such apparatus may have a portion thereof with cross - sectional views similar to the x - axis gyroscope or y - axis gyroscope , as illustrated in fig1 a , and , at another portion thereof , may have a cross - sectional view similar to the z - axis gyroscope , as illustrated in fig1 b . in one embodiment , the inertial measurement mems semiconductor apparatus is capable of sensing angular velocity of rotation around about multiple axes of rotation relative to the apparatus . in another embodiment , the apparatus is capable of sensing linear acceleration about multiple axes of rotation relative to the apparatus . it will be obvious to those reasonably skilled in the arts that the techniques disclosed herein may be similarly applied to the manufacture and fabrication of other semiconductor devices given the disclosure contained herein . the present disclosure is illustratively described above in reference to the disclosed embodiments . various modifications and changes may be made to the disclosed embodiments by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
examples of the alkyl group include methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , tert - butyl , pentyl and hexyl groups . examples of the alkoxy group include methoxy , ethoxy , isopropoxy , butoxy , t - butoxy and hexyloxy groups . examples of the aryl group include phenyl , naphthyl , anthryl and phenanthryl groups . examples of the aralkyl group include benzyl , α - phenethyl , β - phenetyl , 3 - phenylpropyl , benzhydryl and trityl groups . examples of the heterocyclic group include thienyl , pyrrolyl , pyrrolidinyl , oxazolyl , isooxazolyl , thiazolyl , isothiazolyl , imidazolyl , 2h - imidazolyl , pyrazolyl , triazolyl , tetrazolyl , pyranyl , pyridyl , piperidyl , piperidino , 3 - morpholinyl , morpholino and thiazolyl groups . examples of the substituting group which may be to any of the groups above - mentioned , include a halogen atom , an amino group , a hydroxyl group , a carboxyl group which may be esterified , a cyano group , a straight - chain or branched alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms , a straight - chain or branched alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms , and alkenyl group which may have an aryl group and which has 2 to 6 carbon atoms . two or more substituting groups may be substituted , and two substituting groups may form a ring . a 1 together with a 2 , or a 3 together with a 4 may form a ring . an example of such a ring includes carbazole . specific examples of the hydrazone compound of the general formula ( i - a ) include the following ones . ## str4 ## the compound of the general formula ( i - a ) may be produced by the following reaction formula for example : ## str5 ## ( wherein each of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , l , m and n is the same as defined above , and each a is any of a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , a 4 , a 5 , a 6 ; and r 7 is a lower alkyl group ). more specifically , a compound of the formula ( b ) is reacted in an equimolar amount with an aldehyde compound of the formula ( a ) under the presence of base ( sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide or the like ), thereby to prepare an intermediate represented by a formula ( c ) having a stillbene structure . the reaction is carried out in a solvent at a temperature from 0 ° to 120 ° c . as the solvent , there may be used , for example , dimethylformamide , dimethyl sulfoxide , n - methylpyrrolidone or the like . then , the intermediate compound ( c ) thus prepared is reacted with a hydrazine compound represented by a formula ( d ) under acid conditions with acetic acid or the like added , thereby to prepare a compound ( i &# 39 ;- a ) of the present invention . in the reaction , the hydrazine compound ( d ) is used in a double molar amount with respect to the compound ( c ). this reaction can be conducted at a temperature from room temperature to 120 ° c . in a solvent similar to that above - mentioned . this reaction proceeds quickly and almost quantitatively . specific examples of the hydrazone compound represented by the general formula ( i - b ) include the following ones . ## str6 ## the compound of the general formula ( i - b ) may be produced by the following reaction formula for example : ## str7 ## ( wherein each of a , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , l , m and n is the same as defined above ). more specifically , under the presence of base ( sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide or the like ), a compound of the general formula ( f ) is reacted in a double molar amount with an aldehyde compound of the general formula ( e ) in which two out of three aldehyde groups are reacted , thereby to prepare an intermediate represented by a formula ( g ) having a stillbene structure . the reaction is carried out in a solvent at a temperature from 0 ° to 120 ° c . as the solvent , there may be used , for example , dimethylformamide , dimethyl sulfoxide , n - methylpyrrolidone or the like . then , the intermediate compound ( g ) thus prepared is reacted with a hydrazine compound of the formula ( h ) under acid conditions with acetic acid or the like added , thereby to prepare a compound ( i &# 39 ;- b ) of the present invention . in the reaction , the hydrazine compound ( h ) is used in an equimolar amount with respect to the compound ( g ). this reaction can be conducted at a temperature from room temperature to 120 ° c . in a solvent similar to that above - mentioned . this reaction proceeds quickly and almost quantitatively . the compound of the general formula ( i ) in accordance with the present invention may be contained in a binding resin , alone or in combination with other conventional electric charge transferring material , thereby to form a photosensitive layer . examples of the conventional electric charge transferring material include nitrogen - containing cyclic compounds and condensated polycyclic compounds which include oxadiazole compounds such as 2 , 5 - di ( 4 - methylaminophenyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 - oxadiazole and the like , styryl compounds such as 9 -( 4 - diethylaminostyryl ) anthracene and the like , carbazole compounds such as polyvinyl carbazole and the like , pyrazoline compounds such as 1 - phenyl - 3 -( p - dimethylaminophenyl ) pyrazole and the like , triphenylamine compounds , indole compounds , oxazole compounds , isooxazole compounds , thiazole compounds , thiadiazole compounds , imidazole compounds , pyrazole compounds , triazole compounds and the like . these examples of the electric charge transferring material may be used alone or in combination of plural types . when there is used an electric charge transferring material having film - forming properties such as polyvinyl carbazole or the like , the binding resin is not necessarily required . the compound of the general formula ( i ) may be applied to any of so - called single - layer type and multi - layer type photosensitive materials . to form a single - layer type electrophotosensitive material , there may be formed , on a conductive substrate , a photosensitive layer containing the compound of the general formula ( i ) serving as the electric charge transferring material , an electric charge generating material , a binding resin and the like . to form a multi - layer type electrophotosensitive material , an electric charge generating layer containing an electric charge generating material may be formed on a conductive substrate , and an electric charge transferring layer containing the compound of the general formula ( i ) serving as the electric charge transferring material may then be formed on the electric charge generating layer . by reversing the laminating order , the electric charge generating layer may be formed on the electric charge transferring layer . examples of the electric charge generating material include selenium , selenium - tellurium , seleniumarsenic , amorphous silicon , pyrylium salt , an azo compound , a disazo compound , a phthalocyanine compound , an anthanthrone compound , a perylene compound , an indigo compound , a triphenylmethane compound , a threne compound , a toluidine compound , a pyrazoline compound , a perylene compound , a quinacridon compound , a pyrrolopyrrole compound and the like . these examples may be used alone or in combination of plural types . as the binding resin , any of a variety of resins may be used . examples of the binding resin include : thermoplastic resins such as a styrene polymer , a styrene - butadiene copolymer , a styrene - acrylonitrile copolymer , a styrene - maleic acid copolymer , an acrylic polymer , a styrene - acrylic copolymer , polyethylene , an ethylene - vinyl acetate copolymer , chlorinated polyethylene , polyvinyl chloride , polypropylene , a vinyl chloride - vinyl acetate copolymer , polyester , alkyd resin , polyamide , polyurethane , polycarbonate , polyarylate , polysulfon , diarylphthalate resin , ketone resin , polyvinyl butyral resin , polyether resin and the like ; crosslinking thermosetting resins such as silicone resin , epoxy resin and the like ; photosetting resins such as epoxy - acrylate , urethane - acrylate and the like . these polymers may be used alone or in combination of plural types . a solvent is used when the electric charge generating material , the electric charge transferring material and the binding resin are dissolved to form a coating solution . examples of such a solvent include : alcohols such as methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , butanol and the like ; aliphatic hydrocarbons such as n - hexane , octane , cyclohexane and the like ; aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene , toluene , xylene and the like ; halogenated hydrocarbons such as dichloromethane , dichloroethane , carbon tetrachloride , chlorobenzene and the like ; ethers such as dimethyl ether , diethyl ether , tetrahydrofuran , ethylene glycol dimethyl ether , diethylene glycol dimethyl ether and the like ; ketones such as acetone , methylethyl ketone , cyclohexanone and the like ; esters such as ethyl acetate , methyl acetate and the like ; dimethylformaldehyde ; dimethylformamide ; dimethylsulfoxide and the like . these solvents may be used alone or in combination of plural types . to improve the electric charge generating layer in sensitivity , there may be used a conventional sensitizer such as tert - phenyl , halonaphtoquinone , acenaphthylene or the like , together with the electric charge generating material . to improve the electric charge transferring and generating materials in dispersibility , applicability and the like , there may be used a surfactant , a levelling agent and the like . examples of the conductive substrate include : single metals , such as aluminium / copper , tin , platinum , silver , vanadium , molybdenum , chromium , cadmium , titanium , nickel , paradium , indium , stainless steel , brass and the like ; plastic material vapor - deposited or laminated with any of the metals above - mentioned ; glass material coated with aluminum iodide , tin oxide , indium oxide or the like . the conductive substrate may be made in the form of a sheet , a drum or the like . the substrate itself may be conductive or only the surface of the substrate may be conductive . preferably , the substrate has a sufficient mechanical strength when used . in a multi - layer type photosensitive material , the electric charge generating material forming the electric charge generating layer , and the binding resin may be used at any of a variety of blending ratios . the electric charge generating material may be used preferably in a range from 5 to 500 parts by weight , and more preferably from 10 to 250 parts by weight , for 100 parts by weight of the binding resin . the thickness of the electric charge generating layer is optional , but preferably in a range from about 0 . 01 to about 5 μm and more preferably from about 0 . 1 to about 3 pm . the compound of the general formula ( i ) ( the electric charge transferring material ) forming the electric charge transferring layer , and the binding resin may be used at any of a variety of blending ratios . however , to facilitate the transmission of the electric charge generated in the electric charge generating layer by light irradiation , the compound of the general formula ( i ) may be used preferably in a range from 10 to 500 parts by weight , and more preferably from 25 to 200 parts by weight , for 100 parts by weight of the binding resin . the thickness of the electric charge transferring layer is preferably in a range from about 2 to about 100 μm and more preferably from about 5 to about 30 μm . in the single - layer type photosensitive material , the electric charge generating material may be used preferably in a range from 2 to 20 parts by weight , and more preferably from 3 to 15 parts by weight , for 100 parts by weight of the binding resin . particularly , the compound of the general formula ( i ) ( the electric charge transferring material ) may be used preferably in a range from 40 to 200 parts by weight and more preferably from 50 to 150 parts by weight for 100 parts by weight of the binding resin . the thickness of the single - layer type photosensitive material is preferably from about 10 to about 50 μm and more preferably from about 15 to about 30 μm . for forming the photosensitive layer containing the electric charge generating layer and the electric charge transferring layer by a coating method , a coating solution is prepared by mixing the electric charge generating material , the electric charge transferring material and the binding resin by a conventional method with the use of , for example , a roll mill , a ball mill , an atriter , a paint shaker , a supersonic dispenser or the like . the following description will discuss in detail the present invention with reference to examples and comparative examples . under the presence of sodium hydroxide , 20 . 0 g of a compound of the following formula : was reacted with 32 . 9 g of tri ( 4 - formylphenyl ) amine in dimethyl sulfoxide at 80 ° c . for 3 hours . the reaction product was isolated and refined by a conventional method , and then reacted with 6 . 0 g of diphenyl hydrazine ( c 6 h 5 ) 2 n -- nh 2 under acid conditions in ethyl alcohol at 60 ° c ., thereby to prepare a compound of formula ( 2 ). in the form of c 46 h 41 n 5 : calculation value (%) c83 . 22 , h6 . 23 , n10 . 55 ; measured value (%) c83 . 37 , h6 . 16 , n10 . 47 ; with the use of suitable starting materials , the following compounds were prepared in the same manner as in example 1 . in the form of c 58 h 45 n 5 : calculation value (%) c85 . 79 , h5 . 58 , n8 . 63 ; measured value (%) c85 . 66 , h5 . 63 , n8 . 71 ; in the form of c 69 h 55 n 5 : calculation value (%) c86 . 85 , h5 . 81 , n7 . 34 ; measured value (%) c86 . 83 , h5 . 78 , n7 . 39 ; in the form of c 60 h 49 n 5 : calculation value (%) c85 . 78 , h5 . 88 , n8 . 34 ; measured value (%) c85 . 83 , h5 . 95 , n8 . 22 ; in the form of c 60 h 47 n 5 : calculation value (%) c85 . 99 , h5 . 65 , n8 . 36 ; measured value (%) c86 . 10 , h5 . 61 , n8 . 29 ; in the form of c 70 h 53 n 5 : calculation value (%) c87 . 19 , h5 . 54 , n7 . 27 ; measured value (%) c87 . 12 , h5 . 52 , n7 . 36 ; first , 2 parts by weight of each of electric charge generating materials set forth in tables 1 and 2 , 1 part by weight of polyvinyl butyral resin (&# 34 ; s - lecbm - 5 &# 34 ; manufactured by sekisui kagaku kogyo co ., ltd .) and 120 parts by weight of tetrahydrofuran were dispersed for 2 hours with a paint shaker using zirconia beads ( 2 mm dia .). each of the resulting dispersions was applied onto an aluminum sheet with the use of a wire bar and dried at 100 ° c . for 1 hour , thereby to prepare an electric charge generating layer of 0 . 5 μm . in tables 1 and 2 , a , b and c refer to the compounds represented by the following formulas ( a ), ( b ) and ( c ), respectively . ## str8 ## with the use of a wire bar , there was applied , onto each of the electric charge generating layers thus prepared , a solution in which 1 part by weight of each of electric charge transferring materials set forth in tables 1 and 2 , and 1 part by weight of polycarbonate resin (&# 34 ; z - 300 &# 34 ; manufactured by mitsubishi gas kagaku co ., ltd .) were dissolved in 9 parts by weight of toluene . each of the electric charge transferring materials was then dried at 100 ° c . for 1 hour to prepare an electric charge transferring layer of 22 μm . in table 1 , the electric charge transferring materials used in examples 7 to 11 are shown by the nos . of the compounds set forth in connection with examples 1 to 7 . in table 2 , the electric charge transferring materials x , y , z used in comparative examples 1 to 3 refer to compounds represented by the following formulas ( x ), ( y ), ( z ), respectively . ## str9 ## one part by weight of each of the electric charge generating materials set forth in tables 1 and 2 , and 60 parts by weight of tetrahydrofuran were dispersed for 2 hours with a paint shaker using zirconia beads ( 2 mm dia .). added to each of the resulting dispersions were ( i ) 50 parts by weight of a tetrahydrofuran solution containing a solid content of 20 % by weight of polycarbonate resin (&# 34 ; z - 300 &# 34 ; manufactured by mitsubishi gas kagaku co ., ltd .) and ( ii ) 10 parts by weight of each of the electric charge transferring materials set forth in tables 1 and 2 . each of the resulting dispersions was further dispersed for 1 hour . each of the resulting dispersions was applied onto an aluminum sheet with the use of a wire bar and dried at 100 ° c . for 1 hour , thereby to prepare a photosensitive layer of 20 μm . in tables 1 and 2 , the electric charge generating materials and the electric charge transferring materials used in examples 12 to 14 and comparative examples 4 to 6 are shown by the marks and nos . of the compounds in the same manner as in examples 7 to 11 and comparative examples 1 to 3 . each of the photosensitive materials of examples and comparative examples above - mentioned was measured for surface potential , half - life light exposure amount ( e 1 / 2 ) and residual potential with an evaluation testing device (&# 34 ; epa 8100 &# 34 ; manufactured by kawaguchi denki co ., ltd .). the value of the flowing current was adjusted such that the surface potential was in the vicinity of (+/-) 700v . table 1 shows the test results of examples 7 to 14 , while table 2 shows the test results of comparative examples 1 to 6 . table 1______________________________________ charge transfer - charge surface residual ring generating potential e . sub . 1 / 2 potentialexample material material ( v ) ( lux / sec ) ( v ) ______________________________________ 7 2 a - 710 1 . 32 - 115 8 3 a - 705 1 . 44 - 120 9 8 a - 700 1 . 16 - 10510 9 b - 715 0 . 92 - 9511 10 c - 705 1 . 16 - 11012 2 a + 695 1 . 52 + 13013 3 a + 700 1 . 63 + 14514 4 a + 695 1 . 36 + 125______________________________________ table 2______________________________________ chargecompar - transfer - charge surface residualative ring generating potential e . sub . 1 / 2 potentialexample material material ( v ) ( lux / sec ) ( v ) ______________________________________1 x a - 715 5 . 32 - 1902 y a - 710 5 . 31 - 2303 z a - 700 4 . 32 - 1954 x a + 710 5 . 12 + 2505 y a + 695 5 . 52 + 3006 z a + 705 4 . 81 + 265______________________________________ from the test results above - mentioned , it is 14 found that the photosensitive layers of examples 7 to do not present substantial difference in surface potential from the photosensitive layers of comparative examples 1 to 6 , but are superior in half - life light exposure and residual potential and remarkably improved in sensitivity . under the presence of sodium hydroxide , 40 . 0 g of a compound of the following formula : was reacted with 32 . 9 g of tri ( 4 - formylphenyl ) amine in dimethylformamide at 80 ° c . for 5 hours . the reaction product was isolated and refined by a conventional method , and then reacted with 3 . 0 g of diphenyl hydrazine ( c 6 h 5 ) 2 n -- nh 2 under acid conditions in ethyl alcohol at 60 ° c ., thereby to prepare a compound of the formula ( 12 ). in the form of c 47 h 27 n 3 : calculation value (%) c87 . 68 , h5 . 79 , n6 . 53 ; measured value (%) c87 . 74 , h5 . 84 , n6 . 42 ; with the use of suitable starting materials , the following compounds were prepared in the same manner as in example 15 . in the form of c 59 h 45 n 3 : calculation value (%) c89 . 02 , h5 . 70 , n5 . 28 ; measured value (%) c88 . 93 , h5 . 75 , n5 . 32 ; in the form of c 66 h 53 n 3 : calculation value (%) c89 . 25 , h6 . 02 , n4 . 73 ; measured value (%) c89 . 32 , h6 . 01 , n4 . 81 ; in the form of c 61 h 49 n 3 : calculation value (%) c88 . 91 , h5 . 99 , n5 . 10 ; measured value (%) c88 . 94 , h6 . 04 , n5 . 02 ; in the form of c 51 h 41 n 3 : calculation value (%) c88 . 02 , h5 . 96 , n6 . 04 ; measured value (%) c88 . 07 , h5 . 94 , n6 . 01 ; in the form of c 65 h 49 n 3 : calculation value (%) c89 . 52 , h5 . 66 , n4 . 82 ; measured value (%) c89 . 44 , h5 . 69 , n4 . 87 ; multi - layer type electrophotosensitive materials were prepared in the same manner as in those using the hydrazone compound ( i - a ). single - layer type electrophotosensitive materials were prepared in the same manner as in those using the hydrazone compound ( i - a ). each of the photosensitive materials of examples 21 to 28 was evaluated for surface potential , half - life light exposure and residual potential in the same manner mentioned earlier . the test results are shown in table 3 , in which the electric charge generating and transferring materials used are shown by the marks and nos . of the compounds in the same manner as in table 1 . table 3______________________________________ charge transfer - charge surface residual ring generating potential e . sub . 1 / 2 potentialexample material material ( v ) ( lux / sec ) ( v ) ______________________________________21 12 a - 700 0 . 97 - 10022 13 a - 705 0 . 98 - 10523 18 a - 695 1 . 22 - 11024 19 b - 700 1 . 35 - 12025 20 c - 710 1 . 16 - 11526 12 a + 700 1 . 16 + 12527 13 a + 700 1 . 36 + 13028 14 a + 705 1 . 27 + 125______________________________________ from the test results in table 3 , it is found that the photosensitive layers of examples 21 to 28 do not present a substantial difference in surface potential from the photosensitive layers of comparative examples 1 to 6 , but are superior in half - life light exposure and residual potential and remarkably improved in sensitivity . | 6 |
with reference to fig1 of the drawings a heat exchanger 10 improved according to the present invention comprises a cylindrical housing 12 which includes a cylindrical peripheral wall 14 extending between two planar mutually parallel end walls 16 and 18 . the housing 12 further comprises a fluid inlet 20 and a fluid outlet 22 which enter the peripheral wall 14 in mutually divergent directions , as better seen in fig2 . fig2 of the drawings , is an axial cross section of the heat exchanger of fig1 which is seen to comprise a diametric baffle 24 extending between an upper edge 26 and a lower edge 28 to partition the cylindrical core cavity 15 defined by the housing 12 into a first compartment 30 and a second compartment 32 . in the illustrated embodiment , the diametric baffle 24 defines a plane of symmetry between the inlet and outlet sides of the heat exchanger . the fluid inlet conduit 20 enters the peripheral wall 14 and directs fluid into the semicylindrical compartment 30 along arrow a -- a which forms an angle α with the tangent line b -- b . the outlet conduit axis c -- c forms an angle β equal to α with the tangent line d -- d . the heat exchanger also includes a drain plug assembly 23 which is normally closed . as best seen in fig2 the diametric baffle 24 is joined at its upper edge 26 to the peripheral wall 14 midway between the circumferentially spaced inlet and outlet openings . the baffle also contacts the two parallel end walls 16 and 18 along its sides 34 and 36 , respectively . the lower edge 28 of the baffle is cut out to define an aperture 38 , which may be an elongated rectangular aperture , best seen in fig3 to permit fluid to flow from the inlet compartment 30 to the outlet compartment 32 at a point diametrically opposite to the inlet and outlet openings . from the afore described geometry it will be appreciated that fluid entering the heat exchanger cavity 15 through the inlet 20 must flow through the first semicylindrical compartment 30 , then flow through the baffle aperture 38 into the second semicylindrical compartment 32 , eventually to exit through the outlet 22 . the fluid thus describes a nearly circular , arcuate path through the heat exchanger cavity . the heat exchanger cavity 15 is traversed by a relatively large number of heat exchange conduits 40 which are generally parallel to one another and extend between the end walls 16 and 18 fully through the heat exchanger cavity . each of the conduits 40 is open at both ends to the exterior of the heat exchanger but does not communicate with the interior heat exchanger cavity 15 . thus , a first fluid circulating through the two compartments 30 and 32 may be placed into thermal heat exchanging contact with a second fluid circulating through the conduits 40 . in a typical application a liquid , such as hot hydraulic fluid , is circulated through the heat exchanger cavity 15 in the manner described above through the inlet and outlet 20 , 22 respectively . a fan or blower is positioned for circulating cooler air through the parallel tubes 40 in the direction indicated by the arrows in fig3 . the air flows through the heat exchanger tubes 40 in thermal contact with the fluid circulating through the heat exchanger compartments 30 and 32 and being at a lower temperature than the fluid carries off heat from the fluid . it is understood that fluids other than air may be circulated through the heat exchanger tubes 40 and that in some applications the second fluid passing through the tubes 40 may be at a higher temperature than the first fluid circulated through the heat exchanger cavity to thereby increase the temperature of the first fluid . it has been found that fluid circulated through the compartments 30 and 31 in the afore described structure tends to flow near the peripheral wall 14 in a circular path between the inlet and outlet and through the bottom opening 38 in the baffle panel 24 . this circulation path is detrimental to the efficiency of the heat exchanger because the fluid present in the center of the exchanger cavity 15 and in contact with the centrally located heat exchanger tubes 40 is relatively stagnant or circulating at a lower rate of flow than the fluid which is closer to the peripheral wall 14 . the peripheral wall is not as effective to remove heat from the circulating fluid as the aggregate outer surface of the heat exchanger tubes 40 . the overall efficiency of the heat exchanger would therefore be substantially improved if fluid flow where increased through the center of the heat exchanger tube cluster . this problem may be corrected by the addition of radial flanges 50 mounted to the cylindrical peripheral wall 14 such that the flanges extend radially inwardly into the heat exchanger cavity 15 . the intended purpose of the radial flanges is to redirect fluid flow away from the peripheral wall 14 and towards the interior of the heat exchanger cavity in the general pattern suggested by the arrows in fig2 so as to increase fluid flow through the center of the heat exchanger tube cluster . in one embodiment of the invention optimal results were obtained by the provision of four such radial flanges 50 , two in each compartment 30 and 32 respectively symmetrically mounted at between 40 degrees and 55 degrees and approximately at a 47 degree angle measured from the upper and lower edges 26 and 28 respectively of the center baffle 24 . preferably the radial flanges are made of metallic sheet having a thickness of 0 . 068 inches and extending radially approximately 0 . 035 inches from the peripheral wall 14 , and extending the full axial length of the cylindrical cavity between the two end walls 16 and 18 . these flange dimensions have been found to substantially increase the efficiency of a heat exchanger having a cavity inside diameter of 9 . 516 inches , the peripheral cylinder wall having an outside diameter of 9 . 760 inches . the four flanges 50 desirably are affixed to the cylinder wall 14 by brazing thereto , and may also be further secured at their radially inner edge by brazing to one conveniently located heat exchanger tube 40 . a heat exchanger of the prior art having the given cavity dimensions was previously believed to require 1 , 280 coolant or heat exchanger tubes 40 of aluminium having an outside diameter of 0 . 218 inches and an aluminium wall thickness of 0 . 015 inches . the tubes were mutually parallel and equally spaced approximately 0 . 030 to 0 . 050 inches from one another in a rectangular grid such as shown in fig2 . the tubes 40 were mounted parallel to the cylinder axis of the heat exchanger housing , as in fig3 . using the flange arrangement disclosed herein it was possible to reduce the number of heat exchange tubes 40 from the previous 1 , 280 to only 760 tubes of the same size as that previously used in the prior art heat exchanger . the spacing between the outside walls of individual tubes 40 however , was increased from approximately 0 . 040 inches in the prior art construction to 0 . 100 inches , measured along a line joining the centers of the adjacent tubes . the increased spacing between the heat exchanger tubes coupled with the improved flow characteristics obtained through the correlated positioning of the radial flanges results in a substantially improved heat exchanger device . it was also found beneficial to leave a space 51 free of heat exchange tubes 40 about each of the radial flanges 50 . it is believed that such empty space 51 enhances the flow deflection characteristics of the radial flanges 50 . the free space 51 is shown in fig2 for only one of the flanges 50 , but it will be understood that a similar free space also exists about the remaining flanges 50 . the volume of the free space 51 may be equivalent to that which would be occupied by at least one heat exchange tube 40 on each side of the flange 50 . the reduction in the number of the heat exchanger tubes 40 has also resulted in a reduction in overall weight of the heat exchanger from a previous 13 pounds to approximately 10 pounds to 10 pounds 2 ounces . this reduction in weight is important since this type of heat exchanger is commonly used in aircraft hydraulic systems where weight is a critical factor . the heat exchanger of the prior art typically operated at approximately 132 to 152 degrees fahrenheit for a flow rate of up to 20 gallons of hydraulic fluid per minute through the heat exchanger cavity . a heat exchanger was improved according to the present disclosure and was able to drop the temperature of the hydraulic fluid to a temperature of 102 - 106 degrees fahrenheit , within a time period of two minutes compared to a figure of 132 degrees fahrenheit for the prior art heat exchanger under similar conditions . in general , the temperature of the hydraulic fluid was dropped at least by an additional 20 degrees as a result of the improvements disclosed herein . it appears that the optimum circumferential spacing of the radial flanges 50 from the upper and lower edges of the center baffle 24 is related to the entrance angle of the fluid into the heat exchanger cavity 15 . thus , in the present heat exchanger the fluid enters the first compartment 30 through the inlet conduit 20 at an angle α of 30 degrees measured relative to a line b -- b tangent to the cylindrical peripheral wall 14 at the point of entry of the inlet axis a -- a . the fluid outlet 22 is a mirror image of the fluid inlet 20 , the plane of the center baffle 24 being the mirror plane . thus , the outlet axis c -- c is also at an angle β of 30 degrees with line d -- d which is tangent to the cylindrical peripheral wall at the intersection of the outlet axis c -- c with the peripheral wall . a further increase in heat exchanger efficiency was obtained by the insertion of novel &# 34 ; turbolator &# 34 ; elements 60 into the heat exchanger tubes 40 , as shown in fig4 and 7 . each turbolator 60 consists of a strip 62 of copper or other heat conductive material extending axially through the coolant tube 40 , preferably through the full length thereof . the strip 62 extends across the diameter of the tube 40 , as shown in fig7 and is provided with flanges 64 , 66 which contact the inner wall surface 42 of the heat exchanger tube 40 in a friction fit . the flanges 64 and 66 extend from the upper and lower edges respectively of the strip 62 and are preferably made of a resilient material . thus , the flanges may normally project at approximately a right angle to the strip , but are bent as shown in fig7 upon insertion of the turbolator into the tube 40 , such that the turbolator is retained therein in a friction fit and the flanges are in positive contact with the tube wall under spring tension to thereby establish a low resistance path for heat flow from the tube 40 into the diametric strip 62 . the flanges 64 , 66 also provide an enlarged contact surface between the turbolator strip 62 and the heat exchanger tube 40 for more effective transfer of heat from the heat exchanger tube to the turbolator strip . the turbolator element 60 is desirably made of bronze copper sheet which is a better heat conductor than the aluminium wall of the tube . the turbolator operates as a heat sink to carry heat from the heat exchanger tube through the strip itself considerably increasing the surface area in contact with the coolant fluid , further aiding heat transfer . the diametrically extending strip 62 may be deformed at axially spaced intervals such as by having tabs 68 punched out and alternately bent to one side or the other of the strip , such that the tabs project into the fluid circulating through the heat exchanger tube 40 . the projecting tabs introduce turbulence into the fluid flow through the tube 40 which also increases the transfer of heat , as had been described . preferably , the tabs extend at an angle in the direction of fluid flow so as not to oppose the flow . the strip 62 can be made of relatively thin sheet metal so as to minimize obstruction presented by the turbolator in the tube 40 . the turbolator structure disclosed herein thus performs a dual function : disturbance of the fluid flow through the heat exchanger tube and enlargement of the surface area exposed to the fluid i . e . a heat sink function . while a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described it will be understood that various changes , modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . applicant , therefore , intends to be bound only by the following claims . | 8 |
referring to the drawings , a glass melting furnace 10 of the regenerative type having a bottom of fire brick , whereon the melt of glass forming ingredients is deposited , is indicated schematically in fig1 . gas and air are normally mixed and burned in the furnace above the glass forming materials , and the resulting heat melts the mixed materials to a mass of molten glass , which is delivered or worked from one end following refining . the regenerative or heat - accumulating chambers or passageways are normally located beneath the furnace melting chamber . the air is usually passed through the regenerative passages beneath the furnace bottom for preheating and through side ports which lead into the furnace melting chamber where it is mixed with fuel which is burned to melt the glass forming materials . the hot waste gases are then passed through opposite side ports and then through the regenerative passages for heat recovery , and then to flue ducts and a discharge stack . after a limited period of operation in this manner , the path of travel of the incoming air is switched , by suitable dampers and timers , so that the air then enters the melting chamber from opposite ports , the hot waste gases then passing off through opposite flue passages and ducts to the stack . by the alternate use of the regenerative passages for incoming air and outgoing hot waste gases , the incoming air is preheated by the bricks of the regenerative passages which have been heated by the escaping flue gases which previously passed therethrough . all of the foregoing description pertains to well known glass furnace construction and is merely set forth by way of example . the waste gases from the furnace , the preheated combustion air from the furnace , or supplementary atmospheric air which has been suitably preheated , may be employed to operate the batch preheater . in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention , a preheater 11 is mounted adjacent to the batch feeding end of the glass furnace at an elevation higher than the normal elevation of the furnace batch chargers . the glass forming ingredients in suitably intermixed condition are delivered to the top of the preheater 11 by any suitable means such as a vertical elevator 32 . the vertical elevator may consist of any endless chain or bucket - type arrangement of standard construction , capable of taking the glass forming mixture from a pile or hopper and delivering it into a chute 13 through which it passes into the top of the preheater 11 . the glass forming mixture comprises the normal intermixed batch constituents and may or may not contain broken cullet for forming the glass melt . the cullet , when present , normally has a size ranging from about 1 / 2 inch to 1 inch u . s . mesh size , the smaller size being preferred for passage through the preheater to prevent bridging within or over the tubes . the preheater typically comprises a vertical chamber 14 having a rectangular cross - section with a frusto - pyramidal top cover 15 . the main mass of glass batch is delivered through a chute leading into the bottom area of vertical elevator 32 for delivery to the top of preheater 11 . between the enclosed top cover and the main body portion of the preheater is located an interior horizontal upper plate 16 into which a plurality of open - ended tubes 17 are headed at their upper ends . the tubes are mounted in spaced - apart array in parallel , vertical alignment for passage of the glass batch therethrough . the space between the upper ends of adjacent tubes is covered with a bulbous nose member 30 to ensure free flow of the glass batch uniformly into each tube . one nose member 30 is located between each array of upper ends of four adjacent tubes . if necessary , a pressurized gaseous fluid may be employed to drive the moisture and water vapor contained in the glass batch downwardly with the flow of batch to avoid tube pluggage due to condensation . the tubes 17 preferably have about a 4 inch internal diameter and extend throughout the central major portion of the preheater to an interior horizontal lower plate 18 into which they are similarly headed . thus , the central portion of the preheater comprises a shell and tube arrangement . tubes having about the stated dimension are capable of handling batch , including cullet , while tubes of about 2 inch internal diameter are able to handle cullet - free batch . the lower open ends of the tubes extend a short distance below lower plate 18 to allow free discharge of the glass batch therefrom . the space around the downwardly - projecting tube ends normally remains open above the collected batch emitting from the tubes . the number of tubes and dimensions of the preheater will depend upon the size of the glass melting furnace with which it is employed , and the desired conditions of use . the tubes are mounted on about 6 to 8 inch centers where 4 inch internal diameter tubes are employed , the corner tubes usually being omitted where the preheater has a rectangular or square horizontal cross - section . the tubes are preferably comprised of carbon or stainless steel for long - term use without rusting or corrosion , and are normally equi - spaced for optimum particulate batch flow . the lower region of the preheater comprises a frusto - pyramidal bottom hopper 20 into which the open - ended tubes 17 deliver the heated glass batch . the bottom hopper terminates at its lower extremity into a screw - driven batch removal chamber 21 which interconnects with a valve member 22 . the valve member has an exit portion for directing the heated glass batch through a chute 23 to a batch charger 24 . the batch charger is capable of delivering the heated glass batch into the furnace 10 through a screw - driven feed member or other means as known in the art . immediately above the bottom interior header member 18 of the preheater , an incoming waste gas duct 25 is mounted for delivering hot waste gases into a lower region of the preheater . the duct is designed to open out into a relatively - flat , wide duct inlet having a width comparable to the preheater for introducing the hot gases across its full width . immediately below the upper interior header member 16 of the preheater , an outgoing waste gas duct 26 for removing hot waste gases from an upper region is mounted . the duct consists of a relatively - flat , wide duct outlet having a width comparable to the preheater for removing the hot gases across its full width . a plurality of flat baffle plates 27 is mounted in spaced - apart , staggered relation within the preheater between the upper and lower interior header plates 16 and 18 . the baffle plates 27 have openings therein through which the tubes 17 extend between their upper and lower extremities . the baffle plates are able to direct the upwardly coursing hot waste gases into a circuitous path to provide turbulence to the gases and thereby improve heat transfer to the tubes and the glass batch moving downwardly by gravity therewithin . the glass batch contains a dessicant material as one of the glass forming constituents . either calcined lime or calcined dolomitic lime can be used as the moisture - absorbing batch component . it is preferred that about one - half of the required calcium oxide content of the normal soda - lime glass composition be introduced into the batch in calcined form to retain the moisture normally contained in the batch during preheating . thus , where the batch would normally contain raw lime , at least a substantial portion of the lime is calcined into anhydrous or dessicating form prior to use . in one case where the batch contained burned dolomite and about 50 percent by weight cullet ( of 1 / 2 inch screen size ), the preheater was found to work well with no pluggage of tubes . in this situation , it appeared that the water from the cullet and other sources was absorbed by the burned dolomite and was not boiled off by the heating . also , the water appears to be held very tightly by burned lime . it is preferred that slightly more than the stoichiometric amount of glass forming dessicant material be employed to chemically react with the amount of moisture present in the glass batch . upon reaction , the ca ( oh ) 2 or ca ). h 2 o will not give up its water of hydration until it reaches a temperature of about 1076 ° f . ( 580 ° c . ), which is above the preheating temperature of the glass batch . thus , a calcium oxide containing glass batch is an ideal vehicle for the introduction of the cao in at least partly calcined form . the batch mixture passes gradually and continuously through the preheater by gravity from top to bottom . the moisture normally found in conventional unwetted glass batch in an amount ranging from 0 . 1 to 2 percent by weight is vaporized due to the batch heating . the burned or calcined lime absorbs the moisture , especially in an upper region of the preheater , and retains the same during downward travel of the batch . thus , its condensation or collection in the upper cooler areas of the tubes is prevented . the batch is then delivered , uniformly heated , and well mixed , with the moisture chemically combined with the said dessicant , from the bottom hopper region of the preheater to the glass batch charger 24 of the furnace . the glass batch is thus advanced slowly and continuously downwardly to the furnace area for melting . the glass batch in the preheater is indirectly heated by the hot waste gases which are taken from the furnace prior to their arrival at the stack . as shown , the hot gases enter the bottom region of the preheater near the lower end of the tubes and immediately above lower plate 18 , the gases then passing in a serpentine path around the baffle plates 27 to the top of the preheater at the underside of upper plate 16 , and then escaping from the preheater through outgoing duct 26 . inlet and outlet ducts 25 and 26 may be provided with dampers so that the flow of hot gases through the preheater may be accurately controlled . the gases passing in countercurrent flow to the descending glass forming materials , within the tubes , moves between and around the tubes heating the same , and the contained glass batch indirectly . further , the hottest gases thus act upon the hottest portion of the glass forming constituents in the lower area of the preheater , adding a further increment to their heat before passing into the melting furnace . as stated hereabove , the hot gas stream may be comprised of waste gases from the furnace heating zone , or preheated combustion air from the furnace checkers area , or preheated outside air which has been supplementally heated prior to delivery to the batch preheater . by proper design of the upper and lower hopper sections of the preheater , such areas having generally frusto - pyramidal shapes , relatively - uniform and smooth flow of the batch materials by gravity through the entire vertical height of the preheater is attained . thus , flow rates of the batch through all of the heat exchanger tubes , to maintain the same virtually - full at all times , is obtained from uniform amounts of preheating . the preferred form of construction of the preheater is having a straight section with rounded corners at an upper region above the tubes , and a wedge - shaped hopper with rounded corners at the bottom at the tube lower ends for continuous movement of the hot , dry batch . a sufficient head of batch material is maintained over the tubes to assure such gravity flow , along with a suitable feeder unit to remove preheated material from the bottom of the hopper . through proper and thorough mixing of the newly - incoming cold batch fraction , including the dessicant material , uniform and continuous operation of the preheater apparatus can be practiced . this can be accomplished when the temperature conditions , and the flow of gases and batch material , are properly adjusted . such uniform operation permits the maintenance of substantially - constant conditions within the preheater for delivering significantly - hotter glass batch to the furnace , greatly increasing the furnace efficiency . the temperature of the stack gases entering the preheater will vary with furnace conditions , of course ; however , they will normally be from 900 ° f . to 1100 ° f . and will frequently average about 1000 ° f . for substantial periods . the gases leaving the preheater will range from about 400 ° f . to 600 ° f ., averaging about 500 ° f . obviously , additional heating means for the preheater may be provided , if desired , although the furnace waste gases are usually fully adequate for most economical operation . the waste gases , or hot air , normally enter the preheater at a temperature ranging from about 900 ° f . to 1100 ° f ., after leaving the furnace combustion or checkers area . as stated , preheated combustion air which has passed through the furnace heat - recovery area can also be used to heat the batch in the preheater , or a separate supplemental heat source , such as a furner , may be used . the waste gases normally leave the preheater at a temperature of about 400 ° f . to 600 ° f ., to avoid acid condensation problems , while hot air can be cooled to lower temperatures . the glass batch mixture usually enters the top of the preheater at about ambient temperature and leaves the preheater at the valve member 22 having a temperature ranging from about 800 ° f . to 1000 ° f . such temperatures are possible with a glass furnace which is capable of manufacturing about 100 to 300 tons per day of product . the present invention is not limited to the interaction of one preheater to one melting furnace , the former being connected with hot gases leading to one stack . if desired , one preheater may be connected to serve a number of melting furnaces , or a number of preheaters may be associated with one furnace , and the waste gases emitting therefrom . the present invention can also be employed to heat individual glass batch constituents , such as sand , limestone , soda ash , etc ., to remove moisture therefrom prior to their introduction into a melting furnace , for example . further , glass cullet , or mixtures of glass batch and cullet , in widely ranging ratios can also be heated in the apparatus and by the method of this invention , so long as the particulate material has one or more volatile components therein which tends to condense within the heating apparatus . such batch constituents may be individually or combinedly heated to temperatures ranging from about 600 ° f . to 800 ° f . the glass cullet when heated alone may be heated to even higher temperatures . the mixed batch and cullet can be heated up to a weight percentage of about 70 % cullet or higher , the absorbent dessicant material preventing pluggage of the tubes due to moisture or other volatile constituent condensation . virtually all areas of the tubes , and especially their upper areas , are maintained at a temperature above the boiling point temperature of water , i . e ., 212 ° f . the particulate material to be heated can contain a volatile constituent such as water or a decomposable constituent which produces water on decomposition . such constituents can be readily eliminated from an upper region of the preheater by the dessicant material without interrupting the continuous gravity flow of the particulate material . various modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 2 |
for the generation of the osteogenic matrix composite , a solution of collagen monomers in 0 . 01 m acetic acid is prepared by stirring for 24 hours at 4 ° c . the collagen fibrils are subsequently formed in the presence of the noncollagenic components by a process of self - aggregation ( fibrillogenesis ) in aqueous phosphate buffer solutions at neutral ph and a temperature of 37 ° c . the range for the formation of the fibrils is between 0 . 5 and 5 mg of collagen / ml and 0 . 1 to 5 mg of glycosaminoglycan / ml , 1 mg / ml of collagen and 0 . 2 mg / ml of gag and 30 μg / ml of proteoglycan being the preferred conditions . the preferred fibrillogenesis parameters were a 30 mmol / l phosphate buffer ph 7 . 0 , either with 135 mmol / l of nacl or without nacl addition . glycosaminoglycans or other matrix components are added to the collagen monomers before fibrillogenesis and thereby integrated at least partially into the resulting fibrils in the following process of fibrillogenesis . fig1 shows , in a measurement of the turbidity of a solution caused by fibril formation , over time , that increasing amounts of decorin ( indicated in molar ratios ) cause a slowing of the formation kinetics and a reduction of the maximum od values , indicative of a reduction of the fibril diameter . for chondroitin sulfate , an opposite effect is to be observed . formation conditions : 250 μg / ml of collagen , 37 ° c ., 30 mmol / l of phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 containing 135 mmol / l of nacl . in fig2 , the influence of the formation conditions on the structure of the resulting fibrils is documented in afm photographs . addition of decorin reduces the fibril diameter ( a and d ) under all conditions . for chondroitin sulfate , in particular under conditions of low ionic strength , a markedly more heterogeneous distribution of the fibril diameter is visible with increase in the average fibril diameter ( f ), while the effect is not apparent at higher ionic strengths ( c ). b and e show the fibril structure without noncollagenic additives . formation conditions : 250 μg / ml of collagen , 37 ° c ., 30 mmol ./ l of phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 ( buffer a ) or 30 mmol / l of phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 containing 135 mmol / l of nacl ( buffer b ). in all cases , however , during fibrillogenesis in vitro the collagen monomers form the characteristic transversely striated fibrils analogously to the in vivo structures , the structure of the resulting fibrils being influenced both by the process parameters ( ph , ionic strength , phosphate concentration ) and by the nature and amount of the added noncollagenic components . collagen fibrils containing noncollagenic constituents such as glycosaminoglycans or decorin can accordingly be produced in a comparatively wide range of mass ratios , within which the integration of the collagen into the fibrils is not or is only slightly influenced . for generation of the osteogenic matrix composite , a solution of collagen monomers in 0 . 01 m acetic acid is prepared by stirring at 4 ° c . for 24 hours . the collagen fibrils are subsequently formed by a process of self - aggregation ( fibrillogenesis ) in aqueous phosphate buffer solutions at neutral ph in the presence of the noncollagenic components . formation conditions : 250 μg / ml of collagen , 37 ° c ., 30 mmol / l of phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 ( buffer a ) or 30 mmol / l of phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 containing 135 mmol / l of nacl ( buffer b ) with different chondroitin sulfate and decorin concentrations . after washing and hydrolysis of the fibrils in 500 μl of 6 m hcl at 105 ° c . for 6 hours , decorin and chondroitin sulfate integrated into the fibrils was determined according to the method of pieper et al . [ pieper j s , hafmans t , veerkamp j h , van kuppevelt t h . development of tailor - made collagen - glycosaminoglycan matrices : edc / nhs crosslinking , and ultrastructural aspects . biomaterials 2000 ; 21 ( 6 ): 581 - 593 ]. for chondroitin sulfate , the extent of the integration is dependent on the ionic strength of the buffer system . used . for low ionic strengths ( buffer a ), of the 20 μg employed , about 2 . 5 μg of cs are incorporated on 250 μg of collagen , for high ionic strengths ( buffer b ), however , only a third of this amount ( fig3 ). the incorporation of decorin also depends on the buffer system used . for buffer a , a third of the amount employed is incorporated , while the values for buffer b were again markedly lower . recruitment of growth factors by an implant coated with an osteogenic matrix composite matrices composed and produced according to the invention can accelerate and improve bone formation and accumulation without the use of recombinant growth factors by the recruitment of endogenous growth factors . in the experiment , such a binding behavior can only be demonstrated using recombinant growth factors . a sandblasted , cylindrical sample of tial6v4 having a diameter of 10 mm is cleaned with ethanol , acetone and water . a solution of 1 mg / ml of bovine collagen type i in 0 . 01 m acetic acid is produced by stirring overnight at 4 ° c . noncollagenic ecm components ( glycosaminoglycan 30 μg / ml , proteoglycans 15 μg / ml ) are added to this solution . the mixtures are treated with fibrillogenesis buffer ( 60 mmol / l of phosphate , 270 mmol / l of nacl , ph 7 . 4 ) on ice and incubated at 37 ° c . for 18 h . the resulting fibrils are centrifuged off , washed , homogenized and resuspended to give a final concentration of 1 mg / ml . the cylindrical sample is coated ( dip - coating ) with this solution at rt for 15 min , washed with water and dried . subsequently , growth factors ( recombinant bmp - 4 or tgf - 1β ) are immobilized on these - surfaces by an adsorption process ( 4 ° c ., 18 h , from pbs ) and subsequently . determined by means of elisa . these in vitro tests with recombinant growth factors show that by the addition according to the invention of noncollagenic components , the binding of the growth factors rhbmp - 4 ( in particular by addition of chondroitin sulfate ) or rhtgf - 1β ( in particular by addition of decorin ) to the matrix is increased . for bmp , with small amounts ( 2 - 20 ng / cm 2 ) no effect is observed , with higher amounts ( from 50 ng / cm 2 ), however , an approximately 10 % higher binding to the chondroitin sulfate - containing layer occurs , compared with the pure collagen layer , shown in % of the amount employed ( fig4 ). for rhtgf - 1β , increased binding is detectable on decorin - containing surfaces both for 1 ng / cm 2 and for 10 ng / cm 2 . formation conditions of the matrix : 500 μg / ml of collagen , 30 μg / ml of decorin and / or chondroitin sulfate , 37 ° c ., 30 mmol / l of phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 containing 135 mmol / l of nacl . fig5 shows the behavior of primary rat calvaria osteoblasts on various matrices . initial adhesion of the cells to different matrix compositions was analyzed by means of cell morphology , cytoskeletal organization ( actin staining with phalloidin ) and formation of the focal adhesion complexes by means of integrin receptors ( immunostaining against vinculin ). adhesion was most pronounced after 2 hours on collagen - cs matrices followed by collagen - decorin . the formation of the facs ( green - yellow dots and red on the ends of the actin fibrils ) was also promoted and accelerated by decorin and particularly cs . controls using pure collagen matrices showed significantly less facs after 2 hours . the influence of the matrix composition on the differentiation of the osteoblasts was investigated by means of the expression of the marker protein osteopontin by means of fluorescence - activated cell scanning . osteoblasts on collagen - cs surfaces produced 5 times more osteopontin (˜ 2500 fluorescence units ) after 8 days than cells on pure collagen surfaces (− 500 fluorescence units ). formation conditions of the matrix : 500 μg / ml of collagen , 30 μg / ml of decorin and / or chondroitin sulfate , 37 ° c ., 30 mmol / l of phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 containing 135 mmol / l of nacl . further investigations with rat calvaria osteoblasts showed different cell reactions on rhbmp - 4 depending on the composition of the carrier matrix . fig6 shows the activity of the alkaline phosphatase in activity units u per mg of protein after addition of 4 pmol / cm 2 of rhbmp - 4 to rat calvaria cells . on decorin - containing matrices , the bmp activity is underregulated , while on chondroitin sulfate - containing matrices it is increased . formation conditions of the matrix : 500 μg / ml of collagen , 30 μg / ml of decorin and / or chondroitin sulfate , 37 ° c ., 30 mmol / l of phosphate buffer ph 7 . 4 containing 135 mmol / l of nacl . in animal experiments , it was surprisingly found that matrices provided with recombinant growth factors perform markedly more poorly with respect to induced bone formation than the noncrosslinked osteogenic matrix composites according to the invention based on collagen type i and chondroitin sulfate . ti implants , which have annular incisions at right angles to the axis and thus represent a defect model , are cleaned with 1 % triton x - 100 , acetone and 96 % ethanol , rinsed with distilled water and dried . the implants employed are coated in two successive dip - coating steps with : a . fibrils of collagen type i , b . osteogenic matrix composite according to the invention based on collagen type i and chondroitin sulfate according to working example 1 c . osteogenic matrix composite according to the invention based on . collagen type i and chondroitin sulfate according to working example 1 the implants are washed with distilled water , air - dried and sterilized with ethylene oxide at 42 ° c . for 12 h . immediately before implantation , the surface condition c is coated overnight with recombinant bmp - 4 ( 400 ng / ml ) at 4 ° c . and subsequently dried . the implants are employed in the lower jaw of minipigs . the bone implant contact was determined histomorphometrically after 6 months . the highest percentage for this contact is obtained for implants coated with the osteogenic matrix according to the invention based on collagen and chondroitin sulfate ( 27 . 8 %), while implants with the same coating and recombinant bmp - 4 and the combination were around 15 % and thus markedly lower . the lowest values are obtained for the pure collagen coating ( 12 . 8 %) ( fig7 ). bfgf basic fibroblast growth factor bmp bone morphogenetic protein ecm extracellular matrix egf endothelial growth factor facits fibril associated collagen with interrupted triple helix facs focal adhesion contacts fgf fibroblast growth factor gag glycosaminoglycan hap hydroxylapatite igf - i insuline - like growth factor pga polyglycolic acid pla polylactic acid slrp small leucine - rich protein tcp tricalcium phosphate phases tes ( n -[ tris ( hydroxymethyl ) methyl ]- 2 - aminoethanesulfonic acid ) tgf - β transforming growth factor β vegf vascular endothelial growth factor wf growth factor | 0 |
as shown in fig1 - 14 , the invention relates to a vacuum storage container 1 which includes a container body 10 , check valve 18 , and a lid 14 with a flexible diaphragm 16 . the container body 10 has a base wall and peripheral or side walls extending to an open top or mouth . the container may be of varying shapes , e . g . square , rectangular , circular , etc . the container body 10 is constructed of a rigid or semi - rigid material , such that the body maintains its essential shape when subject to differential pressures as occur in the practice of the container of the invention . plastics known in the art for making plastic food containers are suitable for use as the container body . the container body is preferably thermally molded from a thermoplastic material , for example , polypropylene , polyethylene , polycarbonate , or other thermoplastics suitable for use as disposable or durable containers . the container body 10 has an upper rim 12 surrounding the top opening of the container body . the structure of the rim can be any appropriate structure suitable for providing a seal with a complementary structure in the lid when the lid is operatively placed on the container body . preferably , a snap - fit mating rim structure is used . such a snap - fit mating rim structure provides closure upon placement of a downward pressure on the lid rim when it is seated on top of the upper rim of the container body . the lid can be removed upon an upward lifting of the lid rim which breaks the closure seal . the mating rim structure is preferably sized to allow easy grasping thereof by a user . the outer rim 22 preferably has a horizontal inward extension 22 a projecting from the base of the sealing portion 22 b to provide a depressed area . the extension 22 a is sized to allow stacking of containers , i . e ., the base wall 11 can sit on extension 22 a . the container lid 14 includes a flexible diaphragm 16 . a rigid or semi - rigid outer rim 22 surrounds the diaphragm 16 . the lid , and preferably outer rim 22 , is constructed such that it engages with the rim 12 of the container body 10 as described above such that an airtight seal is formed therebetween . the outer rim of the lid may be made of plastic material such as that from which the container body is made . in any event , the outer rim of the lid , whether mating to an upper rim of the container body or extending therebeyond with sealing being provided by the film also forming the flexible diaphragm , is rigid or semi - rigid in nature to withstand shape deformation when a vacuum is drawn on the interior area of the container . the flexible diaphragm is made of a suitable elastomeric material which allows deformation inward and conformation to other surfaces when air is removed from beneath the flexible diaphragm in the interior of the container exposing the diaphragm to the effects of atmospheric pressure . elastomeric materials suitable for use in making the diaphragm have the ability to deform elastically when under stress , e . g ., application of an external force thereon , but then return essentially to its original shape when the stress is removed . elastomeric materials suitable for use as the flexible diaphragm preferably have non - permanent deformation , i . e ., when in a relaxed state , stress is not present in the diaphragm . examples of elastomeric materials for use in disposable containers are plastic materials that can be stretched about 1½ times their length without permanent deformation . permanent deformation is understood to mean that the material does not return to its original state . necessarily if the flexible diaphragm is for a one - time disposable use , a plastic having permanent deformation could be used . elastomeric materials suitable for use in making durable containers , i . e ., re - useable and lasting through manual and machine washings , can be stretched about 1½ to about 2½ times their length without permanent deformation . preferred examples of elastomeric materials suitable for use as the flexible diaphragm include low density polyethylenes , such as commercially available under the name dow affinity polyolefin resins . the preferential structure of the container lid 14 includes a check valve 18 located therein either proximally to the outer rim 22 as shown in fig1 and 2 or , when the check valve is flexible , in the flexible diaphragm in the area positioned above the container storage area , for example as shown in fig1 . in the embodiment shown in fig1 , the flexible check valve is preferably an adhesive valve , such as commercially sold by pliatech . the valve is easily attached to the flexible diaphragm by ( 1 ) punching a hole in a desired location in the flexible diaphragm , and ( 2 ) inserting the valve in the hole . the valve pulls down in conformity with the diaphragm when a vacuum is provided in the interior of the container due to the flexible nature of the valve structure . alternatively , the check valve can be present in the container body 10 . the check valve is preferably a one - way check valve and can be of any suitable structure which serves the purpose of a one - way valve to facilitate the creation of a vacuum within the container , such as a lift - check valve , clapper valve , swing check valve , ball check valve , or the like . placement of the check valve in the lid serves to provide a substantially uniform upward removal of air from the interior of the container and , thereby , an inverse downward movement of the flexible diaphragm into the container body . in an alternative embodiment , the check valve 18 can be present as a component of the container body 10 as shown in fig6 and 7 , e . g . placement in an end wall or side wall of the container body , preferably in an upper portion thereof . the structure of the check valve can be other than that illustrated in fig5 . any valve structure which serves the function of readily drawing a vacuum by pulling air from the interior area of the container is suitable for use . vacuum pumps suitable for use can be manual or automatic , e . g . battery or electric operated . the preferred vacuum pump is hand held , either manual or battery operated , which allows for ready use and storage . hand - held manual and battery operated vacuum pumps suitable for use are commercially available and sold under the names ziploc ® as to a manual vacuum pump and reynolds ® handi - vac as to a battery - operated pump . in operation , items 24 to be stored are placed into the container body 10 and the container lid 14 is sealingly secured to the container body 10 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 - 9 , the outer rim 22 of the lid 14 engages the upper rim 12 of the container body 10 to create an airtight seal therebetween . after the container lid is secured to the container body , a vacuum device 26 is engaged with the check valve 18 . the vacuum device 26 removes the air inside the container to create a vacuum within the container . as the vacuum is drawn inside the container , the differential pressure between the vacuum in the interior area of the container and the external atmospheric pressure causes the diaphragm 16 to expand inward into the interior area . the inwardly expanding diaphragm 16 contacts the upper or exposed surfaces of the contents 24 and the interior walls of the container body 10 rendering the contents essentially immobile . when the user wants access to the contents stored in the container , a portion of the rim of the lid is lifted thereby breaking the vacuum and allowing removal of the lid . the diaphragm relaxes and returns to its original configuration so that the diaphragm is no longer extending inward and the contents of the container can be removed . with respect to the embodiments illustrated in fig1 - 14 , operation is essentially the same as with the embodiments of fig1 - 10 . the difference is in the sealing between the lid 14 and the upper rim 12 of the container . in fig1 - 12 , the lid includes a rigid or semi - rigid outer rim portion 22 having the elastomeric film of the flexible diaphragm 16 extending under the outer rim 22 to provide the contact or sealing surface with upper rim 12 . in the embodiment of fig1 - 14 , the outer rim 22 of lid 14 extends beyond the upper rim 12 and the elastomeric film forming the flexible diaphragm 16 seals with and conforms to the upper rim 12 when a vacuum is drawn on the interior of container 10 . the exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of the invention . the exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the present invention so that others skilled in the art may practice the invention . as will be apparent to one skilled in the art , various modifications can be made within the scope of the aforesaid description . such modifications being within the ability of one skilled in the art form a part of the present invention and are embraced by the appended claims . | 1 |
referring initially to fig2 a , and 2 b , transducer mount 200 constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment will now be described . the mount 200 comprises a base 210 that includes a side surface 211 and a flat surface 212 . arcuately located in the base 210 are cap screw holes 213 - 218 for receiving cap screws ( not shown ). according to the preferred embodiment , slits 225 - 230 are made in the side surface 211 of base 210 . each slit has two opposing surfaces , one parallel to the flat surface 212 of the mount base 210 and the other angled to the first surface . the slits 225 - 230 preferably are sized to accommodate the flat blade of a screw driver or other pry bar tool to facilitate removal of the mount 200 from a housing ( not shown ). the slits 225 - 230 may not be suitable to completely remove the mount 200 from the housing , but preferably are sufficient to provide a gap between the mount 200 and the housing . the gap would then allow the use of a pry bar tool to pry the mount 200 completely free of the housing . the slits 225 - 230 thus eliminate the need for jackscrew holes in the mount 200 . located on the mount base 210 are two mount cover bracket channels 230 , 231 located 180 ° apart . mount cover brackets 233 , 234 fit within the mount cover bracket channels 230 , 231 respectively . mount cover brackets 233 , 234 preferably include bracket holes 235 , 236 and bracket mount cover holes 237 , 238 respectively . mount cover brackets 233 , 234 eliminate the need for mount cover holes in the mount base 210 . they also may be used as jackscrew holes , if necessary . screws 239 , 240 engage bracket holes 235 , 236 , respectively , and attach the brackets 233 , 234 to the mount cover bracket channels 230 , 231 . holder sleeve 250 extends from mount base 210 . holder sleeve 250 sealingly engages with the transducer holder and transducer during operation . located on the od of holder sleeve 250 are flat surfaces 251 - 256 . also located on holder sleeve 250 is a groove 257 for engagement with a union sleeve retaining ring ( not shown ). in operation , cap screws ( not shown ) attach the mount 200 to a meter housing ( not shown ). the transducer and transducer holder are then inserted into the holder sleeve 250 . referring now to fig3 a , and 3 b , transducer mount 300 and removable union sleeve 310 constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment will now be described . the union sleeve 310 slidingly engages holder sleeve 330 . union sleeve 310 is only placed on holder sleeve 330 when used with the extractor tool to remove the transducer and transducer holder . the id of union sleeve 310 has flat surfaces 311 - 316 that engage the corresponding flat surfaces on the od of the holder sleeve as shown in fig2 . the engagement of the flat surfaces 311 - 316 prevents relative rotation between the union sleeve and holder sleeve after installation on the mount and during engagement and disengagement of the extractor tool . the number and configuration of the flat surfaces may be altered without departing from the spirit of the present invention . the union sleeve has a counter bore 317 on the flat side 318 facing out from the mount base . counter bore 317 engages retaining ring 319 held in place by retaining ring groove ( shown in fig2 ) on holder sleeve 330 . the od of union sleeve 310 has threads 320 that engage the id threads of the union nut ( not shown ) of the extractor tool valve during removal of the transducer and transducer holder . referring now to fig4 transducer mount 400 and transducer mount cover 410 constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment will now be described . the transducer mount cover 410 holds the transducer holder in place on the meter housing ( not shown ) and prevents inadvertent disassembly during use . the transducer mount cover 410 includes two holes 411 , 412 located 180 ° apart on the edge of the cover 410 . screws 413 , 414 attach the cover 410 to the mount 400 by engaging the mount cover holes 411 , 412 and the bracket mount cover holes 401 , 402 . referring now to fig5 and 5a , transducer mount 500 and extractor tool valve 520 attached to the union sleeve 510 constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment will now be described . the extractor tool valve 520 has a union nut 530 disposed on one end . the union nut 530 has internal threads 531 and attaches to the union sleeve 510 by threading the union nut 530 onto the union sleeve 510 . once threaded , the union nut 530 and union sleeve 510 form a fluid - tight seal . this seal allows removal of the transducer holder and transducer without releasing pressure from the meter housing and pipeline . for removal , the transducer and transducer holder are extracted from the mount 500 through the extractor tool valve 520 and into a chamber in the extractor tool removable unit ( not shown ) that attaches to flange 521 on extractor tool valve 520 . once the transducer holder and transducer are removed and placed in the removable unit , the chamber is sealed from the mount 500 . the transducer and transducer holder can then be removed from the extractor tool valve 520 . referring now to fig6 a , and 6 b , an alternative embodiment to the present invention will now be discussed . mount 600 has the same features and operates the same way as the main embodiment except for the means attaching the mount cover to the mount . located 180 ° apart on the mount base 610 are two retaining bosses 620 , 630 pressed into holes 613 , 614 in the side surface 611 of the mount base 610 . the retaining bosses 620 , 630 have a small end 621 , 631 and a large end 622 , 632 . the retaining bosses 620 , 630 have flat faces 623 , 633 on the surface of the large end 622 , 632 . on this flat face 623 , 633 , boss mount cover attachment holes 624 , 634 are machined prior to installation . the retaining bosses 620 , 630 have knurls on the surface of the small ends 621 , 631 . the small ends 621 , 631 are pressed into holes 613 , 614 in the mount base side surface 611 with the boss mount cover attachment holes 624 , 634 in the needed position . a fixture aligns the flat faces 623 , 633 on the retaining bosses 620 , 630 to the base of the mount 610 . alternatively , when the mount 600 is investment cast , the retaining bosses 620 , 630 can be cast as part of the mount 600 and the boss mount cover holes 624 , 634 machined into the cast bosses 620 , 630 . while preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described , modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of this invention . the embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting . many variations and modifications of the system and apparatus are possible and are within the scope of the invention . accordingly , the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein , but is only limited by the claims which follow , the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims . | 6 |
the present invention addresses the foregoing limitations using a variety of innovative approaches to viewer tracking and image presentation . although the various embodiments of the invention are well - suited to presentation of complementary stereoimages to each of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes , it should be stressed that the invention is not limited to this use . more broadly , the invention is useful in any context requiring the directing of separate images to distinct spatial regions . for example , the images generated by the invention can be directed to different viewers ( rather than the left and right eyes of a single viewer ), so that viewers observing the same display device can view different images . although the ensuing discussion is directed toward generation of stereoimages for a single viewer , it should be understood that this is for convenience of presentation only . in a first embodiment , an improved “ through - the - beamsplitter ” approach ( in which the viewer sees a stereoscopic image through a final beamsplitter located at the output of the display ) utilizes light polarization to separate left - eye and right - eye stereoimages . each of the complementary images is projected so as to be visible to only one of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes . this may be accomplished by means of a viewer - locating system that acquires the locations of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes , and a viewer - tracking system that directs each stereoimage to the proper location . in accordance with this embodiment , a viewer - locating means acquires a facial image fragment of the viewer ; as used herein , the term “ facial image fragment ” refers to a recognizable portion of the user &# 39 ; s face , and may include , or be limited to , a first one of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes . for example , a camera at the front of the display may capture a picture of the viewer with one side of his face illuminated by an ir source . the system further comprises means for generating a tracking output image , the output image comprising a first region of light polarized in a first polarization direction and substantially conforming to the facial image fragment , and a second region of light polarized in a second polarization direction orthogonal to the first polarization direction . two displays produce complementary stereoimages , and the tracking output image is directed through each of the displays so as to illuminate them in accordance with the polarizations of the tracking output image . the facial image fragment is focused onto a corresponding portion of the viewer &# 39 ; s face through the first display . each of a pair of polarizers is interposed between the tracking output image and each of the displays ; one of the polarizers is oriented in the first polarization direction and the other in the second polarization direction . this arrangement presents illumination from the appropriate display to the first eye of the viewer and illumination from the other display to the viewer &# 39 ; s other eye . naturally , as with all embodiments of the invention , the stereoimages may represent a single , still stereopair or may instead change rapidly over time to convey movement . in a second embodiment of the invention , polarization is used to segregate stereoscopic images for presentation on a display screen . in accordance with this embodiment , the stereoimages are combined through a projection lens onto a rear - projection display that directs each image component to the proper eye of the viewer . in accordance with the second embodiment , a tracking system acquires a facial image fragment of the viewer , the facial image fragment including a first one of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes . first and second complementary stereoimages are polarized in first and second polarization directions , respectively , and then combined ( e . g ., by a beamsplitter ) into a composite image . a projection lens system projects the composite image onto a viewable display . before the projected composite image reaches the display , however , it passes through means for separating the first and second images from the projected composite image . the image projection and / or display are controlled such that the viewer &# 39 ; s first eye receives light only from the first stereoimage and the viewer &# 39 ; s other eye receives light only from the second stereoimage . in a preferred implementation of this embodiment , the means for separating the first and second images generates a tracking polarization pattern . this pattern has a first region substantially correlated to the facial image fragment ( i . e ., having the same general contour as the facial image fragment , although at a different scale ) and a second region separate from the first region ( e . g ., the remainder of the pattern ), and the pattern operates to alter the polarization state of the composite image . in particular , the pattern rotates the first or second region to a first polarization direction but rotates the other region to a second polarization direction . the altered light then passes through an output polarizer ( disposed between the tracking polarization pattern and the display ) that passes only that portion of the pattern - modified composite image polarized in the first or second direction . which direction the polarizer passes depends on the polarizations initially applied to the two stereoimages , as discussed below . the image exiting the polarizer reaches the display , which may be , for example , a lens functioning as a projection screen . the lens is situated so as to direct that portion of the composite image which has passed through the first region of the pattern onto the region of the viewer &# 39 ; s face from which the first region was derived . suppose , for example , that the facial image fragment is drawn from the left side of the viewer &# 39 ; s face , the first region of the pattern ( which is defined by this fragment ) rotates the polarization of the incoming light by 90 °, and that the output polarizer is oriented vertically . assuming the left stereoimage is initially polarized horizontally , the viewer &# 39 ; s left eye will receive only light originating with the left stereoimage . this is because light directed toward the viewer &# 39 ; s left eye has been rotated 90 ° by the first region of the pattern ; the horizontally polarized light from the left stereoimage now passes through the vertical output polarizer , while the light from the right stereoimage , which was polarized vertically but has now been rotated 90 °, is absorbed by the output polarizer . the opposite effect occurs with respect to the remainder of the composite image , which is directed toward the viewer &# 39 ; s right eye . since this light is unrotated , only the vertical component — originating with the right stereoimage — can pass through the output polarizer . as a result , the proper image is continuously directed toward the proper eye of the viewer . a third embodiment of the invention provides a projection system that is polarization - independent . in accordance with this embodiment , two lcds are used as “ light valves ” to restrict the output of separate projection subsystems , each of which projects one image of a stereopair onto a beamsplitter that combines the images . the combined images are viewed through a display such as a projection screen ( as in the second embodiment ). each lcd passes a small region of light corresponding to a viewing zone . the size and position of each region , combined with the geometry and optics of the display , operate to ensure that each of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes receives light only from the proper stereoimage . it should be stressed that , as used herein , the term “ light valve ” connotes either variable illumination restriction or generation . for example , in the restrictive case described above , a source of illumination is positioned behind the light valve , which allows the light to pass only through a defined region . in the variable - illumination case , the light valve itself generates the desired region of illumination . in a fourth embodiment , a single image source presents left - eye and right - eye images in rapid succession , and a light valve , in cooperation with the image source , synchronously presents the alternating images to the proper eye of the viewer ( whose position is tracked ). so long as the device performs this cycle of alternating images and light - valve regions at a high enough frequency , the viewer will see a proper three - dimensional image through the single image display . one implementation of this embodiment includes an image source that successively displays left and right stereoimages , a light valve for providing a controllably sized and positioned region of light , and a focusing system for passing light from the light valve through the image source so as to present an image . based on the tracked position of a viewer , a controller actuates the light valve so as to alternately define , in synchrony with display by the image source of left and right stereoimages , a pair of light regions comprising a left - eye region through which an image from the image source will appear in a left view zone visible to the viewer &# 39 ; s left eye , and a right - eye region through which an image from the image source will appear in a right view zone visible to the viewer &# 39 ; s right eye . in a second implementation , the image appears on a projection screen or similar display device . in accordance with this implementation , light from the image source is directed through a projection lens onto the display screen , which may itself be a lens or lens system . the light valve is disposed between the image source and the display screen , at or near the projection means , which directs toward the left view zone light provided by the left - eye region of the light valve and directs toward the right view zone light provided by the right - eye region . the invention also embodies methods relating to the above - described systems and various components thereof . the foregoing discussion will be understood more readily from the following detailed description of the invention , when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings , in which : fig1 is a schematic plan showing an implementation of the first embodiment of the invention ; fig2 a is an exploded isometric view of a viewer - tracking polarizer in accordance with the invention ; fig2 c , illustrates operation of the viewer - tracking polarizer shown in fig2 a in accordance with the output of the tracking system shown in fig2 b ; fig3 is a schematic plan showing an implementation of the second embodiment of the invention ; fig4 is a schematic plan of an angle - widening display system ; fig5 is a schematic plan of a compact version of the optical arrangement illustrated in fig4 ; fig6 is a schematic plan showing an implementation of the third embodiment of the invention ; and fig7 and 8 are schematic plans showing alternative implementations of the fourth embodiment of the invention . with reference to fig1 an implementation of the first embodiment of the invention comprises a light source 100 , a diffuser 1 02 , and a viewer - tracking polarizer 105 ( the operation of which is described in greater detail below ). light exiting from viewer - tracking polarizer 105 encounters a beamsplitter 110 that directs the light toward a pair of fold mirrors 115 r , 115 l . light reflected by mirror 115 r may pass through a focusing lens 120 r ( which , if employed , may be biconvex as shown ), a polarizer 122 r oriented in a first polarization direction , and a first image lcd 125 r that is illuminated by the light passing through it . the light from image lcd 125 r strikes and is reflected from a second beamsplitter 130 toward the viewer . analogously , light reflected by mirror 115 l passes through a second focusing lens 120 l , a second polarizer 122 l oriented in a second polarization direction orthogonal to the first polarization direction , and a second image lcd 125 l . the light from image lcd 125 l passes through beamsplitter 130 toward the viewer . in operation , image lcd 125 r displays a right - eye stereoimage , while image lcd 125 l displays a left - eye stereoimage . viewer - tracking polarizer 105 creates a tracking output image having a region of light polarized in the first direction and a region of light polarized in the second direction ; it is these regions that are differentially focused to laterally separated viewing zones . a representative viewer - tracking polarizer is shown in fig2 . the operation of this device is best understood with reference to conventional lcd displays . such a display ordinarily comprises a thin layer of liquid crystal material sandwiched between two glass plates , each of which has an electrical conducting layer deposited thereon . when the inside surfaces of the glass plates have been properly treated , the molecules of the liquid crystal material are forced to align so as to rotate helically from one glass plate to the other . light passing through this sandwich is forced to rotate its polarization in accordance with the rotated conformation of the liquid crystal molecules , this degree of rotation often being 90 °. when a voltage of sufficient magnitude is applied between the two glass plates , however , the liquid crystal molecules no longer form a rotational path from one plate to the other , and the polarization of light passing through the material is therefore unaffected . the liquid crystal material is selectably addressable ( e . g ., through arrangement in a pattern of cells or “ pixels ,” which create the resolution of the display ) so that the molecules can be electrically stimulated or left unstimulated in accordance with a desired pattern ; as a result , the polarization of light passing through the liquid crystal material is altered or left unaffected in accordance with that pattern . in many conventional lcds used for display purposes , the sandwiched liquid crystal material is placed between two crossed polarizers . the first polarizer preconditions the light so that only one polarization passes through the liquid crystal sandwich . when the polarized light passes through a pixel across which no voltage is applied ( an “ off ” pixel ), the polarization of the light rotates 90 ° and , as a result , exits through the final polarizer . light passing through an activated ( or “ on ”) pixel , however , is not altered in polarization and is therefore absorbed by the final polarizer . the lcd acts as a restrictive light valve with respect to a source of illumination on either side of the lcd , selectively passing or blocking the light in accordance with the pixel pattern . with reference to fig2 a , viewer - tracking polarizer 105 may comprise a plane polarizer 160 and an addressable liquid crystal sandwich element 162 . polarizer 160 allows only one polarization component of incoming light to pass through ; in the figure , plate 160 is configured to pass vertically polarized light . a controller 150 ( see fig1 ), which receives position data from a viewer - tracking system as described below , controls the pixels of liquid crystal element 162 . as shown in fig2 a , element 162 may be operated by controller 150 such that the polarization of light passing through a small rectanglar region 165 rotates by 90 ° the light passing therethrough , while the polarization of light passing through the remainder of element 162 is unaffected . light source 100 and diffuser 102 are located behind polarizer 160 , so that polarizer 160 preconditions the light before it reaches element 162 . exiting element 162 , therefore , is a light image having separate regions of crossed polarizations . due to the optical geometry of the arrangement shown in fig1 the position of rectangle 165 within the area of element 162 determines where that rectangle 165 will be focused within a view zone . accordingly , the rectangle of light whose polarization has been rotated may be directed to any desired point within the view zone merely by choosing its position on element 162 . viewer - tracking polarizer 105 works in conjunction with polarizers 125 r , 125 l to direct each of the stereoimages to the proper eye of the viewer . suppose , for example , that rectangular region 165 is horizontally polarized as shown while the remainder of the light passing through element 105 is vertically polarized ; that polarizer 122 r passes only the horizontally polarized component of incoming light ; and that polarizer 122 l passes only the vertically polarized component of incoming light . as a result of these assumptions , polarizer 122 r is aligned with the “ off ” pixels of rectangle 165 , while polarizer 122 l is aligned with the “ on ” pixels outside rectangle 165 . therefore , although light emanating from the entire face of viewer - tracking polarizer 105 passes through beamsplitter 110 and reaches polarizer 122 r , only the light from rectangle 165 actually passes through polarizer 122 r to illuminate display 125 r ; and because rectangle 165 has been positioned so that its image reaches the viewer &# 39 ; s right eye via beamsplitter 130 , the stereoimage from display 125 r ( which is illuminated by light from rectangle 165 ) also reaches the viewer &# 39 ; s right eye . similarly , only the light emanating from regions other than rectangle 165 can pass through polarizer 122 l . this light passes through beamsplitter 130 to reach a view zone that includes the viewer &# 39 ; s left eye but not his right eye , so the viewer &# 39 ; s left eye perceives the stereoimage from display 125 l . this arrangement can accommodate multiple viewers . when a new viewer enters the view zone , controller 150 creates another polarization - altering rectangle within viewer - tracking polarizer 105 and positions this to follow the new viewer &# 39 ; s right eye . additional viewers can be accommodated so long as the rectangles do not occupy an excessive amount of the area of element 162 . refer now to fig2 b , which illustrates a tracking system useful in conjunction with this embodiment of the invention . a source 170 of non - visible ( e . g ., infrared ( ir ), ultraviolet ( uv ), etc .) radiation is aimed at the viewer so that , when the viewer is within the view zone ( i . e ., the physical boundaries within which the invention can operate ), source 170 illuminates one side of his face . a camera 172 that is sensitive only to the non - visible radiation is positioned in front of the display so as to monitor the entire view zone ( for example , if source 170 emits ir radiation , camera 172 may be fitted with an ir bandpass filter ). the output of camera 172 , then , is a facial image fragment corresponding to one side of the viewer &# 39 ; s face ( and including , most critically , one of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes ). the output of camera 172 is provided to controller 150 . the controller is programmable and is provided with the camera and viewing geometry . based on the location of the facial image fragment within the camera field and the known camera and viewing geometry , controller 150 is able to straightforwardly create a pixel pattern 175 on element 162 ( see fig2 c ) conforming to the facial image fragment , and to position pattern 175 such that light passing through the pixels will be directed back onto the actual viewer &# 39 ; s face to overlie the region illuminated by source 170 . like all “ through - the - beamsplitter ” approaches - meaning that the image must be viewed through an output beamsplitter - the foregoing embodiment produces images that appear removed from the viewer and inaccessible . the second embodiment utilizes polarization to segregate stereoscopic images for presentation on a display screen rather than through a beamsplitter . an implementation of this embodiment , illustrated in fig3 comprises a pair of light sources 200 r , 200 l ; a pair of diffusers 202 r , 202 l ; and a pair of image lcds 205 r , 205 l . image lcds 205 r , 205 l each display one image of a stereopair ( lcd 205 r displaying the right - eye image and lcd 205 l displaying the left - eye image ). the so output polarizers of image lcds 205 r , 205 l are oriented in orthogonal directions . light from the image lcds 205 r , 205 l is combined by a beamsplitter 207 that directs the light toward a projection lens or lens assembly 210 . lens 210 projects the composite image through a viewer - tracking polarizer 215 onto a display element 220 , which presents a viewable image to the viewer . a controller ( not shown ) analogous to controller 150 discussed in connection with the first embodiment controls viewer - tracking polarizer 215 ; this controller may receive tracking information from a viewer - locating system in accordance with the first embodiment . viewer - tracking polarizer 215 is similar in construction to viewer - tracking polarizer 105 , except that the liquid crystal element 162 ( rather than polarizer element 160 ) faces the light source — i . e ., projection lens 210 . suppose , for purposes of example , that light exiting from image lcds 205 r , 205 l is polarized vertically or horizontally , with the output polarizer of lcd 205 r oriented so that light exiting this lcd is polarized vertically , while light exiting lcd 205 l is polarized horizontally . suppose , further , that the output polarizer of viewer - tracking polarizer 215 is oriented horizontally . in this configuration , light exiting lcd 205 l can pass through viewer - tracking polarizer 215 only where are its pixels are “ on ”— that is , where the polarization of incoming light is unrotated , since the output polarizers of lcd 205 l and viewer - tracking polarizer 215 are both horizontally oriented . conversely , light exiting lcd 205 r can pass through viewer - t ) tracking polarizer 215 only where its pixels are “ off ” and therefore rotate light 90 ° in polarization . separate view zones v r , v l can thus be formed through display element 220 , which acts as a lens . the controller uses information from the tracking system to define an “ on ” area of viewer - tracking polarizer 215 conforming to the left side of the viewer &# 39 ; s face ( continuing the exemplary convention established above ) and whose size and position , given the optics and geometry of display element 220 and the position of the viewer , focuses light from projection lens 210 onto the left side of the viewer &# 39 ; s face — i . e ., into viewing zone v l . since only light originating with image lcd 205 l can pass through this “ on ” area of viewer - tracking polarizer 215 , only the left stereoimage reaches the viewer &# 39 ; s left eye . analogously , light originating with image lcd 205 r is directed toward the viewer &# 39 ; s right eye . and once again , the system can accommodate multiple viewers by locating and tracking them , and defining appropriate “ on ” areas of viewer - tracking polarizer 215 . it should also be emphasized that this design does not require lcd displays . instead , virtually any form of display ( television , rear - projected images , etc .) can be used in conjunction with an appropriate polarizer disposed between the display and beamsplitter 207 . vivid moving images can readily be transmitted to image sources 205 r , 205 l using current broadcast technologies : by linking together two television channels , by compressing the information for the two images into a single television channel , or by using digital hdtv channels to deliver the two images over a single channel . this embodiment is also backward - compatible with standard ( two - dimensional ) television , allowing viewers to watch traditional television images and programs . display element 220 may be as simple as a focusing lens or , more realistically , a large fresnel lens . in these cases , the angular size of the total viewing zone as seen from the display will be the same as the angular size of the viewer - tracking polarizer 215 . increasing the size of the view zones requires proportionate increase in the size of projection lens 210 and viewer - tracking polarizer 215 ( with consequent increases in cost , complexity and overall equipment size ). a display device was therefore designed to increase the viewing angle without increasing the size of either projection lens 210 or viewer - tracking polarizer 215 . this display device , illustrated in fig4 serves as an angle multiplier for light projected thereon , taking rays impinging at a small angle and widening the angle for the view zones . the display device comprises a galilean telescope arrangement 250 disposed between two lenses 252 , 254 of positive focal length . galilean telescope 250 includes lens 257 having a positive focal length and a lens 260 having a negative focal length , lenses 257 and 260 being spaced apart such that they share a common focal point . in this manner , telescope arrangement 250 serves as an angle multiplier for light passing between the two outside lenses 252 , 254 . lens 252 collimates the light exiting viewer - tracking polarizer 215 , telescope arrangement 250 magnifies the ray angles of this collimated light , and lens 254 focuses the light to a magnified image of viewer - tracking polarizer 215 at the proper viewing distance , which corresponds to the front focal point of lens 254 . light rays entering the display at an angle a exit the display at an angle β . this optical arrangement , while suited to the purpose described , would nonethless be bulky if implemented with the standard optical elements illustrated in fig4 . accordingly , a compact version of the arrangement was designed . this screen system , indicated generally at 265 in fig5 utilizes a pair of cylindrical lenslet arrays 270 , 272 . the elements of array 270 have positive focal lengths , while the elements of array 272 have negative focal lengths . these microlens arrays are sandwiched between two outer lenses , which may be fresnel lenses for compactness . lens 275 collimates light exiting viewer - tracking polarizer 215 , which is placed at the focal point of lens 275 . the collimated light encounters lenslet arrays 270 , 272 , which act as a multiplicity of galilean telescopes . the light passing through a positive lenticule of array 270 forms an image of viewer - tracking polarizer 215 a short distance beyond the facing negative lenticule of array 272 . this negative lenticule recollimates the light before it becomes an actual image . output lens 277 receives the collimated light leaving all of the negative lenticules of array 272 and forms at its focal point a single image of viewer - tracking polarizer 215 . the proper viewing distance , then , is at the plane of this image ( which is one focal length away from lens 277 ). the magnification achieved with system 265 can be considered in two parts , namely , the fresnel lens magnification of lenses 275 , 277 and the lenticular magnification of lenslet arrays 270 , 272 . the angular magnification of light passing through system 265 is determined solely by the lenticular magnification , while the size magnification of the view zone with respect to the size of viewer - tracking polarizer 215 is determined by a combination of the lenticular and fresnel lens magnifications . the magnification arising from lenticular arrays 270 , 272 is given by the ratio of the focal lengths of the positive and negative lenslets : m lenticular = f positive f negative the magnification due to input fresnel lens 275 and output fresnel lens 277 is similarly given by a ratio of focal lengths : m fresnel = f output fesnel f input fresnel the total size magnification of the system 265 is found by multiplying these equations : while the angular magnification m angle is the same as the lenticular magnification m lenticular . a third embodiment of the invention , illustrated in fig6 utilizes left and right image sources that do not require polarization . rather than utilizing a single projection lens and viewer - tracking polarizer for both image sources , in this embodiment each image source has its own projection lens and viewer - tracking element , the latter not based on polarization . in the illustrated implementation , each image source 300 r , 300 l comprises a light source 302 r , 302 l ; a diffuser 304 r , 304 l ; and an image lcd 306 r , 306 l ( although , once again , this embodiment is least restrictive in terms of the nature of the image sources , which can be any form of display ). the stereopair images from sources 300 r , 300 l are received by a pair of projection lens or lens arrangements 315 r , 315 l , which are directed toward different sides of an angled beamsplitter 320 . the combined image from beamsplitter 320 — that is , the light from lens 315 l passing through the beamsplitter and the light from lens 315 r reflected from it — is directed onto a viewable display element 325 . the display element 325 may once again be as simple as a focusing lens , but is preferably the lenticular arrangement illustrated in fig5 . intervening between projection lenses 315 r , 315 l and beamsplitter 320 are a pair of viewer - tracking intensity modulators 330 r , 330 l . rather than creating regions of different polarizations , as in the second embodiment , viewer - tracking intensity modulators 330 r , 330 l instead selectively pass or restrict light from image sources 300 r , 300 l . thus , the intensity modulators may be conventional liquid crystal displays , with “ off ” pixels passing light and “ on ” pixels blocking light . a controller ( not shown ) analogous to controller 150 discussed in connection with the first embodiment controls both intensity modulators 330 r , 330 l ; this controller may receive tracking information from a viewer - locating system in accordance with the first embodiment . in operation , the controller creates a light - passing window in each intensity modulator , the position of each window being such that light passing through it is directed , through display 325 , onto the appropriate viewing zone v l , v r . for example , the tracking system discussed above may be used to form an image of one side of the viewer &# 39 ; s face ( e . g ., as shown in fig2 b , the right side ), with the window in intensity modulator 330 r shaped to conform to this image and positioned appropriately within the lcd display , and intensity modulator 330 l assuming the inverse pattern ( that is , passing light everywhere except through a region in the shape of the window in intensity modulator 330 r , so that light from projection lens 315 l is excluded only from the region containing the viewer &# 39 ; s right eye ). alternatively , the tracking system can be configured to keep track of the locations of both of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes , with the controller positioning windows in intensity modulators 330 r , 330 l in accordance with these locations . in one approach , the tracking system discussed in connection with the first embodiment is retained , but the controller is programmed to approximate the location of the viewer &# 39 ; s unilluminated eye based on the pattern of illumination and typical face to sizes . that is , for most viewers , a tracked location of one eye suggests the location of the other eye with an acceptable degree of precision . the observed image of one eye ( or side of the viewer &# 39 ; s face ) and the computed complementary image are used to define the windows in intensity modulators 330 r , 330 l . in another approach , two separate illumination systems may be used in the manner proposed by hattori et al . with renewed reference to fig2 b , a second source of illumination is directed toward the viewer from the opposite side so as to illuminate the other side of his face ( i . e ., the side not illuminated by source 170 ). each of the sources emits non - visible light of a different wavelength , and a pair of cameras ( of known locations and optical geometries ) each equipped with a bandpass filter is focused on the viewer . one of the bandpass filters is tuned to the wavelength emitted by source 170 , so this camera provides controller 150 with an image of the right side of the viewer &# 39 ; s face ; and the other bandpass filter is tuned to the wavelength emitted by the other source , the associated camera providing controller 150 with an image of the left side of the viewer &# 39 ; s face . these left - side and right - side images are used to control the intensity modulators 330 r , 330 l . the foregoing embodiments require separate image displays , one for the left - eye image and one for the right - eye image . the fourth embodiment of the invention utilizes a single display that presents alternating left - eye and right - eye images in rapid succession , directing each stereoimage to the proper eye and presenting the images with sufficient rapidity to confer the illusion of a unified image . in a first implementation of this embodiment , illustrated in fig7 images are presented by a single lcd 400 , which is illuminated by a light source 402 situated behind a diffuser 404 . intervening between the light source and lcd 400 are a lens 410 and an lcd 415 that acts as an intensity - modulating light valve . lcd 415 is operated by a controller 420 and a viewer - tracking system ( not shown ); the tracking system may be one that defines separate locations for each of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes , as discussed above in connection with the third embodiment of the invention , or controller 420 is programmed to use the actual location of one of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes to approximate the location of the other eye . controller 420 also determines the image appearing on lcd 400 . thus , controller 420 may be a programmable computer equipped for computation and control of lcd image displays . in operation , controller 420 computes the proper size and location on lcd 415 of two light - passing windows , each of which is displayed separately as determined by controller 420 . a left - eye window passes light emanating from diffuser 404 such that , given the location of the viewer and the optical geometry of lens 410 , the light is focused over the viewer &# 39 ; s left eye ( i . e ., in view zone v l ). analogously , light passing through a right - eye window appears in view zone v r . the left - eye and right - eye windows may simply be inverse patterns ; that is , a first window passes light directed onto one of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes and blocks light directed everywhere else , while the other window passes light directed everywhere except where directed through the first window . controller 420 alternates the stereoimage appearing on lcd 400 in synchrony with the window it defines on lcd 415 . thus , for example , when the left image of a stereopair is displayed on lcd 400 , the left - eye window is defined on lcd 415 ( with the remainder of lcd 415 blocking light ). the image that controller 420 places on lcd 400 may originate from any number of sources . for example , controller 420 may acquire stereoimages from a permanent storage device , such as a hard disk or cd - rom drive ; as streamed data from a computer network or the internet ; or from a television broadcaster over one or two communication channels . a single still , three - dimensional image may be maintained by persistent alternating presentation of its two stereoscopic image components ; or a moving image may be presented by successively displaying each stereoscopic component of each successive image frame with sufficient rapidity to convey the illusion of motion . naturally , this embodiment of the invention requires adequate display refresh rates to avoid the appearance of flickering . ordinarily , an image lcd displaying a single channel of information must be updated at about 60 hz to provide an image free of flicker . because lcd 400 must handle two channels of information — that is , successive display of both stereoscopic components of each image frame — refresh rates of at least 120 hz are desirable . it should also be noted that , because a single display alternates between images rather than displaying one of two images simultaneously , the illumination power of lcd 400 must be greater than that required of displays in the previously described embodiments . a second implementation of the fourth embodiment , illustrated in fig8 utilizes projection rather than direct display of an lcd image , thereby allowing for practical display of larger images . in this case , light emanating from diffuser 404 is directed through a projection lens or lens system 425 . light exiting lens 425 passes through intensity - modulating lcd 415 before striking display 430 ( which , yet again , may be as simple as a focusing lens but is preferably the lenticular arrangement illustrated in fig5 ). the windows defined by controller 420 ( see fig7 ) alternately direct light through display 430 to one or the other of the viewer &# 39 ; s eyes . once again , the controller alternates the stereoimage appearing on lcd 400 in synchrony with the window it defines on lcd 415 . both implementations of the fourth embodiment are capable of accommodating multiple viewers by creating additional windows within lcd 415 . it will therefore be seen that the foregoing approaches to stereoscopic image display are straightforwardly implemented , providing highly realistic images without the need for the viewer to wear special equipment or to remain motionless at a designated location . 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 . for example , as noted earlier , it is not necessary to use light valves based on lcds that selectively pass a pattern illumination from behind ; instead , the pattern of illumination can be directly generated by an imaging element . | 7 |
the present invention is hereinafter described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 illustrates a sample injecting device according to the present invention exemplarily . the sample injecting device 50 includes a needle 51 a for drawing in sample or ejecting the sample ; a driving mechanism 51 b of the needle 51 a ; an inputting unit 52 for inputting various conditions that make the sample injecting device 50 operate ; a needle action setting unit 53 for setting the actions of the needle ; and a needle action controlling unit 54 for controlling the actions of the needle according to the set action conditions . in order to carry out an analysis , the sample injecting device 50 further includes a flow path switching valve or a sample loop , and these components are the same as conventional components . a plurality of alternative modes such as “ common mode ” and “ low speed mode ” is pre - stored in the needle action - setting unit 53 for convenient selection of a user . as an example for description , if the “ common mode ” is set as 50 mm / sec and the “ low speed mode ” is set as about 5 mm / sec , the “ common mode ” refers to an action speed equivalent to that of the conventional device and the “ low speed mode ” refers to an action speed which is one tenth of the “ common mode ”. after the user operates the inputting unit 51 and selects the “ common mode ” or the “ low speed mode ”, the needle is set to descend from the defined position above the port to the injection port at a speed corresponding to the selected mode . in fig1 , in order to indicate the selection clearly , a radio button is used for selecting the mode . however , three or more modes may also be used as long as any one of the modes can be specified . if the modes are pre - marked with an appropriate identifier such as a number or alphabet , the identifiers can be conveniently processed as parameters in the processing of device - side . moreover , the speed of the needle corresponding to the modes is unnecessarily set as a fixed value , and instead , can be changed in a manner without setting the descending speed of the needle too small . the speed of the needle can be frequently changed corresponding to the mechanical deviation . the needle action - controlling unit 54 is used for directing the actions of the needle 51 a towards the driving mechanism 51 b . thus , according to an analysis schedule , the needle action controlling unit 54 can direct the needle 51 a to draw in the sample and cause the needle 51 a to move to above the injection port and then to descend to the port at a set speed . the “ common mode ” is applicable to the following analysis : even if a deviation occurs to the descending position of the needle , the analysis time can be shortened by increasing the descending speed . the “ low speed mode ” is directed to an analysis with high - pressure liquid delivery or low carryover . furthermore , the descending speed of the needle in the entire range from the defined position to the injection port is not required to be constant . if the needle is switched to a low speed action before the needle abuts against the injection port , the time for the needle to move in the range can be shortened to be closed to that in the “ common mode ”, even the needle - action setting unit is in the “ low speed mode ”. it is unnecessary to set the descending speed of the needle according to a value of the distance / time dimension . for example , if a pulse motor is used to drive the needle , it is evident that the speed can be set as the number of pulses per unit time . as an aspect of the present invention , as the movement of the needle towards the sample vial or the inside of the surface above the cleaning port , or the intake of the sample , and the actions of the cleaning procedures remain unchanged , and as long as the descending speed of the needle is set to a low speed , an analysis with high - pressure liquid delivery or low carryover is achieved . an analysis device using the sample injecting device is used to analyze multiple samples automatically in sequence according to an analysis schedule . during a period of the analysis schedule , it is unnecessary to carry out actions in the same mode . as one of the analytical conditions of various analyses , the descending speed of the needle is preferably preset . the present invention mainly focuses on setting the speed to a low speed at the moment when the needle abuts against the injection port , and thus , can be used together with other related techniques . the following technique has already been provided in international patent application pct / jp2009 / 004408 in reference to the actions of the needle on the injection port ; that is , the injection port is cleaned by ejecting a cleaning liquid from the needle or drawing in the cleaning liquid from the needle . the cleaning procedures provided in the international patent application is related to the selection of the descending speed of the needle in the present invention . fig2 shows an example of a combination of setting the cleaning procedures and the descending speed of the needle in a related manner . the “ cleaning procedures ” are parameters related to selection between cleaning the outer surface of the needle at the cleaning port and cleaning the inner surface of the needle at the injection port ; and the “ speed of the needle ” is a parameter related to the descending speed of the needle descending from the defined position above the injection port to the injection port . for example , if the mode 2 is selected , the following conditions are set , that is , clean the outer surface of the needle at the cleaning port , do not clean the inner surface of the needle at the injection port , and set the descending speed of the needle to 50 mm / sec . the “ cleaning the outer surface of the needle ” herein refers to cleaning the needle by dipping the needle into the cleaning port before or after the sample is drawn into the needle ; and the “ cleaning the inner surface of the needle ” refers to cleaning a flow path or an area around the injection hole of the injection port before the sample is drawn into the needle , wherein the flow path measures the quantity of the extracted sample . the content related to the “ cleaning the outer surface of the needle ” is described in detail in japanese patent gazette no . 3826891 ; and the content related to the “ cleaning the inner surface of the needle ” is described in detail in international patent application pct / jp2009 / 004408 . therefore , a brief description is given in advance here . the user operates the inputting unit and selects the required mode from the needle action setting unit , so as to set the cleaning procedures , related to the injection , and the action speed of the needle . besides setting by the user directly through the inputting unit , as for the liquid chromatograph including the sample injecting device of the present invention , the setting can also be carried out through the controlling and parsing unit which controls the entire system . to reduce the carryovers , the sample injecting device of the present invention has the structure and actions as described above . an example of actual measurement is illustrated on how to achieve the effects of reducing the carryover through the sample injecting device of the present invention . in order to indicate the quantity of the carryovers , caffeine aqueous solution is used as the sample for analysis . an area a of the peak of the chromatogram of the caffeine aqueous solution is obtained . then , the liquid ( blank specimen ) with the same constituents as that of the mobile phase solution is analyzed to calculate an area β of the peak appearing in the same hold time as that of the caffeine aqueous solution . and then , the ratio of β to α is set as the quantity of the carryover . corresponding to the “ common mode ” and the “ low speed mode ” of the sample injecting device of the present invention , the analysis is carried out according to the following analytical conditions . fig4 is a chromatogram of the caffeine aqueous solution with a concentration of 20 mg / l obtained by the liquid chromatograph including the sample injecting device of the present invention . it is determined that the peak of the caffeine appears at a position where the hold time is 2 . 34 minutes . during the analysis of the blank sample , the peak appearing at the hold time is the peak of the caffeine . fig3 ( a ) and fig3 ( b ) respectively are chromatograms of the blank sample , in which fig3 ( a ) is a chromatogram based on the “ low speed mode ” and fig3 ( b ) is a chromatogram based on the “ common mode ”. in the chromatograms of fig3 ( a ) and 3 ( b ), the horizontal axis is the time axis and the horizontal axes of both chromatograms have the same scales ; however , the longitudinal axis is the strength axis of the detection signal , the scale in fig3 ( a ) is about a half of the scale in fig3 ( b ). furthermore , for the blank sample after the analysis of the 20 mg / l caffeine aqueous solution , the peak of the caffeine is not detected ( below the detection limit of the detector ), and thus , the blank sample is analyzed after a 2000 mg / l caffeine aqueous solution , which is a hundred times of the 20 mg / l caffeine aqueous solution , is injected so as to evaluate the carryover generated by the blank sample . it is shown in fig4 that the area a of the peak is 273161 , and the area β of the peak corresponding to the detected caffeine during the analysis of the blank sample is 144 under the “ low speed mode ” ( the quantity of the carryover β / α is 0 . 0005 %) and 598 under the “ common mode ” ( the quantity of the carryover β / α is 0 . 0022 %). that is , it is shown that the “ low speed mode ” of the sample injecting device of the present invention achieves lower carryover . as described above , the sample injecting device of the present invention reduces the carryover significantly . in the description of the present invention , the flow path between the injection port 25 and the high - pressure valve 21 is long in the drawings , so as to prevent the cross of the flow paths in the drawings . to shorten the analysis time or reduce the dead volume , it is better that the flow path is short . and similar to the invention disclosed in japanese patent laid - open gazette no . 2004 - 215118 , the invention of directly disposing the injection port 25 at the port of the high - pressure valve 21 also exists . furthermore , although it is clearly shown in the drawings that the sample loop 23 includes a spiral unit , similar to the invention disclosed in japanese patent laid - open gazette no . 2004 - 85499 , the invention not including a spiral unit and ensuring the required capacity as the sample loop 23 also exists . features of the sample injecting device provided in the described documents are all applicable to the sample injecting device of the present invention . the embodiment is only an example of the present invention and can be appropriately varied or modified within the principle of the present invention . apparently , the variations or modifications also fall within the protection scope of the present invention . | 6 |
in the following detailed description of the present invention , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be recognized by one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details or with equivalents thereof . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , components , and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention . some portions of the detailed descriptions , which follow , are presented in terms of procedures , steps , logic blocks , processing , and other symbolic representations of operations on data bits that can be performed on computer memory . these descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . a procedure , computer executed step , logic block , process , etc ., is here , and generally , conceived to be a self - consistent sequence of steps or instructions leading to a desired result . the steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities . usually , though not necessarily , these quantities take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , compared , and otherwise manipulated in a computer system . it has proven convenient at times , principally for reasons of common usage , to refer to these signals as bits , values , elements , symbols , characters , terms , numbers , or the like . it should be borne in mind , however , that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities . unless specifically stated otherwise , as apparent from the following discussions , it is appreciated that throughout the present invention , discussions utilizing the following terms refer to the actions and processes of a computer system or similar electronic computing device . these devices manipulate and transform data that is represented as physical ( electronic ) quantities within the computer system &# 39 ; s registers and memories or other such information storage , transmission or display devices . the aforementioned terms include , but are not limited to , “ selecting ” or “ initiating ” or “ clicking ” or “ double - clicking ” or “ identifying ” or “ comparing ” or “ sorting ” or “ establishing ” or “ displaying ” or the like . the configuration of programmable devices has been difficult from the inception of such devices . multifunction input / output ( i / o ) pins , especially , have been very difficult to configure in the past . i / o pins are the connection of a device to its environment , the outside electronic world . typically , i / o pins had multiple registers that needed to be programmed to configure the pin type as well as drive characteristics for each i / o pin . these registers are often tedious to manually program and debug . laborious and tedious hours or weeks wasted is common in programming and debugging the i / o pin configuration for a single design using a conventional system . the particular embodiment of the present invention discussed here employs a portion of a graphical user interface ( gui ) to facilitate the configuration of i / o pins in a microcontroller software design tool . note that a microcontroller is one of many different possible configurations for a psoc . other configurations of psocs and , indeed , other types of programmable devices could be equally benefited by use of the concepts employed in this embodiment . it should also be noted that the gui employed in one implementation is one developed for configuring psocs but other guis could also incorporate this embodiment of the present invention . the gui referred to in this discussion of this embodiment of the present invention presents a number of window frames that contain various design tools . one of these tools of specific interest to this discussion of this embodiment of the present invention is the i / o pin configuration tool . while actual programming of the device and the i / o pins takes place elsewhere , the gui provides the user - friendliness and detail management necessary to an efficient programming operation . it is envisioned that the embodiment of the present invention discussed herein will be implemented in a general purpose computer similar to the generic computer illustrated in fig1 . fig1 illustrates , in block diagram , a configuration typical to a computer system . in general , computer system 190 comprises bus 100 for communicating information , processor 101 coupled with bus 100 for processing information and instructions , random access ( volatile ) memory ( ram ) 102 coupled with bus 100 for storing information and instructions for processor 101 , read - only ( non - volatile ) memory ( rom ) 103 coupled with bus 100 for storing static information and instructions for processor 101 , data storage device 104 such as a magnetic or optical disk and disk drive coupled with bus 100 for storing information and instructions , an optional user output device such as display device 105 coupled to bus 100 for displaying information to the computer user , an optional user input device such as alphanumeric input device 106 including alphanumeric and function keys coupled to bus 100 for communicating information and command selections to processor 101 , and an optional user input device such as cursor control device 107 coupled to bus 100 for communicating user input information and command selections to processor 101 . with reference still to fig1 , display device 105 utilized with computer system 190 may be a liquid crystal device , cathode ray tube , or other display device suitable for creating graphic images and alphanumeric characters recognizable to the user . cursor control device 107 allows the computer user to dynamically signal the two - dimensional movement of a visible symbol ( pointer ) on a display screen of display device 105 . many implementations of the cursor control device are known in the art including a trackball , mouse , joystick or special keys on alphanumeric input device 106 capable of signaling movement of a given direction or manner of displacement . it is to be appreciated that the cursor control 107 also may be directed and / or activated via input from the keyboard using special keys and key sequence commands . alternatively , the cursor may be directed and / or activated via input from a number of specially adapted cursor directing devices . computer system 190 also includes an input / output device 108 , which is coupled to bus 100 for providing a physical communication link between computer system 190 and a network 170 . as such , input / output device 108 enables central processor unit 101 to communicate with other electronic systems coupled to the network 170 . it should be appreciated that within the present embodiment , input / output device 108 provides the functionality to transmit and receive information over a wired as well as a wireless communication interface ( such as an ieee 802 . 11b interface ). it should be further appreciated that the present embodiment of input / output device 108 is well suited to be implemented in a wide variety of ways . for example , input / output device 108 could be implemented as a modem or network card . the embodiment of the present invention discussed herein features the use of a graphical information window in a graphical user interface ( gui ) presented in a graphic display . the term “ graphical information ,” as used in this discussion , may include both icons and text . while the particular portion of the graphic display envisioned as the pin configuration window is , in this embodiment , a particular area in the overall graphic display , other embodiments could use a different area of the display . an important enablement of a gui is the ability to accept commands related to graphic information in the display . such commands are generally input by “ mouse - click ” or by some equivalent keyboard action . a mouse - click refers to any selection method that involves deliberate action on the part of the user specifically related to the position of a cursor in the gui display , usually involving the user depressing a button on a cursor control mouse . a mouse click can also be implemented by any other means related to cursor control including cursor control by keyboard buttons . one possible implementation of a gui as referred to in this discussion of one embodiment of the present invention is illustrated as a screen shot of a display window 200 in fig2 . there , the gui is configured for a specific operating system or os . while such an existing operating system is quite common , this discussion in no way should be taken as to imply that use of the above operating system is integral to the concepts presented herein . any other operating system capable of presenting a graphical user interface is equally capable of implementing similar embodiments . the display window 200 shown in fig2 comprises a number of sub - windows or frames within the graphical information area . the portions of the display 200 of fig2 that are specific to this embodiment of the present invention are the pop - up user - selectable list - box 250 , pin parameter table 230 , pin - out graphical representation 220 , pin 240 , and legend 260 . these and similar sub - windows are likely to be associated with this embodiment or others that employ a user - selectable list box to aid the configuration of any programmable logic device . it must be noted here that the names associated with the indicated tables , windows , icons and displays are given as an indicator of the associated functions . the names are not intended to limit the functionality of any portion of any of the presented illustrations nor are any of the various elements of a gui expected to be limited to or by any particular naming . furthermore , the illustrated arrangement of windows in the gui and of elements in each window are not intended to limit possible display design , arrangements , colors , shapes , patterns or any other graphic constituent to any particular item . it is the concepts presented in this embodiment of the present invention that are intended to be discussed and described here . referring still to fig2 , according to one embodiment of the present invention , the pop - up user - selectable list - box 250 appears within the display window 200 from which a pin image , such as pin image 240 , is selected for configuration . the pin image 240 is selected by placing the cursor at its location within the display window 200 and clicking the mouse button or other keyboard action . pin image 240 could be selected either from the pin parameter table 230 or from the graphical representation 220 , as shown . the pop - up list - box 250 then automatically appears immediately within display window 200 near the selected pin . if the selection were from the pin parameter table 230 , the pop - up list - box 250 would appear on or near the listed parameter in table 230 . according to one embodiment of the present invention , pop - up list - box 250 in fig2 includes configuration parameters that are configurable for the selected pin 240 or other selected component . the pop - up list - box 250 is of a size to accommodate the applicable list of configuration parameters and , thus occupies a minimum amount of space within the display window 200 . if the pop - up list - box 250 is displayed but not needed , the user can remove it from the screen by clicking the mouse with the cursor placed anywhere outside of the list - box 250 . the list - box 250 then automatically disappears . referring still to fig2 , to select a parameter from the list within list - box 250 , according to one embodiment , the user moves the cursor to the location within list - box 250 of the desired parameter and the parameter is highlighted , e . g ., “ stdcpu ”. to apply the parameter to the selected pin 240 , the user double - clicks the mouse or presses “ enter ” on the keyboard . the selected pin 240 is then configured accordingly and the graphical representation of pin 240 may assume a color or other visual attribute defined for the configuration parameter according to legend 260 . in this example , the pin selection type is defined . the pin &# 39 ; s drive type may similarly be selected using a pop - up list - box mechanism in accordance with the present invention . referring now to fig3 , an exemplary screen shot of a display window 300 for configuring pin connections , according to one embodiment of the present invention , is presented . fig3 illustrates user - selectable list - box 250 for configuring a pin input 310 to be connected to a programmable logical device . user selectable list - box 250 contains a list of ports to which the pin input 310 could be connected . the list - box 250 occupies the room necessary to display the list and is shown in the location where it appears within display 300 when pin input 310 is selected by the user . the highlighted entry , “ port — 0 — 4 ,” is selected by double clicking or depresseng the keyboard key . referring now to fig4 , a computer implemented flow diagram illustrating steps performed by the graphical user interface list - box , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention , is presented . according to step 410 , a user selects an on - screen configuration or a parameter for entering or updating . the selection is made by a click of a mouse button , a keystroke on a keyboard or some other means . once the selection is made , a list - box automatically appears on the screen near the location of the selected configuration or parameter , as shown by step 420 , with an appropriate list of allowable selections for the selected configuration or parameter . still referring to fig4 , as shown in step 430 , the user can select an item from the list by an operation of a mouse or keyboard with the cursor placed on the desirable selection in the list . once a selection is made , the configuration or parameter may be accepted per step 460 and the list - box automatically disappears from the screen as shown in step 470 . alternatively , the user may place the cursor outside the list - box and click or press a keyboard key , as shown in step 450 , in which case the list - box automatically disappears from the screen as in step 470 . fig5 is a flow diagram of a computer - implemented process for employing a user - selectable list - box for configuring i / o pins in a programmable logical device , according to one embodiment of the present invention . as shown in step 510 , a pin - out view ( such as illustrated in fig2 ) is selected from the device editor of a graphical user interface . a pin image is then selected by placing the cursor on the graphical representation of the pin and single - clicking the mouse button , as shown in step 520 . in another embodiment , the pin could be selected by single - clicking the mouse button on the pin in the pin parameter table of the display . as soon as the pin is selected , according to the present embodiment , a list box appears in the display , as shown in step 530 of fig5 . the list box appears ( pops up ) at a location near the selected pin , thus requiring a minimum amount of mouse movement to access the list - box . the list - box contains a list of applicable configuration parameters for the pin to be configured . the list box is sized according to the area required for the list of applicable parameters . still referring to fig5 , according to the present embodiment , the user can click outside the list - box , as shown in step 535 , and the list - box automatically disappears per step 540 . alternatively , a parameter can now be selected by moving the cursor onto the desired parameter in the list and double clicking the mouse button as illustrated in step 545 . once a parameter is chosen , the list box disappears from the screen per step 550 , and the pin is configured according to the selected parameter . as shown in step 560 , the graphical representation of the pin may assume a predefined color that is associated with the selected parameter according to a legend that is displayed on the display screen . the pin configuration process can be repeated until all pins are configured according to design . 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 to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application , to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents . | 6 |
the invention will be more clearly understood from the following description , given by way of example , with reference to the accompanying drawings . the mpeg video and audio compression system is designed to provide a maximum amount of compression in a broadcast environment . the mpeg video and audio compression system is also designed to allow the decompression to be carried out with a limited amount of memory in the receiver . this allows the decompression system in the receiver to be implemented with less memory and processing — and hence more cheaply — than the compression system in the transmission head - end . even though the digital encoding of information allows many more channels to be transmitted , there is still a limited bandwidth for the transmission of the information . hence mpeg audio and video channels are constrained to a certain bit rate dependent on the bit rate available . there is a trade off between the number of channels carried and the video quality ( dependent on the bit rate of the compressed video and audio signals ) of the channels . many new services other than just audio and video services can now also be provided using the digital television broadcasts . data and information on the transmitted programs and other entirely new services such as home banking or shopping can be provided . many of the data services are also carried in a “ carousel ” where the data is broadcast in a cycle . at any one time only one part of the data service is being broadcast , but over a fixed period — say fifteen seconds or three minutes , all the data will be broadcast . after this period the data is repeated either exactly the same , or with changes if any of the data needs to be changed . this method allows receivers to receive all the data for a service , but allows the data to be transmitted in a relatively small bandwidth . it is considered that in the broadcast environment , many of the systems used presently are designed to make use of the limited bandwidth available and also assume a limited amount of storage and processing resource in the receiver . this is indeed true for current systems as the bandwidth is fixed and the receivers have to be implemented as cheaply as possible to be affordable for the average consumer . hence the data is broadcast assuming or knowing that the receiver has a certain limited amount of storage and processing power . this constrains the format and type of data that can be sent . for instance , data requires much processing power at the receiver , or data requiring a large amount of storage for processing at the receiver cannot be sent , since it is not practical to provide a receiver it is now proposed to use storage media such as magnetic disks and semiconductor storage devices to provide storage for the transmitted digital broadcasts . the use of digital storage devices provides many enhanced applications for the user , providing a far better user experience than that of present using conventional analogue storage technologies . the av devices in the home can be in separate physical enclosures and needing interconnection . the key technology for interconnection of digital devices in the home is the ieee1394 serial bus interface which provides a low cost , user friendly method to send audio , visual and control data between devices in the home . hence a typical digital tv system arrangement in the home could have a digital tv receiver , display device , magnetic storage and dvd player all connected using ieee1394 serial bus connections . mass storage can also be alternatively or additionally provided integrated into a consumer device — for instance an integrated digital television receiver may incorporate a large magnetic storage . finally , it is also possible to use a “ memory stick ”. this is a non - volatile memory held in a small package to allow data to be transferred between cameras , camcorders , pcs and other home av devices . there are other formats also supported by other consumer electronics manufacturers . fig1 illustrates schematically various components of a system for receiving a broadcast data service . a receiver 2 is provided for obtaining and demodulating transmitted data from an aerial , cable , satellite or the like . the demodulated data includes digital television data , together with associated broadcast service data . under the control of a control panel 4 or remote control , a video processor 6 extracts data from a received signal for a selected video channel and displays that video channel on the display 8 . a processor 10 is also provided for extracting any broadcast service data from the received signal . the processor 10 may be provided together with the receiver 2 , together with the memory 12 , together with the controller 14 or separately . the data is stored in a memory 12 under the control of a controller 14 . a user may then select ( possibly using the control panel 4 ) desired portions of the data broadcast service . under the control of the controller 14 , the memory 12 then outputs appropriate data for display on the display 8 . the memory 12 can be provided as a magnetic disc , for instance as is commonly known as a hard disc drive , a semiconductor memory or other means . the system of fig1 can be provided integrally within a television unit . however , it is also possible for various components of the system to be distributed around a network , for instance using the ieee 1394 interface . this is illustrated in fig2 . the system may be provided merely with an external storage device . similarly , the system may be provided as a broadcast service unit for connection to a television display and the broadcast service unit may itself have an internal memory or use an external memory and may itself have a processor . just as with an integral design , the broadcast service unit can obtain received digital data from the receiver , process portions of the data appropriately and provide selected portions to the television display upon demand . with regard to transmission bandwidth of a broadcast service , an audio / visual stream can typically consume 2 mbit / s using current mpeg - 2 compression technologies . this could be construed as wasteful . by making use of the memory of the system , it is possible to broadcast the audio and visual data at a rate slower than real time . the audio and visual data is extracted from the broadcast data service and stored in the memory 12 of the system . when the audio / visual data is required for playback , the system can then retrieve the data at the required data rate allowing replay in real - time . in this way , by halving the broadcast rate of the audio / visual data , the bandwidth consumption of that portion of the service would also be halved . although the cycle time would therefore also be doubled , by means of the memory of the system , access would be immediate unless a user happened to request a portion while it was being broadcast . with the proposed mass storage technologies now being implemented in consumer audio / video devices in the home , there are significant changes in the processing potential and storage available to the digital television receiver . increased storage can allow different and possibly more effective compression and pre - processing to be applied to broadcast data . a large amount of storage allows broadcast to be downloaded as a whole block of data . this block of data is then processed as a whole , rather as a broadcast stream , where only a small fraction of the broadcast data is processed as it passes through the receiver . thus , the video data can be compressed using a completely different non - streaming algorithm other than mpeg and be subjected to off - line compression / decompression as discussed . the increased storage also allows data to be stored for later processing . this effectively increases the processing power available in the receiver . since the data is stored “ offline ” the receiver can then process the data as a background task or times of low usage . when the data is fully processed then it can be made available to the user . the video need not only be sent at slower than real time ( for “ trickle feed ”). it could also be sent faster than real time , for instance for a mass video dump during the night . additionally , the data can be sent in a more interactive manner . for instance , there can be an almost permanent return channel connection from the receiver to the broadcast headend . this headend can field the requests from the receiver population and broadcast the data ( video or whatever ) according to the demand for each item . in this case , heavily requested items are broadcast first . once broadcast , the item is cached locally so that , if requested again , the receiver displays it locally . thus , a popular item is broadcast a lot to start with and then the requests fall off and allow less popular items to be broadcast . for a broadcast video program , it is also possible for certain sections to be marked as “ highlights ”. just these can then be stored , or the whole video stored , so that the highlights can be skipped between by the user later . it can be carried out by the processor of the digital tv receiver operating directly on the data on the mass storage device . it can be carried out by the processor of the digital tv receiver in a “ batch ” processing method with the data loaded locally from the mass storage device in small chunks . it can be performed by a processor local to the mass storage device . there are a variety of ways of processing the data on the mass storage device to provide “ post - processed ” data that can then be used by the digital tv receiver . post - processing or decompression of data can be conducted using an existing pre - defined protocol such as “ winzip ”. post - processing or decompression of data can be conducted using a downloaded protocol . post processing of data can be conducted to provide a new set of data . for example , processing two video streams to provide a new video stream — perhaps a “ reverse angle ” or “ birds eye ” view of a video sequence . offline decryption of a file can be conducted using a key provided to the user by broadcast or other means ( on memory stick or smart card ). data may be input from another source that is then post processed using broadcast data . offline compression or processing of video data can be conducted ( perhaps dv format data from a digital camcorder ) for later re - transmission by e - mail , memory stick , i . link , or other means . it could also be construed as wasteful using bandwidth to cycle the same content only with slight updates each time rather than for “ real ” live content such as films , news and sports broadcasts . in a service where portions of the broadcast data service are cycled , there is a trade off between the bandwidth consumed by the service and the cycle rate . the service can offer a rapid update rate if it consumes a large amount of bandwidth . that bandwidth can be reduced , but will result in cycle time being increased . for the broadcast of broadcast data services , such as teletext , data is cyclically processed and provided to the user . it is now proposed to provide enhanced broadcast data services which will include more data . unless substantial bandwidth is used , this will result in extended cycle times . in particular , if an enhanced service showing audio / video clips and data has a very long cycle time , then the service will be undesirable for the intended application of a quick newsflash style update on the days news or sports events . to overcome this problem , it is proposed to store an entire cycle of a broadcast data service such that the user can display any portion of the service instantaneously at any time . all portions of the broadcast data service of the cycle are stored in a memory . indeed , the data portions may be obtained when a user is not viewing the broadcast data service or has the receiver on standby . for the user of the service , the most visible parameter is the cycle rate . the viewer will want to have up - to - date information as soon as possible and will not want to have to wait . hence , this is one of the key requirements for the service . on the other hand , for the service provider , the bandwidth consumed is probably the most important parameter . the bandwidth consumed by , in particular , data broadcast service affects the bandwidth available for other broadcast data services and television data itself . a reduction in the bandwidth available for other services is hence likely to affect the revenue available to the service provider . for many broadcast data services , large numbers of the portions of a broadcast data service remain the same for each cycle . for instance , for traditional style pages as used with teletext , most pages might remain the same from one cycle to the next . similarly , when transmitting audio / visual news or sports clips with a broadcast data service , it is likely that the same clips will be provided for an extended period of time during the day . in order to take advantage of this fact , it is proposed to transmit only portions of the data broadcast service which have changed from one cycle to the next . in this way , there may be provided a relatively fast update rate for information on the service with an efficient use of bandwidth for the service provider . a broadcast data service may take many different forms . it may be transmitted cyclically as a carousel of main information topics . it is also possible that , within each topic , further data portions are transmitted cyclically as a sub - carousel . each data portion may consist of a traditional style page of data or may consist of other data such as image data or audio / visual data . an entire page or audio / visual data sequence can be considered as a portion or a page or audio / visual sequence can be made up of a number of portions . irrespective , the system should provide the data in portions which can be replaced individually in such a way as to update the overall broadcast service . hence , individual bytes of data or groups of bytes could be considered as “ portions ” provided that the system allows individual replacement of such portions . however , for very small portions , such as individual bytes , the protocol overhead for embodying the system is likely to be undesirably high . for a receiver that has no previously stored content , the “ differential ” content will not be useful , as it will not comprise the full service . this situation will arise for instance when the memory of the broadcast service unit is first connected to the system . it is possible to configure the system such that over time , by storing all of the updated portions , the complete broadcast data service will be established . alternatively , however , the full service could be broadcast either on a different dedicated channel ( possibly by means of a non - broadcast download service ) or at times when the demand for other conventional broadcast is lower . referring to fig3 , it will be seen that , at these times , the bandwidth allocated for those conventional services can be reduced . as a result , the bandwidth available for the broadcast data services can be increased . this allows a receiver to quickly update its stored broadcast service information with the full information service . subsequently , in the normal way , the system can keep up to date with the service using the differential update stream . the service provided using this system could not only carry mpeg - 2 encoded audio and video data , but , as discussed above , could also carry information which has been compressed and encoded using other more suitable or efficient protocols . for instance , a football match could take advantage of the fact that most of the content features a lot of green with only a few small moving areas . in this situation , an algorithm for decompressing and decoding could be delivered to the receiver and then executed by the receiver under a pre - defined protocol . since received broadcast service data is being stored off line and the decoding operation does not need to be executed in real time , the processing requirements for the decompression and decoding are not so great . hence , the receiver processor can decode the content as a background task for display later . it should be appreciated that the data content of the broadcast data service need not be limited to audio / visual data or traditional data pages . the content can be suitable for use by an interactive engine in the receiver / broadcast service data unit . in this way , a mixed service could be provided featuring text , graphics and audio / visual clips . data portions may also comprise data requiring off - line decoding . the data need not necessarily be a program , but could be any sort of data . mpeg compression and decompression systems are designed to be used in a broadcast system with limited decompression memory in the receiver , a small delay ( of the order of a second ) in decode delay and a limited “ pick - up ” delay ( where “ pick - up ” delay is the delay when a receiver is turned on and has to wait a few frames for a full “ i - frame ” when it can pick - up the transmission and start decoding ). by virtue of the present invention , it is possible to use compression / decompression programs which rely on having the whole data file present to be able to execute . in particular , by storing the data off - line , such compression / decompression becomes possible and it is possible to provide alternative compression and decompression algorithms to provide better performance than with current mpeg based schemes . | 7 |
refer to fig2 & amp ; fig3 a , the present invention includes a shell back 10 , a shell palm 20 , a lining 30 , a plurality of gussets 40 , leather accessories 50 and leather lacings 60 . the shell back 10 is in finger - type shape with a plurality of insertion holes 11 on the front side and the peripheral sides of five fingers thereof . the shell palm 20 is also in fingerlike shape with a plurality of insertion holes 11 on the front side , the lateral sides of five fingers and the palm thereof . the lining 30 is composed of a lining palm 31 having a soft lining 31 a made of sponge or soft material , sewed together with a palm - shaped lining leather 31 b , a lining finger 32 made of soft lining 32 a located on the position of five fingers , and a plurality of insertion holes 33 . the lining 30 is used to increase the thickness of the palm of the glove so as to reduce the injury caused by the impulse of the ball . the insertion holes 33 are for the insertion of the lacings 60 to modify the appearance or increase the strength . the gussets 40 made of special material such as neoprene is cut to proper size and is sewed on the position between the two contiguous fingers of the shell back 10 . the leather accessories 50 include a web 51 between the thumb and the first finger for receiving balls , an adjustable band 52 for adjusting the fitness of the wrist . the lacings 60 are made by cutting the leather into slips and are inserted through the insertion holes 11 , 21 , 33 on the lateral side of the glove for beautification and strength enhancement . when being assembled , the bottom of the shell back 10 corresponds to the top of the shell palm 20 , and then being sewed together on edges while an opening is left . then a layer of glue is painted on the surface of the lining 30 for attaching it inside the glove . later the web 51 and the adjustable band 52 are set on the proper position of the glove while the lacings 60 insert into each of the insertion holes 11 , 21 , 33 . refer to fig3 b , the outer edge of the gusset 40 is sewed on position between the two contiguous fingers of the shell back 10 first and then the inner edge of the gusset 40 is corresponding and sewed to the position between the two contiguous fingers of the shell palm 20 . refer to fig4 , this is a further embodiment of the lining in accordance with the present invention . a plurality of ventilative pores 34 and a plurality of insertion holes 33 are disposed on the soft inner layer 31 a and the lining leather 31 b of the lining palm 31 . then the lining palm 31 is assembled with other parts of the glove in the same way mentioned above . 1 . a plurality of insertion holes is disposed on each part of the glove for insertion of the lacings , so as to modify the appearance and enhance strength . 2 . the adjustable band can adjust the fitness of the user &# 39 ; s wrist with the glove . 3 . a plurality of ventilative pores on the top of the leather can increase the air permeability and the grabbing force . the glove is easier to be folded . it should be noted that the above description and accompanying drawings are only used to illustrate some embodiments of the present invention , not intended to limit the scope thereof . any modification of the embodiments should fall within the scope of the present invention . | 0 |
the primary components of the formulations of the invention include ( 1 ) a biocontrol agent , ( 2 ) a water absorbent material , ( 3 ) a membrane stabilization agent , and ( 4 ) a granulating agent . oil is an optional primary component . the biocontrol agent the biocontrol agents contemplated for use herein include without limitation all bacteria , fungi , yeasts , viruses , microsporidians , protozoa , nematodes and other such organisms that are pathogenic toward target pests . of course , any component of the organism or stage of its life cycle which is infective to the host upon contact or ingestion is considered to be within the scope of the invention . for instance , in the case of b . t ., the vegetative cells , spores , and proteinaceous crystals are all effective in directly or indirectly killing host insects susceptible to b . t . it is also known that naturally occurring and synthetic vectors such as plasmids , phages , and various dna / rna constructs have potential for functionally modifying higher organisms , and therefore are also included herein as being within the scope of the term “ biocontrol agent .” examples of other agronomically important pest pathogens besides b . t ., without limitation thereto include : other entomopathogenic bacteria such as b . sphaericus , and b . popillae ; plant pathogenic bacteria , such as pseudomonas spp . and agrobacterium ; plant pathogenic fungi , such as sclerotinia , rhizoctonia , fusarium , alternaria , colletotrichum , and sclerotium ; entomopathogenic fungi , such as pandora , beauveria and conidiobolus and the yeasts ; entomopathogenic viruses , such as autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus , and heliothis spp . virus ; microsporidians such as vairimorpha necatrix and nosema locustae , as well as the nematode steinernema carpocapsae and the gall - forming nematode subanguina picridis . the biocontrol agents of the invention are normally propagated by cultivation in a suitable aqueous medium and then recovered as a concentrated suspension of the biocontrol agent . typically , these suspensions will comprise about 40 - 95 % water . the water absorbent material suitable water absorbent materials are those which are capable of absorbing several times their own weight in water , preferably , at least about 100 times their own weight in substantially pure water . most notable are the starch polyacrlonitrile graft copolymers ( e . g . the composition of u . s . pat . no . 3 , 935 , 099 , herein incorporated by reference ) and similar starch graft copolymers which are commercially known by names such as “ super slurper ”, water - lock ®, etc . upon absorbing water or other aqueous liquids , these materials swell into amorphous gels which tenaciously retain the absorbed water . the amount of water absorbent material should be sufficient to absorb , and thereby bind , the free ( available ) water in the suspension of biocontrol agent . typically , the ratio of water absorbent material to available water in the suspension would be on the order of about 1 : 5 to about 1 : 100 , preferably about 1 : 10 . in terms of the total weight of the final product , the water absorbent should constitute about 5 - 16 % by weight . the skilled artisan will appreciate that salts in the suspension of the organism as well as other components already present in the formulation mixture at the time of addition of the absorbent material may reduce the inherent absorbancy of the material , requiring amounts in excess of that required for absorbing an equivalent amount of purified water . the relatively high absorbencies of these materials allows for binding of the free water using a relatively minor amount of this component , thereby permitting the formulation to accommodate effective amounts of the other components . the principal function of the membrane stabilization agent is to bring the biocontrol agent to an immediate state of physiological quiescence and allow the organism to survive for long periods of time , even under adverse conditions . the preferred stabilization agent is sucrose ; though it is envisioned that other disaccharides , such as trehalose , which have a similar capacity for reducing water availability could also be used . it is important that the membrane stabilization agent also have the property of forming a nongummy dough when mixed with the biocontrol agent and the water absorbent material described above . the amount of the membrane stabilization agent should be in the range of about 50 mm to about 1 m , or about 10 - 65 % by dry weight of the complete formulation . at 60 % sucrose , the water potential of the formulation drops to at least − 75 bars . after the primary components heretofore described are blended into a dough , it is necessary to mix the dough with a granulation agent which causes the dough to break into small granules or “ crumbs ” and renders the product flowable . the size of the granules can be tailored for a predetermined end use application by the nature and amount of the particular agent selected . for instance , siliceous materials such as diatomaceous earth , cab - o - sil ® and hi - sil ® tend to produce a small mesh granular product which , upon drying , can be readily resuspended into a sprayable formulation . coarser agents such as corn cob grits , pregranulated starch , etc . will yield a larger mesh particulate product for field application in granular form . the amount of the granulating agent will typically be in the range of about 5 - 20 % by weight of the total product , with a preferred range of about 10 - 16 % by weight . incorporating an oil into the formulation has been found to enhance the storage stability and field viability of certain living biocontrol agents . moreover , the oil unexpectedly enhances the effectiveness of the granulation agent to convert the dough - like mass into discrete particles . suitable oils include mineral oil and vegetable oils , such as those derived from corn , soybean , sunflower , safflower , rapeseed , cottonseed and the like . usually the oil would constitute less than about 20 % by weight of the total composition . the biocontrol agent suspension , the water absorbent agent , and the membrane stabilization agent can be blended together in any order and by any conventional means in the art . in addition , the membrane stabilization agent can be prepared in an aqueous solution and used as a suspending agent for the biocontrol agent . the optional oil component is preferably added last , for the reason that it could otherwise interfere with the ability of the water absorbent to absorb the free water in the suspension as previously discussed . the primary components are blended together into a dough - like mass in a sigma mixer or the like , and thereafter the granulating agent is added . blending is continued until the dough “ crumbs ” and is recoverable as wet granules . the granules can thereafter be dried by any known method which will not adversely affect the viability of the biocontrol agent . though air drying is usually preferred , under appropriate situations , mild oven drying could also be used . thus , by appropriate selection of component ratios as within the skill of a person in the art , it is possible to recover particles of granulated biocontrol agent of the desired size without the need for grinding . besides the primary components described above , other additives and adjuncts may be formulated into the subject compositions . examples of these include dispersants , feeding stimulants ( phagostimulants ), uv protectants , preservatives , and inert fillers . also of interest are agronomically acceptable carriers or vehicles for the active agent or any of the other components formulated into the granular compositions . in accordance with one embodiment of the invention , the granules are resuspended in water , an oil - in - water emulsion , or an invert emulsion ( water - in - oil ) for field application as a sprayable liquid . in yet another embodiment of the invention , the granulated biocontrol agent can be applied to the plant foliage or soil as a dry formulation . in either form , the flowable nature of the product lends itself to field application using conventional equipment without the need for specialized modification . the target pests contemplated for control by means of the subject granulated agents of the invention include all species susceptible to the above - mentioned biocontrol agents . such pests include insects , weeds , crop diseases , detrimental nematodes and the like . the granulated agents find application for field crops , orchard crops , ornamentals and certain stored agricultural products . the granulated agents of the invention may be stored at room temperatures for extended periods of time with minimal loss of vitality . for instance , the survival rate of pseudomonas syringae granulated as described in the examples and stored at 22 ° c . for 202 days was approximately 85 %. at − 15 ° c ., the survival exceeded 95 %. it should be understood that living organisms are very fragile and sensitive to environmental conditions . even with the advantages achieved by the present invention , the skilled artisan will appreciate that some organisms will not be effective against specific targets and that the effectiveness of some granulated organisms will be a function of the specific environmental conditions . however , it would be within the skill of a person in the art to determine the effectiveness of candidate organisms and formulations for a particular end use application . the following examples are intended only to further illustrate the invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is defined by the claims . evaluation of the effect of temperature on the storage viability of p . syringae pv . tabaci granulated in accordance with the invention . bacterial isolate 94 - 19 was obtained from diseased leafy spurge ( euphorbia esula l .) growing in native rangeland . this strain was identified as pseudomonas syringae pv . tabaci by gc fames . the isolate was grown for two days on king &# 39 ; s medium b ( kb ) [ king , e . o ., m . k . ward , and d . e . raney ( 1954 ), two simple media for the demonstration of pyocyanin and fluorescein , j lab . clin . med . 44 : 301 - 307 ] at 22 ° c . individual plates were harvested by adding 10 ml 0 . 1 m potassium phosphate buffer ( pb ) ph 7 . 0 and scraping with a sterile cotton swab . the harvested bacteria were pooled together and buffer was added to yield a total volume equivalent to 37 . 5 ml per harvested plate . the bacterial suspension was serially diluted to 10 7 and plated onto kb using a spiral plater to determine bacterial population . four replicate batches of p . syringae pv . tabaci were formulated in a starch / oil / sucrose matrix then mixed with fumed silica using the following procedures . ten g water - absorbent starch ( water - lock ®, grain processing corporation , muscatine , iowa ) was mixed with 10 ml unrefined corn oil ( spectrum naturals , inc . petaluma , calif . ), microwaved on high for thirty seconds then allowed to cool to room temperature . the bacterial suspension ( 37 . 5 ml ) was added and mixed with a spatula until all of the suspension was absorbed by the starch and a cohesive dough - like ball was formed . thirty - nine g sucrose ( confectioners sugar , g & amp ; w branch , western sugar co ., denver , colo .) was added to this mixture and blended , followed by 13 g amorphous - fumed silica ( cab - o - sil ®, cabot corp ., tuscola , ill .). blending was continued until the dough crumbed , thereby producing a granular product . the resulting mixture was spread in foil pans to a depth of approximately 0 . 5 cm and dried in a laminar flow hood for 48 hours at room temperature . the dried formulation was then sieved using 25 , 60 and 100 mesh sieves . the portion which passed through the 60 mesh and was retained on the 100 mesh sieve was used for sampling . the four replicate batches were divided into three samples each and stored at − 15 ° c ., 2 ° c . and 22 ° c . the results are reported in table i , below . determination of the effects of sucrose and oil , independently and in combination , on the survival of granulated pseudomonas syringae pv . tabaci . the experimental design was a 2 × 2 factorial with three replications . treatments were as follows : (−) sucrose (−) oil , (−) sucrose (+) oil , (+) sucrose (−) oil , (+) sucrose (+) oil and were based on the following standard formulation . formulations were prepared as described above in example 1 , except mixing operations were performed with a ‘ mini food - processor ’ ( handy chopper , black and decker , inc . shelton , conn .). samples were evaluated over a 228 day period . the results are reported in table ii , below . determination of the effects of sucrose and oil , independently and in combination , on the survival of granulated fusarium oxysporum . a strain of fusarium oxysporum pathogenic to canada thistle ( circium arvense ) was cultured in potato dextrose broth amended with an infusion of canada thistle leaves for 7 days on a rotary shaker . the mycelial and spore suspension was concentrated approximately 2 × by pouring the culture into coffee filters which had been placed in a bed of water - absorbent starch ( grain processing corporation , muscatine , iowa ). the procedure and formulation of example 2 was repeated except that fusarium oxysporum was substituted for the pseudomonas syringae pv . tabaci . the concentration of the organism in the initial inoculum was adjusted according to the total weight of the nonaqueous components in order to provide a constant population of biocontrol agent per dry weight of product across all trial formulations . the results are reported in table iii , below . evaluation of the effect of sucrose level on survival of p . syringae pv . tagetis . p . syringae pv . tagetis , a pathogen of canada thistle ( cirsium arvense ( l .) scop . ), was grown using the method described in example 1 for p . syringae pv . tabaci . individual plates were harvested in 8 ml pb and centrifuged 30 min . at 3000 rpm &# 39 ; s in a sorvall rt 6000 ® refrigerated centrifuge at 80 ° c . pellets were resuspended in pb and pooled together for a volume equivalent to 2 . 5 mls per harvested plate . initial population was determined as described in example 1 . four rates of sucrose ( 0 ×, 0 . 25 ×, 0 . 5 ×, and 1 ×, based on the standard formulation given above in example 2 ), either with or without the oil , were combined in a factorial experiment to determine the optimal rate of sucrose for survival of p . syringae pv . tagetis over time . the concentration of the organism in the initial inoculum was adjusted to the total weight of the nonaqueous components in order to provide a constant population of biocontrol agent per dry weight of product across all trial formulations . one full replication of the experiment was prepared at a time , with three replications completed within a 1 week period . all formulations were dried and sieved as above except the fraction remaining on the 60 mesh sieve was used for sampling . previous experiments ( not reported ) indicated slightly higher viability in the 60 mesh sieve vs . the 100 mesh fraction . evaluation of the effect of oil level on survival of p . syringae pv . tagetis . the procedure of example 4 was repeated , except this time the sucrose level was held constant at 1 ×, and the level of oil was tested at four rates ( 0 ×, 0 . 25 ×, 0 . 5 ×, and 1 ×). the concentration of the organism in the initial inoculum was adjusted according to the total weight of the nonaqueous components in order to provide a constant population of biocontrol agent per dry weight of product across all trial formulations . the results are reported in table v , below . granulated fusarium oxysporum formulation and pathogenicity assay on sweet potato . fungal growth . fusarium oxysporum f . sp . batas , a pathogen of sweet potato , was grown on shake culture ( 4 flasks containing 100 ml fungal solution ) in czapeks medium with yeast extract plus 100 ppm kanamycin sulfate , for 10 days . conidial suspension was alternately washed and concentrated by centrifugation with two sterile distilled water rinses ( approx . concentration 1 × 10 8 microconidia / ml ). formulation . concentrated conidia were hydrated to 75 ml and 8 g of hydrated silica were added to suspend the conidia . the mixture was combined with 150 mg streptomycin sulfate for bacterial control . in a separate container , 20 ml of unrefined corn oil , 20 gm water - lock ® ( potassium salt ) as a water absorbent and 7 . 5 gm bacto - peptone ( difco ) were mixed and heated in the microwave for 30 - 40 seconds . the hydrated conidial suspension was blended in equal volumes ( 1 : 1 ) with the cooled water - lock ®: corn oil : peptone mixture and then combined with powder sugar equal to 65 % by weight ( approx . 130 gm powder sugar to 200 ml volume ). the conidia : sugar suspension was slowly stirred while adding cab - o - sil ® ( m5 )( approx . 19 . 22 gm ) to absorb the oil and until the mixture was reduced to a powdered product consisting of fine granules . the powdered formulation was allowed to dry in the clean air chamber for 48 hrs and sieved to further break up the granules . the dry product yield was approx . 250 gm . conidial concentration ; storage survival . fusarium conidia concentration in the dry formulated product was determined on a selective media for f . oxysporum f . sp . batas referred to as komada &# 39 ; s media [ nelson , p . e ., t . a . toussoun , and w . f . o . marass ( 1983 ), fusarium species . an illustrated manual for identification , pennsylvania state university ]. a serial dilution of the dry product was plated on komada media and an individual colony was considered to be the product of one conidium . data were reported as colony forming units ( cfu ) per gram of dry product . initial concentration of formulated product was calculated to be in the range of 7 to 24 × 10 6 cfu / gram . the product was separated on a # 60 mesh fraction ( 7 × 10 6 cfu / gm ) and a # 100 mesh fraction ( 24 × 10 6 cfu / gm ). initial spore concentration was 1 × 10 8 - 9 / ml of water . the loss in conidia concentration during formulation was 1 × 10 2 / ml or gm , considering the weight of formulated product equal to water . upon storage of the formulated product at room temperature in a plastic zip - lock ® for a period of 15 months , spore concentration was 1 × 10 6 cfu / gm for the # 60 mesh fraction and 1 × 10 5 cfu / gm for the # 100 mesh fraction . product efficacy in a plant assay . the granulated product prepared above was compared to non - formulated conidial suspension for pathogenicity on sweet potato cultivar ‘ porto rico ’ in a pot assay . sweet potato cuttings were rooted and soaked in a suspension of the dry granulated product ( 0 . 1 gm / 10 ml phosphate buffer ) for 10 min . rooted cuttings were soaked in a conidia suspension ( 1 × 10 6 conidia / ml by direct spore count ) as a comparison for the dry granulated product of the invention . non - inoculated plants were used as the control . the dry granulated formulation and the conidial suspension caused similar plant symptoms on sweet potato , including plant stunting , reduced root growth and early signs of wilting after 4 wks . the control plants were healthy and displayed no symptoms of the disease . survival of colletotrichum gloeosporioides nrrl 21046 in the standard formulation of example 2 . preparations of a mycoherbicidal fungus , colletotrichum gloeosporioides nrrl 21046 , pathogenic to coffee senna and sicklepod were prepared by combining conidida and mycelial fragments from vegetable juice broth . the procedure of example 2 was repeated , substituting the c . gloeosporioides preparation for the bacterial suspension in the standard formulation . dried samples of the formulation were stored under conditions of refrigeration ( 4 ° c .) and at room temperature ( 22 ° c .). bioassays of the formulation described above were performed by spraying coffee senna seedlings at 40 days intervals . ten grams of each preparation were suspended in 100 ml sterile water and sprayed until runoff occurred on coffee senna seedlings that were in the cotyledonary growth stage . treated plants were placed in dew chambers at 25 ° c . and 100 % relative humidity for 16 h , and then transferred to the greenhouse at 28 ° c . and incubated for 14 days . the results at 0 , 40 , 120 , 200 and 240 days are repor ted in table vii , below . | 0 |
fig9 depicts a mixer according to the first embodiment of the present invention . the main difference between the mixer shown in fig9 and the conventional mixer shown in fig1 is the circuit design of the transconductor , and therefore , the following description will be focused on the circuit design of the transconductor . the transductor 100 comprises four n - channel transistors mn 1 , mn 2 , mn 3 , and mn 4 , two operational amplifiers op 1 and op 2 , and two resistors r 1 and r 2 , each having a resistance of r / 2 . the aspect ratio of mn 3 to mn 1 to n : 1 and the aspect ratio of mn 4 to mn 2 is n : 1 . the resistor r 1 is coupled between a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 and a dc voltage source ( vb ), and the resistor r 2 is coupled between a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 and the dc voltage source ( vb ). the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 1 and mn 3 are coupled to each other and the n - channel transistors mn 1 and mn 3 operate as a current mirror 110 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 1 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 110 , and the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 3 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 110 , which is coupled to the first current path of the switch quad . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 1 and mn 3 are coupled to the ground . the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 2 and mn 4 are coupled to each other and the n - channel transistors mn 2 and mn 4 operate as a current mirror 120 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 2 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 120 , and the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 4 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 120 , which is coupled to the second current path of the switch quad . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 2 and mn 4 are grounded . moreover , the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 is coupled to the gate of the n - channel transistor mn 1 , and the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 is coupled to the gate of the n - channel transistor mn 2 . the voltage signals vin + and vin − are applied to the negative input terminals of the operational amplifiers op 1 and op 2 , respectively . fig1 depicts an equivalent circuit of the first embodiment in the small signal differential model . the resistors r 1 and r 2 are coupled in series ( r / 2 + r / 2 = r ) between the positive terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 and the positive terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 . therefore , the current ic flowing through the current control terminals of the two current mirrors is given by the equation ic =( vin + − vin − )/ r . also , the current iin flowing through the current mirroring terminals of the two current mirrors is given by the equation iin = n *( vin + − vin − )/ r . the linear voltage - current transfer function is achieved by the transconductor 100 of the first embodiment . fig1 depicts a mixer according to the second embodiment of the present invention . the main difference between the second embodiment and the first embodiment is the circuitry of the current mirror . in fig1 , each of the current mirrors 230 and 240 comprises cascade transistors . these cascade transistors provide more precise currents to the current control terminals and the current mirroring terminals of the current mirrors 230 and 240 . the current mirror 230 comprises four n - channel transistors mn 5 , mn 7 , mn 9 , and mn 11 . the aspect ratio of mn 7 to mn 5 is n : 1 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 9 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 230 . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 9 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 5 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 11 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 230 , which is coupled to the first current path of the switch quad . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 11 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 7 . the gates of the n - channel transistor mn 9 and mn 11 are coupled to a dc bias voltage source vbias . the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 5 and mn 7 are coupled to the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 5 and mn 7 are grounded . similarly , the current mirror 240 comprises four n - channel transistors mn 6 , mn 8 , mn 10 , and mn 12 . the aspect ratio of mn 8 to mn 6 is n : 1 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 10 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 240 . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 10 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 6 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 12 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 240 , which is coupled to the second current path of the switch quad . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 12 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 8 . the gates of the n - channel transistor mn 10 and mn 12 are coupled to the dc bias voltage source vbias . the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 6 and mn 8 are coupled to the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 6 and mn 8 are grounded . the equivalent circuit of the second embodiment in the small signal differential model is the same as the fig1 . the resistors r 1 and r 2 are coupled in series ( r / 2 + r / 2 = r ) between two positive terminals of the operation amplifiers op 1 and op 2 . therefore , the current ic flowing through the current control terminals of the two current mirrors is given by the equation ic =( vin + − vin − )/ r . the current iin flowing through the current mirroring terminals of the two current mirrors is given by the equation iin = n ( vin + − vin − )/ r . the linear voltage - current transfer function is achieved in the transconductor 200 of the second embodiment of the present invention . fig1 depicts a mixer according to the third embodiment of the present invention . the main difference between the third embodiment and the first embodiment is the bias current applied to the resistors r 1 and r 2 . the transconductor 300 comprises two resistors r 1 ( r / 2 ) and r 2 ( r / 2 ), two operational amplifiers op 1 and op 2 , a dc current source i 1 st , and four n - channel transistors mn 1 , mn 2 , mn 3 , and mn 4 . the aspect ratio of mn 3 to mn 1 is n : 1 and the aspect ratio of mn 4 to mn 2 is n : 1 . the resistor r 1 is coupled between a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 and an output terminal of the current source i 1 st , and the resistor r 2 is coupled between a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 and the output terminal of the current source i 1 st . the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 1 and mn 3 are coupled to each other and the n - channel transistors mn 1 and mn 3 operate as a current mirror 310 . in the current mirror 310 , the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 1 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 310 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 3 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 310 , which is coupled to the first current path of the switch quad . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 1 and mn 3 are grounded . the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 2 and mn 4 are coupled to each other and the n - channel transistors mn 2 and mn 4 operate as a current mirror 320 . in the current mirror 320 , the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 2 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 320 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 4 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 320 , which is coupled to the second current path of the switch quad . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 2 and mn 4 are grounded . moreover , the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 is coupled to the gate of the n - channel transistor mn 1 , and the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 is coupled to the gate of the n - channel transistor mn 2 . the voltage signals vin + and vin − are applied to the negative input terminals of the operational amplifiers op 1 and op 2 , respectively . the equivalent circuit of the third embodiment using the small signal differential model is the same as the fig1 . the resistors r 1 and r 2 are coupled in series ( r / 2 + r / 2 = r ) between the positive terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 and the positive terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 . therefore , the current ic flowing through the current control terminals of the two current mirrors is given by the equation ic =( vin + − vin − )/ r . the current iin flowing through the current mirroring terminals of the two current mirrors is given by the equation iin = n ( vin + − vin − )/ r . the linear voltage - current transfer function is achieved in the transconductor 300 of the third embodiment of the present invention . fig1 depicts a mixer according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention . the main difference between the fourth embodiment and the third embodiment is the design of the current mirror . each of the current mirrors 430 and 440 comprises cascade transistors . these cascade transistors provide more precise currents to the current control terminals and the current mirroring terminals of the current mirrors 430 and 440 . the current mirror 430 comprise four n - channel transistors mn 5 , mn 7 , mn 9 , and mn 11 . the aspect ratio of mn 7 to mn 5 is n : 1 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 9 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 430 . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 9 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 5 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 11 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 430 , which is coupled to the first current path of the switch quad . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 11 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 7 . the gates of the n - channel transistor mn 9 and mn 11 are coupled to the dc bias voltage source vbias . the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 5 and mn 7 are coupled to the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 5 and mn 7 are grounded . the current mirror 440 comprises four n - channel transistors mn 6 , mn 8 , mn 10 , and mn 12 . the aspect ratio of mn 8 to mn 6 is n : 1 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 10 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 440 . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 10 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 6 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 12 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 440 , which is coupled to the second current path of the switch quad . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 12 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 8 . the gates of the n - channel transistor mn 10 and mn 12 are coupled to the dc bias voltage source vbias . the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 6 and mn 8 are coupled to the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 6 and mn 8 are grounded . the equivalent circuit of the fourth embodiment in the small signal differential model is the same as the fig1 . the resistors r 1 and r 2 are coupled in series ( r / 2 + r / 2 = r ) between the positive terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 and the positive terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 . therefore , the current ic flowing through the current control terminals of the two current mirrors is given by the equation ic =( vin + − vin − )/ r . the current iin flowing through the current mirroring terminals of the two current mirrors is given by the equation iin = n ( vin + − vin − )/ r . the linear voltage - current transfer function is achieved in the transconductor 400 of the fourth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 depicts a mixer according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention . the main difference between the fifth embodiment and the first embodiment is the bias currents applied to the resistor r 3 . the transconductor 500 comprises a resistor r 3 having a resistor value of r , two current sources i 2 nd and i 3 rd , two operational amplifiers op 1 and op 2 , and four n - channel transistors mn 1 , mn 2 , mn 3 , and mn 4 . the aspect ratio of mn 3 to mn 1 is n : 1 and the aspect ratio of mn 4 to mn 2 is n : 1 . the resistor r 3 is coupled between a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 and a positive input terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 . the output terminal of the current source i 2 nd is coupled to the positive input terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 , and the output terminal of the current source i 3 rd is coupled to the positive input terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 . the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 1 and mn 3 are coupled to each other and the n - channel transistors mn 1 and mn 3 operate as a current mirror 510 . in the current mirror 510 , the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 1 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 510 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 3 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 510 , which is coupled to the first current path of the switch quad . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 1 and mn 3 are grounded . the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 2 and mn 4 are coupled to each other and the n - channel transistors mn 2 and mn 4 operate as a current mirror 520 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 2 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 520 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 4 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 520 , which is coupled to the second current path of the switch quad . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 2 and mn 4 are grounded . moreover , the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 is coupled to the gate of the n - channel transistor mn 1 , and the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 is coupled to the gate of the n - channel transistor mn 2 . the voltage signals vin + and vin − are applied to the negative input terminals of the operational amplifiers op 1 and op 2 , respectively . the equivalent circuit of the fifth embodiment using a small signal differential model is the same as the fig1 . the resistor r 3 is coupled between the positive terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 and the positive terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 . therefore , the current ic flowing through the current control terminals of these two current mirrors is given by the equation ic =( vin + − vin − )/ r . the current iin flowing through the current mirroring terminals of these two current mirrors is given by the equation iin = n *( vin + − vin − )/ r . the linear voltage - current transfer function can be achieved in the transconductor 500 of the fifth embodiment of the present invention . fig1 depicts a mixer according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention . the main difference between the sixth embodiment and the fifth embodiment is the circuitry of the current mirror . each of the current mirrors 630 and 640 comprises cascade transistors . these cascade transistors provide more precise currents to the current control terminals and the current mirroring terminals of the current mirror 630 and the current mirror 640 . the current mirror 630 comprises four n - channel transistors mn 5 , mn 7 , mn 9 , and mn 11 . the aspect ratio of mn 7 to mn 5 is n : 1 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 9 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 630 . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 9 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 5 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 11 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 630 , which is coupled to the first current path of the switch quad . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 11 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 7 . the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 9 and mn 11 are coupled to the dc bias voltage source ( vbias ). the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 5 and mn 7 are coupled to the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 1 . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 5 and mn 7 are grounded . the current mirror 640 comprises four n - channel transistors mn 6 , mn 8 , mn 10 , and mn 12 . the aspect ratio of mn 8 to mn 6 is n : 1 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 10 serves as a current control terminal of the current mirror 640 . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 10 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 6 . the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 12 serves as a current mirroring terminal of the current mirror 640 , which is coupled to the second current path of the switch quad . the source of the n - channel transistor mn 12 is coupled to the drain of the n - channel transistor mn 8 . the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 10 and mn 12 are coupled to the dc bias voltage source ( vbias ). the gates of the n - channel transistors mn 6 and mn 8 are coupled to the output terminal of the operational amplifier op 2 . the sources of the n - channel transistors mn 6 and mn 8 are grounded . the equivalent circuit of the sixth embodiment in a small signal differential model is the same as the fig1 . the resistor r 3 ( r ) is coupled between the positive terminals of the operational amplifiers op 1 and op 2 . therefore , the current ic flowing through the current control terminals of the two current mirrors is given by the equation ic =( vin + − vin − )/ r . the current iin flowing through the current mirroring terminals of the two current mirrors is given by the equation iin = n * ( vin + − vin − )/ r . the linear voltage - current transfer function is achieved in the transconductor 600 in this embodiment . from the above - mentioned embodiments , the mixers have different dc biasing circuits , but have the same equivalent circuit in the small signal differential model . furthermore , the linear voltage - current transfer function is achieved in transconductors of all embodiments by using the negative feedback feature of the operational amplifier and using a resistor coupled between the drains of two transistors . while the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiments . on the contrary , it covers 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 |
the needle - free injection system described herein can effectively administer id injectables with the same volume range of injectables as the needle and ampule system without any significant user skill or training . to increase the efficiency of id injections , an id adapter was developed that attaches to the distal end of the ampule of the preferred embodiment of the present invention : the needle - free injection system described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 399 , 163 or that described in pending u . s . application ser . no . 08 / 858 , 249 , both of which are incorporated herein by reference . for either system , the actual injection site on the body can be in many different locations ( e . g . the medial side of the forearm or around the knee ). in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , an intradermal adapter , shown at 12 , is coupled to the needle - free injection system described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 399 , 163 or that described in pending u . s . application ser . no . 08 / 858 , 249 , the ampule portion of which is indicated generally and schematically at 10 . intradermal adapter 12 is annular in cross section . it spaces the tip of an ampule 14 off the skin approximately 0 . 76 - 1 . 0 inches , and preferably about 0 . 79 inches , and has an inside diameter of approximately 0 . 50 - 0 . 70 inches , preferably about 0 . 60 . this system increases the efficiency of an id dna - based injection when compared to conventional needle and ampule systems , as well as other available needle - free injection systems . the preferred embodiment of the present invention also envisions a method of injecting a predetermined amount of dna - based injectate at an id site . using the needle - free injection system of the preferred embodiment ensures that the dna - based injectate is suitably spread throughout the intradermal space to maximize the likelihood that the injectate will cause the desired immunological response . the goal of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is to deliver dna - based injectables to an id site so that the body &# 39 ; s immune system is systemically activated to a degree not previously achieved with needle and ampule and other needle - free injection systems . one method to increase the effectiveness of an id dna - based injection is to increase the speed at which the genetic message is delivered to the immune system . this can be accomplished in many ways . two such methods are : 1 ) to increase the quantity of cells transfected by depositing all of the injectate over as large an area as possible in the target site at a sufficient pressure to ensure transfection ; and 2 ) to administer an id injection that causes a certain amount of local tissue disruption to occur , which will encourage an immune response . the preferred embodiment of the present invention does increase the speed at which the genetic message is delivered to the immune system . it does so by the two means suggested above . fig3 and 4 show a schematic cross - section of an id injection using the preferred embodiment of the present invention with a dna - based injectable being directed through the many layers of skin tissue . the dispersion pattern deposits the injectate over a large area under sufficient pressure to increase transfection . it is quite different from the pooling or bolus which results from a conventional ampule and needle injection ( see fig2 ). second , local tissue disruption is caused in the layers of the skin again by the dispersion pattern . this local tissue disruption is different than the cell transfection described earlier in that transfection occurs at the cellular level and in this context , tissue disruption occurs as separation of the many layers of skin without penetration through the superficial fascia ( see fig4 ). thus , an immune response is activated due to the local tissue disruption . the proper distribution of injectate through the intradermal space is dependent upon three variables : 1 ) the ampule tip should be at the proper distance from the skin ( i . e . 0 . 76 to 1 . 0 inches ); 2 ) the diameter of the adapter where skin contact is made should be within certain parameters ( i . e . 0 . 50 to 0 . 70 inches ); and 3 ) the injectate must be delivered at the proper pressure and for the appropriate period of time . as depicted in fig3 and 4 , the proximal end 16 of adapter 12 is slipped over the distal end 18 of ampule 14 . the proximal end 16 of adaptor 12 is enlarged , creating a shoulder or abutment 22 ( see fig6 - 7 ). axial ribs 24 cooperate with abutment 22 to ensure that the adapter is properly positioned on ampule 14 . adapter 12 also has an enlarged flange or contact ring 26 at its distal end for stability . the outer diameter of contact ring 26 is normally between 0 . 70 and 0 . 90 inches , or at least about 0 . 20 inches greater than the inner diameter of adapter 12 . the reason it is important to space the tip of the ampule off the skin by the given amount is to ensure penetration to the proper depth . proper adapter sizing is important to ensure that the device does not interfere with the formation of the id wheal . the lower limit of its size was determined by noting the wheal diameter that was formed for the largest expected volume . the upper limit was determined by physical constraints such as injection site . with the preferred embodiment , injectate 28 is directed out of the orifice of ampule 14 , through the epidermis 5 and into the intradermal space 2 . the wheal ( shown in phantom at 30 ) will typically form above the injection site . the wheal is depicted in phantom because it does not typically form until immediately after the injection . as depicted in fig1 , the pressure of the injectate inside the ampule should rapidly rise to a peak pressure of 3900 - 4300 psi , preferably to about 4100 psi , in less than 5 milliseconds , and preferably in 1 millisecond or less . this phase of the injection is termed the penetration phase . in the penetration phase , the skin tissue is penetrated . the peak pressure should be in the range given to ensure penetration of the skin . injectate pressures below this peak value are not sufficient to consistently pierce the skin layer . injectate pressures above the range would penetrate too deep . the quick pressure rise is necessary to instantly penetrate to the desired level and avoid any injectate coming back through the tissue , a phenomenon known as “ splash - back ”. next the injectate pressure inside the ampule is dropped to about 2800 - 3800 psi . this phase of the injection , termed the delivery phase , is when the predetermined volume of the id dna injectate is delivered to the intradermal space . it is in this phase that the benefits of the needle - free injection system described herein can be noted . the injectate disperses out over a relatively large area ( compared with the needle and ampule injection system ). this is basically due to the co 2 gas power source used in the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the co 2 gas , coupled with the proper pressure regulating valves and mass flow controls , provides a stable energy source throughout the injection . this translates to a large ( between 1200 and 2500 psi ) and steady ( no significant pressure fluctuations ) delivery pressure in the ampule . another consequence of this large and steady delivery pressure is local tissue disruption which appears as separation of the many layers of skin without penetration through the superficial fascia ( see fig2 ). finally , at the end of the injection , a plunger inside the ampule will bottom - out on the ampule itself this is the only mechanism that stops the injection . thus , the driving force on the plunger remains high until all the injectate is delivered and because of the plunger - ampule impact , the residual injectate pressure drops to atmospheric pressure in less than 10 milliseconds . the effect of this characteristic is to deliver the entire volume to the desired depth and to prevent the injectate from leaking back through the tissue , a phenomenon known as “ leak - back ”. fig1 depicts a typical pressure profile for a ¼cc id injection using the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the term “ pressure profile ” is defined as a graph of injectate pressure in the ampule vs . time . data were collected with a pressure transducer mounted on the ampule so that the sensing element was exposed to the injectate ( just upstream of the start of the nozzle ) without interfering with the injection . the transducer had a resolution of 0 . 20 psi and a linearity of 2 % full scale . the transducer was connected to a pc - based data acquisition system , which consisted of a personal computer , application software , data acquisition board , signal conditioning unit and a power supply . a scan rate of 10 , 000 samples per second was found to be fast enough to capture the event . this figure shows the injectate pressure in the ampule rising to a peak of about 4300 psi in about 1 millisecond . immediately following the peak pressure , a 800 psi drop in pressure occurs ( down to about 3500 psi ) for roughly 1 millisecond . the ampule pressure then returns to its original peak pressure . this phenomenon is probably due to the compliance of the ampule . that is , the ampule was designed to be stiff to easily withstand the pressure , but since its not a perfectly rigid structure , it swells slightly under the large imposed pressure . this swelling means that the diameter of the ampule actually increases slightly , for about 1 millisecond . apparently , some energy is being used to induce this swelling which would otherwise go into pressurizing the fluid . simultaneously , the ampule plunger transitions from the initial impact to more of a steady state condition ( analogous to the penetration and delivery phase discussed earlier ), fluid is expelled out of the small orifice at the distal end of the ampule and the ampule relaxes to its nominal size . this causes the pressure to rebound to its original level . this phenomenon could account for the quick drop and rebound in pressure following the peak pressure . subsequent pressure fluctuations are much smaller in magnitude ( approximately 100 psi ) and probably are caused by the same phenomenon , just on a smaller scale . although this phenomenon was not part of the design intent , it has no measurable effect on the id injection and is therefore considered to be tolerable . the curve starts to become truly smooth at about 20 milliseconds and continues to remain so until the end of the injection . an example of a situation where the pressure fluctuations might be significant for id dna - based injections can be found in needle - free injection systems that use a mechanical or gas spring as a power source . these type of devices are normally used for sc injections . typically , these devices use a compressed spring to drive the ampule plunger and administer the injection . fig8 shows a typical pressure profile for a mechanical spring powered needle - free injection system . the data were acquired with the same system mentioned previously . in these systems , as with the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the pressure in the ampule rises rapidly to its peak of about 4100 psi in less than 1 millisecond . however , for the next 9 milliseconds or so , significant pressure oscillations can be seen . at one point , a drop of about 2800 psi occurs ( see fig9 ). this pressure oscillation translates to a pulsating fluid stream which would have three effects on an attempted id dna injection : 1 ) the entire volume would not be deposited at the desired depth ( i . e . the superficial fascia would be penetrated ); 2 ) the dispersion pattern would not be optimal ; and 3 ) tissue disruption would occur at all tissue layers , rather than just in the target layer ( i . e . intradermal space ). another drawback to using a spring as a power source is that the ampule pressure at the end of the injection is typically very low ( roughly 700 psi ). this pressure is simply too low to ensure that all the injectate is deposited in the intradermal space . changes and modifications of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . such changes and modifications are intended to be covered by the following claims : | 0 |
the classical principle of non - radiative energy transfer is based on faraday &# 39 ; s induction law . a transmitter forms a primary and a receiver forms a secondary separated by a transmission distance . the primary represents the transmit antenna generating an alternating magnetic field . the secondary represents the receive antenna that extracts electrical power from the alternating magnetic field using faraday &# 39 ; s induction law . - μ 0 ∂ h ( t ) ∂ t = ∇ × e ( t ) where ∇× e ( t ) denotes curl of the electrical field generated by the alternating magnetic field the inventors recognize , however , that the weak coupling that exists between the primary and secondary may be considered as a stray inductance . this stray inductance , in turn , increases the reactance , which itself may hamper the energy transfer between primary and secondary . the transfer efficiency of this kind of weakly coupled system can be improved by using capacitors that are tuned to the precise opposite of the reactance of the operating frequency . when a system is tuned in this way , it becomes a compensated transformer which is resonant at its operating frequency . the power transfer efficiency is then only limited by losses in the primary and secondary . these losses are themselves defined by their quality or q factors . compensation of stray inductance may also be considered as part of the source and load impedance matching in order to maximize the power transfer . impedance matching in this way can hence increase the amount of power transfer . fig1 illustrates impedance matching between the transmit and receive portions of a non - radiative system . as the distance d between the transmitter 100 and the receiver 150 increases , the efficiency of the transmission can decrease . at increased distances , larger loops , and / or larger q factors may be used to improve the efficiency . however , when these devices are incorporated into a portable device , the size of the loop may be limited by the parameters of the portable device . efficiency can be improved by reducing antenna losses . at low frequencies such as less than 1 mhz , losses can be attributed to imperfectly conducting materials , and eddy currents in the proximity of the loop . flux magnification materials such as ferrite materials can be used to artificially increase the size of the antenna . eddy current losses are inherently reduced by concentrating the magnetic field . special kinds of wire can also be used to lower the resistance , such as stranded or litz wire at low frequencies to mitigate skin effect . an alternative to non - radiative transfer uses a magneto mechanical system as described in our co - pending application ser . no . 12 / 210 , 200 , filed sep . 14 , 2008 . this picks up energy from the magnetic field , converts it to mechanical energy , and then reconverts to electrical energy using faraday &# 39 ; s induction law . according to an embodiment , the magneto mechanical system may be part of an energy receiving system that receives energy from an alternating magnetic field . according to an embodiment , the magneto mechanical system is formed of a magnet , e . g . a permanent magnet , which is mounted in a way that allows it to oscillate under the force of an external alternating magnetic field . this transforms energy from the magnetic field into mechanical energy . assume a charged particle moving at a velocity γ and a magnetic field h . in an embodiment , this oscillation uses rotational moment around an axis perpendicular to the vector of the magnetic dipole moment m , and is also positioned in the center of gravity of the magnet . this allows equilibrium and thus minimizes the effect of the gravitational force . a magnetic field applied to this system produces a torque of this torque aligns the magnetic dipole moment of the elementary magnet along the direction of the field vector . the torque accelerates the moving magnet ( s ), thereby transforming the oscillating magnetic energy into mechanical energy . the basic system is shown in fig2 . the magnet 200 is held in place by a torsion spring 210 . this torsion spring holds the magnet in position shown as 201 when no torque from the magnetic field is applied . this no - torque position 201 is considered θ = 0 . magnetic torque causes the magnet 200 to move against the force of the spring , to the position 202 , against the force of the spring with spring constant k r . the movement forms an inertial moment i that creates a torsion pendulum that exhibits a resonance at a frequency proportional to the square root of the ratio k r over i . frictional losses and electromagnetic radiation is caused by the oscillating magnetic dipole moment . if this system is subjected to an alternating field h ac at the resonance of the system , then the torsion pendulum will oscillate with an angular displacement data depending on the intensity of the applied magnetic field . according to another embodiment , some or all of the torsion spring is replaced by an additional static magnetic field h dc . this static magnetic field is oriented to provide the torque another embodiment may use both the spring and a static magnetic field to hold the device . the mechanical energy is reconverted into electrical energy using ordinary faraday induction e . g . the dynamo principle . this can be used for example an induction coil 305 wound around the magneto electrical system 200 as shown in fig3 . a load such as 310 can be connected across the coil 305 . this load appears as a mechanical resistance . the load dampens the system and lowers the q factor of the mechanical oscillator . in addition , when the coil has a load across it , the eddy currents in the magnets may increase . these eddy currents will also contribute to system losses . in an embodiment , the eddy currents are produced by the alternating magnetic field that results from the coil current . smaller magnets in the magneto system may reduce the eddy currents . according to an embodiment , an array of smaller magnets is used in order to minimize this eddy current effect . a magneto mechanical system will exhibit saturation if the angular displacement of the magnet reaches a peak value . this peak value can be determined from the direction of the external h field or by the presence of a displacement stopper such as 315 to protect the torsion spring against plastic deformation . this may also be limited by the packaging , such as the limited available space for a magnet element . according to one embodiment , optimum matching is obtained when the loaded q becomes half of the unloaded q . according to an embodiment , the induction coil is designed to fulfill that condition to maximize the amount of output power . when using an array of such moving magnets , there may be mutual coupling between the magnets forming the array . this mutual coupling can cause internal forces and demagnetization . according to an embodiment , the array can be radially symmetrical , e . g ., spheroidal , either regular or prolate , as shown in fig4 a and 4b . fig4 a shows the parallel flux lines of a magnetized sphere . this shows the magnetic flux density b . fig4 b shows the magnetic field strength in a magnetized sphere . from these figures that can be seen that there is effectively zero displacement between magnets in a spheroid shaped three - dimensional array . therefore , the magnets are preferably in - line with the axis of the spheroid shown as 400 . this causes the internal forces to vanish for angular displacement of the magnets . this causes the resonance frequency to be solely defined by the mechanical system parameters . a sphere has these advantageous factors , but may also have a demagnetization factor is low as ⅓ , where an optimum demagnetization factor is one . assuming equal orientation of axes in all directions , a disc shaped array can also be used . discs have a magnetization factor that is very high , for example closer to 1 . magnetization factor of a disc will depend on the width to diameter ratio . the shaped elements also have a form factor that is more suitable for integration into a device , since spheroids have a flat part that may be more easily used without increasing the thickness of the structure the following is a comparison of magneto - mechanical systems with classical ferrimagnetic materials ( ferrites ). ferrimagnetic materials or ferrites may be modeled as a magneto - mechanical system or conversely , magneto - mechanical systems may be considered as ferrites with special properties that may not be achievable with the classical ferrite materials . this will be shown in the following : in ferrimagnetic substances , the magnetic moments of adjacent atoms are aligned opposite like in antiferromagnetic materials but the moments do not fully compensate so that there is a net magnetic moment . however , this is less than in ferromagnetic materials that can be used for permanent magnets . even though there are weaker magnetic effects , some of these ferrimagnetic materials , known as ferrites , have a low electrical conductivity . this makes these materials useful in the cores of ac inductors and transformers since induced eddy currents are lower . a low electrical conductivity can also be found in a magneto - mechanical system composed of a multitude of small elementary magnets that are mutually electrically isolated so that eddy currents are attenuated . the crystalline ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials are typically structured in magnetic domains also called weiss domains . atoms in a domain are aligned so that a net magnetic moment results . these domains may be considered as the magnets of a magneto - mechanical system . in many magnetic materials , to a varying degree , the domain magnetization tends to align itself along one of the main crystal directions . this direction is called the easy direction of magnetization and represents a state of minimum energy . in a ferrite material , the directions of crystal domains may be considered randomly oriented so that there is complete cancellation and the resultant net magnetic moment at macroscopic level is zero , if no external magnetic field is applied . this is in contrast to the magneto - mechanical systems where the “ elementary ” magnets are equally oriented . to rotate the magnetic moment of a crystalline domain in another ( non - easy ) direction , a certain force and work is required depending on the angle of rotation . such work is performed if the ferrimagnetic material is subjected to an external magnetic field . the underlying physical phenomenon is lorentz force applied to the magnetic moment , as described above . the torsion spring ( mechanical or magnetic ) of a magneto - mechanical system sets the magnetic orientation of domains back to their state of minimum energy . if the external field is removed , it may be considered as the torsion spring of a magneto - mechanical system . since crystal domains in ferrites have different shapes and sizes , they appear as different spring constants . another embodiment uses elementary oscillators which all have an equal spring constant . stronger external fields cause more domains to be aligned or better aligned to the direction given by the external magnetic field . this effect is called magnetic polarization . this may be mathematically expressed as where j is the magnetic polarization , m is the magnetization , and μ r the relative permeability . the magnetization effect may be considered as a magnification of the magnetic flux density at the receive location by the factor μ r using rotatable magnetic moments . this principle of local magnification of magnetic flux density is inherent to the magneto - mechanical system described above . thus a relative permeability may be attributed to a magneto - mechanical system . in a resonant system , this relative permeability will be a function of frequency and reaches a maximum close to the resonance frequency . another mechanism for changing the domain magnetization which may occur in ferrite materials is the direction of magnetization remains the same but the volumes occupied by the individual domains may change . this process , called domain wall motion , the domains whose magnetization direction is closest to the filed direction grow larger while those that are more unfavorably oriented shrink in size . this kind of magnetization process differs from that of a magneto - mechanical system as described above . if the external magnetic field is continuously increased , the ferrite material will be progressively magnetized until a point of saturation is reached . saturation is a state where net magnetic moments of domains are maximally aligned to the external magnetic field . magneto - mechanical systems , as described above , saturate when the angular displacement of elementary magnets reaches the maximum peak angular displacement . the dynamic behavior when an alternating external magnetic field is applied is different . for this purpose the magnetization process of a bulk ferrite material can be considered . considering a typical magnetization curve ( m as a function of the external field h ) of a ferrite , three major regions can be identified in which the ferrite shows different dynamic behavior . at low magnetization , domain wall movements and rotations are mainly reversible . being reversible means that the original magnetization condition can be returned when the external field is increased and then again decreased to its original field strength , other than hysteresis effects . the second region of the magnetization curve is one in which the slope of magnetization ( m vs . h ) is greater and in which irreversible domain wall motion occurs . the third section of the curve is one of irreversible domain rotations . here the slope is very flat indicating the high field strength that is required to rotate the remaining domain magnetization in line with the external magnetic field . irreversible domain wall motion or domain rotation explains the well known hysteresis in the magnetization curve that is presented by all ferrites in a more or less pronounced manner . hysteresis means that the magnetization or the induction b lags relative to the external magnetic field . as a consequence , the induction b at a given field h cannot be specified without knowledge of the previous magnetic history of the ferrite sample . thus hysteresis may be considered as memory inherent to the material . the area included in a hysteresis loop is a measure of the magnetic losses incurred in a cyclic magnetization process e . g . as resulting from an alternating external magnetic field . with respect to the application of wireless energy transfer , there will be a requirement to drive a ferrite at least into the second region of magnetization where hysteresis losses typically become significant . this requirement is different e . g . for a communication receiver antenna . this is , however , not further shown here . at higher frequencies two major loss contributors can be identified in ferrite materials : eddy current losses due to residual conductivity in the ferrite . hysteresis losses increase proportionally with frequency as the energy to cycle once around the hysteresis loop is independent of the speed . eddy current losses have the effect of broadening the hysteresis loop . magneto - mechanical systems using a torsion spring as described above are largely hysteresis - free , where irreversible effects are concerned . at higher frequencies eddy current losses must be expected too . at lower frequencies (& lt ;& lt ; 1 mhz ) a magneto - mechanical system has the potential to provide high q - factors at levels close to saturation . for alternating fields , a ferrite core material may be characterized by its complex permeability the real and imaginary part represent the permeability with the magnetization in phase and in quadrature to the external field , respectively . the two permeabilities can often be found plotted in data sheets for ferrite materials . typically , the real component is fairly constant with frequency , rises slightly , then falls rapidly at higher frequencies . the imaginary component on the other hand first rises slowly and then increases quite abruptly where the real component is falling sharply . the maximum in μ ′ that occurs shortly before cut - off is ferrimagnetic resonance . ferrimagnetic resonance is an intrinsic property of a ferrite material and may be considered as the upper frequency at which the material can be used . it is also observed that the higher the permeability μ ′ of the material , the lower the frequency of the ferrimagnetic resonance . this phenomenon of resonance indicates domain rotation , a counter torque ( spring ), and a certain inertial moment . it can be shown that the resonance frequency depends on the so - called gyromagnetic ratio . ferrites show a resonance similar to a magneto - mechanical system however with a too low q - factor so that this effect cannot be technically exploited to get materials with high permeability μ ′ at a specified frequency . gyromagnetic resonance with high q - factors ( up to 10 , 000 ) can be observed at microwave frequencies (& gt ; 1 ghz ) in certain ferrite materials ( e . g . yttrium iron garnets ) if the material is subjected to strong static magnetic fields . this effect , which is based on electron spin precession , can be exploited to build microwave components such as circulators , isolators , high - q filters and oscillators . non - radiative energy transfer using coupled magnetic resonance in the microwave range would however be limited to extremely short range . gyromagnetic resonance may be considered as a magneto - mechanical system at the atomic level . a difference is however that magnetic moments are processing around the field lines of the static magnetic field rather than oscillating axially . in both cases there is , however , a moving magnetic moment and an angular displacement . therefore , it can be seen that the magneto mechanical systems can use ferrimagnetism and gyromagnetism as part of their energy transfer . a magneto - mechanical system may be formed of a single permanent magnet or of a multitude ( an array ) of elementary magnets . theoretical analyses shows that : the ratio of magnetic moment - to - inertial moment increases with the number of elementary magnets . this ratio is similar to the gyromagnetic ratio known from ferromagnetism . k c = p av h ac 2 v s where p av denotes the power that is available under the condition of optimum matching , h ac is the external alternating magnetic field strength , and vs the volume required by the magneto - mechanical system . this figure of merit , which is called the specific power conversion factor , is indicative of how much power per unit system volume can be extracted from an alternating magnetic field , h ac ′ if penduli are perpendicularly oriented to the direction of the exciting magnetic field . theoretical analysis using the assumption of rod magnets of length l em shows that for a given system q - factor and operating frequency , the specific power conversion factor increases inversely proportional to l em 2 ; and thus to n e 2 / 3 where n e is the number of elementary oscillators fitting into the unit system volume . this equation does not hold for items in saturation , which means that the angular displacement of the torsion penduli is not limited by stoppers . this is a very interesting result indicating the advantage of an array of elementary magnets over a single oscillating magnet . higher specific power conversion factors can have lower field strengths where the system saturates . as a consequence of saturation , at a given frequency there exists an upper bound for the available power per unit system volume , which depends on theory shows that this upper bound linearly increases with h ac . this upper bound is an important design parameter for a magneto - mechanical system . it also shows that there exists some degree of freedom to design magneto - mechanical systems as long as the ratio remains constant , where q ul is the unloaded q - factor of the magneto - mechanical system . the above analysis shows that using an array of micro magneto - mechanical oscillators enables the design of a system with a performance better than anything achievable in practice with a single macro oscillator . a macro sized oscillator would require an extremely high q - factor that could not be realized in a mechanical system . another embodiment uses micro - electromechanical systems ( mems ) to create the magneto mechanical systems . fig5 shows one embodiment of forming an array of magneto mechanical oscillators using mems technology . an array 500 may be formed of a number of magnet elements such as 502 . each magnet elements 502 is formed of two u - shaped slots 512 , 514 that are micro - machined into a silicon substrate . a permanent rod magnet 504 , 506 of similar size is formed within the slots . the magnet may be 10 μm or smaller . at the micrometer level , crystalline materials may behave differently than larger sizes . hence , this system can provide considerable angular displacement e . g . as high as 10 °. this may provide the ability to increase the q factor of such a system . the magnet itself may be on the order of 10 μm or smaller . these devices may be formed in a single bulk material such as silicon . the magnets 504 , 506 can have a high magnetization e . g . higher than 1 tesla . the magnet itself is composed of two half pieces , one piece attached to the upper side and the other piece attached to the lower side . preferably these devices are mounted so that the center of gravity coincides with the rotational axes . the device may be covered with a low friction material , or may have a vacuum located in the area between the tongue and bulk material in order to reduce type the friction . fig6 shows a cut through area of a three - dimensional array of magnets . in one embodiment , the array itself is formed of a radial symmetric shape , such as disc shaped . the disc shaped array of fig6 , 600 may provide a virtually constant demagnetization factor at virtually all displacement angles . in this embodiment , an induction coil may be wound around the disc to pick up the dynamic component of the oscillating induction field generated by the mems - magneto mechanical system . the resulting dynamic component of the system may be expressed as fig7 illustrates how the induction coil can be wound around the disc . mathematical equations for the power that can be transferred through a magneto - mechanical system per unit system volume can be derived in terms of system parameters such as geometry ( e . g . size or number of elementary oscillators ) material properties frequency external alternating magnetic field strength equations for the maximum available power are determined under the constraints of a limited angular displacement and q - factor of the magneto - mechanical oscillator . these equations analyze the potential of magneto - mechanical systems and to find optimum design parameters . a primary system parameter is a parameter that is independent of any other parameter of the set and thus cannot be expressed as a function of another parameter . to analyze the system , the following set of primary parameters have been chosen : v s : volume of magneto mechanical system [ m 3 ]. ν em : specific volume of elementary magnet in [ m 3 / kg ] h em : internal magnetic field strength of elementary magnet [ a / m ] α : fill factor ( ratio of total magnetic volume to system volume ) q ul : unloaded q - factor of mechanical resonator ( s ). it includes the losses due to mechanical friction , radiation , and due to conversion from mechanical to electrical energy . θ peak : maximum peak displacement angle of magnet rod supported by the mechanical resonator [ rad ] ______ f 0 : resonance frequency [ hz ] p av — mech : available mechanical power . ( maximum power into load ) r em : radius of elementary rod magnet [ m ] (= l em / ρ em ) v em : volume of an elementary magnet = l em 3 π / ρ em v e : volume required by an elementary system ( resonator ) (= v em / α ) n e : number of elementary magnets in system volume = v s / v e i : moment of inertia of elementary magnet [ kg m 2 ]. it is a function of ν em , l em , and ρ em k r : torsion spring constant [ kg m 2 s − 2 ]. it is a function of q ul , f 0 , and i γ s : dynamic rotational friction ( angular velocity proportional to torque ) representing all system losses [ kg m 2 s − 1 ]. it is a function of q ul , f 0 , and i and includes the losses due to mechanical friction , radiation , and due to conversion from mechanical to electrical energy . γ l : load equivalent dynamic rotational friction [ kg m 2 s − 1 ]. ω : angular velocity of oscillating elementary system m : magnetic moment ( vector ) [ am 2 ]. it is a function of l em , ρ em , and h em θ : displacement angle [ rad ] φ : angle between magnetic moment vector at zero displacement and vector of externally applied alternating magnetic field [ rad ] there is an analogy between linear electrical systems composed of inductances , capacitance , and resistances ; and a rotational mechanical system formed of a torsion spring , inertial moment , and dynamic friction ( angular velocity proportional to torque ). this analogy is shown in table 1 . this equation indicates that for given q ul and frequency , the available power increases inversely proportionally to the length of an elementary rod magnet , disregarding the resulting angular displacement . for the peak angular displacement of an elementary oscillator we get : indicating that the peak angular displacement at given q - factor and frequency increases inversely proportional to the length of an elementary rod magnet thus setting some constraints on the external magnetic field strength h ac and therefore also on the power that can be extracted from the external magnetic field . introducing a maximum angular displacement constraint leads to a relation for the frequency - magnet length product : using the constraint on the peak angular displacement ( saturation ), an interesting equation on the maximum available power can be obtained : this equation may also be expressed in terms of the total magnetic moment m lot of the magneto - mechanical system and the external magnetic induction b ac as follows : this equation is not anymore dependent on q - factor , and length of rod magnet , which indicates a certain degree of freedom in the design of magneto - mechanical systems . these parameters however are hidden or implicit to the peak angular displacement θ peak . the maximum available power linearly increases with frequency . this behavior can also be found in systems that are directly based on faraday &# 39 ; s induction law . a useful definition to quantify performance of a magneto - mechanical system is the specific power conversion factor that has already been described . a system may be designed for a high k c , compromising with a lower saturation level . conversely , a system may be designed for a higher saturation level compromising with a lower k c . v s = 4 · 10 − 6 m 3 (= 4 cm 3 equivalent to a disk with a diameter of 4 cm and thickness of 3 . 1 mm ) ν em = 131 . 6 · 10 − 6 m 3 / kg h em = 1t / μ 0 a / m α = 0 . 25 q ul = 1000 θ peak = 0 . 175 rad (− 10 °) φ = 0 the field strength of major interest is h ac = 5 a / m the power theoretically linearly increases with frequency . it must be noticed however that at higher frequencies power may be additionally limited by other factors such as maximum stored oscillatory energy in the system , mechanical strain , etc . this is not considered in this analysis . the available power as a function of the external alternating magnetic field strength can be computed for different length of the elementary magnets . a system using rod magnets of 20 μm length saturates at approximately 2 . 5 w while a system using 10 μm rod length saturates at a lower value of about 600 mw . the 10 μm system however is more sensitive ( higher specific power conversion factor ) than the one that uses 20 μm rods . this can be checked at a field strength of 5 a / m . based on this example , one can see that a disc shaped system with 4 cm diameter 3 mm thickness can extract up to 260 mw from a magnetic field of 5 amps per meter at 135 khz . although only a few embodiments have been disclosed in detail above , other embodiments are possible and the inventors intend these to be encompassed within this specification . the specification describes specific examples to accomplish ˜ more general goal that may be accomplished in another way . this disclosure is intended to be exemplary , and the claims are intended to cover any modification or alternative which might be predictable to a person having ordinary skill in the art . for example , other sizes , materials and connections can be used . other structures can be used to receive the magnetic field . in general , an electric field can be used in place of the magnetic field , as the primary coupling mechanism . other kinds of magnets and other shapes of arrays can be used . also , the inventors intend that only those claims which use the - words “ means for ” are intended to be interpreted under 35 usc 112 , sixth paragraph . moreover , no limitations from the specification are intended to be read into any claims , unless those limitations are expressly included in the claims . where a specific numerical value is mentioned herein , it should be considered that the value may be increased or decreased by 20 %, while still staying within the teachings of the present application , unless some different range is specifically mentioned . where a specified logical sense is used , the opposite logical sense is also intended to be encompassed . | 7 |
referring to fig1 there is shown a simplified , combined schematic and block diagram of a stark - tuned fir laser 10 in accordance with the present invention . the fir laser 10 includes a resonator housing 12 containing optically pumped ch 3 oh gas . a co 2 pump laser 14 which includes a quartz discharge tube housed in a 2 meter cavity directs a 9 . 7 micron laser beam via flat gold reflectors 16 and 20 and a focusing lens 18 and to one end of the resonator housing 12 . the focusing lens 18 is preferably comprised of znse having a 0 . 75 meter focal length and a 10 meter radius of curvature for focusing the co 2 laser beam at the input end of the resonator housing 12 . the addition of approximately 1 % xenon to the co 2 gas mixture in the laser 14 provides an approximately 10 % power increase . disposed within and along the length of the resonator housing 12 is a generally rectangular tube 54 as shown in the sectional view of fig2 . the rectangular tube 54 is preferably comprised of pyrex and defines a resonant cavity 56 within which the optically pumped ch 3 oh gas ( lasing medium ) is disposed . the ch 3 oh lasing medium outputs a beam with a wavelength of 119 microns . dimensions of a rectangular tube 54 used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention are shown in fig2 . the resonator housing 12 is preferably comprised of a 2 . 7 meter , 30 mm inner diameter pyrex tube with a coaxial coolant jacket 32 as shown in fig2 . a coolant 52 flows along and around the rectangular tube 54 and is confined by the jacket 32 . the jacket 32 is preferably comprised of pyrex with a 54 mm outer diameter and an approximately 3 mm thick wall . additional details of the resonator housing 12 are shown in the lateral , sectional view of fig3 . an optical mount includes an input optical coupler 76 having a znse window 72 and a gold coated , copper mirror 74 with a 4 mm diameter input aperture 74a or a gold coated cdte hybrid input coupler with a 4 mm clear aperture . another optical mount includes an output optical coupler 66 disposed on the output end of the resonant housing 12 having a z - cut quartz window 68 and a silicon mirror 70 . most of the laser beam is reflected by the silicon mirror 70 , with a portion of the beam exiting the resonant cavity 56 via the quartz window 68 . the copper mirror 74 in the input coupler 76 functions as a dichroic mirror similar to the silicon mirror 70 in the output coupler 66 on the output end of the resonator housing 12 . the silicon hybrid output coupler 70 is preferably coated with gold and includes a 6 mm diameter clear aperture 70a therein . the z - cut quartz window 68 is disposed on an outer portion of the silicon hybrid coupler 70 and over the aperture 70a therein . the output laser beam of the co 2 pump laser 14 is provided to the resonant housing via the input optical coupler 76 . a vacuum pump 39 coupled to the inner rectangular tube 54 continuously removes ch 3 oh from the tube . the optical mounts retaining the input and output couplers 76 , 66 are maintained at room temperature using circulating water from a closed water system including a temperature controlled reservoir and water pump ( not shown ). the circulating water system ensures long term stability of fir laser output power and prevents the formation of frost on the input and output couplers 76 , 66 caused by an antifreeze coolant 52 circulating within resonator housing 12 . resonator wall temperature is controlled by a chiller 38 which circulates the coolant 52 such as antifreeze through the resonator housing 12 and the rectangular shaped tube 54 therein . the rectangular tube 54 extends the full length of the resonator housing 12 and is mounted at respective ends to the input coupler 76 and the output coupler 66 . the chiller 38 is preferably capable of maintaining the walls of the resonant cavity 56 at room temperature or of even lowering the resonator wall temperature to as low as - 10 ° c . in the presence of an approximately 100 watt pump input beam . table i contains co 2 laser parameters , while table ii sets forth fir laser parameters in a preferred embodiment of the present invention . table i______________________________________co . sub . 2 laser parameters______________________________________line 9 μmpower 130 watts ( max . ) cavity length 2 . 0 metersdischarge length 1 . 67 metersbore 12 mmgrating 130 l / mmoutput coupler 10 m radius , 80 % reflectivity , znse 6 % co . sub . 2 17 % n . sub . 2 77 % he , 120 wattsgas mixture , power 22 kv , 45 ma , 12 % eff . operating point 6 % co . sub . 2 17 % n . sub . 2 77 % he 1 % xeefficiency 130 watts , 18 kv , 60 ma , 12 % eff . flow rate 14 cfm pumpelectrodes niimportant features no brewster windowsfor power / mode pzt external to vac . quality no restrictions in gas flow______________________________________ table ii______________________________________fir laser parameters______________________________________line 119 μm ( ch . sub . 3 oh ) power 830 mw ( max . ) cavity length 2 . 67 metersflow rate 14 cfm pumpbore 25 mmoutput coupler si hybrid coupler , 10 mm apertureinput coupler gold coated copper 4 mm aperture gold coated cdte , 4 mm aperture______________________________________ the chiller 38 typically includes a pump and a fluid temperature controller ( not shown for simplicity ). use of the chiller 38 at - 10 ° c . increases fir laser output on the order of 10 - 20 %. an electric field on the order of 500 - 600 v is applied to the ch 3 oh gas within the inner rectangular tube 54 in the resonant cavity 56 by means of upper and lower electrodes 58 , 60 . as shown in fig2 each of the upper and lower electrodes 58 , 60 is preferably comprised of nickel - plated , brass and is attached by conventional means such as an epoxy cement to an inner surface of the rectangular tube 54 along the length thereof . the upper and lower electrodes 58 , 60 are further coupled to a voltage source disposed outside of the resonator housing 12 by means of an electrical feedthrough connection at the output end of the housing as described below . also disposed within the resonant cavity 56 are first and second conductive layers 62 , 64 on facing inner surfaces of the rectangular tube 54 . each of the conductive layers 62 , 64 serves as a reflective and conductive coating to confine the electric field within the rectangular tube 54 . because the first and second electrodes 58 , 60 are disposed within the rectangular tube 54 , the walls of the resonator housing 12 and the inner rectangular tube can be cooled without electrical breakdown of the coolant 52 circulating through the resonator housing during the application of the stark field between the electrodes . wall cooling , in turn , allows for increased fir laser output powers . referring to fig4 there is shown a sectional view illustrating details of the output coupler 66 used in a preferred embodiment of the present invention . as described above , the output coupler 66 includes an inner silicon hybrid coupler 70 and an outer z - cut quartz window 68 . securely coupled by means of first and second mounting pins 96 , 98 to the inner surface of the silicon hybrid coupler 70 is a seal 82 . the seal 82 includes a center aperture in which is disposed an optical window 94 through which the output laser beam passes . an o - ring 84 is disposed in sealed relation between the seal 82 and the inner surface of the silicon hybrid coupler 70 . the seal 82 and 0 - ring 84 combination provides a vacuum - and water - tight seal for the output coupler 66 . the output coupler 66 may be securely attached in a sealed manner to an end of the resonator housing 12 by conventional means such as a weldment or mounting pins , with suitable vacuum and water seals disposed therebetween . details of the sealed coupling between input coupler 76 and output coupler 66 and the resonator housing 12 are not shown for simplicity , as such details are well known to those skilled in the relevant arts . disposed within the silicon hybrid coupler 70 is a feedthrough channel 70b as well as a gas port 86 . attached in a threaded manner to the distal end of the feedthrough channel 70b is an insulated seal / feedthrough 92 . a first grounded lead 88 is attached at one end to the silicon hybrid coupler 70 and at its other end to a stainless steel clip 88a . a second positive lead 90 is positioned within and extends through the insulated seal / feedthrough 92 . coupled to the proximal end of the second positive lead 90 is a second stainless steel clip 90a which is attached to a first upper brass electrode 58 within the resonant cavity 56 . a second lower brass electrode 60 is coupled to grounded clip 88a . the voltage is then raised to several hundred volts creating the stark effect and the splitting of the power peak shown in fig1 in increasing the bandwidth to 10 mhz . a voltage source 100 is coupled via the second positive lead 90 and clip 90a combination to one of the aforementioned brass electrodes within the resonant cavity , while the second brass electrode is coupled to neutral ground potential via the first lead 88 and grounding clip 88a combination . it is in this manner that an electric field is applied across the resonant cavity 56 to realize the stark - effect frequency splitting of a spectral line of the lasing gas therein . a suitable gas port may also be provided in the seal / feedthrough 92 to allow a buffer gas to be introduced into the resonant cavity via feedthrough channel 70a and gas port 86 . the output coupler 66 thus provides a gas and water sealed attachment to the end of the resonator housing 12 , while allowing for transmission of the output laser beam and accommodating electrical and gas feedthroughs to the resonant cavity 56 within the resonator housing . a pressure plate 201 is screwed down compressing the o - ring seal 204 . component 204 is disposed in contact with the outside of the resonant cavity 56 to form a vacuum seal . vacuum interface 200 is pushed inside the coolant water jacket 32 compressing an o - ring 203 against the inside surface of the coolant jacket and vacuum interface 200 to form a coolant seal . seal 82 compresses o - ring 84 around the coolant jacket 32 and the optical end plate so as to separate the resonant cavity 56 and the inside of the optical end plate which is under vacuum from atmosphere . output beam power is a function of the rate at which heat can be removed , or dissipated , from the resonant cavity 56 . the effect of fir resonator wall cooling on fir output power as graphically illustrated in fig5 . the arrow in this figure indicates that as coolant flow is reduced or coolant temperature is allowed to rise , fir laser output power drops dramatically in a matter of minutes to the patched areas shown on the graph as the fir resonant cavity temperature increases . even maintaining the resonant cavity 56 at room temperature has a beneficial effect in terms of increased output power . referring to fig6 and 8 , there is shown the effects of fir output power with the addition of various simple buffer gases at the output of the resonator housing 12 . the buffer gas may be delivered to the exit end of the resonator housing 12 by means of a buffer gas source 30 coupled to the resonant cavity 56 as previously described . the measurements graphically illustrated in fig6 and 8 were taken with the laser pump power as well as the fir resonator cavity wall temperature maintained constant . the pressure of the ch 3 oh gas within the resonant cavity 56 was fixed at a predetermined value , while the pressure of the buffer gas added to the ch 3 oh was varied . the buffer gas increases the breakdown voltage of the ch 3 oh gas permitting the realization of greater laser output power . as shown in fig8 he is the most effective of the simple buffer gases employed , while h 2 and d 2 exhibited roughly similar behavior . in all three cases , the most effective ch 3 oh pressure at which these simple molecules could be added was also the ch 3 oh pressure at which the fir laser output was maximum in the absence of a buffer gas . this latter phenomena occurred at all pump powers investigated . further , below this pressure adding a buffer gas always resulted in an output power decrease . it appears that these buffer gases enhance the fir output by breaking up a vibrational bottleneck rather than by reducing the ambient temperature of the gas . if temperature reduction were the dominant mechanism , an enhancement could be expected across the entire power versus pressure curve as has been observed by others for the case of nh 3 . fig9 and 10 illustrate additional characteristics of the output power of the stark - tuned fir laser of the present invention under various other operating conditions . for example , fig9 graphically illustrates the increase in net output power observed with a simple buffer gas . fig9 also illustrates the complementary effects of the introduction of a buffer gas and resonant cavity wall cooling . from the figure , it can be seen that fir power is substantially increased with the addition of he as a buffer gas to the ch 3 oh laser gas . the measured data of fig9 also indicates that substantially higher fir output powers are available by reducing resonant cavity wall temperature from 15 ° c . to - 10 ° c . combining these two enhancement techniques , i . e ., wall cooling and buffer gas addition , allows for the attainment of ˜ 830 mw of fir power which is roughly double the power generated without these enhancement techniques . this power represents ˜ 16 % of the maximum attainable power given by the manley - rowe condition . referring to fig1 , there is shown the variation in output power as a function of modulation frequency for various other operating parameter values for the stark - tuned fir laser of the present invention . the measured data shows that a bandwidth of pf 20 mhz was achieved at fir output powers in excess of 45 mw . the single peak on the left illustrates the very narrow bandwidth of the output laser beam without an electric field applied . upon application of a stark voltage , a 20 mhz bandwidth is realized . there has thus been shown a stark - tuned fir laser incorporating resonant cavity wall temperature control for substantially increasing the output efficiency of the ch 3 oh 119 micron line for all pump powers . the fir laser is particularly adapted for use in high frequency modulated interferometry and further contemplates the addition of various simple buffer gases ( h 2 , d 2 , he ) for further increasing and stabilizing laser output power . the wall temperature control and buffer gas addition techniques are complementary and allow for high power fir laser operation in which fir output varies linearly with pump power . this suggests that the pump absorption is not saturated in the high power regime ( as it is without cooling or buffer gas addition ) and that with slightly more pump power than incorporated in the present invention , a 1 watt fir laser can be realized . because of its high output power and wideband measuring capability , the inventive laser is particularly adapted for use in multi - channel interferometers such as employed in large - scale magnetic fusion devices for measuring plasma density . while particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects . therefore , the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . the matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation . the actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art . | 7 |
referring now to the drawings in more detail , particularly to fig1 therein is illustrated one embodiment of a orienting decentralizer 8 in accordance with the present invention . the orienting decentralizer 8 is shown non - rotatably attached to the bottom of a logging or perforating instrument 7 . the instrument 7 and the decentralizer 8 are suspended from a cable 10 and disposed within an earth borehole 9 in which casing 12 has been set , shown in cross - section . in such operation , when the combination is located within a deviated borehole , the decentralizer 8 seeks and maintains a specific rotational orientation relative to the bottom side of the well casing 12 , thereby causing the attached instrument 7 to rest in a predetermined orientation relative to the bottom side of the well casing 12 . referring now to fig2 a - c of the drawings , therein is illustrated in greater detail and partly in cross - section , the orienting decentralizer 8 of fig1 . the decentralizer 8 is constructed upon an elongated body member 14 , constructed of a suitably dense material , preferably a non - magnetic metal , most preferably non - magnetic steel . viewed in longitudinal section , the body member 14 has a first end portion 5 of a generally circular shape , illustrated in fig2 b , and an elongated portion 6 of a generallly semicircular configuration , as illustrated in fig2 c . the second end of body member 14 is of a generally semicircular cross - section , having a gradual , concave taper 13 about the curvilinear pheriphery of the semicircular cross - section extending to points proximate the longitudinal axis of body member 14 . the first or generally circular end 5 of body member 14 , houses the orienting coupling sub assembly , indicated generally at 18 , by which the decentralizer 8 is attached to the logging or perforating instrument 7 . coupling sub assembly 18 is composed of coupling sub 21 and locking collar 20 . locking collar 20 is joined to coupling sub 21 by suitable means , preferably threadable means , and this assembly is suitably joined to body member 14 , again preferably by threadable means , preferably within the end of body member 14 . body member 14 has a threaded aperture 15 , suitable for accepting a set screw 17 , positioned such that set screw 17 is engagable with coupling sub 21 . the elongated , or essentially semicircular portion 6 of the orienting decentralizer 8 represents the configuration which imparts an eccentric mass to the orienting decentralizer 8 . the generally semicircular configuration creates an uneven disposition of mass around the longitudinal axis of the orienting decentralizer 8 . this eccentric disposition of mass creates a rotational potential in the orienting decentralizer for the eccentric mass to seek equilibrium by rotating around the longitudinal axis whenever the longitudinal axis deviates or tilts from vertical . equilibrium is achieved when the center of mass of the decentralizer which , due to the above described eccentric mass does not coincide with the longitudinal axis of the decentralizer , is disposed directly beneath the tilted longitudinal axis of the orienting decentralizer . it is this rotational potential which causes the orienting decentralizer to initially attain the desired orientation with regard to the borehole . it can therefore be appreciated that to maximize this rotational potential it is desirable for the portion of body member 14 having a semicircular cross - section 6 to extend over a majority of the length of the body member 14 . in the preferred embodiment , this hemispherical cross - section 6 extends for approximately two - thirds of the total length of body member 14 . the transition from the first or generally circular end 5 of body member 14 to the portion of generally semicircular cross - sectional configuration 6 is accomplished by means of a gradual slope section 25 so as to minimize the bending moment in body member 14 . located within body member 14 is a longitudinal recess 19 , preferably of a generally cylindrical bore , centered on the curvilinear portion of the periphery of the semicircular cross - section and approximately tangential to the periphery of body member 14 . the recess 19 extends from the second end of body member 14 for a suitable distance , preferably to a point beneath the sloping transition 25 between the two cross - sections described above . in the preferred embodiment , a longitudinal slot 29 , of a width suitable to allow the introduction therein of shaft 23 , is centered about the radial line extending from the longitudinal axis of body member 14 to the point at which recess 19 and the periphery of body member 14 most closely approach coincidence . the function of shaft 23 will be discussed more fully herein below . mounted within recess 19 are one or more magnets , preferably a plurality of magnets , most preferably four magnets . these magnets 24a , 24b , 24c and 24d are also preferably permanent magnets with a high flux density and are preferably of an elongated form with a generally horseshoe - shaped cross - section having an outer curvilinear form complimentary to and matable with the shape of recess 19 . magnets 24a , 24b , 24c and 24d are mounted within recess 19 with their cross - sectional end pieces extending generally toward the pheriphery of body member 14 . these magnets 24a , 24b , 24c and 24d are retained within recess 19 by a retaining rod 22 , preferably composed of non - magnetic steel , extending longitudinally through the magnets 24a , 24b , 24c , 24d and retaining them in mechanical serial alignment . rod 22 is suitably joined , preferably by threadable means , to body member 14 at the interior end of the recess 19 . located proximate each end of rod 22 on each end of the plurality of magnets 24a , 24b , 24c and 24d and serially aligned therewith is a retainer 28a or 28b . a shaft 23 extends longitudinally in body member 14 parallel to rod 22 and serves to maintain magnets 24a , 24b , 24c and 24d oriented with the openings between their end pieces , and in turn their flux fields , aligned relative to the pheriphery of body member 14 ( illustrated in fig2 c ). shaft 23 is constructed of a suitable non - magnetic material and is of a suitable size and shape so as to engage the openings between the magnet ends . the shaft 23 has a first end , preferably of a cylindrical configuration , formed to engage and pass through an aperture 26a in retainer 28a and to mate with a complimentary recess 27 , preferably a cylindrical hole , in body member 14 on the interior edge of recess 19 . the second end of shaft 23 is suitably formed , again preferably cylindrically , to mate with an aperture 26b in retainer 28b . the engagement of shaft 23 with recess 27 in body member 14 and with magnets 24a , 24b , 24c , 24d serves to maintain the orientation of the magnets 24a , 24b , 24c , 24d and retains the first end of shaft 23 within body member 14 while the mating of shaft 23 and retainer 28b serves to retain the second end of shaft 23 within body member 14 . the magnets 24a , 24b , 24c , 24d and retainers 28a , 28b are secured in place along rod 22 by conventional means , preferably a nut 30 , lock washer 31 , and flat washer 32 . referring now to fig1 and 2 a - c generally , in the intended operation of the orienting decentralizer , with the proximal end of the logging or perforating instrument attached to cable 10 , coupling sub 21 is threadably joined to the distal end of the logging or perforating instrument 7 . decentralizer body 14 is then rotated around coupling sub 21 until shaft 23 , the line centered between the ends of magnets 24a , 24b , 24c , 24d , is in mechanical alignment with the instrument surface which is desired to rest along the bottom side of the borehole . set screw 17 is then tightened to maintain the relative rotative positions of the orienting decentralizer 8 and the instrument 7 . orienting collar 20 is then rotated and tightened against body member 14 , acting essentially as a conventional locking nut to fixedly secure the rotational position previously fixed with set screw 17 . the assembly is then ready for introduction into the well . when the assembly is lowered into the well , as the borehole deviates from a vertical angle , thereby causing the longitudinal axis of the orienting decentralizer to shift from vertical , the eccentric mass of the decentralizer 8 will seek equilibrium as described above , causing the orienting decentralizer 8 and the attached instrument 7 to rotate such that the longitudinal line along shaft 23 in the orienting decentralizer 8 will rest along the bottom side of the borehole , thus placing instrument 7 in the desired orientation as established previously described alignment operation . in this orientation , if the borehole is cased , and if such casing is magnetically susceptible , as is typical in the oil and gas industry , magnets 24a , 24b , 24c , and 24d exert an attractive force upon the well casing to resist any departure from the aforementioned orientation by the orienting decentralizer 8 and instrument 7 combination . referring now to fig3 of the drawings , therein is illustrated an alternative embodiment of a orienting decentralizer 40 in accordance with this invention . it will be noted that like elements in the illustrations of each of the embodiments have been numbered similarly . the decentralizer 40 is shown attached to the top of the instrument 7 rather than at the bottom as the previous embodiment was illustrated . while this alternative embodiment of the invention contains the same essential design features as the embodiment previously described , certain modifications have been made to accommodate this operating configuration . the modifications incorporated into this alternative embodiment , which are discussed herein below , include coupling subs 44 and 45 ( illustrated in fig4 a ) at each end of the decentralizer 40 , a different means of mounting the magnet assembly , and provisions for conducting electrical signals between cable 10 and instrument 7 . referring now to fig4 a - c of the drawings , the two coupling subs 44 , 45 and other modifications from the previously described embodiment can be seen more clearly . the orienting coupling sub assembly , indicated generally at 64 , is essentially identical to that previously described in the discussion of the original embodiment with the exception of the addition of an electrical connector 57 , inserted proximate the end of coupling sub 44 , suitable for making electrical contact with an electrical connector within the logging or perforating instrument 7 and an aperture 34 extending longitudinally from connector 57 through the coupling sub 44 . the end of body member 42 opposite that containing the orienting coupling sub assembly 64 is of a configuration forming a coupling sub 45 suitable for mating with a logging cable ( legend 10 in fig3 ). included in this coupling sub 45 is an electrical connector 58 suitable for making electrical contact with the electrical conductor within the logging cable and having physical access to a longitudinal aperture 62 in body member 42 . the aperture 34 in coupling sub 44 and the aperture 62 in body member 42 serve together to form a passage suitable for containing one or more electrical conductors 60 joining electrical connectors 57 and 58 . in the preferred embodiment these apertures 34 , 62 are located along the longitudinal axis of the decentralizer 40 . it can therefore be appreciated that the portion of the body member 42 which forms the eccentric mass of the decentralizer 40 , when viewed in lateral cross - section , encompasses a greater than semicircular cross - section of body member 42 so as to surround and define passage 62 ( illustrated in fig4 c ). this embodiment of the invention contains one or more magnets , most preferably two magnets 47 , 48 of a generally oblong shape and preferably having a generally squared horseshoe - shaped cross - section . these magnets lie within a recess 63 centered along the curvilinear portion of the eccentric mass of body member 42 . the ends 65a , 65b of the magnets , 47 , 48 as they are viewed in lateral cross - section , are of such curved dimension so as to continue to define the radius of body member 42 when the magnets 47 , 48 are cooperatively arranged in recess 63 . magnets 47 , 48 are retained in body member 42 by retaining bar 49 which is of a suitable non - magnetic material such as non - magnetic steel and of a suitable length to extend beyond the longitudinal dimension of recess 63 and of a suitable width to mate with the gap between the cross - sectional ends 65a , 65b of the magnets 47 , 48 . retaining bar 49 is also mounted within a suitable recess in body member 42 such that the bar 49 does not extend beyond the radius of body member 42 . retaining bar 49 , and in turn the magnets 47 , 48 are secured to body member 42 by conventional means , preferably a plurality of bolts 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 which are counter - sunk within bar 49 and threadably mated to body member 42 . in the operation of this alternative embodiment of the orienting decentralizer invention , coupling sub 44 is coupled to the logging or perforating instrument 7 and oriented therewith in the manner described for the previous embodiment . coupling sub 45 is then suitably joined to cable 10 and the assembly is ready to be introduced into the borehole 9 . it will be appreciated that electrical signals may be transmitted between the instrument 7 and the cable 10 by means of the electrical connectors 57 , 58 , located in coupling subs 44 and 45 respectively , and electrically coupled together by conductor 60 . the orienting operation of the orienting decentralizer 40 is essentially identical to that previously described for the original embodiment of the invention . many modifications and variations besides those specifications mentioned may be made in the techniques and structures discussed herein and in the accompanying drawings without departing substantially from the concept of the present invention . for example , heavy metal such as tungsten or depleted uranium could be used in the body member to increase the orienting potential of the decentralizer , or electro - magnets could be utilized in place of the permanent types herein described to maintain the orientation to the well casing . additionally , it is obvious that this method of orienting a logging or perforating instrument could be incorporated as an integral part of such an instrument . accordingly , it should be clearly understood that the forms of the invention described and illustrated are exemplary only and are not intended as limitations on the scope of the present invention . | 4 |
when a load current increases precipitously , the deactivated phases must be activated instantaneously to achieve a good load transient response ( less output voltage disturbance ) to support higher output load current . one solution for having the good load transient response implementing a so - called ‘ panic ’ comparator . the panic comparator detects a drop in the output voltage of the multi - phase switched - mode power supply as an under - voltage condition . the multi - phase switched - mode power supply instantly and asynchronously activates all the switched - mode converter phases . in this case , output voltage drop can be minimized . this method may cause ‘ over - shoot ’ in a situation where the load transient is not too precipitous , but still triggers the panic comparator . with a moderate load transient , all the switched - mode converter phases are instantly activated , and a high current flows into the output capacitor . this current may be more than required and cause excess output voltage overshoot to occur . one solution to this problem is lowering the panic reference voltage to avoid the overshoot at lower output current levels . this causes the panic comparator to function less effective at heavy load condition and result in more undershoot at heavy load transient conditions . fig1 a is a schematic of a multi - phase switched - mode power supply incorporating a panic comparator that is related to the art as known to the inventors of this disclosure . the switched - mode converter is structured as a multiphase buck switched - mode converter . the multiphase buck switched - mode converter has a control circuit 5 , multiple power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 n , and a filter stage 30 . the multiple power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n include one master power stage 25 a and multiple slave power stages 25 b , 25 n . one power stage 25 a of the multiple power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 n is designated as a master power stage with the remaining power stages 25 b , 25 n being designated as slave power stages . the filter stage 30 has a multiple inductors l 1 , l 2 , . . . , l n where a first terminal of each of the inductors l 1 , l 2 , . . . , l n is connected to an output 26 a , 26 b , 26 n of one of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n . the second terminals of the inductors l 1 , l 2 , . . . , l n are commonly connected together and to the first plate of a load capacitor c l . the second plate of the load capacitor c l is connected to the ground reference voltage source . the commonly connected second terminals of the inductors l 1 , l 2 , . . . , l n and the first plate of the load capacitor c l are connected to the load 35 . the load current i out is the current flowing to the load 35 . the load current i out is the total current from all the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 n . fig1 b is a schematic of each of the phase power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 n of the multi - phase switched - mode power supply fig1 a . each of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 n includes a pulse width modulator 27 that receives the error voltage 17 . the outputs of the pulse width modulator 27 are applied to the gates of a pmos transistor m p and an nmos transistor m n . the source of the pmos transistor m p is connected to the input supply voltage source vin and the source of the nmos transistor m n is connected to the ground reference voltage source . the commonly connected drains of the pmos transistor m p and the nmos transistor m n are connected to the output terminal 26 a , 26 b , 26 n of each of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 n that is connected to one of the input terminals of the filter section 30 that is a first terminal of each of inductors l 1 , l 2 , . . . , l n . the nmos transistor m n has a current sensor 29 connected such that the current flowing in the current sensor 29 is detected . the current sensor 29 is connected to a current sense circuit 28 that conditions the detected current flowing in the nmos transistor m n for transfer as the current sense signal 41 n . returning to fig1 a , the commonly connected second terminals of the inductors l 1 , l 2 , . . . , l n and the first plate of the load capacitor c l are connected to an input of the control circuit 5 to provide a feedback path 55 for comparing the output voltage v out of the multiphase buck switched - mode converter with a reference voltage level v ref . the reference voltage generator 10 generates the reference voltage level v ref . the control circuit 5 has an error amplifier 15 that receives the fed - back output voltage v out and the reference voltage level v ref from reference voltage generator 10 . the output of the error amplifier 15 is an error voltage 17 that is applied to each of the power stages 26 a , 26 b , . . . , 26 n . the current sense signals 41 a , . . . , 41 n from each of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n are inputs to the total current estimation circuit 40 . the total current estimation circuit 40 is a summation circuit that totals the current sense signals 41 a , . . . , 41 n to determine the estimated total current signal i est . the estimated total current signal i est is applied to the phase shedding control circuit 20 . as the estimated total current signal i est , the phase shedding control circuit 20 generates the phase shedding signals 22 a , 22 b , . . . , 22 n for activating and deactivating selected power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n for maintaining the efficiency of the operation of the multi - phase switched - mode power supply . the control circuit 5 has a panic comparator 45 that compares the fed - back output voltage v fb to a panic reference voltage v refp . the voltage source 50 generates the panic reference voltage v refp a being a voltage level less than the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 . the result of the comparison of the fed - back output voltage v fb and the panic reference voltage v refp is the panic signal v panic that is the output 47 of the panic comparator 45 . the panic signal v panic is an input to the phase shedding control circuit 20 for activating all deactivated power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n simultaneously . fig2 is a plot illustrating the voltage and current waveforms within the multi - phase switched - mode power supply of fig1 a and 1 b . prior to the time t 1 , the output voltage v out with the output current i out at a no load current level 59 with only one power stage 25 a being activated 75 . at the time t 1 , the output load 35 requires that the output current i out transit to a full load current level 65 . the output voltage v out drops to a voltage level 60 less than the panic reference voltage v refp and the panic signal v panic is activated from the low level 90 to the high level 70 to instruct the phase shedding control circuit 20 to activate all deactivated power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n simultaneously . at the time t 2 , all the power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n are activated 95 such that the output voltage v out begins to rise until it is greater than the panic reference voltage v refp at the time t 4 . the output voltage v out returns to its steady controlled state at the time t 6 . at the time t 1 , if the output load 35 requires that the output current i out transit to a moderate load current level 85 , the output voltage v out drops to a level 62 that is less than the panic reference voltage v refp and the panic signal v panic is again activated from the low level 90 to the high level 70 to instruct the phase shedding control circuit 20 to activate 95 all deactivated power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n simultaneously . the output voltage v out has an overshoot voltage level 80 that peaks at about the time t 4 and decays back to its steady controlled state at the time t 6 . the overshoot is the result of the all the power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n being instantly activated . this causes a high output current i out to flow into the output capacitor c l . this excess output current i out is more than required , thus causing an excess of the output voltage v out and the overshoot voltage level 80 to occur . at the times t 3 and t 5 , the panic signal v panic is deactivated to the low level 90 for the moderate load at the time t 3 and for the heavy load at the time t 5 . once the panic signal v panic is activated to the high level 70 at the time t 1 , the power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n are activated and the full four phase control of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n continues regardless of the state of the panic signal v panic fig3 is a schematic of a multi - phase switched - mode power supply incorporating a panic comparator embodying the principle of the present disclosure . the switched - mode converter of fig3 is structured as a multiphase buck switched - mode converter . the multiphase buck switched - mode converter has a control circuit 100 , multiple power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n , and a filter stage 30 . the multiple power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n , and a filter stage 30 are structured and function as described in fig1 . the commonly connected second terminals of the inductors l 1 , l 2 , . . . , l n and the first plate of the load capacitor c l are connected to an input of the control circuit 100 to provide a feedback path 55 for comparing the output voltage v out of the multiphase buck switched - mode converter with a reference voltage level v ref . the reference voltage generator 10 generates the reference voltage level v ref . the control circuit 100 has an error amplifier 15 that receives the fed - back output voltage v fb and the reference voltage level v ref from reference voltage generator 10 . the output of the error amplifier 15 is an error voltage 17 that is applied to each of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n . the current sense signals 41 a , . . . , 41 n from each of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n are inputs to the total current estimation circuit 40 . the total current estimation circuit 40 is a summation circuit that totals the current sense signals 41 a , . . . , 41 n to determine the estimated total current signal i est . the estimated total current signal i est is applied to the phase control circuit 110 and thus to the phase shedding control circuit 125 . as the estimated total current signal i est varies , the phase control circuit 125 generates the phase shedding signals 22 a , 22 b , . . . , 22 n for activating and deactivating selected power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n for maintaining the efficiency of the operation of the multi - phase switched - mode power supply . the control circuit 100 has a panic comparator circuit 105 that compares the fed - back output voltage v fb to multiple panic reference voltages v refp1 , v refp2 , . . . , v refpn . the panic reference voltage sources 120 a , 120 b , . . . , 120 n generates the multiple panic reference voltages v refp1 , v refp2 , . . . , v refp1 that are at incremental voltage levels less than the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 . the panic comparator circuit 105 has multiple panic comparators 115 a , 115 b . . . , 115 n . each of the multiple panic comparators 115 a , 115 b . . . , 115 n are connected to one of the incremental multiple panic reference voltages v refp1 , v refp2 , . . . , v refpn . the result of the comparison of the fed - back output voltage v fb and the incremental multiple panic reference voltages v refp1 , v refp2 , v refpn are the multiple panic signals v p1 , v p2 , v pn that is the outputs 117 a , 117 b . . . , 117 n of the multiple panic comparators 115 a , 115 b . . . , 115 n . the multiple panic signals v p1 , v p2 , . . . , v pn are inputs to the phase control circuit 110 that is then transferred to the panic controller circuit 125 for activating all deactivated power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n as required to dynamically respond to transient changes in load current for minimizing undershoot while avoiding overshoot of an output voltage of the multi - phase switched - mode converter . fig3 b is a schematic of a multi - phase switched - mode power supply incorporating a panic comparator of 3 a with three panic converters 115 a , 115 b , and 115 c and four power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d embodying the principle of the present disclosure . fig4 - 8 are plots illustrating the voltage and current waveforms within the multi - phase switched - mode power supply of fig3 b under various operating conditions . in order to simplify the explanation of the operation of the multi - phase switched - mode power supply of fig3 a , the multi - phase switched - mode power supply has a total of four power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , 25 d as shown in fig3 b . one power stage will be designated as the master stage and the remaining three power stages 25 b , 25 d will designated as the slave power stages . the multi - phase switched - mode power supply includes three panic comparators 115 a , 115 b , and 115 c . three panic reference voltage sources 120 a , 120 b , and 120 c are connected to the three panic comparators 115 a , 115 b , 115 c to provide the three panic reference voltages v refp1 , v refp2 , . . . , v refpn generated by the three panic reference voltage sources 120 a , 120 b , and 120 c . the three panic reference voltages v refp1 , v refp2 , and v refp3 are at voltage level increments of 10 mv less than the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 in this instance the reference voltage level v ref is approximately 1 . 0v . thus , the first panic comparator 115 a has a reference voltage v refp1 of approximately 990 mv (− 10 mv ), the second panic comparator 115 b has a reference voltage v refp2 of approximately 980 mv (− 20 mv ), and the third panic comparator 115 c has a reference voltage v refp3 of approximately 970 mv (− 30 mv ). for this example the full load required of the four power stage 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d operation is 40 a . as is apparent from fig3 a , this example does not define any restrictions of the number of power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n , the voltage and current capacity of the multi - phase switched - mode power supply , or the number of panic comparators 115 a , 115 b . . . , 115 n with their panic reference voltages v refp1 , v refp2 , . . . , v refpn . referring now to fig3 b and 4 , prior to the time t 1 , the output current i out flowing through the load is approximately zero amps ( 0 a ). the output voltage v out is to be maintained at the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 . the output voltage v out and the output load current i out is maintained by the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d have been deactivated . the output panic signals v p1 , v p2 , and v p3 of the three panic comparators 115 a , 115 b , and 115 c are set to a deactivated logic level ( 0 ) with the master power stage 25 a being the single stage activated . at the time t 1 , the load circuit is actuated such that the output load current i out increases to 40 a precipitously . the master power stage 25 a is not able to respond with sufficient current . thus the output current i out is drawn from the load capacitor c l . this causes the output voltage v out to decrease practically instantaneously until it reaches a level less than all the panic reference voltage levels v refp1 , v refp2 , and v refp3 . all of the panic comparators 115 a , 115 b , and 115 c are activated and the panic signals v p1 , v p2 , and v p3 transit from the deactivated level ( 0 ) to the activated level ( 1 ). the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d are activated such that now the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d begin to increase the current capacity such that the output voltage v out rises toward the reference voltage level v ref of approximately 1 . 0v . at the time t 2 , the third panic comparator 115 c deactivates and the panic signal v pn transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). at the time t 3 , the second panic comparator 115 b deactivates and the panic signal v p 2 transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). and at the time t 3 , the first panic comparator 115 a deactivates and the panic signal v p1 transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). once the panic signals v p1 , v p2 , and v p3 are activated at the time t 1 , the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d are activated and the full four phase control of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d continues regardless of the state of the panic signals v p1 , v p2 , and v p3 . at the time t 5 , the four power stage 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d are now regulating the output voltage v out . referring now to fig3 b and 5 , prior to the time t 1 , the output current i out flowing through the load is approximately zero amps ( 0 a ). the output voltage v out is to be maintained at the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 . the output voltage v out and the output load current i out are maintained by the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d have been deactivated . the output panic signals v p1 , v p2 , and v p3 of the three panic comparators 115 a , 115 b and 115 d are to a deactivated logic level ( 0 ) with the master power stage 25 a being the single stage activated . at the time t 1 , the load circuit is actuated such that the output current i out increases to a moderate current level of approximately 20 a , again , precipitously . the master power stage 25 a is not able to respond with sufficient current . thus the output current i out is drawn from the load capacitor c l . thus causing the output voltage v out to decrease practically instantaneously until it reaches a level less than the first panic reference voltage level v refp1 . the first panic comparator 115 a is activated and the panic signal v p1 transits from the deactivated level ( 0 ) to the activated level ( 1 ). the slave power stage 25 b is activated such that now the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stage 25 b begin to increase the current capacity such that the output voltage v out rises toward the reference voltage level v ref of approximately 1 . 0v . at the time t 2 , the first panic comparator 115 a deactivates and the panic signal v p1 transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). as above , once the panic signal v p1 is activated at the time t 1 , the power stages 25 a and 25 b are activated and the phase control of the power stages 25 a and 25 b continues regardless of the state of the panic signals v p1 , v p2 , and v p3 . at the time t 3 , the two power stage 25 a and 25 b are now regulating the output voltage v out . referring now to fig3 b and 6 , prior to the time t 1 , the output current i out flowing through the load is approximately zero amps ( 0 a ). the output voltage v out is to be maintained at the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 . the output voltage v out and the output current i out is maintained by the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d have been deactivated . the output panic signals v p1 , v p2 , . . . , v pn of the three panic comparators 115 a , 115 b and 115 d are set to a deactivated logic level ( 0 ) with the master power stage 25 a being the single stage activated . at the time t 1 , the load circuit is actuated such that the output load current i out increases to a higher load current level of approximately 30 a , again , precipitously . the master power stage 25 a is not able to respond with sufficient current . thus the output current i out is drawn from the load capacitor c l . thus causing the output voltage v out to decrease practically instantaneously until it reaches a level less than the second panic reference voltage level v refp2 . the first and second panic comparator 115 a and 115 b are activated and the panic signals v p1 and v p2 transit from the deactivated level ( 0 ) to the activated level ( 1 ). the two slave power stages 25 b and 25 c are activated such that now the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stages 25 b and 25 c begin to increase the current capacity such that the output voltage v out rises toward the reference voltage level v ref of approximately 1 . 0v . at the time t 2 , the second panic comparator 115 b deactivates and the panic signal v p2 transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). at the time t 3 , the second panic comparator 115 b deactivates and the panic signal v p2 transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). as above , once the panic signals v p1 and v p2 are activated at the time t 1 , the power stages 25 a , 25 b , and 25 c are activated and the full four phase control of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , and 25 c continues regardless of the state of the panic signals v p1 , v p2 , and v p3 . at the time t 4 , the two power stage 25 a and 25 b are now regulating the output voltage v out . referring now to fig3 b , 7 , and 8 , in some embodiments , it is possible to maintain a fewer number of panic comparators 115 a , 115 b . . . , 115 n . having fewer panic comparators 115 a , 115 b . . . , 115 n may be more practical as long as there is not a dramatic overshoot . for example , the multi - phase switched - mode power supply includes two panic comparators 115 a and 115 c . two panic reference voltage sources 120 a and 120 n are connected to the two panic comparators 115 a and 115 c to provide the two panic reference voltages v refp1 and v refp3 generated by the two panic reference voltage sources 120 a and 120 c . the two panic reference voltages v refp1 and v refp3 are at voltage level increments of 20 mv between each other and the panic reference voltages v refp1 being 10 mv less than the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 . in this instance the reference voltage level v ref is approximately 1 . 0v . thus , the first panic comparator 115 a has a reference voltage v refp1 of approximately 990 mv (− 10 mv ), the second panic comparator 115 c has a reference voltages v refp3 of approximately 970 mv (− 30 mv ). for this example the full load required four power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d operation is 40 a or 10 a for each of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d . referring now to fig7 , prior to the time t 1 , the output current i out flowing through the load is approximately zero amps ( 0 a ). the output voltage v out is to be maintained at the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 . the output voltage v out and the output load current i out is maintained by the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c and 25 d have been deactivated . the output panic signals v p1 and v p3 of the two panic comparators 115 a and 115 c are to a deactivated logic level ( 0 ) with the master power stage 25 a being the single stage activated . at the time t 1 , the load circuit is activated such that the output current i out increases to a higher load current level of approximately 30 a , again , precipitously . the master power stage 25 a is not able to respond with sufficient current . thus the output current i out is drawn from the load capacitor c l . thus causing the output voltage v out to decrease practically instantaneously until it reaches a level less than the first panic reference voltage level v refp1 . the first panic comparator 115 a is activated and the panic signal v p1 transits from the deactivated level ( 0 ) to the activated level ( 1 ). the slave power stage 25 b is activated such that now the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stage 25 b begin to increase the current capacity to slow the decrease in the output voltage v out . at the time t 2 , the output voltage v out decreases until it reaches a level less than the second panic reference voltage level v refp3 . the second panic comparator 115 c is activated and the panic signal v p3 transits from the deactivated level ( 0 ) to the activated level ( 1 ). the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d are activated such that now master power stage 25 a and the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c and 25 d begin to increase the current capacity such that the output voltage v out rises toward the reference voltage level v ref of approximately 1 . 0v . at the time t 3 , the second panic comparator 115 c deactivates and the panic signal v p3 transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). at the time t 4 , the first panic comparator 115 a deactivates and the panic signal v p1 transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). at the time t 5 , the capacity of the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c and 25 d has not increased sufficiently and the output voltage v out overshoots slightly until the time t 6 . at the time t 6 , the master power stage 25 a and the three slave power stages 25 b , 25 c and 25 d are now regulating the output voltage v out . once the panic signals v p1 and v p3 are activated at the time t 2 , the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d are activated and the full four phase control of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d continues regardless of the state of the panic signals v p1 and v p3 . referring now to fig8 , prior to the time t 1 , the output current i out flowing through the load is approximately zero amps ( 0 a ). the output voltage v out is to be maintained at the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 . the output voltage v out and the output current i out is maintained by the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d have been deactivated . the output panic signals v p1 and v p3 of the two panic comparators 115 a and 115 c are to a deactivated logic level ( 0 ) with the master power stage 25 a being the single stage activated . at the time t 1 , the load circuit is actuated such that the output load current i out increases to a higher load current level of approximately 30 a , again , precipitously . the master power stage 25 a is not able to respond with sufficient current . thus the output current i out is drawn from the load capacitor c l . this causes the output voltage v out to decrease practically instantaneously until it reaches a level less than the first panic reference voltage level v refp1 . the first panic comparator 115 a is activated and the panic signal v p1 transits from the deactivated level ( 0 ) to the activated level ( 1 ). the slave power stage 25 b is activated such that now the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stage 25 b begin to increase the current capacity such that the output voltage v out rises toward the reference voltage level v ref of approximately 1 . 0v . with the activation of the slave power stage 25 b , the output voltage v out does not decrease until it reaches a level less than the second panic reference voltage level v refp3 . consequently , only the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stage 25 b remain activated to provide the necessary output current i out to the load 35 . at the time t 2 , the second panic comparator 115 a deactivates and the panic signal v p1 transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). the deactivation of the panic signal v p1 has no impact on the functioning of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d and they continue to function regardless of the state of the panic signals v p1 and v p3 . at the time t 3 , the two power stages 25 a , 25 b are now regulating the output voltage v out . fig9 a is a schematic of a multi - phase switched - mode power supply incorporating a panic comparator 205 embodying the principles of the present disclosure . the switched - mode converter of fig9 a is structured as a multiphase buck switched - mode converter . the multiphase buck switched - mode converter has a control circuit 200 , multiple power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n , and a filter stage 30 . the multiple power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n , and a filter stage 30 are structured and function as described in fig1 . the commonly connected second terminals of the inductors l 1 , l 2 , . . . , l n and the first plate of the load capacitor c l are connected to an input of the control circuit 100 to provide a feedback path 255 for comparing the output voltage v out of the multiphase buck switched - mode converter with a reference voltage level v ref . the reference voltage generator 10 generates the reference voltage level v ref . the control circuit 200 has an error amplifier 15 that receives the feedback voltage v fb that is returned from output voltage v out and the reference voltage level v ref from reference voltage generator 10 . the output of the error amplifier 15 is an error voltage 17 that is applied to each of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n . the current sense signals 41 a , . . . , 41 n from each of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n are inputs to the total current estimation circuit 40 . the total current estimation circuit 40 is a summation circuit that totals the current sense signals 41 a , . . . , 41 n to determine the estimated total current signal i est . the estimated total current signal i est is applied to the phase control circuit 210 and thus to the phase shedding control circuit 225 . as the estimated total current signal i est varies , the phase control circuit 225 generates the phase shedding signals 22 a , 22 b , . . . , 22 n for activating and deactivating selected power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 n for maintaining the efficiency of the operation of the multi - phase switched - mode power supply . the control circuit 200 has a pulse frequency modulator ( pfm ) circuit 205 that compares the fed - back output voltage v fb to pulse frequency reference voltages v pfm . the pulse frequency reference voltage source 240 generates the pulse frequency modulation reference voltage v pfm that is at an incremental voltage level less than the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 . the output 207 of the pulse frequency modulator circuit 205 transfers the pulse frequency activation signal v pfa to the phase control circuit 210 and thus to the pulse frequency modulation control circuit 220 . the phase control circuit 210 generates the timing signals for activating the master power stage 25 a to turn on the pmos transistor m p of the master power stage 25 a for a brief period of time to maintain the output voltage v out in the discontinuous conduction mode of operation . the control circuit 200 has a panic comparator circuit 215 that compares the fed - back output voltage v fb to multiple panic reference voltages v refp1 , v refp2 , . . . , v refpn . the panic reference voltage sources 245 a , 245 b , . . . , 245 n generate the multiple panic reference voltages v refp1 , v refp2 , . . . , v refpn that are at incremental voltage levels less than the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 and the pulse frequency modulation reference voltage v pfm . the panic comparator circuit 215 has multiple panic comparators 235 a , . . . , 235 n . each of the multiple panic comparators 235 a , . . . , 235 n are connected to one of the incremental multiple panic reference voltages v refp1 , . . . , v refpn . the result of the comparison of the fed - back output voltage v fb and the incremental multiple panic reference voltages v refp1 , . . . , v refpn are the multiple panic signals v p1 , . . . , v pn that are the outputs 237 a , . . . , 237 n of the multiple panic comparators 235 a , . . . , 235 n . the multiple panic signals v p1 , . . . , v pn are inputs to the phase control circuit 210 and is then transferred to the panic controller circuit 230 for activating all deactivated power stages 25 a , 25 b , . . . , 25 n as required to dynamically respond to transient changes in load current i load for minimizing undershoot while avoiding overshoot of an output voltage v out of the multi - phase switched - mode converter . the structure of the control 200 is shown with any number of multiple panic comparators 235 a , . . . , 235 n and any number of multiple panic reference voltages v refp1 , . . . , v refpn . similarly , the multi - phase switched - mode power supply may have any number of power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n and the filter stage 30 may have any number of inductors l 1 , l 2 , . . . , l n , where each of the inductors l 1 , l 2 , . . . , l n is connected to one of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n . the phase control circuit 210 is structured such that the panic control circuit 230 assumes control of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n when the first panic comparator 235 a is activated and forces the multi - phase switched - mode power supply into a continuous conduction mode from the discontinuous conduction mode when the multi - phase switched - mode power supply is operating under the phase frequency control circuit 220 . the panic control circuit 230 determines which of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n are activated base on which of the multiple panic comparators 235 a , . . . , 235 n have their panic signals v p1 , . . . , v pn activated for minimizing undershoot and for preventing the overshoot of the voltage level of the output voltage v out , when the large transient becomes larger than any or all of the panic reference voltage levels v refp1 , . . . , v refpn . fig9 b is a schematic of a multi - phase switched - mode power supply incorporating a pulse frequency modulator circuit 205 and two panic comparators 235 a and 235 b of 9 a with four power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d embodying the principle of the present disclosure . fig1 is a plot illustrating the voltage and current waveforms within the multi - phase switched - mode power supply of fig9 b . in order to simplify the explanation of the operation of the multi - phase switched - mode power supply of fig9 a , the multi - phase switched - mode power supply has a total of four power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d . one power stage will be designated as the master stage 25 a and the remaining three power stages 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d will be designated as the slave power stages . the multi - phase switched - mode power supply includes the pulse frequency modulation comparator 205 and two panic comparators 235 a and 235 b . the pulse frequency modulation comparator 205 is connected as described above to compare the fed back voltage v fb that is provided from the connection 255 from the output of the multi - phase switched - mode power supply . two panic reference voltage sources 245 a and 245 b are connected to the two panic comparators 235 a and 235 b to provide the two panic reference voltages v refp1 and v refp2 . the two panic reference voltages v refp1 and v refp2 are at voltage level increments of 10 mv less than the pulse frequency modulation reference voltage v pfm that is at an incremental voltage level less than the reference voltage level v ref as generated by the reference voltage generator 10 . thus , the pulse frequency modulation comparator 205 has a pulse frequency reference voltage v pfm of approximately 990 mv (− 10 mv ), the first panic comparator 235 a has a reference voltages v refp1 of approximately 980 mv (− 20 mv ), and the second panic comparator 235 b has a reference voltages v refp2 of approximately 970 mv (− 30 mv ). for this example the full load required full four power stage 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , . . . , 25 n operation is 30 a . referring now to fig9 b and 10 , prior to the time t 1 , the output current i out flowing through the load is approximately 0 . 1 a . the output voltage v out is decaying from the reference voltage level v ref . the output voltage v out and the output current i out is maintained by the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d have been deactivated . the output panic signals v p1 and v p2 of the two panic comparators 235 a and 235 b are to a deactivated logic level ( 0 ) with the master power stage 25 a being the single stage activated periodically in a discontinuous conduction mode of operation . at the time t 1 , the output voltage v out has decayed to the level of the pulse frequency reference voltage v pfm and the pulse frequency modulation comparator 205 is activated to generate a single pulse of the pulse frequency activation signal v pfa to cause the master power stage 25 a to turn on the on the pmos transistor m p for a brief period of time to maintain the output voltage v out in the discontinuous conduction mode of operation . the output voltage v out rises to the reference voltage level v ref . the pmos transistor m p turns off and the output voltage v out decays to the level of the pulse frequency reference voltage v pfm at the time t 2 . at the time t 2 , the pulse frequency modulation comparator 205 is activated to generate a single pulse of the pulse frequency activation signal v pfa to cause the master power stage 25 a to turn on the on the pmos transistor m p for a brief period of time to maintain the output voltage v out in the discontinuous conduction mode of operation . the output voltage v out rises to the reference voltage level v ref . the pmos transistor m p turns off and the output voltage v out begins to decay until the time t 3 . at the time t 3 , the output current i out increases precipitously from the 0 . 1 a level to the 30 a level . the master power stage 25 a is not able to respond with sufficient current . thus the output current i out is drawn from the load capacitor c l . this causes the output voltage v out to decrease practically instantaneously until it reaches a level less than the pulse frequency reference voltage v pfm and the first panic reference voltage level v refp1 . the first panic reference voltage level v refp1 is activated to override the operation of the pulse frequency activation signal v pfa and to turn on the master power stage 25 a . at almost the time t 3 the first panic comparator 235 a is activated and the panic signal v p1 transits from the deactivated level ( 0 ) to the activated level ( 1 ). the first slave power stage 25 b turns on its pmos transistor m p . the master power stage 25 a has increased the current capacity for the output current i out to cause output voltage v out to slow its decrease until the time t 4 . the second panic comparator 235 a is then activated and the panic signal v p2 transits from the deactivated level ( 0 ) to the activated level ( 1 ). the slave power stages 25 c , and 25 d turn on their pmos transistors m p . the master power stage 25 a and the slave power stages 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d are all activated and begin to increase the current capacity such that the output voltage v out rises toward the reference voltage level v ref of approximately 1 . 0v . at the time t 5 , the second panic comparator 235 n deactivates and the panic signal v p2 transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). at the time t 6 , the first panic comparator 235 a deactivates and the panic signal v p1 transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). and at the time t 7 , the pulse frequency modulation comparator 205 deactivates and the pulse frequency activation signal v pfa transits from the activated level ( 1 ) to the deactivated level ( 0 ). the deactivation of the panic signals v p1 and v p2 and the pulse frequency activation signal v pfa have no impact on the functioning of the power stages 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d and they continue to function regardless of the state of the panic signals v p1 and v p2 and the pulse frequency activation signal v pfa . at the time t 8 , the four power stage 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , and 25 d are now regulating the output voltage v out at the voltage controlled by the reference voltage level v ref . while this disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure . | 7 |
cyclosporin a ( csa ) is a cyclic peptide having the following chemical structure : its chemical name is cyclo [( e )-( 2s , 3r , 4r )- 3 - hydroxy - 4 - methyl - 2 -( methylamino )- 6 - octenoyl ]- l - 2 - aminobutyryl - n - methylglycyl - n - methyl - lleucyl - l - valyl - n - methyl - l - leucyl - l - alanyl - d - alanyl - n - methyl - l - leucyl - n - methyl - l - leucyl - n - methyl - l - valyl ]. it is also known by the names cyclosporin , cyclosporine a , ciclosporin , and ciclosporin a . it is the active ingredient in restasis ® ( allergan , inc ., irvine , calif . ), an emulsion comprising 0 . 05 % ( w / v ) cyclosporin . restasis ® is approved in the united states to increase tear production in patients whose tear production is presumed to be suppressed due to ocular inflammation associated with keratoconjunctivitis sicca . cyclosporin a is known to exist in an amorphous form , liquid crystal form , tetragonal crystalline form ( form 1 ), and an orthorhombic form ( form 3 ). a new crystalline form , cyclosporin a form 2 , has recently been discovered . the xrpd pattern of csa form 2 differs significantly from the tetragonal form and orthorhombic form ( fig1 ). the major crystalline peaks for csa form 2 appear at ( 26 ) when scanned by an x - ray diffractometer with x - ray source as cu kα radiation , a = 1 . 54 å , at 30 kv / 15 ma : 7 . 5 , 8 . 8 , 10 . 2 , 11 . 3 , 12 . 7 , 13 . 8 , 14 . 5 , 15 . 6 and 17 . 5 ( d - spacing in crystal lattice at about 11 . 8 , 10 . 0 , 8 . 7 , 7 . 8 , 7 . 0 , 6 . 4 , 6 . 1 , 5 . 6 and 5 . 1 å , respectively , fig2 ). these major peaks are defined as those being unique to form 2 relative to the orthorhombic or tetragonal forms ; as well as , peaks having an intensity greater than 5 times the background . in one embodiment , the new crystalline form ( form 2 ) of csa is a nonstoichiometric hydrate of cyclosporin a . in another embodiment , the crystalline form 2 is represented by the formula : wherein x is the number of molecules of water and varies from 0 to 3 . in one embodiment , x in the above formula is 2 . form 2 appears to be a kinetically stable form of csa in aqueous suspensions . suspensions containing form 2 show no conversion to other known polymorphic or pseudomorphic forms upon storage . it has been found that form 1 and the amorphous form convert to form 2 in the presence of water . the single crystal structure of the hydrate form of csa form 2 has been determined and the crystal structure parameters are listed in table 2 . these results indicate that form 2 is unique compared to other known crystalline forms of cyclosporin a . the asymmetric unit of this csa form 2 contains one cyclosporin a molecule and two water molecules . it is possible that any small molecule that can hydrogen bond to water could play the role of space filler , which would give a range of potential structures running from the orthorhombic dihydrate to distorted monoclinic dihydrate the xrpd pattern calculated from the single - crystal structure is shown in fig1 and it matches the experimental pattern shown in fig2 . these matching patterns further corroborate that form 2 is a unique and pure crystalline form of cyclosporin a . without wishing to be bound by theory , thermogravimetric analysis combined with kf titration and vapor sorption desorption analysis ( vsa ) suggest that csa form 2 is a non - stoichiometric hydrate of csa . the vapor sorption analysis of cyclosporin form 2 indicates that water content in the new crystal form reversibly varies with relative humidity as shown in fig7 . similar to the tetragonal form , the new csa form undergoes a phase transition to a liquid crystal or amorphous form at 124 . 4 ° c . prior to melting as indicated by the modulated differential calorimetric ( mdsc ) analysis ( fig8 ). cyclosporin a form 2 may be obtained by suspending amorphous 0 . 05 % cyclosporin a ( w / v ) in 1 % polysorbate 80 , heating the solution to 65 ° c ., holding it at that temperature for 24 hours , and then recovering the precipitate by vacuum filtration . one can then use the cyclosporin a form 2 thus obtained to generate additional amounts , using cyclosporin a form 2 as a seed crystal ; in this method , one suspends about 30 g cyclosporin a in a solution of 900 ml water containing 1 % ( w / v ) polysorbate 80 , heats the solution to 65 ° c ., and then seeds it with 0 . 2 g of cyclosporin a form 2 at a temperature of 52 ° c . the solution is then stirred for about 22 hours at a temperature of between about 61 ° c . and 65 ° c ., and then recovers the precipitate that results . further details regarding csa form 2 may be found in u . s . patent application ser . no . 13 / 480 , 710 , the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein . compositions of the invention are ophthalmically acceptable suspensions of cyclosporin a form 2 . by “ ophthalmically acceptable ,” the inventors mean that the suspensions are formulated in such a way as to be non - irritating when administered to the eye of a mammal , such as a human . the suspensions of the invention comprise cyclosporin a form 2 and a vehicle comprising a suspending agent such as hyaluronic acid , a cellulose , polyvinylpyrrolidone ( pvp ), pluronic ® copolymers based on ethylene oxide and propylene oxide , and carbopol ® polymers . in one embodiment , the suspension comprises cyclosporin a form 2 at a concentration of about 0 . 001 % to about 10 % ( w / v ). in one embodiment , the suspension comprises cyclosporin a form 2 at a concentration of about 0 . 001 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 01 %, about 0 . 001 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 04 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 001 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 03 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 001 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 02 % ( w / v ), or about 0 . 001 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 01 % ( w / v ). in another embodiment , the suspension comprises cyclosporin a form 2 at a concentration of about 0 . 01 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 05 %, about 0 . 01 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 04 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 01 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 03 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 01 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 02 % ( w / v ), or about 0 . 01 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 01 % ( w / v ). in another embodiment , the suspension comprises cyclosporin a form 2 at a concentration of about 0 . 01 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 1 %, about 0 . 1 % ( w / v ) to about 0 . 5 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 01 % ( w / v ) to about 1 % ( w / v ), or about 1 % ( w / v ) to about 10 %. for example , the suspensions may comprise about 0 . 001 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 002 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 003 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 004 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 005 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 006 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 007 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 008 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 009 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 01 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 015 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 02 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 025 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 03 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 035 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 04 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 045 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 05 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 055 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 06 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 065 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 07 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 075 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 08 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 085 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 09 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 095 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 1 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 15 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 2 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 25 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 3 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 35 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 4 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 45 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 5 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 55 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 6 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 65 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 7 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 75 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 8 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 85 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 9 % ( w / v ), about 0 . 95 % ( w / v ), or about 1 . 0 % ( w / v ) cyclosporin a form 2 . suspensions of the invention contain cyclosporin a form 2 and a suspending agent . in another embodiment , the suspension also contains one or more of water , buffer , and salt , in sufficient quantities to provide a biocompatible formulation . by “ biocompatible ,” the inventors mean that the suspension is appropriate for administration to the eye ( for example , by parenteral administration ). the formulations of the invention may be manufactured by using either a heat - sterilized slurry of form 2 cyclosporin mixed aseptically with a sterile parenterally - biocompatible suspending agent and other excipient ; or by combining form 2 cyclosporin with a parenterally - biocompatible suspending agent and other excipients and heat sterilizing the entire formulation . these methods address various important problems with cyclosporin formulation : 1 ) solid cyclosporin cannot be pre - sterilized by irradiation without significant drug degradation and formation of degradation products ; 2 ) sterile filtration is also not feasible because the formulation is a suspension ; and 3 ) terminal sterilization by heat will decrease gel viscosity . also , in one embodiment , the final viscosity of the drug formulation is sufficiently high to keep the cyclosporin suspended throughout the product &# 39 ; s shelf - life . in another embodiment , the viscosity is sufficiently low to permit the final formulation to flow through a narrow gauge syringe , such as a 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , or 26 gauge needle or narrower . in still another embodiment , the formulation is sufficiently high to keep the cyclosporin suspended throughout the product &# 39 ; s shelf - life , and also sufficiently low to permit the final formulation to flow through a syringe with a 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , or 26 gauge needle or narrower . methods 1 and 2 , below , use hyaluronic acid as the suspending agent but , other suitable suspending agents may be substituted . it should be noted that sterile hyaluronic acid is very expensive and that method 2 provides a unique method of sterilization , which allows the use of non - sterile hyaluronic acid by heat - reducing the polymer to the correct molecular weight range , so that it reaches the target viscosity range . method 2 , therefore , requires precision manufacturing , where each new lot of hyaluronic acid may shift to a different viscosity range , under identical manufacturing conditions . consequently , in order to assure the correct viscosity range is reached in every commercial batch , the heat cycle will need to be adaptive — that is — adjusted according to a set of guidelines and experiments on the raw material lot prior to manufacture of the drug product . furthermore , it should be noted that method 2 prepares all steps of the formulation in a single vessel . these two methods allow for the rapid production of the drug product and consequently , have substantial value in saving one day or more of valuable manufacturing time over method 1 . these methods depend on the inventors &# 39 ; surprising discovery that cyclosporin a form 2 may be autoclaved and still retain its potency and stability . other forms of cyclosporin — amorphous , form 1 and form 3 — cannot be autoclaved , without unacceptable loss of drug substance from the suspension . the appropriate amount of cyclosporin a form 2 is suspended and mixed in phosphate buffered saline solution and the slurry is heat sterilized by autoclave . in an aseptic environment , the appropriate amount of pre - sterilized hyaluronic acid is added to the sterile cyclosporin slurry , is mixed , and then dissolved . the drug product is brought to volume with sterile water for injection . the final product has a viscosity in the correct range to create a long - term stable suspension , while allowing the final formulation to flow through a syringe fitted with a narrow - gauge needle , such as 25 gauge needle or narrower . an excess of non - sterile hyaluronic acid is dissolved in phosphate buffered saline solution . cyclosporin a form 2 is suspended and mixed . the resulting suspension formulation is heat - sterilized by autoclave ( using an “ adaptive ” heat cycle ), at the appropriate temperature and for the appropriate amount of time , to both sterilize the formulation and bring the viscosity into the desired range . for parenteral formulations , it may be desirable to achieve a viscosity that is sufficiently high to keep the cyclosporin suspended throughout the product &# 39 ; s shelf - life , and also sufficiently low to permit the final formulation to flow through a syringe with a 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , or 26 gauge needle or narrower . while hydrogel solutions are generally recognized as safe for topical use , very few have been used for parenteral administration , and none have been demonstrated to be safely injected through a 25 gauge needle ( or narrower ) into subconjunctival tissue at high hydrogel concentrations . a high concentration of suspending agent ( up to 25 %) is necessary in order to maintain the suspendability of the 5 - 40 % cyclosporin parenteral formulations described herein . in one embodiment , parenteral formulations for use in subconjunctival tissue are ( 1 ) injectable through a narrow - gauge needle , such as 25 gauge or narrower , in order to minimize tissue damage by the needle , to allow for quick healing of the needle entry - point , and to limit the back - flow of the injected formulation ; ( 2 ) sterile ; ( 3 ) biocompatible ; and ( 4 ) sufficiently viscous to maintain suspendability throughout the shelf - life of the formulation and to prevent tissue reflux out of the subconjunctival space . in such formulations viscosity is sufficiently high to retain long - term suspendability of the drug but sufficiently low to allow the entire formulation to readily pass through a narrow gauge needle . in one embodiment of the invention , the formulations have a very high viscosity ( e . g ., ≧ 100 , 000 cps ) yet may still able to be injected out of syringe through a narrow - gauge needle . the following table gives examples of such formulations . compositions of the invention may be used to treat any condition of the eye which is known to be amenable to topical treatment with cyclosporin a ( such as with restasis ®) at the concentrations stated here . for example , compositions of the invention may be used to treat patients suffering from dry eye , to treat blepharitis and meibomian gland disease , to restore corneal sensitivity that has been impaired due to refractive surgery on the eye , to treat allergic conjunctivitis and atopic and vernal keratoconjunctivitis , and to treat ptyregia , conjunctival and corneal inflammation , keratoconjuntivitis , graft versus host disease , post - transplant glaucoma , corneal transplants , mycotic keratitis , thygeson &# 39 ; s superficial punctate keratitis , uveitis , and theodore &# 39 ; s superior limbic keratoconjunctivitis , among other conditions . the international dry eye workshop ( dews ) defines dry eye as “ a multifactorial disease of the tears and ocular surface that results in symptoms of discomfort , visual disturbance , and tear film instability with potential damage to the ocular surface , accompanied by increased osmolarity of the tear film and inflammation of the ocular surface .” it includes those conditions , such as keratoconjunctivitis sicca , that are caused by tear deficiency or excessive evaporation of tears . blepharitis is a chronic disorder producing inflammation of the anterior and posterior lid margin , with involvement of skin and its related structures ( hairs and sebaceous glands ), the mucocutaneous junction , and the meibomian glands . it can also affect the conjunctiva , tear film , and the corneal surface in advanced stages and may be associated with dry eye . blepharitis is commonly classified into anterior or posterior blepharitis , with anterior affecting the lash bearing region of the lids , and posterior primarily affecting the meibomian gland orifices . meibomian gland disease most often occurs as one of three forms : primary meibomitis , secondary meibomitis , and meibomian seborrhea . meibomian seborrhea is characterized by excessive meibomian secretion in the absence of inflammation ( hypersecretory meibomian gland disease ). primary meibomitis , by contrast , is distinguished by stagnant and inspissated meibomian secretions ( obstructive hypersecretory meibomian gland disease ). secondary meibomitis represents a localized inflammatory response in which the meibomian glands are secondarily inflamed in a spotty fashion from an anterior lid margin blepharitis . impaired corneal sensitivity often occurs after refractive surgery , such as photorefractive keratectomy , laser assisted sub - epithelium keratomileusis ( lasek ), epi - lasek , customized transepithelial non - contact ablation , or other procedures in which the corneal nerves are severed . impaired corneal sensitivity may also occur after viral infection , such as by hsv - 1 , hsv - 2 , and vzv viruses . patients with impaired corneal sensitivity often complain that their eyes feel dry , even though tear production and evaporation may be normal , suggesting that “ dryness ” in such patients is actually a form of corneal neuropathy that results when corneal nerves are severed by surgery or inflamed after viral infection . allergic conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva resulting from hypersensitivity to one or more allergens . it may be acute , intermittent , or chronic . it occurs seasonally , that is , at only certain time of the year , or it occurs perennially , that is , chronically throughout the year . symptoms of seasonal and perennial allergic conjunctivitis include , in addition to inflammation of the conjunctiva , lacrimation , tearing , conjunctival vascular dilation , itching , papillary hyperlasia , chemosis , eyelid edema , and discharge from the eye . the discharge may form a crust over the eyes after a night &# 39 ; s sleep . atopic keratoconjunctivitis is a chronic , severe form of allergic conjunctivitis that often leads to visual impairment . symptoms include itching , burning , pain , redness , foreign body sensation , light sensitivity and blurry vision . there is often a discharge , especially on awakening from a night &# 39 ; s sleep ; the discharge may be stringy , ropy , and mucoid . the lower conjunctiva is often more prominently affected than the upper conjunctiva . the conjunctiva may range from pale , edematous , and featureless to having the characteristics of advanced disease , including papillary hypertrophy , subepithelial fibrosis , formix foreshortening , trichiasis , entropion , and madurosis . in some patients the disease progresses to punctate epithelial erosions , corneal neovascularization , and other features of keratopathy which may impair vision . there is typically goblet cell proliferation in the conjunctiva , epithelial pseudotubular formation , and an increased number of degranulating eosinophils and mast cells in the epithelium . cd25 + t lymphocytes , macrophages , and dendritic cells ( hla - dr . sup .+, hla - cd1 +) are significantly elevated in the substantia propria . like atopic keratoconjunctivitis , vernal keratoconjunctivitis is a severe form of allergic conjunctivitis , but it tends to affect the upper conjunctiva more prominently than the lower . it occurs in two forms . in the palpebral form , square , hard , flattened , closely packed papillae are present ; in the bulbar ( limbal ) form , the circumcorneal conjunctiva becomes hypertrophied and grayish . both forms are often accompanied by a mucoid discharge . corneal epithelium loss may occur , accompanied by pain and photophobia , as may central corneal plaques and trantas &# 39 ; dots . when the inventors autoclaved aqueous suspensions of cyclosporin a , the drug particles aggregated , making the product unacceptable . additionally , the inventors found that hyaluronic acid also degrades upon autoclaving , causing a marked drop in viscosity . lower viscosity , in turn , reduces the suspendability of the drug particles and causes them to settle . formulations having drug particles in suspension that too rapidly settle , or irreversibly settle , may be useful for laboratory tests , but are not commercially viable . the inventors explored formulations of four cyclosporin a polymorphic forms , the amorphous form , the tetragonal crystalline form ( form 1 ), the orthorhombic form ( form 3 ), and cyclosporin a form 2 . a suspension of form 1 converts to the amorphous form and aggregates upon autoclaving ; clumping of the cyclosporin is also observed . consequently , neither form 1 nor the amorphous form is suitable for autoclave stabilization . furthermore , an autoclaved suspension of f3 in water lost 11 - 28 % of its potency during autoclaving ( table 4 ); this , too , is unacceptable . in contrast , a suspension of form 2 in water was quite stable to autoclaving , resisting degredation when compared to a pre - sterilization control . x - ray analysis of filtered solid from the form 2 formulation also confirms that form 2 is polymorphically stable to autoclaving ( fig3 ). these latter two findings are extremely surprising , considering the lack of either chemical or polymorphic stability of the other three forms . the inventors explored the autoclavability of a series of concentrated solutions of various polymers ( no drug ) which , when loaded in a syringe , will flow through a narrow - gauge needle ( 25 gauge or narrower ). the polymers evaluated were as follows : cross - linked hyaluronic acid ( juvederm ®), carbomer , carboxymethylcellulose - medium molecular weight , carboxymethylcellulose - high molecular weight , hydroxyethylcellulose , hydroxypropylcellulose , pluronic f127 and polyvinylpyrrolidone k90 . all of these are readily available from commercial suppliers . one hundred microliters of each of the autoclaved solutions was injected into rabbit conjunctiva , in order to evaluate the propensity for causing inflammation . those polymers producing an inflammatory reaction were eliminated from consideration ( fig4 , carbomer , both cmc &# 39 ; s , and hpmc were eliminated ). additionally , juvederm ® was eliminated because it formed a long - lasting bleb which , in humans , might cause irritation as the eyelid moves over the site of injection . both hpmc and pluronic separated from the solution during / after autoclaving and consequently were also eliminated . of the commercially viable hydrogels , only hec and pvp demonstrated that they produced no inflammation in rabbit conjunctiva after autoclaving . these two hydrogels were used to formulate cyclosporin a suspensions for further evaluation . the results of the studies are shown in table 5 . initially , the inventors explored the possibility of heat - sterilizing a slurry of cyclosporin a of form 1 ( which converts to the amorphous form ). this approach resulted in agglomeration of the drug and consequently , the formulation was not viable . further studies , adding pvp to suppress the agglomeration of form 1 / amorphous form , also failed . since heat - sterilization of an aqueous suspension of cyclosporin did not appear to be viable , the inventors planned to prepare suspensions by aseptic technique , using pre - sterilize solid cyclosporin . various solid cyclosporins ( forms 1 , 2 , and 3 and amorphous ) were treated with gamma or e - beam irradiation . in all cases , significant loss of drug ( 3 - 9 %) occurred ( fig2 and table 1 ). furthermore , the substantial loss of drug indicates that high levels of degradation products ( around 3 - 9 %) are generated in the irradiation - sterilized material . these impurities may have negative toxicological and / or regulatory implications ; consequently , this approach to sterilization appears to be undesirable . subsequently , the inventors attempted to irradiate solid cyclosporin ( forms 1 , 2 , and 3 and amorphous ), under the best conditions above , at cold temperatures . no significant improvement was noted with any of the forms of cyclosporin ( table 2 ). after it became apparent that irradiation of solid cyclosporins produced too much degradation , the inventors attempted to irradiate an aqueous suspension of cyclosporin , using hyaluronic acid as a suspending agent . this approach resulted in 4 - 10 % degradation of the drug within the formulation . finally , the inventor turned their focus on steam sterilization of slurries and full formulations of cyclosporins . slurries of form 1 ( which converts to amorphous ) agglomerate during heat - sterilization . slurries of form 3 , while physically stable and more chemically stable than form 1 , degraded significantly during heat sterilization . but , to the inventors &# 39 ; surprise , slurries of form 2 were both physically and chemically stable ( tables 4 and 5 ). parenterally - biocompatible suspending agents were identified by injecting sterile concentrated solutions into the subconjunctival space and evaluating the toxicological response . an injection of 100 ul of the following polymers in phosphate buffered saline was administered subconjunctivally to new zealand white rabbits and observed for a period of seven days . tech alternative type name source lot # info vendor coa grade vendor grade 1 pvp pvp k30 sigma_aldrich bcbb7859 mw 40k sigma_aldrich yes basf pheur / 81420 - 500g ( pso : 5 % usp / ( or pso in water , nf / jp r14247 ) ph 3 . 6 ) 2 pvp pvp k90 sigma_aldrich bcbb3954 mw 360k sigma_aldrich yes basf pheur / 81440 - 250g usp / nf / jp 3 pvp pvp 10 sigma - aldrich 050m0039 mw 10k sigma_aldrich yes basf pheur / pvp10 - 500g usp / nf 4 hpmc hypromellose pso pm # xb14012n11 sigma dow yes usp / ( tested to 1018 h3785 : chemical pheur jp ) ( r19424 ) 4000 cp , 2 % in water 5 cmc carboxymethyl pso 96413 cmc from cellulose r19716q ashland / sodium pending aqualon is nf / usp , 6 cmc carboxymethyl pso 96077 cellulose r19717 sodium 7 hydroxyethyl natrosol kevin f0854 type ashland hec from cellulose ( type warner 250 - hhx ashland ./ ( hec ) 250 - hhx pharm aqualon is pharm ) usp / ep , 8 acrylate / c10 - carbopol kevin ec742ek343 acrylate lubrizol usp / 30 alkyl etd warner crosspolymer nf acrylate 2020nf ( viscosity , 47 - 77k cp 0 . 5 % wt at ph 7 . 5 ) 9 carbomer carbopol kevin cc83rzg726 type a lubrizol usp / interpolymer ultrez 10 warner ( viscosity , nf nf 45 - 65k polymer cp 0 . 5 % wt at ph 7 . 5 ) 10 carbomer - carbopol kevin ec863cc625 type c lubrizol usp / homopolymer 980 nf warner ( viscosity , pheur / polymer 40 - 60k jpe cp 0 . 5 % wt at ph 7 . 5 ) 1 pvp pvp k30 sigma_aldrich bcbb7859 mw 40k sigma_aldrich yes basf pheur / 81420 - 500g ( pso : 5 % usp / ( or pso in water , nf / jp r14247 ) ph 3 . 6 ) 2 pvp pvp k90 sigma_aldrich bcbb3954 mw 360k sigma_aldrich yes basf pheur / 81440 - 250g usp / nf / jp 3 pvp pvp 10 sigma - aldrich 050m0039 mw 10k sigma_aldrich yes basf pheur / pvp10 - 500g usp / nf 4 hpmc hypromellose pso pm # xb14012n11 sigma dow yes usp / ( tested to 1018 h3785 : chemical pheur jp ) ( r19424 ) 4000 cp , 2 % in water 5 cmc carboxymethyl pso 96413 cmc from cellulose r19716q ashland / sodium pending aqualon is nf / usp , 6 cmc carboxymethyl pso 96077 cellulose r19717 sodium 7 hydroxyethyl natrosol kevin f0854 type ashland hec from cellulose ( type warner 250 - hhx ashland ./ ( hec ) 250 - hhx pharm aqualon is pharm ) usp / ep , 8 acrylate / c10 - carbopol kevin ec742ek343 acrylate lubrizol usp / 30 alkyl etd warner crosspolymer nf acrylate 2020nf ( viscosity , 47 - 77k cp 0 . 5 % wt at ph 7 . 5 ) 9 carbomer carbopol kevin cc83rzg726 type a lubrizol usp / interpolymer ultrez 10 warner ( viscosity , nf nf 45 - 65k polymer cp 0 . 5 % wt at ph 7 . 5 ) 10 carbomer - carbopol kevin ec863cc625 type c lubrizol usp / homopolymer 980 nf warner ( viscosity , pheur / polymer 40 - 60k jpe cp 0 . 5 % wt at ph 7 . 5 ) 2 % carbomer ( carbopol ultrez 10nf , lubrizol ) 8 % carboxymethyl cellulose ( low viscosity cmc , lubrizol ) 6 % carboxymethyl cellulose ( high viscosity cmc , lubrizol ) 6 % hec ( ashland ) 6 % hpmc ( dow chemical ) juvederm ultra ( allergan , inc ) pluronic f127 ( basf ) polyvinyl pyrrolidone ( pvp k90 , basf ) gross ocular congestion was shown to resolve within 7 days for cmc , hec , hpmc , pluronic and pvp . ocular discharge was shown to resolve within three days . ocular discharge resolved within 3 days for all groups except one . results of the experiment are provided in fig9 - 11 . the inventors prepared various formulations and evaluated their potency and purity , as well particle size distribution . | 2 |
referring to fig2 a through 2d , an aspirating induction nozzle assembly 10 is designed for vertical connection to an exhaust gas outlet 11 by means of a connecting flange 32 . the nozzle assembly 10 comprises a tubular or frusto - conical central nozzle 12 , a long frusto - conical wind band 13 , which is attached in annular spaced relation to the central nozzle 12 by multiple mounting brackets 14 , and a short frusto - conical guide vane 15 , which is attached in annular spaced relation by the mounting brackets 14 between the central nozzle 12 and the wind band 13 . multiple guide vane clips 33 are used to attach the guide vane 15 to the mounting brackets 14 . the central nozzle 12 comprises a nozzle inlet opening 16 at the lower end , a nozzle discharge opening 17 at the upper end , multiple ambient air induction ports 18 , a primary effluent passage 19 , a mixing zone 20 and a developing zone 21 . each of the induction ports 18 has an induction inlet 22 and an induction outlet 23 . the induction inlets 22 extend obliquely upward and inward from the exterior mid - section of the central nozzle 12 , through the wall of the central nozzle 12 to the mixing zone 20 , where they terminate in the induction outlets 23 . the induction outlets 23 extend radially toward the center of the primary effluent passage 19 so as to form a grid pattern 24 defined by alternating radial segments or bands , consisting of induction outlets 23 alternating with radial arms of the constricted primary effluent passage 19 . this grid pattern 24 provides an extended boundary for intermixing of the primary effluent stream with the induced ambient stream . the central nozzle 12 extends upward beyond the mixing zone 20 through the developing zone 21 to the nozzle discharge opening 17 . it should be understood that the grid pattern 24 configuration of the alternating radial induction outlets 23 and radial arms of the primary effluent passage 19 , as shown in fig2 c , is but one of many possible grid pattern configurations . in the alternate embodiment depicted in fig5 a and 5b , there are more induction ports and induction outlets 23 — six as compared to four in fig2 c — resulting in greater constriction of the primary effluent passage 19 . this alternate embodiment will increase the volume of ambient air relative to the primary effluent and thus increase the dilution ratio of the discharged air / gas mixture . the frusto - conical wind band 13 comprises a wind band inlet opening 25 at the lower end , and a wind band discharge opening 26 at the upper end . in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in fig2 a - 2d , the wind band 13 convergingly extends annularly from below the mid - section of the central nozzle 12 to above the nozzle discharge opening 17 . in this embodiment , the wind band discharge opening 26 is larger than the nozzle discharge opening and is located above it . in the alternate embodiment depicted in fig5 a - 5d , the wind band discharge opening 26 is coterminous with the nozzle discharge opening 17 , and the wind band 13 extends below the bottom of the central nozzle 12 . this alternate design will force more ambient air into the induction inlets 22 , because the annular air path between the wind band 13 and the central nozzle 12 has no outlet . referring again to fig2 a - 2d , multiple mounting brackets 14 extend from the wind band inlet opening 25 to the nozzle discharge opening 17 . the mounting brackets 14 attach the wind band 13 to the central nozzle 12 and maintain the wind band 14 in a converging annular spaced relation to the central nozzle 12 . the guide vane 15 is also supported by the mounting brackets 14 in the annular area between the wind band 13 and the central nozzle 12 . the guide vane 15 convergingly extends annularly above the wind band inlet opening 25 and around the induction inlets 22 of the central nozzle 12 . referring now to fig2 a , 2 c , 3 and 4 , the induction of ambient air into the primary effluent is initiated by the primary effluent 27 flowing at a high velocity over and around the induction outlets 23 , which radially extend into the primary effluent passage 19 to form the grid pattern 24 defining the intra - nozzle mixing zone 20 . as a result of the high velocity flow through the constricted primary effluent passage 19 , the venturi effect produces negative pressure voids at the induction outlets 23 . these negative pressure voids at the induction port outlets draw ambient air 28 into the mixing zone 24 through the induction ports 18 from the induction 22 inlets . the radially - alternating configuration of the mixing zone 24 provides for thorough mixing of the induced ambient air 28 with the primary effluent 27 to produce a combined diluted mixture flow 29 of increased volume . this diluted mixture flow 29 then passes through an extended developing zone 21 within the central nozzle 12 above the mixing zone 24 . in the developing zone 21 , the high velocity pressure leaving the mixing zone 24 is converted to static pressure by the process of static regain . the flow exiting the nozzle discharge opening 17 comprises the primary effluent flow 27 mixed and pressure - equalized with the induced ambient air flow 28 from the induction ports 18 . a secondary induction process takes place at the nozzle discharge opening 17 , whereby the velocity of the nozzle discharge flow 29 draws an annular column of ambient air 30 through the wind band 13 . consequently , the total flow exiting the wind band discharge opening 31 comprises the nozzle discharge flow 29 annularly surrounded by secondary induced ambient air flow 30 through the wind band 13 . in the alternate embodiment depicted in fig5 a - 5d , the wind band 13 converges to become coterminous with the central nozzle 12 at the nozzle discharge opening 17 , such that the wind band discharge opening 26 and the nozzle discharge opening 17 merge into one combined opening . this alternate design induces ambient air within the wind band 13 to flow into the induction inlets 22 of the central nozzle 12 , due to the lower pressure relationship ( negative pressure at the induction outlets 23 ). the full - length wind band 13 of the present invention 10 shields the induction inlets 22 against atmospheric crosswind currents . the wind band 13 and the central nozzle 12 are positioned and fastened together by the vertical interconnecting mounting brackets 14 . these mounting brackets 14 extend the full height of the annular space between the exterior of the central nozzle 12 and the interior of the wind band 13 to form an individual ambient air channels for each induction inlet 22 . by directing ambient air into the induction inlets 22 through these defined channels , the mounting brackets 14 prevent crosswind currents from circulating around the annular space between the central nozzle 12 and the wind band 13 . the annular guide vane 15 positioned near the bottom of the wind band 13 also assists with directing ambient air toward the induction inlets 22 . the guide vane also helps reduce turbulence of the secondary induced ambient air flow through the wind band . the combined structure of the full - length wind band 13 , mounting brackets 14 and guide vane 15 cooperate to attenuate noise . further noise attenuation can be achieved by acoustic treatment 34 of these components and / or the central nozzle . although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed for illustrative purposes , those skilled in the art will appreciate that many additions , modifications and substitutions are possible , without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the accompanying claims . as used in the following claims , “ proximal ” and “ distal ” are in relation to the exhaust gas outlet connection to the nozzle . “ upward ” or “ above ” is in the “ distal ” direction , i . e ., away from the exhaust gas outlet connection , while “ downward ” or “ below ” is in the “ proximal ” direction , i . e ., toward the exhaust gas outlet connection . “ inward ” is toward the central longitudinal axis of the nozzle . the “ radial ” direction is in relation to one of the circular transverse cross - sections of the nozzle . | 5 |
with reference to fig1 a first embodiment of the subject invention comprises camera control unit 1 coupled to camera head 2 by means of cable 15 . the camera control unit , in turn , comprises control and video processing circuitry 13 , timing corrector 20 , phase detector 12 , microprocessor 14 , and timing pulse separator 10 . power supply 3 , amp . 4 , and connector 5 are also included as shown . the power supply is used to provide power 3 to the camera head 2 by means of signal line 32 , and will not be further described . the camera head comprises driving circuitry 24 , imager 28 ( typically a ccd ), and amp . 26 . control and video processing circuitry 13 generates v and h timing signals on signal lines 22 and 18 , respectively . in this embodiment , the v timing signals are sent directly to connector 5 , and from there , to the camera head over cable 15 without alteration , but the h timing signals , typically having a frequency of 14 . 3 mhz ., are first passed through timing corrector 20 . timing corrector 20 delays the h timing signals by a predetermined amount , obtained from microprocessor 14 , and outputs the same on signal line 30 . once delayed , the h timing signals are sent to the connector 5 , and from there to the camera head 2 over cable 15 . once they have passed over the cable , the v and h timing signals are received by driving circuitry 24 , which generates the v1 - v4 , h1 , h2 , lh1 , and pg driving signals required to drive ccd 28 . ( in some cases , the v timing signals can be coupled directly to the ccd without passing through the driving circuitry first ). since the driving signals are generated remotely at the camera head , and are not transmitted over the cable , the need for level correction circuitry to adjust the amplitude of the same for anticipated delay over the cable is avoided . in addition , the numerous signal lines which would otherwise be required to transmit the driving signals over the cable are also avoided . ccd 28 , in turn , generates a composite signal , responsive to the driving signals , which comprises an image signal and a reset timing signal , typically also at a frequency of 14 . 3 mhz ., combined together . the composite signal is sent to amp . 26 , typically a common emitter current amp ., which amplifies and drives the composite signal back over the cable 15 by means of signal line 16 , to timing pulse separator 10 , and amp . 4 within the camera control unit 1 . at the camera control unit , timing pulse separator 10 separates the reset timing signal from the composite signal , and conveys the reset timing signal to phase detector 12 . phase detector 12 compares the phase between the h timing signals generated by the control and video processing circuitry 13 and the reset timing signal extracted from the composite signal , and outputs the phase difference to the microprocessor 14 . the microprocessor 14 , in conjunction with the timing corrector 20 , monitors the phase difference and iteratively delays the outgoing h timing signals until the detected phase difference between the incoming and outgoing timing signals is at a minimum , preferably 0 degrees . the microprocessor then stores the delay amount which minimizes the phase difference for subsequent use . ( in the subsequent discussion , this amount will be referred to as the &# 34 ; optimal &# 34 ; delay amount , but it should be appreciated that other ways of determining this amount are possible and are intended to be covered by this term , such as when the phase difference is at a fixed positive or negative value ). advantageously , the microprocessor 14 only determines the optimal delay amount once or at selected intervals under controlled conditions such as when the system is first energized , since , at this point , the reset timing signal coming from the timing pulse separator 10 is known to be of high quality , and unaffected by image information . indiscriminate or continuous determination of the delay amount can be problematic , since the quality of the reset timing signal can be poor during vertical and horizontal retrace periods , and when the ccd is exposed to transient high light levels . as stated , once determined , the microprocessor 14 stores the optimal delay amount , and uses the same thereafter to delay the outgoing h timing signals throughout the remainder of the surgical procedure or a selected period thereof . in this way , the circuitry avoids the instability that plagues classic analog approaches utilizing phase - locked loops , which determine and adjust continuously for phase differences . as previously stated , the composite signal is also sent to amp . 4 within the camera control unit 1 . amp . 4 amplifies the composite signal , and conveys the same to the control and video processing circuitry 13 . sample and hold circuitry therein then samples the amplified composite signal responsive to timing pulses synchronous with the outgoing h timing signals . since those signals are , in the manner just described , caused to be synchronous with the reset signal portion of the composite signal , the sample and hold circuitry will be able to sample the composite signal at the appropriate time to extract the image signal . the control and video processing circuitry 13 then performs additional processing on the image signal to derive the video signal which is used to directly drive a display device such as a video monitor . a second embodiment of the subject invention is illustrated in fig2 in which , compared with fig1 like elements are referenced with like reference numerals . this embodiment is very similar to the first , except that pg generator 6 is added within the camera control unit 1 , and an extra signal line , referenced with identifying numeral 31 , is added to the cable 15 . pg generator 6 generates a pg timing signal from the delayed h timing signals coming from the timing corrector . the pg timing signal is then conveyed to the connector 5 , and from there , to the driving circuitry 24 by means of signal line 31 in the cable 15 . this embodiment slightly reduces the number of components at the camera head because less circuitry is required there to generate the pg driving signal . on the other hand , it does so at the expense of an extra signal line in the cable 15 . otherwise , this embodiment is identical to the first . a detailed diagram of the camera control unit of fig2 is illustrated in fig4 in which , compared with fig2 like elements are referenced with like identifying numerals . as shown , microprocessor 14 is advantageously a motorola mc68hc705c4fn microcontroller , and timing corrector 20 advantageously comprises two pca electronics programmable delay lines ( part nos . 1888 and 1889 ), one with a 2 nsec . step delay , and the other , with a 10 nsec . step delay , the combination achieving a 2 nsec . resolution for the delay . in this particular implementation , the timing corrector 20 is configured to compensate for an approximate round - trip delay of 30 nsec . through a 10 ft . cable ( 15 nsec . each way ) and another 15 nsec . transit time through cable driver circuits . as shown , phase detector 12 , in this implementation , comprises a signetics 74hc4046a phase detector , identified with reference numeral 120 , buffer amplifier 121 , and a / d converter 122 . the output of phase detector 120 connects through the buffer amplifier 121 to the a / d converter 122 , and then to the microcontroller 14 . timing pulse separator 10 comprises buffer amplifier 100 , capacitor 101 ( advantageously 0 . 001 uf . ), resistor 102 ( advantageously 33 kohm ), diodes 103 and 105 , resistor 104 ( advantageously 200 ohm ), and capacitor 106 ( advantageously 0 . 1 uf .). the operation of timing pulse separators such as these are known in the art , and will not be further described . microcontroller 14 is coupled to the control and video processing circuitry 13 by means of signal line 19 , which is advantageously a bi - directional serial connection . the purpose of this connection is to ensure that the microcontroller 14 determines the optimal delay amount at the appropriate time , i . e ., at start - up , for the reasons previously described . once determined , the optimal delay amount is held in the microcontroller memory for use in delaying the outgoing timing signals until the value is updated , or until the surgical procedure is completed . as discussed previously , the v timing signals , in this case , vsub , v1 , v2 , v3 , and v4 , are conveyed directly to the ccd 28 by means of signal lines 22 . the h timing signals are passed through timing corrector 20 by means of signal line 18 , and from there , to the driving circuitry 24 in the camera head 2 by means of signal line 30 . the h timing signals are also conveyed to pg generator 6 , which derives the pg timing signal from the h timing signals , and conveys the same to the driving circuitry 24 in the camera head by means of signal line 31 . power supply 3 provides + 15 vdc , 5 vdc , - 9 vdc , and - 5 vdc signals , and conveys the same to the camera head 2 by means of signal lines 32 . the composite signal from the camera head 2 is conveyed to the camera control unit 1 by means of signal line 16 . turning to fig3 that figure is a detailed schematic of the camera head 2 of fig2 . connector 7 is the point where the cable 15 attaches to the camera head 2 . as shown , the v timing signals , vsub , v1 - v4 , are provided on pins 2 - 6 of the connector 7 , and from there , are passed directly to pins 1 - 5 of ccd 28 , which is advantageously a sony icx038 ccd . the - 9 vdc signal from the power supply , known in the art as vl , is received at pin 7 of the connector 7 , and passed directly to pin 6 of the ccd 28 . the h and pg timing signals are received respectively at pins 9 and 8 of the connector 7 , and from there , are conveyed to driving circuitry 24 . driving circuitry 24 , in turn , buffers , amplifies , and processes the same to obtain the pg , h1 , h2 , and lh1 driving signals ( which are known in the art ), and passes the same ( through resistors r5 , r6 , r7 , and r13 ) to pins 13 - 16 of the ccd 28 . driving circuitry 24 , as shown , comprises pg driving circuitry 240 , h1 / h2 driving circuitry 241 , and lh1 driving circuitry 242 . the pg driving circuitry 240 comprises u1a , a flip - flop , and associated circuitry , comprising r3 , r4 , c5 , c6 , and d1 , which provides the proper dc bias . the h1 / h2 driving circuitry 241 comprises u1b , also a flip - flop . as stated , this circuitry produces the h1 and h2 driving signals , which , as can be seen from the figure , are inverted forms of each other . the lh1 driving circuitry 242 comprises q1 and q2 , r1 , d2 - d3 , and c2 - c4 , coupled together as shown . amp . 26 is a common emitter amplifier comprising q3 , r8 , and r12 . the remaining circuitry shown in fig3 is common to most , if not all , ccd implementations , and need not be further explained here . while embodiments and applications of this invention have been shown and described , it should be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject invention . accordingly , the invention is not to be restricted , except as by the appended claims . | 7 |
the aircraft 1 shown in top view in fig1 includes , for its thrust , turboshaft engines 2 ( such as turbojets ) which are preferably , as claimed in the invention , mounted along the fuselage 3 of the aircraft , at the back of same , respectively on both sides of the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the aircraft and above the fuselage close to the rear empennage 4 in said plane . obviously , the invention could apply to turboshaft engines located under the wings of the aircraft ; however , it is intended more for turboshaft engines set up at the fuselage of the aircraft because of the consequences of a breakdown in the rear suspension system as has been stated beforehand . therefore , in order to ensure the mounting and the fastening of each turboshaft engine to the fuselage , a suspension system 6 is provided acting as an interface between the latter . to do this , as shown schematically in fig1 and 2 , the suspension system 6 is arranged between a reinforcement pylon 7 with a boxed mounting beam , which is integral with the structural wall of the fuselage 3 , and outer casings or similar 8 , 9 of the turboshaft engine . in general , the suspension system 6 is present in the front suspension plane p 1 and the rear suspension plane p 2 , which are parallel with respect to each other and at right angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the turboshaft engine . compared to an orthonormal frame of reference xyz , corresponding to that of the aircraft 1 with x as the roll axis , y as the pitch axis and z as the yaw axis , the longitudinal axis of each turboshaft engine is parallel to x and will be designated identically , and the front suspension plane p 1 and the rear suspension plane p 2 are thus included in the planes formed by the axes y and z . usually , the front suspension plane p 1 is located at the turboshaft engine 2 intermediate casing 8 downstream of the turbofan and the rear suspension plane p 2 , in turn , is located at the ring - shaped casing 9 connected to and surrounding the exhaust casing of the turboshaft engine 2 . the front suspension system and the rear suspension system forming the overall suspension system 6 are symbolized by means of respective rectangles 6 . 1 , 6 . 2 ( fig2 and 3 ) connecting the relevant casings ( or streamlined bodies ) of the turboshaft engine to the mounting beam of the pylon , and the parts ( such as listed beforehand ) which go to make them are not shown since they are not part of the invention and are well known in this area ( see the numerous patents of the applicant in this regard ). the suspension system 6 , moreover , has a so - called “ fail - safe ” third intermediate suspension plane p 3 . said suspension plane p 3 is intended to remedy the failure of the rear suspension system and is therefore in parallel with and close to the rear suspension plane p 2 . as stated beforehand , in the event of the rear suspension system breaking down , it is necessary notably to take up the momentum in relation to the z axis , designated as the slippage momentum and , to do this , the intermediate suspension system 6 . 3 , initially erased (“ on standby ” and shown by the dotted line in fig2 ) whilst the rear suspension plane is operational , becomes active ( shown by the solid line in fig3 ). ( this is true for engines located on both sides of the fuselage . for the engine located above , it is expedient to replace z by y and “ slippage momentum ” by “ pitch momentum ”). as shown in fig4 , 5 and 6 , the intermediate suspension system 6 . 3 has the structural form of a connecting rod 10 arranged in the yz plane and connecting , by way of its opposite ends 11 and 12 , the fastenings 14 and 15 situated respectively on an outer fan duct 13 of the turboshaft engine 2 , connecting the casings 8 and 9 , and on the beam of the pylon 7 which is integral with the fuselage . said fastenings , for example , are respectively lugs 16 and 17 such as illustrated in fig4 . the connecting rod 10 , in relation to the turboshaft engine and to the pylon , is mounted with an axial clearance so that no force passes through it whilst the rear suspension plane p 2 remains intact , that is to say ensures its operation normally . said “ fail - safe ” axial clearance allows , on the one hand , the rod 10 to be able to move axially between the two ends 11 , 12 thereof connected to the fastenings 14 , 15 without becoming active and , therefore , without taking up any forces , and thus to be in the standby position . on the other hand , it allows said rod to absorb the vibrations and displacements caused notably by the movement of the propulsive assembly ( turboshaft engine ) in relation to the airplane . in a first embodiment shown in fig4 , an elastically deformable , flexible element 18 is arranged at one of the ends 11 and 12 of the connecting rod 10 , which ends terminate in the usual manner in a ring - shaped cylindrical form as an eyelet . the distance separating the centers of the ring - shaped ends 11 , 12 defines the center distance e of the rod 10 . in fig4 , it can be seen that the flexible element 18 is arranged in the ring - shaped end 11 of the rod 10 which co - operates with the fastening 14 with the lug 16 of the corresponding casing 13 of the turboshaft engine 2 . therefore structurally , said flexible element 18 has a ring - shaped cylindrical form becoming integrated between the inner lateral surface 20 of the ring - shaped end 11 and the outer lateral surface 21 of the cylindrical articulation axis 22 connecting the lug 16 to the end 11 . the material used to realize the flexible element 18 is , for example , a silicone based elastomer , notably capable of thermally resisting variations in temperature . the intrinsic elasticity of the flexible element supplied by the material introduces the fail - safe clearance j necessary in order to isolate the rod and avoid loading it whilst the rear suspension plane p 2 is operational . fig4 shows an example of the fail - safe clearance j introduced by the flexible element allowing for the variation in the center distance e of the rod without loading the same , and for the absorption of the vibrations and other displacements when the plane p 2 is intact . the opposite end 12 of the rod 10 also ends in a ring - shaped cylindrical form and it is articulated at the lug 17 of the corresponding fastening 15 of the pylon by means of a ball - and - socket joint 23 , allowing force to be passed into the longitudinal axis of the rod 10 when this proves necessary , following a breakdown in the rear suspension system 6 . 2 . in this way , the relative displacement between the two ends 11 and 12 of the rod 10 by means of variation in the center distance e thereof ( centers of the connection between ends and corresponding lugs ) is permitted thanks to the elasticity of the flexible element , introducing the fail - safe clearance j , such that no significant force passes through the connecting rod when the plane p 2 is active . moreover , said rod 10 is advantageously realized in two distinct parts 25 , 26 which are cylindrical and connected together in a coaxial manner by an outer threaded ring 27 . the length of the two parts 25 and 26 is approximately identical and they each terminate , at the one end , by means of the corresponding ring - shaped end 11 , 12 and , at the other end , by means of an outer transverse shoulder 28 , 29 , the two facing shoulders being received in the threaded ring 27 . in particular , the part 25 with the end 11 with the flexible element 18 has , at the lateral periphery of the shoulder thereof , a thread 30 capable of cooperating with a corresponding female thread 31 on the outer ring . the other part 26 of the rod 10 , with the ring - shaped end 12 with the ball - and - socket joint 23 , has the transverse shoulder 29 thereof abutting against a transverse bottom 32 of the ring while being axially held one against the other by an intermediate ring 33 between the shoulder 29 and the cylindrical lateral wall 34 of the outer ring 27 . the screw - connecting of the latter by means of the female thread 31 thereof on the thread 30 of the shoulder 28 of the part 25 allows the center distance e of the rod 10 to be adjusted perfectly in terms of the gap between the lugs 16 , 17 of the fastenings 14 , 15 provided on the turboshaft engine 2 and the pylon 7 . in addition to said adjustment possibility , the composite nature of the rod 10 in two approximately equal parts 25 , 26 greatly facilitates the mounting thereof ( and the dismantling thereof ) in the restricted space between the relevant casing of the turboshaft engine and the beam of the pylon . each part 25 and 26 can be connected separately to its fastening , then , afterwards , they are joined again coaxially with the appropriate center distance e by means of the threaded ring 27 which is milled on the outside . in the second embodiment shown in fig5 , 6 and 7 , instead of maintaining the clearance j by means of the flexible element 18 between one of the lugs of the fastenings and the corresponding articulation axis , the fail - safe axial clearance j is integrated directly in the connecting rod 10 , allowing it to vary the length thereof ( center distance e ) within the predetermined clearance , without passing any force whatsoever through it . to this end , in this case too the connecting rod 10 is made up of two distinct parts 40 , 41 , but here they are arranged together telescopically in a coaxial manner . a first outer tubular part 40 is defined in order to end in the ring - shaped end 11 capable of being articulated at the lug 16 ( not shown ) of the fastening of the casing of the turboshaft engine 2 . a second inner cylindrical part 41 , preferably tubular because of the gain in mass , is engaged in the first tubular part 40 and ends in the other ring - shaped end 12 capable of being articulated at the lug 17 ( not shown ) of the fastening of the pylon 7 . the articulations ( not shown ) of the ends at the lugs are , for example , of the type with a cylindrical axis and a ball - and - socket , even with two ball - and - socket joints . between the lateral walls 42 , 43 of the two parts , the outer 40 and the inner 41 part , there is provided a ring - shaped intermediate space 44 in which is arranged the flexible element 18 which will allow for the variation in the center distance e of the rod 10 between the centers of the ends 11 and 12 thereof . the flexible element 18 is therefore in the form of a ring - shaped cylindrical sleeve 45 accommodated in the intermediate space 44 over a major part of the length thereof and joined in a fixed manner on the facing surfaces of the lateral walls 42 , 43 of the parts 40 and 41 . to obtain the desired axial flexibility and the free sliding of the rod 10 without any force passing through same , besides the choice of the material of elastomer , the sleeved element 45 is formed by several concentric ring - shaped layers 46 ( five , for example , are shown in fig5 to 7 ). said layers are either independent of each other by being nested successively into each other or are obtained by the rolling of a band up to the desired number of layers making up the element 18 . in the position of the connecting rod 10 with minimum center distance em between its ends 11 , 12 , as shown in fig5 , it is possible to see the fail - safe axial clearance j made possible between the two parts 40 and 41 of the rod 10 by means of the sleeved element 45 , now deformed in terms of shear to the maximum on one side . to this end , a transverse face 47 , for example of the tubular outer part , abuts against a shoulder 48 of the inner part . the maximum clearance j introduced by the flexibility of the element is therefore situated between two ring - shaped shoulders , respectively the outer shoulder 50 and the inner shoulder 51 , of the distinct parts 40 and 41 , spaced from each other and opposed to contact by abutment of the transverse face 47 and of the relevant shoulder 48 . conversely , in the position of the connecting rod 10 with maximum center distance em , as shown in fig6 , the sleeved element 45 is therefore deformed in terms of shear to the maximum on the other side . in this case , the shoulders 50 and 51 abut axially against each other , and the transverse face 47 of the outer part 40 is situated far away from the shoulder 48 of the inner part 41 while defining the clearance j . said two limit positions ( fig5 and 6 ) determine the fail - safe axial clearance j introduced by the sleeved 45 flexible element 18 . in this way , the length of the connecting rod 10 can vary between said positions without subjecting the rod to any force whatsoever while the rear suspension plane p 2 is active , and is always adapted to the gap between the respective fastenings 14 , 15 in spite of the vibrations of the propulsive assembly , up until the rod returns in abutment . in normal operation , that is to say with a rear suspension plane p 2 operational as in fig2 ( with the arrow symbolizing the forces in p 2 ), the intermediate suspension plane p 3 is inert and the suspension system thereof 6 . 3 , for this purpose , is represented by the rectangle shown by the dotted line . the rod 10 , although being able to move around axially within the clearance supplied by the flexible element , does not contribute to taking up any force whatsoever and is considered as being on standby , inactive . the flexible element 18 , stressed in terms of compression / tension ( fig4 ) or in terms of shear ( fig5 and 6 ) is freely deformed and absorbs the imposed displacements and / or vibrations caused notably by the operation of the propulsive assembly . as a result , the length of the rod 10 ( center distance ) is adapted to the variable distance between the fastenings of the relevant outer casing 13 of the turboshaft engine 1 and of the beam of the pylon 7 . in the event of the suspension system 6 . 2 of the rear plane p 2 breaking down , in this case shown by the dotted line with a cross in fig3 , the suspension system 6 . 3 of the third intermediate plane p 3 acts , being indicated by a rectangle in a solid line in said figure ( with the arrow symbolizing the forces in p 3 ). the rod 10 enters into abutment by eliminating the fail - safe axial clearance j introduced by the elastically deformable flexible element 18 . the forces run through and are taken up by the connecting rod 10 by being transmitted by means of the different contact zones ( articulations , shoulders and transverse faces forming abutment , etc . . . . ) of the rod and into the axis of same . in this way , the slippage momentum in relation to z is taken up allowing the turboshaft engine 2 to be better held . moreover , it is also noted that the connecting rod 10 of said second embodiment can be dismantled . to this end , the tubular outer part 40 , for example , is made up of two sub - parts , a first sub - part 54 corresponding to the outer lateral wall 42 connected to that 43 of the inner part 41 by means of the sleeved flexible element 45 , and a second sub - part 53 corresponding to the ring - shaped end 11 . in this case too , said two sub - parts 53 and 54 are assembled together by means of a milled threaded ring 55 being screw - connected , on the one hand , on a thread 56 of the end 11 ( sub - part 53 ) and , on the other hand , on a thread 57 at the end of the lateral wall 42 ( sub - part 54 ). once screw - connected , the ring 55 places the two sub - parts 53 , 54 in axial abutment . in this way , the mounting and the dismantling of the rod 10 are made easier for the aforesaid reasons . in short , such a rod with an elastically deformable flexible element arranged in the intermediate plane allows a “ fail - safe standby path ” to be defined between the two distant points of the rod , the vibrations to be deadened and mounting on the engines to be facilitated and , when the rear suspension plane breaks down , the relevant engine to be supported . | 1 |
in accordance with the present invention a ceramic and / or metallic coating is formed on a fibrous substrate such as a fiber or filament per se or a fiber assembly , i . e ., a plurality of fibers or filaments such as in the form of a mat , batting , bale , yarn or fabric . the coated fibrous substrate may advantageously be used in oxidation conditions and at high temperature application wherein uncoated fiber substrates could otherwise not be used satisfactorily . the ceramic materials which can be utilized in the present invention comprises the oxides or mixtures of oxides , of one or more of the following elements : magnesium , calcium , strontium , barium , aluminum , scandium , yttrium , the lanthanides , the actinides , gallium , indium , thallium , silicon , titanium , zirconium , hafnium , thorium , germanium , tin , lead , vanadium , niobium , tantalum , chromium , molybdenum , tungsten , and uranium , compounds such as the carbides , borides and silicates of the transition metals may also be used . other suitable ceramic materials which may be used are zircon - mullite , mullite , alpha alumina , sillimanite , magnesium silicates , zircon , petalite , spodumene , cordierite and alumino - silicates . suitable proprietary products are &# 34 ; mattecel &# 34 ; ( trade name ) supplied by matthey bishop , inc ., &# 34 ; torvex &# 34 ; ( registered trademark ) sold by e . i . du pont de nemours & amp ; co ., &# 34 ; w1 &# 34 ; ( trade name ) sold by corning glass and &# 34 ; thermacomb &# 34 ; ( registered trademark ) sold by the american lava corporation . another useful product is described in british patent no . 882 , 484 . other suitable active refractory metal oxides include for example , active or calcined beryllia , baria , alumina , titania , hafnia , thoria , zirconia , magnesia or silica , and combination of metal oxides such as boria - alumina or silica - alumina . preferably the active refractory oxide is composed predominantly or oxides of one or more metals of groups ii , iii and iv of the periodic table . among the preferred compounds may be mentioned yc , tib 2 , hfb 2 , vb 2 , vc , vn , nbb 2 , nbn , tab 2 , crb 2 , mob 2 and w 2 b . preferably , the coating formed on the surface of the fibrous substrate of the present invention are selected from oxides such as tio 2 ; nitrides such as bn ; carbides such as bc and tic ; borides such as tib 2 and tib ; metals for example ni , au , and ti ; and the like . any conventional method of forming the coating on the fibrous substrate may be used . for example , a chemical vapor deposition can be used . the substrate can be dipped into a coating solution to form the coating . brushing a coating solution on a substrate can also be used . spraying a coating solution onto a substrate can also be used . the thickness and amount of coating applied to the fibrous substrate should be sufficient such that the surface coating substantially insulates the fibrous substrate from the oxygen - containing atmosphere , i . e ., such that the coating exposed to the oxygen - containing atmosphere protects the fibrous substrate from oxidation . the thickness and amount of coating on the substrate will depend on the form in which the substrate is used and the desired application for which the substrate will be used . for example , the coating thickness may vary which will depend on whether the substrate is a single fiber which may have a coating thickness of about 1 micron ; a tow of fiber which may have a coating thickness of about 10 - 25 microns ; and a batting of fibrous material which may have a thickness of about 10 - 100 microns . as shown in fig1 a coated fiber 10 having an electrically conductive sinusoidal carbonaceous fiber 12 and a metallic outer coat 14 may be prepared which is useful as a lightweight winding for an electric motor . in fig2 a coil - like coated fiber 20 is illustrated having a ceramic coating 24 and a coil - like fiber 22 . fig3 shows a needle - punched felt - like batting having a ceramic coating which is suitable as a light weight insulation . the fibers utilized for the fibrous substrate of the present invention , herein referred to as &# 34 ; carbonaceous fibers &# 34 ; have a carbon content of at least 65 % and their method of preparation are , preferably , those described in mccullough et al u . s . patent application ser . no . 856 , 305 , entitled &# 34 ; carbonaceous fibers with spring - like reversible reflection and method of manufacture ,&# 34 ; filed apr . 28 , 1986 ; incorporated herein by reference and as described in mccullough et al u . s . patent application ser . no . 918 , 738 , entitled &# 34 ; sound and thermal insulation ,&# 34 ; filed , oct . 14 , 1986 ; incorporated herein by reference . the carbonaceous fibers comprise non - linear , non - flammable resilient elongatable carbonaceous fibers having a reversible deflection ratio of greater than about 1 . 2 : 1 and an aspect ratio ( 1 / d ) of greater than 10 : 1 . the carbonaceous fibers may possess a sinusoidal or coil - like configuration or a more complicated structural combination of the two . preferably , the carbonaceous fibers used are sinusoidal in configuration . preferably , the carbonaceous fibers have a loi value greater than 40 when the fibers are tested according to the test method of astm d 2863 - 77 . the test method is also known as &# 34 ; oxygen index &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; limited oxygen index &# 34 ; ( loi ). with this procedure the concentration of oxygen in o 2 / n 2 mixtures is determined at which a vertically mounted specimen - ignited at its upper end and just ( barely ) continues to burn . the width of the specimen is 0 . 65 to 0 . 3 cm with a length of from 7 to 15 cm . the loi value is calculated according to the equation : ## equ1 ## the carbonaceous fibers are prepared by heat treating a suitable stabilized precursor material such as polymeric materials which can be made into a non - linear fiber or filament structures or configurations and are thermally stable . a suitable stabilized precursor material may be , for example , a material derived from stabilized polyacrylonitrile based materials or stabilized pitch ( petroleum or coal tar ) based materials . preferably , the pretreated stabilized precursor material used in the present invention is derived from stabilized acrylic based filaments . the precursor stabilized acrylic filaments which are advantageously utilized in preparing the carbonaceous fibers used in the fibrous structures of the present invention are selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile hompolymers , acrylonitrile copolymers and acrylonitrile terpolymers . the copolymers preferably contain at least about 85 mole percent of acrylonitrile units and up to 15 mole percent of one or more monovinyl units copolymerized with styrene , methylacrylate , methyl methacrylate , vinyl chloride , vinylidene chloride , vinyl pyridine , and the like . also , the acrylic filaments may comprise terpolymers , preferably , wherein the acrylonitrile units are at least about 85 mole percent . the preferred precursor materials are in the form of a monofilament fiber or plurality of fibers such as a tow yarn , woven cloth or fabric , or knitted cloth which are prepared by any of a number of commercially available techniques . the precursor material is heated to a temperature above about 525 degrees c ., preferably to above about 550 degrees c and thereafter deknitted and carded to produce a fluff of the carbonaceous fibers which can be laid up in a batting - like form . as one embodiment of the present invention and not to be limited thereby , the invention may be described with reference to polyacrylonitrile based fibers . for example , in the case of polyacrylonitrile ( pan ) based fibers , the pan based fibers are formed by conventional methods such as by melt or wet spinning a suitable fluid of the precursor material . the pan based fibers which have a normal nominal diameter of from about 4 to 25 micrometers are collected as an assembly of a multiplicity of continuous filaments in tows . the pan based fibers are then stabilized , for example by oxidation or any other conventional method of stabilization in the conventional manner . the stabilized tows ( or staple yarn made from chopped or stretch broken fiber staple ) are thereafter , in accordance with the present invention , formed into a non - linear sinusoidal form by knitting the tow or yarn into a fabric or cloth , recognizing that other shape forming methods , such as crimping and coil forming , combined with thermosetting , can be employed to produce the non - linear shape . in the above embodiment , the so - formed knitted fabric or cloth is thereafter heat treated , in a relaxed and unstressed condition , at a temperature of from about 525 to 750 degrees c , in an inert atmosphere for a period of time to produce a heat induced thermoset reaction wherein additional crosslinking and / or a cross - chain cyclization reaction occurs between the original polymer chain . at a lower temperature range of from about 150 to about 525 degrees c , the fibers are provided with a varying proportion of temporary to permanent set , while in an upper range of temperatures of from 525 degrees c and above , the fibers are provided with a permanent set . the heat treated fabric or cloth may be deknitted , if desired , to produce a tow or yarn containing the non - linear fibers . specifically what is meant by permanently set is that the fibers possess a degree of irreversibility . it is of course to be understood that the fiber or fiber assembly may be initially heat treated at the higher range of temperatures so long as the heat treatment is conducted while the non - linear configuration , such as coil - like and / or sinusoidal configuration , is in a relaxed or unstressed state and under an inert , non - oxidizing atmosphere . as a result of the higher temperature treatment of 525 degrees c and above , a permanently set sinusoidal ( as illustrated in fig1 ) or coil - like ( as illustrated in fig2 ) configuration or structure is imparted to the fibers in yarns , tows or threads . the resulting fibers , tows or yarns having the non - linear structural configuration may be used per se or opened to form a wool - like fluff . a number of methods known in the art can be used to create an opening , a procedure in which the yarn , tow or the fibers or filaments of the cloth are separated into a non - linear , entangled , wool - like fluffy material in which the individual fibers retain their coil - like or sinusoidal configuration yielding a fluff or batting - like body of considerable loft . the stabilized fibers permanently are configured into a desired structural configuration , by knitting , and thereafter heating at a temperature of greater than about 550 degrees c retain their resilient and reversible deflection characteristics . it is to be understood that higher temperatures may be employed of up to about 1 , 500 degrees c , but the most flexible and smallest loss of fibers breakage , when carded to produce the fluff , is found in those fibers and / or filaments heat treated to a temperature from about 525 and 750 degrees c . it is to be further understood that carbonaceous precursor starting materials may have imparted to them an electrically conductive property on the order of that of metallic conductors by heating the fiber fluff or the batting like shaped material to a temperature above about 1 , 000 degrees c in a non - oxidizing atmosphere . the electroconductive property may be obtained from selected starting materials such as pitch ( petroleum or coal tar ), polyacetylene , acrylonitrile based materials , e . g ., a polyacrylonitrile copolymer ( panox or grafil - 01 ), polyphenylene , polyvinylidene chloride resin ( saran , trademark of the dow chemical company ) and the like . the carbonaceous fiber material which is utilized in the fibrous structures of this invention may be classified into three groups depending upon the particular use and the environment that the structures in which they are incorporated are placed . in a first group , the non - flammable non - linear carbonaceous fibers are non - electrically conductive and possess no anti - static characteristics . the term non - electrically conductive as utilized in the present invention relates to a resistance of greater than 10 7 ohms per inch on a 6k tow formed from precursor fibers having a diameter of about 7 to 20 microns . when the precursor fiber is an acrylic fiber it has been found that a nitrogen content of 18 . 8 % or more results in a non - conductive fiber . in a second group , the non - flammable non - linear carbonaceous fibers are classified as being partially electrically conductive ( i . e ., having a low conductivity ) and have a carbon content of less than 85 %. low conductivity means that a 6k tow of fibers has a resistance of about 10 7 to 10 4 ohms per inch . preferably , the carbonaceous fibers are derived from stabilized acrylic fibers and possesses a percentage nitrogen content of from about 16 to 22 % for the case of a copolymer acrylic fiber , more preferably from about 16 to 18 . 8 %, and up to about a maximum content of about 35 % for a terpolymer acrylic fiber . in a third group are the fibers having a carbon content of at least 85 %. these fibers are characterized as being highly conductive . that is , the resistance is less than 10 4 ohms per inch and are useful in applications where electrical grounding or shielding are also desired . the carbonaceous fibrous substrate of this invention may be used in substantially any desired fabricated form which will depend on the purpose for which the structure is to be used . in one embodiment , the substrate may be the original thermally set knitted fabric containing the non - linear carbonaceous fibers . in another embodiment of this invention , the substrate may include the individual non - linear carbonaceous fibers in the form of long or short fibers . the carbonaceous fibers generally can be from about 0 . 125 to about 4 inches in length . in still another embodiment , the substrate may be non - linear carbonaceous fibers used in the form of a fiber assembly such as a yarn or tow composed of many filaments . in still another embodiment the substrate may be the carbonaceous fibers fabricated formed into a knitted cloth , for example , plain jersey knit , interlock , ribbed , cross float jersey knit or weft knit , and the like , or woven into a fabric , for example of plain weave , satin weave , twill weave , basket weave , and the like . the woven fabric may combine the non - linear carbonaceous fibers of the present invention , for example as warp . the fiber assembly may also be in the form of a non - woven material or fabric such as a mat , fluff or batting of fibers such as described above . in another embodiment the composite may include the wool - like fluffy material produced from the thermally set knitted fabric which contains the non - linear fiber . the substrate in the form of a batting or wool - like fluff may be prepared by conventional needle - punching means . the coated fibrous structures of the present invention may be used in applications wherein the temperature ranges from about 400 degrees c and above and in oxygen - containing atmospheres such as air . application wherein the coated insulation is particularly useful include high temperature insulation and high temperature filtration . the present invention is further illustrated by the following examples , but is not to be limited thereby . the amounts shown are all in percent by weight . a piece of cloth ( plain jersey ) from tows ( 6k ) of panox opf ( oxidized pan fiber ) was heat treated to at a maximum temperature of 900 degrees c to form the carbonaceous fibrous substrate of this invention . a single tow of carbonaceous fiber was deknitted from the fibrous substrate fabric and weighed . a 25 gram sample of ground boric acid was mixed with 25 grams of ground urea . the solid mixture was heated to 143 degrees c to form a boiling syrup - like mixture . the hot liquid was dissolved in 300 ml of hot ( 80 degrees c ) de - ionized water . the solution cooled with no precipitate observed . ten milliliters of the boric acid / urea solution were poured into an aluminum weighing pan . the tow of carbonaceous fiber was placed in the solution and thoroughly wetted , then dried in air at 120 degrees c for one hour . after cooling for one hour , the resultant coated carbonaceous fiber tow was reweighed . the coated tow was placed in a quartz tube ( 44 inch long and 21 / 4 inch i . d .) which was sealed save for a purge gas inlet at one end of the tube and a corresponding outlet at its opposite end . an electric tube furnace was used to heat the tow to 1 , 000 degrees c while purging with nitrogen . after 1 hour at 1 , 000 degrees c , the furnace was de - energized and the tow was cooled to room temperature in nitrogen . one hour after removal from the quartz tube , the tow was reweighed . the carbonaceous fiber tow , possessed a thin layer of boron nitride ( bn ) covalently bonded to its surface . the bn - coated tow was returned to the quartz tube / furnace . a single uncoated tow of carbonaceous fiber deknitted from the fabric above was also placed in the quartz tube / furnace . the nitrogen purge was disconnected from the quartz tube and replaced with an air ( plant air ) purge . air flow rate was regulated at 2 . 55 scfh ( 10 psig , 70 degrees f ) with a roto - meter . such an air flow provides sufficient oxygen to completely oxidize 6 grams of carbonaceous fiber in 2 hours at 600 degrees c or 1 hour at 700 degrees c . if more than 6 grams of carbonaceous fiber ( not counting the coating weight ) are placed in the tube furnace , air flow rate and / or reaction time may have to be adjusted accordingly in order to achieve complete oxidation of uncoated carbonaceous fiber . the tube - furnace was energized and heated to 600 degrees c , maintained at 600 degrees c for 2 hours , and then de - energized . the samples were cooled to room temperature in air . when the samples were cool , the samples were attempted to be removed from the quartz tube . the tow of carbonaceous fiber which contained no coating was reduced to white ash and could not be removed from the furnace and weighed . the bn - coated tow appeared unaltered and was removed from the furnace with ease . after one hour , the bn - coated tow was weighed which revealed that 91 percent of the cured weight of the bn - coated tow remained . a piece of cloth knitted ( plain jersey ) from tows ( 6k ) of opf was heat treated at a maximum temperature of 900 degrees c to form a carbonaceous fiber of the present invention . a specimen of cloth weighing 1 . 308 gram was removed from the larger sample of cloth . six grams of graphi - coat 623 base , obtained from aremco products , inc ., were mixed with 4 grams of graphi - coat 623 activator to produce a coating mixture . the carbonaceous fiber cloth specimen was placed in the coating mixture and a paint brush was used to thoroughly coat the specimen on both sides , along the edges and in the open areas of the knit . after coating , the specimen was removed from the mixture and placed on a flat surface . using a glass rod excess coating mixture was pressed from the specimen . after drying in air at 120 degrees c for one hour and then cooling for 1 hour , the specimen was weighed and found to be 5 . 781 grams . the specimen was cured in a manner similar to that described in example 1 . after curing , the specimen was weighed and found to be 5 . 623 grams . the resultant coated specimen contained a coating of tib 2 . resistance of the tib 2 coated specimen to thermal oxidation was evaluated as described in example 1 . after 2 hours at 600 degrees c in air , the coated specimen retained 90 % of its cured weight . upon cutting the specimen in half , it was observed that the carbonaceous fiber below the surface of the coating were intact . the coated specimen was compared to a second , uncoated sample of the carbonaceous fiber cloth as in example 1 . the uncoated sample was completely ashed and could not be removed from the quartz tube for weighing . a piece of carbonaceous fiber similar to that of example 2 was coated with boron carbide and cured in the manner of example 2 except that the coating mixture comprised 1 gram of boron carbide , 8 grams of graphi - coat 623 activator , and 4 ml of boric acid / urea solution described in example 1 . after 2 hours at 600 degrees c in air the bc coated carbonaceous fiber retained 66 % of its cured weight . the uncoated sample was completely ashed . a piece of knitted carbonaceous fiber , as in example 2 , was coated and cured as described in example 1 . resistance of the coated carbonaceous fiber to thermal oxidation was measured as in example 1 except that the sample was heated to 700 degrees c and held at 700 degrees c for 1 hour . the coated sample retained 59 % of its cured weight while the uncoated sample was completely oxidized leaving only ashes . a piece of cloth knitted ( plain jersey ) from tows ( 6k ) of opf was heat treated at a maximum temperature of 900 degrees c to form the carbonaceous fiber of the present invention . a 1 . 0 gram specimen of the carbonaceous fiber product , still in the form of a knitted fabric , was supplied to ti - coating of texas , inc ., of houston , tex . the carbonaceous fiber specimen was coated with tic using a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) process proprietary to ti - coating of texas , inc . in the cvd process titanium and carbon vapors react at the surface of a substrate at 1 , 050 degrees c to form a coating on the substrate . no special conditions are utilized to coat the carbonaceous fiber , it is treated at the conditions normally used for depositing a layer of tic on industrial tools and parts . such a coating of tic , when applied to industrial tools and parts , is referred to by ti - coating of texas , inc . as tc - 7 . surprisingly , the cvd coating and process deposited a layer of tic on every part of the knitted fabric specimen providing a uniform coating on every filament of every tow in the fabric structure of the specimen . the coated specimen was unexpectedly flexible , i . e ., the coating was not so thick as to restrict the ability of the fabric to conform to irregular surfaces . only 1 gram of weight was added to the fabric by the cvd process , so that the resultant coated specimen weighed 2 grams . several coated specimens were prepared in this manner . the coated specimens were evaluated as to their stability to thermal oxidation following the procedure of example 1 and example 4 with the following results : ______________________________________oxidation initial final % initialtemp . ( c .) weight weight weight______________________________________700 1 . 524 g 1 . 344 g 88600 1 . 078 g 0 . 919 g 85______________________________________ a piece of carbonaceous fiber knitted fabric ( prepared at 700 degrees c ) was de - knitted , i . e ., the individual tows were removed from the knit structure . the tows were then opened with a shirley opener and the open tows were mixed with a polyester binder in a rando webber to product a non - woven fabric or batting material containing 25 % polyester binder and 75 % carbonaceous fiber . the non - woven was further treated with heat to melt the polyester binder to impart greater integrity to the batting ( known as bonding ). the bonded non - woven mat was then needle punched to provide greater entangling of the batting &# 39 ; s fibers thus providing greater integrity and strength to the non - woven fabric . the bonded , needle - punched batting was cut into specimens of approximately 1 gram in weight , and these specimens were then heated , under a nitrogen atmosphere , to a temperature of 1 , 000 degrees c . the specimens were supplied to ti - coating of texas , inc . of houston , tex . the specimens were coated with tin using a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) process proprietary to ti - coating of texas , inc . in the cvd process titanium and nitrogen vapors are reacted at 1 , 050 degrees c on the surface of the target substrate . no special conditions are utilized to coat the carbonaceous fiber batting . the batting is treated at the conditions normally used for depositing a layer of tin on industrial tools and parts . such a coating of tin , when applied to industrial tools and parts , is referred to by ti - coating of texas , inc . as tn - 6 . the cvd coating process deposited a layer of tin on every part of the batting , uniformly coating every filament of carbonaceous fiber in the batting structure . the coated specimen was very flexible . coating of the specimens with tin increased specimen weight by a factor of 2 to 3 . several specimens of tin - coated batting were prepared in this manner . a coated specimen was evaluated as to its stability to thermal oxidation following the procedure of example 1 . with the following result : ______________________________________oxidation initial final % initialtemp . ( c .) weight weight weight______________________________________600 1 . 16 g 1 . 19 g 100______________________________________ | 8 |
the present invention relates generally to a scheme of interconnecting a integrated circuit ( ic ) chip package of the type having a central space thereunder to a circuit board using a compressible connector , with the compressible connector including an opening therethrough for housing a component which is sandwiched between the chip package and the circuit board . in the preferred embodiment described hereinafter , the ic chip package comprises a land grid array ( lga ) package and the sandwiched component comprises a decoupling capacitor . however , it will be appreciated that the use of a lga package and a decoupling capacitor are by example only . other chip packages such as leaded or leadless chip carriers with peripheral contacts having central cavities may be used in the present invention . in addition , the sandwiched component may alternatively include a heat dissipative or heat conductive element or a power transmission element for bridging power from the board to the ic package . similarly , these alternative sandwiched components may include decoupling capacitive features . the compressive connector is preferably of the type described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 793 , 814 . however , many other compressive connectors are also well suited for this invention including pai land grid array socket manufactured by augat , inc ., fuzz button ( a trademark of technit , inc .) manufactured by cinch , inc ., ampflat connectors manufactured by amp , inc . and moe connectors manufactured by eti , inc . referring to fig1 an improved decoupling scheme is shown . this decoupling scheme comprises a land grid array ( lga ) integrated circuit 10 connected to a printed circuit board ( pcb ) 12 by a compression connector system 14 of the type disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 793 , 814 . however , connector 14 is shown in a compressed state . the hardware for compression of connector system 14 , is not shown , with reference being made to u . s . pat . no . 4 , 793 , 814 for those details . lga 10 has an array of contacts or input / output ( i / o ) connection pads 16 ( fig1 a ) on a surface 18 . contacts 16 are illustrated as rectangular but may be any shape ( e . g ., square , circular , etc .). surface 18 may be entirely populated by contacts 16 or , as in the present invention , an area 20 which is devoid of contacts 16 . this will depend on the complexity of internal circuitry 22 , which will dictate the number of i / o contacts 16 required . the internal circuitry 22 of lga 10 generally comprises an ic die 24 connected by bonding wires 26 to interconnecting vias 28 which are connected to contacts 16 . this circuitry is generally set in a ceramic or other electrically non - conductive material package 30 , leaving the circuitry exposed from one side . a lid 32 ( generally metallic ) is affixed onto package 30 closing off the exposed circuitry . pcb 12 is a multi - layer printed circuit board , however single and double sided pcb &# 39 ; s may also be employed . pcb 12 has an electrically conductive film ( i . e ., a trace or plane ) 34 which supplies voltage to lga 10 and another electrically conductive film ( i . e ., trace or plane ) 36 for providing a ground connection to lga 10 . interconnecting vias 38 and 40 provide connection between planes 34 and 36 respectively and pcb contacts 42 on a surface 44 of pcb 12 . the pattern of contacts 42 on surface 44 corresponds to the pattern of the components ( e . g ., lga 10 ) to be connected to pcb 12 . it will be appreciated that many electrical components ( e . g ., capacitors , resistors , ic &# 39 ; s , etc .) may to be mounted on pcb 12 . connector 14 comprises an elastomeric foam 46 ( preferably silicone elastomeric material ) which is shaped similar to lga 10 and has a plurality of &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; shaped conductor pins 47 . pins 47 are disposed in an array of apertures 48 which are angled with respect to a first surface 49 ( which is adjacent to surface 18 of lga 10 ), and to a second surface 50 ( which is adjacent to surface 44 of pcb 12 ). each end of pins 47 extend beyond foam 46 and run parallel thereto . the array of apertures 48 corresponds to both the contact pattern of lga 10 and the pad pattern of pcb 12 . connector 14 operates when compressed by a hardware system ( not shown ). the hardware system maintains compression on connector 14 and assures alignment and proper registration between pins 47 and pcb contacts 42 , and between pins 47 and lga contacts 16 . when connector 14 is compressed , pins 47 rotate slightly , thus providing the required &# 34 ; wipe &# 34 ; action to pcb contacts 42 and to lga contacts 16 . elastomeric foam 46 provides the required spring back force to achieve an effective mechanical contact as well as low resistance between lga contacts 16 and pcb contacts 42 . foam 46 has an opening 51 which is in alignment with area 20 of lga 10 ( i . e ., the area on surface 18 of lga 10 which is devoid of contacts 16 ). a decoupling capacitor 52 is surface mounted onto pcb 12 in opening 51 of connector 14 . preferably , decoupling capacitor 52 is of the type disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 853 , 826 , which is assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated herein by reference . referring also to fig2 a and 2b , capacitor 52 has a single layer of dielectric material or a dielectric chip 53 sandwiched between metal conductors 54 and 56 . extending outwardly and downwardly from each of two sides of each conductor 54 and 56 are wide flat strips or skirts 57 and 58 , respectively . an electrically non - conductive material 59 encapsulates capacitor 52 except for skirts 57 and 58 of conductors 54 and 56 . skirts 57 are connected to voltage plane 34 by vias 61 and contacts 42 . skirts 58 are connected to ground plane 36 by vias 62 and contacts 42 . the capacitor 52 is located in opening 51 of connector 14 . connector 14 is compressed between lga 10 and pcb 12 by the hardware of connector 14 . capacitor 52 is disposed between lga 10 and pcb 12 , thereby greatly increasing available pcb 12 space ( i . e ., &# 34 ; real estate &# 34 ;) for other electrical components or alternatively the overall size of pcb 12 may be reduced accordingly . further inductance of the decoupling loop is lower due to the closer proximity of capacitor 52 to lga 10 . this more effectively reduces switching noise thus allowing lga 10 to be operated at higher switching rates and clock speeds . referring to fig3 a second embodiment of the present invention is shown , wherein like elements to the first embodiment are numbered alike . in accordance with the second embodiment , a flat thick film decoupling capacitor 63 is surface mounted onto pcb 12 under lga 10 in opening 51 of connector 14 . referring also to fig4 a and 4b , capacitor 63 has a single layer of dielectric material 64 sandwiched between metal conductors 65 and 66 . extending downwardly from one surface of each conductor 65 and 66 are three solder bumps 68 and 70 , respectively . an electrically non - conductive material 72 encapsulates capacitor 63 except for bumps 68 and 70 . solder bumps 68 are connected to voltage plane 34 by vias 74 and contacts 42 . solder bumps 70 are connected to ground plane 36 by vias 76 and contacts 42 . capacitor 63 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 , between lga 10 and pcb 12 in accordance with the present invention . referring to fig5 a third embodiment of the present invention is shown wherein like elements to the first embodiment are numbered alike . in accordance with this third embodiment , a thick film ceramic flat decoupling capacitor 77 is surface mounted onto pcb 12 under lga 10 in opening 51 of connector 14 . referring also to fig6 a and 6b , capacitor 77 has a single layer of dielectric material 76 sandwiched between metal conductors 78 and 80 . extending outwardly and downwardly from two sides of each of conductors 78 and 80 are solder terminals 84 and 86 , respectively . terminals 84 and 86 run parallel along the four sides of a substrate 82 . substrate 82 is preferably a ceramic material ( i . e ., electrical non - conductive material ) and encloses the lower portion of capacitor 77 with terminals 84 and 86 being on the sides of substrate 82 . an electrically non - conductive material 87 encloses the upper portion of capacitor 77 . terminals 84 are connected to ground plane 36 by vias 88 and contacts 42 . terminals 86 are connected to voltage plane 34 by vias 90 and contacts 42 . capacitor 77 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 , between lga 10 and pcb 12 in accordance with the present invention . referring to fig7 a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown , wherein like element to the first embodiment are numbered alike . a multi - layer ceramic chip ( mlc ) decoupling capacitor 92 is surface mounted onto pcb 12 under lga 10 in opening 51 of connector 14 . capacitor 92 has two terminals 94 and 96 which correspond to two metal conductors with a single layer of dielectric material sandwiched therebetween . terminal 94 is connected to ground plane 36 by via 98 and contact 42 . terminal 96 is connected to voltage plane 34 by via 100 and contact 42 . capacitor 92 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 , between lga 10 and pcb 12 in accordance with the present invention . referring to fig8 a fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown , wherein like elements to the first embodiment are numbered alike . in accordance with the fifth embodiment , a thermal conductor 102 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 . thermal conductor 102 completely fills opening 51 as is shown in fig8 . thermal conductor 102 preferably comprises carbon fiber filled silicone rubber , although other thermally conductive materials may be employed ( e . g ., thermal bags which are generally copper coated and filled with fluorinated heat conducting liquid ). lga 10 of fig8 differs from the first embodiment in that a plurality of interconnecting vias 104 are connected between ic die 24 and surface 18 at area 20 . vias 104 conduct heat away from ic die 24 and to conductor 102 . it will be appreciated that area 20 of surface 18 is to be thermally conductive . additionally , pcb 12 differs from the first embodiment in that a plurality of interconnecting vias 106 are connected between the upper surface 44 and the lower surface of pcb 12 . vias 106 are located below conductor 102 to facilitate thermal conduction away from thermal conductor 102 and lga 10 . thermal conductor 102 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 , between lga 10 and pcb 12 in accordance with the present invention . referring to fig9 a sixth embodiment of the present invention is shown , wherein like elements to the first embodiment are numbered alike . in accordance with the sixth embodiment , a thermal conductor 108 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 . a compression stop 110 is peripherally disposed about conductor 108 . thermal conductor 108 and compression stop 110 completely fill opening 51 as is shown in fig9 . thermal conductor 108 preferably comprises carbon fiber filled silicone rubber , although other thermally conductive materials may be employed ( e . g ., thermal bags which are generally copper coated and filled with fluorinated heat conducting liquid ). lga 10 of fig9 differs from the first embodiment in that a plurality of interconnecting vias 112 are connected between ic die 24 and surface 18 at area 20 . vias 112 conduct heat away from ic die 24 to conductor 108 . it will be appreciated that area 20 of surface 18 is to be thermally conductive . additionally , pcb 12 differs from the first embodiment in that a plurality of interconnecting vias 104 are connected between the upper surface 44 and the lower surface of pcb 12 . vias 114 are located below conductor 108 to facilitate thermal conduction away from thermal conductor 108 and lga 10 . thermal conductor 108 and compression stop 110 are disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 , between lga 10 and pcb 12 in accordance with the present invention . referring to fig1 , a seventh embodiment of the present invention is shown , wherein like elements to the first embodiment are numbered alike . in accordance with the seventh embodiment , a thermal conductor 116 having a central aperture 118 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 . a compression stop 120 is disposed in aperture 118 . thermal conductor 116 and compression stop 120 completely fill opening 51 as is shown in fig1 . thermal conductor 116 preferably comprises carbon fiber filled silicone rubber , although other thermally conductive materials may be employed ( e . g ., thermal bags which are generally copper coated and filled with fluorinated heat conducting liquid ). lga 10 of fig1 differs from the first embodiment in that a plurality of interconnecting vias 122 are connected between ic die 24 and surface 18 at area 20 . vias 122 conduct heat away from ic die 24 and to conductor 116 . it will be appreciated that area 20 of surface 18 is to be thermally conductive . additionally , pcb 12 differs from the first embodiment in that a plurality of interconnecting vias 124 are connected between the upper surface 44 and the lower surface of pcb 12 . vias 124 are located below conductor 116 to facilitate thermal conduction away from thermal conductor 116 and lga 10 . thermal conductor 116 and compression stop 120 are disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 , between lga 10 and pcb 12 in accordance with the present invention . referring to fig1 , an eighth embodiment of the present invention is shown , wherein like elements to the first embodiment are numbered alike . in accordance with the eighth embodiment , a thermal conductor 126 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 . thermal conductor 126 fills most of opening 51 except for the gaps above and below conductor 126 which are filled with a thermally conductive adhesive or gel 128 . thermal conductor 126 preferably comprises carbon fiber filled silicone rubber , although other thermally conductive materials may be employed ( e . g ., thermal bags which are generally copper coated and filled with fluorinated heat conducting liquid ). lga 10 of fig1 differs from the first embodiment in that a plurality of interconnecting vias 130 are connected between ic die 24 and surface 18 at area 20 . vias 130 conduct heat away from ic die 24 and to conductor 126 . it will be appreciated that area 20 of surface 18 is to be thermally conductive . additionally , pcb 12 differs from the first embodiment in that a plurality of interconnecting vias 132 are connected between the upper surface 44 and the lower surface of pcb 12 . vias 132 are located below conductor 126 to facilitate thermal conduction away from thermal conductor 126 and lga 10 . thermal conductor 126 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 , between lga 10 and pcb 12 in accordance with the present invention . referring to fig1 , a nineth embodiment of the present invention is shown wherein like elements to the first embodiment are numbered alike . in accordance with the nineth embodiment , a plurality of interconnecting pins 134 extend downwardly from corresponding contact surfaces 136 located on surface 18 of lga 10 at area 20 . contacts 136 are connected to ic die 24 by vias 138 to provide power to lga 10 . pins 134 mate with sockets 140 which are connected to power planes 34 and 36 via feed holes 142 and vias 144 in pcb 12 . pins 134 and sockets 140 are collectively referred to herein as interconnecting elements . sockets 140 may be soldered or otherwise connected to facilitate a reliable electrical connection . sockets 140 may be secured in an optional board 146 to assure alignment of sockets 140 with pins 134 . pins 134 and sockets 140 are disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 between lga 10 and pcb 12 in accordance with the present invention . referring to fig1 , a tenth embodiment of the present invention is shown wherein like elements to the first embodiment are numbered alike . in accordance with the tenth embodiment , a compression connector 148 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 . connector 148 comprises an elastomeric foam 150 which is shaped to fill opening 51 and has a plurality of &# 34 ; s &# 34 ; shaped conductor pins 152 . pins 152 are disposed in corresponding apertures 154 which are angled with respect to a first surface 156 , which is adjacent to area 20 of surface 18 , and a second surface 158 , which is adjacent to surface 44 of pcb 12 . each of pins 152 extend beyond foam 150 and run parallel thereto . apertures 154 correspond to contact surfaces 160 on lga 10 and contact pads 162 on pcb 12 . connector 148 does not require an additional hardware system to maintain compression . the compression maintained by the hardware system of connector 14 will suffice to compress both connectors 14 and 148 . when the connectors are compressed , pins 152 rotate slightly , thus providing the required &# 34 ; wipe &# 34 ; action to contacts 160 and 162 . elastomeric foam 150 provides the required spring back force to achieve an effective mechanical contact ( within opening 51 ) as well as low resistance between contacts 160 and 162 . contacts 160 are connected to ic die 24 by vias 164 to provide power to lga 10 . pads 162 are connected to power planes 34 and 36 by vias 166 . pins 154 are expected to be comprised of larger gauge pins than pins 47 in order to satisfy increased power requirements . although connector 148 has been described for power transmission , pins 154 may be employed to conduct heat away from lga 10 is a manner similar to that described hereinbefore . connector 148 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 between lga 10 and pcb 12 in accordance with the present invention . referring to fig1 , an eleventh embodiment of the present invention is shown wherein like elements to the first embodiment are numbered alike . in accordance with the eleventh embodiment , a resistor pack 166 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 . resistor pack 166 comprises a plurality of resistors ( e . g ., pull - up and pull - down resistors commonly used in digital logic circuits ). a first plurality of contact pads 168 are disposed on a first surface 170 of resistor pack 166 and a second plurality of contact pads 172 are disposed on a second surface 174 of resistor pack 166 . the internal resistors of pack 166 are interconnected by pads 168 and 172 . pcb 12 has pads 176 on surface 44 which correspond to pads 168 . pads 168 and 176 are connected by a strip of connector material 178 . strip 178 may comprise orientated stacks of silver coated nickel spheres in a solid silicone ( e . g ., ecpi connect material manufactured by at & amp ; t ), fine wires oriented vertically in a strip of thin elastomer , alternating columns of conductive and non - conductive elastomer , or any other type of strip which will facilitate reliable electrical connection between pads 168 and 176 . pads 176 are connected to planes 34 and 36 by vias 180 . lga 10 of fig1 has contact surfaces 182 at area 20 of surface 18 which correspond to pads 172 of resistor pack 166 . contacts 172 and 182 are connected by another strip of connector material 184 , similar to strip 178 . contacts 182 are connected to ic die 24 by vias 186 to provide connections of the resistors . resistor pack 166 is disposed in opening 51 of connector 14 between lga 10 and pcb 12 in accordance with the present invention . it is preferred that resistor pack 166 completely fill opening 51 in order to maintain the proper alignment of pack 166 , strips 178 and 184 relative to contacts 176 and 182 . although the eleventh embodiment describes a resistor pack 166 employing connector strips 178 , 184 , a decoupling capacitor employing one of the strips 178 may be used without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . further , other electrical devices may be disposed in opening 51 in the manner set forth hereinabove . while preferred embodiments have been shown and described , various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustrations and not limitations . | 7 |
the invention will now be taught using various exemplary embodiments . although the embodiments are described in detail , it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to just these embodiments , but has a scope that is significantly broader . the appended claims should be consulted to determine the true scope of the invention . fig3 shows a catv segment in a hybrid wireless / catv system in which the invention is implemented . in fig3 , the wireless uplink and downlink frequencies are not converted into the normal bandwidth of the catv system . instead , the uplink and downlink frequencies are converted into a part of the bandwidth above the catv programming . that is to say , wireless communications are all carried above , for example , 860 mhz . the catv amplifier normally passes along only frequencies in the 5 - 45 mhz band for upstream communications , and filters out all other frequencies passing upstream . the catv amplifier normally passes along only frequencies in the 50 - 750 / 860 mhz band for downstream communications , and filters out all other frequencies passing downstream . this poses a problem to carrying the cellular communications in a band above the normal catv programming . to overcome this problem , a cellular bypass ( cbp ) is installed at each active point or component ( such as a catv amplifier , trunk amplifier , line extender , distribution module , and the like ). the cbp includes a cellular amplifier and bypass devices ( bpd ). the cbp thus passes the uplink and downlink communications around the catv amplifiers so that the cellular communications are not filtered out by the catv amplifiers . at each end user location , there is provided a network coupling device ( ncd ) and a cable mount cellular antenna ( cmca ). the ncd passes catv traffic to and from the stb ( or television set or other component , if no stb is used ), and passes cellular traffic to and from the cmca . the end user location may be thought of as an indoor termination point of the catv network . the traffic from the head end is combined with traffic from plmn a and plmn b via a cellular entrance module ( ceem , described below ). plmn a and plmn b are different types of systems , such as gsm1800 and umts . the traffic from these two different systems may be thought of as multi - band traffic or multi - band cellular communications . as used herein , “ multi - band ” means traffic of more than one system ( although such systems might conceivably be of the same type , such as umts from one provider and umts from another provider ). fig4 shows a more detailed view of the cellular bypass ( cbp ). each bypass device bpd includes filters that pass the catv traffic ( 5 - 750 / 860 mhz ) to the catv amplifier , and that pass the cellular traffic to the cellular amp . the cellular uplink and downlink traffic is not at the normal cellular frequencies , but is shifted to another frequency band that is typically lower than the normal transmission frequencies , but higher than the catv programming . as shown in fig4 , the shifted uplink and downlink traffic is amplified and then rejoined to the cable at the other bypass device bpd . the cbp may also be referred to as a cellular transport module ( cetm ) because it transports the cellular signal through the catv network . the cetm is installed at any active component of the catv network , bypassing the trunk amplifiers , line extenders and distribution modules . the cetm in fig4 is thus a bi - directional amplifier repeater that amplifies the shifted up - link and shifted downlink cellular signals . it may also amplify lo ( local oscillation ) carriers ( described below ). the bi - directional amplification of the shifted cellular signals is done at each point on the catv network where a catv amplifier is installed , since the standard catv amplifier cannot handle the shifted cellular uplink and shifted downlink signals as is . the cetm repeater should be linear enough , in order to prevent distortion of the cellular signals . its gain should not vary too much across the 75 mhz band in each direction . the cetm may get its energy from the catv network , in which case it should be very efficient with minimal power supply . according to a specific embodiment , the cetm may be installed even when an active component like a catv amplifier is not present . that is , the cetm may be employed in situations in which only the cellular signals need to be amplified . fig5 shows the network coupling device ncd and the cable mount cellular antenna cmca . the ncd simply passes the catv traffic ( 860 mhz and below , for example ) to the set - top box stb , and passes the cellular traffic ( above 860 mhz , for example ) to the cmca . the catv and cellular signals , when together , may be thought of as a combined signal . the cmca includes an up and down converter udc for converting the cellular frequencies from the shifted frequencies to the normal frequencies according to the particular standard or standards being used for cellular communications . likewise , the udc also takes normal cell frequencies and converts them to shifted frequencies for transmission along the cable . the udc may also be referred to , more simply , as a frequency converter . the cmca , in particular , takes downlink communications and converts them from their shifted form , as received from the cable system , to their normal unshifted frequencies . also , it takes uplink communications and converts them from their normal unshifted frequencies , to shifted frequencies for transmission along the cable system to the appropriate plmn . the up and down converter udc is coupled with an antenna for communicating with a mobile terminal at the normal cellular frequencies . the udc may include more than just one frequency converter module , and might have several . fig6 shows a cellular entrance module ( ceem ) 110 . a bts 60 from cellular system a and a bts from cellular system b are each connected to the ceem . system a is a gsm1800 system in this example , and system b is a umts system . the two systems a and b may be from the same or different providers . fig7 shows how these two systems can both be accommodated at the same time in the bandwidth of the catv system . fig7 shows , as an example , the umts ( for system b ) and gsm1800 ( for system a ) frequencies before and after the frequency conversion . that is to say , the gsm 1800 system ( system a ) is frequency translated so that the uplink traffic occupies the part of the shifted uplink signals ( uplink in the upper part of the figure ) indicated by a . this gsm 1800 system ( a ) is also frequency translated so that the downlink traffic occupies the part of the shifted downlink signals ( downlink in the upper part of the figure ) as indicated also by a . likewise , the exemplary figure shows how the signals of umts system b are frequency translated into the shifted uplink signals and the shifted downlink signals that are carried over the unused frequencies of the catv system . in the figure , the symbol “ r ” indicates a reserved sub - band , which may be used for any particular purpose . each part of the uplink band and the downlink band is thus referred to herein as a sub - band . fig8 shows an alternative frequency shifting approach to illustrate the fact that many variations are possible within the invention , and that the method described herein is very flexible . in particular , in fig8 , the shifted cellular downlink signals are carried in the range of , e . g ., 960 mhz to 1035 mhz , and the shifted uplink signals are carried in the range of , e . g ., 1080 mhz to 1155 mhz . the location of the uplink and downlink bands can be varied to suit the preferences of the local catv provider , to provide sufficient isolation between the shifted cellular signals and the catv signals , and to provide sufficient isolation between the shifted uplink and the shifted downlink cellular signals . the widths of the uplink and downlink bands may also be varied , and also the widths of the sub - band &# 39 ; s may likewise be varied and need not necessarily be uniform in width . returning to fig6 , the bts 60 from gsm1800 system a is connected to an up / down frequency converter 210 which converts downlink gsm1800 signals from their original unshifted cellular format to a shifted format in accordance with the predetermined frequency shifting approach or plan ( such as those in fig7 or 8 ). the downlink signals from system a are thus shifted to the part of the downlink band set aside for system a . the bts 60 from umts system b is connected to a frequency converter 210 which converts downlink signals from their original unshifted cellular format to a shifted format in accordance with the predetermined frequency plan . the downlink signals from system b are thus shifted to the part of the downlink band set aside for system b . likewise , the frequency converters 210 convert the shifted cellular uplink signals from the shifted format ( i . e ., from the frequencies in the uplink bands set aside for the particular systems ) to their normal format ( i . e ., into gsm 1800 or umts frequencies ). it will be appreciated that the ceem receives original cellular signals from a plurality of base stations , and converts the original cellular signals to a shifted format in a sub - band in accordance with a predetermined frequency shifting plan , and passes the shifted downlink signals to a catv system . similarly , the ceem receives shifted cellular signals from the catv system , and converts the shifted cellular signals to an original format in accordance with the predetermined frequency shifting plan , so as to output original cellular signals to respective ones of the base stations . the base stations participate in different respective cellular systems ( i . e ., a gsm 1800 system for system a , and a umts system for system b ), and the sub - bands may thus each carry the traffic for a different service provider and / or a different system . each up - link or downlink sub - band may be translated independently by using a different local oscillator in the respective udc 210 of the ceem . guard bands between the sub - bands are not shown in the figure for the sake of simplicity . however , if guard bands are needed between the sub - bands , the local oscillator frequencies can be set so as to create them . the sub - bands are created out of the original standard frequency allocation of mobile radio systems . the bandwidth of the sub - band to be translated is not limited by the examples shown herein . the mobile radio system provider may offer to transport up to all the bandwidth he owns by this system . fig9 shows a frequency converter udc for a cmca in accordance with the system in fig6 and 7 or 8 . in particular , the udc is adapted for a situation in which a gsm provider and a umts provider are accommodated at the same time over the cable system . the shifted cellular signals are communicated as shown at the top of the figure via a combiner ( for the uplink signals ) and a divider ( for the downlink signals ). the downlink signals are converted in a known manner to an intermediate frequency ( with local oscillators f 1 / f 5 ), and then converted to the normal cellular frequencies for gsm and umts , respectively ( using f 3 / f 7 ). these are passed on to the antenna unit ant . likewise , the uplink signals are received from the antenna unit ant and converted in the known manner ( using f 4 / f 8 ) to an intermediate frequency , and then converted ( using f 2 / f 6 ) to the shifted cellular frequencies and combined for carrying over the catv network . because the cmca in this example handles two different systems , it may be thought of as a cable mount dual band module ( cmdbm ). also , because the cmca in this example handles 3g type traffic , it may be described as a cable mount third generation module ( cmtgm ). both manners of description are appropriate , although the more generic term cmca will be used throughout this description because the delivery of signals from an arbitrary number of systems and of any wireless type is an important objective . as can be understood from the foregoing , precise local oscillators ( lo ) are needed . the local oscillator frequencies can be injected to the system at the ceem , and carried along the path to the cmca . such lo frequencies may be referred to as pilot tones . the cmca can use this lo signal to convert the cellular up and down link signals to / from their original standard frequencies . transporting the local oscillator frequencies along the network to the cmca eliminates the need for using precise and expensive frequency sources in the cmca . this can reduce the complexity and cost of the cmca for the subscriber . of course , this method of transporting the lo frequencies is preferred but not required , and precise local oscillators may be provided in the cmca . some service providers might want to supply only single band service to some of their customers . a single band module can co - exist with other dual - or triple - band ( or greater ) modules connected to the same multi - band upgraded catv network . the same premises may have a single band module in one catv outlet , and a dual - band module in a different catv outlet , elsewhere in the house or office . fig9 shows a udc arranged for use in a cmca , but it will be readily apparent to those familiar with this field that a substantially similar arrangement could be used as the udc in the ceem shown , for example , in fig6 , but with the uplink and downlink paths in the appropriate directions . fig9 shows a frequency converter udc adapted for handling two systems ( and thus having two frequency converter modules ), but the same approach could be taken for handling any arbitrary number of systems . likewise , performing the intermediate frequency conversion could be performed even if only one system was being supported . in fig1 , systems a and b are as in the previous example , but now an additional system , system c , has been added . system c is a gsm 900 system . the ceem 110 in fig1 therefore has a third frequency converter 210 to which a bts for the system c is connected . downlink signals from the gsm 900 system are shifted by this frequency converter in accordance with the frequency plan shown in fig1 . at the bottom , fig1 shows the original , unshifted uplink and downlink bands for the various cellular communications systems being considered here . above that , fig1 shows the downlink and uplink bands to which the cellular signals are frequency shifted . in the top part of the figure , a more detailed view of the uplink and downlink bands is shown , including the sub - bands . fig1 is somewhat similar to fig7 , and very similar to fig8 , except that one of the sub - bands is now dedicated for system c . in this example , the arrangement in which the shifted downlink cellular signals are carried at a frequency below the shifted cellular uplink signals is used , the downlink band being between 960 and 1035 mhz , and the uplink band being between 1080 and 1155 mhz . fig1 shows a cmca suitable for use in this example . that is to say , the cmca has a udc with three different udc modules , one for each of the different cellular systems . in particular , udc module a is a converter for gsm 1800 signals , udc module b is a converter for umts cellular signals , and udc module c is a converter for gsm 900 cellular signals . each of these modules converts the original , unshifted uplink cellular signals to the appropriate sub band , and vice versa . now , an example will be provided in which there are six different base stations connected to a ceem . in fig1 , six different cellular systems are represented . systems a and b are gsm 1800 systems . system c is a gsm 900 system . systems d - f are umts systems . each of these six systems has a bts 60 connected to the cem 110 . each is connected to a respective udc 210 . the respective udc 210 for each bts performs frequency conversion in accordance with the plan shown in fig1 , which shows how the different sub bands have been set aside for the use of each system . fig1 shows a cmca suitable for use in this example . the cmca has a udc with six udc modules . each of the six udc modules is responsible for frequency conversion of the cellular signals between the original unshifted format and the shifted format in accordance with the frequency plan shown in fig1 . it will be appreciated that the six systems may be provided from the same or different providers , or combinations of providers . one familiar with this field will understand that the use of the equipment and method described herein constitutes a method for enhancing the throughput of second and third generation cellular networks . with indoor cells accessed through the cellular catv network , the power of the transmitting mobile units indoors can be very low . this , coupled with the inherent attenuating effects that occur within buildings , combine to make it possible for a much better data service in indoor cells . the various embodiments and aspects of the system described herein help overcome the previously described coverage and capacity constraints now faced by operators of cellular mobile radio networks . by mitigating these coverage constrains , the cost of providing excellent radio coverage is reduced and service levels are improved . catv system operators will have a potential new source of income . new service packages are possible in which catv and mobile radio terminal service are combined . although the invention has been described above using some concrete examples for the sake of explanation , it will be appreciated that these examples and the enclosed figures are not intended to limit the scope of the invention , which is to be determined based on the appended claims . many minor modifications and changes will occur to those familiar with this field , and may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . | 7 |
the present invention is directed to systems for auditing node databases in a wireless telecommunication network in which the audits are in real time or near real time . “ wireless ” refers to cellular , personal communication services , and other commercial mobile radio services and does not apply to cordless telephones or private radio systems . methods and systems envisioned by the present invention minimize errors propagated in emergency caller location inquires due to database synchronization deficiencies . referring now to fig1 , there is shown a network representing a simplified version of the ansi - 41 reference model 100 for “ network based ” emergency call support services in accordance with the j - std - 036 standard . “ network based ” is a category of mobile positioning technology known in the wireless industry in which a conventional mobile network , in conjunction with network - based position equipment , is used to estimate the geographical position of a mobile station . the reference model 100 was developed to describe the functional partitioning in which the functions are divided among several functional entities or nodes based on traditional functional separations . although aspects of the present invention are directed at network nodes of the mobile network portion 110 , a general understanding of the entire reference model 100 is helpful for a better understanding . the reference model 100 includes a mobile network portion 110 , a public safety answering point ( psap ) 130 and an emergency services network portion 120 . the emergency services network portion 120 is functional for routing calls and service request between the mobile network portion 110 and the psap 130 via an emergency services message entity ( esme ) that is conventionally functional for routing and processing the out - of - band messages related to emergency calls and an emergency services network entity ( esne ) that is conventionally functional for routing and processing the voice band portion of the emergency call . the psap 130 is the terminating end - point ( i . e ., operator ) responsible for answering to emergency services calls and arranging the emergency services ( e . g ., fire , police , ambulance ). as above - mentioned , the mobile network portion 110 includes a conventional mobile network and positioning equipment . typically , the mobile network includes several base station transceivers ( bts ) 111 each serving a discrete geographical area or cell ( which may be divided into several emergency zones ) for communicating over a radio link with a mobile station ( ms ) making an emergency call . the mobile network also includes one or more mobile switching centers ( msc ) 113 each associated with a select plurality of btss 111 ( via appropriate hardware links ). thus , each msc 113 is associated with a select plurality of cells . the msc 113 is functional for providing conventional call management functions ( i . e ., setting up and tearing down connections for the call ) and routing of emergency calls to the emergency services network portion 120 . the network - based position equipment includes position determining equipment ( pde ) 117 devices functional for determining the geographic position of the ms when the mobile station user initiates a call or while the user is engaged in a call . each pde 117 is associated with a mobile position center ( mpc ) 115 that is functional for selecting the appropriate one or ones of a pdes 117 to use for determining position . the mpc 115 is preferably a processor - based apparatus that uses stored computer programs to implement its functions in which aspects of the present invention can be implemented in computer programs . alternatively , aspects of the present invention can be implemented with interface circuits , combination logic and / or sequential logic . summarizing the network entity relationship of the three network nodes ( i . e ., msc 113 , mpc 115 , pde 117 ) of the mobile network portion 110 , each msc 113 is associated with a plurality of cells . further , the msc 113 is assigned to only one mpc 115 , but each mpc 115 may be associated with multiple mscs 113 . additionally , each mpc 115 is associated with multiple pdes 117 and each pde 117 can be associated with multiple cells . the combinations of mscs and cells serviced by a particular mpc 115 are contained in a database in the mpc 115 and in separate and independent databases in the associated pdes 117 . in conventional operation , a 911 emergency call from the ms is routed to the msc 113 which routes the 911 call to the emergency services network portion 120 for further routing to the appropriate psap 130 . along with the routed call , the mcs 113 includes identification of both the serving cell and msc . the mcs 113 may also send this id information to its assigned mpc 115 . subsequently , the psap 130 may request or query mobile positioning information for the ms via the emergency services network portion 120 , which pulls the position information from the mpc 115 . the request incorporates information identifying the serving cell and msc 113 , and the mpc 115 correlates this information with that received from the msc 113 for selecting which pdes 117 to be used for determining the position of the ms . referring to fig2 there is shown a table for illustrating a conventional database arrangement for the mpc 115 and pde 117 . the first column represents a list of numerical values each representing a msc and one of the cells serviced by that msc . the mscs and cells each have their own assigned identification numbers , known in the wireless industry as mscid and cellid , respectively . thus , each numerical value in the first column is correlated with a mscid / cellid combination . in this example , the value zero “ 0 ” represent the combination of msc number 2020 and cell number 24001 . as can be seen , msc number 2020 may have several cell combinations . the success of emergency caller location quires depends on the accuracy of msc id and cell id information stored with the mpcs and pdes . for example , if for any reason a pde 117 does not recognize the mscid / cellid combination in a position request from a mpc 115 , the precision of a location estimate will be adversely affected if it can be generated at all . thus , to maintain proper functionality , databases should be synchronized to contain the same id information . synchronization is typically a process of inputting the mscid and associated cellid data manually into each database . to assure accuracy , synchronization should be performed whenever a new cell is added and / or re - configured , for example . as a practical matter , though synchronization is most often performed for the mpcs , it is not always performed on every pde following a cell modification . this is due , in some part , to the fact that there are many more pdes in the network than are mpcs . in addition , data entry errors can be made while updating network node databases . in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present invention , network node databases are proactively audited to provide proper synchronization of stored information . more specifically , database entries of the mpc 115 and pde 117 are continuously compared in a real - time manner to determine if there are any discrepancies . discrepancies can be noted in a daily log or other type of periodic report . the auditing is provided via standard protocols , interface connections and connection monitoring between the mpc 115 and pde 117 . the j - std - 036 standard defines the protocols and messages used on the network interfaces between the reference model 100 network entities . the interface between the mpc 115 and the pde 117 is known as the e5 interface . in practical deployment , the e5 interface is an internet protocol ( ip ) connection . however , one problem with ip connections is that long periods of silence can cause connection loss . to ensure interface stability , an application level heartbeat message is typically used between the mpc 115 and pde 117 simply for monitoring the connection . thus , the mpc 115 exchanges heartbeat signals ( hb ) with the pde 117 for determining that the ip connection is active ( i . e ., functioning properly ). when the mpc 115 or pde 117 recognizes that the hb sequence has been interrupted , both nodes initiate interface termination and re - establishment procedures . referring now to fig3 , there is shown a flow diagram more particularly illustrating the above - mentioned conventional hb communication scheme . the method is initiated with the beginning of the hb at step 302 followed by the “ missedhb ” counter ( step 304 ). missedhb is a counter variable that represents the number of consecutive occurrences of missed hbs ( i . e ., no return hb from the pde 117 ). subsequently , the mpc 115 sends the hb ( step 306 ) to the pde 117 and awaits a corresponding hb response ( step 308 ). if a hb response is returned from the pde 117 ( step 308 ), the missedhb count is set to zero and control is passed to the entry point ( step 318 ) in anticipation of the next hb signal . if no hb response is returned from the pde 117 , the missedhb count in incremented by one ( step 310 ) and the new count is compared to the “ maxmissedhb ” ( step 312 ). maxmissedhb is a parameter that is set to the highest acceptable number of consecutive missed hbs . if the maxmissedhb count is exceeded , the appropriate system nodes initiate interface termination and re - establishment procedures step ( 314 ) and the missedhb is set back to zero ( step 316 ) and control is passed to the entry point ( step 318 ) of the flow diagram for preparation of the next hb signal . if the maxmissedhb is not exceeded , control is passed to the entry point ( step 318 ). in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention , database auditing is enabled by enhancing the above - mentioned conventional hb scheme . more specifically , functionality is enhanced by including database entries or files in a gposreq ( hb ) signal between the mpc 115 and pde 117 . in other words , in accordance with the j - std - 036 standard , a hb signal is implemented by means of a pre - defined timed geo position request ( gposreq ) signal from the mpc 115 to the pde 117 with the request type ( reqtype ) parameter set to hb ( i . e ., heartbeat ) and further including a database file from the mpc 115 with the hb signal . the mpc 115 cycles through its database files ( i . e ., mscid / cellid combinations ) including one entry in each hb signal sent to the pde 117 , each successive hb signal containing a different database entry . if the enhanced hb signal creates some type of error in the pde &# 39 ; s functionality , the pde 117 returns an error indication in the hb signal . from an error indication , it can be assumed that the mpc database file was not recognized by the pde 117 . in the alternative , the geo position directive from the pde 117 can be used to check database entries . here , database files from the pde 117 are included with the hb signal . the pde 117 cycles through its database files including one entry in each hb signal sent to the mpc 115 , each successive hb signal containing a different database entry . if this enhanced hb signal creates some type of error in the mpc &# 39 ; s functionality , the mpc 115 returns an error indication in the hb signal . from an error indication , it can be assumed that the pde database file was not recognized by the mpc 115 . referring to fig4 there is shown a flow diagram illustrating the inventive audit method . following initiation of the hb ( step 302 ), the missedhb counter is set to zero and the mscid / cellid value from the mpc 115 database is set to zero ( step 404 ). subsequently , the mpc 115 sends the gposreq ( hb ) with the current mscid / cellid value to the pde 117 ( step 406 ) and awaits the pde &# 39 ; s response ( step 308 ). if no response is received , the control passes to steps 310 , 312 , 314 , 316 and 318 as described and shown in fig3 . however , if a response is received , the hb is set to zero ( step 320 ) and a determination is made as to whether the response is “ normal ” ( i . e ., does it indicate any errors ) ( step 422 ). if a determination is made that the response is normal , the mpc 115 assumes the database entries match properly ( step 424 ) and the mceid / cellid value is incremented to the next combination ( step 426 ). control is then passed to the entry point ( step 318 ) in anticipation of the next hb . if a determination is made that the response indicates an error , it is an indication that the pde 117 database does not contain the current mscid / cellid value ( step 428 ). subsequently , the mpc 115 includes this entry in a problem log ( step 430 ). the problem log can be an ascii text based log file , for example , that the mpc 115 generates . the problem log contains unrecognized mscid / cellids and is deliverable to the system operator for review and / or correction . following step 430 , control is passed again to step 426 for incrementing the mscid / cellid value to the next combination . in a preferred embodiment , the above - described auditing method is embodied on computer - readable medium associated with the mpc 115 . of course , it should be understood that the order of the steps and / or acts of the step or algorithms discussed herein may be accomplished in different order depending on the preferences of those skilled in the art . furthermore , though the invention has been described with respect to a specific preferred embodiment , many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the present application . | 7 |
[ 0021 ] fig4 shows an embodiment of the invention , wherein identification numbers 1 and 3 - 9 are used to depict the same components as shown in fig1 ; and wherein micro lens disk 2 a is provided with micro lenses which are used as the focusing means , in place of micro lens disk 2 of fig1 . the micro lenses used in the micro lens disk 2 a are of different shapes than the circular shapes of the fig1 device and are arranged with respect to each other in the manner to be discussed hereinbelow . output light beams from laser 1 are made incident on micro lens disk 2 a and are focused on each pin hole of pin hole disk 4 , through each micro lens provided in micro lens disk 2 a , via beam splitter 3 . light beams passing through each pin hole in pin hole disk 4 are made incident on sample 6 via objective lens 5 . the return light beams including reflected light from sample 6 are again made incident on pin hole disk 4 via objective lens 5 . the light beams passing through each pin hole in pin hole disk 4 are reflected by beam spitter 3 and made incident on detector 8 via relay lens 7 . micro lens disk 2 a and pin hole disk 4 are fixed to the same or common shaft and are rotated synchronously by motor 9 connected to the shaft . operation of the embodiment of fig4 will now be described with reference to fig5 ( a ) and 5 ( b ), wherein fig5 ( a ) is a top view showing conventional circular micro lenses ; and fig5 ( b ) is a top view showing the case where square micro lenses of the invention are used , and arranged in the manner to be discussed . in fig5 ( b ), each micro lens shown with l 001 , l 002 , l 003 , and l 004 , has square shape is arranged so that the border lines of adjacent micro lenses pass the bisected points of the line segments connecting the center points of the adjacent micro lenses . in this case , let the diameter of the circular micro lens be “ a ” and let the length of one side of the square lens also be “ a ” equal to the above and the diagonal of the square micro lens “ b ”. then , the following relation holds : since this means that the size of the aperture increases by 2½ compared with that of the circular aperture , the numerical aperture of the square micro lens also becomes large and the diameter of the stopped beam becomes thin . this means that the beam diameter can be stopped thinner than in conventional scanners . thus , light beams that pass through the pin holes in pin hole disk 4 increase . in addition , since the portions that cannot actually use the light incident to the micro lens disk , as shown by the shaded parts of fig3 do not exist between adjacent micro lenses , in the invention , 100 % utilization of the incident light is attained . as a result , advantageously , with the invention , utilization efficiencies of 100 % for the light incident on the micro lens disk 2 a are attained . this is attained by using micro lenses of rectangular shape , in this case and in other cases of non - circular shapes , and by arranging the micro lenses so that the border lines thereof pass the bisected points of line segments connecting the center points of each two adjacent micro lenses . furthermore , although the micro lenses of square shapes are used in the embodiment of fig5 ( b ), micro lenses having triangular , rectangular , or hexagonal shapes can also be arranged so that the border lines thereof between two adjacent micro lenses pass the bisected points of the line segments connecting adjacent micro lenses . thus , advantageously , with the other shapes , it is also possible to attain 100 % utilization of the incident light on the micro lens disk 2 a . [ 0029 ] fig6 shows a part of the micro lens disk 2 a in which micro lenses of triangular shape are arranged , where each micro lens shown with designations l 101 , l 102 , l 103 has the shape of an equilateral triangle and is arranged so that the border lines thereof pass the bisected points of line segments connecting the center points of each to adjacent micro lenses . as shown in fig6 advantageously , since there are no parts where the light incident on the micro lens disk 2 a can not be utilized between the micro lenses as shown by the shaded parts of fig3 the embodiment of the invention attains 100 % utilization of the incident light . [ 0031 ] fig7 shows a part of the micro lens disk 2 a , in which micro lenses having a hexagonal shape are arranged , wherein each micro lens having the designation l 201 , l 202 , l 203 and l 204 has a regular hexagonal shape and is arranged so that the border lines thereof pass the bisected points of line segnments connecting the center points of each two adjacent micro lenses . thus , advantageously , as shown in fig7 since there are no parts where the light incident on the micro lense disk 2 a cannot be utilized between the micro lenses as shown by the shaded parts of of fig3 the invention attains 100 % utilization of the incident light . furthermore , all of the micro lenses in the same disk are not limited in use to the same shape of the micro lenses . for example , a combination of micro lenses having two or more different shapes , such as shown in fig8 may also be used fig8 shows a part of the micro lens disk , on which micro lenses having two or more types of shapes are arranged . in fig8 designations l 301 and l 303 show micro lenses of pentagonal shape ; designation l 302 shows a micro lens of hexagonal shape , and designation l 304 shows a micro lens of rectangular shape , respectively . the micro lenses are arranged so that each border line thereof passes each bisected point of line segments connecting the center points of each two adjacent micro lenses . advantageously , as shown in fig8 since there are no parts where the light incident on the micro lens disk 2 a cannot be utilized between the micro lenses as shown by the shaded parts in fig3 the utilization factor for the incident light is 100 %. in all of the foregoing embodiments , the invention confocal scanner improves the efficiency of incident light utilization . the foregoing description is illustrative of the principles of the invention . numerous modfications and extensions thereof would be apparent to the worker skilled in the art . all such modifications and extensions are to be considered to be within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
referring to the fig1 there is shown an automotive hood latch of the present invention , comprising a housing 10 containing a primary latching member 12 , secondary latching member 14 , and control lever 16 . typically , housing 10 will be mounted on the vehicle body at the upper edge of the front grille so that latching bolt members 12 and 14 are in the path of a striker 18 located on the vehicle front hood . as shown in the drawing , the striker is a circular rod or bar movable in a generally vertical direction indicated by arrow 20 . fig1 shows striker 18 in three different positions : namely , a lowered position 18a ; an intermediate position 18b ; and a raised position 18c . in the lowered position 18a , the striker is fully latched by primary latch bolt 12 , so that the vehicle hood is retained in a fully closed position ; hook 22 on the primary latch bolt 12 overlies striker 18 to prevent upward movement of the striker . in the intermediate position 18b , the striker is released from hook 22 , but is restrained against upward movement by a second hook 23 on the secondary ( auxiliary ) latch bolt member 14 . latch member 14 serves as a safety device to prevent the vehicle hood from opening in the event that primary latching member 12 breaks or otherwise fails to operate in the intended fashion . in the raised position 18c , the striker is elevated beyond both latch bolts 12 and 14 , such that the vehicle hood is free to be opened , e . g . manually or by some power mechanism . the two latch members 12 and 14 are controlled and operated by a manual control means that includes a lever 16 having a pivot axis 25 , and a cable 27 having one end connected to the lower end of the lever . a tension spring 29 normally holds lever 16 in the fig1 position against a stop 30 . cable 27 extends out of housing 10 and through the engine compartment into the passenger compartment , where it is attached to a handle 32 . the handle can be pulled to swing lever 16 away from stop 30 , e . g . to the position shown in fig4 . when handle 32 is released , spring 29 returns the cable and lever 16 to the fig1 condition . referring particularly to primary latch member 12 , said member comprises a flat plate having a pivotal connection 34 with housing 10 . the plate has a notch 36 extending radially from the pivot axis 34 to form the aforementioned hook 22 . notch 36 has a lower edge surface 37 that merges with an arcuate cam surface 39 . this cam surface can exert a lifting action on striker 18 when the latch member rotates in a clockwise direction . in this regard , it will be seen from fig3 that a clockwise rotation of the latch member of about twenty - three degrees ( angle a ) lifts striker 18 to the partially unlatched position 18b . in the fig3 position the striker is substantially disengaged from latch member 12 ; i . e ., hook 22 no longer restrains the striker from upward movement . returning again to fig1 the primary latching plate 12 has an abutment surface 40 contiguous with cam surface 39 and engageable with an overhanging detent surface 41 on lever 16 . lever 16 is a flat plate element coplanar with the primary latching plate 12 . in the fig1 condition , the detent surface on lever 16 prevents latching plate 12 from moving upwardly from the fig1 position . a wire spring 43 encircles the pivot shaft 34 for latching member 12 , whereby the latching member is spring - biased in an upward direction , as indicated by arrow 44 in fig1 . the latch bolt is potentially in position to exert a lifting force on striker 18 , via cam surface 39 . detent surface 41 normally restrains the latching member against upward swinging motion . latch bolt plate 12 has a linear slot 45 that accommodates a pin 47 carried by link 49 . this link has a pivotal connection 50 with lever 16 , such that when the lever swings in a leftward direction ( from the fig1 position ), the link does not prevent upward swinging motion of latching plate 12 . one function of slot 45 is to reset link 49 to the fig1 position when the latch members 12 and 14 are subsequently returned from the fig5 position to the fig1 position ( e . g . when the vehicle hood is moved downwardly to the latched condition ). referring particularly to secondary ( auxiliary ) latch member 14 , said member comprises a flat plate located in a plane parallel to the primary latching plate 12 ; as viewed in fig1 latching member 14 is located behind plate 12 . latching plate 14 has a pivot connection 52 with the housing , whereby the plate can swing in an arcuate direction as indicated by arrow 53 in fig1 . a wire coil spring , encircles the pivot shaft 52 to exert a clockwise biasing force on latching member 14 . latching member 14 is normally spring - biased to the fig1 position against a stop 26 . the pivots 25 and 52 for lever 16 and latch bolt 12 are located at approximately the same elevation in housing 10 . also , striker 18 is located on a common horizontal plane with pivots 25 and 34 when the striker is in its lowered position . the secondary latching member 14 has a slot 54 that accommodates the aforementioned pin 47 . as shown in fig2 link 49 is located in a plane ( space ) between primary latching plate 12 and secondary latching plate 14 ; pin 47 extends transversely through link 49 so as to be simultaneously within slot 45 and slot 54 . the purpose of slot 54 is to provide a lost motion connection between link 49 and auxiliary latching plate 14 , whereby initial reciprocation of lever 16 has no effect on latching plate 14 ; i . e . plate 14 remains in the fig1 position when latch bolt 12 moves from the fig1 position to the fig3 position . when lever 16 is reciprocated a second time , an edge surface of slot 54 is engaged by pin 47 to move latching plate 14 out of the path of striker 18 , thereby releasing the vehicle hood for movement to the open position . fig1 , 4 and 5 show the latching and control mechanisms in various operating positions . fig1 shows primary latching member 12 in the latched position wherein striker 18 is restrained against upward movement by hook 22 . fig3 shows the striker released from primary latching member 12 , but restrained by secondary latching member 14 ; member 12 is spring - biased upwardly to lift striker 18 to the intermediate position 18b . fig4 shows striker 18 in its elevated position 18c , released from both latch members 12 and 14 . fig5 shows lever 16 moved rightwardly against stop 30 , whereby the secondary latch member 14 is reset to its normal position engaged with stop 26 . comparing fig1 and 3 . when a pulling force is applied to handle 32 , lever 16 is moved from the fig1 position to the fig3 dashed line position 16a . this separates detent 41 from abutment 40 , whereupon spring 43 causes latch member 12 to exert a lifting force on striker 18 . striker 18 moves upwardly from position 18a to position 18b . hook 23 prevents the striker from further upward movement . when handle 32 is released , spring 29 returns lever 16 to the full line position ( fig3 ). when handle 32 is pulled a second time , the latch mechanisms take the positions depicted in fig4 . pin 47 exerts a leftward force on edge surface 56 of slot 54 , whereby secondary latch member 14 is swung to the left so that hook 23 moves out of the upward path taken by striker 18 . spring 43 exerts an upward biasing force on primary latch member 12 , whereby cam surface 39 exerts a lifting force on striker 18 , such that the striker is raised to the elevated position 18c . when handle 32 is released , spring 29 returns lever 16 to the fig5 position , wherein the mechanism is reset for the next latching cycle . fig5 represents the released position wherein the vehicle hood is open , or at least in condition to be opened without interference by the latch mechanism . it should be noted that two reciprocations of the manual control means 32 , 37 , 16 are required to go from the fig1 latched condition to the fig5 released condition . during the first reciprocation of cable operator 27 , striker 18 moves from the fig1 latched condition to the fig3 partially latched condition . during the second reciprocation of cable operator 27 , striker 18 moves from the intermediate ( partially latched ) condition 18b to the fig5 elevated condition 18c ( fully released ). during the next latching cycle , the striker moves downwardly along path 20 to swing primary latching member 12 counterclockwise around pivot 34 ; secondary latch member 14 is momentarily deflected and then returned to the fig1 position under the impetus of spring 55 . also , abutment 40 on latching member 12 snaps into engagement with detent surface 41 on lever 16 ; the lever may momentarily deflect away from stop 30 as edge surface 15 of latching member 12 rides along the lever edge surface 17 . slot 54 is configured to provide adequate clearance for pin 47 during the reset period , i . e . from the fig5 position to the fig1 position . an important feature of the invention is that the complete cycle is accomplished by a double reciprocation of the manual control means 32 , 27 , 16 . both latch members 12 and 14 are operated remotely from within the passenger compartment . it is not necessary for the motorist to leave the vehicle and manually contact either latch member directly . some variations in construction and arrangement may be used while still practicing the invention . fig6 and 7 show one alternative arrangement that can be used . fig1 represents the preferred embodiment . fig6 is the less preferred form of the invention . referring to fig6 primary latching member 12 is similar to the corresponding fig1 latching member except that it has no linear slot ( i . e . slot 45 ). latching member 12 has a pin 60 engaged against link 49 when member 12 is in the fig6 latched position . lever 16b has a linear slot 45a that performs essentially the same function as slot 45 in the fig1 embodiment ; the linear slot is formed in the lever rather than in the link . link 49 is a flat plate element positioned between primary latching member 12 and secondary latching member 14 . the link has a transverse pin 47 extending within slot 45 in lever 16b and slot 54a in the secondary latching member 14 . slot 54a serves the same function as slot 54 in the fig1 embodiment . the right end portion of link 49 has a linear slot 62 encircling the fixed pivot shaft for latching member 12 . slot 62 serves as a mechanism for allowing link 49 to pivot and also slide in the longitudinal direction ( i . e . in the length dimension of the link ). the left end of link 49 is connected to a tension spring 64 that is suitably anchored to the latch housing . aforementioned pin 60 engages link 49 to prevent spring 64 from swinging the link upwardly when latching member 12 is in the fig6 position . secondary latching member 14 has a fixed pivot shaft 52 and a coil spring 55 for biasing the latching member clockwise into engagement with stop 26 . as previously noted , latching member 14 has a slot 54a engaged with transverse pin 47 carried by link 49 . fig7 shows the fig6 latching mechanism in the partially unlatched condition wherein striker 18 is lifted to the intermediate position 18b , substantially disengaged from hook 22 on the primary latching member 12 . the fig7 condition is achieved by a first reciprocation of cable operator 27 , such that lever 16b is swung to the dashed line position ( fig7 ) and then returned to the initial position against stop 30 . when lever 16b moves to the dashed line position , detent surface 41 on the lever moves out of the path of abutment 40 , such that tension spring 43a is enabled to exert an upward lifting force on latching member 12 . cam surface 39 exerts a lift force on striker 18 , whereby the striker is moved upwardly until it comes in contact with hook 23 on the secondary latching member 14 . a second reciprocation of cable operator 27 causes lever 16b to swing back and forth in the previously described fashion . as the lever swings leftwardly from the fig7 position ( to the dashed line position ), pin 47 exerts a leftward force against an edge of slot 54a , whereby the secondary latching member 14 is moved out of the path of striker 18 . tension spring 43a moves latching member 12 upwardly so that cam surface 39 lifts the striker 18 to the raised position 18c . when spring 29 returns lever 16a to its normal position ( contacting stop 30 ), the two latching members 12 and 14 will be in the positions similar to the positions depicted in fig5 ; the striker is then fully released from the two latching members 12 and it will be seen that the fig6 construction operates in the same fashion as the fig1 construction . in both cases the striker is released from the primary and secondary latching members by a double reciprocation of the cable operator . a principal feature of the invention is that both latching members are operated remotely from the passenger compartment . the motorist does not have to leave the vehicle in order to release the vehicle hood for hood - operating purposes . in both illustrated forms of the invention , the primary latch bolt 12 is retained in the latching position by engagement of detent surface 41 against abutment detent lever 16 ( or 16b ) is held in the operating position ( fig1 or fig6 ) by a spring 29 , such that latch bolt 12 is securely held in the latching position . the lever - latch bolt relationship depicted herein is believed to have a more secure locking action than the primary latch member used in aforementioned u . s . pat . no . 2 , 256 , 465 . | 8 |
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