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embodiment of the present invention disclosed in this specification will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings . note that the invention disclosed in this specification can be carried out in a variety of different modes , and it is easily understood by those skilled in the art that the modes and details of the invention disclosed in this specification can be changed in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . therefore , the present invention is not construed as being limited to description of the embodiment . note that , in the drawings hereinafter shown , the same portions or portions having similar functions are denoted by the same reference numerals , and repeated description thereof will be omitted . this embodiment is explained with reference to fig1 a and 1b , fig2 a to 2c , fig3 a to 3c , fig4 a to 4c , fig5 a to 5c , and fig6 . fig1 a is a top view of a semiconductor device 100 , and fig1 b is a cross - sectional view along a - a ′ of fig1 a . the semiconductor device 100 shown in fig1 a and 1b includes a base 101 having a first thickness , an antenna including an antenna coil 102 and a capacitor 103 , and a semiconductor integrated circuit chip 117 . the capacitor 103 includes as a dielectric body a region 113 which corresponds to a part of the base 101 . the opposite planes of the region 113 are provided with an electrode 111 and an electrode 112 of the capacitor 103 . the antenna coil 102 is provided over the base 101 and is electrically connected to the capacitor 103 . the semiconductor integrated circuit chip 117 is a circuit formed using a semiconductor substrate or a circuit formed using a semiconductor thin film . in fig1 b , the antenna coil 102 , and the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 of the capacitor 103 correspond to one continuous conductive layer . however , regions provided for the opposite planes of the dielectric body ( the region 113 corresponding to a part of the base 101 ) in the conductive layer function as the electrodes ( the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 ) of the capacitor 103 . further , a region of the conductive layer which does not overlap with the dielectric body functions as the antenna coil 102 . a second thickness , which corresponds to the thickness of the dielectric body of the capacitor 103 , i . e ., the region 113 of the base 101 , is smaller than the first thickness corresponding to the thickness of the region of the base 101 where the antenna coil 102 is formed . by reducing the thickness of the dielectric body of the capacitor 103 , the distance between the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 of the capacitor 103 can be reduced . by reducing the distance between the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 of the capacitor 103 , the areas of the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 of the capacitor 103 can be reduced . the reduction in the area of each of the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 of the capacitor 103 leads to the prevention of the suppression of response sensitivity and a response range of the semiconductor device 100 . as the base 101 , for example , a flexible film of polyethylene naphthalate ( pen ), polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), polyether sulfone ( pes ), polyimide ( pi ), or the like can be used . the first thickness corresponding to the thickness of the region of the base 101 where the antenna coil 102 is formed is preferably 1 μm or more and 300 μm or less , more preferably 1 μm or more and 50 μm or less . when the base 101 with such a thickness is used , the semiconductor device 100 can be manufactured so as to be thin and capable of being bent . the second thickness corresponding to the thickness of the region 113 of the base 101 ( the dielectric body of the capacitor 103 ), i . e ., the distance d c between the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 of the capacitor 103 may be determined based on the resonant frequency f of the antenna and the number of windings of the coil n l . in this embodiment , a polyethylene naphthalate film with a thickness of 25 μm is used as the base 101 . each of the antenna coil 102 , and the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 of the capacitor 103 may be formed of a conductive material including at least one metal element of silver ( ag ), gold ( au ), copper ( cu ), nickel ( ni ), platinum ( pt ), palladium ( pd ), tantalum ( ta ), molybdenum ( mo ), and titanium ( ti ). in fig1 a , the semiconductor integrated circuit chip 117 is disposed so as not to overlap with the antenna coil 102 ; however , the semiconductor integrated circuit chip 117 may be disposed so as to overlap with the antenna coil 102 as shown in fig6 . a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device 100 of this embodiment is described below . first , the base 101 having the first thickness is prepared ( see fig2 a ). next , a roller 107 having a projection portion 108 is rotated while being pressed onto the base 101 , so that the projection portion 108 is pressed onto a first plane of the base 101 . accordingly , the base 101 is provided with a depression portion 106 ( see fig2 b ). the region 113 of the base 101 where the depression portion 106 is formed has reduced thickness . the region 113 of the base 101 with the reduced thickness serves as the dielectric body of the capacitor 103 . note that the thickness of the base in the region with the reduced thickness corresponds to the second thickness . note that the depression portion 106 may be formed by irradiation with a laser beam instead of using the roller 107 having the projection portion 108 . next , the base 101 is provided with an opening 109 ( see fig2 c ). the opening 109 is formed by irradiation with a laser beam having a wavelength which is absorbed by the base 101 . typically , a laser beam of an ultraviolet region , a visible region , or an infrared region is selected as appropriate for the irradiation . as a laser oscillator which can deliver the aforementioned laser beam , an excimer laser oscillator such as a krf oscillator , an arf oscillator , or an xecl laser is given . alternatively , as the laser oscillator , a gas laser oscillator including gas such as he , he — cd , ar , he — ne , hf , or co 2 is given . further , as the laser oscillator , a solid - state laser oscillator including a crystal such as yag , gdvo 4 , yvo 4 , ylf , yalo 3 , or the like doped with cr , nd , er , ho , ce , co , ti , or tm , or a solid - state laser oscillator including glass , ruby , or the like is given . in the case of using the solid - state laser oscillator , it is preferable to use any of the fundamental wave to the fifth harmonic as appropriate . further alternatively , a semiconductor laser oscillator including gan , gaas , gaalas , ingaasp , or the like can be used . in this embodiment , the base 101 is irradiated with a uv laser beam with a wavelength of 266 nm , whereby the opening 109 having a circular shape with a diameter of 50 μm when seen from above is formed . the opening 109 is formed with respect to the first plane of the base 101 provided with the depression portion 106 and a second plane thereof on the side opposite to the first plane . the shape of the opening 109 does not have to be circular but may be triangular or rectangular . the width of the cross section of the opening can be determined as appropriate . the number of the openings 109 may be one or two or more . the shape and the number of the openings 109 may be determined as appropriate so that conductive materials formed for the opposite planes of the base 101 are electrically connected to each other favorably through the opening . the opening 109 may be formed by a punch press process using metallic molding or by a cutter knife or the like . a supporting base 116 having a base 115 and an adhesive 114 is attached to the second plane of the base 101 by a mechanical or manual means ( see fig3 a ). next , a conductive material 104 is formed inside the depression portion 106 , inside the opening 109 , and over the first plane of the base 101 ( see fig3 b ). note that the inside of the depression portion 106 is filled with the conductive material 104 in fig3 b ; however , as shown in fig3 c , the inside of the depression portion 106 does not have to be filled with the conductive material 104 . as the conductive material 104 , a material including a conductive particle and an organic resin is used . specifically , a conductive paste in which conductive particles each having a diameter of several nanometers to several tens of micrometers are dissolved or dispersed in an organic resin is used . as the conductive particle , a dispersive nanoparticle , a microparticle of silver halide , or a metal particle of one or more of silver ( ag ), gold ( au ), copper ( cu ), nickel ( ni ), platinum ( pt ), palladium ( pd ), tantalum ( ta ), molybdenum ( mo ), titanium ( ti ), and the like can be used . in addition , as the organic resin included in the conductive paste , one or more organic resins selected from among organic resins which serve as a binder , a solvent , a dispersing agent , and a coating material for the metal particle can be used . organic resins such as an epoxy resin and a silicone resin are typically given . further , in forming the conductive layer , baking is preferably performed after the conductive paste is extruded . the conductive material 104 can be formed by a screen printing method , a gravure printing method , an inkjet printing method , a rotary screen printing method , or the like . in this embodiment , a silver paste is formed as the conductive material 104 by a screen printing method . after the formation of the conductive material 104 , a first heating step is performed . the first heating step is performed for hardening the organic resin included in the conductive material 104 . in this embodiment , the first heating step is performed for 10 minutes at 90 ° c . note that the first heating step is performed in order to prevent the peeling of the conductive material 104 in a later step of forming a conductive material 110 over the second plane of the base 101 . therefore , if there is no risk of the peeling of the conductive material 104 , the first heating step does not have to be performed . next , the supporting base 116 having the base 115 and the adhesive 114 is separated from the second plane of the base 101 ( see fig4 a ). after the separation of the supporting base 116 , the conductive material 110 is formed over the second plane of the base 101 ( see fig4 b ). the conductive material 110 may be either the same as or different from the conductive material 104 . however , the conductive material 110 is formed in contact with the conductive material 104 formed in the opening 109 . note that a method for forming the conductive material 110 can be the same as a method for forming the conductive material 104 . next , a second heating step is performed so as to remove the organic resin included in the conductive material 104 and the conductive material 110 , whereby the resistance of the conductive material 104 and the conductive material 110 is reduced . in the aforementioned manner , the antenna coil 102 , and the electrode 111 and the electrode 112 of the capacitor 103 are formed using the conductive material 104 and the conductive material 110 . note that in fig4 b , the conductive material 104 in the opening 109 and the conductive material 110 formed over the second plane of the base 101 are illustrated to be continuous . in the case where the conductive material 104 and the conductive material 110 are formed using the same material , the conductive material 104 and the conductive material 110 are continuous . in the case where the conductive material 104 and the conductive material 110 are formed using different materials from each other , the conductive material 104 and the conductive material 110 are not necessarily continuous . as long as the conductive material 104 in the opening 109 and the conductive material 110 formed over the second plane of the base 101 function as the antenna coil 102 and the electrode 112 , and the conductive material 104 and the conductive material 110 are electrically connected to each other , they may be either continuous or discontinuous . in this manner , the antenna coil 102 and the capacitor 103 are provided for the base 101 ( see fig4 c ). note that fig4 c corresponds to fig1 b . as shown in fig1 a , the semiconductor device 100 includes the semiconductor integrated circuit chip 117 provided with the antenna ( also referred to as an on - chip antenna ), and the base 101 provided with the antenna coil 102 ( also referred to as a booster antenna ) and the capacitor 103 . a semiconductor integrated circuit provided in the semiconductor integrated circuit chip 117 includes a plurality of elements such as a transistor which forms a memory portion or a logic portion . as the transistor which forms the memory portion or the logic portion , a field effect transistor is given . further , a storage element in the memory portion may be formed with the use of the field effect transistor . fig5 a is an expanded view of an antenna coil 124 ( on - chip antenna ) and a semiconductor integrated circuit 123 included in the semiconductor integrated circuit chip 117 shown in fig1 a . in fig5 a , the antenna coil 124 is a rectangular loop antenna with one winding ; however , one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this structure . the shape of the loop antenna is not limited to a rectangle and may be a shape with a curve line , e . g ., a circular shape . in addition , the number of windings is not limited to one and may be plural . when the number of windings of the antenna coil 124 is 1 , the parasitic capacitance generated between the semiconductor integrated circuit 123 and the antenna coil 124 can be reduced . in fig5 a , the antenna coil 124 is placed to surround the periphery of the semiconductor integrated circuit 123 , and except for portions corresponding to power feeding points 128 illustrated by dashed lines , the antenna coil 124 is arranged in a region different from the semiconductor integrated circuit 123 . however , one embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the structure shown in fig5 a ; as illustrated in fig5 b , the antenna coil 124 may be arranged so as to at least partly overlap with the semiconductor integrated circuit 123 in addition to the portions corresponding to the power feeding points 128 indicated by the dashed lines . note that in the case where the antenna coil 124 is arranged in a region different from the semiconductor integrated circuit 123 as illustrated in fig5 a , the parasitic capacitance generated between the semiconductor integrated circuit 123 and the antenna coil 124 can be reduced . next , operation of the semiconductor device 100 of this embodiment will be described . fig5 c is an example of a block diagram illustrating a structure of the semiconductor device of this embodiment . the semiconductor device 100 shown in fig5 c includes the antenna coil 102 as a booster antenna , the semiconductor integrated circuit 123 , and the semiconductor integrated circuit chip 117 . the semiconductor integrated circuit chip 117 includes the antenna coil 124 as the on - chip antenna . when the antenna coil 102 receives an electromagnetic wave transmitted from a reader / writer 121 , an alternate current is generated in the antenna coil 102 , whereby a magnetic field is generated around the antenna coil 102 . then , a loop - like portion of the antenna coil 102 is electromagnetically coupled with the antenna coil 124 having a loop - like shape , so that induced electromotive force is generated in the antenna coil 124 . the semiconductor integrated circuit 123 receives a signal or electric power from the reader / writer 121 by using the induced electromotive force . when current flows through the antenna coil 124 in accordance with a signal generated in the semiconductor integrated circuit 123 so that induced electromotive force is generated in the antenna coil 124 , a signal can be transmitted to the reader / writer 121 over a reflected wave of an electric wave transmitted from the reader / writer 121 . note that the antenna coil 102 mainly has a loop - like portion which is coupled electromagnetically with the antenna coil 124 and a portion which receives an electric wave from the reader / writer 121 . the shape of the antenna coil 102 in the portion which mainly receives the electric wave from the reader / writer 121 may be any shape as long as the electric wave can be received . in the semiconductor device of this embodiment , the on - chip antenna is used and a signal or electric power can be exchanged between the booster antenna and the on - chip antenna without contact ; therefore , unlike the case where an external antenna is connected to a semiconductor integrated circuit , the semiconductor integrated circuit and the antenna are less likely to be disconnected due to external force , and generation of initial failure in the connection can also be suppressed . in addition , since the booster antenna is used in this embodiment , unlike the case where only the on - chip antenna is used , the advantage of an external antenna can also be offered . in other words , the area of the semiconductor integrated circuit does not significantly limit the size or shape of the on - chip antenna , the frequency band of electric waves which can be received is not limited , and the communication distance can be increased . although this embodiment describes the antenna coil 102 as the booster antenna , the antenna coil 102 may be used as the on - chip antenna . in the case of using the antenna coil 102 as the on - chip antenna , the capacitor is provided in connection with the antenna coil 124 shown in fig5 a and fig5 b . the thickness of the base in the region which serves as the dielectric body of the capacitor may be reduced by using the roller 107 having the projection portion 108 or the laser beam . the semiconductor integrated circuit can be directly formed over a flexible substrate . alternatively , the semiconductor integrated circuit may be transferred from a formation substrate ( for example , a glass substrate ) to another substrate ( for example , a plastic substrate ). in this embodiment , the distance between the electrodes of the capacitor can be reduced by reducing the thickness of the dielectric body of the capacitor . by reducing the distance between the electrodes of the capacitor , the area of the electrode of the capacitor can be reduced . the reduction in the area of the electrode of the capacitor leads to the prevention of the suppression of response sensitivity and a response range of a semiconductor device . this application is based on japanese patent application serial no . 2010 - 139426 filed with japan patent office on jun . 18 , 2010 , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference . | 8 |
the present invention will now be described in detail while referring the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the arrangement of the present invention . a wdm optical transmitting terminal 1a along an upstream line comprises optical transmitters ( xmtrs ) 1 through 4 for channels 1 through 4 for an upstream line ; a pre - emphasis controller 5 for an upstream line ; pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controllers ( conts ) 6 though 9 for an upstream line ; and optical multiplexer 10 for channels 1 through 4 for an upstream line . one end of a transmission optical fiber 12 for an upstream line is connected to the optical multiplexer 10 and the other end is connected to an optical amplifier 13 . a wdm optical receiving terminal 1b for an upstream line is connected to the last transmission optical fiber 12 across multiple optical fibers 12 and optical amplifiers 13 . the wdm optical receiving terminal 1b along the upstream line comprises optical demultiplexer 15 for channels 1 through 4 for the upstream line ; optical receivers ( recs ) 16 through 19 for channels 1 through 4 for the upstream line ; and a signal - to - noise ratio measurement unit 20 . a line monitoring unit 42 superimposes a signal - to - noise ratio of each channel 1 to 4 , which is measured by the signal - to - noise measurement unit 20 , on an optical signal at one arbitrary channel from among channels 1 through 4 for a downstream line , and transmits the resultant signal to a wdm optical receiving terminal 2b along the downstream line . the line monitoring unit 42 also monitors the condition of the downstream line that is constituted by transmission fibers 32 and optical amplifiers 33 by using a line monitoring signal , which is returned across a return circuit that will be described later . a wdm optical transmitting terminal 2a along the downstream line comprises : optical transmitters 22 through 25 for channels 1 through 4 for the downstream line ; a pre - emphasis controller 26 for the downstream line ; pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controllers 27 through 30 for the downstream line ; and an optical multiplexer 31 for channels 1 through 4 for the downstream line . one end of the transmission optical fiber 32 for the downstream line is connected to the optical multiplexer 31 , and the other end is connected to the optical amplifier 33 . the wdm optical receiving terminal 2b along the downstream line is connected to the last transmission optical fiber 32 across multiple transmission optical fibers 32 and the optical amplifiers 33 . the wdm optical receiving terminal 2b along the downstream line comprises an optical demultiplexer 35 for channels 1 through 4 for the downstream line ; optical receivers 36 through 39 for channels 1 through 4 for the downstream line ; and a signal - to - noise measurement unit 40 . a line monitoring unit 41 monitors the condition of the upstream line that is constituted by the transmission fibers 12 and the optical amplifiers 13 by using a line monitoring signal , which is returned across a return circuit that will be described later . in addition , the line monitoring unit 41 superimposes a signal - to - noise ratio for each channel 1 to 4 , which is measured by the signal - to - noise measurement unit 40 , on an optical signal for the upstream line , and transmits the resultant signal to the wdm optical receiving terminal 1b along the upstream line . optical amplifier repeaters 43 , which are inserted into the upstream and downstream lines at proper intervals , each comprise : an optical amplifier 13 for the upstream line ; an optical amplifier 33 for the downstream line ; a return circuit 44 for returning a line monitoring signal from the upstream line to the downstream line ; and a return circuit 45 for returning a line monitoring signal from the downstream line to the upstream line . one specific example arrangement of the pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controller 6 through 9 and 27 through 30 will now be explained while referring to fig2 . although the pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controller 6 is employed for explanation , the other pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controllers 7 through 9 and 27 through 30 have the same structure . the pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controller 6 includes an optical amplifier ( ampl ) 6a for amplifying an optical signal that is received from the optical transmitter 1 ; an optical signal branch circuit 6b ; and an automatic gain control circuit 6c . the optical signal branch circuit 6b outputs to the optical multiplexer 10 an optical signal from the optical amplifier 6a , and also dispatches one part of the optical signal to the automatic gain control circuit 6c . upon receipt of the part of the optical signal and a control signal from the pre - emphasis controller 5 , the automatic gain control circuit 6c sets a gain for the optical amplifier 6a , i . e ., a pre - emphasis value . a variable optical attenuator , which incorporates a gp - ib ( computer interface ) sold by hp corp ., can be employed as another example for the pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controller 6 . the process for setting a pre - emphasis value for the pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controllers 6 though 9 will now be explained while referring to fig3 . at step s1 , the pre - emphasis controller 5 resets the pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controllers 6 through 9 . by this resetting , at step s2 the power values of the wavelengths for channels 1 through 4 that are input across the light transmission path 12 , i . e ., the power values at the output points of the wdm optical transmitting terminal 1a , are equal . at step s3 , the wdm optical receiving terminal 1b measures the signal - to - noise ratio of each signal wavelength . the process at step s3 will be described in detail later while referring to fig5 . at step s4 , the wdm optical receiving terminal 1b returns the acquired signal - to - noise ratio data from the wdm optical transmitting terminal 2a across the downstream line to the wdm optical receiving terminal 2b . for example , the acquired signal - to - noise ratio data are transmitted from the optical transmitter 22 of the wdm optical transmitting terminal 2a along the downstream line , and are received by an optical receiver 36 of the wdm optical receiving terminal 2b . a method shown in fig4 a or 4b , for example , can be employed for returning the signal - to - noise ratio data . in fig4 a is shown an example wherein signal - to - noise ratio data a2 , which is a tone signal having a low frequency , is superimposed on a main line signal a1 , which is a high speed digital signal . in fig4 b is shown an example wherein bit b2 that is included in a header portion b1 of the main line signal is used as data for returning the signal - to - noise ratio data . at step s5 , the pre - emphasis controller 5 reads the signal - to - noise data that are received by the wdm optical receiving terminal 2b along the downstream line e . g ., that are received by the optical receiver 36 , and calculates a pre - emphasis value . at this time , the pre - emphasis controller 5 regards , as a pre - emphasis value for each signal wavelength , a relative value between the signal - to - noise ratio , of the signal wavelength , that is the most preferable and the signal - to - noise ratio of each signal wavelength . more specifically , the pre - emphasis controller 5 performs a calculation to ensure that the transmission power from the wdm optical transmitting terminal is increased for the wavelengths that have a lower signal - to - noise ratio , and to ensure that all the optical power values of the wdm optical signals at the wdm optical transmitting terminal are maintained steady before and after the pre - emphasis calculation is performed . at step s6 , the pre - emphasis controller 5 sets the pre - emphasis value for the individual pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controllers 6 through 9 . the process at step s3 , i . e ., the processing performed by the wdm optical receiving terminal 1b for measuring the signal - to - noise ratio of each signal wavelength , will now be explained in detail . a wdm optical signal is received via the transmission optical fiber 12 at the signal - to - noise ratio measurement unit 20 of the wdm optical receiving terminal 1b . at step s11 , the signal - to - noise ratio measurement unit 20 performs an optical spectrum measurement , as is shown in fig6 a . at step s12 , a peak for each signal wavelength is searched for . in an example shown in fig6 a , the heights of four signal peaks are measured . at step s13 , masking is performed in front and in back of each signal wavelength , and a curve ( hereinafter referred to as a &# 34 ; fitted curve &# 34 ;) that is closest to all the remaining points is drawn . hatched portions in fig6 b indicate those areas that are masked , and a curve indicated by the solid line is the curve for which fitting was performed . at step s14 , as is shown in fig6 c , the noise levels at the portions that correspond to the signal peaks are acquired from values at points c1 , c2 , c3 and c4 at which fitting was performed . then , at step s15 , signal - to - noise ratios d1 , d2 , d3 and d4 are obtained from differences between the acquired noise levels and the signal peak power levels . thus , the acquired signal - to - noise ratio data are prepared so that they are correlated with channel numbers , as is shown in fig7 and are returned with the signal form in fig4 to the wdm optical receiving terminal 2b . as is apparent from the above description , according to this embodiment , the pre - emphasis value of the pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controllers 6 through 9 can be automatically set without depending on the experience and intuition of an operator . as a result , the performances of the wdm optical signals , which are received by the wdm optical receiving terminal 1b , are uniform , and preferable performances can be provided automatically . the operation of the wdm optical communication apparatus with the pre - emphasis technique in this embodiment will now be described . the line monitoring unit 41 for the upstream line employs an optical transmitter for an upstream line , e . g ., the optical transmitter 1 , for superimposing on a transmission signal an amplitude modulation signal having a low frequency . the degree of modulation in this amplitude modulation is small , several % or lower ( e . g ., 1 to 2 %), so as not to degrade the performance of the transmission signal . an optical signal that is emitted by the optical transmitter 1 is forwarded through the pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controller 6 and the optical multiplexer 10 to the upstream line and via the optical amplifier repeaters 43 to the wdm optical receiving terminal 1b for the upstream line . one part of the optical signal is returned to the downstream transmission path by the return circuit 44 that is provided in each optical amplifier repeater and that has a loss . the loss at the return circuit 44 is set so that a signal along the downstream path is not degraded by a signal returned along the upstream path , and is about 45 db . a signal , which is returned by the return circuit 44 and is attenuated to about 45 db relative to the output level of the optical amplifier along the upstream line , is transmitted through the transmission optical fiber 32 and the optical amplifier repeater 33 along the downstream line to the optical receiver for the downstream line , i . e ., the optical receiver 36 . the line monitoring unit 41 receives the signal that was input at the optical receiver 36 , cancels a signal along the downstream path , and demodulates the amplitude modulation signal having a low frequency that was previously superimposed . the optical amplifier relative to the transmission side for which output is deteriorated can be detected as follows . the line monitoring unit 41 for the upstream line measures and stores in advance data concerning the amount of level variation of the light that is returned by each of the optical amplifiers when these optical amplifiers are operated normally . then , when practical use of the transmission path is being made , the line monitoring unit 41 acquires an output level for the optical amplifier of the upstream path by using a time delay value and a time correlation value between a transmission line monitoring signal and a reception line monitoring signal . the line monitoring unit 41 compares the output level change with the above described data that are stored in advance , and determines whether or not each of the optical amplifiers is operating normally . fig9 is a graph showing an example for measuring a fluctuation level for each optical amplifier repeater , and a measurement example wherein the output of the optical amplifier repeater 55 is degraded . points &# 34 ; x &# 34 ; in the graph indicate an measurement example wherein all the optical amplifier repeaters are normal , and points &# 34 ; o &# 34 ; indicate an example wherein a failure has occurred at the optical amplifier repeater 55 . during normal operation , since fluctuation in the output level is the same as the fluctuation data that are stored in advance , a relative loop gain is 0 . however once a failure has occurred at one of the optical amplifiers , the fluctuation of its output level is reduced greatly . in the example shown in fig9 since the level of a return signal output from the optical amplifier repeater 55 is greatly reduced , it is understood that some failure has occurred at the optical amplifier repeater 55 . therefore , when a failure has occurred at an optical amplifier repeater 43 for the upstream line and the property is degraded , at which optical amplifier repeater relative to the transmission side a failure has occurred can be detected . an example of the technique concerning the monitoring of the optical amplifier repeaters is disclosed in detail in japanese unexamined patent publication no . hei 5 - 344067 , which was submitted by the present applicant . the pre - emphasis control , which is applied when some deterioration occurs at an optical amplifier repeater along the transmission path that includes the optical fibers 12 and the optical amplifiers 13 , will be explained while referring to the flowchart in fig8 . suppose that the total number of the optical amplifiers that are located along the transmission path is n . at step s21 , the line monitoring unit 41 determines at which optical amplifier 13 relative to the transmission side has deterioration of output occurred , and transmits this information to the pre - emphasis controller 5 . in this embodiment , it is assumed that the deterioration of output has occurred at the m - th optical amplifier relative to the transmission side ( m is a positive integer ). at step s22 , the pre - emphasis controller 5 compares half of the total n of the optical amplifiers with m . if m ≦ n / 2 , program control advances to step s23 , and the pre - emphasis value for each signal wavelength is recalculated using the following expression : x ( db ) denotes the initial value of a pre - emphasis value and y ( db ) denotes a pre - emphasis value after conversion . the above expression was obtained through various experiments , and is thus an empirical expression . that is , when a failure is caused in optical amplifiers at different locations for simulation , and the fluctuation values of the pre - emphasis value at that time are represented on a graph , the results that can be obtained approximate those that can be obtained by using the above expression . at step s24 , the value acquired by re - calculation is transmitted to the pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controllers 6 through 9 , and is set again . for example , if the initial value x is employed as the pre - emphasis value for channels 2 and 3 , the pre - emphasis value for channels 2 and 3 are again set to y ( db ). with this setup , the performances of the wavelengths for channels 1 through 4 that are to be received by the wdm optical receiving terminal 1b can be almost equalized with this control , the pre - emphasis value at the wdm optical transmitting terminal is so controlled that the degree of attenuation is reduced for the attenuated signal wavelength and the degree of amplification is reduced for the amplified signal wavelength , and that the power for all the optical signals that are output by the wdm optical transmitting terminal is constant . if the decision at step s22 is m & gt ; n / 2 , program control goes to step s25 and the process is thereafter terminated without performing any processing . as is described above , according to this embodiment , even when a failure has occurred in the optical amplifier repeater along the transmission path and its transmission property has been deteriorated , a pre - emphasis value can be controlled so that there is no difference between the performances of the wdm optical signals . as is apparent from the above description , according to the present invention , an optimal pre - emphasis value for the pre - emphasis attenuation and / or gain controllers can be set automatically without depending on the experience and the intuition of an operator . further , according to the present invention , even when there has been deterioration of an optical amplifier repeater or an optical fiber along the optical transmission path while working , a difference between the performances of the wdm optical signals can be reduced . in addition , according to the present invention , the setting of a pre - emphasis value for the wdm optical communication apparatus , and the transmission property when a failure occurs are substantially improved , and the present invention provides great results when employed for the construction of a wdm optical communication system . | 7 |
embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . since the embodiments are provided so that a person of ordinary skill in the art will be able to understand the present invention , the embodiments may be modified in various manners and the scope of the present invention is not limited by the embodiments described herein . fig1 a to 1e are cross - sectional views for explaining a method of fabricating semiconductor devices according to an embodiment of the present invention . in the method of fabricating the semiconductor devices according to a first embodiment of the present invention , as shown in fig1 a , an anti - polish film 12 , which can serve as an anti - polish film in subsequent cmp , is formed on a semiconductor substrate 10 including a peripheral region in which a high voltage circuit will be formed as well as a cell region . the anti - polish film 12 preferably uses a silicon nitride film in performing an anti - polish role . further , a buffer film 11 capable of mitigating a difference in stress can be formed between the semiconductor substrate 10 and the anti - polish film 12 . a hard mask film 13 is then formed on the anti - polish film 12 , and a first photoresist pr 1 is coated on the hard mask film 13 . the hard mask film 13 can use one of an oxide film , an oxynitride film , a nitride film and a polysilicon film . the first photoresist pr 1 is for defining an isolation region in the cell region , and uses a photoresist for arf , which allows for a fine pattern . the first photoresist pr 1 is patterned using an exposure and development process to define the isolation region of the cell region . the hard mask film 13 is selectively etched by means of a plasma etch process using the first photoresist pr 1 as a mask . the plasma etch process can use one of rie ( reactive ion etching ), merie ( magnetron enhanced reactive ion etching ), icp ( inductively coupled plasma ) and helicon . at this time , an etch gas can use hbr , nf 3 , cl 2 , n 2 , bcl 3 , c 2 f 6 , chf 3 , cf 4 , c 4 f 6 , c 5 f 6 , c 4 f 8 or the like . referring next to fig1 b , the first photoresist pr 1 is removed , and the anti - polish film 12 and the buffer film 11 are then etched using the selectively etched hard mask film 13 as a mask , thus exposing the semiconductor substrate 10 of the cell region . as shown in fig1 c , a second photoresist pr 2 is coated on the entire surface . the second photoresist pr 2 is for defining an isolation region in the peripheral region , and uses a photoresist for krf . the photoresist for arf allows for fine patterning but can be formed thinly , whereas the photoresist for krf does not allows to fine patterning but can be formed thickly . therefore , the second photoresist pr 2 is formed to be thicker than the first photoresist pr 1 . the second photoresist pr 2 is then patterned by means of an exposure and development process so that the isolation region of the peripheral region is defined . the hard mask film 13 and the anti - polish film 12 and the buffer film 11 are etched using the patterned second photoresist pr 2 as a mask . at this time , the second photoresist pr 2 is not lost and deformed in the etch process because it can be formed thickly and is not weak in plasma unlike the first photoresist pr 1 . in the case where depths of trenches of the cell region and the peripheral region are set to be different , i . e ., a dual trench structure is to be formed , the semiconductor substrate 10 below the buffer film 11 is additionally etched to a predetermined depth in an etch process using the second photoresist pr 2 as a mask , as shown in fig1 c . the predetermined depth corresponds to a difference in depths of trenches in the cell region and the peripheral region . thereafter , the second photoresist pr 2 is stripped . as shown in fig1 d , the semiconductor substrate 10 is etched by means of a plasma etch process using the hard mask films 13 of the cell region and the peripheral region as a mask , thereby forming trenches 14 a and 14 b in the cell region and the peripheral region . the plasma etch process can use one of rie , merie , icp and helicon . at this time , an etch gas can use hbr , nf 3 , cl 2 , n 2 , bcl 3 , c 2 f 6 , chf 3 , cf 4 , c 4 f 6 , c 5 f 6 , c 4 f 8 or the like . meanwhile , in order to obtain top round characteristics of the trenches 14 a and 14 b , an icp type plasma etch process among plasma etch processes can be used . in the icp type plasma etch process , source power of an icp type etch apparatus is set to 0 to 5000 [ w ] and bias power thereof is set to 0 to 2000 [ w ]. an etch gas uses cf 4 , chf 4 , ar , hbr , o 2 or the like . if the semiconductor substrate 10 is not etched in an etch process using the second photoresist pr 2 as a mask , a depth of the trench 14 a in the cell region and a depth of the trench 14 b in the peripheral region have the same single trench structure . on the other hand , if the semiconductor substrate 10 is etched to a predetermined depth in an etch process using the second photoresist pr 2 as a mask , a depth of the trench 14 b in the peripheral region have a dual trench structure deeper than a depth of the trench 14 a in the cell region . further , the hard mask film 13 is removed when the trenches 14 a ad 14 b are etched , and thus needs not to be removed through additional process . referring next to fig1 e , after the anti - polish film 12 and the buffer film 11 are removed by means of a wet etch process , an insulating film is deposited on the entire surface so that the trenches 14 a and 14 b are completely buried . the insulating film is then polished by means of a cmp process so that the semiconductor substrate 10 is exposed , thereby forming isolation films 15 a and 15 b within the trenches 14 a and 14 b . though not shown in the drawings , a tunnel oxide film and a polysilicon film for floating gate are formed on the semiconductor substrate , and the polysilicon film for floating gate is selectively patterned by means of a photolithography and etch process , thus forming the floating gate . thereby , fabrication of the semiconductor device according to the above embodiment of the present invention is completed . the first embodiment corresponds to a case where the present invention is applied to a conventional shallow trench isolation ( sti ) process in which an isolation film is formed , and a tunnel oxide film and a floating gate are then formed . it is however to be noted that the present invention can be applied to a sti process and a safg process as well as the conventional sti process . this will be described in detail in connection with the below embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig2 a to 2e are cross - sectional views for explaining a method of fabricating semiconductor devices according to another embodiment of the present invention . fig2 a to 2e show an embodiment where the present invention is applied to a sti process . in fabrication of the semiconductor device according to this embodiment of the present invention , a tunnel oxide film 20 and a floating gate 21 are first sequentially formed on a semiconductor substrate 10 , as shown in fig2 a . at this time , the tunnel oxide film 20 is formed by oxidizing the semiconductor substrate 10 made of silicon , etc ., and the floating gate 21 is formed of a conductive material such as polysilicon . an anti - polish film 12 , which can serve as an anti - polish film in subsequent cmp , is formed on the floating gate 21 . further , a buffer film 11 capable of mitigating a difference in stress can be formed between the floating gate 21 and the anti - polish film 12 . a hard mask film 13 , which will be used as an etch mask in forming a trench in a cell region , is then formed on the anti - polish film 12 , and a first photoresist pr 1 is coated on the hard mask film 13 . the hard mask film 13 can use one of an oxide film , an oxynitride film , a nitride film and a polysilicon film . the first photoresist pr 1 is for defining an isolation region in the cell region , and uses a photoresist for arf , which allows for a fine pattern . the first photoresist pr 1 is patterned using an exposure and development process to define the isolation region of the cell region . the hard mask film 13 is selectively etched by means of a plasma etch process using the first photoresist pr 1 as a mask . the plasma etch process can use one of rie ( reactive ion etching ), merie ( magnetron enhanced reactive ion etching ), icp ( inductively coupled plasma ) and helicon . exemplary etch gases may include hbr , nf 3 , cl 2 , n 2 , bcl 3 , c 2 f 6 , chf 3 , cf 4 , c 4 f 6 , c 5 f 6 , c 4 f 8 or the like . as shown in fig2 b , the first photoresist pr 1 is removed . the anti - polish film 12 , the buffer film 11 , the floating gate 21 and the tunnel oxide film 20 in the cell region are then etched using the patterned hard mask film 13 as a mask . as shown in fig2 c , a second photoresist pr 2 is coated on the entire surface . the second photoresist pr 2 is patterned by means of an exposure and development process so that an isolation region of a peripheral region is defined . the second photoresist pr 2 is for defining the isolation region in the peripheral region , and uses a photoresist for krf . accordingly , the second photoresist pr 2 can be formed to be thicker than the first photoresist pr 1 . thereafter , the hard mask film 13 , the anti - polish film 12 , the buffer film 11 , the floating gate 21 and the tunnel oxide film 20 are etched using the patterned second photoresist pr 2 as a mask . the second photoresist pr 2 is not lost and deformed in the etch process because it can be formed thickly and is not weak in plasma unlike the first photoresist pr 1 . in the case where depths of trenches of the cell region and the peripheral region are set to be different , i . e ., a dual trench structure is to be formed , the semiconductor substrate 10 below the buffer film 11 is additionally etched to a predetermined depth in an etch process using the second photoresist pr 2 as a mask , as shown in fig2 c . the predetermined depth corresponds to a difference in depths of trenches in the cell region and the peripheral region . as shown in fig2 d , the second photoresist pr 2 is stripped . the semiconductor substrate 10 is etched by means of a plasma etch process using the hard mask films 13 of the cell region and the peripheral region as a mask , thereby forming trenches 14 a and 14 b in the cell region and the peripheral region . the plasma etch process can use one of rie , merie , icp and helicon . exemplary etch gases may include hbr , nf 3 , cl 2 , n 2 , bcl 3 , c 2 f 6 , chf 3 , cf 4 , c 4 f 6 , c 5 f 6 , c 4 f 8 or the like . in order to obtain top round characteristics of the trenches 14 a and 14 b , an icp type plasma etch process among plasma etch processes can be used . in the icp type plasma etch process , source power of an icp type etch apparatus is set to 0 to 5000 [ w ] and bias power thereof is set to 0 to 2000 [ w ]. an etch gas may use cf 4 , chf 4 , ar , hbr , o 2 or the like . if the semiconductor substrate 10 of the peripheral region is etched to a predetermined depth in an etch process using the second photoresist pr 2 as a mask , a depth of the trench 14 b in the peripheral region have a dual trench structure deeper than a depth of the trench 14 a in the cell region . however , if the semiconductor substrate 10 of the peripheral region is not etched in an etch process using the second photoresist pr 2 as a mask , a depth of the trench 14 a in the cell region and a depth of the trench 14 b in the peripheral region have the same single trench structure . meanwhile , the hard mask film 13 is removed when the trenches 14 a ad 14 b are etched , and thus needs not to be removed through additional process . as shown in fig2 e , an insulating film is deposited on the entire surface so that the trenches are fully buried . the insulating film is polished by means of a cmp process so that the anti - polish film 12 is exposed , thereby forming isolation films 15 a and 15 b within the trenches 14 a and 14 b . the anti - polish film 12 and the buffer film 11 are then removed by means of a wet etch process . fabrication of the semiconductor device according to this embodiment of the present invention is thereby completed . a method of fabricating a semiconductor device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig3 a to 3e . fig3 a to 3e are cross - sectional views for explaining a method of fabricating semiconductor devices according to yet another embodiment of the present invention . fig3 a to 3e show a case where the preset invention is applied to a safg process . in fabrication of the semiconductor device according to a third embodiment of the present invention , as shown in fig3 a , an anti - polish film 12 , which can serve as an anti - polish film in subsequent cmp , is formed on a semiconductor substrate 10 . further , a buffer film 11 capable of mitigating a difference in stress that can be generated between the semiconductor substrate 10 and the anti - polish film 12 , can be formed between the semiconductor substrate 10 and the anti - polish film 12 . a hard mask film 13 , which will be used as an etch mask in forming a trench in a cell region , is then formed on the anti - polish film 12 , and a first photoresist pr 1 is coated on the hard mask film 13 . the hard mask film 13 can use one of an oxide film , an oxynitride film , a nitride film and a polysilicon film . the first photoresist pr 1 is for defining an isolation region in the cell region , and uses a photoresist for arf , which allows for a fine pattern . the first photoresist pr 1 is patterned using an exposure and development process to define the isolation region of the cell region . the hard mask film 13 is selectively etched by means of a plasma etch process using the first photoresist pr 1 as a mask . the plasma etch process can use one of rie ( reactive ion etching ), merie ( magnetron enhanced reactive ion etching ), icp ( inductively coupled plasma ) and helicon . exemplary etch gases may include hbr , nf 3 , cl 2 , n 2 , bcl 3 , c 2 f 6 , chf 3 , cf 4 , c 4 f 6 , c 5 f 6 , c 4 f 8 or the like . as shown in fig3 b , the first photoresist pr 1 is removed . the anti - polish film 12 and the buffer film 11 in the cell region are then etched using the patterned hard mask film 13 as a mask . as shown in fig3 c , a second photoresist pr 2 is coated on the entire surface . the second photoresist pr 2 is patterned by means of an exposure and development process so that an isolation region of a peripheral region is defined . the second photoresist pr 2 is for defining the isolation region in the peripheral region , and uses a photoresist for krf . accordingly , the second photoresist pr 2 can be formed to be thicker than the first photoresist pr 1 . thereafter , the hard mask film 13 , the anti - polish film 12 and the buffer film 11 are etched using the patterned second photoresist pr 2 as a mask . the second photoresist pr 2 is not lost and deformed in the etch process because it can be formed thickly and is not weak in plasma unlike the first photoresist pr 1 . in embodiments where depths of trenches of the cell region and the peripheral region are set to be different , i . e ., a dual trench structure is to be formed , the semiconductor substrate 10 below the buffer film 11 is additionally etched to a predetermined depth in an etch process using the second photoresist pr 2 as a mask , as shown in the drawing . the predetermined depth corresponds to a difference in depths of trenches in the cell region and the peripheral region . as shown in fig3 d , the second photoresist pr 2 is stripped . the semiconductor substrate 10 is etched by means of a plasma etch process using the hard mask films 13 of the cell region and the peripheral region as a mask , thereby forming trenches 14 a and 14 b in the cell region and the peripheral region . the plasma etch process can use one of rie , merie , icp and helicon , and exemplary etch gases may include hbr , nf 3 , cl 2 , n 2 , bcl 3 , c 2 f 6 , chf 3 , cf 4 , c 4 f 6 , c 5 f 6 , c 4 f 8 or the like . in order to obtain top round characteristics of the trenches 14 a and 14 b , an icp type plasma etch process among plasma etch processes can be used . in the icp type plasma etch process , source power of an icp type etch apparatus is set to 0 to 5000 [ w ] and bias power thereof is set to 0 to 2000 [ w ]. an etch gas may use cf 4 , chf 4 , ar , hbr , o 2 or the like . if the semiconductor substrate 10 of the peripheral region is etched to a predetermined depth in an etch process using the second photoresist pr 2 as a mask , a depth of the trench 14 b in the peripheral region have a dual trench structure deeper than a depth of the trench 14 a in the cell region . however , if the semiconductor substrate 10 of the peripheral region is not etched in an etch process using the second photoresist pr 2 as a mask , a depth of the trench 14 a in the cell region and a depth of the trench 14 b in the peripheral region have the same single trench structure . the hard mask film 13 is removed when the trenches 14 a ad 14 b are etched , and thus does not need to be removed through additional process . as shown in fig3 e , an insulating film is deposited on the entire surface so that the trenches are fully buried . the insulating film is polished by means of a cmp process so that the anti - polish film 12 is exposed , thereby forming isolation films 15 a and 15 b within the trenches 14 a and 14 b . the anti - polish film 12 and the buffer film 11 are then removed by means of a wet etch process . thereafter , the anti - polish film 12 and the buffer film 11 are removed by means of a wet etch process , thus exposing the semiconductor substrate 10 of the active region . at this time , a surface of the isolation films 15 a and 15 b on a surface of the semiconductor substrate 10 is also recessed to a predetermined depth , thereby securing a space where a floating gate will be formed . a tunnel oxide film 20 is then formed on the semiconductor substrate 10 of the exposed active region . after a polysilicon film is deposited on the entire surface , it is polished and the floating gate 21 is deposited so that the 20 floating gate 21 is even with the isolation film 15 a and 15 b , thus forming a floating gate 21 . fabrication of the semiconductor device according to this embodiment of the present invention is thereby completed . it has been described in the aforementioned embodiments that the present invention is applied to flash memory devices . it is , however , to be understood that the present invention can be applied to all semiconductor devices having an isolation film of the sti structure . furthermore , it has been described that the aforementioned embodiments are applied to the single trench structure and the dual trench structure . it is , however , to be noted that the present invention can be applied to a multi - trench structure consisting of a dual trench or three or more trenches having different depths . as described above , according to the present invention , a hard mask is used as a mask for forming trenches for isolation in a cell region . therefore , the present invention has an effect in that attach of a lower layer upon etching of trenches can be prevented . further , since attach of a lower layer upon etching of trenches can be prevented , the reliability and the yield of devices can be improved . although the foregoing description has been made with reference to the above embodiments , it is to be understood that the changes and modifications of the present invention may be made by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and appended claims . | 7 |
it should be understood that the conformal load carrying pallets hereinafter to be described may be employed on a variety of aircraft , but for present purposes of description the aircraft shown at 15 is a military type having a longitudinal fuselage 16 , a wing 17 , and a pair of jet engines 18 submerged in the fuselage and wing root area so that the air inlets 19 are positioned at each side of the forward portion of the fuselage 16 and the exhaust nozzles 20 are positioned between the horizontal stabilators 21 and the vertical stabilizers 22 on which rudder surfaces 23 are operatively mounted . the usual landing gear for the aircraft 15 includes the main gear seen at 24 and the nose gear seen at 25 . the aircraft 15 has a wing root area 26 ( fig3 ) with a predetermined surface configuration that forms the location for mounting the load carrying pallets seen at 27 . these pallets are made to conform to the surface configuration 26 and to have a streamlined profile which adds an insignificant additional wetted surface to the aircraft fuselage 16 , and presents a minimum frontal area which keeps the aerodynamic drag at acceptable values . the construction of a typical fuel or liquid load carrying pallet may be seen in fig4 through 10 inclusive , and the description of this pallet will of course apply to the opposite pallet , taking into account that the pallets are constructed for right and left assembly . the general structure of pallet 27 follows a semi - monocoque structure using conventional skin , stringers and frame construction which includes a pair of principal bulkheads ( fig7 and 9 ) for mounting purposes . as indicated the pallet 27 is formed with a compartment 28 located ahead of the forward principal bulkhead 29 seen in fig7 a mid - compartment 30 located between the forward bulkhead 29 and an aft bulkhead 31 seen in fig9 and the aft compartment 32 . the respective bulkheads 29 and 31 have appropriate stiffening ribs , webs and caps to provide the necessary strength for mounting provisions . the bulkhead 29 is provided with a suitable check valve 29a , and a similar check valve 31a is mounted in the bulkhead 31 . these valves control the longitudinal movement of liquids when the pallets are utilized for carrying a commodity of this character . as can be seen in fig7 the wing root area between wing 17 and the adjacent fuselage 16 forms an obtuse angle which dictates the surface configuration of the pallet 27 such that the pallet has an inboard wall constituted by an upper surface 33 and lateral surface 34 which are shaped to conform to the wing root surfaces , while an exposed wall is formed by the outer skin 35 of the pallet 27 having a shape which has an aerodynamic curvature terminating at an upper margin in a seal strip 36 and at a lower margin in a seal strip 37 . in the views of fig6 and 10 there can be seen the shaping of frame ribs 33 &# 39 ; which support the upper skin surface 33 and inboard skin surface 34 . these ribs 33 &# 39 ; change shape to match the changes in the root area shape . ribs 33 &# 39 ; have cooperating outer ribs 35 &# 39 ; which support the outer skin 35 , and these ribs also change shape depending on the location . the bulkhead 29 is provided with a boss 38 carrying a locating pin 39 which is designed for insertion in the eye of bracket 40 for the purpose of retaining the pallet 27 against fore and aft , as well as lateral movement , relative to the fuselage 16 . the lower inboard corner of the bulkhead 29 is provided with a bracket 41 which is received in a clevis 42 fixed in the adjacent structure of the aircraft . a securing pin 43 connects the bracket 41 to the clevis 42 and is placed in double shear . fig9 shows the second principal bulkhead 31 having continuation of surfaces 33 and 34 which conform to the adjacent wing root surfaces between the wing 17 and the fuselage 16 . the external skin surface 35 at this bulkhead 31 follows a slightly different aerodynamic curvature from that shown in fig7 . it is seen that the upper and lower margins of the exterior skin surface 35 at bulkhead 31 is provided with a continuation of the aerodynamic seal 36 and the lower aerodynamic seal 37 . the bulkhead 31 is provided with an alignment fork 46 which opens upwardly to engage with a pin 47 carried in a bracket 48 which is fixed to the adjacent structure of the fuselage 16 . the fork 46 is formed with a v - shaped recess so that as the fork is moved upwardly relative to the fixed pin 47 there is a resulting camming action which fixes the position of the bulkhead and restrains the pallet against lateral displacement . simultaneously with the mating of the fork 46 and pin 47 a lower bracket 49 on the bulkhead 31 engages in the fixed clevis 50 on the structure of the fuselage 16 so that a securing pin 51 may connect these two structural parts and place the pin 51 in double shear . the forward end of the pallet 27 , as seen in fig5 is provided with a pin 52 which engages in a perforated plate 53 carried in the fairing 54 , thereby stabilizing the forward end of the pallet against displacement . fig6 and 7 are typical examples of frame structure for supporting the exterior skin 35 of the pallet , and these views illustrate , in combination with fig5 and 9 , the change in configuration of both the exterior skin 35 and the interior surfaces 33 and 34 first referred to in fig7 . throughout the several views it is seen that the aerodynamic seal 36 continues along under the surface of wing 17 and the lower seal 37 continues along in engagement with the surface of fuselage 16 . when the pallet 27 is used for carrying liquids , such as fuel , the skin surface 35 and the interior surfaces 33 and 34 are integrally sealed so that no internal bladder or plurality of bladders is required . the sealing material may be of any suitable character and is carefully inserted during fabrication . in riveted construction it has been found that liquid tight joints may be obtained . the use of the peripheral longitudinal seals 36 and 37 at the pallet - to - aircraft interface materially reduces drag and prevents air pressure build up between the aircraft and the pallet surfaces 33 and 34 . the seals are of such character that air pressure , with the aircraft in flight , tends to preload the seals so as to keep them in contact with the surfaces of the wing and fuselage . the graph of fig1 is a plot of speed ( mach number ) versus incremental drag due to the conformal load carrying pallets and conventional pylon mounted tanks , and illustrates the significant improvement achieved by an aircraft of the type shown in fig1 - 3 when carrying the present conformal load carrying pallets 27 , as compared with the same aircraft equipped with conventional pylon tanks 60 . at speeds below about mach 0 . 85 the aircraft 15 of this invention has negative incremental drag characteristics which is unusual , where an aircraft 15a with a pair of wing tanks 60 has an incremental drag area approaching two . aircraft 15b equipped with three tanks 60 has a somewhat greater incremental drag due to the external stores . as speed increases , the aircraft 15 has significantly less drag increase than either aircraft 15a or 15b , and what is of greater significance is the greater drag penalty incurred by the aircraft 15a in order to carry a lesser load of fuel than aircraft 15 . for example , at supersonic speeds the increase in incremental drag of aircraft 15 is only about 60 % of that for the aircraft 15a with two pylon tanks 60 , while the pallet volume is increased about 25 %. it is significant that each of the load carrying pallets is provided with only 5 mechanical load bearing connections to the aircraft fuselage 16 , and all of the mechanical connections make use of existing hardpoints on the aircraft . the forward connection is a pin 52 engaged in the plate 53 for taking lateral loads and insures that the pallet will not deflect during aircraft maneuvers . the remaining load bearing points are paired and include upper and lower connections 39 and 43 at the principal bulkhead 29 and additional upper and lower connections 47 and 51 at the remaining principal bulkhead 31 . the installation or removal of each load carrying pallet is achieved by the use of currently available fork lift vehicles . while the foregoing description of a load carrying pallet seen in fig4 through 10 has indicated that a liquid load could be handled , it is seen in fig1 and 11a that a pallet 27a for alternate payloads may be constructed along the lines already described for the pallet 27 . pallet 27a is provided with a forward bulkhead 29a and an aft bulkhead 31a in order to carry the attachment means previously described in fig7 and 9 respectively . the outer skin 35a of the pallet 27a is , in this instance , provided with a series of access doors in which similar doors 62 are provided in the pallet compartment section 30a between the bulkheads 29a and 31a . forward of the bulkhead 29a there is provided an enlarged access door 63 , and a further access door 64 is provided adjacent the door 63 . the view of fig1 a is typical of all of the access doors , in that it shows the doors to be hinged at the upper longitudinal edge and to close along the bottom margin . one example of the utility for a load carrying pallet of the character seen in fig1 at 27a can be exemplified by utilizing the compartment 30a serviced by access door 62 for carrying hardware items such as cameras or military sensor equipment , and similar items . the access door 64 will provide access for the installation of radar or similar sensor equipment , while the access door 63 would be located at a compartment carrying avionic equipment . it is also understood that the pallet 27a can be used to carry commercial items of a size that would be expected to fit within the volume of the pallet . the pallets of this invention are streamlined in accordance with the &# 34 ; area rule &# 34 ; which blends the cross sectional area of the pallets with the basic aircraft cross section so that the combined shape will result in the pallets producing a small impact on the aircraft . the impact includes reduction of drag or minimized drag increase , no significant change of stability and control characteristics , minimization of frontal area , and no significant change in the wetted area of the basic aircraft . by conforming the pallets to blend with existing fuselage and wing root lines , the sources of interference drag normally experienced with pylon tanks or slipper wing tanks are eliminated . at the same time supersonic drag is minimized , and conforming the pallet installation to the fuselage area the effect on the air flow over the wing is kept to a minimum . the foregoing description of a preferred load carrying pallet has set forth the principal characteristics of the invention . it is of course understood that modifications may be made in the structure and configuration of the load carrying pallet in order to adapt the same to the configuration of the wing root areas of the aircraft selected for taking advantage of the uniqueness and load carrying capacity of the present load carrying pallets . | 1 |
with reference to fig1 and 2 , height - adjustable table 1 comprises a wood laminate tabletop 2 supported on a steel frame 3 . mounted on the frame beneath the tabletop 2 is an actuator 20 that will be discussed in detail below . the frame 3 has an h - shaped longitudinally extending support portion 4 attached by screws to the underside of the table top 2 and two legs 5 , 6 . leg 5 is connected to a first end of the longitudinally extending portion 4 and leg 6 is connected to a second end of the support portion 4 . each of the legs 5 , 6 extends perpendicularly to the plane of the tabletop 2 . each leg 5 , 6 is connected to the longitudinally extending support portion 4 of the frame 3 by means of connection portions 7 provided at opposite ends of support portion 4 . the legs are each formed from two separate hollow tubular parts — an upper leg portion 8 and a lower leg portion 9 — and a foot 10 . the leg portions 8 , 9 are arranged to slide telescopically within and over each other respectively in order to adjust the height of the table . the upper ends of the upper leg portions 8 are attached to a respective connecting portion 7 . the bottom of each lower leg portion 9 is mounted to the center of foot 10 so that the foot extends laterally from the leg . in fig1 and 2 , one leg 6 is shown in a retracted position with the upper leg portion 8 received telescopically within the lower leg portion 9 so that the upper leg portion cannot be seen . the other leg 5 is shown in an extended position with only a portion of the upper leg portion 8 within the lower leg portion 9 . in use , the legs will always be extended by the same amount i . e . the height of the legs would be equal ; the legs are shown at different extensions in fig1 and 2 for the purposes of illustration only . fig3 shows in detail the attachment between one of the upper leg portions 8 and support portion 4 by means of a connection portion 7 . the latter comprises a plastics molding 11 , which is received within a housing 12 formed in the support portion . the molding 11 has a ribbed cylindrical projecting portion 13 which forms an interference fit within the top of the upper leg portion 8 , thereby securing the leg to the support portion 4 . a curved passageway is provided through the molding 11 through which passes conduit 14 . this extends from actuator 20 ( from the right , as shown ), along the inside of the support portion 4 and through the passageway into the leg . as will be discussed further below , conduit 14 receives an elongate flexible closed - coil spring 24 ( not shown in fig3 ) which extends from the lower leg portion 9 to the actuator 20 . the interior of conduit 14 has a low coefficient of friction to facilitate movement of the spring therethrough . the distal end of the spring engages with the lower leg portion such that extension of the spring within the conduit 14 will cause telescopic extension of the leg . fig4 is an enlarged view of the actuator 20 showing its housing 19 to which conduits 14 are connected . there can also be seen the part of the housing which contains an electric motor 21 and associated gears . fig5 shows an enlarged view of the internal components of the actuator 20 . it may be seen that electric motor 21 and its associated gears and toothed belt are arranged to drive a pair of symmetrically arranged toroidal rotors 23 by means of a circumferential worm gear 27 formed at the lower part of each rotor . the drive train between the motor 21 and the worm gear 27 is provided by a driven gearwheel 40 on the output shaft of the motor 21 which is engaged with a gearwheel 41 on the worm 22 by means of a toothed belt 42 . gearwheel 41 is formed integrally with worm 22 . the rotors further comprise an integrally formed drum 28 which engages the spring 24 passing around it . it can be seen that the spring connected to the right toroidal rotor is more wound in than the spring on the left - hand toroidal rotor . this is shown for illustrative purposes only and in reality the springs will be wound around the drums 28 by equal amounts . activating the motor causes the drums 28 to counter - rotate , thereby winding or unwinding the springs 24 around the drums 28 . this has the effect that the springs 24 both extend or retract simultaneously and at the same rate in response to the drive provided by the motor 21 . as may be seen from fig6 , the housing 19 is shaped to locate the rotors 23 and enable them to rotate freely as they are driven and to guide each spring from its conduit 14 around the respective drum 28 . this is achieved by means of an inverted l - shaped housing member 29 which is provided between the top of the worm gear 27 and the top of the drum 28 and which constrains the radial position of the spring 24 . the pitch of the worm gear 27 is low enough to cause the device to be self - braking by means of the worm drive , i . e . a force applied on the spring 24 cannot turn the motor 21 and so the springs 24 remain in the position to which they are driven . as discussed previously , each of the springs 24 is guided by conduit 14 from the actuator 20 to a leg 5 , 6 . conduit 14 prevents the springs 24 from bowing out or kinking laterally or horizontally as it is unwound from the actuator so that force may be transmitted from the actuator to the table legs . within the leg 5 , 6 the spring 24 is constrained by the leg itself and it extends to the lower leg portion 9 where it acts against a reaction surface ( not shown ) so that extension of the spring 24 causes the lower leg portion 9 to be pushed away from the upper leg portion 8 , thereby extending the leg 5 , 6 and raising the table . retraction of the spring 24 likewise allows the table 1 to lower . as each of the springs 24 are extended and retracted by the same amount as the actuator 20 operates , the two legs 5 , 6 rise and fall by the same amount thereby ensuring that the tabletop remains horizontal . it will be appreciated that the height of the table 1 may therefore be simply and conveniently controlled by switching the supply and polarity of current to the electric motor 21 in order to drive the motor 21 forward or reverse as desired . ( the electrical supply and switch are not illustrated .) in order to prevent the actuator 20 over - extending or over - retracting the springs 24 , which could damage the actuator 20 , the actuator 20 is provided with an end limit system , as shown in fig7 and 8 . fig7 shows a single toroidal rotor 23 in more detail . as described above , it comprises a drum 28 around which the proximal end of a spring 24 can be wound and a circumferential worm gear 27 . between the drum 28 and the worm gear 27 is a recess 30 . within the recess 30 is a spring connection member 31 to which the proximal end of the elongate spring 24 can attach to provide positive registration between the rotor 23 and the spring 24 . the inner surface of the drum 30 is provided with a continuous spiral ridge 32 which forms a cam surface . it extends two turns around the inner surface thus forming an upper ridge portion 33 which is radially further from the center of the toroidal rotor 24 than a lower ridge portion 34 . fig8 shows a limit switch assembly 35 which is located inside , and engages with , the cam surface formed by the ridge 32 one of the toroidal rotors 23 . it is mounted to the housing 19 ( not shown in fig8 ) and therefore is held in a fixed location relative to the rotary motion of the toroidal rotor 23 . ( for the purpose of clarity the end limit switch is not shown in fig5 .) the end limit switch assembly 35 comprises an end limit switch holder 36 , a cam following arm 37 and pivoting switch activator 38 . the end limit switch holder 36 holds a lower microswitch 39 l and an upper microswitch 39 u and a biasing spring 44 . the upper switch 39 u is held in a position axially above the switch activator 38 and the lower switch 39 l is held in a position axially below the switch activator 38 . the spring 44 biases the arm 37 radially outwardly and axially downwardly so that the arm 37 follows the cam surface of ridge 32 . as the toroidal rotor 23 turns , the arm 37 follows the ridge as it spirals round the inside of the inner drum 28 which causes the arm 37 and switch activator 38 to axially rise or descend depending on the direction of rotation of the toroidal rotor 23 . the lower ridge portion 34 is provided with a groove 51 in a location determined to be aligned with the arm 37 when the toroidal rotor has reached its maximum travel one direction . the upper ridge portion 33 is provided with a number of holes 52 . in one of the holes 52 is a pin ( not shown ). the location of the pin is determined to align with the arm 37 when the toroidal rotor 23 has rotated a predetermined maximum amount in the other direction . it will be appreciated that this arrangement allows the degree of travel of the rotor 23 , and hence the springs 24 to be set to one of a number of alternatives , depending on where the pin is inserted . when the table 1 is being lowered ( i . e . the springs 24 are being wound around the toroidal rotor 23 ) the arm 37 follows the ridge 32 which is spiraling downward , as a result the arm 37 and with it the switch activator 38 descends , which brings the switch activator toward to the lower microswitch 39 l . when the arm 37 reaches groove 51 , the switch activator 38 descends to a position at which it activates the lower microswitch 39 l . activating the lower microswitch 39 l prevents the motor 21 turning any further in that direction . however , the motor 21 can still be driven in the opposite direction . if this is done , as the table 1 rises , once arm 37 is out of the groove 51 , the switch activator 38 will have moved away from the switch 39 l thereby allowing the motor 21 to be driven again in the original direction , if desired . if the motor 21 continues to move in the direction to raise the table 1 , eventually the arm 37 will reach the pin which is located in one of the holes 52 . at this point the table 1 will have reached its maximum height and arm 37 , following ridge 32 will have risen to bring switch activator 38 into contact with upper microswitch 39 u , which it will activate . this prevents the motor 21 turning any further in that direction and so the motor 21 can only be operated to cause the table 1 to lower and thus move the arm 43 off the pin . it will be appreciated that at the predetermined maximum rotation in either direction , the groove or pin provides a step change in the profile of the ridge 32 to cause a step movement in the switch activator 38 to activate the microswitch suddenly in order to prevent arcing of the switch contacts . in the embodiment shown in the figures , the actuator has a built - in length ( length of the housing containing the two rotary members ) of 0 . 45 m and has a stroke ( distance between the maximum extension and minimum extension ) of 0 . 8 m for each of the elongate flexible members ( i . e . a stroke of 2 times 0 . 8 m ). the process of lowering and then raising the table 1 will now be described . initially the table 1 is in its fully raised position with only a comparatively small part of the upper leg 8 located within the lower leg 9 , and thus the two springs 24 are wound out to a maximum amount from the drums 28 on toroidal rotors 23 . this means that a maximum length of each spring 24 is in each leg 5 , 6 . the spring 24 is substantially incompressible and the actuator 20 is locked by means of the worm drive . as a result each spring 24 holds the legs 5 , 6 in their telescopically extended configuration and hence holds the table 1 at its maximum height . in this configuration , the limit switch assembly 35 prevents the motor 21 from being actuated to raise the table 1 further , as described above . to lower the table 1 , the motor 21 is activated to drive the output shaft in the appropriate direction . as previously described , this turns the toroidal rotors 23 and causes each of the springs 24 to be wound inward . this action causes each of the springs 24 to be retracted out of the legs 5 , 6 so that the upper leg portion 8 telescopically slides further into the lower leg portion 9 , thereby lowering the height of the table 1 . this continues either until the user determines that the table 1 is at the desired lower position or when the motor 21 is de - activated in the manner described above by the limit switch assembly 35 . when the table 1 is in its minimum height configuration , the majority of each of the upper leg portions 8 is within the corresponding lower leg portion 9 . in order to raise the height of the table 1 , the motor 21 is activated in the opposite direction . this causes each of the springs 24 to be wound out from the inner drum 28 of each toroidal rotor 23 which forces the springs 24 to extend in the leg 5 , 6 by an equal amount on each side . this action creates a force against the reaction surface in the lower leg portion 9 which causes the table to rise . the tabletop 2 rises until the desired height is reached or the limit switch assembly 35 prevents the maximum height from being exceeded . | 8 |
the invention will now be described with reference to the drawing figures , in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout . an embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a system and process for removing a constituent from a gas stream , using an adsorbent fractionator ( i . e . a dryer ) employing a purge gas source and a heat exchanger to recover heat from the compressor , either directly from the hot compressed discharge gas or indirectly from the hot compressor coolant . an embodiment of the present inventive apparatus is illustrated in fig1 . fig1 through 6 illustrate gas dryer systems 10 of various embodiments . the embodiments shown in fig1 through 6 are similar with the exception of the location or absence of the blower . fig1 will be explained in detail . descriptions of the differences between the other figures and fig1 will also be described . however , detailed descriptions of each of the other figures will not be made in detail as they will , for the most part , be repetitive with to respect fig1 . fig1 shows a drier system 10 . the dryer system 10 includes a compressor 12 . gas is compressed in the compressor 12 . as a result of the compression heat is generated within the compressor 12 and the gas . the gas exits the compressor 12 . part of the gas is bled off into a conduit 14 while the remainder of the hot gas flows through conduit 13 and flows directly to the inlet of the trim cooler 20 . the gas in the conduit 14 flows into a heat exchanger 16 . ambient air is drawn into a purge air filter 15 and is filtered and then also flows into the heat exchanger 16 . in the heat exchanger 16 , heat from the hot gas coming from conduit 14 flows into the second gas that has been filtered through the inlet filter 15 . the hot gas from conduit 14 is cooled somewhat and flows out of the heat exchanger 16 and into the conduit 18 . it then flows into a trim cooler 20 where it is further cooled by exchanging heat with a fluid flowing through inlet 22 through the trim cooler 20 and out trim cooler outlet 24 . the gas then flows through conduit 26 into a moisture separator 28 . moisture is condensed and separated from the gas and flows through an outlet 29 where it may be disposed of such as through a municipal sewer system or any other suitable disposable system . the gas then flows out of the outlet 30 . valves 32 and 34 dictate which adsorption chamber 33 or 40 gas exiting the moisture separator will throw flow through . typically one of the adsorption chambers 33 or 40 is operational and is drying the gas while the other adsorption chamber is taken off - line and is purged in order to regenerate the adsorbent material contained within the adsorption chamber 33 or 40 . as shown in fig1 , valve 34 is in the open position while valve 32 is in the closed position . therefore the fluid flows through valve 34 and past purge exhaust valve 36 and depressurization valve 38 and into the adsorption chamber 40 . had the situation been reversed and 34 been closed and 32 been open then the gas would have flowed into adsorption chamber 33 and adsorption chamber 40 would of been off - line and undergoing a purge operation . as the gas flows through the adsorption chamber 40 and over the adsorbent material 41 the gas is dried and flows out of the adsorption chamber into conduit 42 . the gas flows past valve 44 and the dry gas stripping re - pressurization circuit 46 . the dry gas stripping and re - pressurization circuit 46 includes valves 48 , 50 , 52 , and 54 . these valves may be configured as shown or in any other manner to allow dry gas coming out of either adsorption chamber 40 or 33 to go to conduit 60 to the dry gas user or storage 62 . the dry gas stripping supply in re - pressurization circuit 46 may also be set or configured to bleed some of the dry gas from conduit 42 out and sent it to the off - line adsorption chamber ( adsorption chamber 33 as shown in fig1 ) as part of a regeneration process for the off - line adsorption chamber 33 . valves 56 and 58 prevent or allow processed gas to enter the off - line adsorption chamber . the regeneration of the off - line adsorption chamber 33 is accomplished by the ambient air drawn into the system 10 through the purge inlet filter 15 . as mentioned above , the purge air flows through the heat exchanger 16 and is heated by heat from fluid coming into the heat exchanger 16 from conduit 14 . after picking up heat in the heat exchanger 16 the purge fluid flows through conduit 64 due to action of the blower 66 . the purge fluid may be additionally heated if needed by a trim heater 68 . the purge fluid then flows through valve 70 into the off - line adsorption chamber 33 where it will regenerate adsorbent 41 in the off - line adsorption chamber 33 . in embodiments where the off - line adsorption chamber is adsorption chamber 40 and not 33 , then valve 70 will be shut and valve 44 will be open to allow the purge fluid to flow through adsorption chamber 40 . the dry gas stripping supply in re - pressurization circuit 46 is configured such that valve 52 is closed so that no stripping flow joins the purge fluid flowing into one of the adsorption chambers 33 and 40 . as shown in fig1 , valve 44 is closed and valve 70 is open thereby forcing the purge fluid to flow through the off - line adsorption chamber 33 . once a purge fluid has flowed through off - line adsorption chamber 33 and flows out of the off - line adsorption chamber 33 and through valve 72 where it may be vented to the ambient conditions or may undergo any further operations if desired . fig2 illustrates a system 10 where the blower 66 is not located in front of the trim heater 68 as described in fig1 . rather the blower 66 is located downstream of the adsorption chambers 33 and 40 . as shown in fig2 , the blower 66 is located downstream of the valves 72 and 36 . the blower 66 still provides the function of moving the purge fluid through the system 10 . fig3 illustrates a system 10 where the blower 66 is located upstream from the heat exchanger 16 . the blower 66 is able to draw in ambient air through the purge inlet filter 15 and provide pressure to move it through the heat exchanger 16 , the conduit 64 , the trim heater 68 , and either of the adsorption chambers 33 and 40 depending on which adsorption chamber is off - line . fig4 illustrates a system 10 where there is no blower as part of the system 10 . rather the purge fluid is obtained from an external source and may or may not be ambient air . the purge gas supply 17 directly inputs the purge gas into the heat exchanger 16 . the purge source or gas supply 17 provides the pressure to move the purge gas through the system 10 . in some embodiments , a blower may be associated with the external purge gas supply 17 . fig5 illustrates a system 10 where a jet compressor 76 is used rather than a blower 66 . the jet compressor 76 may be powered by dried fluid containing conduit 60 . ambient air may be drawn through the purge inlet filter 15 by suction created by the jet compressor 76 . the jet compressor 76 also provides pressure to move the purge air through the system 10 . in some embodiments , the conduit 60 may merely connect to the heat exchanger 16 without components 15 and 76 . in such embodiments the pressure in conduit 60 will provide motive force to move gas through the regeneration loop . thus , components 15 and 76 are optional . fig6 illustrates a system where the fluid obtained from the compressor is not a compressed gas output from the compressor but rather cooling fluid used by the compressor . heated compressor coolant from a compressor coolant supply 77 flows into the heat exchanger 16 . heat flows out of the heated compressor coolant in the heat exchanger 16 into purge air in the heat exchanger 16 the coolant then flows out of the heat exchanger 16 into conduit 78 and back to a coolant reservoir 80 associated with the compressor . while the blower 66 is illustrated to be located between the purge inlet filter 15 and the heat exchanger 16 one of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing this disclosure will understand that the blower 66 could be located at any of the places discussed above or substituted for any of the other purge gas pressure systems described above or any other suitable system or apparatus for providing a motive force for the purge fluid . one of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing this disclosure will understand that the specific configurations of valves , conduit , and other apparatus described herein are meant to be exemplary only and do not limit embodiments accordance with the present disclosure . other suitable configurations may also be used in accordance with the embodiment . one of ordinary skill in the art will also understand that some of the structures described herein , are optional and may be omitted and still be in accordance with the present disclosure . fig7 illustrates a method of steps that may be accomplished in accordance with the present disclosure . it will be assumed that prior to the method described below the off - line adsorption chamber is first depressurized in preparation for regeneration . in step s 1 , flow of a first fluid from a compressor enters into a heat exchanger . this first fluid may be , in some embodiments , a compressed gas outputted from the compressor or as described above it may be a coolant that is been heated by the operation of the compressor . optionally , a second fluid which may be , but not limited to , ambient air may be filtered . at step s 3 the second fluid flows through the heat exchanger . at step s 4 heat moves from the first fluid into the second fluid in the heat exchanger . optionally , additional heat may be added to the second fluid by a trim heater or other means in step s 5 . optionally , a blower or any other suitable apparatus provides a motive force to move the second fluid through the system . at step s 7 the second fluid flows through an off - line adsorption chamber and , at step s 8 the second fluid flows over and adsorbent in the off - line adsorption chamber thereby regenerating the adsorbent . optionally , at step s 9 a small amount of dried first fluid may also flow over the adsorbent in the off - line adsorption chamber to further regenerate the adsorbent . the small amount of dried first fluid may flow into the off - line adsorption chamber prior to , concurrently with , or after the second fluid flows through the adsorption chamber . the optional flow of the first fluid after it has been dried through the off - line adsorption chamber may also provide partial cooling of the adsorbent in the adsorption chamber . after the adsorption chamber has undergone the purge process the adsorption chamber may be re - pressurized to line pressure in the adsorption chamber may remain in a standby state until is put back online . the many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification , and thus , it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and variations 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 . | 1 |
the present invention will be described below with preferred embodiments in connection with attached drawings . however , it should be understood that the descriptions here are only illustrative and are not intended to limit the protection scope . also , the following description omits details of known structures and techniques so that concepts of the invention are not obscured unnecessarily . top views , cross - sectional views and perspective views of various structures of the semiconductor structure according to the embodiments of the present invention are shown in attached drawings . however , these figures are not drawn to scale , and some details may be exaggerated and other details may be omitted for simplicity . shapes , relative sizes and positions of various regions / layers shown in the figures are only illustrative . variations may exist due to manufacturing tolerance and technical limitations . moreover , those skilled in the art may design regions / layers having different shapes , relative sizes and positions as required . according to one embodiment of the present invention , there provides a method for manufacturing a high - performance semiconductor structure with a stress memorization technique , which may memorize compressive stress in the channel of a transistor , and in turn increase mobility of holes and improve overall performance of the semiconductor structure . fig1 shows an initial structure according to one embodiment of the present method . the initial structure is a p - type field effect transistor ( pfet ) 100 . in the pfet 100 shown in fig1 , a substrate 10 is subjected to initial processing steps , such as formation of conventional shallow trench isolations ( stis ) 12 , well implantation , formation of a gate dielectric layer 14 , formation of a gate conductor 16 , and formation of a first sidewall spacer 18 . fig2 - 7 show the semiconductor structure at intermediate stages of the process flow according to one embodiment of the present method . according to one embodiment of the present method , an extension implantation is preferably performed to the initial structure of the pfet 100 , as shown in fig2 . optionally , a halo implantation may be further performed . the gate conductor 16 and the first sidewall spacer 18 are used as a mask , and the extension implantation may be performed in a direction indicated by arrow 202 to form extension regions 20 in the exposed portions of the substrate 10 at both sides of the gate conductor 16 and the first sidewall spacer 18 . for the pfet in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention , p - type dopants such as boron ( b or bf2 ) and indium ( in ) or any combination thereof may be used in the extension implantation . the extension region 20 has the effect of reducing the peak value of the electric field , and thus suppresses short channel effects . optionally , the gate conductor 16 and the first sidewall spacer 18 may be used as a mask again , and halo implatation may be performed in a direction indicated by arrow 204 at a predetermined tilt angle to form halo regions 21 at the portion of the substrate 10 below the gate dielectric 14 . for the pfet in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention , n - type dopants such as arsenic ( as ), phosphor ( p ) or their combination may be used in the halo implantation . here , the halo regions 21 may be used mainly for blocking diffusion into the channel region during the subsequent step of forming source / drain regions 24 ( as will be shown in fig3 ), which in turn suppresses the short channel effect . referring to fig3 , a second sidewall spacer 22 is formed at both sides of the gate conductor 16 and the first sidewall spacer 18 , and source / drain regions are also formed . the second sidewall spacer 22 may be formed , for example , by forming a material of the second sidewall spacer on the whole surface of the semiconductor structure by a conventional deposition process such as physical vapor deposition ( pvd ), chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ), atomic layer deposition ( ald ), sputtering , and the like , and performing anisotropic etching , preferably reactive ion etching ( rie ), to formed the second sidewall spacer 22 , as shown in fig3 . the material of the second sidewall spacer 22 may be the same as or different from that of the first sidewall spacer . preferably , the second sidewall spacer 22 comprises si3n4 . in the subsequent step , the second sidewall spacer 22 will be used as a mask and / or an etching stop layer . the gate conductor 16 and the second sidewall spacer 22 are used as a mask and ions are implanted in a direction indicated by arrow 206 to provide source / drain regions 24 in the exposed portions of the substrate 10 at both sides of the gate region consisting of the gate conductor 16 and the second sidewall spacer 22 . for the pfet in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention , p - type dopants such as boron ( b or bf2 ) and indium ( in ) or any combination thereof may be used in the source / drain implantation . typically , the source / drain regions 24 and the extension region 20 have dopants of the same type of conductivity , but of the same or different species and doping concentrations . referring to fig4 , an etching stop layer 26 and a tensile - stressed layer 28 are formed in sequence on the semiconductor structure shown in fig3 . here , the respective layers may be formed , for example , by the above - mentioned deposition processes . here , the etching stop layer 26 is made of a material different from that of the tensile - stressed layer 28 . typically , the etching stop layer 26 comprises sio2 , and the tensile - stressed layer 28 is made of at least one selected from a group consisting of si3n4 , sio2 , siof , sicoh , sico , sicon , sion , psg and bpsg . alternatively , the etching stop layer 26 may also be formed by a thermal oxidation process . referring to fig5 - 6 , the tensile - stressed layer 28 is selectively etched . referring to fig5 , lithography is performed to provide a photoresist layer having a predetermined pattern : for example , the photoresist layer 30 is applied on the semiconductor structure shown in fig4 ( for example , by spin - coating ) so that the photoresist layer 30 covers the whole surface of the semiconductor structure . then the photoresist layer 30 is patterned . typically , the photoresist layer 30 is patterned by steps comprising exposure , development and baking for hardening the photoresist , so as to provide the photoresist layer having the predetermined pattern . referring to fig6 , a portion of the tensile - stressed layer 28 is removed with the patterned photoresist layer as a mask , for example , by selective etching such as rie , stopping at the etching stop layer 26 , and removing the photoresist layer , so that the remaining portion of the tensile - stressed layer generates compressive stress in the channel . here , the compressive stress concentrates on the channel region after the etching process . specifically , the tensile - stressed layer 28 generates tensile stress ( t ) applied to the channel in a direction indicated by the arrow in the semiconductor structure shown in fig5 . in the semiconductor structure shown in fig6 after the etching process , the tensile - stressed layer generates compressive stress ( c ) in a direction indicated by the arrow . thus , a resultant force of the intrinsic tensile stress ( t ) and the generated compressive stress ( c ) is applied to the channel . as will be known by one skilled person in the field , compressive stress is applied to the channel when the generated compressive stress ( c ) is larger than the intrinsic compressive stress ( t ). if too small a portion of the stress layer is etched away , the stress applied to the channel may be the undesired tensile stress . however , if the stress layer is excessively etched away , it may be difficult for the remaining portion of the stress layer to generate sufficiently large compressive stress . in order to ensure compressive stress to be applied to the channel by the etched tensile - stressed layer 28 , the distance l between the edge of the remaining portion of the tensile - stressed layer and the external side of the gate may be preferably in the range of 0 . 02 - 0 . 2 μm . referring to fig7 , annealing is performed so that the stress from the tensile - stressed layer 28 is memorized in the semiconductor structure , and the dopants in the extension regions 20 and source / drain regions 24 ( and halo regions 21 if exist ) are activated , and the defects on the surface and in the semiconductor material are removed . in one embodiment of the present invention , rapid thermal annealing ( rta ) is performed , for example , at about 1000 ° c . for about 0 - 1 second . in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure according to the present invention , the compressive stress is memorized in the channel by depositing and etching a tensile - stressed layer and then performing annealing , which achieves an excellent stress memorization effect . as shown in fig7 , the extension regions 20 diffuse towards the channel region below the gate dielectric 14 after annealing . referring to fig8 , the tensile - stressed layer 28 and the etching stop layer 28 are removed , for example , by wet etching or reactive ion etching ( rie ), and a conventional silicidation process is performed to the semiconductor structure . optionally , a replacement gate process may be performed after removal of the tensile - stressed layer 28 and the etching stop layer 26 . specifically , the dummy gate conductor 16 may be removed by etching so as to expose the gate dielectric 14 after removal of the tensile - stressed layer 28 and the etching stop layer 26 . furthermore , a new gate conductor may be formed by the replacement gate process ( not shown ). for example , a new gate conductor layer may be formed on the whole surface of the semiconductor structure by a deposition process , followed by etching such as rie so as to remove the portions of the new gate conductor material that cover the surfaces of the substrate and the sidewall spacer . optionally , the gate dielectric 14 may also be removed by further etching after removal of the dummy gate conductor 16 so as to expose the substrate beneath the gate dielectric 14 . furthermore , a new gate dielectric and a new gate conductor may be formed by the replacement process . for example , a new gate dielectric and a new gate conductor layer may be formed on the whole surface of the semiconductor structure by a deposition process , followed by etching such as rie so as to remove the portions of the new gate dielectric and the new gate conductor material that cover the surfaces of the substrate and the sidewall spacer . here , the material of the new gate dielectric comprises high - k materials . examples of the high k material include , but not limited to , hafnium - based materials such as hfo2 , hfsio , hfsion , hftao , hftio or hfzro , zirconia , lanthana , titania , barium strontium titanate ( bst ), or lead zirconate titanate ( pzt ). the new gate conductor material comprises , but not limited to , metals , metal alloys , metal nitrides , metal silicides , any stack or combination thereof . here , the gate conductor layer 36 preferably comprises a stack of a work function metal layer and a gate metal layer . examples of the work function metal layer include , but not exclusively , tin , tialn , tan , taaln , or their combinations . as shown in fig8 , a conventional silicidation process is performed to the semiconductor structure . a metal layer ( not shown ) is formed on the semiconductor layer by a deposition process so that it covers the whole semiconductor device . the metal layer preferably comprises nipt . annealing is performed at about 250 ° c .- 500 ° c . so that the deposited metal reacts with the underlying silicon to provide a silicide layer 32 . here , the silicide layer 32 preferably comprises niptsi . in the illustrated embodiment of the present invention , silicides are provided at the surface of the source / drain regions 24 and the gate conductor 16 , which is suitable for a gate - first process . however , in the replacement gate process , silicides may to be provided or not provided at the surface of the gate conductor . in the interconnect structure to be formed , the silicide layer 32 may reduce ohmic contact of the plugs in the contact holes with the source / drain regions 24 and the gate conductor 16 . the unreacted metals are selectively removed by wet etching in which a solution of sulfuric acid is , for example , used . in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure according to the present invention , the compressive stress may be memorized in the channel of a transistor by combining an etching process by lithography process and a stress memorization technique , so as to increase mobility of holes and improve overall performance of the semiconductor structure . moreover , the method according to the present invention is easily implemented and has better industrial application . while the present invention has been described in the above embodiment with reference to the semiconductor structure shown in fig8 , one skilled person will appreciate that various conventional variations may be made in the semiconductor structure according to the present invention . the applicant intends to encompass any of the existed structures and those developed in the future but having the same function . in the above description , no details are given for those conventional operations . nevertheless , one skilled person will understand that the layers and regions having desired shapes may be formed by various approaches well known in the field . moreover , one skilled person may propose a process completely different from the above processes for providing the same structure . while the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , the description is only illustrative of the invention . the description is not construed as limiting the invention . the protection scope is defined by the attached claims and their equivalents . one skilled person will readily recognize that various modifications and changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the true scope of the present invention . | 7 |
the packaging case of the present invention comprises an inner case 3 , an outer sleeve 4 and a strip 10 . fig1 a and 1b illustrate the inner case 3 of the packaging case according to the present invention . the inner case 3 as an example is usually a rectangular parallelepiped suitable for packing an elongated article . the inner case 3 has at least one top surface ( front surface ) 11 made of a transparent material ( glass or transparent plastics , etc .) for the article packed in the inner case to be viewed . a reference numeral 13 denotes an upper end of the packaging case when it is in a vertically hung state . a reference numeral 12 denotes a bottom surface ( made of a card board , for example ) of the inner case 3 . a reference numeral 10 denotes a strip for connecting the bottom surface 12 of the inner case 3 and an inner surface of a bottom panel 21 of the outer sleeve 4 . a reference numeral 14 denotes one of both ends of the strip 10 which is connected to the bottom surface 12 of the inner case 3 . the inner case 3 has two side surfaces and two end surfaces in addition to the front surface 11 and the bottom surface 12 . fig2 illustrates an inner case 3 ′ of the present invention , which is another example of the inner case . a reference numeral 11 ′ denotes a front cover made of a plastic sheet by a suction - molding process . the front cover 11 ′ has one top surface , two side surfaces and two end surfaces . a reference numeral 12 ′ denotes a bottom plate ( made of a card board , for example ). as shown by dot dash lines 101 , the article can be sealed inside the inner case 3 ′ by stapling ( or gluing , etc .) the front cover 11 ′ onto the bottom plate 12 ′. fig3 illustrates the outer sleeve 4 of the packaging case according to the present invention , which is folded by a piece of card board as an example . the outer sleeve 4 has a bottom panel 21 , a top panel 23 , a first side panel 22 and a second side panel 24 . as illustrated by dot dash lines 102 , the outer sleeve 4 will be formed ( by gluing , etc .) when an edge 25 of the second side panel 24 is connected to an edge 25 ′ of the bottom panel 21 . further , the other end 14 ′ of the strip 10 is connected to the inner surface of the bottom panel 21 of the outer sleeve 4 . it can be seen from fig3 that after the outer sleeve 4 is formed , at least one of both ends in a longitudinal direction of the outer sleeve 4 ( for example , a right - hand end of the outer sleeve 4 ) is opened as an entrance or exit for the inner case 3 . a hanging hole 27 is provided on an end distant from the end which is opened of the outer sleeve 4 , and the hanging hole 27 is used to hang the packaging case on a vertically displaying shelf in a shop or an exhibition hall . usually , the both ends of the strip 10 are fixed to the outer surface of the inner case 3 ( or the inner surface of the outer sleeve 4 ) by adhesive bonding or molten plastics bonding , etc . the inner case 3 and the outer sleeve 4 can be made of a card board , a wood sheet , a plastic sheet , or a glass plate , etc . the strip 10 is made of a flexible thin sheet material , preferably , a plastic sheet . fig4 is a schematic diagram of an assembling process for the inner case 3 and the outer sleeve 4 of the packaging case according to the present invention . the one end 14 of the strip 10 is bonded on the bottom surface 12 of the inner case 3 , and the other end 14 ′ of the strip 10 is bonded on the inner surface of the bottom panel 21 of the outer sleeve 4 . according to the laying directions of the strip 10 , the inner case 3 and the outer sleeve 4 , the inner case 3 is turned over as shown by an arched arrow 31 and the bottom surface 12 of the inner case 3 is opposed to the bottom panel 21 of the outer sleeve 4 . then , other surfaces of the outer sleeve 4 are folded to bond the edge 25 of the second side panel 24 and the edge 25 ′ of the bottom panel 21 as indicated by dot dash lines 102 , and the outer sleeve 4 is closed . fig5 a and 5b are schematic diagrams showing that the inner case 3 and the outer sleeve 4 of the packaging case according to the present invention are connected via the strip 10 . for the sake of simplicity , only the connection between the bottom surface 12 of the inner case 3 and the bottom panel 21 of the outer sleeve 4 is shown . further , a clearance between the bottom surface 12 and the bottom panel 21 is exaggeratedly drawn , but actually , the clearance can be very small . fig5 a shows a condition in which the inner case 3 is sheathed inside the outer sleeve 4 , e . g . when the article is stored , warehoused or transported . at this time , the strip 10 is in a folded state in which the packaging case has a minimum length and a minimum volume . by pulling the inner case 3 out of the outer sleeve 4 in a direction shown by an arrow 33 ( in actual use , a majority of the inner case 3 is pulled out of the outer sleeve 4 ), a condition as shown in fig5 b in which the majority of the inner case 3 is located outside the outer sleeve 4 is achieved . as shown in fig5 b , the strip 10 is pulled to be in a straight state and the inner case 3 is pulled out to an extreme . actually , when the packaging case is vertically hung up to be displayed utilizing the hanging hole 27 , the inner case 3 automatically slides out of the outer sleeve 4 due to gravity and the strip 10 is pulled straight to bear the weights of the article and the inner case 3 . the inner case 3 can be pushed back into the outer sleeve 4 in a direction shown by an arrow 32 . fig6 a , 6b and 6c are schematic diagrams showing the conditions in which the packaging cases according to the present invention are displayed in a shop or an exhibition hall and in which the hanging holes 27 are used to vertically hang up the articles . fig6 a illustrates a condition in which the inner case 3 of the packaging case 1 has been pushed into the outer case 4 or a condition in which an article is just taken out from a warehouse and is vertically hung up ( the articles are usually packed in a box in a horizontal state before being taken out ). the article packed in the inner case 3 is , for example , preferably a wiper blade 41 for a windshield of a car and a fraction of the article can be viewed through the transparent surface 11 of the inner case 3 . alternatively , the inner case 3 may be entirely sheathed inside the outer sleeve 4 and can not be viewed . in fig6 b , when the packaging case 1 is vertically is hung , the inner case 3 together with the article 41 therein of the packaging case 1 ′ slides out of the outer sleeve 4 to an extreme so that the strip 10 is pulled straight ( the strip 10 is not drawn in fig6 b and it can be seen in fig5 b ), the inner case 3 is largely exposed outside the outer sleeve 4 , and a visitor can view the article packed in the inner case 3 through the transparent front surface 11 . fig6 c illustrates a packaging case 2 packed with an article ( a wiper blade 41 ′ for the windshield of the car ) having a different length which is vertically hung up and displayed . a length of strip 10 in a longitudinal direction of the packaging case can be adjusted . an overall length of the packaging case 2 as shown in fig6 c after the inner case 5 of the packaging case 2 is pulled out of the outer sleeve 4 ′ to an extreme ( i . e ., the strip 10 is pulled straight ) levels with an overall length of the packaging case 1 ′ as shown in fig6 b after the inner case 3 of the packaging case 1 ′ is pulled out of the outer case 4 . this means that the lower ends of the packaging cases in fig6 b and 6c will be at the same level . in this way , in case of the articles have different lengths , they can be hung up to be displayed in a shop or an exhibition hall in an orderly and aesthetic manner . moreover , in a shop or an exhibition hall , a worker simply needs to hang up the packaging cases and the articles therein ( they are usually in a horizontal state ) sequentially by utilizing the hanging holes 27 in the outer sleeves 4 and turn them into a vertical state after he takes out a box of goods from the warehouse . then , the articles will be vertically hung up and the inner cases 3 or 5 will automatically slide out by gravity to a predetermined height in a tidy appearance . thus , the packaging case can be operated rapidly and efficiently and the business cost will be reduced . | 1 |
with reference to fig1 , there is illustrated a printer generally indicated at 50 for printing on a printable web w and a stacker generally indicated at 51 . the printer 50 and the stacker 51 are disclosed in greater detail in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 125 , 182 . where possible the same reference characters are used herein as in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 125 , 182 . alternatively , the printer 50 can have components arranged differently as for example in u . s . application ser . no . 11 / 409 , 803 wherein the path of travel of the web w is somewhat different . the web w is in the form of a roll r can pass beneath a guide mechanism 57 . then the web w can pass between a platen roll 54 and a print head 53 ′ of a print head assembly 53 where the underside of the web w can be printed . from there the web can pass between a platen roll 56 and a print head 55 ′ of a print head assembly 55 where the top side of the web w can be printed . the platen roll 56 may be a driven roll . from there the fully printed web w can pass to a feed mechanism 58 which can feed the web w to a cutter mechanism 59 which cuts the web w into predetermined length sheets , in particular tags t . the expression “ tags ” as used herein is intended to apply to paper and plastic tags , paper and fabric labels and other types of record members because all of such tags and labels can be handled by the printer 50 and the stacking system 51 ′. the tags t are fed to a feed mechanism 60 which feeds the tags t onto a platform 61 of the stacker 51 . the feed mechanism 60 is close to the cutter mechanism 59 so that control of the cut - off tag t is maintained . the feed mechanism 60 can be considered to be part of the printer 50 , because the feed mechanism 60 feeds the tags t out of the printer 50 , or to be part of the stacker 51 because the feed mechanism 60 feeds the tag t onto the platform 61 . the printer 50 can be of the thermal transfer type wherein ink ribbon i can be advanced from a supply roll sr to a take - up roll tr for both print heads 53 ′ and 55 ′. the stacker 51 is mounted to a frame plate 70 . shafts 151 and 152 are cantilevered to the frame plate 70 and pass through a bracket 153 attached to a wall 154 which may be referred to as a side wall . by loosening a thumb screw 155 , the stacker 51 can be adjusted laterally or transversely of the printer 50 toward and away from the plane of the frame plate 70 . the stacker 51 is illustrated as including the platform 61 which has a depending mounting member 176 secured to a slide ( not shown ) by screws 176 ′ passing through a slot 175 in a rear wall 156 . the platform 61 can be raised and lowered by a motor - driven pulley system ( not shown ). as the motor - driven feed roll 95 of the feed mechanism 60 feeds tags t into space within the stacker above the platform 61 , the platform 61 is lowered . with reference to fig4 , the stack tray generally indicated a 200 is shown to have an upstanding rear panel or wall 201 which is preferably formed integrally with a bottom panel or base panel 202 . the rear and bottom panels 201 and 202 are preferably made by bending a piece of sheet metal at a bend line 203 . the rear panel 201 preferably has a flange 204 made by bending the sheet metal along a bend line 205 . the bottom panel preferably has a flange 206 made by bending the sheet metal along a bend line 207 . the angle between the rear panel 201 and the bottom panel 202 is preferably a right angle . the rear panel 201 and the bottom panel are in an l - shaped configuration . likewise , the angle of the flange 204 to the rear panel 201 is preferable a right angle , and the angle of the flange 206 to the bottom panel 202 is preferably a right angle . the flange 204 adds stiffness to the rear panel 201 and the flange 206 adds stiffness to the bottom panel 202 . the stacker 51 and the tray 200 form part of a stacker system 51 ′. an upstanding side panel or wall 208 preferably extends perpendicularly to the rear panel 201 and to the bottom panel 202 . the side panel 208 has a flange 209 extending preferably at a right angle to the panel 208 from a bend line 209 ′. the side panel 208 is preferably perpendicular to the bottom panel 202 . as best shown in fig5 and 6 , a magnetic strip 210 is secured to the flange 209 preferably by an aggressive permanent adhesive 211 . even though the side panel 208 is preferably perpendicular to the bottom panel 202 and the rear panel 201 , the side panel 208 can be magnetically attached to the rear panel at any selected angular orientation . with reference to , for example , fig4 , 5 , 7 and 8 , there is shown a hold - down device or member generally indicated at 212 . the device 212 is shown to have a side panel 213 and a back panel 214 connected to a bottom panel 215 at respective fold lines 216 and 217 . the side and rear panels 213 and 214 are preferably disposed at right angles to each other and to the bottom panel 202 . the panels 213 , 214 and 215 are preferably formed from one piece of sheet metal by bending up panels 213 and 214 with respect to the bottom panel 215 . a magnet 218 preferably in the form of a magnetic strip is adhered to the outside of the side panel 213 by an aggressive permanent adhesive 219 , and a magnet 220 preferably in the form of a magnetic strip is adhered to the outside of the rear panel 214 by an aggressive permanent adhesive 221 . instead of one magnet 218 for the side panel 213 and one magnet 220 for the rear panel 214 , multiple spaced magnets or magnetic strips can be provided . the magnets 218 and 220 can , of course , be adhered to their respective panels by any other suitable means , such as by fasteners . in use , the stack tray 200 can be simply seated or rested on the platform 61 . tags t can be dispensed toward the side panel 208 and accumulate on the bottom panel 202 . as the tags t accumulate , the platform 61 can be lowered so that the tags t continue to be able to be deposited on the top of the stack s . it should be noted that it is not necessary that some or all of the tags t reach the side wall 208 . when the desired number of tags has accumulated in a stack s which rests on the bottom panel 202 , the stack tray 200 is ready to be removed . the user may lift the tray 200 out of the stacker 51 and tilt the tray 200 so that the tags t gravitate against the side panel 208 . the user can actually assist by tamping on the trailing ends te of the tags t to push the leading ends le of the tags t against the side panel 208 to form a neater stack s . with the tags t vertically aligned , the user can manually slide the hold - down device 212 downwardly from the upper , normally out - of - use position shown in fig1 . in that the magnets 218 and 220 hold securely to the panels 213 and 214 , the hold - down device 212 can be slid along the rear and side panels 201 and 208 without dislodging the magnets 218 and 220 from the remainder of the hold - down device 212 . accordingly , the hold - down device 212 can be slid down into contact with the top most tag t in the stack s . preferably the hold - down device 212 is pressed against the stack s to slightly compress or clamp the stack s so that while the tray 200 and the stack s are transferred to the place where the tags t are to be used , the stack s is held firmly as a stack to eliminate the possibility of the stack s being dislodged or falling out of the tray 200 . fig3 shows slightly different version of the platform than the platform 61 shown in fig1 and 2 and accordingly it is indicated at 61 ′. the angle of the platform 61 ′ is adjustable about a post or pivot 222 . the pivot is secured in a plate 176 ′ like the plate 176 . a spring - urged plunger 225 can be pulled outwardly and positioned in one of several holes 226 , ( only one of which is shown ) to adjust the angle of inclination of the platform 61 ′. as best shown in fig3 , the bottom panel 202 of the stack tray 200 has two spaced apart bent - down tabs 228 at the front adjacent the flange 206 , and one bent - down tab 229 adjacent an end 202 ′ of the bottom panel 202 . the tabs 228 and 229 , referred to generally as “ locators ”, assist in locating the bottom panel 202 and hence the tray 200 on and with respect to the platform 61 or 61 ′. when thus located , the side edge 202 ″ terminates short of the side wall 154 so as not to rub on the side wall 154 as the platform 61 or 61 ′ moves up or down . likewise , the rear panel 201 terminates short of the rear wall 156 of the stacker 51 so that the rear panel 201 cannot rub on any part of the rear wall 156 . while a magnet 218 is shown attached to the front panel 213 and a magnet 220 is attached to the rear panel 214 as is preferred , only the side 213 panel or only the rear panel 214 needs to be equipped with a magnet to hold the stack tray 212 in the selected position . it is apparent that the magnets 210 and 220 require that the rear panel or at least a part thereof be comprised of magnetizable or magnetically responsive material , such as steel . likewise , it is apparent that the magnet 218 requires that the front panel or at least a part thereof be comprised of magnetizable or magnetically responsive material , such as steel . while the platforms 61 and 61 ′ are disclosed as being movable , the stack tray 200 is also useful with a stacker having a fixed platform . with reference to fig9 , there is shown a longitudinally extending wide tag web 300 which is wide enough to form a plurality of tags across the width of the wide tag web 300 . the wide tag web can be comprised of a variety of different materials as described above . in the illustrated embodiments , the wide tag web is preferably just wide enough to form two series of side - by - side tags t 1 and t 2 . the wide tag web 300 can be separated into tags t 1 and t 2 by completely severing or cutting along preferably equally spaced severing lines sl . it is thus , apparent that the tags t are of equal length . the wide tag web 300 may carry pre - printing with fixed information such as a logo registration marks ( not shown ) repetitively laterally across the wide tag web 300 . the wide tag web 300 can also carry registration marks ( not shown ). the print head 53 ′ ( fig1 ) can be used to print information ( not visible in fig9 ) repetitively across the wide tag web 300 on one face , namely , the underside , of the wide web 300 at zone designated side one print zone ( fig9 ). in particular , preferably the same information can be printed on both sides of the centerline cl on the underside of the web 300 . likewise , the print head 55 ′ can be used preferably to print the same information 302 on both sides of the centerline cl at zone designated side two print zone . if the tags t 1 and t 2 are garment tags , they can bear the usual information such as size , style , color , care instructions , warranty statements , graphics , bar codes and the like . next the wide tag web 300 can be slit longitudinally along the centerline cl at a slitting zone starting at 303 to provide narrow tag webs n 1 and n 2 . the narrow tag webs n 1 and n 2 can be cut simultaneously by a suitable wide cutter 59 ( for example fig1 and 20 ) along severing line sl at a zone designated cutting zone to provide side - by - side tags t 1 and t 2 . as the tags t 1 and t 2 are dispensed , the tags t 1 and t 2 are separated and descend gravitationally into two separate stacks s 1 and s 2 in the stacker 51 as depicted for example in fig1 and 11 . with reference to fig1 , the print head assembly 55 is upstream of a slitter 305 . the slitter 305 is disposed adjacent and between the print head assembly 55 and the feed mechanism 58 . as in the other embodiment , the cutter or cutter mechanism 59 is downstream of the feed mechanism 58 , and the feed mechanism 60 is downstream of the cutter 59 . a separator 306 is preferably adjustably cantilever - mounted to the cutter mechanism 59 . the wide tag web 300 passes from printing contact with the print head 55 ′ to the slitter 305 where the wide web 300 is slit into the narrow tag webs n 1 and n 2 at 303 . from there the feed mechanism 58 advances the narrow tag webs n 1 and n 2 to the cutter 59 . the tags t 1 and t 2 which have been cut off by the cutter 59 are fed by the feed mechanism 60 over the separator 306 and are cammed apart to positions best shown in fig1 and 14 . the separator 306 can simply comprise a cantilevered separator rod or separator bar 307 which projects into the stacker 51 . the separator bar 307 can have a slotted mounting bracket ( not shown ) retained by a thumb screw ( not shown ) so that the separator bar 307 can be slightly adjusted to match the centerline cl . thus , the centerline of the separator bar 307 is aligned with the centerline cl . the separator 306 and , indeed , the separator rod 307 extend along the centerline of the printer 50 , that is , the separator 306 is in center - justified alignment with the centerline of the roll r , the print heads 53 ′ and 55 ′ and the slitter 305 . as the narrow tag webs n 1 and n 2 are advanced into the stacker 51 , respective margins at inner edges e 1 and e 2 extend along the centerline of the separator 306 . the remainders of the tags t 1 and t 2 are unsupported and immediately descend gravitationally and settle onto the top of the respective tag stacks s 1 and s 2 . as the tags t 1 and t 2 descend , the tag t 1 and t 2 are cammed outwardly by the separator 306 , for example , against respective front wall 308 and rear wall 201 . while the separator 306 helps to separate the tags t 1 and t 2 as they enter the stacker 51 , the tags t 1 and t 2 are supported in such a way as to cause the tags t 1 and t 2 to accumulate in the stacker 304 in spaced apart tag stacks s 1 and s 2 . thus , the inclinations of the topmost tag in each stack s 1 and s 2 helps to cam incoming tags into position against respective front wall 308 and rear wall 201 . as best shown in fig1 , the tag stacks s 1 and s 2 are supported on a base or support structure 309 which can simply be comprised essentially of one bent piece of sheet metal , as shown . the support structure 309 includes two downwardly and outwardly incline supports 310 and 311 which meet at an apex 312 . as the tags t 1 and t 2 enter the stacker 304 and fall gravitationally onto the tops of their respective stacks s 1 and s 2 , there is a tendency for the tags t 1 and t 2 to slid down the immediately respective underlying tags t 1 and t 2 until their respective outer edges e 3 and e 4 contact the respective walls 308 and 201 . the stacks s 1 and s 2 are stably supported against supports 310 and 311 and the walls 308 and 201 contribute to maintenance of the stacks in their upright positions . it is the tags t 1 and t 2 within the stacks s 1 and s 2 that are inclined while the stacks s 1 and s 2 remain upright as depicted in fig1 and 14 . it should be noted that the separator 306 is located in a fixed position . the stacker 51 has its own rear wall 156 which can move laterally by sliding the stacker 51 on shafts 151 and 152 . yet the stacker can accommodate tags t 1 and t 2 of different widths . the wall 201 of the tray 200 can be against the rear wall 156 . this represents essentially the maximum width of the tags t 2 that can accumulate . however , the wall 201 of the tray can be positioned forwardly of the wall 156 ( as shown in fig1 ) to accommodate tags t 2 of narrower widths . as also shown , the tags t 1 and t 2 can overhang their respective supports 310 and 311 to a small extent as shown or to a larger extent for wider tags . the support structure 309 is repositionable laterally of the stacker 51 to accommodate tags t 1 and t 2 of different widths . there are two magnetic strips 313 and 314 which extend lengthwise of the support structure 309 to hold the support structure 309 repositionably to the bottom panel 202 of the magnetizable holder 200 . as shown in fig1 through 14 , the wall 308 includes a flange 315 which gives stability to the wall 308 . the flange 315 preferably has a magnetic strip 316 attached to its underside to hold the wall 308 repositionably to the bottom panel 202 of the holder 200 . the front wall 308 has a forwardly flared flange 317 which strengthens the wall 308 and aids in guiding the tags t 1 into the stacker 51 . with reference to fig1 , the line of complete severing s lines up with the top - center of the separator bar 307 as the tags t 1 and t 2 enter the zone of the stacker 51 . the separator bar 307 is shown to be round but it can have other shapes and / or profiles . also , the separator bar 307 is shown to be inclined upwardly and forwardly to facilitate tag separation . as the tags t 1 and t 2 slid along and are supported at margins of their adjacent edges e 1 and e 2 by the separator bar 307 , the remainder of the tags t 1 and t 2 pivot downwardly about the separator bar 307 and fall gravitationally onto either of supports 310 or 311 if there is no tag in the stacker 51 or onto the tops of the existing tag stacks s 1 and s 2 . it is to be understood when the stacker 51 is empty , the stacker platform 61 is in its raised position so the tags t 1 and t 2 do not descend very far until they are supported by the supports 310 and 311 . as the stacks s 1 and s 2 build , the platform 61 and hence the tray 200 are gradually lowered to maintain the tops of the stacks 51 and 52 at a relatively constant distance , as when the stacker is empty . it is also seen that the separator bar 307 causes the tags t 1 and t 2 to separate as depicted in fig1 and 14 . fig1 and 16 show the slitter 305 in greater detail than in fig1 . the slitter 305 is shown to comprise a frame generally indicated at 318 with end plates 319 and 320 joined by lateral supports 321 and 322 . the slitter frame 318 can be bolted to the printer frame 70 . the frame plates 319 and 320 rotatably mount slitter shafts 323 and 324 to which meshing gears 325 and 326 are secured . the gear 326 is driven by a gear 327 which meshes with an idler gear 328 . the shafts 323 and 324 have annular slitter blades 329 and 330 secured thereto . as best shown in fig1 , the slitter blade 329 is sharpened to a continuous annular edge 331 and the slitter blade 330 is sharpened to a continuous annular edge 332 . the edges 331 and 332 are preferably in edge - to - edge contact to cause the wide web 300 to be slit as indicated at s ( fig9 ). as best shown in fig1 , the end plates 319 and 320 rotatably mount a threaded shaft 333 having oppositely threaded portions 334 and 335 . the threaded portion 334 can , for example , be a left - hand threaded portion 334 and the threaded portion 335 can be a right - hand threaded portion . the portion 334 threadably mounts a non - rotatable guide 336 and the portion 335 threadably mounts a non - rotatable guide 337 . a knob 338 on the shaft 333 can be used to adjust for wide webs 300 of different widths . fig1 shows the gear 328 as meshing with a gear 339 which is secured on a common shaft 340 for rotation as a unit with a gear 341 . the gear 341 is driven by a gear 342 which in turn is driven by a motor 343 . fig1 through 20 show the stacker 51 with a different arrangement of supporting and side guiding than in fig1 through 14 . the stacker 51 includes the support structure 309 magnetically adhered directly to the platform 61 which is comprised of magnetizable material . a wall 308 ′ is like the wall 308 and a base 315 ′ is like the base 315 . a magnetic strip 316 is adhered to the underside of the base 315 ′. the base 315 ′ extends forwardly and terminates at a downwardly extending flange or handle 344 . the arrangement shown in fig1 is intended to accumulate tags as in the embodiment of fig1 through 17 , except the user can reach in and lift the stacks s 1 and s 2 out of the stacker 51 . as shown , the wall 156 of the stacker 51 provides a side edge guide or stop for tags t 2 as the tags t 2 accumulate in the stack s 2 , and thereafter . fig2 omits the wall 308 ′ for clarity . fig2 , however , shows the slitter 305 , the feed mechanism 58 , the cutter 59 and the feed rolls 195 in greater detail . while the various panels 201 , 202 , 208 , 213 , 214 , 215 , 308 , 308 ′, 315 and 315 ′ are illustrated as being generally rectangular , they can have other shapes . other embodiments and modifications of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art , and all such of these as come within the spirit of this invention are included within its scope as best defined by the appended claims . | 1 |
referring initially to fig1 of the drawings , in a preferred embodiment the tree climbing support of this invention is generally illustrated by reference numeral 1 . the tree climbing support 1 includes a body support 2 which is characterized by a generally rectangular - shaped body support frame 3 , provided with a top engaging member 4 , which is braced by an engaging member brace 45 and is constructed of square metal stock , for engaging the tree 40 . a top support brace 6 is spaced from the top engaging member 4 by a pair of parallel top support legs 5 and the top support legs 5 are shaped to define a curved top support extension 5a . in a preferred embodiment of the invention a backrest 8 is pivotally secured to the extending end of the top support extension 5a by means of two hinges 9 , which are attached to the extending ends of the backrest legs 10 . a backrest brace 11 spans the backrest legs 10 and the backrest 8 is selectively pivotable into a non - functional or carrying position flat against the top support brace 6 and in upward standing , functional relationship as illustrated in fig1 . seat mesh 7 , which is constructed of expanded metal or other desired material , spans a portion of the top support legs 5 and the top support extension 5a to support the hunter when the tree climbing support 1 is deployed on a tree 40 . multiple top spikes 12 extend from the top engaging member 4 , in order to engage and penetrate the tree 40 when the body support 2 of the tree climbing support 1 is functionally oriented in climbing configuration , as illustrated in fig1 . a pair of tubular top yoke sleeves 18 are welded or otherwise secured at one end to the top support legs 5 and are supported in fixed , angular relationship with respect to the top support leg 5 by a pair of top yoke sleeve braces 21 , as illustrated . a pair of round top yoke legs 15 are adjustably inserted in slidable relationship inside the tubular top yoke sleeves 18 , respectively , and are secured in this position by the top pins 20 , which insert through top sleeve adjusting holes 19 , provided in the top yoke sleeves 18 , and registering top yoke apertures 22 , located in the top yoke legs 15 , as illustrated in fig4 in order to support the body support 2 on the tree 40 . this support is facilitated by a generally v - shaped top yoke blade 16 , which is provided with a pair of top yoke blades spikes 17 that extend rearwardly toward the top spikes 12 and are designed to register with the ends of the bottom yoke legs 32 when the tree climbing support 1 is oriented in carrying configuration , as herein after described . it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the top yoke 14 can be adjusted in telescopic relationship with respect to the top yoke sleeves 18 , in order to accommodate a tree 40 of any diameter which does not exceed the distance between the top yoke legs 15 . referring again to fig1 of the drawings , a foot support 23 is also illustrated in functional configuration mounted on the tree 40 beneath the body support 2 . the foot support 23 is characterized by a generally rectangular - shaped foot support frame 24 , provided with a bottom engaging member 25 , constructed of square metal stock , and an end frame member 27 which is spaced from the bottom engaging member 25 , by a pair of parallel side frame members 26 , as illustrated . a foot rest mesh 28 of expanded metal or other desired material spans the foot support frame 24 and is supported by a frame brace 44 which spans the side frame members 26 , in order to support the feet for operating the tree climbing support 1 , as hereinafter described . multiple bottom spikes 29 project forwardly from the bottom engaging member 25 , in order to penetrate the tree 40 and help stabilize the foot support 23 on the tree 40 beneath the body support 2 , in climbing or descending configuration . a pair of tubular bottom yoke sleeves 35 are welded at one end to the end frame member 27 and extend forwardly toward the tree 40 in fixed , angular relationship with respect to the side frame members 26 . the extending ends of the bottom yoke sleeves 35 are welded or otherwise attached to the parallel bottom yoke sleeve braces 38 , respectively , as illustrated . a pair of upward standing foot pegs 30 are also welded or otherwise attached in parallel spaced relationship to the side frame members 26 , in order to prevent the feet of a user from extending forwardly in contact with the tree 40 when the tree climbing support 1 is in use , as hereinafter described . a bottom yoke 31 is designed for engagement with the foot support frame 24 , such that the extending ends of the round , parallel bottom yoke legs 32 telescope inside the tubular bottom yoke sleeves 35 , respectively . the bottom yoke legs 32 are adjustably secured in the bottom yoke sleeves 35 by a pair of bottom pins 37 , which extend through registering bottom sleeve adjusting holes 36 located in the bottom yoke sleeves 35 and bottom yoke apertures 39 , provided in the bottom yoke legs 32 , as illustrated in fig6 of the drawings . as in the case of the top yoke 14 , the bottom yoke 31 is fitted with a generally v - shaped bottom yoke blade 33 , which spans the opposite ends of the bottom yoke legs 32 and is welded or otherwise attached thereto . the inside edges of both the bottom yoke blade 33 and the top yoke blade 16 can be sharpened , in order to better engage the tree 40 and support the foot support 23 and the body support 2 on the tree 40 in spaced relationship , as illustrated in fig1 . referring now to fig2 and 8 of the drawings the body support 2 of the tree climbing support 1 is slightly wider than the foot support 23 , such that the foot support 23 can be inserted or nested and interlocked inside the body support 2 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . accordingly , when oriented in such a nested configuration , the tree climbing support 1 can be fitted with shoulder straps 43 and carried in backpack fashion , as illustrated in fig2 . alternatively , the tree climbing support 1 can be strapped to a motorcycle or an all - terrain vehicle and transported to the hunting location as a compact , easily handled entity . referring to fig1 and 8 , this nesting relationship is effected in part by a pair of pins 41 which project in spaced relationship from the end frame member 27 of the foot support 23 and are designed to register with corresponding pin openings 42 , located in the top support brace 6 of the body support 2 . accordingly , when the foot support 23 is to be nested in the body support 2 , the pins 41 are initially aligned with the pin openings 42 , respectively , and the foot support 23 is nested and interlocked in position inside the body support 2 , as illustrated in fig2 and 3 . this interlocking relationship is further aided by introduction of the top yoke blade spikes 17 inside the ends of the bottom yoke legs 32 , as illustrated in fig3 . accordingly , when the foot support 23 is located in the proper nested position with respect to the body support 2 , the bottom yoke blade 33 of the bottom yoke 31 rests on the top yoke blades spikes 17 , as illustrated in fig3 . this contact between the bottom yoke blade 33 and the top yoke blades spikes 17 , coupled with the insertion of the pins 41 in the pin openings 42 , stabilizes the foot support 23 in nested relationship with respect to the body support 2 and enables the tree climbing support 1 to be easily handled and transported by vehicle or fitted with the shoulder straps 43 and carried in backpack fashion , as heretofore described and as illustrated in fig2 . referring again to fig1 of the drawings , the tree climbing support 1 is used to ascend a tree 40 by initially mounting the body support 2 and the foot support 23 to the tree 40 in the relative positions illustrated . this mounting is accomplished by first detaching the top yoke 14 from the body support frame 3 by removing the top pins 20 and subsequently spanning the tree 40 with the top yoke legs 15 . the top yoke legs 15 are then again telescopically inserted in the top yoke sleeves 18 and the top pins 20 are reinserted in registering ones of the top sleeve adjusting holes 19 and top yoke apertures 22 , to secure the body support 2 firmly on the tree 40 . similarly , the foot support 23 is mounted on the tree 40 beneath the body support 2 by removing the bottom yoke 31 from the foot support frame 24 , spanning the tree 40 with the parallel bottom yoke legs 32 and reinserting the bottom yoke legs 32 in the bottom yoke sleeves 35 , with the bottom pins 37 located in registering bottom sleeve adjusting holes 36 and bottom yoke apertures 39 , respectively . the tree climbing support 1 is then used to ascend the tree 40 by initially supporting the upper portion of the body on the body support 2 and inserting the feet between the respective bottom yoke sleeves 35 and side frame members 26 , rearwardly of the foot pegs 30 . pressure is then brought to bear on the foot support 23 by extending the legs , simultaneously lifting the body support 2 and sliding the body support 2 upwardly on the tree 40 . when this maneuver is accomplished , the body weight is again shifted to the body support 2 and the legs are drawn upwardly toward the chest , bringing the foot support 23 closer to the body support 2 . this procedure is repeated such that the tree 40 is traversed in inchworm - fashion until a desired height is reached , at which point the foot support 23 is shifted around the tree 40 out of alignment with the body support 2 , body weight is placed on the foot support 23 , the top pins 20 are individually removed and the top yoke 14 is adjusted with respect to the top yoke sleeves 18 , to substantially align the body support frame 3 on the tree 40 in horizontal relationship . the top pins 20 are then reinserted in registering ones of the top sleeve adjusting holes 19 and the top yoke apertures 22 , to insure that the body support frame 23 is maintained in a substantially horizontal relationship while supporting the weight of the hunter . the hunter then positions himself on the seat mesh 7 of the body support frame 3 and rotates the backrest 8 outwardly , if desired , in order to provide a functional and comfortable platform and support for hunting purposes . while the hunter is thus supported , the foot support 23 is maintained in the relative position illustrated in fig1 either beneath or offset from the body support 2 by its own weight and is ready for use in descending the tree 40 as desired . when it is desired to descend the tree 40 , the hunter initially shifts his body weight from the body support frame 3 to the foot support 23 , while again locating his feet in the space between the bottom yoke sleeves 35 and the side frame members 26 rearwardly of the foot pegs 30 . the backrest 8 is then folded against the top support brace 6 , as illustrated in fig3 . the body weight is then again shifted to the legs and feet and the body support 2 is lowered with respect to the foot support 23 , after which , the body weight is shifted to the body support 2 and the foot support 23 is moved downwardly farther away from the body support 2 . the tree 40 is traversed in descending fashion by repeating this inchworm pattern until ground level is reached . referring again to fig2 and 8 of the drawings , when it is desired to secure the tree climbing support 1 into carrying configuration , the smaller foot support 23 is initially placed inside the larger body support 2 , as illustrated in fig3 and 8 . the pins 41 are then aligned with and inserted in the pin openings 42 located in the top support brace 6 of the body support 2 and the top yoke blade spikes 17 are inserted in the ends 8 of the top yoke legs 15 , as heretofore described . the bottom yoke blade 33 then rests against the top yoke blade spikes 17 and shoulder straps 43 are attached to appropriate brackets ( not illustrated ), according to the knowledge of those skilled in the art , if the tree climbing support 1 is to be supported on the back and shoulders as illustrated in fig2 for backpacking . referring again to fig3 of the drawings , in a most preferred embodiment of the invention the hinges 9 , which are designed for pivotally supporting the back rest 8 on the top support extension 5a , are each characterized by a hinge pin 9a which extends through a corresponding hinge pin bracket 9b , secured to each respective back rest leg 10 . the hinge pin 9a also projects through a cleat ( not illustrated ) which is welded or otherwise secured to the top support extension 5a . a hinge stop 13 is welded or otherwise secured to the extending end of each of the back rest legs 10 , in order to facilitate secure orientation of the back rest 8 in the configuration illustrated in fig1 . in another most preferred embodiment of the invention each of the top pins 20 and bottom pins 37 are provided with pin keepers 34 , as further illustrated in fig3 in order to prevent loss of the top pins 20 and bottom pins 37 , during transportation of the tree climbing support 1 . a primary feature of the tree climbing support 1 of this invention is convenience and easy applicability to trees having a wide variety of diameters , as well as lightness of weight and easy transportability on an all - terrain vehicle , motorcycle or in backpack fashion . the ring 46 serves to help separate the body support 2 from the foot support 23 when the body support 2 is nested in the foot support 23 . weight characteristics are particularly important , under circumstances where the hunter must traverse a substantial area on foot in order to reach an ideal hunting location . furthermore , the tree climbing support 1 of this invention is easily constructed and is simple and compact in design , features which are particularly important in hunting , since the tree climbing support is not easily observed while located in functional configuration in a tree . it is understood that both the body support 2 and the foot support 23 of the tree climbing support 1 can be manufactured of such metals as steel and aluminum , as well as alloy metals known to those skilled in the art , with aluminum being a preferred material of construction due to lightness of weight . furthermore , the respective component parts of both the body support 2 and the foot support 23 can be bolted together ; however , a preferred means of joining the structural elements is by welding . while the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above , it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications which may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 0 |
radiation dose involved with ct and conventional x - ray procedures has become a very import issue . field studies have shown that wrong patient positioning leads to unnecessarily repeated imaging procedures in numerous cases . this is mainly due to the complexity of imaging procedures and technology and increased workload for medical staff . in the state of the art , positioning of patients relative to a field - of - view is done manually with laser or light field assistance . current imaging devices can however not verify the correct positioning of the table and / or the patient . in view of this , it is proposed to use sensor units that are integrated into or attached to the top of a patient table and detect the patient pose / position . the sensor units may particularly be microwave coils . after specification of a target region ( as part of the data entry during imaging preparation ), signal processing routines may compare the specified target region and the patient position setup . in case of a misalignment , the operator may be warned . fig1 schematically shows an x - ray imaging system 100 that is designed according to the above principles . the imaging system 100 comprises the following components : a sensor system 110 comprising a regular two - dimensional array of ( identical ) sensor units , here microwave coils 111 . each sensor unit 111 is sensitive in an adjacent sensitive zone 112 ( indicated for one representative sensor unit only ). if a biological body like a patient p is within a sensitive zone 112 , the associated sensor unit produces a corresponding detection signal ( or , more generally , the continuously produced signal of this sensor unit changes in a definite way ). a patient table or support 150 that is movable by a motor 151 at least in axial direction ( z - direction ). typically , the patient table 150 is also movable in lateral direction ( x - direction ) and vertical direction ( y - direction ). furthermore , it can optionally be tilted about one or two axes . appropriate sensors , which may for example be integrated into the motor 151 , allow to determine the actual spatial position of the patient table 150 with respect to absolute x , y , z - coordinates . the array 110 of microwave coils 111 is integrated into the top of the patient table 150 over its full length . an imaging apparatus 140 with which images of a patient p or parts of his / her body can be generated if the latter is brought into the field - of - view 141 of said apparatus . the imaging apparatus may for example be a ct - scanner . an evaluation and control unit 120 which receives and processes the signals s from the microwave sensors 111 . this unit may for example be realized by dedicated electronic hardware , by digital data processing hardware with associated software , or a mixture of both . the subunits that are indicated in the figure shall represent different conceptual modules rather than separate hardware components . a user interface , for example a computer or console 130 , which can exchange information with the evaluation and control unit 120 . the evaluation and control unit 120 allows to detect patient position and pose from the received detection signals s in an associated processing module 121 . as part of the imaging setup on the console 130 , the operator may enter the imaging target region ( e . g . knee , chest ). the target region specification may also occur earlier in the clinical workflow ( e . g . by the referring physician ). this input is then compared with the patient &# 39 ; s position on the table in a comparison module 122 . if a mismatch between the specified target region and the patient / table position occurs , a warning signal is created and transmitted to the console 130 . optionally , the evaluation and control unit 120 may also propose the correct patient table position to an operator based on the specified target region . as indicated in the figure , it may even comprise a module 123 for controlling the motor 151 of the patient table 150 such that the target region is automatically moved into the field - of - view 141 of the imaging apparatus 140 . microwave technology is preferred to optical techniques ( e . g . cameras ) because it can be integrated into the table and is not disturbed by lighting conditions , patient clothing or blankets . moreover , the microwave coils 111 can be designed x - ray transparent and very thin . thus they can for instance be incorporated into a mat which can be attached to the table and registered with the device &# 39 ; s coordinate system as an upgrade to existing imaging systems . in summary , the invention allows to monitor patient position and to alert the operator in case of suspected misalignment . this is achieved via the integration of ( e . g . microwave ) detection technology into the patient table and subsequent signal - processing to determine the patient &# 39 ; s pose and position . thus accurate patient positioning can be achieved , particularly for ct and conventional x - ray imaging procedures , where it is essential for diagnostic outcome and dose minimization . the invention can also be applied for other imaging modalities ( e . g . spect , pet , mr ) to improve workflow and increase patient safety . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive ; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments . other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention , from a study of the drawings , the disclosure , and the appended claims . in the claims , the word “ comprising ” does not exclude other elements or steps , and the indefinite article “ a ” or “ an ” does not exclude a plurality . the mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage . any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope . | 0 |
referring now to the drawings , and in particular to fig1 and 2 , the numeral 10 generally designates a first illustrative embodiment of a pressure regulator and flow control valve made in accordance with the principles of the present invention . the valve 10 includes a valve body 11 , a top end cover 12 , and a bottom end cover 13 ( fig2 ). a suitable gasket 18 is disposed between the bottom end cover 13 and the valve body 11 . a suitable gasket 19 is also disposed between the top end cover 12 and the valve body 11 . the end covers 12 and 13 are secured to the valve body 11 by any suitable means , as by a plurality of suitable machine screws 14 . as shown in fig4 each of the machine screws 14 extends upwardly through a suitable bore 15 , formed through the bottom end cover 13 , and up through a bore 16 formed through the valve body 11 , and into threaded engagement with a threaded bore 17 formed in the top end cover 12 . the valve body 11 is provided with a threaded supply or upstream port 20 ( fig2 ) which is adapted to be connected , by any suitable conduit means , to a suitable source of pressurized air or other fluid . as shown in fig8 the upstream port 20 communicates with a first upper interior passageway 21 which is formed in the upper portion of the valve body 11 . a bore or passageway 22 is formed through the valve body 11 in a position transverse to the upstream port 20 for communicating the upper interior passageway 21 with a lower interior passageway 23 ( fig2 ). as shown in fig2 the lower interior passageway 23 is formed in the lower end of the valve body 11 , and it is enclosed on its lower end by the bottom end cover 13 . as shown in fig2 the lower interior passageway 23 communicates with a second upper interior passageway 26 through a bore 24 and a passageway 25 . as shown in fig2 and 8 , the upper interior passageway 26 communicates with a threaded outlet or downstream port 27 . as shown in fig2 the lower interior passageway 23 also communicates with the upper end of the second upper interior passageway 26 through the bore 30 , the passageway 31 , and the bore 28 . the bore 28 communicates at its lower end with the passageway 25 . as shown in fig2 a pressure regulator valve , generally indicated by the numeral 34 , is operatively mounted in the vertical bore 22 for controlling the flow of fluid between the first upper interior passageway 21 and the lower interior passageway 23 . the adjustable pressure regulator valve 34 includes a one piece poppet valve element 35 which is bonded to the lower end of a valve stem 38 . the valve element 35 terminates at its upper end with a conical shoulder 36 which is adapted to seat on the orifice or valve seat 37 which is formed at the lower end of the bore 22 where the bore 22 communicates with the lower , interior passageway 23 . the valve stem 38 is provided at its upper end with a pair of spaced apart , integral , annular shoulders or flanges 39 which form therebetween a groove 40 in which is mounted a suitable balancing seal means 41 . the valve bore 22 communicates at its upper end with a bore 45 formed through the top end cover 12 . the bore 45 has an outer threaded end 46 . a spring 44 is mounted in the unthreaded inner end of the bore 45 , and the inner end thereof is seated against the upper end of the outermost flange 53 which is formed in the inner end of a pressure adjusting valve stem 48 . the pressure adjusting valve stem 48 is provided with a threaded outer surface 47 which is threadably mounted in the outer threaded end 46 of the bore 45 . a stop member 49 is formed on the inner end of the outer stem threaded member 48 , and in its outermost position , the stop member 49 engages a corresponding stop member 50 at the inner end of the threaded bore portion 46 . the pressure regulating valve 34 is shown in the position with the pressure on the spring 44 at a no - load position . in use , the upper stem threaded portion 48 is threaded inwardly to exert a pressure on the spring 44 , which in turn normally maintains the valve element 35 in an open position to allow flow past the valve element 35 until a predetermined back pressure builds up in the lower interior passageway 23 to provide an unbalanced differential pressure which closes the valve element 35 . as shown in fig1 a suitable plastic set screw 51 is mounted in the top end cover 12 for operative engagement with the valve stem portion 48 for holding it in an adjusted position . in the closed position , the force of the inlet fluid pressure in the upper interior passageway 21 is balanced between the inlet seat 37 and the pressure balancing seal means 41 . accordingly , variations in inlet or upstream or pressure can cause only small variations in the downstream pressure . as shown in fig2 the lower interior passageway 23 communicates with the upper interior passageway 26 through the bore 24 and the passageway 25 . the lower end of the bore 24 is provided with an orifice or valve seat 55 on which is normally seated a check valve means , generally indicated by the numeral 53 . the check valve means 53 is provided with a cup - shaped valve body 56 which has an open lower end , and a closed upper conical end 54 which is seated on the valve seat 55 . the valve body 56 is made from any suitable elastomeric material , and it is provided with a cup - shaped liner 59 which is seated in the check valve body bore 58 . the liner 59 may be made from any suitable material , as for example , stainless steel . a suitable spring 60 has its upper end mounted within the cup - shaped liner 59 and against the closed inner end 62 . the lower end of the spring 60 is extended downwardly and seated against the inner face 61 of the bottom end cover 13 . it will be seen that the spring 60 normally maintains the check valve means 53 in the closed position shown in fig2 to prevent flow of air or other fluid from the lower interior passageway 23 upwardly into the upper interior passageway 26 , except flow past the hereafter described flow control means 66 . when fluid is flowing through the valve 10 from the upstream port 20 to the downstream port 27 . however , when the flow of fluid through the valve 10 is in the reverse direction , that is from the upper interior passageway 26 downwardly into the lower interior passageway 23 , then the check valve means 53 would be biased downwardly by the returning fluid flow pressure and moved to an open position to permit the fluid to exhaust through the bore 24 and into the lower interior passageway 23 and then upwardly through the bore 22 and into the upper interior passageway 21 and out the upstream port 20 . as shown in fig2 an adjustable fluid flow control means , generally indicated by the numeral 66 , is vertically disposed in the valve body 11 at right angles to the upstream and downstream ports 20 and 27 , respectively . the fluid flow control means 66 includes a threaded valve stem 74 which has integrally formed on the lower end thereof a conically shaped valve 67 , which may be termed a needle valve . the tapered surface 68 on the nose of the valve 67 is adapted to be operatively disposed in the bore 30 , and it is adapted to be seated on a valve seat 69 which is formed at the upper end of the bore 30 . a bore 70 is formed in the top end cover 12 in alignment with the bore 30 in the valve body 11 for the sliding reception of the upper end of the valve 67 . a groove 71 is formed around the upper end of the valve 67 and has operatively mounted therein a suitable o - ring seal means 72 for sealing engagement with the bore 70 . the threaded valve stem 74 is threadably mounted in a threaded bore 73 formed in the top end cover 12 in alignment with the larger bore 70 . the outer end of the valve stem 74 extends outwardly of the top end cover 12 and is provided with a slot 75 for adjusting the valve stem 74 . a suitable jam nut 76 is threadably mounted around the outer upper end of the valve stem 74 for locking said valve stem in an adjusted position . the flow control valve 66 is shown in a closed position , but it will be understood that in operation , the valve stem 74 will be adjusted upwardly to an open position to allow a predetermined controlled flow of fluid past the needle valve 67 . fig5 shows the needle valve 67 in a fully retracted position to allow free fluid flow past the valve element 67 . as shown in fig2 and 4 , the bore 28 in the upper end of the valve body 11 communicates with a passage 82 formed in the top end of cover 12 . a threaded bore 80 communicates with the passage 82 to provide a gage port for operatively mounting a pressure gage to check the pressure in the upper interior passageway 26 , if desired . as shown in fig4 the gage port 80 is enclosed by a suitable threaded plug 81 . in use , the valve stem 74 may be adjusted upwardly from the position shown in fig2 to permit fluid flow through the passageway 30 at a selected controlled rate . it will be seen , that when fluid is flowing from the lower interior passageway 23 upwardly through the passage 30 and past the needle valve 67 and into the upper interior passageway portion 31 , that the fluid will be subjected to a meter in action because the check valve means 53 prevents flow into the upper interior passageway 26 . as shown in fig1 and 10 , the valve 10 is further provided with a pre - exhaust valve means , generally indicated by the numeral 85 . as shown in fig6 the pre - exhaust valve means 85 includes a cup - shaped valve body 95 which controls the flow of fluid through a bore 88 which communicates at its lower end with a passage 87 . as shown in fig1 , the passage 87 communicates with a vertical bore 86 . as shown in fig3 the vertical bore 86 communicates with the upper interior passageway 26 . as shown in fig6 the bore 88 communicates at its upper end with a bore 90 which in turn communicates with a lateral passage 91 . as shown in fig8 the lateral passage 91 communicates with the longitudinally extended passage 92 which communicates with the passage 21 and the upstream port 20 . the cup - shaped valve body 95 is made from any suitable elastomeric material and it is provided with a cup - shaped liner 99 ( fig6 ) which is seated in the bore 98 in the valve body 95 . the cup - shaped liner 99 may be made from any suitable material , as for example , stainless steel . a suitable spring 100 has its lower end mounted within the cup - shaped liner 99 and against the closed end thereof . the upper end of spring 100 is extended upwardly and seated against the lowermost one of a pair of shoulders 102 on the lower end of a valve stem 106 . the upper end of the spring 100 is also seated around a reduced diameter lower end portion 101 of the valve stem 106 . the valve stem 106 is threaded and it is mounted in a threaded bore 107 formed in the top end cover 12 . the threaded bore 107 communicates with an enlarged bore 105 which is in alignment with the bore 90 in the valve body 11 . the pair of integral spaced apart shoulders 102 on the valve stem 106 form a groove 103 in which is operatively mounted a suitable o - ring seal 104 . the valve stem 106 is adapted to be adjusted to a desired position to exert a closing pressure on the spring 100 , and to be locked in place by a suitable jam nut 108 . the outer end of the valve stem 106 is provided with a slot 109 for adjustment purposes . as shown in fig6 the closed end of the valve element 95 is provided with a conical nose 96 which is adapted to be seated on the valve seat or orifice 97 formed at the upper end of the bore 88 . it will be seen that the pre - exhaust valve 85 controls the return flow of fluid between the ports 27 and 20 through a parallel passage formed by the upper interior passageway 26 , passageway 87 , bores 86 and 88 , passageways 91 and 92 and passageway 21 . the valve stem 106 may be adjusted to provide a desired spring closing pressure on the cup - shaped valve 95 to control the flow of fluid through the second or parallel return passage for quickly exhausting or dumping a volume of returning fluid from the downstream port 27 and through the valve 10 and out the upstream port 20 . the pre - exhaust valve means 85 is provided with a vent means to insure that it operates in a quick and efficient manner . as shown in fig9 a lateral vent passage 112 is formed in the lower surface of the top end cover 12 , and it communicates with the upper end of the bore 90 in which the pre - exhaust valve 95 is operatively mounted . as shown in fig7 the lateral vent passage 112 communicates with the upper end of a vertical passage 113 which communicates at its lower end with a passage 114 . the passage 114 communicates with the upper interior passageway 21 and the upstream port 20 . the importance of the last described vent passage means for the pre - exhaust valve means 85 will be best understood from the following discussion . the clearance between the pre - exhaust valve 95 and rhe bore 90 varies within certain manufacturing tolerances for proper operation of the valve 95 . for example , said clearance may vary from a maximum of 0 . 006 &# 34 ; to a minimum of 0 . 002 &# 34 ;. in use , there is a certain amount of fluid leakage around the valve element 95 into the bore 90 which could cause the pre - exhaust valve 85 to act slowly because of the back pressure created by said leakage . accordingly , the vent passages 112 and 113 are made to a cross section size to convey a flow of fluid larger in volume than any flow that may slip by the valve element 95 , in order to insure quick and efficient opening of the pre - exhaust valve , when required . for example , in one embodiment , the total maximum clearance between the valve 95 and the bore 90 was 0 . 0037 square inches , and the cross section area of each of the vent passages 112 and 113 was at least 0 . 0191 square inches . in use , for a meter in operation for controlling the operation of a fluid operated apparatus in one direction , the valve 10 receives fluid under pressure at the upstream or supply port 20 ( fig2 ) from whence it passes into the upper interior passageway 21 and thence down through the bore 22 past the regulating valve element 35 , and into the lower interior passageway 23 . the fluid then flows up through the bore 30 and around the flow control valve 67 into the passageway 25 , and thence into the upper interior passageway 26 and out the downstream port 27 . the fluid flow control valve 67 provides a meter in action on the fluid flowing therearound in accordance with its adjusted position relative to the valve seat 69 . the check valve 53 is in the closed position in fig2 . it will be seen , that as the fluid pressure builds up on the downstream side of the regulating poppet valve element 35 , that the pressure will tend to move the poppet valve element 35 upwardly against the pressure of spring 44 to a closed position . for controlling the operation of said fluid operating apparatus in the other direction , the fluid is exhausted with a free flow action by the valve 10 . the fluid exhausted from said fluid operated apparatus enters the downstream port 27 and flows into the second upper interior passageway 26 and into the passageway 25 , and thence downwardly through the bore 24 against the check valve means 53 . the exhausted fluid pressure opens the check valve means 53 and allows a free flow of fluid through the bore 24 downwardly into the lower interior chamber 23 , from whence it passes upwardly past the regulator valve element 35 into the bore 22 , and thence into the first upper interior passageway 21 and out the upstream port 20 . fig1 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention , generally indicated by the numeral 10a , which is arranged to provide a meter out action on fluid flowing through the first passageway means between the downstream port 27 and the upstream port 20 . the parts of the embodiment illustrated in fig1 which are the same as the first described embodiment of fig1 through 10 have been marked with the same reference numerals followed by the small letter &# 34 ; a &# 34 ;. the valve embodiment of fig1 would include the same valve structure as that shown in fig1 through 10 , with the exception that the check valve 53a is inverted so as to provide a free flow path from the lower interior passageway 23a when fluid is flowing from a supply port 20a through the valve 10a and out a downstream port 27a . it will thus be seen , that a free flow of fluid will be provided for fluid passing through the valve 10a when the fluid is admitted into the valve 10a , and that a meter out action on the fluid may be provided when it is returned through the valve 10a to the upstream port 20a . the pre - exhaust valve means 85 functions at the start of a meter out operation . for example , if a double acting air cylinder is being controlled by the valve 10a on the head end , and a pressure regulator and flow control valve on the rod end , and the pressure at the head end of the cylinder is 100 psi , and the pressure at the rod end is regulated to a level sufficient to return the cylinder to its initial position , as for example 30 psi , and the speed of the return stroke is to be controlled by exhausting the air from the head end of the cylinder thru the adjustable flow control valve 66 , the following conditions exist . the air exhausting from the head end of the cylinder through the flow control valve 66 could take a substantial period of time to reduce the 100 psi head end pressure to a level low enough to permit the 30 psi reduced pressure on the rod end to return the cylinder to its initial position . the purpose of the adjustable pre - exhaust valve means 85 is to provide a means for reducing the 100 psi head end pressure quickly through a parallel flow path to a level at which the 30 psi reduced rod end pressure will start the return stroke , and then close , forcing the exhausting air through the orifice of the adjustable flow control valve 66 , thus controlling the return speed of the cylinder . it should be noted that the pre - exhaust valve means 85 is adjustable and may be set to minimize the delay prior to controlling flow , as described above , or set to provide a predetermined delay prior to controlling flow , or set to quick exhaust only with no flow control . it should also be noted that although the most common application would probably be with a cylinder as previously described , this embodiment can be used on either end of a cylinder , as well as other types of cylinders , such as single acting , or double rod , or diaphragm operated , or other similar devices . the pre - exhaust valve means 85 may also be used to provide a time delay function in the control sequence for the aforementioned exemplary cylinder control system . instead of bringing the 100 psi pressure at the head end of the cylinder directly down to a level low enough to permit the 30 psi pressure on the rod end to return the cylinder to its initial position , the pre - exhaust valve means 85 could be set to quickly open and reduce the 100 psi in the cylinder head end to a pressure above 30 psi on the rod end , as for example 50 psi . the pre - exhaust valve means 85 would then close , and the pressure in the cylinder head end would then bleed off through the flow control for a time interval , as for example , 10 seconds , after which the cylinder would then start its controlled return . it will be seen from the foregoing , that the pre - exhaust valve means 85 can be used as a time delay valve . the vent passage means 112 , 113 and 114 function to remove any back pressure on the pre - exhaust valve means 85 which may make it operate slower than required for an efficient meter out operation . while it will be apparent that the preferred embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are well calculated to fuldill the objects above stated , it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification , variation and change . | 8 |
referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail , and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , a method step s1 designates correction values which are adopted at the start of operation . these values were stored as the values that were determined during the last engine operation . after new correction values have been determined , these old correction values are overwritten . during the very first engine operation the correction values are initialized with initialization values , preferably with zero . in a method step s2 the segment time tg n of the current segment n is measured . in a method step s3 a check is performed as to whether the engine is in an operating state which permits the calculation of new correction values . a suitable operating state which allows a dependable measurement is thrust cutoff , i . e . when fuel delivery to the engine is turned off . the calculation of correction values can also be limited to a specific rpm range in order to avoid engine - specific errors . to avoid possible error correction with a dramatically changing rpm , the calculation of new correction values can be omitted during such markedly unsteady operations . if no suitable operating state is available , no new correction values are calculated . instead , the old , last stored correction values are used . in that case , the flow branches to a method step s4 , in which the measured segment time tg n is corrected . the correction is done with an associated correction value azm n in accordance with the equation the segment time tk n corrected in this manner can then be arbitrarily used in any of those operations that require information regarding the rotational speed of the crankshaft and particular changes in these speeds . however , if the current operating state permits the calculation of new correction values , the process is not branched to s4 , but instead to a method step s5 , in which a check is made of whether the measured segment time was the time of the reference time . an arbitrary segment can be selected as the reference segment . it is advantageous if the first segment in the ignition sequence is selected . this segment is defined as being free from defects . if the segment time of the reference segment was not measured , the process returns to step s2 and measures the next segment time tg n . as soon as a positive answer is obtained in s5 , i . e . if the reference segment was measured , a method step s6 follows , where the measured segment time tg n is stored as the segment time of the reference segment tg n . in the following method steps s7 through s10 , the segment times of the successive segments logically associated with the individual cylinders are measured consecutively : in a method step s7 a counter is set to an initial value of n = 1 . in a method step s8 the current segment time tg n is measured and stored . in a method step s9 the counter is advanced by 1 . a query in step s10 determines whether or not the counter n has reached the number of cylinders z , i . e . if a segment time for each cylinder has been measured . once the segment times for all of the segments associated with the individual cylinders have been determined , the process continues with a method step s11 , in which the segment time of a reference segment tg 0 &# 39 ; is measured and stored . the segment tg 0 &# 39 ; corresponds to tg 0 but now two crankshaft rotations later . then the correction values for the individual segments associated with the cylinders are calculated consecutively in the following method steps s12 through s17 : in a method step s12 a counter is set to an initial value of n = 1 . in a method step s13 the correction value az n for the individual cylinder is calculated in accordance with the equation ## equ3 ## where z represents the total number of cylinders . this equation applies to four - cycle engines . the correction value az n is subsequently averaged ( method step s14 ). the mean is arrived at , for instance , by a sliding averaging in accordance with the equation the term mitko is an averaging constant or weighting constant , and n is a dummy index for the averaging operation ( it does not correspond to the segment numbers ). the averaging is recommended because any systematic errors of the segments are superimposed onto the coincidental errors such as fluctuations of the system clock speed underlying the control system , tolerances with the switching accuracy of the sensors and general oscillations or malfunctions originating in the drive train . the newly determined mean correction value is stored in that the old correction value is overwritten ( method step s15 ). after all the required correction values have been determined , the process flow loops back from method step s17 to method step s2 . so that the next segment times can immediately be enlisted to determine correction values , provided that the operating state of the engine permits it , the segment time tg 0 &# 39 ; measured last is used in the next cycle as the new segment time tg n to be measured . it is thus seen that the method according to the invention permits the determination of correction values for individual cylinders . referring now to fig2 which describes an alternative embodiment of the method illustrated in fig1 correction values for individual segments are used . method steps s1 through s4 correspond to the respective method steps in fig1 . in method step s5 a query is performed as to whether or not the measured segment time is that of the reference segment . the reference segment differs from the reference segment of the first method in that it is no longer associated with a specific cylinder , but a specific , marked segment of the crankshaft that is defined as being free from defects . if the reference segment was not the one measured , method step s2 is repeated and the next segment time is measured . if the reference segment was the one measured , however , the measured segment time tb n is stored as the segment time of the reference segment tb 0 ( method step s6 ). in the following method steps s7 through s10 , the respective segment time is now measured for all segments located on the crankshaft in the course of one rotation . one - half the number of cylinders is used as the upper limit for the number of segments . the method is thus only suited for even - numbered cylinder counts . in method step s11 the segment time tb 0 &# 39 ; of the reference segment of a crankshaft rotation is later measured and stored . now the correction values for the individual segments are calculated consecutively in method steps s12 through s17 , in accordance with the equation ## equ4 ## the total number of cylinders is represented by z . this equation applies to four - cycle engines . the correction values are then averaged ( method step s14 ), for example according to the sliding averaging equation these mean correction values are stored in that the old correction values are overwritten ( method step s15 ). when the correction values for all of the segments have been determined , the flow returns from method step s17 to method step s2 . in this case as well , the segment time tb 0 &# 39 ; that was measured last is used as the new segment time tb 0 in the next cycle , provided that the operating state permits the next segment times to be enlisted immediately in determining correction values . | 6 |
the present invention is applied to an internet telephone for transmitting audio data through the internet , and is especially suitable for use of internet telephones connected by ppp through public telephone networks . fig3 shows an internet telephone system to which the invention is applicable . in fig3 a computer network net1 is , for example , a computer network prepared by an internet service provider . the computer network net1 contains a server s1 and a router r1 . the server s1 is connected to a public telephone network tel1 through modems m1 , m2 , m3 , . . . currently , data can be transmitted at the rate of 28 . 8 kbps through the public telephone network tel1 by using a high - speed modem . the computer network net1 is connected to other computer networks forming the internet through the router r1 . the router r1 routes data on the computer network to another computer network containing a destination terminal . terminals t1 , t2 , t3 . . . are those of individuals personally participating in the internet . individual terminals t1 , t2 , t3 , . . . may be personal computers installed with an internet telephone program or exclusive internet telephone apparatuses . exclusive internet telephone apparatuses are terminals exclusive to internet telephones facilitating telephone communication using the internet as explained later . the server s1 has a data base db1 . as shown in fig4 the data base db1 stores &# 34 ; terminal names &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; internet names &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; connection types &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; public phone numbers for ppp &# 34 ;, &# 34 ; users &# 39 ; names &# 34 ;, and others . the data base db1 may be established using information obtained from contents of contracts concluded between the internet service provider and users . when the connection type is ppp , the data base db1 contains telephone numbers for ppp of users contracting with the internet service provider by ppp connection . although the terminals t1 , t2 , t3 , . . . are connected to the server s1 by ppp through the public telephone network in the above example , they may be connected through a digital network such as isdn . next explained is a telephone call control in a telephone system to which the invention is applied . assume here that a telephone call from the terminal t1 to the terminal t2 is desired in fig3 . the internet requires an ip address to specify a destination terminal . in this case , the destination terminal t2 to be connected by ppp is normally disconnected from the computer network net1 , and cannot be accessed to through an ip address . therefore , the data base db1 is used . fig5 is a flow chart showing the accessing process using the data base db1 . first , the source terminal t1 dials the computer network net1 of the internet service provider to call up the server s1 of the computer network net1 . responsively , the server s1 requests the terminal t1 to enter its account code and the password in order to confirm whether the source terminal t1 is one of contractors of the internet service provider . the user of the source terminal t1 answers the request by entering its account code and the password . when the server s1 confirms that the entered account code and password are those of a contractor , it assigns a temporary ip address to the terminal t1 . thus , fpp connection with the terminal t1 is started ( step st1 ). after that , the terminal t1 designates a desired destination address ( for example , terminal t2 ) ( step st2 ). responsively , the server s1 searches into the data base db1 to find out information on the terminal t2 corresponding to the requested destination address . the telephone number of the terminal t2 for ppp connection can be known from information in the data base db1 ( step st3 ). the server s1 subsequently determines an ip address for specifying the destination terminal t2 within the server to prepare for ppp connection , and gives a notice on the destination terminal &# 39 ; s ip address to the source terminal t1 ( step st4 ). then , the server s1 dials the telephone number of the terminal t2 found out from the data base db1 to call up the terminal t2 . when connection of the telephone line to the destination terminal t2 is acknowledged , the server s1 gives approval and assigns the ip address to the destination terminal ( step st5 ). ppp connection is thus started ( step st6 ). as a result , audio data is exchanged for communication between the terminals t1 and t2 ( step st7 ). the audio data is transmitted in a compressed form . for exchanging audio data , udp is used as the protocol of the transport layer . when the communication ends , all connections including ppp connection and telephone line connection between the terminal t1 and the server s1 , and those between the terminal t2 and the server s1 are disconnected ( step st8 ). although the above example is configured to determine the ip address of the terminal t2 prior to completing access to the terminal t2 , the ip address of the terminal t2 may be determined after the access to the terminal t2 is completed . it is also possible to inform the source terminal t1 of the assigned ip address , if necessary . when the source terminal is informed of the ip address at the time when the server determines the ip address of the destination terminal , the source terminal can prepare for communication with the destination terminal such that the terminals can smoothly proceed to communication . in this manner , the data base db1 is provided which stores information on telephone number for ppp connection , and a destination terminal is accessed through the telephone number obtained from the data base db1 when the destination terminal is a ppp - connected terminal ( t2 , for example ). then , the destination terminal t2 is connected to the server s1 by ppp . therefore , even when the destination terminal is a ppp - connected terminal , the destination terminal can be called up for communication . in the above example , a terminal is connected for communication with another terminal in a common computer network . however , a terminal in a computer network can be connected for communication also with a terminal in a different computer network . fig6 shows an example where terminals in different computer networks are connected for communication . in fig6 a computer network net11 is , for example , a computer network prepared by an internet service provider . the computer network net11 contains a server s11 and a router r11 . the server s11 is connected to a public telephone network tel11 through modems m11 , m12 , m13 , . . . the server s11 has a data base db11 . the data base db11 stores information containing telephone numbers of terminals connected by ppp to the computer network net11 . the computer network net11 is connected to other computer networks forming the internet through the router r11 . the router r11 routes data on the computer network to an appropriate computer network containing a destination terminal . terminals t11 , t12 , t13 . . . are those of individuals personally participating the internet . a computer network net21 is , for example , a computer network prepared by another internet service provider . the computer network net21 contains a server s21 and a router r21 . the server s21 is connected to a public telephone network tel21 through modems m21 , m22 , m23 , . . . the server s21 has a data base db21 . the data base db21 stores information containing telephone numbers of terminals connected by ppp to the computer network net21 . the computer network net21 is connected to other computer networks forming the internet through the router r21 . the router r21 routes data on the computer network to an appropriate computer network containing a destination terminal . terminals t21 , t22 , t23 . . . are those of individuals personally participating the internet . assume here that the terminal t11 desires a telephone call to the terminal t12 . in this case , a process is progressed as shown in fig7 . first , the source terminal t11 dials the computer network net11 of the internet service provider to call up the server s11 of the computer network net11 . responsively , the server s11 requests the terminal t11 to enter its account code and the password in order to confirm whether the source terminal t11 is one of contractors of the internet service provider . the user of the source terminal t11 answers the request by entering its account code and the password . when the server s11 confirms that the entered account code and password are those of a contractor , it assigns a temporary ip address to the terminal t11 . thus , ppp connection of the terminal t11 is started . after that , the terminal t11 sends a call request to the server s11 , and the server s11 sends back a call approval . in receipt of the call approval , the terminal t11 gives a desired destination address ( terminal t21 , for example ). the server s11 connected to the source terminal in receipt of the destination address sends a call request for communication with the terminal t21 , for example , to the server s21 of the computer network ( net21 , for example ) containing the destination terminal . in receipt of the call request for communication with the terminal 21 , the server s21 sends back a call approval to the server s11 . in receipt of the call approval , the server s11 of the network net11 containing the source terminal sends the destination address and information on the source terminal . the server s21 of the computer network net21 containing the destination terminal searches into the data base db21 to find out information on the terminal t21 . the telephone number of the terminal t21 for ppp connection can be known from information of the data base db21 . the server s21 of the computer network net21 dials the telephone number of the terminal t21 obtained from the data base db21 to call up the terminal t21 . the destination terminal t21 accessed by the server s21 sends back an acknowledgement . the server s21 in receipt of the acknowledgement requests ppp connection , and the terminal t21 in receipt of the request for ppp connection gives confirmation of ppp connection . the server s21 then request entry of the account code and the password to give an approval . in response to the approval , the user of the destination terminal enters the account code and the password . when the entered account code and password are confirmed to be those of a proper contractor , an ip address is assigned to the terminal t21 . thus , ppp connection of the terminal t21 is started . when the ppp connection is started , a call request is sent from the server s21 to the terminal t21 , and a call approval is sent back from the terminal t21 to the server s21 . then , the server s21 of the computer network net21 sends a call connection completion notice to the server s11 of the computer network net11 , and the server s11 sends a call connection completion notice to the terminal t11 . as a result , audio data is exchanged for communication between the terminals t11 and t21 . when a disconnection request is issued from the source terminal t11 , for example , after the communication ends , the disconnection request is sent to the destination terminal t21 . in receipt of the disconnection request , the terminal t21 sends back a disconnection agreement to the terminal t11 , and all connections are disconnected . the internet telephone system may use exclusive internet telephone apparatus as its terminals . fig8 shows an internet telephone apparatus . in fig8 numeral 1 denotes the main telephone body . the main telephone body 1 has a display / operator 2 on its upper surface . the display / operator 2 is a multi - layered panel including a touch panel 4 stacked on a display panel 3 as shown in fig9 . the display / operator 2 displays icons of numerical keys , operational keys , and so forth , which permit a user to enter a desired instruction by pressing the touch panel 4 at the portion of a corresponding icon . the display / operator 2 also displays a help message explaining how to operate the keys and the current status of the telephone apparatus in addition to key icons , etc . other various information is also displayed on the display / operator 2 . a handset 5 is connected to the main telephone body 1 . the main telephone body 1 is connected to a public telephone line . fig1 shows the interior construction of the internet telephone apparatus . in fig1 , numeral 11 denotes a cpu . connected to the cpu 11 are rom 12 , eprom 13 and ram 11 . inputs from the touch panel 4 are given to the cpu 11 , and outputs from the cpu 11 are displayed on the display panel 3 . cpu 11 performs dial connection processing , data transfer processing by ip , and audio signal compression / expansion processing . that is , when cpu 11 receives a destination address and other materials entered through the touch panel 4 , it controls ncu ( node control unit ) 14 to dial the telephone number of the server of the internet service provider to perform the telephone connection processing . when the telephone connection is completed , it proceeds to ppp connection processing . in some cases , a call may arrive from the server of the internet service provider , and ppp connection is requested . also in such cases , cpu 11 performs telephone connection processing and , after completion of telephone connection , connection processing by ppp . during communication , cpu 11 executes compression or expansion of transmitted or received audio signals , and executes transmission processing by ip . the audio signal through the microphone of the handset 5 are converted into a digital form by an a / d and d / a converter 18 . the digital audio signal is sent to cpu 11 for compression processing there . the compressed audio signal is supplied to ncu through a model 15 . the compressed audio signal sent through the telephone line is delivered to cpu 11 via ncu 16 and mode 15 . cpu 11 expands the audio signal . the expanded digital audio signal is sent to the a / d and d / a converter 18 and converted into an analog form . the analog signal is supplied to the speaker of the handset 5 . the internet telephone apparatus can be used as an ordinary telephone apparatus . when it functions as an ordinary telephone apparatus , the handset 5 and ncu 14 are connected through a speech network 17 to enable communication by analog audio signals through the telephone line . for using an internet telephone by ppp connection , a personal computer is prepared in most cases . such a personal computer needs connection of a microphone and a speaker and needs installation of appropriate software for connection to the internet . it is difficult for users unfamiliar to computers to set a personal computer ready for connection to the internet . moreover , a computer connected by ppp for use as an internet telephone is difficult to operate and is expensive . the internet telephone apparatus described above does not need installation of software for connection to the internet , and can be easily connected to the internet for audio communication . moreover , the internet telephone apparatus is equipped with the handset 5 like ordinary telephone apparatuses and can be operated in the same manner as ordinary telephone apparatuses . therefore , even a user unfamiliar to computers can readily use the internet telephone . especially , since the above - described internet telephone apparatus includes the display / operator 2 made by stacking the touch panel 4 on the display panel 3 , its operability is good . also in telephones using the internet , mischievous or misdirected telephone calls may possibly come about . thus , the internet telephone apparatuses are desired to cope with such undesired telephone calls . it is also possible that telephone calls come in from ordinary public telephone lines to telephones using the internet . therefore , telephone apparatuses using the internet are desired to function as ordinary telephones that can answer telephone calls through ordinary telephone lines . to meet the requirement , the internet telephone apparatus to which the invention is applied operates as shown in fig1 in receipt of a telephone call from a source terminal . in fig1 , it is judges whether the terminal is accessed to ( step st11 ). if so , a ring tone is generated ( step st12 ). it is next judged whether the telephone calls has come through a modem for the internet or through an ordinary telephone line ( step st13 ). a call through the modem and a call through a usual telephone can be discriminated by receiving a european calling tone from a server , for example . in step st13 , if a call is determined to be one from an ordinary telephone , it is judged whether communication is actually started within a predetermined time ( steps st14 and st15 ). if it is started within the predetermined time , the control keeps it continued ( step st16 ). if communication is not started within the predetermined time , an absence message is sent out ( step st17 ), and it is judged whether the source terminal gives any message or not ( step st18 ). if no message comes in , the internet telephone apparatus is cut from the telephone line ( step st19 ). if any message is given , it is stored ( step st20 ), and the internet telephone apparatus is cut from the telephone line ( step st19 ). in step st13 , if the call is determined to be one through the modem , ppp connection processing as shown in fig5 is carried out ( step st21 ). then follows the judgement whether ppp connection processing is completed ( step st22 ). if so , information on the source terminal is acquired ( step st23 ). the information on the source terminal is compared with call rejection information that is registered previously to know whether the source terminal is one of terminals whose calls should be rejected or not ( step st24 ). that is , as shown in fig1 , terminals whose calls should be rejected or accepted are registered previously in a call rejection list or in a call acceptance list . the information is searched into to find out whether the source terminal is one of terminals whose calls should be rejected or not . if it is a terminal to be rejected , the line is cut off ( step st19 ) after ppp disconnection processing ( step st19 ). in step st24 , if the call is determined to be from an acceptable terminal , it is judged whether the handset is picked up and communication is actually started within a predetermined time ( step st26 ). if communication is started within the predetermined time , the control keeps it continued ( step st28 ). if communication is not started within the predetermined time , an absence message is sent out ( step st29 ), and it is judged whether there is any message or e - mail from the source terminal ( step st30 ). if any message or e - mail is given , it is stored ( step st31 ), and information on the source terminal is stored ( step st32 ). if no message or e - mail is given , the control jumps to step st32 to store information on the source terminal . then , the control proceeds to step st24 to cut off the line after ppp disconnection processing ( step st19 ). in this manner , the internet telephone apparatus to which the invention is applied stores information on a source terminal upon receipt of a call from the model for an internet telephone call . the information is used to make a list of incoming call information as shown in fig1 , for example . by using the incoming call information , source terminals of respective telephone calls can be known . information on source terminals to be stored may include names of the source terminals , countries of the source terminals , dates and times of dispatch , dates and times of arrival , and so forth . if any message or e - mail is contained , the user can hear the message or read the e - mail . it is also possible to set particular signaling sounds or melodies depending on respective source terminals . signaling sounds , melodies , audio messages and e - mails can be combined appropriately for individual source terminals , depending on their priorities . according to the invention , information on source terminals are obtained upon receipt of telephone calls , and mischievous or misdirected telephone calls can be avoided or rejected . further , by storing information on source terminals , a user can know who called on during his absence . moreover , the telephone apparatus can judge whether a telephone call is through the internet or through an ordinary public telephone line to execute appropriate processing . | 7 |
a reference voltage supply circuit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described hereinafter with reference to the drawings . the configuration of the reference voltage supply circuit according to this embodiment utilizing a work function difference will be described below with reference to fig1 . as shown in fig1 , the reference voltage supply circuit according to this embodiment includes a current supply 21 , and a first transistor 22 and a second transistor 23 , which are sequentially coupled in series between the current supply 21 and ground ( gnd ). the potential of the source of the first transistor 22 is extracted outside the circuit as a reference voltage vref . the current supply 21 is a p - channel metal oxide semiconductor ( pmos ) transistor having a source to which a power supply voltage vdd is applied , and a gate to which vg_p 1 is input . the current supply 21 may be a resistor etc . instead of the pmos transistor . the first transistor 22 includes a plurality of n - channel metal oxide semiconductor ( nmos ) transistors coupled in parallel , and is coupled in series to the pmos transistor , which is the current supply 21 . the second transistor 23 is an nmos transistor coupled in series to the first transistor 22 . as shown in the left of fig2 , the first transistor 22 is a conventional nmos transistor , and is formed in a shallow p - type well pws located in a deep n - type well nt of a semiconductor layer ( i . e ., a semiconductor substrate ). the first transistor 22 includes a gate insulating film 12 , an n + - type gate electrode 13 , which is generally doped with phosphorus ( p ), sidewalls 14 , an ldd diffusion layer 15 , and a source / drain diffusion layer 16 . the first transistor 22 has a threshold voltage of about 0 . 60 v . the structure is hereinafter referred to as an ng_nmos . as shown in the right of fig2 , the second transistor 23 is formed in a p - type well pw , and includes a p + - type gate electrode 17 , which is generally doped with boron ( b ), different from a conventional nmos . the structure is hereinafter referred to as a pg_nmos . the p - type well of the second transistor 23 is not necessarily located in the deep n - type well , but may be located in the deep n - type well . the gate electrode of the pg_nmos has p + - type conductivity , and thus has a higher work function than the n + - type gate electrode 13 of the ng_nmos by about 1 . 0 v . as a result , the pg_nmos has a threshold voltage of about 1 . 6 v . the relationship between a work function difference and a threshold voltage will be described below . in general , the threshold voltage vth of a mos transistor is expressed by the p + - type gate electrode 17 has a lower work function than the n + - type gate electrode 13 by about 1 . 0 v , and has thus , a higher threshold voltage by about 1 . 0 v , which is clear from the above equations . the other items ( e . g ., na , cox , etc .) of the ng_nmos and the pg_nmos are the same ( have the same structure and are fabricated by the same process ). the characteristic difference between the transistors is ( dms ( i . e ., the work function difference ) only . the first transistor 22 includes m first transistor cells ng 1 - ngm . each of the cells ng 1 - ngm has the same gate width w and the same gate length as the pg_nmos , which is the second transistor 23 . that is , the first transistor 22 has a gate width which is m times the gate width of the second transistor 23 . in this embodiment , the first transistor 22 includes the m ng_nmos transistors each of which has the same gate width w and the same gate length as the second transistor 23 . however , having , as a whole , the gate width of m times the gate width of the second transistor 23 and the same gate length as the second transistor 23 , the first transistor 22 may have any structure . for example , it may be simply a single ng_nmos with a gate width w which is m times the gate width of the pg_nmos , which is the second transistor 23 . where the first transistor 22 includes the m ng_nmos transistors each of which has the same gate width w and the same gate length as the pg_nmos , which is the second transistor 23 , the characteristics identity between the first transistor 22 and the second transistor 23 improves , thereby increasing the accuracy of the reference voltage . the second transistor 23 is not necessarily a single transistor , and may include a plurality of pg_nmos transistors . for example , the second transistor 23 may include n second transistor cells ( pg_nmos transistors ) coupled in parallel , and the first transistor 22 may include m first transistor cells ( ng_nmos transistors ) coupled in parallel . in this case , m is regarded as the number ratio ( m / n ) between the ng_nmos transistors forming the first transistor 22 and the pg_nmos transistor ( s ) forming the second transistor 23 . the gates of the first transistor 22 and the second transistor 23 are directly coupled to the source of the pmos , which is the current supply 21 . the potential of the gates is defined as vg_n 1 . furthermore , the ng_nmos transistors , which form the first transistor 22 , are located in the shallow p - type well pws of the deep n - type well nt , and the shallow p - type well pws is coupled to the sources of the ng_nmos transistors , which form the first transistor 22 . the potential of the pws is not fixed to ground ( gnd ) but is eventually the potential of the reference voltage vref . in this circuit , the pmos , which is the current supply 21 , the ng_nmos transistors , which form the first transistor 22 , and the pg_nmos , which is the second transistor 23 , are coupled in series . thus , equal source / drain currents ids constantly flow through these transistors . in the conventional art , ids is calculated on the assumption that the transistors operate in a saturated current state , where vgs & gt ; vt and vgd & lt ; vt . in this embodiment , however , ids is calculated on the assumption that the transistors operate in a subthreshold region , where vg & lt ; vt . the reasons are as follows . in general , ids of a mos transistor in the subthreshold region , where vg & lt ; vt , is expressed by the following equation . where k is a boltzmann &# 39 ; s constant ( i . e ., 1 . 38 × 10 − 23 j / k ), as seen from the equation , the sub - threshold swing has positive temperature characteristics . at this time , assume that ids of the first transistor 22 including ng_nmos transistors is idsng , the threshold voltage is vtng , the source voltage is vsng , ids of the second transistor 23 , which is the pg_nmos , is idspg , the threshold voltage is vtpg , and the source voltage is vspg = 0v , and the work function difference between the p + - type gate electrode 17 and the n + - type gate electrode 13 is φpn . since the first transistor 22 has the gate width , which is m times the gate width of the second transistor 23 , the following equations are obtained . idsng = m ⨯ a ⨯ 10 ( v g _ n 1 - vsng - vtng ) / swing idspg = a ⨯ 10 ( vg _ n 1 - vspg - vtpg ) / swing = a ⨯ 10 ( vg _ n 1 - vtng - φ pn ) / swing ( vg — n 1 − vsng − vtng )/ swing + log ( m )=( vg — n 1 − vtng − φpn )/ swing , are obtained . that is , the source voltage vsng of the second transistor 23 , which is the pg_nmos , is used as the reference voltage vref . as a result , the reference voltage vref is extracted outside , which is the sum of the work function difference φpn between the p +- type gate electrode 17 and the n +- type gate electrode 13 , and the value of swing × log ( m ), which is obtained by multiplying swing by log of the number ratio m between the transistors forming the first transistor 22 and the second transistor 23 . fig3 illustrates the operating point of the reference voltage . in fig3 , the horizontal axis represents a gate voltage vg_n 1 , and the vertical axis represents log ( ids ). curves a - d respectively show the ids characteristics of the first transistor 22 including 50 ng_nmos transistors at a room temperature , the ids characteristics of the first transistor 22 at a temperature of 150 ° c ., the ids characteristics of the second transistor 23 , which is the pg_nmos , at the room temperature , and the ids characteristics of the second transistor 23 at the temperature of 150 ° c . the intersections between a reference current flowing from the pmos transistors and the ids characteristics determine the reference voltage vref . as described above , a reference voltage at the room temperature vref @ rt , and a reference voltage at the temperature of 150 ° c . vref @ 150 ° c . are respectively expressed by : where swing @ rt and swing @ 150 ° c . respectively represent the swing at the room temperature and the swing at the temperature of 150 ° c . as such , the reference voltage vref is the sum of the work function difference φpn between the p + - type gate electrode 17 and the n + - type gate electrode 13 having negative temperature characteristics ( i . e ., about − 0 . 6 mv / k ) and the swing having positive temperature characteristics . thus , the temperature characteristics of vref are reduced by adjusting the number ratio m between the transistors forming the first transistor 22 and the second transistor 23 . fig4 illustrates the temperature characteristics of the sub - threshold swing , which are represented by measured values . as shown in the fig4 , the sub - threshold swing has positive temperature characteristics ( i . e ., about + 0 . 32 mv / k ), which are opposite to the characteristics of the work function ( see fig1 ) having the negative temperature characteristics . δswing / δt = 0 . 28 [ mv / k ] is obtained , which is roughly equal to the measured value of about + 0 . 32 mv / k . fig5 illustrates the temperature characteristics of the reference voltage vref , which are represented by measured values . an example will be described here where the number ratio m between the transistors forming the first transistor 22 and the second transistor 23 is 100 , and ids is 100 na . as such , flat characteristics (− 0 . 06 mv / k ) with almost no temperature characteristics are obtained . fig6 illustrates a proper number ratio m . in fig6 , the horizontal axis represents the number ratio m between the transistors forming the first transistor 22 and the second transistor 23 , and the vertical axis represents the difference between the reference voltage vref @ 125 ° c . and the vref @ rt , where the room temperature ≈ 25 ° c . where m = 1 , the temperature is about − 60 mv based on the negative temperature characteristics ( i . e ., about − 0 . 6 mv / k ) of the work function difference . with an increase in the ratio m , the temperature characteristics become flat . the temperature t dependency of the reference voltage vref is expressed by thus , the condition for completely losing the temperature characteristics ( i . e ., δvref / δt = 0 ) is expressed by the following equations . since the reference voltage vref ≈ 1 . 17v @ rt from fig5 , 1 . 17 v needs to be multiplied by about 1 . 5 and output to form a power supply of 1 . 8 v . in this case , the temperature characteristics increase by 1 . 5 times as well . where the target specification is 1 . 80 ± 0 . 135 v , ( although it is usually 1 . 80 ± 0 . 15 v , an error 0 . 015 v in trimming at the room temperature to determine the center value of vref by a test at the room temperature is taken into consideration ), is the acceptable variations of the reference voltage vref , which includes temperature characteristics . furthermore , where 5 % of variations of vref @ rt are accepted as process variations , then , the fluctuation amount of reference voltage vref accepted as the temperature characteristics is expressed by the proper number ratio m between transistors forming the first transistor 22 and the second transistor 23 to meet this condition is 5 - 1000 as clear from fig6 . as such , in this embodiment , the proper ratio is determined by the ratio of the work function difference to the temperature characteristics of the sub - threshold swing . while , for simplicity of explanation , m is explained as the number ratio , m may be the ratio of the gate width of the first transistor 22 as a whole to the gate width of the second transistor 23 as a whole falls within this range . as described above , since the temperature characteristics of the sub - threshold swing are utilized in this embodiment , the operating point of the circuit is in the subthreshold region . a semiconductor memory device according to a variation of the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings . the structures of unique transistors used in this variation will be described with reference to fig7 . the left of fig7 shows the structure of an ng_nmos forming a first transistor 22 . the right shows the structure of a pg_nmos forming a second transistor 23 . although the transistors have almost the same structures as in fig1 , source / drain diffusion layers 16 are located apart from sidewalls 14 to form what is called an off - set structure . in particular , the stability of cd ( i . e ., the depression capacity of the channel ) is the key . therefore , as shown in fig7 , the source / drain diffusion layers 16 with a high concentration are spaced apart from a channel region ( i . e ., the lower region of the gate insulating film 12 ) as much as possible to reduce an influence on the stability of the impurity concentration of the channel and on the channel potential when a voltage is applied to the drain . therefore , with the configuration of this variation , a reference voltage supply circuit is provided , which has lower power consumption , lower temperature dependency , and smaller variations in temperature characteristics than that of the embodiment . as a result , the power consumption in a microcomputer mounting the reference voltage supply circuit is effectively reduced . with the off - set structure , the drain voltage applied to the gate insulating film 12 decreases due to the extension of a depletion layer . this reduces degradation in reliability due to hot electrons , bias temperature ( bt ) stress , etc ., thereby eventually reducing temporal change in the reference voltage vref due to degradation in the reliability . fig8 illustrates the comparison in sub - threshold swing between the ng_nmos according to this variation with an off - set in the source / drain diffusion layer , and an ng_nmos without any off - set in the source / drain diffusion layer . the configuration shown in the embodiment has no problem in actual use . however , with the configuration of this variation , as shown in fig8 , variations in sub - threshold swing decrease more , thereby further stabilizing threshold characteristics . in the embodiment and the variation , an example has been described where the first transistor 22 is the nmos transistor having the n + - type gate electrode , and the second transistor 23 is the nmos transistor having p + - type gate electrode . instead , this may be a combination of an nmos transistor having an n + - type gate electrode and an nmos transistor having an n − - type gate electrode , a combination of an nmos transistor having an n − - type gate electrode and an nmos having a p + - type gate electrode , etc . however , in view of the stability of the work function difference , this is preferably a combination of an n + type and a p + type formed at an impurity concentration as high as possible . the present disclosure provides a reference voltage supply circuit with low power consumption , low temperature dependency , and small variations in temperature characteristics . therefore , the present disclosure is useful for reducing the temperature dependency of a reference voltage , and process variations in a reference voltage supply circuit . | 6 |
a description of construction of the lens system according to the invention will be given first . the superwide - angle lens of the invention comprises ten lenses forming nine elements and consisting of a first convex lens whose surface of greater curvature is directed toward the object , a second negative meniscus lens , a third negative meniscus lens , a fourth negative meniscus lens , said second , third and fourth lenses having their surfaces of greaterental angular deviation or vibration of the instrument . such accidental angular deviation or vibration of the optical instrument occurs when the instrument is held by hand or carried in a vehicle . since the optical image is usually magnified by enlargement in cameras and by the eyepiece in bove embodiment can be used as an optical axis stabilizing system for a laser transmitter by incorporating a laser oscillator in the housing 31 . it should be noted that the various mechanism required in a photographic camera such as a shutter , diaphragm and the like are all omitted from the description and illustration of the embodiment of the camera sho 5 . 1 . 3f & lt ; ( d 9 + d 10 + d 11 + d 12 ) & lt ; 1 . 7f 6 . 0 . 6f & lt ; ( d 13 + d 14 + d 15 + d 16 + d 17 + d 18 ) & lt ; 0 . 8f f i : the resultant focal length up to the i th lens , η i : the refractive index of d - line in the i th lens d j : the thickness of the j lens or the spacing between lenses , and r k : the radius of curvature of the k th lens surface . the various conditions as described above will be explained in detail in the following : in this condition , it is natural that the negative focal length in the first half group is defined in a wide - angle retrofocus lens . that is , according to the present invention , when the focal length f 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 is negative and shorter than f / 1 . 25 , it may be advantageous for coverage in a wide angle , but aberration produced by the lenses makes it impossible to form a higher aperture . particularly , as either r 4 , , r 6 , or r 8 becomes smaller , an increasingly worsened inward coma is caused . if f 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 is longer than f , it may be advantageous to some extent in terms of aberration , but a burden must be imposed on the latter group of lenses in order to have the length of backfocus more than as desired , and as a result , the aberration will be worsened . further , it is difficult to cover the wide angle unless the configuration is made larger . this condition is provided to define a suitable range of focal length along with the condition ( 1 ). in order to maintain better chromatic aberration within the range of the wide angle , it is necessary to introduce a positive lens as the fifth lens , and for the purpose of correcting coma and astigmatism resulting therefrom , a negative lens system , that is , the cemented lens composed of the sixth and seventh lenses is required . if the focal length f 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 is negative and f 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 is shorter than f / 0 . 8 , the petzval sum decreases , but it is difficult to correct the outward coma produced in the 13th lens surface in the range of the wide angle . if the focal length is longer than f / 0 . 5 , it is necessary to render the positive fifth lens thicker so as to maintain the desired petzval sum , and it is also necessary to carry out an adequate correction of chromatic aberration , resulting in an increase of burden imposed upon the ninth surface and tenth surface , generation of spherical aberration or the like , and adverse affects on backfocus or the like . this condition lays stress upon correction of magnification of chromatic aberration . that is , if the abbe number of each lens is more than the normal value , it is desirable , in order to correct the chromatic aberration while satisfying the condition ( 2 ), that the degree of the fifth and seventh lenses is increased within the range of the condition . otherwise , inadequate correction is provided in the fifth lens while excessive correction is provided in the seventh lens , which is greatly disadvantageous in forming a large aperture lens . this condition provides a lens to cover a wide angle wherein the backfocus is in the length more than as desired , and coma is balanced . that is , if the radius r 13 is shorter than 2 . 3f , it is advantageous for the backfocus , but it is difficult to maintain a balance of outward coma produced thereat between the range wherein an incident angle is relatively small and the range wherein an incident angle is wide . if it is longer than 3 . 0f , inward coma produced up to the 10th surface cannot be corrected , and therefore , it would not be adequate for correction of coma over a wide angle of view . this condition relates to quantities of light , backfocus , and the aberrations of off axis . that is , if the distance ( d 9 + d 10 + d 11 + d 12 ) is in excess of 1 . 7f , it is advantageous for backfocus , but less light results to produce a condition which is beyond the range of miniaturization . conversely , if it is less than 1 . 3f , it is difficult to correct coma in a ray bundle having a relatively small incident angle , while maintaining the balance between the ray bundle greater in the incident level and the ray bundle smaller in the incident level , resulting in a burden on the other portions of the lens making adequate correction of aberration difficult . further , another method may be considered , wherein the radius of curvature r 13 is increased to correct the ray of light smaller in the incident level , but it is difficult to correct coma in the range of quantities of peripheral light , which range is not critical for practical use , by a large aperture . this condition relates to the size of the lens system and distortion . that is , if the distance ( d 13 + d 14 + d 15 + d 16 + d 17 + d 18 ) is less than 0 . 6f , it will be advantageous to render the whole size of lens system smaller , but the thickness of the eighth , the ninth and tenth lenses must be made smaller , resulting in difficulties of manufacture due to the smaller thickness of these lenses . if it is in excess of 0 . 8f , the thickness or space of the lens will increase , and when an attempt is made to secure quantities of light more than a certain level in the light flux greater in the degree of incidence , the incidence into the eighth , ninth and tenth lenses increases to produce an excessive negative distortion . two specific examples of the present invention will be described herein below . the first example is shown in fig1 and consists of a convex lens l 1 , whose surface of greater curvature is directed toward the object , negative meniscus lenses l 2 , l 3 and l 4 all having their surfaces of greater curvature directed toward the image ( i . e . convex to the object ), a filter , a double - convex thick lens l 5 , a compound lens element comprising a double - convex lens l 6 whose surface of greater curvature is cemented with a double - concave lens l 7 , the combination of lens l 6 and lens l 7 forming a negative lens , a positive meniscus lens l 8 and convex lenses l 9 and l 10 , the surface of greater curvature of each of lenses l 8 , l 9 and l 10 being directed toward the image . the radii of curvature r 1 to r 19 and the lens thicknesses and lens separations d 1 to d 18 along with the refractive indices η 1 to η 10 and abbe numbers ν 1 to ν 10 for lenses l 1 to l 10 which comprise a wide angle lens having an aperture ratio of 1 : 2 and an angle of view of 94 . 6 ° are given in table i as follows : table i__________________________________________________________________________ f = 100 , aperture ratio 1 : 2 , angle of view 2ω = 94 . 6 . degre e . f . sub . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 = - 87 . 674 f . sub . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 = - 136 . 712 backfocus = 193 . 146 σ . sub . p = 0 . 075__________________________________________________________________________lens radius of lens thickness refractive abbe no . νl curvature r or spacing d index η__________________________________________________________________________r . sub . 1 = 339 . 720l . sub . 1 d . sub . 1 = 49 . 41 η . sub . 1 = 1 . 64000 ν . sub . 1 = 60 . 2r . sub . 2 = 952 . 881 d . sub . 2 = 0 . 49r . sub . 3 = 218 . 581l . sub . 2 d . sub . 3 = 9 . 95 η . sub . 2 = 1 . 74320 ν . sub . 2 = 49 . 4r . sub . 4 = 93 . 059 d . sub . 4 = 32 . 61r . sub . 5 = 162 . 580l . sub . 3 d . sub . 5 = 8 . 74 η . sub . 3 = 1 . 51821 ν . sub . 3 = 65 . 0r . sub . 6 = 76 . 282 d . sub . 6 = 24 . 31r . sub . 7 = 213 . 538l . sub . 4 d . sub . 7 = 8 . 74 η . sub . 4 = 1 . 74320 ν . sub . 4 = 49 . 4r . sub . 8 = 97 . 733 d . sub . 8 = 26 . 69 ( thickness of filter = 7 . 28 ) r . sub . 9 = 202 . 478l . sup . 5 d . sub . 9 η . sub . 5 = 1 . 78470 ν . sub . 5 = 26 . 2r . sub . 10 = - 272 . 635 d . sub . 10 = 28 . 77r . sub . 11 = 857 . 551l . sub . 6 d . sub . 11 = 33 . 97 η . sub . 6 = 1 . 64000 ν . sub . 6 = 60 . 2r . sub . 12 = - 126 . 036l . sub . 7 d . sub . 12 = 4 . 85 η . sub . 7 = 1 . 84666 ν . sub . 7 = 23 . 9r . sub . 13 = 276 . 629 d . sub . 13 = 14 . 56r . sub . 14 = - 766 . 797l . sub . 8 d . sub . 14 = 17 . 62 η . sub . 8 = 1 . 51821 ν . sub . 8 = 65 . 0r . sub . 15 = - 124 . 736 d . sub . 15 = 0 . 49r . sub . 16 = 5992 . 735l . sub . 9 d . sub . 16 = 17 . 96r . sub . 17 = - 233 . 291 η . sub . 9 = 1 . 74320 ν . sub . 9 = 49 . 4 d . sub . 17 = 0 . 49r . sub . 18 = 5117 . 276l . sub . 10 d . sub . 18 = 13 . 54 η . sub . 10 = 1 . 69680 ν . sub . 10 = 55 . 5r . sub . 19 = - 384 . 364__________________________________________________________________________ fig2 a shows the spherical aberration and sine condition , fig2 b shows the spherical aberration and chromatic aberration , fig2 c shows the distortion , and fig2 d shows the astigmatism of the wide angle lens shown in fig1 and defined in table i . the second example is shown in fig3 and consists of a convex lens l 1 whose surface of greater curvature is directed toward the object , negative meniscus lenses l 2 , l 3 and l 4 all having their surfaces of greater curvature directed toward the image , a filter , a double convex thick lens l 5 a compound lens element comprising a double - convex lens l 6 cemented with a double - concave lens l 7 , a positive meniscus lens l 8 and convex lenses l 9 and l 10 , the surface of greater curvature of each of lenses l 8 , l 9 and l 10 being directed toward the image . the radii r 1 to r 19 and the thicknesses and separations d 1 to d 18 , along with the refractive indices η 1 to η 10 and abbe numbers ν 1 to ν 10 for lenses l 1 to l 10 which comprise a wide angle lens having an aperture ratio of 1 : 2 and an angle of view of 100 . 8 ° are given in table ii as follows : table ii__________________________________________________________________________ f = 100 , aperture ratio 1 : 2 , angle of view 2ω = 100 . 8 . degr ee . f . sub . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 = - 87 . 443 f . sub . 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 = - 168 . 492 backfocus = 198 . 906 σ . sub . p = 0 . 078__________________________________________________________________________lens radius of lens thickness refractive abbe no . νl curvature r or spacing d index η__________________________________________________________________________r . sub . 1 = 365 . 854l . sub . 1 d . sub . 1 = 46 . 49 η . sub . 1 = 1 . 48749 ν . sub . 1 = 70 . 1r . sub . 2 = 1140 . 959 d . sub . 2 = 1 . 08r . sub . 3 = 174 . 465l . sub . 2 d . sub . 3 = 9 . 73 η . sub . 2 = 1 . 83400 ν . sub . 2 = 37 . 2r . sub . 4 = 94 . 271 d . sub . 4 = 36 . 93r . sub . 5 = 186 . 957l . sub . 3 d . sub . 5 = 8 . 65 η . sub . 3 = 1 . 61800 ν . sub . 3 = 63 . 4r . sub . 6 = 91 . 877 d . sub . 6 = 36 . 07r . sub . 7 = 236 . 259l . sub . 4 d . sub . 7 = 8 . 65 η . sub . 4 = 1 . 61800 ν . sub . 4 = 63 . 4r . sub . 8 = 91 . 949 d . sub . 8 = 45 . 74 ( thickness of filter = 8 . 11 ) r . sub . 9 = 219 . 886l . sup . 5 d . sub . 9 η . sub . 5 = 1 . 80518 ν . sub . 5 = 25 . 4r . sub . 10 = - 253 . 545 d . sub . 10 = 25 . 24r . sub . 11 = 578 . 573l . sub . 6 d . sub . 11 = 39 . 79 η . sub . 6 = 1 . 64000 ν . sub . 6 = 60 . 2r . sub . 12 = - 108 . 865l . sub . 7 d . sub . 12 = 6 . 49 η . sub . 7 = 1 . 84666 ν . sub . 7 = 23 . 9r . sub . 13 = 252 . 722 d . sub . 13 = 10 . 96r . sub . 14 = - 479 . 719l . sub . 8 d . sub . 14 = 18 . 71 η . sub . 8 = 1 . 48749 ν . sub . 8 = 70 . 1r . sub . 15 = - 123 . 940 d . sub . 15 = 0 . 54r . sub . 16 =- 4178 . 124l . sub . 9 d . sub . 16 = 15 . 78r . sub . 17 = - 206 . 188 η . sub . 9 = 1 . 57135 ν . sub . 9 = 52 . 9 d . sub . 17 = 1 . 08r . sub . 18 = 540 . 043l . sub . 10 d . sub . 18 = 16 . 44 η . sub . 10 = 1 . 53172 ν . sub . 10 = 48 . 9r . sub . 19 = - 468 . 648__________________________________________________________________________ fig4 a shows the spherical aberration and sine condition , fig4 b shows the spherical aberration and chromatic aberration , fig4 c shows the distortion of fig4 d shows the astigmatism of the wide angle lens shown in fig3 and defined in table ii . it will be apparent that the embodiments shown are only exemplary and that various modifications can be made in construction and arrangement within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
the invention provides a simple , rapid , selective and efficacious method for treating , inhibiting or preventing a vascular thrombosis in a mammal , such as a human patient . the thrombosis to be treated , inhibited or prevented may result from any of the various causes of thromboses . for example , the type of thrombosis may be a posttraumatic arterial thrombosis . the thrombosis may be at any one of various locations in the mammalian body . for example , the thrombosis location may be arterial , venous , coronary , cerebral , femoral , renal or placental . preferably , the location of the thrombosis treated , inhibited or prevented is not pulmonary . coronary thromboses are often associated with an acute ischemic coronary syndrome . any thrombosis - related acute ischemic coronary syndrome may be treated , inhibited or prevented by the administration of inhaled no , according to this invention . the thrombosis - related acute ischemic coronary syndrome may be associated with , e . g ., an artery - occluding disease or a vascular interventional procedure . thrombosis - related acute ischemic coronary syndromes include , but are not limited to , myocardial infarction , unstable angina pectoris , thrombosis after coronary revascularization , and reocclusion after coronary thrombolysis . coronary revascularization may be accomplished by various known vascular interventional procedures , e . g ., ptca , laser angioplasty , coronary artery bypass grafting , coronary artery atherectomy or coronary artery stents . inhaled no may be used , according to this invention , to treat a mammal that has been identified as having an existing thrombosis . mammals , and humans in particular , are known to display various signs and symptoms relating to the existence of a thrombosis , and may be identified thereby . the recognition of such signs and symptoms is within the skill of medical practitioners . signs and symptoms of a thrombosis in a human patient include , but are not limited to , the following : chest pain , shortness of breath , paralysis , limb pain , myocardial infarction , angina pectoris , unstable angina pectoris , crescendo angina pectoris , ischemic congestive heart failure , cardiogenic shock , peripheral vascular disease and ischemic limb . in one embodiment of this invention , the identified mammal is a human who has a thrombosis , and the thrombosis to be treated by no inhalation is manifested as a myocardial infarction . alternatively , inhaled no also may be used to inhibit or prevent thrombosis development in a mammal that does not have an existing thrombosis but has been identified as being at risk of developing a thrombosis . certain existing pathological conditions , e . g ., atherosclerosis , are known to put an individual at risk of developing a thrombosis . in addition , certain vascular interventional procedures , e . g ., balloon angioplasty and coronary artery bypass surgery , are known to put an individual at risk of developing a thrombosis . accordingly , individuals diagnosed as having pathological conditions with which an increased risk of thrombosis is associated , individuals who have undergone one or more vascular interventional procedures , and individuals for whom one or more vascular interventional procedures are imminent , may be advantageously treated according to this invention . similarly , the identified mammal may be a human at risk of developing a thrombosis , where the risk is associated with an artery - occluding disease such as atherosclerosis . individuals with such pathological conditions may be identified by methods known to medical practitioners trained in the relevant areas of medical practice . in another embodiment of this invention , the risk is associated with a vascular interventional procedure such as angioplasty . in a particularly preferred embodiment , the identified mammal is a human at risk of developing a thrombosis as a result of a ptca procedure . the invention provides a simple , rapid , selective and efficacious method for treating , inhibiting or preventing arterial restenosis resulting from excessive intimal hyperplasia . excessive intimal hyperplasia and arterial restenosis frequently occur following vascular interventional procedures such as angioplasty of any vessel ( e . g ., carotid , femoral , coronary , etc . ); or any coronary revascularization procedure , including balloon angioplasty , laser angioplasty , coronary artery bypass grafting , atherectomy or coronary artery stents . inhaled no may be used , according to this invention , to treat a mammal that has been identified as having an existing arterial restenosis . mammals are known to display various signs and symptoms relating to the existence of an arterial restenosis , and may be identified thereby . the recognition of such signs and symptoms is within the skill of medical practitioners . signs and symptoms of a arterial restenosis in a mammal include , but are not limited to , the following : chest pain , shortness of breath , electrocardiographic changes and coronary angiographic findings . the objective of treating an existing arterial restenosis with inhaled no is to reduce the thickness of the intima of a restenosed artery , so as to increase the diameter of the arterial lumen , i . e ., reduce the pathological stricture . alternatively , inhaled no may be used , according to this invention , to inhibit or prevent arterial restenosis in a mammal ( e . g ., a human ) that does not have an existing arterial restenosis but has been identified as being at risk of developing an arterial restenosis . certain vascular interventional procedures , e . g ., ptca and coronary bypass surgery , can cause arterial trauma . arterial trauma is known to lead to excessive intimal hyperplasia and arterial restenosis . therefore , those procedures put a patient at risk of developing an arterial restenosis . accordingly , individuals who have undergone one or more vascular interventional procedures , and individuals for whom one or more vascular interventional procedures are imminent , may be advantageously treated according to this invention . the inhaled no is , for example , administered to a human patient who is scheduled to undergo a vascular interventional procedure . inhaled no may be administered in advance of a vascular interventional procedure , to minimize the amount of intimal thickening that takes place following the arterial trauma normally associated with vascular interventional procedures . a patient receiving inhaled no as a preventive measure before a vascular interventional procedure may or may not have an existing arterial restenosis . alternatively , inhaled no may be administered to a patient who has already undergone a vascular interventional procedure . in that situation , administration of the inhaled no preferably will begin within hours of the vascular interventional procedure . of course , one of skill in the art will recognize that inhaled no may be administered before , during and after a vascular interventional procedure . regardless of whether the inhaled no is administered before , during or after the procedure , or all three , the inhaled no may be administered continuously or intermittently . inhaled no is preferably administered from a source of stored , compressed no gas . compressed no gas may be obtained from a commercial supplier such as airco ( murray hill , n . j . ), typically as a mixture of 200 - 800 ppm no in pure n 2 gas . the source of no can be 100 % no , or diluted with n 2 or any other inert gas ( e . g ., helium ). it is vital that the no be obtained and stored as a mixture free of any contaminating o 2 or higher oxides of nitrogen , because such higher oxides of nitrogen ( which can form by reation of o 2 with no ) are potentially harmful to lung tissues . if desired , purity of the no may be demonstrated with chemiluminescence analysis , using known methods , prior to administration to the patient . chemiluminescence no - no x analyzers are commercially available ( e . g ., model 14a , thermo environmental instruments , franklin , ma ). the no - n 2 mixture may be blended with air or o 2 through , for example , calibrated rotameters which have been validated previously with a spirometer . the final concentration of no in the breathing mixture may be verified with a chemical or chemiluminescence technique well known to those in the field ( e . g ., fontijin et al ., anal . chem . 42 : 575 ( 1970 )). alternatively , no and no 2 concentrations may be monitored by means of an electrochemical analyzer . any impurities such as no 2 can be scrubbed by exposure to naoh solutions , baralyme , or sodalime . as an additional control , the fio 2 of the final gas mixture may also be assessed . if desired , the ventilator may have a gas scavenger added to the expiratory outlet to ensure that significant amounts of no will not escape into the adjacent environment . in a hospital or emergency field situation , administration of no gas could be accomplished , for example , by attaching a tank of compressed no gas in n 2 , and a second tank of oxygen or an oxygen / n 2 mixture , to an inhaler designed to mix gas from two sources ; by controlling the flow of gas from each source , the concentration of no inhaled by the patient can be maintained at an optimal level . no gas may also be mixed with room air , using a standard low - flow blender ( e . g ., bird blender , palm springs , calif .). no may be generated from n 2 and o 2 ( i . e ., air ) by using an electric no generator . such a generator is described in zapol u . s . patent application 07 / 850 , 383 ( notice of allowance issued ), which is hereby incorporated by reference . in addition , no may be provided intermittently from an inhaler . the use of an inhaler may be particularly advantageous if a phosphodiesterase inhibitor is administered , orally or by inhalation , in conjunction with the no . no may be administered to a mammal identified as having a thrombosis or arterial restenosis , or a mammal identified as being at risk for developing a thrombosis or arterial restenosis , at a concentration of from 0 . 1 ppm to 300 ppm in air , pure oxygen , or another suitable gas or gas mixture , for as long as needed . preferably , the concentration will be between 1 . 0 and 200 ppm ; and most preferably between 20 and 100 ppm ( e . g ., 30 ppm , 40 ppm , 50 ppm , 60 ppm or 80 ppm ). the concentration may temporarily increased for short periods of time : e . g ., 5 min at 300 ppm no , when an immediate dramatic effect is desired . for the reasons explained below , concomitant treatment with a phosphodiesterase inhibitor may decrease the total dosage of no required ( or allow intermittent dosage ) to produce a satisfactory anti - thrombotic or anti - restenosis effect . for treatment , inhibition or prevention of arterial restenosis , it may be necessary to administer inhaled no by nasal prongs , mask , tent , intra - tracheal catheter or endotracheal tube , for an extended period , i . e ., days or weeks . the administration may be continuous , during the extended period . alternatively , administration could be intermittent during the extended period . the administration of gaseous no may be via spontaneous or mechanical ventilation . when inhaled no is administered to treat , inhibit or prevent thrombosis or arterial restenosis , it is desirable to monitor the effects of the no inhalation . such monitoring can be used , in a particular individual , to verify desirable effects and to identify undesirable side effects that might occur . such monitoring is also useful in adjusting dose level , duration and frequency of administration of inhaled no in a given individual . preferably , the effects of inhaled no on a patient would be assessed by one or more of the following : clinical manifestations such as chest pain ; electrocardiography ; serial analyses of vascular patency by ultrasound , coronary angiography or other means ; and increases in levels of cgmp in plasma or platelets . no decomposes rapidly by reacting with molecular oxygen to produce nitrite and nitrate . in addition , no entering the blood is rapidly inactivated by tight binding to hemoglobin . for these reasons , no has only a short half - life in arterial blood . this means that inhaled no advantageously avoids systemic vasodilation , an undesirable , potentially dangerous side effect associated with sustained systemic no release from no donor compounds . it may be desirable to prolong the beneficial effects of inhaled no within the target cells or within cells interacting with the target cells in the lung . in the context of thrombosis inhibition , prevention and treatment , circulating platelets are the target cells . in the context of arterial restenosis inhibition , prevention and treatment , circulating platelets ( and possibly white cells ) are the cells which interact with the target cells in the vasculature . in determining how to prolong the beneficial effects of inhaled no , it is useful to consider that one of no &# 39 ; s in vivo effects is activation of soluble guanylate cyclase , which stimulates production of guanosine - 3 &# 39 ;, 5 &# 39 ;- cyclic monophosphate ( cgmp ). at least some of the beneficial effects of no appear to result from no &# 39 ; s stimulation of cgmp biosynthesis . accordingly , in a preferred embodiment of the invention , a phosphodiesterase inhibitor is administered in conjunction with no inhalation , to inhibit the breakdown of cgmp by endogenous phosphodiesterases . the phosphodiesterase inhibitor may be introduced into the mammal by any suitable method , including via an oral , transmucosal , intravenous , intramuscular , subcutaneous or intraperitoneal route . alternatively , the inhibitor may be inhaled by the mammal . for inhalation , the phosphodiesterase inhibitor is advantageously formulated as a dry powder or an aerosolized solution having a particle or droplet size of less than 10 μm for optimal deposition in the alveoli , and may optionally be inhaled in a gas containing no . a preferred phosphodiesterase inhibitor is zaprinast ™ ( m & amp ; b 22948 ; 2 - o - propoxyphenyl - 8 - azapurine - 6 - one ; rhone - poulenc rorer , dagenham essex , uk ). zaprinast ™ selectively inhibits the hydrolysis of cgmp with minimal effects on the breakdown of camp in vascular smooth muscle cells ( trapani et al ., j . pharmacol . exp . ther . 258 : 269 ( 1991 ); harris et al ., j . pharmacol . exp . ther . 249 : 394 ( 1989 ); lugnier et al ., biochem . pharmacol . 35 : 1743 ( 1986 ); souness et al ., br . j . pharmacol . 98 : 725 ( 1989 )). when using zaprinast ™ according to this invention , the preferred routes of administration are intravenous or oral . the suitable dose range may be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art . a stock solution of zaprinast ™ may be prepared in 0 . 05n naoh . the stock can then be diluted with ringer &# 39 ; s lactate solution to the desired final zaprinast ™ concentration , immediately before use . this invention may be practiced with other phosphodiesterase inhibitors . various phosphodiesterase inhibitors are known in the art , including dipyridamole and theophyline . as with zaprinast ™, the route of administration and suitable dose range may be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art . thrombosis may be treated by agents that inhibit thrombus formation , agents that stimulate thrombolysis , i . e ., thrombus dissolution , or both . examples of antithrombotic agents are aspirin , streptokinase , urokinase , tissue plasminogen activator (&# 34 ; t - pa &# 34 ;), met - t - pa ( i . e ., t - pa with an n - terminal methionine residue ), fe1x ( a t - pa analog ) heparin , hirudin and hirulog ™ ( a hirudin analog ). other antithrombotic agents could also be used in the practice of this invention . one or more such antithrombotic agents may be administered to a mammal before , during or after treatment with inhaled no , so that their separate antithrombotic activity is advantageously used to augment the antithrombotic effect ( s ) of inhaled no . for example , in one embodiment of this invention , an appropriate dose of t - pa is administered before , during or immediately after no inhalation , to treat thrombosis . while the inhaled no is inhibiting or preventing the formation of new thrombi , the t - pa will stimulate the dissolution of : ( 1 ) thrombi already present at the time inhaled no was administered , or ( 2 ) thrombi formed ( albeit at a reduced rate ) during or immediately after the no inhalation . the selection of appropriate antithrombotic agents to be administered in conjunction with inhaled no , and the selection of the appropriate dosage and route of administration of those antithrombotic agents is within ordinary skill in the art . in a preferred embodiment of this invention , aspirin is administered before , during or immediately after no inhalation , to treat thrombosis . the preferred aspirin dose range is 81 to 325 mg ( orally ) per day . while the two aspects of this invention ( i . e ., thrombosis and arterial restenosis ) have been described separately , it should be appreciated that an individual may already have , or be at risk of developing , both a thrombosis and arterial restenosis . under such circumstances , both aspects of the invention could be practiced at the same time , in the same individual , with a single administration of inhaled no . the antiplatelet effects of no have been assessed in a recognized canine model of acute coronary thrombolysis after thrombus formation . the canine model used was essentially as described by yasuda et al . ( j . am . coll . cardiol . 13 : 1409 ( 1989 )) and gold et al . ( circulation ( suppl . iv ) 83 : iv26 ( 1991 )). twenty - five adult mongrel dogs ( 20 - 25 kg ) of either sex were anesthetized with pentobarbital ( 30 mg / kg body weight ). supplemental pentobarbital was administered as required to maintain general anesthesia . the dogs &# 39 ; tracheas were intubated and their lungs were mechanically ventilated at 15 breath / min and 10 - 15 ml / kg with a ventilator at fio 2 within 21 - 35 % ( hudson ventronics , tenecula , calif .) and adjusted to maintain the arterial blood o 2 between 80 and 100 torr . the oxygen saturation was continuously monitored during the experiment , using a pulse oximeter ( nellcor , inc ., haywood , calif .). the femoral artery and vein were cannulated with a polyvinyl chloride catheter for continuous arterial pressure , blood sampling and infusion . lidocaine 0 . 1 mg / kg / min i . v ., was given when arrhythmias occurred . thoracotomy was performed through the left fifth intercostal space . the pericardium was opened and suspended to create a pericardial cradle . the left anterior descending artery was dissected out free , and a 2 . 5 cm segment was isolated distal to the first diagonal branch . one milliliter of blood was withdrawn for thrombus formation . a 0 . 7 mm i . d . catheter was inserted into a side branch of the isolated left anterior descending coronary artery segment , and an ultrasonic flow probe ( t101 transonic system , inc ., ithaca , n . y .) was placed on the proximal portion of the artery for continuous blood flow monitoring . a 2 mm wide plastic wire ( mass gas and electric supply , watertown , mass .) was progressively constricted around the left anterior descending artery , just distal to the proposed site of thrombus formation , to limit blood flow to 50 ± 10 % of baseline . previous angiographic study has shown this to decrease the luminal diameter by more than 90 %. the isolated left anterior descending coronary artery was traumatized by four consecutive external compressions with blunted forceps during 3 - 5 seconds , to damage the endothelium and promote thrombus adherence . snare occlusions were made distal to the probe and proximal to the constriction site . thrombin ( 0 . 1 ml of 100 units / ml ; thrombinar , armour pharmaceutical , kankakee , ill .) mixed with 0 . 3 ml of blood was injected through the side branch catheter into the emptied coronary artery segment to induce thrombus formation . after 10 minutes , the proximal snare was released . two minutes later , the distal snare was released . ten minutes after thrombus formation , a heparin bolus ( 75 ui / kg ) was administered intravenously and followed by a continuous heparin infusion ( 50 ui / kg / h ). after a 30 - minute period of stable occlusion , recombinant t - pa boluses ( 0 . 45 mg / kg ; activase ™, genentech inc ., south san francisco , calif .) were administered at 15 - minute intervals , until recanalization of the thrombosed coronary artery was achieved or a maximum of four boluses had been administered . this procedure induced alternating periods of recanalization and reocclusion ( defined as less than 25 % of poststenotic flow ) after initial reflow of the left descending coronary artery . the ratio opening time / total time was recorded as the primary outcome variable . ecg , systemic arterial pressure , left atrial pressure and coronary blood flow were continuously recorded . animals with : ( 1 ) no reperfusion , ( 2 ) reperfusion without occlusion , ( 3 ) fewer than 3 cycles during the first 45 - minute observation period , or ( 4 ) death before the end of the first observation period , were excluded from further study . no gas ( 800 ppm no in nitrogen , airco , murray hill , n . j .) was mixed with room air using a standard low - flow blender ( bird blender , palm springs , calif .) and then titrated with varying quantities of no , to maintain a constant fio 2 just prior to delivery to the ventilator . inspired no level was continuously monitored by a chemiluminescence no - no x analyzer ( model 14a , thermo environmental instruments , franklin , mass . ; fontijin et al ., supra ). the fio 2 was measured ( oxygen meter no . 5590 , hudson , temecula , calif .) distal to the reservoir bag after the no - containing gases were mixed . the exhaled gases , as well as those discharged from the chemiluminescence analyzer , were scavenged by use of a venturi exhalation trap maintained at negative atmospheric pressured by the laboratory &# 39 ; s central vacuum system . the ambient no / no 2 levels , as measured intermittently by chemiluminescence , did not increase during the experiments . at each time samples were taken and methemoglobin levels were measured . heart rate , blood pressure and coronary flow were monitored and recorded continuously . after a 45 minute baseline study period ( pretreatment period ) the animals were divided into four groups : group a ( n = 6 ) was given 0 ppm inhaled no ( i . e ., air ) for 45 minutes ; group b ( n = 6 ) was given 20 ppm inhaled no for 45 minutes ; group c ( n = 6 ) was given 80 ppm inhaled no for 45 minutes and group d ( n = 6 ) was given 200 ppm for 45 minutes . all groups of animals were then observed for a third study period beginning with the cessation of no administration and lasting 45 minutes ( posttreatment period ). blood from 8 dogs was collected in 0 . 01m citrate and centrifuged at room temperature at 370 × g for 5 minutes , for the preparation of platelet - rich plasma ( prp ), and at 1200 × g for 10 minutes , for the preparation of plateletpoor plasma ( ppp ). prp was exposed only to plastic containers or , during testing , siliconized glassware . the platelet count ( thrombocounter c ™ platelet counter , coulter electronics , inc ., hialeah , fla . of prp was adjusted by dilution with ppp to obtain 300 , 000 / mm 3 ± 10 %. prp was then aliquoted into cuvettes incubated at 37 ° c . with magnetic stirring ( 1000 rpm ) in a dual channel aggregometer ( model 440 , chrono - log corp ., havertown , pa .). light transmission was continuously recorded on a recorder ( model 707 , chrono - log corp ., havertown , pa .). the aggregation sample tube was obstructed with a rubber cap and two 19 gauge needles ( sherwood medical , st . louis , mo .) were placed through this cap , allowing the delivery of a mixture of no gas and oxygen above the prp . the inlet needle was connected via a flowmeter to a gas reservoir into which a mixture of no gas , air and oxygen titrated as described above was delivered . the no concentration was continuously monitored by the chemiluminescence no - no x analyzer . a needle valve allowed regulation of the flow through the sample to approximately 40 ml / min . positive pressure was maintained in the system by having the outlet needle connected to a recipient flask filled with 5 cm of water in which constant bubbling was maintained . adp - induced platelet aggregometry studies were performed after the exposure of the test cuvette containing 450 μl of adjusted prp to the no gas mixture for 10 minutes . gas administration was continued during the measurement of adp - induced aggregation . platelet aggregation was studied using different aliquots of prp treated with 20 , 80 , 200 and 400 ppm of no , in random order . control adp - induced platelet aggregation studies without no were performed before and after the administration of no to assess the stability of the prp preparation . all experiments were completed within 4 hours of blood collection . artery patency was defined as the fraction of the total observation period during which flow was greater than 25 % of the basic flow after the initial stenosis was created . except as noted , results are expressed as mean ± sem . the significance of differences between groups was determined with student &# 39 ; s t - test for paired or unpaired values as appropriate . the significance of the dose response of the effect of no on adp - induced platelet aggregation was assessed with two - way analysis of variance . a p value & lt ; 0 . 05 was considered significant . in each experimental group , the external constrictor reduced left anterior descending artery blood flow by 54 ± 2 % of baseline , from 22 ± 2 to 10 ± 1 ml / min . the median number of tpa boluses required to obtain reperfusion was two , with a range of 1 to 4 ( table 1 ). cyclic reflow and reocclusion accompanied by electrocardiographic evidence of myocardial injury occurred in all animals except one in which reocclusion did not occur ; this animal was excluded from further study . table 1__________________________________________________________________________baseline values of physiological parameters group a group b group c group d 0 ppm no 20 ppm no 80 ppm no 200 ppm noparameter measured ( n = 6 ) ( n = 6 ) ( n = 6 ) ( n = 6 ) __________________________________________________________________________post - stenotic flow 51 . 7 ± 3 . 5 55 . 2 ± 3 . 7 51 . 6 ± 4 . 7 54 . 6 ± 1 . 9 (% before stenosis ) number of tpa boluses 2 . 0 ± 0 . 4 1 . 7 ± 0 . 2 1 . 8 ± 0 . 3 2 . 0 ± 0 . 4act ( sec ) 219 ± 16 219 ± 14 236 ± 5 . 3 196 ± 12 . 8fio . sub . 2 (%) 29 . 0 ± 1 . 1 27 . 5 ± 1 . 0 32 . 2 ± 1 . 5 31 . 6 ± 3 . 0ratio ( r ) 55 . 7 ± 8 . 5 50 . 6 ± 6 . 9 48 . 8 ± 2 . 9 45 . 2 ± 5 . 6hb ( mg / dl ) 13 . 26 ± 1 . 35 14 . 28 ± 0 . 85 14 . 08 ± 0 . 85 12 . 95 ± 0 . 64platelet ct (× 10 . sup . 3 / mm . sup . 3 ) 301 ± 55 292 ± 25 277 ± 35 237 ± 35methb (%) 0 . 25 ± 0 . 17 0 . 10 ± 0 . 06 0 . 18 ± 0 . 09 0 . 26 ± 0 . 09__________________________________________________________________________ table 1 : &# 34 ; number of tpa boluses &# 34 ; refers to number of boluses injected ; &# 34 ; act &# 34 ; refers to activated clotting time ; &# 34 ; fio 2 &# 34 ; refers to inspired o 2 fraction ; &# 34 ; ratio &# 34 ; refers to unoccluded / occluded coronary artery at baseline ; &# 34 ; platelet ct &# 34 ; refers to platelet count ; and &# 34 ; methb &# 34 ; refers to methemoglobin ( percentage of total hemoglobin ). there is no significant difference between the baseline flow rate ratios at 0 ppm ( control ), 20 ppm , 80 ppm and 200 ppm of inhaled no ( n = 6 for each group ). in animals receiving 0 ppm inhaled no ( group a ), arterial patency did not change during the three treatment periods ( fig1 a ). in animals receiving 20 ppm inhaled no ( group b ), arterial patency increased from 50 . 6 ± 6 . 9 % during the pre - inhalation baseline period , to 63 . 8 ± 7 . 90 during the inhalation period ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ) ( fig1 b ). in animals receiving 80 ppm inhaled no ( group c ), arterial patency increased from 48 . 8 ± 2 . 9 % during the pre - inhalation baseline period , to 75 . 1 ± 6 . 7 % during the inhalation period ( p & lt ; 0 . 01 ) ( fig1 c ). in animals receiving 200 ppm inhaled no ( group d ), arterial patency increased from 45 . 27 ± 5 . 6 % during the pre - inhalation baseline period to 54 . 8 ± 10 . 4 % during the inhalation period ( p = ns ) ( fig1 d ). in group c the increased arterial patency observed during the no inhalation period persisted during the 45 - minute postinhalation period ( 70 . 1 ± 7 . 1 % vs . baseline , p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). when the inhalation period arterial patency results from groups b , c , and d were pooled , there was a statistically significant difference between the pooled treatment groups and the control group ( p & lt ; 0 . 005 ). when the 45 - minute post - inhalation period artery patency results from groups b , c , and d were pooled , there was also a statistically significant difference between the pooled treatment groups and the control group ( p & lt ; 0 . 005 ). neither platelet count nor blood hemoglobin changed during or after no administration in any of the groups of animals ( table 3 ). methemoglobin levels increased from 0 . 2 ± 0 . 1 % to 1 . 1 ± 0 . 4 % in the dogs breathing 200 ppm inhaled no ( table 3 ). this increase persisted after the no administration was stopped and was not seen in dogs receiving lower doses of no . systemic arterial pressure decreased in all groups of dogs during this study , and did not differ between the dogs receiving no and those who did not ( table 2a ). left atrial pressure was unchanged in all groups of animals throughout the duration of the study ( table 2b ). table 2a______________________________________mean systemic arterial pressure ( sap ) ( mmhg ) before , during and after no inhalationno treatment before during after______________________________________0 ppm no ( n = 6 ) group 89 ± 8 82 ± 6 80 ± 720 ppm no ( n = 6 ) group 105 ± 6 96 ± 6 82 ± 6b80 ppm no ( n = 6 ) group 91 ± 5 81 ± 9 78 ± 7c200 ppm no ( n = 6 ) 94 ± 3 95 ± 4 93 ± 4group d______________________________________ values are expressed as mean ± sem . table 2b______________________________________mean left atrium pressure ( lap ) ( mmhg ) before , during and after no inhalationno treatment before during after______________________________________0 ppm no ( n = 6 ) group 5 . 5 ± 0 . 6 5 . 4 ± 0 . 7 5 . 4 ± 0 . 720 ppm no ( n = 6 ) group 5 . 2 ± 1 . 6 4 . 7 ± 1 . 4 4 . 6 ± 1 . 1b80 ppm no ( n = 6 ) group 5 . 3 ± 0 . 6 5 . 2 ± 0 . 6 4 . 9 ± 0 . 6c200 ppm no ( n = 6 ) 4 . 6 ± 1 . 1 4 . 2 ± 0 . 9 3 . 7 ± 0 . 8group d______________________________________ values are expressed as mean ± sem . addition of 20 , 80 , 200 and 400 ppm no to the gas mixture above the prp led to a dose - related decrease in the maximal change in light transmission caused by adp ( fig3 ). there was no change in the adp - induced decrease in light transmission in the two control aggregation curves performed at the beginning and end of each study ( 30 . 57 ± 5 . 57 % vs . 31 . 1 ± 4 . 31 %). table 3______________________________________hematologic values before , during and after no inhalationnotreatment measurement before during after______________________________________0 ppm no hb ( mg / dl ) 13 . 2 ± 1 . 3 13 . 7 ± 0 . 8 12 . 2 ± 0 . 7group a platelet count 301 ± 55 284 ± 53 276 ± 35 ( n = 6 ) (× 10 . sup . 3 / mm . sup . 3 ) methb (%) 0 . 22 ± 0 . 2 0 . 2 ± 0 . 1 0 . 2 ± 0 . 220 ppm no hb ( mg / dl ) 14 . 3 ± 0 . 85 12 . 7 ± 0 . 7 2 ± 1group b platelet count 292 ± 25 269 ± 22 253 ± 16 ( n = 6 ) (× 10 . sup . 3 / mm . sup . 3 ) methb (%) 0 . 1 ± 0 . 1 0 . 4 ± 0 . 2 0 . 1 ± 0 . 0280 ppm no hb ( mg / dl ) 14 . 0 ± 0 . 8 11 . 9 ± 0 . 3 11 . 1 ± 0 . 6group c platelet count 277 ± 35 238 ± 32 209 ± 37 ( n = 6 ) (× 10 . sup . 3 / mm . sup . 3 ) methb (%) 0 . 2 ± 0 . 1 0 . 4 ± 0 . 1 0 . 3 ± 0 . 1200 ppm no hb ( mg / dl ) 12 . 9 ± 0 . 6 12 . 2 ± 1 . 0 12 . 9 ± 0 . 9group d platelet count 237 ± 35 232 ± 44 244 ± 40 ( n = 6 ) (× 10 . sup . 3 / mm . sup . 3 ) methb (%) 0 . 2 ± 0 . 1 1 . 1 ± 0 . 4 * 0 . 9 ± 0 . 3______________________________________ values are expressed as mean ± sem . * & lt ; 0 . 05 vs control value . the above results demonstrate that inhaled no increases coronary artery patency after lysis of a thrombus at the site of a critical stenosis without producing any systemic hemodynamic effects . they also show that the antithrombotic effects of inhaled no persist for at least 45 minutes after cessation of no inhalation . at no concentrations similar to those obtained in vivo , gaseous no markedly inhibited adp - induced platelet aggregation in vitro . neointimal smooth muscle cell hyperplasia is the main pathologic process in human arterial restenosis . therefore , to elucidate the effect of inhaled no on the process of restenosis after a vascular interventional procedure such as ptca , the effect of inhaled no on intimal hyperplasia was studied , using a rat carotid artery model of arterial injury ( clowes et al ., laboratory invest . 49 : 327 ( 1983 )), a standard animal model for human neointimal smooth muscle cell hyperplasia . adult male sprague - dawley rats ( charles river laboratories , wilmington , mass .) underwent balloon injury of the common carotid artery in a manner previously shown to bring about neointimal hyperplasia ( clowes et al ., supra ). rats weighing 300 to 350 g were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of ketamine ( 60 - 80 mg / kg ) and acepromazine ( 0 . 1 mg / kg ). once satisfactory anesthesia had been achieved , a longitudinal midline incision was made and the left carotid artery was isolated via blunt dissection . after further careful dissection of the internal and external carotid bifurcation , the distal external carotid segment was ligated with a 4 - 0 silk suture . a small arteriotomy was made in the external carotid using microdissecting scissors and a 2 french fogarty balloon catheter ( baxter edwards lis ) was inserted through the arteriotomy and advanced approximately two centimeters below the carotid bifurcation . the balloon was filled with enough saline to cause visible distention of the common carotid artery and gently withdrawn to the level of the bifurcation . the balloon catheter was then withdrawn and after allowing back bleeding through the arteriotomy site to eliminate potential thrombus and air bubbles , the external carotid was ligated proximal to the arteriotomy site using 4 - 0 silk sutures . after visual inspection to insure adequate pulsation of the common carotid artery , the surgical lesion was closed and the animals were allowed to recover from anesthesia . chronic no inhalation was carried out in specially prepared 40 liter acrylic inhalation chambers . the gas mixtures were blended using separately regulated and calibrated flow meters for oxygen , pressurized air and no stock gases ( 800 ppm and 10 , 000 ppm no in n 2 , airco , murray hill , n . j .). the effluent gas from the chamber was analyzed periodically throughout the experimental period , to ensure stable fio 2 and no levels . the fio 2 was measured using a polarographic electrode ( hudson oxygen meter 5590 , temecula , calif . ), no concentration was measured by chemiluminescence ( model 14a , thermo environmental instruments , inc ., franklin , mass . ); and nitrogen dioxide and nitrogen with higher oxidation states ( no x ) were measured by chemiluminescence following conversion of the no x to no by a heated stainless steel oven ( 850 ° c .) with 98 % efficiency ( model 100b no x generator , thermo environmental instruments , inc ., franklin , mass .). fresh soda lime was maintained in the chambers to reduce no x . no concentration was maintained at 20 to 80 ppm , depending upon the experiment . serial measurements revealed fi0 2 to be 21 % and no x to be 3 - 4 ppm . the gases exiting the exposure chambers , as well as those discharging from the chemiluminescence instrument , were scavenged using a venturi trap maintained at negative atmospheric pressure with reference to the laboratory &# 39 ; s central vacuum system . control animals were maintained in filtered cages in the same room as the no - treated animals . the no exposure was begun 30 to 120 minutes prior to the surgical procedure . during the surgical procedure , the no - treated group was taken out of the chamber and exposed to no by a modified face mask fed from the inflow gas tubing of the chambers . inhaled gas analysis revealed no levels of 50 - 80 ppm during the 80 ppm experiments and 10 - 20 ppm during the 20 ppm surgical experiments . the total time each animal was out of the chamber and under the face mask ranged from 20 to 40 minutes . at 1 , 3 and 14 days after balloon injury , the rats were euthanized by lethal intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital or ketamine . a 16 gauge catheter was introduced into the ascending aorta via the left ventricular apex . the descending thoracic aorta was ligated . the animal was then perfused at a pressure of 100 mm hg with 100 ml of normal saline followed by 50 ml of 2 % paraformaldehyde in phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ). after in vivo fixation for 15 to 30 minutes , both common carotid arteries were isolated and underwent further overnight fixation by immersion in 1 % paraformaldehyde in pbs . the tissue was dehydrated using sequentially increasing concentrations of ethanol followed by xylene , and then embedded in paraffin . cross sections ( 6 μm ) were cut and stained with hematoxylin and eosin and / or elastin for analysis . a single section 7 to 8 mm proximal to the carotid bifurcation was used for analysis in each animal . the section being analyzed was photographed at 100 ×. the image was digitized using a kodak 2135 ™ scanner . the intimal and medial area analyses were performed on a power macintosh 8100 / 80 ™ computer using the public domain nih image program ( written by wayne rasband at the u . s . national institutes of health and available from the internet by anonymous ftp from zippy . nimh . nih . gov or on floppy disk from ntis , 5285 port royal rd ., springfield , va . 22161 ; part number pb93 - 504868 ). the morphometric analysis was performed with the investigator blinded as to the experimental group . statistical analysis was carried out utilizing commercially available statviewr ™ ( abacus concepts ) software for macintosh ™ computers . the experimental group was compared with the control group using an unpaired two tailed t - test . a value of p & lt ; 0 . 05 was considered statistically significant . all data are represented as mean +/- sem . the n value refers to the number of animals per group . a total of 62 rats underwent the carotid injury procedure . five of the rats died due to vascular complications during the arteriotomy or the balloon injury , giving a procedure mortality rate of 8 %. there was no statistically significant maldistribution of the deaths among the different experimental groups . there were no post - procedure deaths among the 57 rats who survived the initial procedure . all rats , regardless of their experimental group , exhibited normal grooming behavior and activity levels throughout the study . other than occasional ptosis on the side of the carotid injury , no rats exhibited a gross neurological deficit . analysis of a subset of the experimental groups revealed weight gain without statistical difference during exposure to air , no at 20 ppm and no at 80 ppm . in the first series of experiments , the rats undergoing carotid balloon injury were exposed to either ambient air ( n = 12 ) or 80 ppm no ( n = 13 ) in air , throughout the duration of the study . the animals were sacrificed 14 days after injury for morphometric analysis of the injured carotid artery . examination by light microscopy revealed that three rats from the air ( control ) group and one rat from the no - treated group had thrombotic occlusion of the lumen of the injured carotid . these animals were excluded from further analysis . as expected , blood vessels from both groups exhibited a loss of endothelium and the development of neointimal hyperplasia . examination by light microscopy did not reveal a qualitative difference in the cellular morphology of the neointima ( data not shown ). quantitive analysis , however , revealed that the 80 ppm inhaled no treatment resulted in a 38 % inhibition of neointimal hyperplasia , i . e ., intima / media ratio of 0 . 932 +/- 0 . 13 in 80 ppm animals , compared to 1 . 512 +/- 0 . 147 in 0 ppm no ( control ) animals ( p = 0 . 008 ) ( fig4 ). in the next series of experiments , the effect of a one week exposure to no was tested . the experimental group ( n = 7 ) was exposed to 80 ppm no for seven days and then transferred to air for an additional seven days , prior to sacrifice . the control group ( n = 5 ) was exposed to air for the entire 14 day period . there was no qualitative morphologic difference between the groups . in addition , quantitive analysis of the intima / media ratio revealed no significant difference in neointimal hyperplasia between the two groups , i . e ., 1 . 059 +/- 0 . 239 in no - treated animals , compared to 1 . 217 +/- 0 . 309 in controls ( p = not significant ) ( fig4 ). in a third series of experiments , a lower inhaled dose of no was studied : the rats breathed either 20 ppm no ( n = 8 ) or air ( n = 8 ). again , no quantitative or qualitive difference in the degree of neointimal hyperplasia could be found between the 2 groups , i . e ., intima / media ratio of 0 . 917 +/- 0 . 233 for 20 ppm no - treated animals , compared to 0 . 985 +/- 0 . 149 for air - breathing controls ( p = not significant ) ( fig4 ). the above results demonstrate that inhalation of 80 ppm no , over a two - week period , significantly inhibits neointimal hyperplasia following balloon - induced injury to carotid arteries , in a rodent model . | 8 |
fig1 a illustrates a wind turbine blade 10 that incorporates a lightning protection system . the blade comprises a blade shell 12 formed from two half shells . the half shells are typically moulded from glass - fibre reinforced plastic ( grp ), comprising glass fibres embedded in a cured resin matrix . the blade shell 12 has an outer surface 14 that is exposed to the blade surroundings , and an inner surface 16 ( shown in fig1 b ) that faces an internal cavity 18 of the blade 10 . referring also to fig1 b , the lightning protection system of the wind turbine blade 10 comprises an electrically conductive layer 20 that acts as a lightning receptor , an electrical component 22 in the form of a connector block , an electrically conducting cable 24 connected to the connector block 22 that acts as a down cable , and a connecting element 26 that electrically connects the electrically conductive layer 20 to the connector block 22 . the electrically conductive layer 20 is a metallic mesh or , as in the embodiment illustrated , a metallic foil made from a metal such as copper or aluminium . the foil 20 lies proximate , and is integrated with , the outer surface 14 of the blade shell 12 . specifically , the foil 20 is integrated with the cured resin matrix comprising the blade shell 12 . in this way , the electrically conductive layer 20 does not disrupt the aerodynamic form of the blade shell 12 . the outer surface 14 of the blade shell 12 is provided with a plurality of recesses 28 . as best illustrated in fig1 , each recess 28 comprises a base surface 30 and a peripheral wall 32 that extends outwardly away from the base surface 30 towards the outer surface 14 of the shell 12 . the electrically conductive layer 20 extends across the outer surface 14 of the blade shell 12 and into the recess 28 . in this way , the electrically conductive layer 20 is integrated with the base surface 30 and peripheral wall 32 of the recess 28 . each recess 28 houses an end portion 34 of a connecting element . in the embodiment described , the connecting element 26 is a metallic bolt and the end portion 34 is a bolt head such that the recess 28 houses the bolt head 34 . as best seen in fig1 a and 1b , each recess 28 is of substantially the same shape and dimensions as the bolt head 34 . the bolt head 34 is therefore fully accommodated in the recess 28 , and does not protrude substantially beyond an outer surface 36 of the blade 10 . specifically , the bolt head 34 lies flush with the outer surface 36 of the blade 10 such that it does not disrupt the aerodynamic form of the blade 10 . at the base 30 of the recess 28 , the electrically conductive layer 20 is in electrical contact with the bolt head 34 . the base 30 of the recess 28 therefore defines an interface region between the bolt head 34 and the electrically conductive layer 20 at which electrical contact occurs . as shown in fig1 , in the base 30 of the recess 28 , an aperture 38 is provided in the blade shell 12 and the electrically conductive layer 20 . the aperture 38 extends through the thickness of the blade shell 12 such that the aperture 38 is open at both the base surface 30 of the recess 28 and the inner surface 16 of the blade shell 12 . the remaining portion of the connecting element 40 ( i . e . the shaft of the bolt ) is housed in the aperture 38 . in this way , the connecting element 26 extends through the aperture 38 from the recess 28 to the inner surface 16 of the blade shell 12 . inside the blade 10 , and opposite the recess 28 in the outer surface 14 of the blade shell 12 , the connector block 22 is mounted to the inner surface 16 of the blade shell 12 by suitable means , such as an adhesive , and the conducting cable 24 is connected to the connector block 22 . the connector block 22 is arranged in contact with an inner end 42 of the connecting element 26 ( i . e . with the end 42 of the shaft 40 of the bolt 26 ). in this way an electrically conducting path is formed that runs from the electrically conductive layer 20 , into the connecting element 26 via the interface region 30 , to the connector block 22 and into the electrically conducting cable 24 . when the wind turbine blade 10 is in use , lightning that strikes the blade 10 is received by the electrically conductive layer 20 . the current is conducted to the connecting element 26 through the conducting interface 30 between the electrically conductive layer 20 and the connecting element 26 , which is disposed in the recess 28 . the connecting element 26 conducts the current through the blade shell 12 to the connector block 22 . the current is then conducted to the electrically conducting cable 24 , and then to conductors in the nacelle and tower , which direct it to a ground potential . because the bolt head 34 of the connecting element 26 is housed in the recess 28 , and does not protrude substantially from the outer surface 36 of the blade 10 , the connecting element 26 does not adversely affect the aerodynamic performance of the blade 10 . a method of making the wind turbine blade 10 described above will now be described with reference to fig2 a to 2h . as illustrated schematically in fig2 a , a wind turbine blade mould 44 is firstly provided . the blade mould 44 is typically provided as two mould halves , in which two half shells are formed , each mould half comprising a moulding surface 46 . once the half shells have been formed , the two mould halves are brought together and the half shells are joined to form the blade shell 12 . as illustrated in fig2 b , a protruding element 48 and an electrically conductive layer 20 , provided together in the form of a pre - formed component 50 as illustrated in fig3 a , are arranged in the blade mould 44 on the moulding surface 46 . each pre - formed component 50 comprises an electrically conducting layer 20 and at least one protruding element 48 . the protruding element 48 is of the shape and dimensions of the desired recess 28 in the blade shell , and hence comprises a surface 52 that corresponds to the base surface 30 of the recess 28 , and a peripheral wall 54 that corresponds to the peripheral wall 32 of the recess 28 . specifically , the protruding element 48 has substantially the same shape and dimensions as the bolt head 34 that will be accommodated in the recess 28 when the blade 10 is fully assembled . the majority of the electrically conductive layer 20 is of substantially planar configuration . however , a portion of the electrically conductive layer 20 is shaped around the protruding element 48 , specifically around its surface 52 and peripheral wall 54 , such that that portion of the electrically conductive layer 20 takes the form of the protruding element 48 . a protective layer 56 is disposed between the electrically conductive layer 20 and the surface 52 of the protruding element 48 , such that the protective layer 56 covers the portion of the electrically conductive layer 20 that forms the interface region 30 . the protective layer 56 has adhesive on both sides so that it adheres the electrically conductive layer 20 to the protruding element 48 . in this way , the protective layer 56 protects the interface region 30 from contamination during the moulding process . specifically , it prevents resin infiltrating into the interface region 30 between the electrically conductive layer 20 and the protruding element 48 . once the pre - formed components 50 have been arranged in the mould 44 , each half shell is ‘ laid up ’ by arranging various laminate layers 58 of the half shells in the respective mould halves over the pre - formed components 50 , as illustrated in fig2 c . a layer of dry fibrous material is placed on the inner mould surface 46 over the pre - formed component 50 . following a resin infusion process , this layer ultimately forms the outer skin of the blade 10 . the fibrous layer is arranged in continuous contact with the electrically conductive layer 20 , such that the outer skin is moulded to the shape of the electrically conductive layer 20 , and is hence shaped around the protruding element 48 . a layer of structural foam is introduced into the mould half on top of the fibrous layer , and a further layer of dry fibrous material is placed on the upper surface of the structural foam . following the resin infusion process , this layer ultimately forms the inner skin of the blade 10 . further components such as spar caps may also be incorporated into the blade shell 12 , between the fibrous layers . the components are covered with an airtight bag to form a sealed region that encapsulates all of the components . the sealed region is then evacuated using a vacuum pump . a supply of liquid resin is connected to the sealed region , and resin flows into the sealed region through a plurality of resin inlets , which are longitudinally spaced along the mould half . resin infuses throughout the lay - up in a generally chordwise direction , between the components in the half shell . resin also infuses between the outer fibrous layer and the electrically conductive layer 20 , such that the resin and the outer fibrous layer are moulded around the electrically conductive layer 20 . the pump continues to operate during a subsequent curing operation in which the mould assembly is heated so as to cure the resin , although during the curing process the vacuum pressure may be adjusted . the bags are then removed from the moulded half shells . because the structural components 58 of the blade shell 12 are laid up around the pre - formed - component 50 , the electrically conductive layer 20 is effectively embedded into the outer skin as the resin is cured , and is therefore situated proximal to the outer surface 14 of the blade shell 12 . the outer surface 14 of the blade shell 12 adopts the shape of the electrically conductive layer 20 , which is shaped around the protruding element 48 . thus , the protruding element 48 confers a recess 28 in the outer surface 14 of the blade shell 12 , which , during the moulding process , houses the protruding element 48 . during the resin infusion process , the protective layer 56 arranged between the electrically conductive layer 20 and the protruding element 48 protects the portion of the electrically conductive layer 20 that forms the interface region 30 from the infusing resin . the portion that is covered by the protective layer 56 is therefore substantially free from resin . after the curing process , and as illustrated in fig2 d , the connector block 22 and conductive cable 24 are fitted to the inner surface 16 of the blade shell 12 , at a position opposite the protruding element 48 . the connector block 22 and conductive cable 24 are attached to the inner surface 16 by adhesive . the two half shells are then brought together by closing the mould 44 . one of the mould halves is lifted , upturned , and pivoted into position above the other mould half . the half shells are joined together by an adhesive , and the blade shell 12 is removed from the mould 44 , as illustrated in fig2 e . if resin has infused between the mould 44 and the pre - formed component 50 during the resin infusion process , this resin , once cured , may hold the pre - formed component 50 in place as the blade shell 12 is removed from the mould 44 . hence , when the blade shell 12 is removed from the mould 44 , the pre - formed component 50 may initially remain housed in the recess 28 . in the next stage , the protruding element 48 is removed from the recess 28 , as shown in fig2 f , for example by means of a hand tool such as a chisel , or by abrasive means such as grinding or sanding . if cured resin is present around the protruding element 48 this may hinder removal of the protruding element 48 , and any such cured resin may therefore be removed , for example by grinding or sanding . the protective layer 56 is also removed from the base surface 30 for example by peeling or scraping , to expose the interface region that is substantially free from resin . next , as shown in fig2 g , the aperture 38 is drilled into the base 30 of the recess 28 at its central point . the aperture 38 is of a sufficient width to house the remaining portion 40 of the connecting member 26 ( i . e . the shaft of the bolt ). an inner wall 60 of the aperture 38 is tapped to provide a female screw thread that receives a male screw thread on the shaft 40 of the bolt 26 . finally , as shown in fig2 h , the bolt 26 is inserted into the recess 28 and through the aperture 38 , where it is held in place by the cooperative screw threads . the bolt head 34 is housed in the recess 28 , and is in electrical contact with the electrically conductive layer 20 in the recess 28 at the interface region 30 . the interface region 30 is substantially free from resin as has been described above , such that electrical contact between the bolt head 34 and the electrically conductive layer 20 is achieved cleanly across the interface region 30 . a method of forming the pre - formed component 50 above will now be described with reference to fig4 a to 4c . according to the method , the protruding element 48 acts as a male forming element that is co - operable with a female forming element 62 to shape the electrically conductive layer 20 . to form the pre - formed component 50 , an electrically conductive layer 20 is arranged between the protruding element 48 and the female forming element 62 , and an adhesive protective layer 56 , such as a plastics film coated with an adhesive layer , is also arranged between the electrically conductive layer 20 and the protruding element 48 , as shown in fig4 a . the forming elements 48 , 62 are moved together such that the protruding element 48 is received in the female forming element 62 , as shown in fig4 b . the electrically conductive layer 20 is deformed and shaped around the protruding element 48 , and the adhesive protective layer 56 adheres the electrically conductive layer 20 to the protruding element 48 . the female forming element 62 is then removed , as shown in fig4 c , to leave the pre - formed component 50 . in an alternative embodiment of the pre - formed component 50 , illustrated in fig3 b , the protruding element 48 is provided with a protruding detail formation 64 on its surface 52 . the protruding detail formation 64 confers a corresponding detail on the base surface 30 of the recess 28 during the moulding process described above . in the embodiment shown the detail formation 64 is arranged at the centre of the protruding element 48 , and therefore confers a detail at the centre of the base surface 30 of the recess 28 . the location of the detail indicates the point at which the aperture 38 should be drilled . in a further alternative embodiment of the pre - formed component or of the method , the protection of the interface region of the electrically conductive layer is not provided by the protective layer , but is instead provided by the protruding element itself . the protruding element may be made from a resilient material , or may be coated with a layer of a resilient material such as a silicon rubber . when the protruding element is placed under vacuum pressure during the moulding process , the resilient material of the protruding element is deformed . specifically , the protruding element is compressed . in this way , the protruding element seals against the electrically conductive layer , thereby preventing resin from infiltrating into this region . in this embodiment , a first protruding element made from a substantially non - deformable material may be used as the forming element to form the pre - formed component . before the pre - formed component is inserted in the mould , the non - deformable protruding element may be replaced with a deformable protruding element made from a resilient material . the protective layer may be dispensed with , or it may still be included , for example to adhere the protruding element to the electrically conductive layer , thus further preventing contamination of the interface region . many modifications may be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims . for example , in the embodiment described , the blade shell 12 is made using a dry fibre cloth , and resin is infused into the cloth during the moulding process . in an alternative embodiment , pre - preg materials may be used instead , and the resin infusion step may be omitted . the connecting element need not be a bolt but may take any suitable form , and the recess may be any shape that is suitable for housing an end portion of the connecting element . although in the embodiments described above the connecting element 26 lies flush with the blade surface , it will be appreciated that the connecting element may protrude slightly from the blade surface , or may lie inwardly of the blade surface , but it is preferably arranged such that it does not adversely affect the aerodynamic properties of the blade . the electrically conductive layer may be made from any electrically conducting material , and need not be a mesh or foil , but may take any suitable form . the electrically conductive layer need not necessarily be the outermost layer of the blade shell . typically , further layers such as a gel coat layer and / or a print layer may be applied on top of the electrically conductive layer . | 1 |
in a method according to an embodiment of the invention , each among a set of elemental character strokes is associated with a key of a keypad . fig2 shows one example of a set of elemental strokes ( comprising a horizontal stroke , a vertical stroke , an ascending ( from left to right ) diagonal stroke , a descending diagonal stroke , a curve stroke , and a point or accent stroke ) and an end - of - character ( eoc ) delimiter that are mapped to a keypad ( or to a portion of a larger keypad ). although the example shown in fig2 uses seven keys , a set that requires fewer keys may be obtained , e . g ., by combining the two diagonal strokes into one element ( e . g . as in the six - key mapping of fig3 ), deleting the point or accent element , using a pause of predetermined minimum duration between keystrokes rather than a keypress to indicate eoc delimiting , etc . likewise , a set that requires more keys may be obtained , e . g ., by including a shift key to indicate whether an upper case or a lower case character is being entered , by dividing one or more elemental strokes into a long stroke and a short stroke , by distinguishing loop strokes from circular strokes ( as in the eight - key mapping of fig4 ), etc . fig5 shows a mapping of four elements plus an eoc delimiter onto the positions of a four - way - plus - select rocker switch assembly . with this assembly , pressing one of the four tabs indicates entry of the corresponding element , and pressing the middle of the assembly ( i . e . choosing the select action ) indicates entry of the eoc delimiter . a similar mapping may be used with a four - way - plus - select pogo stick or pogo pin ( as shown in top and side views in fig1 ). [ 0034 ] fig6 shows a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the invention . in task p 110 , entry of an elemental stroke or eoc delimiter ( i . e . via a keypress or similar action as described above ) is received by the device . in task p 120 , the combination of strokes that has been entered for the current character is used to reference an internal database which maps combinations of strokes to characters . the database may be arranged as a lookup table , as a decision tree , or as another data structure known in the art . if the combination does not appear in the database , then an error is indicated in task p 130 ( e . g . via an audible beep and / or a visible indication on a display ), the stroke is canceled , and task p 110 is repeated . if the combination is valid ( i . e . it appears in the database as at least a part of a mapped combination ), then in task p 140 the action entered in task p 110 is compared to the eoc delimiter . echo of the entered stroke to a display may occur upon entry in task p 110 , or echo may be suppressed until the validation of task p 130 is completed such that only strokes of valid combinations are displayed . if a match is not detected in task p 140 , then entry of the next action continues in task p 110 . if task p 140 detects a match , however ( i . e . the user has indicated the end of the character ), then the characters to which the entered combination is mapped are displayed for selection by the user in task p 150 . in one example , these characters are arranged on a display in the same configuration as the keys or positions of the input device , enabling the user to easily select the desired character by choosing the corresponding key or position . a scroll function may be provided in cases where the entered combination is mapped to more characters than may be displayed at one time . audible feedback may also be provided to indicate that entry of a character has been successfully completed . if the number of remaining possible character matches is reduced to a point where all may be conveniently displayed together , then these remaining characters may be arranged on the display in the same configuration as the keys or positions of the input device , enabling the user to easily select the desired character by choosing the corresponding key or position before the eoc action is performed . in a similar extension , a dictionary of words may be added to a method or apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention such that the number of remaining possible word matches may be displayed for selection . [ 0038 ] fig7 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention . input device 130 may be a keypad , rocker switch assembly , or pogo pin as described above . display 140 may be a liquid crystal or other type of flat panel display suitable for a portable device . as noted above , database 120 contains mappings of stroke combinations to characters and may be arranged as a lookup table , decision tree , or other data structure as known in the art . processor 110 executes instructions to perform the tasks described herein . these instructions may be stored or loaded from a storage element ( not shown ) such as a semiconductor memory , magnetic medium , or other storage device as known in the art . processor 110 may comprise one or more microprocessors , digital processing units , or other arrays of logic elements programmable to execute instructions . for applications relating to an alphabet that has upper and lower cases , recognition support may be limited to characters of a particular case ( e . g . the database may contain only mappings to capital letters ). in a implementation that supports recognition of both upper - and lower - case characters , a shift key may be included to facilitate disambiguation between letters of different cases ( e . g . between upper and lower case ‘ o ’, or between upper case ‘ d ’ and lower case ‘ b ’ or ‘ p ’). such disambiguation may reduce the number of keystrokes which the user is required to enter by , for example , reducing the number of characters displayed in task p 150 . in one such implementation , the shift key may be pressed before character entry begins . in an alternative implementation , the shift key may be pressed and held while the strokes of the character are entered , in which case the shift key may be placed on the side of the device for greater ease of use . while characters of the roman alphabet contain only a few strokes that may be drawn in any order , the characters of east asian written languages such as chinese may contain many strokes that are drawn in a sequence strictly determined by convention . for such applications , character disambiguation may also be facilitated by accounting for the sequential order in which the strokes of a character are entered . for example , such disambiguation may be supported by configuring the decision structure of the database to take sequence into account . for the example of a lookup table , this configuration may entail reducing the number of valid stroke combinations . for the example of a decision tree , this configuration may entail reducing the number of edges between nodes . even in applications relating to alphabets whose stroke order is less strictly defined , sequential information may be useful to disambiguation , as it may not be necessary and / or desirable to support stroke orders that are unlikely to appear except in error . in the roman alphabet , for example , no characters would usually be drawn by beginning with a horizontal stroke followed by a curve or loop stroke . in some written languages , the manner in which a stroke is terminated may also convey distinguishing information about the character . fig8 shows the example of the japanese hiragana character ‘ ka ’, in which the ends of the first and third strokes are modified as compared to the end of the second stroke . in a method according to a further embodiment of the invention , a user action ( e . g . a particular keypress or position selection ) is mapped to indicate a modification of the last stroke entered . an apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention may permit several different combinations of strokes to be mapped to a single character . for example , the letter ‘ a ’ may be entered with three or four strokes ( as in fig9 a ); the letter ‘ v ’ may be entered as any of three different two - stroke combinations ( as in fig9 b ); and the letter ‘ j ’ may be entered as a vertical and a horizontal stroke , as a vertical stroke and a curve stroke , or simply as a curve stroke . while a device incorporating an embodiment of the invention may be shipped to recognize all such combinations as valid , convenience of use may be increased by allowing the user to personalize the device by programming it to accept only one of the possible compositions for a particular letter . alternatively , the device may be configured to learn the particular combinations that the user prefers , thereby reducing the number of keystrokes that the user may be required to enter . apart from the number of keystrokes involved , note that a method or apparatus according to a described embodiment of the invention provides a natural and familiar interface to the user . for example , such an interface is more similar to the task of writing the strokes of a character than the conventional method of selecting a letter by pressing an assigned key a predetermined number of times . in a method according to an alternative embodiment of the invention , strokes of a character are formed by user manipulation of an input device . the input device may be a 4 - way - plus - select device such as a rocker switch ( as shown in fig1 ) or a ‘ pogo stick ’ or ‘ pogo pin ’ ( as shown in side and top views in fig1 ). with such a device , the four ways of movement indicate two orthogonal directions in a drawing plane and their inverses , and the select action is used to indicate whether the drawing pen is up ( i . e . possibly moving but not drawing ) or down ( i . e . drawing a stroke as it moves ). an eoc indication may be supported by a dedicated button or by a predetermined action ( e . g . a quick toggle of the select action at the center detent position ). alternatively , the input device may be an 8 - way - plus - select device such as the rocker switch shown in fig1 or the pogo stick shown in fig1 . as shown in these figures , the eight ways of movement indicate two pairs of orthogonal directions in a drawing plane and their inverses , one pair being oriented at a forty - five - degree angle to the other . again , the select action is used to indicate whether the drawing pen is up or down . in another alternative implementation , the input device may be a joystick with select action capability or a trackball with an associated button or other select action capability . [ 0047 ] fig1 shows a flowchart for a method according to an embodiment of the invention . in task p 40 , information establishing a starting position for the stroke is received from the input device . this information is created by user manipulation of the input device , and it relates to a position from which to begin drawing the stroke . the starting position may be a point in a bounding box array ( a 3 × 3 example of such an array is shown in fig1 a , although an array of any other size may be used ). alternatively , the position may be a point in a matrix array ( 3 × 5 and 5 × 7 examples are shown in fig1 b , although arrays of any other size may be used ). it may be desirable for the size of the particular array used to correspond to the grid of the display . in task p 220 , an indication is received that drawing of the stroke is to begin , as if a pen were placed on the paper at the starting position ( e . g . the pogo pin or rocker switch assembly is depressed ). in task p 230 , a set of direction codes is received as the user draws the stroke . this set may be configured as a string of codes indicating movements in each direction . for a stroke drawn as shown in fig1 , for example , where the ‘ up ’ direction is denoted as a and the direction orthogonal to the ‘ up ’ direction and to the right is denoted as b , the string of codes may appear as (+ a , + a , + b , − a , − a ). two alternative representations are (+ 2a , + 1b , − 2a ) and ( 2 (+ a ), 1 (+ b ), 2 (− a )). in addition to or in the alternative to a distance in space , a direction code may represent a relative duration in time of a movement in a particular direction . in such a case , it is not necessary for the direction codes as received from the input device to be related to a bounding box or matrix array , although it may be desirable to normalize them to such an array for display purposes . a reference clock may be used to quantify the duration of such movements . audible feedback may be provided at each clock tick during stroke drawing , and the speed of the clock may be adjustable by the user . ( note that this clock may also be used to support a eoc timeout function in place of or in addition to a dedicated eoc delimiter action .) a string of codes entered in such an implementation for the stroke of fig1 might appear as (+ 18a , + 7b , − 23a ), for example , which string might be normalized to (+ 2a , + 1b , − 2a ) for display and / or further processing . in task p 240 , a pen - up indication is received from the input device , signaling that stroke entry is completed . in task p 250 , if the next signal received from the input device is not an eoc delimiter , then the input is interpreted in task p 40 as a starting position for the next stroke in the character ( in an alternative implementation , the test of task p 250 may be executed as the first step in the loop ). note that in the method of fig1 , the user enters a character in a form as it normally appears . in other words , entry of an instantly recognizable character is achieved , and it is not necessary in such an embodiment to provide recognition support in order to complete the task of character entry into the device . in a method according to another embodiment of the invention as shown in fig1 , recognition of the entered stroke combination as a character is performed . such a method may output the recognized character in 7 - or 8 - bit ascii code , in unicode , or in a similar standard encoding for textual characters . tasks p 310 through p 340 of this method are analogous to tasks p 40 through p 240 as described above . an apparatus to execute the method of fig1 includes a database that maps combinations of elemental strokes to characters , as described above . in task p 350 , the received set of direction codes is compared to a set of elemental strokes . each stroke in this set may be represented as a set of direction codes , or the received set of direction codes may be mapped to an elemental stroke form before the comparison . if the received set of direction codes is determined to correspond to one among the set of elemental strokes , then the test of task p 360 passes . otherwise , the received set is rejected in task p 390 and the stroke is canceled . an audible and / or visual indication of the error may also be produced . tasks p 370 , p 380 , p 400 , and p 410 may be performed analogously to tasks p 120 , p 140 , p 130 , and p 150 in the method of fig6 described above . as noted above , the sequence in which the strokes of a character are entered may be incorporated in the recognition decision . other information that may be received from the input device and incorporated in that decision includes stroke direction and relative speed of a stroke or of different portions of a stroke . additionally , information relating to the relative positions of strokes within a character may be used for disambiguation . for example , the position of the loop in relation to the downstroke may be used to distinguish a capital ‘ p ’ from a lower - case ‘ b ’. disambiguation may also include ignoring unimportant spatial relations between strokes . a capital ‘ h ’ may be recognized , for example , regardless of the distance between the downstrokes and / or whether the cross - stroke actually meets both downstrokes . in a further embodiment , no stroke characterization ( as in task p 350 ) need be performed . in this case , the pattern of entered strokes ( e . g . as determined by the bounding box or matrix array points which are crossed in drawing the character ) may be recognized by a database ( e . g . configured as a decision tree ) upon receiving the eoc indication , without reference to individual strokes . additional features may be provided in the input device for tactile feedback and ease of use . for example , the input device may provide a discernible click at corner and / or edge positions to clearly indicate a current position to the user . additionally , the handle of a pogo pin or joystick may be extensible to provide greater resolution and control . in such case , it may be desirable to provide a locking mechanism for the extended handle in order to continue the availability of the up - down select action . the foregoing presentation of the described embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present invention . various modifications to these embodiments are possible , and the generic principles presented herein may be applied to other embodiments as well . for example , the invention may be implemented in part or in whole as a hard - wired circuit , as a circuit configuration fabricated into an application - specific integrated circuit , or as a firmware program loaded into non - volatile storage or a software program loaded from or into a data storage medium as machine - readable code , such code being instructions executable by an array of logic elements such as a microprocessor or other digital signal processing unit . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown above but rather is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed in any fashion herein . | 6 |
in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . there is no intention to limit the invention to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings . the invention is capable of other embodiments or of being practiced or carried out in various ways . also , it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting . in a general overview , the software of the invention tracks the location and status of temperature - sensitive and time - sensitive materials in real - time , within a predefined location ( and throughout a supply chain ), such as from arrival at the factory , until use in the production floor . tracking relies on tagging of central assets ( such as materials , central tools , assemblies , work in process ( wip ) inventory , and even key personnel ) using rfid , near field communication , temperature sensors , barcodes or the like . the software includes context awareness : not only is data collected on the location and temperature of key assets , such as specific sensitive units of material , rather the software applies predefined rules , to test if the measured values and locations are within allowable parameters , and within optimal production efficiency . if a detrimental deviation in the parameters is detected , such as a material is not in its proper location , an alert is generated and sent to the proper personnel . the software thus includes novel alerting and decision making components . in contrast , prior art software may collect data but typically relies on a human operator to continually check that all parameters are acceptable , which can be a complex and daunting task . for example , the software of the invention determines which materials are sufficient for use in specific jobs , and which have the shortest shelf life . alerts are sent to predefined relevant employees , such as to a factory worker to use a specific roll of material , and to a clerk to order a depleted material . alerts are immediately sent to workers when a harmful temperature fluctuation is sensed , and any material deemed to be harmed is removed immediately from the production floor . routine maintenance reminders may be sent to specific personnel . employees may receive alerts on wearable devices having displays , or on handheld electronic devices ( such as tablets or cellular phones ). the software additionally includes planning components for scheduling efficient use of equipment and jobs scheduled . the software utilizes distinct rules to determine which equipment should best be used on which jobs . the software schedules and releases jobs to production , based on the availability of materials and tools . the software plans and monitors tool maintenance cycles , and optimally allocates materials , machines and tools to specific jobs . efficiency reports and production floor tracking reports are generated for review by management . these may highlight specific bottlenecks or equipment failure . if efficiency falls below a predefined expected value , the source may be pinpointed by the algorithms of the invention . in the description below , use of the method and system of the invention is described in relation to manufacture of components for the aircraft industry , which utilize temperature - sensitive materials such as carbon fiber reinforced polymers ( cfrp ), having a limited shelf - life prior to their use . the invention is not limited to use with this or similar materials , but rather can be used to track progress and status of any production process through a production floor . referring now to fig1 , a unit of sensitive material entering the factory is tagged with an rfid tag 10 which can be read by a wall - mounted reader 12 . the rfid tag 10 includes a temperature sensor , as well as a roll / kit id 14 which is associated with vital shelf - life information shown in table 1 . id characteristics are saved in a database , and include the material type 16 , location freezer 18 , temp sensed at present 20 , roll length 22 , remaining out time 24 ( allowable time remaining after removal from freezer and prior to deterioration ); and expiration date 26 . the rfid tag 10 may be passive , active or battery - assisted passive . the software has detected that roll # 4698 has a short shelf life of 20 hours remaining and has generated two alerts 28 and 30 , sent to a specific employee to utilize this roll for a specific suitable upcoming job on the production floor . referring to fig2 , the specified employee 32 has received alerts 28 and 30 to his cellular phone 34 along with details of a suitable production plan 36 , and his approval is requested by pressing on an “ approve all ” button 38 . the bulk of the decisions related to this job run have thus been made by the software . alternatively , the specified employee 32 may view alerts on a wearable electronic communication device 40 which resembles a wristwatch . alerts may also be sent to an overhead display ( not shown ) mounted in view of relevant employees . the rfid tags are monitored constantly , and the software operates and is updated constantly in real - time with the status of all key assets ( vital items and equipment ) on the production floor . the system is therefore considered to be automatic 42 . this is in contrast to prior art software , where data needed to be constantly entered manually and thus reporting was never in real - time , as was subject to errors or omissions in data entry . similarly , the software of the invention notes the context 44 of the data , and compares the data to preconfigured rules 44 . for example , if a rise in temperature is sensed for a specific roll of composite material , this is allowable if it is in use on the production floor , yet will generate an alert if the material is indicated in the database as being currently in storage . the action taken is determined by a rule engine , described herein - below . this is in contrast to prior art software , where data collection may occur , however a human operator must take note of any discrepancies and must make most or all of the decisions . referring now to fig3 , a flowchart is shown of the process flow in the invention . input data is accumulated by appropriate hardware readers ( not shown ) from temperature sensors 46 , barcodes 56 , rfid tags 50 or near field communication tags 48 . additional data or instructions may be received from mobile devices 52 or wearable devices 54 worn by key employees on the production floor or in management positions . input data may be received from mes ( manufacturing execution systems ) 58 such as process steps remaining to be executed , and a list of process steps completed . input data may be received from erp 60 , including orders , quantities and due dates . when planning future jobs , the latest design files are received from the plm system 62 . the plm 62 provides the software of the invention with input of any restrictions which may exist for a cut - plan , for the bill of material ( bom ) ( including specifics of the raw materials , sub - assemblies , parts and their quantities to manufacture an end product ). the plm additionally inputs the bill of process ( bop ), which includes the list of processes to be executed to manufacture the desired end product . details of future jobs and available equipment are sent from the mes 58 as part of the data input . the various input data 46 - 62 is sent wirelessly to a data collector 66 and stored in a database . the context analyzer 68 utilizes a rule engine 70 and a decision maker 71 to determine if the data received is within acceptable ranges or whether warning alerts 72 need to be generated ( e . g . inventory depleted , inadvertent temp . rise , equipment unavailable , etc .). a warning alert may be generated to indicate an additional tool should be utilized to provide an intelligent context aware decision . alerts 72 and recommendations may be sent to various employees , and may also be sent to management officials . a production job description is sent to the optimizer components 74 to calculate and schedule the most efficient use of each of central production stations and the materials involved : a cutting plan optimizer 76 for planning initial cutting of the material , a spreading optimizer 78 for spreading resin ( e . g . in wet layup ), an assembly optimizer 80 for detecting optimal parameters of organizing the assembly , and a tool optimizer 82 for most efficient use of equipment . optionally , a material - selection optimizer may be used for selecting the optimal material from storage . additional optimizers may be included as well . if data is not within the acceptable ranges , such as a report 84 is received from the production floor of inadvertent waste of a material due to human error or mechanical failure , the context analyzer 68 will output a recommendation 86 such as “ send machine for repair ”, or may change the execution plan for the next production run . additionally , certain alerts or actions may be defined to be performed automatically by the software as “ decisions and actions ” 88 , such as to automatically order or retrieve more of the wasted material , without user intervention . a production floor report 84 may be generated automatically at a periodic preset interval , or in response to a crisis situation . while prior art software may generate reports containing knowledge , for a manager to review , in contrast , the present invention generates firm decisions which merely require managerial approval . preferably , most actions are automatic . the software is able to calculate efficient use of material and equipment , and to pinpoint places of weakness to improve future production runs . referring now to fig4 , the software determines the availability and track the progress of all resources and events at all instances in real time , during planning and production . this includes tracking of location and status of employees 32 , work orders 92 , production station 94 status , location of central equipment 96 . scheduled production runs 98 , are stored in a database , along with details of completed runs , which may be reviewed for efficiency . referring back to fig1 , in the aircraft industry , a factory may manufacture subassemblies which are combined into structural airplane components ( e . g . wings ). numerous rolls 100 of various carbon composite materials ( e . g . carbon fiber reinforced polymers [ cfrp ]) are stored in an industrial freezer 102 . composite materials are also stored as kits 104 which include several pre - cut plies of material . each unit of composite material ( roll 100 or kit 104 ), has an expiry date , which is based on the date of manufacture of the physical material . additionally , once a roll or kit of material is removed from the freezer for use , this begins an additional countdown termed the etl ( exposure time left ), until the material begins to deteriorate if curing is not completed within a set time . if this deadline if not met , the quality of the composite material is compromised , and the material is deemed structurally unsafe for use in aircraft . the data collector 66 of the software receives constant updates from wall - mounted rfid readers 12 located throughout the facility , as to the location and temperature sensed from the rfid tags 10 fixed to each unit of composite material 100 , 104 . the software tracks the progress of the composites as they are run through the production line , and is able to generate a report for the final product ( e . g . aircraft wing ) of which materials were used and when , and what the shelf lives were . the software calculates a total deadline for completion of the final component being manufactured : if one of the kits 104 to be used has only 10 hours of shelf - life remaining , the entire wing must be completed within 10 hours . this concern is noted by the rule engine 70 component of the software , during planning of the production run . if the deadline is estimated to be unattainable , the decision maker 71 component of the software may divert the unit of material having the shortest shelf - life to another simpler project , to avoid harm to the final product ( aircraft wing ). since alerts 28 are generated in advance for short shelf - life materials , the software avoids waste of material as compared to prior art production plans , where the material may be forgotten in the freezer beyond its &# 39 ; expiry date or may be left out too long on the production floor ( beyond its etl ). prior art software does not track the total expiry date for the entire final product as a whole , it merely provides a list of products in storage , including their various expiry dates . referring now to fig5 , the software utilizes its cut - plan optimizer 76 to generate a cutting plan with maximal production time - efficiency , and material yield . the optimizer 76 calculates that for three separate jobs ( numbered # 100 , # 200 and # 300 ), 160 . 99 ″ of material would be used . if all 3 jobs would be combined and cut in a single run , only 129 . 65 ″ of material would be used , a saving of 19 . 47 % in material . an optimal nest combining all three jobs is created . labor costs are also reduced , since only one production run is performed , even after taking into consideration labor time spent on separating the cut products . the location and availability of necessary tools ( such as lay - up tools t - 1000 , t - 2000 and t - 3000 ), is detected , prior to start of the production run . tools deemed key assets are rfid tagged , and their availability can be inferred from their location : whether they are currently on the production floor ( in use ) or are in the warehouse . maintenance of tools is also tracked via the software and alerts may be issued to ensure timely maintenance occurs . this is in contrast to prior art practice , where a user needed to type in the id of each tool to check its &# 39 ; location and availability , and schedule its &# 39 ; maintenance . in the present invention , these occur automatically , without the need for constant data entry . referring to fig6 , components 106 a , 106 b , 106 c are tracked in real - time on the production floor via rfid tags 10 read by wall - mounted rfid readers 12 a , 12 b , 12 c . the context analyzer 68 determines if the parameters ( location and temperature ) of each component are within acceptable ranges , and issues alerts when required , to specific personnel . for instance , alert 108 has been issued that part “ id 2487 ” is missing for assembly , and is located in bin “ 112 ”. in another example , the context analyzer may generate an alert if no data is received about the state of a specific component in use , over a predefined time period , or if the data is not within acceptable logical parameters . this could indicate for instance that the rfid tracker or the rfid reader have become faulty . alerts and recommendations may be included in reports issued and may be graded so that significant alerts may be utilized for decisions taken for the next run . for instance , if the context analyzer notes that the “ delivery cycle time ” is too long , input may be sent to the decision maker to include more preparation time before beginning the production run . if time is wasted between stations , an efficiency alert or recommendation can be generated . if a specific component was not present during assembly , holding up the production until it was located , an alert may be included in the next run to pre - check the location of all items included in an itemized list . managers may be notified in real time if desirable . employees may enter status updates from the production floor at any instance , to indicate for instance , a quality assurance test has failed and the run must be stopped . a report will be outputted , showing details of the run and the failure , and relevant tools may then be tested for reliability . materials may be reordered if necessary , and cleanup may be ordered . a specific employee or a specific tool may be linked with a recurrent error , and steps may be taken to avoid further recurrence . the software allows rapid tracking of errors and immediate indication of points of weakness , allowing greater efficiency during future runs . while planning a production job , the decision making software can estimate the cost of materials and labor involved , and generate a bottom line cost , and a decision whether the run is financially advisable according to preset cost rules . the software may be integrated with external erp software which includes description of jobs requested . additionally , plm software may be integrated with the software of the invention , to allow communication of data pertaining to the engineering specifics of the components to be manufactured . the software is layered , allowing its integration with existing customer software applications . customers that already utilize existing applications for collecting data that indicates the status of their production facility , may nevertheless utilize vital components such as the rule engines , decision maker , cutting and tool optimizers , alert issuer , reports , etc . the software is preferably run on “ cloud - based ” protected servers which allow authorized users to access it from any location having communications capability . this is useful in the aircraft industry , as assorted components may be manufactured at a multitude of locations . a manager may wish to track progress at any of these locations , and may have access to the availability of precursor materials necessary to manufacture components that are further down the production line . the software may be provided to authorized users , as a software as a service ( saas ), which may be suitable for instance for small production facilities performing relatively few production runs . the software is flexible , allowing for instance , tracking of a temporary asset or visitor . the software is scalable , allowing reuse of templates ( e . g . track location and status of resins , kits , gels ), and allowing to add new items for tracking as well . in summary , the software and system of the invention provide intelligent decision making , which allows tracking of key assets through a production floor , and automatic communication of appropriate decisions if parameters are deemed to be out of acceptable ranges . the invention thus accords users with a tool for highly efficient planning and monitoring of production floors . the software is especially suited for production using materials that are sensitive to the environment , which require constant monitoring during production . having described the invention with regard to certain specific embodiments thereof , it is to be understood that the description is not meant as a limitation , as further modifications will now become apparent to those skilled in the art , and it is intended to cover such modifications as are within the scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 through 19 , and in particular fig1 through 12 , a pontoon watercraft 10 is illustrated . the watercraft 10 has a pair of inflatable pontoons 11 , having a yoke frame generally 13 . yoke frame 13 is seated on pontoons 11 on reinforcing strips 14 and held in place by straps 15 with buckles 21 as more fully described later . folding seat 23 is mounted on yoke frame 13 . gunwales 25 which are part of yoke frame 13 mount two piece oars 26 . motor and anchor mount 28 is attached to the rear of yoke frame 13 . cargo basket 29 is positioned over the rear portion of yoke frame 13 . storage compartments 30 are detachably mounted to pontoons 11 by velcro fastener or the like . referring now to fig2 through 5 , yoke frame 13 includes yoke members 31 , one on the port side and one on the starboard side of watercraft 10 . each yoke member 31 is contoured to seat on reinforcing strips 14 of each pontoon 11 . yoke members 31 are spaced apart by a central support or seat mount 32 . inmost rails 37 of yoke members 31 include struts or side butts 35 with snap button locks 43 which seat in cross members 33 of seat mount 32 with snap button locks 43 seated in apertures 34 . the forward cross member 33 may include padding 36 to cushion contact of users legs when maneuvering the craft . yoke members 31 support d - rings 20 and gunwales 25 . inmost rails 37 of yoke mount 31 have six apertures 38 that accommodate snap button locks 43 on foot rest 39 which are inserted in inmost rails 37 and provide six positions for adjusting the footrests 39 . likewise , gunwales 25 oar lock mounting inserts 41 which provide two positions for mounting the oar locks 40 . if desired the oar lock mounting inserts 41 could be provided with more than two positions by increasing the length of gunwales 25 , see fig6 . the oar locks 40 are held in oar lock mounting inserts 41 by oar lock clips 42 . motor and anchor mount 28 have feet 44 that adjustably seat in rear projections 45 of inmost rails 37 and have apertures 46 to receive snap button locks 43 mounted on feet 44 . for extra stability motor and anchor mount 28 has struts 47 . motor and anchor mount 28 has a motor mount 28 a and an anchor mount 28 b . referring now , in particular , to fig8 , 18 and 19 , the swivel arrangement for folding seat 23 is best illustrated . seat swivel 48 consists of upper plate 49 and lower plate 50 which is secured on central pivot 51 with ball bearings 52 . upper plate 49 has an aperture 53 which seats locking pin 55 when the swivel seat is in the locked position . the seat swivel 48 locking arrangement includes locking pin 55 , spring 56 with spring retainer 59 , knob 57 , sleeve 58 with a short slot 60 and deep slot 61 . locking pin 55 has lugs 62 adapted to seat in short slot 60 or deep slot 61 to allow seat 23 to swivel or to lock seat 23 in place . seat swivel 48 is attached to seat mount 32 in aperture 63 of seat mount 32 . suitable fasteners such as bolts 54 with wing nuts 65 may be used to attach seat swivel 48 to seat mounts 32 . seat 23 is secured to upper plate 49 by suitable fasteners . seat back 23 a and seat bottom 23 b are hinged by sex bolt 64 secured on each side of seat bottom 23 b and seat back 23 a . the two piece oars are best illustrated in fig1 , 11 and 12 . each oar 26 has shank end 66 and blade member 67 . shank member 66 has snap button locks 68 which seat in aperture 69 . snap button locks 68 are in different planes and spaced apart to maintain oars 26 connected without inadvertent separation by accidentally pushing one of the snap button locks 68 or the oar 26 being snagged on something in the water . referring to fig1 , 16 and 17 , fish basket 71 slideably mounts beneath seat mount 32 . bracket 72 slideably mounts fish basket 71 . bracket 72 has stops 73 which engage rims 74 on fish basket 71 to prevent it from inadvertently being pulled completely out from under seat 23 . rim 74 has stops 75 which engage cross members 33 at the back of seat mount 32 to prevent fish basket 71 from sliding out of bracket 72 at the rear of seat frame 32 . referring now to fig1 and 13 , each pontoon 11 has twin bladders 17 with air valves 17 a for inflating and deflating pontoons 11 . pontoon 11 is nylon pvc coated material which is seam welded along lines 17 b . pontoons 11 have nylon web strap 15 which extends beneath pontoon 11 between d - ring brackets 20 on the outboard and inboard side of pontoon 11 . a short second strap 16 extends beneath pontoon 11 on top of strap 15 . strap 16 retains each buckle 21 attached approximately just above the water line of pontoon 11 . straps 15 and 16 are sewn to bottoms of pontoon 11 and a covering 18 of the same nylon pvc coated material as used for pontoon 11 is sewn thereover to provide protection for straps 15 and 16 when the watercraft 10 engages underwater objects or the bottom , as well as , moving the watercraft in and out of the water along the shoreline . straps 15 also have velcro fasteners to hold the ends of strap 15 against itself once the pontoons 11 have been properly secured to the yoke frame 13 . the forward ends of each pontoon 11 have a convenient attachment loop 19 such that the watercraft could be hauled or otherwise towed as desired . the pontoon watercraft 10 is assembled in the following manner , the main parts of yoke frame 13 are yoke members 31 and seat mount 32 . the twin bladders 17 of pontoons 11 are inflated through valves 17 a with sufficient air to fully inflate pontoons 11 which should be relatively firm . once the pontoons 11 have been inflated the yoke frame 13 is assembled by depressing the snap button locks 43 used throughout the assembly and inserting the struts 35 in cross members 33 of seat mount 32 . prior to this assembly the seat swivel 48 is secured through aperture 63 . lower plate 50 of seat swivel 48 is bolted in the desired position in aperture 63 of seat mount 32 . upper plate is likewise attached in any suitable manner to seat bottom 23 b . once yoke frame 13 is assembled , then it is placed over pontoons 11 and pontoons 11 adjusted so that the yoke members 31 seat on reinforcing strips 14 and d - rings 20 on yoke members 31 are oriented in alignment with straps 15 on either side of pontoons 11 . straps 15 are threaded through d - rings 20 then down through the bottom slot and back through the top slot in buckles 21 . straps 15 are tightened by pulling up on straps 15 which engage serrated edges of buckles 21 to hold pontoons 11 securely to yoke frame 13 . the preferred embodiment of composite watercraft 100 is best understood with referenced to fig2 through 29 . composite watercraft 100 combines watercraft 110 in fig2 and watercraft 120 in fig2 . it should be noted that watercraft 110 is almost identical with pontoon watercraft 10 and includes yoke frame 13 , illustrated in fig2 foot rest 29 and motor and anchor mount 28 . moreover , watercraft 120 is also similar to pontoon watercraft 10 and includes yoke frame 13 , illustrated in fig2 foot rest 29 and motor and anchor mount 28 . further referring to fig2 , 24 and 25 ; however , watercraft 110 has zippers 112 hidden by collar 113 on aft ends 115 . likewise , watercraft 120 has zippers 122 hidden by collar 123 on fore ends 125 . in order to assemble individual watercraft 110 with individual watercraft 120 to form composite watercraft 100 , motor and anchor mount 28 is removed by depressing snap - button locks 43 from apertures 46 . likewise , on watercraft 120 , snap - button lock 43 on footrest 39 are depressed from apertures 38 and foot rest 39 is removed . pontoon watercraft 110 and pontoon watercraft 120 are now ready to be joined . in order to do so , aft ends 115 of pontoons 111 are slightly deflated along with fore ends 125 of pontoons 121 . next , lattice work , generally referred to as 130 , includes two parallel bars 131 spaced by two horizontal bars 132 . bars 131 have long ends 134 and short ends 136 . with pontoons 111 and 121 slightly deflated , long ends 134 of lattice work 130 are inserted in innermost rails 37 of yoke member 31 , in apertures 46 until snap - button locks 137 engage apertures 46 ( see fig2 ). likewise , foot rest 39 is removed by pressing snap - button locks 43 and pulling foot rest 39 out of innermost rails 37 with longs ends 134 of lattice work 130 remaining locked in innermost rails 37 , with snap - button locks 137 engaged in apertures 38 . short ends 136 of side rails 131 are inserted into innermost rails 37 until snap - button locks 137 engage apertures 38 , such that fore ends 125 of pontoons 121 are fully mated with aft ends 115 of pontoons 111 . once lattice work 130 is fully engaged with watercrafts 110 and 120 , zippers halves 112 and 122 are mated to physically fasten aft ends 115 of pontoons 111 to aft ends 125 of pontoons 121 . collar 113 is then overlaid on top of collar 123 to provide a smooth juncture between aft ends 115 of pontoons 111 with fore ends 125 of pontoons 121 . in assembling watercraft 110 with watercraft 120 to form composite watercraft 100 , fore ends 125 of pontoons 121 may be left inflated and aft ends 115 of pontoons 111 would be deflated sufficiently for fore ends 125 on pontoons 121 to nestle into aft ends 115 of pontoons 111 . further it should be understood that lattice work 130 is alone sufficient to maintain pontoons 111 nestled with pontoons 121 , but for convenience , the possibility of rough water causing the pontoons to be distorted and separated is prevented by meshing zipper half 112 with zipper half 122 to secure aft ends 115 of pontoons 111 with fore ends 125 of pontoons 121 . this could be accomplished with velcro fasteners in which zipper half 122 is replaced with male velcro strip , zipper 112 eliminated and collar 112 having its inside formed with female velcro strip . referring to fig2 , fig3 and fig3 , pedestal seat 140 is similar to the arrangement for supporting folding seat 23 and seat swivel 48 as shown in fig1 and 19 . lower plate 50 ( seen in fig1 and 30 ) is supported and attached to pedestal post 150 . inner tubular housing 151 has longitudinal slots 152 with cross slots 153 , which lock inner tubular housing 151 with pin 155 engaged in upper end 156 of slots 153 to adjust the height of seat 23 . it is raised and turned until pin 155 projects in slots 152 with pin 155 oriented with longitudinal slot 152 . inner tubular housing 151 is raised and lowered in pedestal well 157 until the desired height is obtained and inner tubular housing 151 is rotated until pin 155 engages one of cross slots 153 and is lowered so that pin 155 is secured in upper end 156 of slot 153 . pedestal well 158 is attached by bolts 54 with wing nuts 65 , the same as in fig1 . referring now to fig2 , 31 , 31 a and 31 b , stand - up platform or deck , generally referred to as 160 , includes tubular framework 161 having mounting extension 163 and preferably forming an acute angle of approximately 80 ° with the deck . tubular extensions 163 maybe slightly towed in to provide clearance between parallel arms 164 , which are attached to vertical section 165 of tubular framework 161 . braces 166 are secured to parallel arms 164 and vertical section 165 to provide additional strength to parallel arms 164 . platform or deck 162 is attached to mounting extensions 163 by bolts 168 and nuts 169 . at the free end of extension 163 , platform 162 is secured to mounting extensions 163 by j - hook 171 secured by nut 172 . stand - up platform 160 may be mounted to either the fore or aft end of watercraft 10 or joined watercrafts 110 and 120 and may be mounted either by removal of footrests 39 or motor mount 28 . in order to attach stand - up platform 160 at the fore end of watercraft 10 , footrests 39 are removed , parallel arms 164 are inserted in innermost rails 37 of yoke members 31 until snap - button locks 43 are secured in apertures 38 . j - hooks 171 are loosened and rotated out of the way of yoke member 31 until parallel arms 164 are seated in innermost rails 37 after which j - hooks are rotated back and tightened down to provide additional support for platform 162 from innermost rails 37 . likewise if it is desired to mount stand - up platform 160 at the aft end of watercraft 10 or joined watercrafts 110 and 120 , motor mount 28 is removed and parallel arms 164 are inserted in innermost rails 37 of yoke members 31 until snap - button locks 43 are secured in apertures 46 . in mounting stand - up platform 160 , adjustments may be made by changing the positions of oar locks 40 , seat mount 32 and motor mount 28 of the integrated load leveling system . the optimum load leveling can be made to accommodate a person standing on stand - up platform 160 . the upper section of stand - up platform 160 includes u - shaped tubular member 175 with open ends 176 , which include a series of apertures 178 that engage snap - button locks 177 in mounting extensions 161 , which permits adjustments of the height of tubular member 175 above platform 162 . tubular member 175 includes padded handle bars 181 welded or otherwise secured to tubular member 175 . support rod 182 is positioned through apertures 183 in tubular member 175 held by clips 184 . stripping apron 185 is attached to support rod 182 by ties 186 . tubular member 175 has tie down loops 188 . stripping apron 185 is secured over tubular member 175 and tied to support rod 182 and tie down loops 188 . stripping apron 185 is provided with safety belt 190 . the arrangement is such that a fisher standing on the platform can position safety belt 190 around his / her midsection and hold on to handle bars 181 , thus to prevent the fisher from being caught off balance from rough waters and obstructions that cause the watercraft to lurch or bounce unexpectedly . it should be recognized that stand - up platform 160 may be mounted to the individual watercraft at either end and if desired to either or both ends of the composite watercraft . thus the watercrafts can be suitably tailored to the desires of the individual users . | 1 |
referring now to fig1 , an example barcode scanner 10 includes controller 12 , imager 14 , waveband mirrors 16 , folding mirrors 18 , and light devices 20 . controller 12 controls operation of barcode scanner 10 , including controlling illumination of items 22 by light devices 20 , activation of imager 14 in synchronism with illumination , and processing of images received from imager 14 . processing of images may include identifying barcodes 24 in the images and decoding the barcodes 24 . controller 12 sends decoded barcode information , including item identification information , to point of sale ( pos ) terminal , which adds obtains price information for items 22 and adds items 22 to a transaction . imager 14 captures images of items 22 during scanning . imager 14 may include a sensor with a charge coupled device ( ccd ) or complementary metal - oxide - semiconductor ( cmos ) with pixel elements that convert light to electrical signals that contain color information . waveband mirrors 16 each reflect a different waveband of illumination and transmit other wavelengths . an example of such a mirror would be either a “ long ” or “ short ” pass mirror from edmund scientific , cvi , melles griot , or rolyn optics . custom waveband mirrors may come from jdsu , barr associates , or esco products . folding mirrors 18 direct light reflected from items 22 to waveband mirrors 16 . light devices 20 each emit light at different wavelengths ( or different wavelength bands ). each light device 20 is associated with a different field of view ( fov ). controller 12 synchronizes activation of light devices 20 with the frame rate of imager 14 and pulses light devices 20 sequentially in a repeatable order so that imager 14 only sees light from one light device 20 and one corresponding fov at any instant in time and produces one or more corresponding images . light devices 20 may include narrow band light emitting diodes ( leds ). barcode scanner 10 may further include scale 28 for measuring weights of items 22 . for example , when item 22 is a produce item , scale 28 provides weight information to controller 12 , which passes the weight information to pos terminal 26 to obtain pricing information and add the produce item to the transaction . with reference to fig2 , and example configuration is illustrated which produces four different and independent fovs 30 a - 30 d and uses a single imager 14 . other configurations with other numbers of fovs 30 and imagers 14 are also envisioned . waveband mirror 16 a is oriented at a first angle with respect to imager 14 to produce a first fov 30 a by reflecting from a first direction light from light device 20 a towards imager 14 . waveband mirror 16 a is transparent to other wavelengths of light , including light from light devices 20 b - 20 d . waveband mirror 16 b is oriented adjacent waveband mirror 16 a at a second angle with respect to imager 14 to produce a second fov 30 b by reflecting from a second direction light from light device 20 b towards imager 14 . waveband mirror 16 b is transparent to other wavelengths of light , including light from light devices 20 c - 20 d . waveband mirror 16 c is oriented adjacent waveband mirror 16 b at a third angle with respect to imager 14 to produce a third fov 30 c by reflecting from a third direction light from light device 20 c towards imager 14 . waveband mirror 16 c is transparent to other wavelengths of light , including light from light devices 20 d . a fourth fov 30 d results when reflecting from a fourth direction light from light device 20 d towards imager 14 . waveband mirrors 16 a - 16 c are transparent to light from light device 20 d . light devices 20 a - 20 d are positioned to sequentially illuminate all sides of item 22 during scanning . in one example embodiment , light devices 20 a - 20 d are mounted adjacent to imager 14 on a common printed circuit board . in this configuration , light from light device 20 a reflects from waveband mirror 16 a , light from light device 20 b passes through waveband mirror 16 a and reflects from waveband mirror 16 a , light from light device 20 c passes through waveband mirrors 16 a - 16 b and reflects from waveband mirror 16 c , and light from light device 20 d passes through waveband mirrors 16 a - 16 c without reflection . in another configuration , light devices 20 a - 20 d are mounted separately from imager 14 , but internal to the scanner housing . in another configuration , light devices 20 a - 20 d are mounted externally on the housing of barcode scanner 10 . combinations of all three configurations are also envisioned . with reference to fig3 , example barcode scanner 10 includes a lower portion 40 with a substantially horizontal window 46 and an upper or “ tower ” portion 42 with a substantially vertical aperture 44 . when equipped with scale 28 , example barcode scanner 10 includes scale weigh plate 48 , which has its own window 50 . referring now to fig4 , imager 14 and waveband mirrors 16 a - c are located along a longitudinal line within lower portion 40 . waveband mirrors 16 a - 16 c may be the same size or be progressively larger in size with distance away from imager 14 with the addition of folding mirrors 18 , a barcode scanner 10 that has the example configuration can scan a barcode on item 22 from any direction (“ six - sided ” scanning when item 22 has a box - like shape ), regardless of the orientation of item 22 with respect to barcode scanner 10 . a single imager 14 may be used , since this configuration does not split any fovs 30 , though other configurations are envisioned which use more than one imager 14 . independent fovs 30 a - 30 d combine to form the scan volume of barcode scanner 10 , using only three waveband mirrors 16 a - c to produce six - sided scanning . other configurations and numbers of waveband mirrors are also envisioned . referring now to fig5 , folding mirrors 18 a - 1 and 18 a - 2 are located in lower portion 40 and direct light from light device 20 a that is reflected from a leading side of item 22 through aperture 46 . folding mirror 18 a - 2 is located on one side of lower portion 40 and tilted to redirect the light from the leading edge of item 22 to folding mirror 18 a - 1 . folding mirror 18 a - 1 is tilted so as to direct the light from folding mirror 18 a - 2 to waveband mirror 16 a . referring now to fig6 , folding mirrors 18 b - 1 and 18 b - 2 are located in lower portion 40 and direct light from light device 20 b that is reflected from a trailing side of item 22 through aperture 46 . folding mirror 18 b - 2 is located on a side of lower portion 40 opposite folding mirror 18 a - 2 and tilted to redirect the light from the trailing edge of item 22 to folding mirror 18 b - 1 . folding mirror 18 b - 1 is tilted so as to direct the light from folding mirror 18 b - 2 to waveband mirror 16 b . referring now to fig7 , folding mirror 18 c is located in upper portion 42 and directs light from light device 20 c that is reflected from a top side of item 22 and a tower - facing side of item 22 through aperture 44 . folding mirror 18 c is tilted to redirect the light from the top side of item 22 to waveband mirror 16 c . referring now to fig8 , folding mirror 18 d is located in lower portion 40 and directs light from light device 20 d that is reflected from a bottom side of item 22 and from an operator - facing side of item 22 through aperture 46 . folding mirror 18 d is tilted to redirect the light from the bottom and operator - facing sides of item 22 through waveband mirrors 16 a - 16 c to imager 14 . fig9 and 10 contain alternate embodiments illustrating other ways to position and orient waveband mirrors 16 a - 16 c within the scanner housing . fig9 illustrates waveband mirrors 16 a - 16 c oriented vertically within the tower portion 42 . fig1 illustrates waveband mirrors 16 a - 16 c oriented horizontally , but substantially perpendicular to the orientation in fig5 - 8 . advantageously , the example configurations result in improved performance and the captured spectral content may provide additional information for product & amp ; produce recognition . although the present invention has been described with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof , variations and modifications of the present invention can be effected within the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 6 |
referring to the drawings in particular , fig1 schematically shows a barrier layer 1 , which is designed as an anisotropic composite or anisotropic , fiber - reinforced plastic . this means that the composite possesses direction - dependent properties , which are preset by the material parameters , especially the coefficient of thermal expansion α δt and the stiffness , which is indicated by the modulus of elasticity . these two parameters are relevant for the stresses and expansions occurring in the barrier layer at very low temperatures . the composite of the barrier layer consists of oriented fibers embedded in a matrix . in order for the shrinkage of the barrier layer to occur essentially in one direction only , which is designated as the secondary direction 2 in fig1 , the coefficient of thermal expansion α δt must be as high as possible , on the one hand , in a primary direction 3 extending at right angles to the secondary direction 2 , and the stiffness in the secondary direction 2 should also have a low value . the thermal expansion of the barrier layer 1 is affected , among other things , by the selection of the fibers and the stiffness [ and ] by the design of the barrier layer . the oriented fibers of the barrier layer 1 or of the composite are arranged in different layers over the thickness of the layer , the layers forming different angles with one another . three layers 4 , 5 and 6 , which are arranged one on top of another and form an angle of 0 °, 33 ° and − 33 °, respectively , with one another , are shown as an example on the right - hand side of fig1 . carbon , polyethylene , aramid , pbo or glass fibers or another suitable material is used for the reinforcing material , while the matrix is manufactured , for example , from epoxy resin , polyester resin , polyurethane or another suitable material . the fibers or fiber layers 4 , 5 and 6 may be formed exclusively from one fiber material , e . g ., carbon fibers or glass fibers . the fiber material may also be mixed in hybrid embodiments , e . g ., carbon fibers are used for a first layer and glass fibers for other layers . the anisotropic composite layer is gas - tight due to the materials selected . it may be combined with other additional layers , e . g ., connected to a gas - tight layer or a liner . to manufacture the fiber composite and barrier layer 1 , the fiber layers may be placed one over the other at preset angles and impregnated with the matrix and cured . furthermore , the layers may also be designed as prepregs , in which endless fibers , which may also be in the form of a fabric , are embedded in a still ) uncured plastic matrix , the prepregs being placed one over another at an angle and connected to one another by supplying heat and applying pressure . fig2 shows an exemplary embodiment of the barrier layer 1 , which has a design that is described in connection with fig1 , with a plurality of beads , which are oriented in the primary direction 3 , being located next to each other as compensators 7 in the secondary direction 2 . if the barrier layer 1 is cooled as a wall of a tank for ultra cold liquids by filling said tank to a temperature in the range of − 160 ° c . or lower , the anisotropic fiber composite brings about a temperature - dependent shrinkage 8 , which takes place in the secondary direction 2 only and is indicated by the broken line in fig2 , due to a high modulus of elasticity and a very low coefficient of thermal expansion in the primary direction 3 and a simultaneously low modulus of elasticity and high coefficient of thermal expansion in the secondary direction 2 arranged at an angle of 90 ° in relation to the primary direction 3 . the shrinkage 8 occurring in the secondary direction 2 only is compensated by an expansion 9 of the compensating beads 7 , and the barrier layer 6 has no stress peaks caused by intersecting beads in an isotropic fiber composite . various examples of the state of the art and of the present invention will be described below , which are listed in table 1 . ud designates unidirectional hybrid : carbon and glass fibers , c : carbon fibers , g : glass fibers , and clt : classical laminate theory . the index s indicated for the angles in square brackets indicates that the laminates have a mirror - symmetrical design to avoid warpage . [ 0 / 45 /− 45 / 90 ] s correspondingly stands for [ 0 / 45 /− 45 / 90 / 90 /− 45 / 45 / 0 ], i . e ., right layers . as can be determined from table 1 , the values of 11 . 79 × 10 − 6 / k are obtained for the coefficient of thermal expansion α δt and 23 , 711 mpa for the modulus of elasticity ( modulus e ) according to the classical laminate theory ( clt ) for a quasi - isotropic design comprising eight layers , which are arranged one on top of another at the angles [ 0 °, 45 °, − 45 °, 90 °] s with the use of glass fibers . the use of carbon fibers leads to the values of 2 . 66 × 10 − 6 / k for α δt and 54 , 335 mpa for the modulus of elasticity according to the clt . the values of 7 . 36 × 10 − 6 / k are obtained according to the clt theory for α δt and 44 , 480 mpa for the modulus of elasticity in the primary direction 3 and the values of 31 . 76 × 10 − 6 / k are obtained for α δt and 13 , 219 mpa for the modulus of elasticity in the secondary direction 2 for a unidirectional design , in which three layers are arranged one on top of another exclusively in the primary direction 3 in the case of glass fibers . in this arrangement , the values of 0 . 25 × 10 − 6 / k are obtained for α δt and 139 , 280 mpa for the modulus of elasticity in the primary direction 3 and the values of 31 . 54 × 10 − 6 / k and 9 , 560 mpa for the modulus of elasticity in the secondary direction 2 for carbon fibers . an anisotropic design with six layers arranged one on top of another at the angles [ 0 °, 45 °, − 45 °] s has , according to the clt , the values of 8 . 79 × 10 − 6 / k for α δt and 26 , 102 for the modulus of elasticity in the primary direction 3 and 17 . 35 × 10 − 6 / k for α δt and 16 , 785 mpa for the modulus of elasticity in the secondary direction 2 in the case of glass fibers . the values of 0 . 09 × 10 − 6 / k and 60 , 467 mpa for the modulus of elasticity are obtained for carbon fibers in this arrangement in the primary direction 3 and the values of 6 . 74 × 10 − 6 / k for α δt and 26 , 105 mpa for the modulus of elasticity are obtained in the secondary direction 2 . the values of 7 . 05 × 10 − 6 / ka for α δt and 31 , 260 mpa for the modulus of elasticity are obtained according to the clt in the primary direction 3 and the values of 25 . 87 × 10 − 6 / k for α δt and 14 , 005 mpa for the modulus of elasticity are obtained in the secondary direction 2 for an anisotropic design with six layers arranged one on top of another at the angles [ 0 °, 33 °, − 33 °] s for glass fibers . the values of − 1 . 64 × 10 06 / k for α δt and 76 , 920 mpa for the modulus of elasticity are obtained in the primary direction 3 and the values of 15 . 17 × 10 − 6 / k for α δt and 14 , 612 mpa for the modulus of elasticity are obtained in the secondary direction 2 for carbon fibers in this arrangement . the values of 2 . 36 × 10 − 6 / k for α δt and 57 , 647 mpa for the modulus of elasticity are obtained according to the clt in the primary direction 3 and the values of 19 . 86 × 10 − 6 / k for α δt and 16 , 674 mpa for the modulus of elasticity are obtained in the secondary direction 2 in the case of an anisotropic hybrid design with six layers arranged one on top of another at the angles [ 0 °, 45 °, − 45 °] s , of which the layer in the primary direction 3 ) ( 0 °) is made of carbon fibers and the layers extending at the angles 45 ° and − 45 ° are made of glass fibers . the values of 1 . 89 × 10 − 6 / k for α δt and 62 , 776 mpa for the modulus of elasticity are obtained according to the clt in the primary direction 3 and the values of 25 . 14 × 10 − 6 / k and 13 , 556 mpa for the modulus of elasticity are obtained in the secondary direction 2 for an arrangement at the angles of 0 °, 33 ° and − 33 ° in the case of the hybrid design . the lowest coefficient of thermal expansion in the primary direction is attained with a [ 33 °/− 33 °] s layer arrangement . an additional 0 ° layer increases the strength in the primary direction 3 . while a quasi - isotropic layer arrangement has identical values for the modulus of elasticity and the coefficient of thermal expansion in the primary direction 3 and in the secondary direction 2 , a value of the quotient of the coefficient of thermal expansion in the secondary direction , divided by the coefficient of thermal expansion in the primary direction , can be adjusted to a value greater than 2 by selecting the materials and angles for the layers . in case of a negative quotient , the value of the quotient is preferably greater than 5 and especially preferably greater than 10 . the value of a quotient of the modulus of elasticity in the primary direction , divided by the modulus of elasticity in the secondary direction , can be set between 1 . 5 and 15 by selecting the materials and angles for the layers . the above figures show only details of a barrier layer . a complete barrier layer can be manufactured in nearly any desired shape . for example , the barrier layer may be designed such as to be suitable for spherical , prismatic or cylindrical shapes . composite shapes are possible as well . fig3 shows the modulus of elasticity ( left ) and the coefficient of thermal expansion ( right ) as a function of the direction . a distance 10 of a point 11 on the ellipse 12 corresponds to the modulus of elasticity in the corresponding direction . the coefficient of thermal expansion is shown in the same manner in the right - hand part of the figure . as can be recognized , the modulus of elasticity is markedly lower in the secondary direction 2 than in the primary direction 3 , and the coefficient of thermal expansion is markedly lower in the primary direction 3 than in the secondary direction 2 . while specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles . | 5 |
we now describe the structure , synthesis , and use of preferred embodiments of the invention . the purpose of group t is to stabilize the dioxetane , i . e . to prevent premature decomposition . large , bulky , sterically hindered molecules , e . g ., fused polycyclic molecules , are the most effective stabilizers . in addition , t preferably contains only c -- c and c -- h single bonds . the most preferred molecule is an adamantylidene group consisting of 3 fused cyclohexyl rings . the adamantylidene group is spiro - bound at the 3 - carbon of the dioxetane . group v is a fluorescent chromophore which is either spiro - bound at the 4 - carbon of the dioxetane or bonded to the 4 - carbon of the dioxetane through a non - spiro linkage . it becomes luminescent when enzymatic cleavage , either of an enzyme cleavable group bonded to group t or group v , or of the 0 -- 0 bond of the 4 - membered dioxetane ring , occurs to cause decomposition of the dioxetane . the decomposition produces two individual carbonyl - containing compounds , one of which contains group t , and the other of which contains group v ; the energy released form dioxetane decomposition causes the chromophore to luminesce . preferably , the excited state energy of group v ( i . e . the energy it must possess in order to emit light ) is less than the excited state energy of the ketone containing group t in order to confine luminescence to group v . the preferred dioxetane has the formula ## str7 ## where r 4 and r 5 independently , are h or phosphate and ad is an adamantylidene group . decomposition yields a coumarin molecule having the formula ## str8 ## whose excited state energy is less than that of spiroadamantanone ( the other decomposition product ). the dioxetanes are generally decomposed in two ways . one way is to add an oxido - reductase enzyme , e . g ., a peroxidase ( preferably horseradish or microperoxidase ); the enzyme cleaves the 0 -- 0 bond of the 4 - membered ring , thereby generating the luminescent molecule . a second way is to bond an enzyme cleavable group to group t or , more preferably , to group v . contact with the appropriate enzyme cleaves the enzyme - cleavable bond , yielding an electron - rich moiety bonded to group v or group t ; this moiety initiates the decomposition of the dioxetane into 2 individual carbonyl - containing compounds . examples of electron - rich moieties include oxygen , sulfur , and amine or amido anions . the most preferred moiety is an oxygen anion . examples of suitable enzyme - cleavable groups , and the enzymes specific to these groups , are given below in table 1 ; an arrow denotes the enzyme - cleavable bond . the most preferred group is a phosphate ester , which is cleaved by alkaline or acid phosphatase enzymes . table 1__________________________________________________________________________group z enzyme__________________________________________________________________________1 ) ## str9 ## alkaline and acid phosphatases phosphate ester2 ) ## str10 ## esterases acetate ester3 ) ## str11 ## decarboxylases carboxyl4 ) ## str12 ## phospholipase d 1 - phospho - 2 , 3 - diacyl glycerides5 ) ## str13 ## β - xylosidase β - d - xyloside6 ) ## str14 ## β - d - fucosidase β - d - fucoside7 ) ## str15 ## thioglucosidase 1 - thio - d - glucoside8 ) ## str16 ## adpase ( a ) + phosphatase ( b ) adenosine diphosphate analogs . 9 ) ## str17 ## ampase ( a ) + phosphatase ( b ) adenosine monophosphate analogs10 ) ## str18 ## 5 &# 39 ;- nucleosidase ( a ) + ribosidase ( b ) adenosine analogs11 ) ## str19 ## β - d - galactosidase β - d - galactoside12 ) ## str20 ## α - d - galactosidase α - d - galactoside13 ) ## str21 ## α - d - glucosidase α - d - glucoside14 ) ## str22 ## β - d - glucosidase β - d - glucoside15 ) ## str23 ## α - d - mannosidase α - d - mannoside16 ) ## str24 ## β - d - mannosidase β - d - mannoside17 ) ## str25 ## β - d - fructofuranosidase β - d - fructofuranoside18 ) ## str26 ## β - d - glucosiduronase β - d - glucosiduronate19 ) ## str27 ## trypsin p - toluenesulfonyl - l - arginine ester20 ) ## str28 ## trypsin p - toluenesulfonyl - l - arginine amide21 ) ## str29 ## atpase ( a ) + phosphatase ( b ) adenosine triphosphatase analogs__________________________________________________________________________ preferably , the enzyme is covalently bonded to a substance having a specific affinity for the substance being detected . examples of specific affinity substances include antibodies , e . g ., anti - hcg , where the substance being detected is an antigen , e . g ., hcg ; antigens , e . g ., hcg , where the substance being detected is an antibody , e . g ., anti - hcg ; or a probe capable of binding to all or a portion of a nucleic acid , e . g ., dna or rna , being detected . bonding is preferably through an amide bond . in general , the dioxetanes of the invention are synthesized in two steps . the first step involves synthesizing an appropriately substituted olefin having the formula ## str30 ## where t and v are as described above . olefins in which v is bonded via a non - spiro linkage to the olefin double bond are synthesized according to the method described in edwards , u . s . ser . no . 140 , 197 , filed the same day as the present application and assigned to the same assignee , now abandoned , hereby incorporated by reference . olefins in which chromophore v is spiro - bound at the olefin double bond are generally synthesized using one of the following two synthetic methods . the reaction was carried out as follows for the case where r is methyl . adamantane - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 1 . 51 g ., 8 . 38 mmol ), prepared following the procedure of farcasiu ( synthesis , 1972 , 615 ), was dissolved in 35 ml ch 2 cl 2 . the solution was cooled in an ice bath to produce a thin suspension . oxalyl chloride (. 88 ml , 10 mmol ) was added with stirring . the subsequent addition of 2 drops dmf produced immediate evolution of gas . after 15 minutes the mixture was warmed to room temperature and stirring as continued for 2 hours . the volatiles were then removed under reduced pressure . the crude acid chloride was diluted with 25 ml sieve dried ( 3a ) pyridine to provide a slightly cloudy , yellow solution upon cooling in an ice bath . 2 &# 39 ;- hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;- methoxyacetophenone ( 1 . 18 g ., 7 . 12 mmole ) in 5 ml pyridine was added to the solution dropwise . the mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 30 minutes and then warmed to room temperature for an additional 2 hours . the mixture was poured into saturated nahco 3 solution ( 150 ml ) and extracted with ( 3 × 20 ml ) 25 % ethyl acetate in hexanes . the combined organics were washed with 1 n hcl , saturated nahco 3 , and water , followed by drying over na 2 so 4 . the solution was concentrated to provide 2 . 5 g . of a yellow oil . i . r . ( film ): 2900 cm - 1 ( ester c ═ 0 ), 1672 cm - 1 ( ketone c ═ 0 ). tlc analysis showed that the ester product , 2 &# 39 ;-( adamantane - 2 - carbonyloxy )- 4 &# 39 ;- methoxyacetophenone , was sufficiently pure for subsequent use . the ester obtained above ( 1 . 53 g ., 4 . 6 mmol ) was next dissolved in 10 ml dmso , and added dropwise to a suspension of nah ( 60 % dispersion - . 56 g , 13 . 97 mmole ) in 35 ml dmso . after foaming had ceased , the brown mixture was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature . the mixture was poured into saturated oxalic acid solution , and extracted with 3 × 50 ml ethyl acetate . the combined organics were washed several times with water and finally with saturated nacl . concentration and chromatography through a short silica gel plug using 10 % ethyl acetate in hexanes provided 1 . 58 g . of a slightly orange solid . i . r . ( chcl 3 ): 2900 cm - 1 , 1695 cm - 1 ( c ═ 0 ). an analytical sample of the product 1 , 3 - diketone , 2 -( adamantane - 2 - carbonyl )- 2 &# 39 ;- hydroxy - 4 &# 39 ;- methoxyacetophenone , recrystallized from hexanes exhibited a melting point of 105 °- 108 ° c . the crude diketone product of the previous reaction ( 1 . 58 g ) was suspended in 40 ml acetic acid and treated with 15 drops conc . hcl . the mixture was heated at 100 °- 110 ° c . for 30 minutes . the mixture was carefully neutralized with nahco 3 solution and extracted several times with ethyl acetate . the combined organic layers were washed with water and saturated nacl . the solution was dried quickly over na 2 so 4 and evaporated to yield 1 . 5 g of a slightly brown solid which could be recrystallized from ethyl acetate to give . 92 gms . of the chromenone , 2 -( adamant - 2 - yl )- 7 - methoxy - 4h - chromen4 - one , as light buff crystals . i . r . ( chcl 3 ) 2900 cm - 1 , 1630 cm - 1 ( c ═ 0 ), 1595 cm - 1 , 1435 cm - 1 , m . p . 160 °- 162 ° c . a solution of the above - prepared chromenone ( 0 . 62 g ., 2 mmol ) in 10 ml absolute methanol , was treated with 0 . 4 m cecl 3 . 7h 2 o in methanol ( 5 ml , 2 mmol ). nabh 4 ( 76 mg ., 2 mmol ) was added in small portions with stirring . after 60 minutes at room temperature , 50 ml water was added and the mixture extracted with 2 × 20 ml ethyl acetate . the combined organic layers were washed first with water and then with saturated nacl . the solution was dried over na 2 so 4 and concentrated in vacuo to provide the crude allylic alcohol . the light straw colored oil showed no carbonyl absorption ( 1630 cm - 1 ) due to the starting material in the i . r . spectrum . the oil was dissolved in 25 ml ch 2 cl 2 under argon and the solution was cooled to - 20 ° c . triethylamine ( 0 . 61 g , 6 mmole ) was added by syringe with stirring . methanesulfonyl chloride ( 0 . 25 g ., 2 . 2 mmole ) was then added dropwise . the mixture was allowed to slowly warm up to room temperature , whereupon stirring was continued overnight . the mixture was extracted several times with water , dried over na 2 so 4 , and stripped to remove solvent and excess triethylamine . the product , 7 - methoxy - 2 - adamantylidene - 3 - chromene , was obtained with a yield of 0 . 5 g . to prepare the phosphorylated version , the chromene is demethylated with sodium ethanethiolate in dmf , and then phosphorylated with 2 - chloro - 2 - oxo - 1 , 3 - dioxaphospholane as described in edwards , u . s . ser . no . 140 , 197 , described earlier , now abandoned . the second synthesis involves using the barton reaction according to the following reaction sequence : ## str32 ## the reaction was carried out as follows for the case where r is methyl . 7 - methoxy - coumarin - 2 - thione ( 2 g , 10 . 4 mmol ), obtained by the procedure of f . tiemann ( ber . 19 , 1661 , 1886 ), and hydrazine monohydrate (. 55 ml , 11 . 3 mmol ) were heated under reflux in absolute ethanol for 4 hours . the mixture was filtered while hot and the filtrate evaporated under reduce pressure . the residue was extracted several times with boiling petroleum ether ( 35 °- 60 ° c .). the solution was concentrated to dryness and the residue was recrystallized from ethanol to provide the hydrazone , 2 - hydrazono - 7 - methoxy - 2h - benzopyran , as a light yellow solid . a solution of the above hydrazone ( 2 . g ., 10 . 5 mmol ) and 2 - adamantanone ( 1 . 6 g , 10 . 7 mmol ) in 50 ml absolute ethanol was treated with 0 . 1 ml triethylamine and 0 . 1 ml glacial acetic acid . the mixture was stirred overnight at room temperature and subsequently refluxed for 3 hours . the solvent was removed and the residue was chromatographed on silica gel to obtain the mixed azine , 7 - methoxy - 2 - n - benzo - 2h - pyranoadamantylideneazine , as a yellow solid . the azine ( 3 . 2 g , 10 mmol ) was dissolved in 200 ml of 1 : 1 toluene - dimethoxyethane . this solution was then treated with 2 mg . of p - toluene sulfonic acid . hydrogen sulfide was slowly bubbled in through a gas dispersion tube with vigorous stirring . the reaction was monitored by tlc , which showed complete consumption of the starting material after 18 hours . the solvent was removed under reduced pressure to yield a residue which was triturated with hexanes and dried in vacuo . the product was chromatographed on silica gel using ethylacetate - dichloromethane to provide the heterocyclic product , 7 - methoxy - 2h - benzopyranspiro - 2 &# 39 ;-( 1 &# 39 ;, 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;- thiadiazolidine )- 5 &# 39 ;- spiroadamantane , in good yield . next , sieve dried benzene ( 50 ml ) was stirred under argon during the addition of caco 3 ( 3 . 5 g ., 35 mmol ). lead tetracetate ( 3 . 5 g ., 7 . 9 mmol ) was added in small portions to the white suspension , which was then allowed to stir for 30 minutes at room temperature . a solution of the aforementioned thiadizolidine ( 2 . 1 g , 6 mmol ) in 50 ml benzene was added dropwise over a one hour period . the mixture was then allowed to stir overnight . water ( 200 ml ) was added with vigorous stirring . the aqueous layer was extracted with 3 × 30 ml benzene and the combined organics were washed with 2 × 40 ml water , 1 × 40 ml saturated nacl , and dried over na 2 so 4 . the solvent was removed in vacuo to yield 3 g of residue which was chromatographed on silica gel with dichloromethane - hexanes to provide the off - white crystalline thiadiazine , 7 - methoxy - 2h - benzopyranspiro - 2 &# 39 ;-( 1 &# 39 ;, 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;- thiadiazine )- 5 &# 39 ;- spiroadamantane , in good yield . a mixture of the above thiadizine ( 1 . 77 g , 5 mmole ) and triphenyl phosphine ( 3 . 1 g ., 11 . 7 mmole ) was heated in a sealed tube under argon at 150 ° c . for 18 hours . the contents were dissolved in a small amount of methylene chloride and applied to a silica gel column for flash chromatography using 5 % ch 2 cl 2 - hexanes to yield 7 - methoxy - 2 - adamantylidene - 3 - chromene . the product was identical in all respects to the chromene obtained by the first synthetic route . it could also be phosphorylated as described above . the second step in the synthesis of the dioxetanes involves converting the olefin described above to the dioxetane . preferably , the conversion is effected photochemically by treating the olefin with singlet oxygen ( 1 o 2 ) in the presence of light . 1 o 2 adds across the double bond to form the dioxetane as follows : ## str33 ## the reaction is preferably carried out at + 15 ° c . in a halogenated solvent , e . g ., methylene chloride . 1 o 2 is generated using a photosensitizer . examples of photosensitizers include polymer - bound rose bengal ( commercially known as sensitox ii and available from polysciences ) and methylene blue ( a well - known dye and ph indicator ). the most preferred sensitizer is methylene blue . the synthesis of the dioxetane having the formula ## str34 ## where r 4 is a phosphate group follows . in a large culture tube , 0 . 075 g (. 21 mmole ) of the chromene phosphate salt prepared as described above was dissolved in 25 ml chcl 3 . a quantity ( 0 . 210 g ) of methylene blue on silica gel ( 0 . 0026 g dye / g sio 2 ) was added as a sensitizer . the tube was placed in a silvered dewar flask containing a 250 watt , high - pressure sodium lamp inside a water - cooled immersion well . a piece of 5 mil kapton ( dupont ) placed inside the well served as a u . v . filter . ice water was pumped through the apparatus to maintain the sample temperature below 15 ° c . a continuous stream of dry oxygen was passed into the reaction vessel through a capillary tube . the gas flow was adjusted so as to just maintain a uniform suspension of solid - phase sensitizer . after 25 minutes irradiation time , the u . v . absorption of the starting material disappeared . the light yellow - green solution was filtered , evaporated , and reconstituted with 10 ml water . the aqueous sample was then filtered through 0 . 45 micron nylon filter and chromatographed on a reverse phase , c18 preparative hplc column using a water / acetonitrile gradient . the appropriate fractions were combined and lyophillized to provide the dioxetane , dispiro ( adamantane - 2 )- 3 &# 39 ;-( 1 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 39 ; dioxetane )- 4 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ;-( 7 &# 34 ;- phosphoryloxy - 3 &# 34 ;- chromene ) sodium salt , as a white , hygroscopic solid . a wide variety of assays exist which use visually detectable means to determine the presence or concentration of a particular substance in a sample . the above - described dioxetanes can be used in any of these assays . examples of such assays include immunoassays to detect antibodies or antigens , e . g ., α or β - hcc ; enzyme assays ; chemical assays to detect , e . g ., potassium or sodium ions ; and nucleic acid assays to detect , e . g ., viruses ( e . g ., htlv iii or cytomegalovirus , or bacteria ( e . g ., e . coli )). when the detectable substance is an antibody , antigen , or nucleic acid , the enzyme is preferably bonded to a substance having a specific affinity for the detectable substance ( i . e . a substance that binds specifically to the detectable substance ), e . g ., an antigen , antibody , or nucleic acid probe , respectively . conventional methods , e . g ., carbodiimide coupling , are used to bond the enzyme to the specific affinity substance ; bonding is preferably through an amide linkage . in general , assays are performed as follows . a sample suspected of containing a detectable substance is contacted with a buffered solution containing an enzyme bonded to a substance having a specific affinity for the detectable substance . the resulting solution is incubated to allow the detectable substance to bind to the specific affinity portion of the specific affinity - enzyme compound . excess specific affinity - enzyme compound is then washed away , and a dioxetane is added . in the case of an oxido - reductase enzyme , the 0 -- 0 peroxy bond of the dioxetane is cleaved , causing the dioxetane to decompose into 2 ketones , one of which contains the chromophore , e . g ., coumarin ; the chromophore is thus excited and luminesces . luminescence is detected using , e . g ., a photomultiplier tube detector or camera luminometer , as an indication of the presence of the detectable substance in the sample . luminescence intensity is measured to determine the concentration of the substance . where group t or group v contains an enzyme - cleavable group , e . g ., phosphate , the enzyme , e . g ., phosphatase , cleaves this group to cause luminescence as described above . when the detectable substance is an enzyme , a specific affinity substance is not necessary . instead , a dioxetane is used . therefore , an assay for the enzyme involves adding the dioxetane to the enzyme - containing sample , and detecting the resulting luminescence as an indication of the presence and the concentration of the enzyme . a 96 - well microtiter plate is coated with sheep anti - human igg ( f ( ab ) 2 fragment specific ). a serum sample containing human igg is then added to the wells , and the wells are incubated for 1 hr . at room temperature . following the incubation period , the serum sample is removed from the wells , and the wells are washed four times with an aqueous buffer solution containing 0 . 15 m nacl , 0 . 01 m phosphate , and 0 . 1 % bovine serum albumin ( ph 7 . 4 ). horseradish peroxidase bonded to anti - human igg is added to each well , and the wells are incubated for 1 hr . the wells are then washed four times with the above buffer solution , and a buffer solution of a dioxetane is added . the resulting luminescence caused by enzymatic degradation of the dioxetane is detected in a luminometer , or with photographic film in a camera luminometer . similar results are obtained using a phosphate - containing dioxetane and alkaline phosphatase in place of horseradish peroxidase . rabbit anti - α hcg is adsorbed onto a nylon - mesh membrane . a sample solution containing hcg , e . g ., urine from a pregnant woman , is blotted through the membrane , after which the membrane is washed with 1 ml of a buffer solution containing 0 . 15 m nacl , 0 . 01 m phosphate , and 0 . 1 % bovine serum albumin ( ph 7 . 4 ). microperoxidase - labelled anti - β - hcg is added to the membrane , and the membrane is washed again with 2 ml of the above buffer solution . the membrane is then placed in the cuvette of a luminometer or into a camera luminometer , and contacted with a dioxetane . the luminescence resulting from enzymatic degradation of the dioxetane is then detected . similar results are obtained using alkaline phosphatase - labelled anti β - hcg and a phosphate - containing dioxetane . 2 . 7 ml of an aqueous buffer solution containing 0 . 84 m 2 - methyl - 2 - aminopropanol is placed in a 12 × 75 mm pyrex test tube , and 0 . 1 ml of a serum sample containing microperoxidase added . the solution is then equilibrated to 30 ° c . 0 . 2 ml of a dioxetane is added , and the test tube immediately placed in a luminometer to record the resulting luminescence . the level of light emission will be proportional to the rate of microperoxidase activity . the above - described assay can be used to detect serum alkaline phosphatase by using a phosphate - containing dioxetane . a sample of cerebrospinal fluid ( csf ) suspected of containing cytomegalovirus is collected and placed on a nitrocellulose membrane . the sample is then chemically treated with urea or guanidinium isothiocyanate to break the cell walls and to degrade all cellular components except the viral dna . the strands of the viral dna thus produced are separated and attached to the nitrocellulose filter . a dna probe specific to the viral dna and labelled with horseradish peroxidase is then applied tot he filter ; the probe hybridizes with the complementary viral dna strands . after hybridization , the filter is washed with an aqueous buffer solution containing 0 . 2 m nacl and 0 . 1 mm tris - hcl ( ph = 8 . 0 ) to remove excess probe molecules . a dioxetane is added and the resulting luminescence from the enzymatic degradation of the dioxetane is measured in a luminometer or detected with photographic film . similar results are obtained using alkaline phosphatase to label the dna probe , and a phosphate - containing dioxetane . for example , the specific affinity substance can be bonded to the dioxetane through group t or group v , instead of the enzyme . in this case , the group to which the specific affinity substance is bonded is provided with , e . g ., a carboxylic acid , amino , or maleimide substituent to facilitate bonding . group t or group v of the dioxetane can be bonded to a polymerizable group , e . g ., a vinyl group , which can be polymerized to form a homopolymer or copolymer . group t or group v of the dioxetane can be bonded to , e . g ., membranes , films , beads , or polymers for use in immuno - or nucleic acid assays . the groups are provided with , e . g ., carboxylic acid , amino , or maleimide substituents to facilitate bonding . group t or group v of the dioxetane can contain substituents which enhance the kinetics of the dioxetane peroxidase - induced degradation , e . g ., electron - rich moieties ( e . g ., methoxy ). another example of a chemical synthesis involves converting the olefin precursor to a 1 , 2 bromohydroperoxide by reacting the olefin with h 2 o 2 and dibromantin ( 1 , 3 - dibromo - 5 , 5 - dimethyl hydantoin ). treatment of the 1 , 2 - bromohydroperoxide with base , e . g ., oh or silver salts , e . g ., silver bromide , forms the dioxetane . rather than treating the olefin with photochemically generated singlet oxygen , the dioxetane can be prepared by treating the olefin with triphenyl phosphite ozonide or triethylsilyl hydrotrioxide , as described in posner et al ., j . am . chem . soc . 109 : 278 - 79 ( 1987 ). another method of synthesizing the olefin precursor involves the mcmurray reaction in which the chromophore and carbonyl form of group t olefin are reacted with ticl 3 / lah to form the olefin . modified mcmurray reactions , e . g ., where ticl 4 / tmeda / zn is used instead of ticl 3 lah , can also be used . | 6 |
referring to fig1 of the drawings , a support structure is shown comprising a principal , or first a - frame 10 , and two smaller a - frames 12 nested in the open central area 14 within the principal a - frame 10 . when two a - frames are being described , the larger a - frame 10 is referred to as the first a - frame 10 and the smaller a - frame 12 is referred to as the second a - frame 12 . each a - frame 10 , 12 comprises two upright limbs 16 , each limb 16 being spaced apart at a lower portion 18 and connected to one another at an upper portion 20 . the upper portion 20 includes an apex 22 , with an open central area 14 beneath said upper portion 20 . from the upper portion 20 , referred to hereinafter as the apex 22 , a support means 24 extends substantially horizontally and transverse to the plane in which the a - frame 10 , 12 lies . the apex 22 is shown as a pointed apex 22 and comprises wheels or rollers , but may be a flat , hipped - type connection . at the lower portion 18 of each a - frame 10 , 12 , a foot 26 extends outwards from the lower portion 18 of each limb 16 in substantially the same direction as the support means . in the nested condition , each of the a - frames 10 , 12 lies in the same vertical plane . in the nested condition , each foot 26 enables the support structure 8 to be self - supporting , and to stand alone without the assistance of any other support . in the embodiment shown , the a - frames 10 , 12 are reinforced by a brace 28 to fix the limbs 16 of each a - frame 10 , 12 a predetermined distance apart . further , guide means 30 in the form of wheels 30 are included to improve the manoeuvrability of the support structures 8 . each support structure 8 can be easily manoeuvred and installed in position , before being expanded for use . each of the upright limbs 16 of the a - frames 10 , 12 , support means 24 and feet 26 are constructed of steel box sectional , although they may alternatively be constructed from any such equivalent structural material such as tubular aluminium sections and the like . each limb 16 is connected up its apex 22 by welding or may be connected using a hinge , bracket or other joining means ( not shown ). by using a hinge , each a - frame 10 , 12 could be collapsible as an individual component to enable the support structure 8 to be disassembled from its nested condition . the support means 24 , extending from the upper portion 20 of each a - frame 10 , 12 does not necessarily have to extend horizontally and may alternatively be configured to extend in a downward , or upward , direction from the apex 22 of the a - frame 10 , 12 . each a - frame 10 , 12 does not necessarily have to be arranged perpendicular to the surface on which it rests , and may alternatively be angled away from the perpendicular , by adjustment of the limb 16 position to enable the support structure 8 to be placed on a sloped surface , while continuing to provide a support structure 8 for a level deck 38 to be placed thereupon . further , each a - frame 10 , 12 may comprise more than one support means . although the embodiment shown in fig1 comprises one foot 26 associated with each limb 16 of each a - frame 10 , 12 to provide support for the a - frame 10 , 12 structure many alternative configurations are possible . each a - frame 10 , 12 , may comprise only a single foot 26 . further , each foot 26 may extend in a different direction from the support means . each a - frame 10 , 12 may , alternatively , comprise a number of feet 26 extending from the lower portion 18 of each limb 16 or may even be arranged at a non - perpendicular angle with respect to the limbs 16 of the a - frame 10 , 12 . in an alternative embodiment ( not shown ) each a - frame 10 , 12 is a different size such that the height of each support means 24 can be vertically adjusted , while being configured to allow the a - frames 10 , 12 of the support structure 8 to be nested . to reduce material and manufacturing costs , each of the a - frames 10 , 12 may not comprise a foot 26 , thus only becoming stable when at least one of the a - frames 10 , 12 is drawn out from the nested position , such that at least four of the limbs 16 of the support structure 8 are distributed upon a surface on which the support structure 8 is located . fig2 shows the support structure 8 of fig1 in an extended , in use , condition . to extend the support structure 8 , each a - frame 10 , 12 is drawn out from the open central area 14 beneath the upper a - frame 10 is void . the extent to which each a - frame 10 , 12 slides out is dictated by an interface 32 between the apex 22 of an adjacent a - frame and an end point 34 of each support means . alternatively , the extent to which each a - frame 10 , 12 slides out is determined by interacting stops 50 arranged on cooperating outer and inner sides of the feet 26 . by way of example , the a - frame 10 is connected , via the support means , to the apex 22 of the a - frame immediately within the upper a - frame 10 . the interface 32 between the support means 24 and the apex 22 of the a - frame 12 is typically a tongue and groove type relationship , known to those skilled in the art . alternatively , the interface 32 may comprise a wheel or roller assembly on the underside of the support means 24 . therefore , the a - frame 12 will be drawn out from the open central area 14 within the a - frame 10 until the apex 22 of the a - frame 12 reaches the end of the support means 24 of the a - frame 10 . at the end of the support means 24 of each a - frame 10 a stop means 36 or barrier is provided to prevent the apex 22 of the a - frame 12 from extending beyond the end of the support means . each of the smaller , dependent a - frames 12 , are drawn out until the support structure 8 is in its fully extended position . in the extended position , the support means 24 of the a - frame 10 is fixed at one end to the upper portion 20 of the a - frame 10 , resting upon and / or connected at the other end to the apex 22 of the a - frame 12 , via the interface 32 . the relationship of the support means 24 between each a - frame applies , similarly , to each a - frame 10 , 12 which has a smaller a - frame located there within . the support means 24 of the smallest a - frame of the support structure 8 is suitably reinforced to bear the weight of a load placed thereupon , or is further supported at its distal end by additional an additional mechanical support ( not shown ). the relationship between the apex 22 of the a - frame 12 and the support means 24 above created by the interface 32 is such that the support structure 8 is self - supporting before any deck 38 is placed thereupon . at the same time , the interface 32 allows the support structure 8 and each limb 16 in contact with a surface upon which the support structure 8 rests to be adjusted so that the support structure 8 is stable . the interface 32 allows the support structure 8 to flex in a controlled manner , enabling the support structure 8 to rest onto an undulating surface , and to be secured thereafter . by way of example , the interface 32 may comprise a device analogous to a control device often used at the interface 32 between a tripod and a photographic camera to enable the camera to be positioned at any angle and fixed in position . the interface 32 , typically comprising a tongue and groove type relationship , may comprise additional guide means 30 ( not shown in detail ) for facilitating the movement of the apex 22 beneath the support means 24 of an a - frame 10 . to facilitate the expansion and retraction of each of the a - frames 10 , 12 from the nested position , materials with low - friction or lubricating properties may be used . stop means 36 configured to prevent the apex 22 of the a - frame 12 from extending beyond the end of the support means 24 may be provided by a latch - type system ( not shown ), which would comprise a mechanism analogous to a slider mechanism of a seat typically found in an automotive vehicle . such a latch - type mechanism enables a user to control the amount by which an a - frame 12 can be extracted from the nested support structure 8 , thus increasing the flexibility of the support structure 8 . the stop means 36 may be integrated with the a - frame 10 , 12 , support means 24 and / or the feet 26 . alternatively , latch type mechanisms may be fitted to the feet 26 and / or the decks 38 . although not shown , the support structure 8 may comprise mechanical or powered means for facilitating the expansion and retraction of the support structure 8 from its nested condition . the facilitating means may be integrated within the interface 32 between the support means 24 and the apex 22 of the a - frame beneath . alternatively , the powered means may be integrated with the lower portion 18 of the or each limb 16 of each a - frame 10 , 12 , interfacing with the foot 26 of the a - frame 10 to guide the movement of the a - frame 12 during extension and retraction of the support structure 8 . referring to fig3 , two support structures 8 are shown displaced at a predetermined distance apart from one another . a deck 38 , or similar platform , is arranged upon each of the same - height corresponding support means 24 of each of the a - frames 10 , 12 to form a rostrum 40 . in practice , the rostrum 40 would be assembled in location by positioning each support structure 8 in place , locating a deck 38 upon each pair of same - height support means 24 and extending each of the support structures 8 into their extended position . the deck 38 , arranged upon each of the support means 24 may comprise either a single deck 38 or may alternatively comprise a number of individual decks 38 ( not shown ). each deck 38 component is typically secured to the support means 24 by means of conventional nut and bolt type arrangement . there are , however , a number of ways , well known to the person skilled in the art , in which the deck 38 can be attached to the support means . fig4 shows the rostrum 40 assembly of fig3 in an expanded , in use , position . each of the support structures 8 are shown in an extended position , and a deck 38 is shown resting upon each of the support means 24 to create a tiered rostrum 40 . in an alternative embodiment , the support structure 8 comprises only two upright limbs 16 with a foot 26 extending from the lower portion 18 of each limb 16 . without the support means , the spatial relationship between each of the a - frames 10 , 12 in the extended position is controlled by the relationship between the lower portion 18 of each limb 16 and the distal end of each foot 26 of the a - frame above . in this embodiment the deck 38 is configured to rest upon the apex 22 of each of the a - frames 10 , 12 , without requiring a support means . in another alternative embodiment , the support structure 8 comprises only two upright limbs 16 , and support means , without any feet 26 . in this embodiment , the support structure 8 becomes self - supporting when at least one of the a - frames 10 , 12 is extended from the nested support structure 8 , and the spatial relationship between each of the a - frames 10 , 12 in the extended position is determined by the relationship between the distal end of the support means 24 and the apex 22 of the a - frame beneath . in use , the interface 32 between the support means 24 and the apex 22 of the a - frame beneath , provide the rigidity of the support structure 8 in its extended position . in a further embodiment , at least two support structures 8 are provided such that a curved deck 38 ( not shown ) may be placed thereupon . in light of the aforementioned description , the support structure 8 may be configured such that when an a - frame is drawn out from beneath the a - frame immediately above , the extent to which each a - frame slides out is dictated by an interface 32 between the apex 22 of the a - frame 10 and the end point 34 of each support means . alternatively , interacting stops may be arranged upon the vertical faces of each foot 26 . by way of example , the a - frame 10 is connected comprises a support means , which does not have an interface 32 with another a - frame . instead , the primary , a - frame 10 connects the apex 22 of the a - frame immediately beneath it via an interface 32 to the support means 24 of the a - frame 12 . therefore , each of the a - frames 12 , comprising a support means , will be drawn out from the open area beneath the a - frame 10 until the end of the support means 24 of the a - frame 12 reaches the apex 22 of the a - frame immediately above . in view of these and other variants within the inventive concept , reference should be made to the appended claims rather than the foregoing specific description in determining the inventive concept . | 4 |
the various features and advantageous details of the subject matter disclosed herein are explained more fully with reference to the non - limiting embodiment described in detail in the following description . as shown in fig1 , one embodiment of the circuit interrupter protection system 10 in accordance with the present invention includes a power supply 15 , a power inlet box 20 , a transfer switch 25 , a main electrical panel or service entrance 30 , and a circuit interrupter 60 . the circuit connections between each component include hot ( l ), neutral ( n ), and ground ( g ) conductors . the hot conductor 17 from the power supply 15 will carry the supply current ( i l ) 50 , while the neutral conductor n will carry the return current ( i n ) 40 . the power supply 15 may be a portable generator , backup generator , or any other type of power supply having an electrical connection that passes through a power inlet box 20 or other connection device located upstream of the main electrical panel 30 . the supply current ( i l ) 50 flows from the power supply 15 to the power inlet box 20 , through the circuit interrupter 60 and to the transfer switch 25 . according to the illustrated embodiment , the transfer switch 25 includes a first set of inputs 26 configured to receive the hot conductor 17 and the neutral conductor 18 from the power source 15 and a second set of inputs 27 configured to receive the hot conductor 11 and the neutral conductor 12 from another power source , such as utility power . the transfer switch 25 alternately connects the hot and neutral conductors from one of the power sources to the loads connected to the transfer switch 25 . it is contemplated that the transfer switch may be controlled manually or automatically . as illustrated , the transfer switch 25 may be included in a separate enclosure . optionally , the transfer switch 25 may be integrated in the main panel 30 . the transfer switch 25 may be configured such that it supplies current to all of the circuits in the main panel 30 , or , more typically , to selective circuits based on the needs as identified by the user . according to yet another embodiment of the invention , each of the power sources may include two hot leads l , each supplying a voltage to the loads . in a split - phase distribution system a first hot lead l 1 and a second hot lead l 2 each provide a voltage having the same amplitude but are one hundred eighty degrees out of phase . in a power distribution system , the neutral conductor from the power source is bonded to an earth ground 13 at a single point , referred to herein as a bonding point 33 within the distribution system . the bonding point 33 may be , for example , a ground bar in the main panel 30 . the ground conductor 19 from the power supply 15 and each of the neutral conductors 18 , 12 from the power source 15 and the utility grid , respectively , are connected to the bonding point 33 . as illustrated , the ground conductor 19 is solidly connected to the bonding point 33 . each of the neutral conductors are connected , for example , via intermediate terminals and / or switched connections ( not shown ) in the main panel 30 and / or the transfer switch 25 according to the application requirements . the bonding point 33 is , in turn , connected to the earth ground 13 . current returning from the load circuits flows back to the power supply 15 via the neutral conductor 18 . the return current ( i n ) 40 is conducted from the main panel 30 back through the transfer switch 25 , the power inlet box 20 , and the circuit interrupter 60 before returning to the power supply 15 . as illustrated , the circuit interrupter 60 is located in the power inlet box 20 . optionally , the circuit interrupter 60 may be included in the transfer switch 25 or in the main panel 30 as long as the neutral conductor 18 from the power supply 15 is connected through the circuit interrupter 60 prior to being connected to the bonding point 33 . the circuit interrupter 60 is configured to selectively connect the neutral conductor 18 of the power supply 15 to the bonding point 33 . the circuit interrupter 60 includes a current sensor 62 monitoring the current flowing on the hot conductor 17 and the neutral conductor 18 between the power supply 15 and the load . if the power source 15 includes multiple hot conductors 17 , the current sensor 62 may be configured to monitor the current flowing on each of the hot conductors 17 and the neutral conductor 18 between the power supply 15 and the load . a control circuit 70 receives a signal from the current sensor 62 corresponding to this monitored current . the control circuit 70 is configured to generate a signal 68 which , in turn , opens and / or closes a switch 66 to connect the neutral conductor 18 to the bonding point 33 . it is contemplated that the switch 66 may be an electromechanical device , such as a relay , a solid state device , such as a transistor , or a combination thereof . as illustrated , the switch 66 may also be used to connect / disconnect the hot lead 17 from the load . in the event there is exterior contact with the conductors connecting the power supply 15 to the power inlet box 20 , some of the supply current ( i l ) 50 on the hot conductor 17 may be diverted through an alternate conduction path 90 . a portion of the supply current 50 becomes diverted current ( i d ) 45 conducted through the alternate conduction path 90 and the remainder of the supply current 50 is illustrated as residual current ( i r ) 55 conducted on the hot conductor 17 beyond the diversion point for supply to power inlet box 20 . when there is no diverted current 45 , the supply current 50 flows in an uninterrupted manner to power inlet box 20 , and the return current 40 on the neutral conductor 18 is equal to the supply current 50 on the hot conductor 17 . however , when there is diverted current 45 via the alternate conduction path 90 , such as by a person standing on the ground coming into contact with the hot conductor 17 , the residual current 55 flowing on the hot conductor 17 will not equal the return current 40 on the neutral conductor 18 . the residual current 55 flows through the power inlet box 20 and the circuit interrupter 60 on the hot conductor 17 at the same time the return current 40 flows through the power inlet box 20 and the circuit interrupter 60 on the neutral conductor 18 . in operation , the current sensor 62 in the circuit interrupter 60 measures the amount of residual current 55 entering the inlet box 20 from the power supply 15 on the hot conductor 17 . additionally , the current sensor 62 measures the return current 40 entering the power inlet box after flowing through the circuits in the main panel 30 and back through the transfer switch 25 . this return current 40 continues from the inlet box 20 and returns to the power supply 15 . a signal , or multiple signals , 64 corresponding to the amplitude of current is provided from the current sensor 62 to a control circuit 70 . when the residual current is not equal to the return current , this indicates that a portion of the current is being diverted through the alternate conduction path 90 . the control circuit 70 generates a control signal 68 which causes a switch 66 to disconnect the neutral conductor 18 between the power source 15 and the bonding point 33 thereby breaking the electrical circuit and interrupting current flow from the power source 15 via either the hot conductor 17 or the alternate conduction path 90 . according to one embodiment of the invention , the current sensor 62 generates one signal 64 corresponding to a differential in the amplitude of current in the hot conductor 17 and the neutral conductor 18 . with reference to fig2 , the current sensor 62 may be in the form of a coil 82 wound about a toroid 80 . each of the hot conductor 17 and the neutral conductor 18 are passed through the toroid 80 . current conducted in either conductor 17 , 18 establishes a magnetic field about the conductor . the toroid 80 is selected from a suitable core material to conduct the magnetic field which , in turn , induces a current in the coil 82 wound around the toroid . the direction of current flow in the hot conductor 17 and the neutral conductor 18 is opposite of each other . as a result , magnetic fields of opposite polarity are established in the toroid 80 . the amplitude of the magnetic field and the resulting current induced in the coil 82 is proportional to the amplitude of current flowing in the conductor passing through the toroid 80 . thus , if the amplitude of current in each of the hot conductor 17 and the neutral conductor 18 is the same , each establishes a magnetic field of equal amplitude and opposite polarity , resulting in a magnetic field having a net amplitude of zero and no current induced in the coil 82 . if there is a difference in the amplitudes of the current in the hot conductor 17 and the neutral conductor 18 , a magnetic field having a non - zero amplitude is established in the toroid 80 , resulting in a current being induced in the coil 82 . the control circuit 70 may monitor the amplitude of current being generated on the coil 82 and define a set point , above which the control signal 68 is set to open the switch 66 . according to another embodiment of the invention , the current sensor 62 may include multiple sensors , each configured to generate a signal 64 corresponding to the amplitude of current flowing in one of the conductors . with reference to fig3 , the current sensor may include a current sense resistor 84 and an amplifier 86 operatively connected to each conductor 17 , 18 to generate a signal 64 corresponding to the amplitude of current in the corresponding conductor 17 , 18 . each current signal 64 is provided to the control circuit 70 which is configured to generate the control signal 68 to open the switch 66 when the difference in amplitude between the control signals 68 exceeds a predefined set point . it is contemplated that still other current sensing circuits , devices or sensing arrangements may be utilized to sense a current differential and generate a control signal without deviating from the scope of the invention . upon receiving the signal 64 from the current sensor 62 , the control circuit 70 determines whether to interrupt the current flowing on the neutral conductor 18 . the control circuit 70 may include , for example , one or more operational amplifiers comparing a single input signal 64 , such as the current signal from the toroidal coil 82 , against a voltage reference to determine whether the current differential in the hot conductor 17 and the neutral conductor 18 exceeds a maximum predetermined level . optionally , one or more operational amplifiers may compare multiple input signals 64 , first against each other , for example , with independent current sense resistors 84 and subsequently compare the difference against a voltage reference to determine whether the current differential in the hot conductor 17 and the neutral conductor 18 exceeds a maximum predetermined level . according to yet another embodiment of the invention , the control circuit 70 may include a processing device , such as a microprocessor , configured to receive the current signal , or signals . 64 as an input and generate a control signal 68 responsive to the current signal , or signals , 64 . it is contemplated that still other combinations of analog and / or digital electronic devices may be utilized to monitor the current signal 64 and generate a control signal 68 without deviating from the scope of the invention . the control signal 68 is used to control a switch 66 to selectively disconnect the neutral lead 18 between the power source 15 and the bonding point 33 . according to one embodiment of the invention , a relay may be used . the contacts of the relay are connected in series with the neutral lead 18 and the control signal 68 is connected to the solenoid controlling the relay . optionally , a power electronic device , such as a power transistor may be used . the neutral conductor 18 may be connected in series with the transistor and the control signal 68 may be connected , for example , to the gate pin of the transistor to enable / disable the transistor and open / close the conduction path of the neutral conductor 18 . according to yet another embodiment of the invention , a relay having multiple contacts or multiple power electronic devices may be used to disconnect both the hot lead 17 and the neutral lead 18 between the power source 15 and the bonding point 33 responsive to the control signal 68 in order to prevent potential damage to the loads that may result from leaving a hot conductor connected while disconnecting the neutral conductor . although the above embodiment provides that the circuit interrupter 60 is contained within the inlet box 20 , in alternative embodiments the circuit interrupter 60 may be located within other portions of the circuit . for example , the circuit interrupter 60 may be contained in the main panel 30 , the transfer switch 25 or other panel , subpanel , enclosure or housing , or included in a utility meter . regardless of where the circuit interrupter 60 is located , it will measure the residual current 55 and return current 40 at a location upstream of the bonding point 33 and prevent ground fault injury to a person that comes in contact with the conductors for the power source 15 coming into a building . it should be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangements of the components set forth herein . the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways . variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope of the present invention . it also being understood that the invention disclosed and defined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more of the individual features mentioned or evident from the text and / or drawings . all of these different combinations constitute various alternative aspects of the present invention . the embodiments described herein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention and will enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention . | 7 |
[ 0032 ] fig4 shows an actuator unit as known from the prior art . in this arrangement , an control device 6 , for example an actuator of a servo valve , is deflected via a leverage transmission device 14 by means of an actuator element 8 . this actuator element 8 can be , for example , a piezo stack or the like which is supported with a first end face 82 against a corresponding end face of an actuator housing 4 . a further end face 83 arranged opposite to the first end face undergoes a change of position in the axial direction of the actuator element 8 as a function of the electrical voltage applied , as indicated by the double arrow 81 along the longitudinal axis of the actuator element 8 . to allow control of the actuator element 8 , electrical terminals 18 are provided which are in electrical contact with the individual elements of the actuator element 8 and which stand proud of the first end face 82 . a voltage is applied to these electrical terminals 18 , thereby causing a longitudinal extension of the actuator element 8 . the electrical connection to the control electronics is established via the connector 22 . the actuator unit according to the prior art represented schematically in fig4 causes considerable noise emissions due to the longitudinal movements of the actuator element 8 , which are introduced into the internal combustion engine as structure - borne noise via the actuator housing 4 as well as the injector housing 12 permanently connected to this . [ 0035 ] fig1 shows a schematic sectional view of a first embodiment of an actuator unit 2 according to the invention which is characterized by two actuator elements 8 , 9 operating in opposite directions . a first actuator element 8 acts with a first end face 82 upon a transmission medium 101 of a hydraulic transmission device 10 . a second actuator element 9 acts with a second end face 92 likewise upon the transmission medium 101 . first and second actuator element 8 , 9 are arranged opposite each other such that a first longitudinal axis 81 of the first actuator element 8 is disposed coincident with a second longitudinal axis 91 of the second actuator element 9 . a third end face 83 of the first actuator element 8 is supported in the actuator housing 4 . a fourth end face 93 of the second actuator elements 9 is also supported in the actuator housing 4 . when electrically activated , the first and second actuator element 8 and 9 each experience a deflection in the opposite direction , with the result that a vectorial sum of the longitudinal movements of the two actuator elements 8 , 9 is approximately equal to zero at any given time . the opposing deflections along the first and second longitudinal axis 81 , 91 effect via the transmission medium a longitudinal movement direction 61 of the control device 6 which is normal to the direction of movement of the actuator elements 8 , 9 . the control device 6 can for example be a control piston of a servo valve of a fuel injector which causes a nozzle needle of the fuel injector to open and close . the transmission medium 101 of the hydraulic transmission device 10 can be for example a suitable hydraulic oil , for example silicon - based , or the like . the actuator elements 8 , 9 must be sealed off from the transmission medium 101 by means of suitable known measures . [ 0038 ] fig2 shows a further schematic sectional view of an alternative embodiment of an actuator unit 2 according to the invention . in this case first longitudinal axis 81 of the first actuator element 8 , second longitudinal axis 91 of the second actuator element 9 and movement direction 61 of the control device 6 are in each oriented axially parallel to one another . the deflection of the control device 6 is effected via the leverage transmission device 14 essentially by means of the deflection of the first actuator element 8 along its first longitudinal axis 81 , while its third end face 83 acts upon the leverage transmission device 14 . the first end face 82 of the first actuator element 8 is immovably supported in the actuator housing 4 . the second end face 92 of the second actuator elements 9 is permanently connected to the first end face 82 of the first actuator element 8 via two supports 16 . at the same time the electrical terminals of the two actuator elements 8 , 9 are integrated into the supports 16 , to which a voltage is applied via electrical terminals 18 . when a voltage is applied , the third and fourth end faces 83 , 93 of the actuator elements 8 , 9 each move by the same amount in opposite directions . in this way a resulting mass impulse caused by the deflection of just one actuator element ( e . g . 8 ) is largely dampened by the respective second actuator element ( e . g . 9 ). a structure - borne noise excitation can likewise be greatly reduced in this way . on a top surface of the actuator housing 4 facing the fourth end face 93 of the second actuator elements 9 there is further provided a cover 20 which closes off the second actuator element 9 externally and which also effects a passive soundproofing of the actuator housing 4 . [ 0040 ] fig3 shows a schematic view of a third alternative embodiment of an actuator unit 2 according to the invention . in this case first longitudinal axis 81 of the first actuator element 8 , second longitudinal axis 91 of the second actuator element 9 and a direction of movement of a stroke transmission rod 15 as well as a valve mushroom 17 of a hydraulic servo valve are each oriented axially parallel to one another . the deflection of the stroke transmission rod 15 is effected via the leverage transmission device 14 in equal proportions by the deflections of the actuator elements 8 , 9 along their longitudinal axes 81 , 91 . the first end face 82 of the first actuator element 8 and the second end face 92 of the second actuator element 9 are supported in each case immovably in the actuator housing 4 . when a voltage is applied , the third and fourth end faces 83 , 93 of the actuator elements 8 , 9 each move by the same amount in opposite directions . in this way a resulting mass impulse caused by the deflection of just one actuator element ( e . g . 8 ) is largely suppressed by the respective second actuator element ( e . g . 9 ). a structure - borne noise excitation can likewise be greatly reduced in this way . [ 0042 ] fig5 shows in exemplary measurement curves 30 , 32 a comparison of a conventional injector ( according to fig4 ) with an optimized injector according to the second embodiment of the invention ( according to fig2 ). currently , injection valves and their piezo actuators are operated at a typical energy of approx . 35 mj to approx . 70 mj . in order to generate the same kinetic energy in the opposite direction for the purpose of noise suppression , a second piezo element in turn requires the same amount of energy . in the measurement shown in fig5 as an example one injector was operated at 48 . 5 mj and the optimized injector correspondingly at 97 mj . in spite of a greatly increased energy input a significant reduction in noise emission can be demonstrated in the relevant frequency range of approx . 4 khz to 8 khz . the first sound pressure curve 30 characterizes the sound pressure of a conventional injector ( cf . fig3 ) in decibels over a frequency between 500 hz and 16 khz . the second sound pressure curve 32 illustrates the sound pressure waveform of the optimized actuator unit according to fig2 . although the double piezo increases the level at the 8 khz terz ( third octave ), it reduces it considerably at the 5 khz and 6 . 3 khz terz , which leads overall to a total level reduction of up to 4 db ( a ). taking into account psychoacoustic effects , loudness as a normalized variable is most meaningful in terms of sound character and nuisance perception . [ 0046 ] fig6 therefore shows three different loudness curves 40 , 42 , 44 to illustrate the effects of different embodiments of a piezo actuator on the perceived loudness . the first loudness curve 40 characterizes an injection valve of conventional design . the emphasis in the range 4 khz to 6 khz is obvious in this case . compared with this , measurements were conducted on an injection valve with double piezo , where the second loudness curve represents an injector without plastic extrusion coating ( cover 20 in fig2 ) and the third loudness curve 44 represents the same injector with a light foil cover . this cover was chosen because the plastic extrusion coating also causes a slight dampening of the directly radiated sound waves of the moving surface of the piezos . from the loudness test it is clear that the minimum at the 8 khz terz ( third octave ) with the conventional injector plays virtually no role and within this third octave neither optimization nor worsening would cause a serious change , since the 6 . 3 khz terz almost completely covers this optimization . thus , the considerably higher level at this terz with the injector having the double piezo represents no negative effect on the acoustic pattern . | 5 |
to assist your comprehension of this description it should be pointed out that fig1 a is only minorly different than embodiment 1b ( note the presence of a reinforcing shoulder at the outside angle of the conjunction of the mounting surface 10 and the flange 20 ) on fig1 a ). in its preferred embodiment , my device has a planar mounting surface 10 for securing it to the bottom surface of a toilet seat via adhesive or mechanical fastener . conjoined to said mounting surface 10 at or near an edge is a flange 20 which extends at an angle approximately perpendicular . from said flange 20 extends a shaft 30 at an approximately perpendicular angle . at the end of the shaft 30 is a handle 40 . the handle 40 configuration can best be described as hourglass shaped ; cylindrical with a taper from each end toward the middle so that the circumference at the midpoint is smaller than at either end . from above said shaft 30 location on the flange 20 is a buttress 50 which extends from the flange 20 to a juxtaposed position to the contact end 42 of the handle 40 that is closest to the flange 20 . the aspect of the flange 20 facing the toilet seat 100 has a detent 60 protuberance of a hemispherical shape . in its preferred embodiment this device is to be molded of a mildly flexible plastic material . it is important to understand that plastics of a specific flexibility coefficient will exhibit more flexibility in a thin dimension than in a thick dimension ; and conversely . this invention utilizes this characteristic of plastics to enhance flexibility in certain areas by using small dimensions and diminishing flexibility in other areas by using thicker dimensions and further diminishing flexibility and movement by borrowing rigidity from adjacent surfaces . a relatively thin mounting surface 10 is utilized so that it may conform with non - planar surfaces on the underside of some toilet seats when adhesively attached using a foam double - stick tape . said mounting surface 10 will gain rigidity from the surface to which it is attached thereby providing a secure mount . the flange 20 is designed to connect the handle shaft 30 and buttress 50 to the mounting surface 10 in secure manner . it is therefore molded more thickly and the area of contiguity is reinforced via a thickening radius or shoulder on the outside angle to provide strength . the aspect of the flange 20 facing away from the shaft 30 and buttress 50 and toward the toilet seat 100 has a protruding detent 60 of a hemispherical shape or elongated to a hemiprolate shape . it is the purpose of this detent 60 to contact the peripheral edge of the toilet seat 100 and annul any reactive motion of the flange 20 due to an upward loading of the handle 40 and shaft 30 that would be transferred to the buttress 50 . if , due to a peculiar shape of the toilet seat , the detent 60 does not contact the toilet seat 100 support from the seat may still transfer to the flange 20 . if not this device is still designed to function but with a slight deflection due to loading of the flange 20 and therefore also the shaft 30 and handle 40 . the handle 40 has been specifically designed to provide a secure connection between the user and the device even during deflection . this was accomplished by creating larger diameter plate - like flanges on the ends of the smaller diameter cylindrical central portion of the handle 40 and adding a generous chamfer at their conjoining . with this device secured to the bottom of the toilet seat on a side and toward the front ( approximately 4 o &# 39 ; clock or 8 o &# 39 ; clock positions when facing the toilet seat ) and with the seat in the horizontal position the user would merely loop a finger or fingers around the handle 40 and apply a lifting force . the handle 40 of this device fig1 a is designed to flex approximately 30 degrees to reduce / eliminate injury from accidental contact and thwart damage to itself or the toilet seat from intentional contact . therefore , under lifting load the shaft 30 and handle 40 will begin to deflect until the contact end 42 contacts the buttress 50 . this contact both prevents the handle 40 from moving any further upwardly and nullifies any further shaft 30 flex . as the seat 100 moves upward and radially on its hinge the loading from the weight of the seat will begin to transfer from the device fig1 b to the seat hinge thereby reducing the amount of deflection in the shaft 30 and lessening to the eventual point of elimination the contact force between the buttress 50 and the shaft 30 and handle 40 . the shaft 30 will be able to flex in other directions ; the handle 40 design prevents user contact diminishment . when repositioning seat to horizontal or down position all actions work in reverse . when the seat is in the vertical or up position the device fig1 b is up and out of the way . when the seat rests in the horizontal or down position vandals can kick the handle 40 and it will deflect unrestrained in either horizontal direction or in any downward direction . persons who accidentally contact the handle 40 will be spared injury of any consequence due to the flexing action . fig2 shows an alteration of the buttress 50 . this configuration will create no snubbing action to the shaft 30 but does annul movement from flexing of the handle 40 . fig3 displays means of elongating shaft 30 ( to create more flex motion or to be able to work with a material of lower flexibility coefficient ) without expanding over all dimensions . functions same as preferred embodiment in that it retards movement of both the handle 40 and the shaft 30 in an upward direction due to the interaction of flange 50 and the contact end 42 of the extension 44 of handle 40 . fig4 depicts a variation wherein a shaft 30 and handle 40 and a seat bumper pad 110 are molded as one piece and fitted to the bottom of a toilet seat 100 at the point of manufacture . this eliminates the need for a mounting surface 10 or a flange 20 . it produces the double buffering action of restricting both the handle 40 and the shaft 30 . shaft 30 / handle 40 motion can occur in either direction horizontally or in any direction downwardly . upward motion is limited by the contact end 42 engaging the side wall of the toilet seat . the shaft 30 as depicted could be either cylindrical as in other embodiments or hemi - cylindrical as depicted to fit flushly to underside of toilet seat 100 . fig5 embodiment shows the buttress 50 as a catch shaft extending from the handle 40 to a position under the flange 20 . from under the flange 20 extends a lip 46 configured to act as a cleat . at the end of the buttress 50 catch shaft is a catch 48 opposal to the lip 46 . when an upward force is applied to the handle 40 the catch 48 will engage lip 46 which will annul any further upward movement of the handle 40 . as in other designs lateral or downward motion is mechanically unimpeded . this embodiment produces restraint of movement via a pulling action rather than through compression . in “ background of the invention ” 6 criteria were declared as being requirements of an invention to perform adequately ( and be marketable ; if they can &# 39 ; t be manufactured and marketed they can &# 39 ; t be used !). no previous invention , in my estimation even remotely satisfied more than 4 criteria ; many only 2 or 3 . the conceptualization herein meets easily all 6 requirements . the first criterion proposed total relief from the dreadful contact with the toilet seat or bowl rim . this was accomplished by designing a handle that both extends away from the repugnant surfaces and prevents the users grasp from slipping . the second criterion insisted on ease of use . the unique design of the handle allows the user to merely hook one or two fingers around the handle to lift it . gripping , grasping , lifting with your shoe are all unnecessary . criteria 3 and 4 proposed that the device thwart injury or damage to itself and / or the seat due to contact , accidental or intentional . as has been demonstrated in previous sections this invention allows handle deflection laterally and in any downward direction due to its ingenious design to assure that these criteria are met . equally ingenious is the motion anullment feature which accepts force in the lifting / lowering directions . criteria 5 and 6 demanded that the lifting handle be easily afixed to virtually any toilet seat . with its thin mounting surface and using a double - sided foam adhesive tape this totally unique invention can easily and quickly be mounted to plastic seats , wooden seats , thick seats , thin seats , seats with bumper pads , or seats without . even vinyl covered foam seats ! this device clearly exhibits manifest advantages over any previous invention of its kind . for once there is a complete product that can be offered to the public for use in their homes . and a product that can be used in commercial applications ( schools , hospitals , public buildings of all kinds , restaurants , et al .) where the presence of such a device would be most welcome . as this invention may be embodied in a wide range of forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof , the depicted embodiments are therefore illustrative and not restrictive , and since the scope of the invention is defined by the claims , all alterations that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims or that form their functional as well as conjointly cooperative equivalents are therefore intended to be embraced by those claims . | 0 |
disclosed herein are functionalized nanostructured sorbent materials prepared via thiol - ene click functionalization for use in trace collection from water . thiol - ene click chemistry is an approach to install novel polyfunctional surface chemistry on nanostructured sorbent support to create high performance solid phase extraction materials . the thiol - ene reaction is a uv - promoted click reaction : a rapid method for coupling a thiol to an olefin ( fig1 ). we envisioned the viability of the thiol - ene click would allow for high density installation of reactive chelating ligands without the use of sterically bulky protecting groups , avoiding the need for surface deprotection . more specifically , application of the thiol - ene click process would produce high affinity sorbents using ligands such as diphosphonic acid ( diphos ) and an edta analog , iminodiacetic acid ( idaa ), which are known to be challenging ligands to attach onto a surface ( fig2 ). first , mercaptopropyl groups can be easily installed on a range of surfaces to serve as a platform for the thiol - ene reaction . the installation of mercaptopropyl functional groups has been previously optimized , and the resulting materials utilized for their soft metal capture capabilities . after thiol surface functionalization , a chelating ligand can be installed by a thiol - ene click reaction . the alkene on the chelating ligand preferentially reacts with the surface thiol , alleviating the need for cumbersome protecting groups while still increasing the potential loading density , and providing a surface where the active sites maintain the correct orientation for metal binding . after adding these chelating ligands to the solid support , the remaining unreacted thiols serve as an additional high affinity surface for softer metals , such as hg , ag , and pb . this , in conjunction with the presence of a diphos ( idaa or styrene - idaa ) ligand — which appeal to harder metals ( rare earth and actinides )— ensures that the materials have high chemical capture abilities for a wide range of metals in solution . we also demonstrate the advantages of aryl linkage groups between the complexing site and surface by looking at styrene derivatives of the idaa ligand ( styrene - idaa ). ( fig2 ). the sorbent materials were tested for efficacy against a selected set of metals with environmental and industrial relevance , and material performance was shown to be superior to commercially available sorbent products . the support or substrate materials are typically solid materials that can be functionalized by covalently attaching a thioalkyl to a surface of the substrate material . suitable substrate materials include metals , polymers , metal oxides ( e . g ., silica , alumina , or titania ), and nanoparticles ( e . g ., metal , metal oxide , or semiconductor nanoparticles , such as iron , gold , iron oxide , cdse , etc .). typically substrate materials are mesoporous with sufficient strength , porosity , and chemical resistance to be suitable for filtering a fluid and sorbing target species from the fluid . in certain embodiments , the mesoporous substrate is a silica - based substrate . one example of a silica - based mesoporous substrate material is a molecular sieve with a honeycomb - like porosity , referred to as mcm - 41 . mcm - 41 has hexagonal pores forming channels that can have diameters from 1 . 5 nm to 20 nm . mcm - 41 typically has approximately 80 % porosity with typical surface areas from 500 m 2 g − 1 to more than 1000 m 2 g − 1 . mcm - 41 channel walls are amorphous sio 2 . mcm - 41 has sufficient structural integrity and chemical resistivity to be suitable for use as a sorbent support material . the functional group bound to the thioalkylene linker is capable of binding to a target species . in some embodiments , the target species are metals , metalloids , oxyanions , radioactive species , polar organics , and combinations thereof . in particular embodiments , the functional group is — n ( ch 2 co 2 h ) 2 , — nhconh 2 , — nhcsnh 2 , — so 2 nh 2 , or — nhcoch 2 p (═ o ) r ′ r ″) wherein r ′ and r ″ are lower alkyl groups . in certain embodiments , the target species is a metal cation , such as a heavy metal cation ( e . g ., arsenic , selenium , cobalt , silver , cadmium , mercury , thallium or lead ), and the sorbent material has a high affinity ( e . g ., a distribution coefficient of at least 1 × 10 4 ) for the target species . in some embodiments , the second compound is an aromatic compound . other suitable functional groups include hydroxyl , thiol , carboxyl , ketone , thione , aldehyde , amine , amide ( including substituted amide , e . g ., carbamide , sulfonamide ), imide , imine ( particularly phosphate - based imine , e . g ., phosphinimine ), phosphines , and phosphine oxides . for example , functionalized aromatic compounds with utility for sorbing metals include , but are not limited to , ureas , thioureas , phosphinimines , hydroxypyridinoate ( hopo ), sulfocatecholamide ( cams ), terephthalimide , carbamoylmethylphosphine oxide ( cmpo ), phosphine derivatives , phosphine oxide derivatives , sulfonamide derivatives , and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid ( edta ) derivatives . functionalized aromatic compounds with utility for sorbing anions include oxygen - based ligands , such as dihydroxybenzenes ( e . g ., catechol ), and n - phenyliminodiacetic acid . thus , the sorbent material can be functionalized based upon the identity and / or characteristics of the desired target species . in certain embodiments , the target - binding functional group comprises a phosphonic acid moiety or an iminodiacetic acid moiety . chemicals and sorbents were used as received from sigma aldrich , fisher , tci america , and gelest . tetraethyl methylenediphosphonate was synthesized as described in literature . unless otherwise noted , reactions were performed in oven - dried glassware and under argon atmosphere . nmr data was collected on 300 or 500 mhz oxford varian nmr spectrometer . thermal gravimetric analysis was performed using at ta instruments q500 which was calibrated according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s recommendations . tga experiments were performed as follows : temperature was ramped at 20 ° c . per minute , held for 20 minutes at 120 ° c . to ensure all nanopure water and solvents were removed , and then ramped to 800 ° c . at 20 ° c . per minute , and held for 20 minutes . surface areas were measured using a quantachrome quadrasorbsi . all click reactions were done in a rayonet rpr - 200 chamber reactor using 350 nm lamps . commercially available sorbents were procured from a range of vendors . activated carbon darco ® kb - b was purchased from sigma aldrich . gt - 74 ambersep ™ was purchased from supelco . chelex - 100 resin was purchased from bio - rad . diphonix resin was purchased from eichrom . in a 500 ml long neck flat bottom flask , 1 . 5 g of cabosil eh5 was stirred for 2 hours with 100 ml of toluene and 0 . 14 ml of deionized water to hydrate the silica surface . next , 3 ml of 3 - mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane was added , and the flask was heated to reflux for 84 hours . after the reflux , excess water and methanol were distilled off to ensure complete surface coverage . the flask was slowly cooled to room temperature and filtered through a medium fitted glass funnel . the material was washed 3 × 50 ml isopropanol followed by 50 ml of methanol and dried under vacuum overnight . to a 250 ml 3 - neck flask was added 60 % w / w sodium hydride in mineral oil ( 0 . 6440 g , 0 . 016 mol ). the flask was flushed with argon for 5 minutes and thf ( 120 ml ) was added with stirring . the slurry was cooled in a dry ice / methanol bath for 15 minutes before tetraethyl methylenediphosphonate ( 10 ml , 0 . 040 mol ) was slowly added dropwise and then stirred for 1 hour . after stirring , allyl iodide ( 1 . 20 ml , 0 . 013 mol ) was added dropwise . the cooling bath was left to slowly warm to room temperature , and the reaction stirred for 24 hours . after the reaction was complete , 50 ml 1 m hcl was added to the reaction and the organic layer was extracted with 100 ml of ethyl acetate . the organic layer was washed with saturated sodium chloride solution ( 3 × 50 ml ), dried over sodium sulfate , and the solvent removed using a rotary evaporator . a potassium permanganate solution was used to develop the silica tlc plates , showing the product moving above the starting material . pure material was collected by column purification using a solvent system of acetone : hexanes ( 1 : 1 ). ( 9 . 58 g , 73 % yield ) the first fraction collected is the double substituted diphos ligand , with two allyl arms . the second fraction off the column is the desired product . nmr analysis is consistent with literature . complete deprotection of the diphos ester was accomplished before performing click reactions . diphos ( 0 . 98 g , 3 mmol ) was dissolved in 10 ml of dichloromethane . bromotrimethylsilane ( tmsbr ) ( 4 . 0 ml , 30 mmol ) was added , producing a faint yellow solution , which was then allowed to stir under n 2 at room temperature overnight . methanol ( 10 ml ) was then added causing the yellow solution to turn colorless . this solution was stirred for 4 hours before all solvents were removed by rotary evaporation . the resulting dark brown oil was then vacuum - dried overnight before analysis by nmr . ( 0 . 648 g , 98 % yield ) nmr analysis is consistent with literature . in a 1 l three - neck round bottom flask , allyl amine ( 6 . 2 ml , 0 . 08 mol ) and triethylamine ( 24 ml , 0 . 18 mol ) were stirred together in thf ( 400 ml ). ethyl bromoacetate ( 20 ml , 0 . 18 mol ) was slowly added by syringe . within 5 minutes of addition , the reaction mixture turned milky white . the reaction was left to stir at room temperature for 60 hours , followed by reflux for 24 hours . after cooling to room temperature , the reaction was filtered to remove triethylamine hydrobromide . the thf was removed by rotary evaporation and 200 ml of 0 . 5 m hcl was added . the solution was washed with 3 × 150 ml ethyl acetate . the combined organic layer was dried over sodium sulfate and the solvent removed using a rotary evaporator . the obtained tan oil was passed through a celite / activated carbon / celite plug with acetone and was found to be pure by nmr . ( 10 . 72 g , 26 % yield ) synthesis was modified from idaa - silane synthesis . 28 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , cdcl 3 ): δ 5 . 87 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 19 ( dd , 2h ), 4 . 16 ( q , 4h ), 3 . 55 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 38 ( d , 2h ), 1 . 26 ( t , 6h ). in a 1 l flask , ( 2 . 43 g , 0 . 011 mol ) of allyl idaa was refluxed with 500 ml of 0 . 5 m hcl for 20 hours . after cooling to room temperature , solvent was removed using rotary evaporation . the product was recrystallized using methanol / acetone . after two recrystallizations , pure material was obtained . ( 1 . 91 g , 87 . 4 % yield ). 1 h nmr ( 500 mhz , d 2 o ): δ 5 . 97 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 66 ( d , 1h ), 5 . 62 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 04 ( s , 4h ), 3 . 97 ( d , 2h ). a 250 ml , three - neck round bottom flask was charged with 4 - methylchlorostyrene ( 4 ml , 0 . 0282 mol ), iminodiacetic acid disodium salt ( 5 . 00 g , 0 . 0282 mol ), and 80 ml of a 3 : 1 mixture of ethanol : water . the solution was brought to reflux , and the solution turned a yellow color over 72 hours . after cooling to room temperature , all volatiles were removed via rotary evaporation . the residue was taken up in 50 ml water and rinsed with 3 × 50 ml diethyl ether . the water stayed a milky white color . the ph was then adjusted to 3 with 1 m hcl and the aqueous layer was washed with 3 × 50 ml toluene . a layer consisting of undesired side product formed between toluene and water , and was discarded . addition of 1 m hcl to the aqueous layer yielded a white precipitate . this material was filtered out and shown to be pure product by nmr . ( 7 . 02 g , 39 % yield ). nmr analysis is consistent with literature . in a typical click reaction , 25 mg cabosil - sh was sonicated with 5 ml methanol in a 20 ml borosilicate scintillation vial . then , benzophenone ( 25 mg , 0 . 14 mmol ) was added and sonicated until it dissolved in solution . respective allyl material was added ( 58 mg , 0 . 27 mmol ) diphos or (( 100 mg , 0 . 58 mmol ) idaa ligand ) along with 1 ml of di water . the vial was placed in a 350 nm rayonet uv reactor , and the material was irradiated for 2 hours with rapid stirring . the particles were washed by centrifuging , pipetting supernatant off and dispersing in methanol ; this procedure was performed three times . the particles were then dried in air overnight . since styrene - idaa did not dissolve in methanol , slightly different conditions were used . in these trials , ( 200 mg , 0 . 80 mmol ) of styrene idaa was dissolved in 6 ml of dmf . to this solution , 50 mg cabosil - sh was added , followed by sodium borohydride ( 10 mg , 0 . 27 mmol ) and the reaction was then sonicated . then , 50 mg benzophenone was added and the reaction mixture sonicated again . the reaction was irradiated in the same fashion and after the desired reaction time in the 350 nm uv reactor , the particles were washed three times with dmso to remove excess ligand , followed by three washes with methanol to remove dmso . note that care had to be taken while pipetting off the supernatant as the particles easily went back into solution . the particles air - dried overnight . k d value and capture (%) of metals from natural waters ( filtered river water and filtered seawater ) and acidic solutions ( 0 . 01 m hno 3 and 0 . 01 m hcl ) were obtained through batch contact experiments . the metal ion solutions were prepared from icp standard solutions , purchased from aldrich . metal ions of eu , co , ag , and u were spiked in seawater to study the sorbents under challenging conditions and equilibrium conditions ( after spiking from acidic solutions and deprotonation of sorbents ) were typically around ph 6 . 0 . natural waters and acidic solutions were both tested . typically , ˜ 4 . 9 ml of the metal solution was placed in a polypropylene bottle and spiked with 0 . 1 ml sorbent suspended in di water to obtain a liquid to solid ratio of 50 , 000 ( l / s in ml / g ). the tubes were shaken for 2 hours at 200 rpm on an orbital shaker . the solution was then removed by filtering through 0 . 45 - μm syringe nylon - membrane filters . the filtrate was kept in 2 vol . % hno 3 prior to metal analysis using icp - ms ( icp - ms , agilent 7500ce , agilent technologies , ca ). the metal ion concentration in control experiments ( no sorbent ) was treated in the same fashion as the test solutions ; however , the control without filtration was also analyzed in order to check for precipitation of metal ions . the k d and % capture measurements were calculated from the actual concentrations of metals detected by icp - ms . commercially available sorbents ( i . e . activated carbon kb - b , gt - 74 , chelex - 100 , and diphonix resin ) were used under the same experimental conditions and compared to the new materials synthesized for this study . all batch experiments were performed in triplicate and the averaged values were reported . thiol based sorbent materials have been shown to be excellent sorbents for the capture of soft heavy metals such as mercury , silver , and lead . the functionalization of silica materials with 3 - mercaptopropyl ligands has been optimized , reaching near theoretical limits for surface coverage with thiol groups . for the thiol - ene click reaction surface thiols are reacted with a terminal alkene on the chelating ligand . the resulting materials exhibit affinities for soft metals such as gold , due to the thiol , and harder metals such as uranium , due to the specific chelating ligand . subsequently , we explored the reaction conditions needed for creation of such materials , the impact of the sorbent support material , and evaluated the performance of preferred materials . a variety of mercaptopropyl functionalized silica substrates , with various loadings on cab - o - sil , davisil , and mcm - 41 , were prepared using previously described methods . the thiol coverage loadings were varied on all substrates , ranging from the theoretical maximum around 3 thiols / nm 2 down to 0 . 5 thiols / nm 2 . we chose 0 . 5 thiols / nm 2 as our lower limit since we are aiming for high chelating ligand density and to have materials that still have unreacted thiol sites . thermogravimetric analysis ( tga ) was used to determine the organic content of the material and calculate the ligands per surface area . the loading ranged from 0 . 5 to 3 . 1 mercaptopropyl groups per nm 2 . these thiol - functionalized materials were then used as a base for further thiol - ene click functionalization , which resulted in a polyvalent material . the iminodiacetic acid ligands , allyl derivative ( 2 ), and styrene derivative ( 3 ), were prepared via previously described methods . once the ligands were in hand , they were dissolved in methanol ( 2 ) or dmf ( 3 ), respectively . the thiol functionalized substrate was then dispersed in the solution . benzophenone , a photo - initiator , was added and the reaction was placed in a uv - reactor and underwent irradiation , while stirring , for the allotted time . then , the material was centrifuged down and the supernate was pipetted off . the materials were washed several times with methanol , as well as dimethylformamide for 3 , and dried in a vacuum oven , before tga analysis . comparing ligands 2 and 3 provided insight into the impact of having an aryl group in the ligand backbone . it has previously been shown that having an aryl group can help rigidify the molecule , limiting degrees of freedom , as well as pre - organize the ligand during surface attachment : both of these effects are thought to drive high density loading . in fact , it was observed that the styrene derivative ( 3 ) did show higher density loadings ( table 1 ). when observed over a short time span ( one to two hours in increments ) 3 comes close to reacting to completion with surface thiols , while 2 remains under 50 % reacted . this increased ligand density could also be impacted by the stability of the benzyl radical that is formed during this reaction . materials made with both ligands went on to perform excellently in comparison to commercially available sorbents . so while one may be more ideal kinetically , both ligands provide materials with outstanding performance . the role of a reducing agent , nabh 4 , as well as the importance of the photoinitiator were investigated . it was found that the addition of sodium borohydride increased the loading from 0 . 85 to 3 . 00 ligands / nm 2 for styrene idaa ( 3 ) after two hours . however , it decreased the loading of the allyl idaa ( 2 ) from 1 . 01 to 0 . 16 ligands / nm 2 . the lower loadings with 2 and higher loadings with 3 were consistent over four time points from 1 to 4 hours . due to the inconsistent effects of sodium borohydride from ligand to ligand , it was not included in future reaction conditions . it has been previously noted in literature that the thiol - ene click reaction does not necessarily require the use of a photoinitiator . we ran the idaa thiol - ene click reaction with idaa with and without photoinitiator and found that while there was still some conversion from the thiol to the thioether without the photoinitiator , the loading of idaa dropped by an order of magnitude . with this knowledge , it was determined that the photoinitiator should be used for future reactions . the tetraethylmethylene bisphosphinate was synthesized as described in literature , and the alkene functionality was introduced using the same method our group has previously published . although the reaction was not previously optimized , we achieved high yields by deprotonating the diphosphonate methylene carbon using sodium hydride , followed by alkylation with allyl iodide . the product can be deprotected to afford the free diphosphonic acid , diphos , which can then be installed on the surface without protecting groups . diphos went on to undergo the same thiol - ene reaction conditions as 2 in the previous section . thiol surface chemistry , which enables the thiol - ene click route of functionalization , can be installed on a range of ceramic , metallic , and carbon based supported material . this enables a wide variety of potential support materials to be utilized with the thiol - ene click reactions . for this study , a range of high surface area silica support materials that span from a highly ordered mesoporous silica to a small particle fumed silica ( table 2 ), were evaluated . these materials all have high surface areas , 380 - 870 m 2 / g which allow for a large number of active sites per gram of silica . the thiol loading can vary with substrate , but by comparing the percent of surface thiols reacted , the effectiveness of the thiol - ene click reaction with allyl idaa on various surfaces was assessed ( table 2 ). when reacting allyl idaa with a variety of thiol functionalized substrates , it was found that small pore sizes in porous silica were detrimental to the click reaction on the materials surface . it can be observed in table 1 that nanoporous silica , mcm - 41 , which has the smallest pores ( 5 . 6 nm ), showed the poorest ligand loading . a material with larger pores such as davisil 646 ( 15 . 6 nm pores ), enables improved loading with the click reaction . not surprisingly , the most effective ligand loading is on nonporous materials that do not impose mass transport and steric constraints on the reaction fine fumed silica fibers , cab - o - sil ; with 66 % of the sites modified after a few hours of reaction time . since cab - o - sil had superior performance with this reaction , it was used in future reactions ; however , the method can be applied to porous materials as well , and can be expanded onto a wide variety of form factors . all three ligands used , allyl and styrene idaa and diphos were run under the same click reaction condition to explore the ligand type impact on loading density . comparing all three ligands when reacted with thiol cab - o - sil ( fumed silica base ), styrene idaa ( 3 ) and diphos ( 1 ) exhibited higher ligand density coverage after two hours ( table 3 ). given longer reaction times the density of allyl idaa surface ligands can be driven up to 2 ligands per nm 2 . we attempted making a styrene analog of diphos to improve ligand loading . it was thought that the same positive gain in ligand density would be achieved due to preorganization and added rigidity . unfortunately , styrene diphos was found to be so reactive that it gelled when placed in the uv - reactor , before the ligand was able to react with the thiol surface , likely making a homo - polymer . one of the main advantages of using the thiol - ene click reaction for surface functionalization is increased ligand density . ideally there would be the highest number of chelating ligands on the surface as possible , however the soft surface given by the surface thiols is still desired . in order to see the effect that ligand density truly had on performance , a range of materials with varying densities of allyl idaa were made , and materials were tested for percent uptake ( fig3 ). the ligand density of idaa was increased from zero up to two ligands per nm 2 . at zero idaa ligands , there was the highest thiol ligand coverage , as none of the thiols have undergone the click reaction . at the zero point for idaa ligand density , we observed almost 100 % soft metal , in this case , ag ( i ), capture . as the thiol ligand density was decreased and the idaa ligand density increased to 2 ligands per nm 2 , a slight decrease in soft metal capture is observed . however , this decrease is less than expected and these materials still exhibit excellent soft metal capture . there is a dramatic impact on percent capture of europium when increasing ligand density : increasing the idaa loading from 0 . 5 to 2 . 0 ligands / nm 2 increased the percent europium ( eu ) capture from 25 % to ˜ 85 %, respectively . the percent capture of cobalt is also improved with higher ligand density . for each element in fig3 , lines of best fit were drawn to help guide the eye towards the trends . the significant increase in harder metal capture , while also maintaining excellent soft metal capture , shows that we have successfully made materials with high density of chelating ligands that directly correspond to excellent percent capture capabilities , all while maintaining a polyvalent surface that allows for excellent soft metal capture as well . functionalizing materials via a thiol - ene click reaction is beneficial for synthetic reasons , but more importantly , it allows the synthesis of materials with outstanding sorbent performance . these new functionalized materials were tested over a range of ph conditions , from acidic to neutral , and in real seawater . when evaluating material performance , both the percent uptake and distribution coefficient were considered . the initial comparison and evaluation of sorbent materials for metal collection from seawater was conducted using batch contact studies at equilibrium conditions . the sorption affinity of each sorbent is presented in terms of the solid phase distribution coefficient ( k d ) and / or as the percent (%) capture . the k d ( ml / g ) is simply a mass - weighted partition coefficient between supernatant phase and solid phase ( equation 1 ). for the specific conditions of the experiment , the k d represents a direct measurement of chemical affinity . for trace collection , the k d is a key parameter for evaluation of sorbent performance . the percent capture was calculated as shown in equation 2 , where c o and c f are the initial and final equilibrium concentrations of desired analyte , respectively , v is the volume of solution , and m is the mass of sorbent used . a variety of commercially available sorbents , as well as the engineered functionalized silica sorbents , were tested ( table 4 ). activated carbon is a prominently utilized sorbent , it underperforms when compared to engineered sorbents , but is very economically feasible . the three resins tested contain the same functional groups as the prepared high surface area silica supports ( hsass ). the chelex 100 resin contains iminodiacetic acid functional groups , diphonix contains diphosphonic acids , and thiol resin has surface thiol groups . across the board , the hsass counterparts outperform commercial sorbents , exhibiting affinities that are , in some cases , multiple orders of magnitude higher than these resins . for example , diphos - thiol hsass outperforms diphonix by an order of magnitude in uranium affinity , and the percent capture increases from 78 % to 96 %. comparing the rare earth metal affinity of these same two materials diphos - thiol hsass has an improvement of two orders of magnitude , and the percent uptake increases from 54 % to 99 %. all of the hsass materials maintain the polyvalent surface , which allows for maintaining excellent soft metal uptake . it is clear to see that hsass materials exhibit outstanding performance , even when compared with their commercially available resin counterparts . utilizing the thiol - ene click reaction , we have been able to synthesize polyvalent materials with excellent metal sorbent performance . we have been successful in creating a new class of polyfunctional silica materials by utilizing the thiol - ene click reaction . thiol based sorbent materials have been shown to be excellent sorbents for the capture of soft heavy metals such as mercury , silver , and lead . using mercaptopropyl groups as the platform surface , allowed the materials to maintain a high affinity for softer metals , while allowing for facile secondary functionalization through thiol - ene click chemistry . this method allowed for functionalization of the silica substrates with highly active ligands that have otherwise proven to be challenging to incorporate . the use of bulky protecting groups that can negatively impact ligand density was alleviated , along with the necessary harsh deprotection step , allowing for improved ligand density . the thiol - ene click reaction is performed quickly , and in most cases , can be pushed almost to completion . however , it was undesirable to convert all surface thiols , so driving the reaction to completion was not an aim . increasing loading of the chelating ligands on the materials surface had a e cab - o - sil eh - 5 large impact on the material &# 39 ; s affinity for rare earth elements ; however , all polyfunctional materials exhibited excellent affinity for soft metals . fortunately , although there was a slight decrease as the number of surface thiols decreased 90 % soft metal capture is maintained . since the functionalization of many different types of ceramics and polymeric materials with thiols is so prevalent , this functionalization motif can be used for a variety of nanomaterials , expanding the potential impact . the applications of these materials span from mining to water purification . selectively capturing species present in incredibly low concentrations from various aqueous matrixes is challenging . the applications in water purification are driven from the need for clean water : soft heavy metals and radioactive elements are harmful in our water systems , even in parts per billion concentration ranges . capturing soft metals and rare earths can also be applied to mining streams that may have valuable dissolved metals , as well as for use in mining uranium from seawater . these materials were designed for use in broad chemical spectrum water purification and mineral recovery , and are well suited for collection from challenging solutions , such as mine run off , industrial waste , recycling , and challenging brine solutions . by utilizing the thiol - ene click functionalization motif we were able to assemble materials that outperform commercially available sorbents and hold promise throughout a wide array of applications . geothermal waters were an area of focus for ideal dissolved metal concentrations and market accessibility . geothermal waters from a variety of sites were analyzed for metal concentrations , and while not all locations were ideal , the salton sea was identified as a possible area of interest . dissolved metal concentrations were determined , and an economic analysis on incorporation of desired dissolved metal capture into geothermal plants has also been carried out . the support materials such as cab - o - sil ® eh5 ( nf silica ), davisil 635 ( pc silica ), and mcm - 41 ( np silica ) were obtained from cabot , sigma - aldrich , and exxonmobil , respectively . chelex 100 resin were purchased from biorad . activated carbon , darco ® kb - b , was obtained from sigma - aldrich . synthesis and characterization of organic ligand - based nanoporous ( np ) silica were as described above , including those functionalized with propionamide phosphonic acid ( propphos ), and iminodiacetic acid ( idaa ). diphosphonic ( diphos ) and idaa were functionalized on nanofiber ( nf ) silica by “ thiol - ene click ” reaction , and details were explained above . for comparison , the unfunctionalized ( support materials ) and commercially available materials were also tested along with functionalized materials . the sorbent characterization ( surface area and particle size ) are shown in table 5 . surface area and pore size data were collected using a quantachrome quadrasorbsi . the ligand densities were calculated from mass loss of organic attached sorbent obtained by thermal gravimetric analysis ( tga ). the tga was performed using a netzsch tg 209 f3 tarsus in an aluminum oxide crucible under a helium purge of 10 ml / min . the thermal ramp rate was 10 ° c ./ min and points were collected every 0 . 5 ° c . the k d is a mass - weighted partition coefficient between solid phase and liquid supernatant phase as shown in equation 1 . the percent sorption of rees was calculated as shown in equation 2 , where c o and c f are the initial and final concentrations of the ree , respectively ( at equilibrium ), v is the volume of solution , and m is the mass of sorbent used . k d and percent sorption of rees by sorbents were performed in filtered river water ( columbia river , washington state ), filtered seawater ( sequim bay , washington state ), 0 . 01 m hno 3 , and 0 . 01 m hcl . they were obtained through batch sorption experiments , and calculated from the actual concentrations of metals detected by icp - ms . river water was spiked with ˜ 50 ppb of the rees la , ce , nd , eu , gd , tb , dy , ho and lu , and then the ph was adjusted to an initial value of 5 . 2 with hno 3 to avoid precipitation . 4 . 9 ml of the rees river water was placed in a polypropylene bottle and mixed with 0 . 1 ml sorbent suspended in di water to obtain a liquid - to - solid ( l / s ) ratio of 50000 ( ml liquid / g - sorbent ). the tubes were shaken for 2 h at 200 rpm on an orbital shaker . the materials were collected by filtering the solution thru 0 . 45 - μm syringe nylon - membrane filters . the removed supernatants were stored in 2 % ( vol .) aqueous hno 3 prior to metal analysis . the metal ion concentrations in the control ( no sorbent ), with and without filtration , were analyzed in order to check for precipitation of metal ions and confirm concentrations . the same batch contact conditions were used for the seawater . the initial ph of the rees spiked seawater was also adjusted to be ˜ 5 . 2 , while the rees spiked solutions in 0 . 01 m hno 3 and 0 . 01 m hcl were retained with ph as is (˜ ph 2 . 2 ). these sample solutions were analyzed using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer ( icp - ms , agilent 7500ce , agilent technologies , ca ). all batch experiments were performed in triplicate and the averaged values were reported . europium was selected as a representative ree , due to its mid - range weight , for sorption kinetics of selected materials . the sorption kinetics were carried out in seawater under the same condition as batch contact studies ( equilibrium ph ˜ 6 . 0 and l / s ratio of 50000 ml / g ), except that the sample volume was increased to 50 ml to minimize the change in l / s ratio due to the frequent samplings . a well - mixed 1 ml aliquot sample was taken at selected times from 0 min through 24 hours the liquid was separated from the sorbent via filtration and stored in 2 % hno 3 . the sorption capacity of sorbents for rees was measured with the same method and conditions employed for the k d measurements . europium was selected to represent the sorption capacity of sorbents in river water . the initial eu concentration was varied until the maximum sorption capacity was obtained . the batch contact was carried until equilibrium was reached . this was accomplished by using a large molar excess of eu to the binding sites on the sorbent material at l / s ratio of 10000 ml / g . diphos , propphos , and the styrene derivative of idaa materials were selected for this study , due to promising initial results . phosphonic acids have been shown to be excellent chelators for rees , and iminodiacetic acid groups , a close relative of edta , have been extensively used for chelation . base silica materials , either cab - o - sil ( nf silica ) or mcm - 41 ( np silica ), were functionalized with diphos , propphos , or styrene idaa in previously optimized methods . in order to determine the increase in performance due to the addition of the ligands , the silica base materials were also tested . we also compared these materials to commercially available sorbents , chelex100 and activated carbon . chelex 100 is a commercially available resin that is functionalized with edta . activated carbon is a very common and cheap sorbent but it lacks affinity and selectivity . it should be noted that the morphology of the sorbent impacts the form factor for end use . for instance , nanofiber silica can be dispersed into nafion , a porous polymer , resulting in water permeable films that can be used for trace capture . nanoparticle silica with well - defined channels like mcm - 41 , work well in packed filter cartridges that waters flow through . for this reason , we used both nanofiber silica and nanoparticle silica as the ligands can be imparted on either substrate interchangeably . nanoparticle silica has a higher surface area compared to nanofiber silica , since the nanoparticle silica used is mesoporous with pores ranging from 3 to 5 nm in diameter . the nanofiber silica used is not porous , and the particle sizes vary widely . surface area impacts capacity per gram as more surface area per gram allows for more active sites per gram . surface area decreases as ligands are added , due to increasing particle size or pore constriction with nanofiber or nanoporous silica respectively ( table 5 . 1 ). we tested material performance in a variety of water matrices . the water matrix has a large impact on material performance real water samples contain many dissolved species , and the ionic strength of water samples can vary by orders of magnitude . river water has the lowest ionic strength , which typically gives the best performance for this class of sorbents . seawater has a much higher ionic strength , about 700 times that of river water , and for most sorbents this has a huge impact on performance acidic waters , both those with hydrochloric acid ( 0 . 01 m ) and nitric acid ( 0 . 01 m ), were used to model mining waters . typically , metal capture from acidic solutions is significantly more challenging . most materials followed the trend of performing best in river water , then seawater , followed by acidic solutions ( table 6 ). the percent sorption of all materials tested in natural waters can be found in table 6 . all organic functionalized materials outperformed commercial resins in river water and seawater . diphos - nf silica and propphos both had outstanding performance , with the base silica controls having almost no affinity for any metals tested . the diphos - nf silica removed almost all metals tested from seawater , and maintained high affinity for the tested metals even in acidic solutions ; other materials tested lost almost all affinities for rees in acidic conditions . activated carbon showed slight uptake with seawater and removed almost half of most metals in river water , significantly underperforming when compared to the functionalized sorbents . chelex 100 performed poorly in all solutions . this is likely due to the very high liquid to solid ratio , 50 , 000 ml / g sorbent ( this ratio meant that we had 0 . 1 mg of sorbent per five ml of solution tested ). when taking sorbents into real life applications , such as handling thousands of gallons of water per minute , they must perform at very high liquid to solid ratios . the ability of diphos - nf silica to perform at these high volumes of water , as well as function efficiently in competitive and acidic environments , has proven that this material is an excellent option for the removal of rees from a variety of aqueous solutions . the functionalized sorbents show excellent removal for a variety of rees ; it is important to note how quickly this removal can take place . in practice , the material would be stripped of metals after equilibrium has been reached and reused . if it took an hour to reach equilibrium , one could collect 24 batches of rees per day . following this , if it takes one minute , the process could cycle 1 , 440 times per day . the kinetics of uptake significantly impacts the economic feasibility of ree recovery from aqueous systems . for diphos - nf , equilibrium is reached almost immediately ; after only one minute . at this point , over 95 % of each metal tested was bound ( fig4 ). the commercial sorbents tested varied for each ree tested . lutetium had the highest rate of uptake and reached equilibrium 10 times slower than diphos , taking ten minutes . the materials had the lowest affinity for cerium ; reaching equilibrium after 100 minutes with only 60 % of the metal bound . clearly , the diphos - nf silica displayed excellent performance , in terms of both kinetic and percent sorption for all three rees tested . along with removal and kinetics , capacity is an important metric for determining the feasibility of using these materials for aqueous ree capture in a commercial plant . capacity is a measure of the amount of the desired analyte that the material is able to taken up , typically measured in mg analyte per gram sorbent material . the higher this number is the higher the quantity of rees that will be collected in each run . it should be noted that the capacity is dependent on the concentration in solution . to determine the sorption capacities of materials , adsorption isotherms were determined for selected sorbent materials in river water . the langmuir model was used to fit the experiment data and explain the sorption capacities of materials . the estimated parameters of the langmuir isotherm for all sorbents are given in table 5 . 6 , and were calculated using equation 3 below , where is the equilibrium concentration of eu in the solution , q is the amount of eu adsorbed on the unit mass of sorbent , q max is the eu adsorbed at saturation and represents the maximum capacity of sorbent for metal adsorption , b is the langmuir constant defined as the adsorption affinity of the sorbent for the metal . the sorption isotherm data of both sorbents tested fit the langmuir adsorption model with r 2 & gt ; 0 . 98 ( table 7 ). this indicates that the adsorption properties correlate almost perfectly with the langmuir equation , suggesting that the europium interacts with binding sites in a monolayer adsorption behavior with no interaction between eu ions . diphos - nf had a significantly increased capacity over activated carbon , even though activated carbon has more than ten times the surface area . the capacity is so high in the diphos - nf material due to the much greater affinity afforded by the surface ligands , as seen in the value of b . the diphos material is able to collect over four times more rees than the activated carbon , and activated carbon required increasing the concentration of europium almost tenfold to reach capacity . because of this , it is very unlikely that activated carbon would reach capacity in environmentally relevant concentrations . the sorption capacity varies with concentration of rees found in solution . in order to improve the economic return on collecting ree from aqueous solutions , we need to target the most concentrated aqueous solutions . some of these aqueous solutions are mining waste streams which are acidic in nature and the performance of our materials in these simulated solutions can be seen above ( table 6 ). other natural water sources with elevated concentrations of rees include geothermal waters . the dissolved metals in geothermal waters are strongly dependent on site specific mineral deposits , but in some locations , the concentrations can be in high enough ppb ranges that collection of significant metals is possible and profitable . it is also advantageous that the diphos - nf silica materials tested remove almost all soft precious metals from solutions , allowing for tandem collection of rees and precious metals . in order to determine the economic feasibility of removing dissolved metals , we had to ensure that desired metals were present in the locations of interest . concentrations of respective metals are shown in table 8 , along with the market price . it is evident that the price of precious metals like gold and platinum are significantly higher than the rees that are present . geothermal waters have even more dissolved ions than seawater ( ionic strength varies based on location ); to ensure that the materials were capable of removing rees from this very competitive environment , we tested them in water collected from a hot spring ( table 9 ). it should be noted that performance experiments were run at room temperature , so conditions were not identical to what would be seen in a collection facility that drew directly from geothermal waters . in geothermal waters at room temperature , both diphos - nf silica and propphos - np silica had outstanding performance , nearing perfection with almost 100 % sorption for each ion after two hours . the idaa materials underperformed in the elevated ionic strength , but still outperformed the commercial sorbents tested ( table 9 ). the demand for rare earth elements is rising , and because rees are produced almost entirely in china , this market control can lead to fluctuating prices and inconsistency in availability . there are trace concentrations of rees found in most natural waters , with the concentration present in each being location and water specific . for instance , geothermal waters contain on average more dissolved rees than surface water , with some geothermal waters having concentrations upwards of 100 ppb . trace collection of these metals from geothermal waters may provide a new source for rees . selective sorbent materials can be excellent for trace collection . we were looking for three main parameters for an ideal sorbent : the sorbent has to remove almost all rees present in waters with high ionic strengths , collection had to happen quickly , and the materials had to have a high capacity that did not require high concentrations to reach . diphos - nf silica met all desired criteria , removing 99 % of rees even in geothermal waters ( highest ionic strength ), % sorbtion reached 95 % in under a minute , and the capacity was significantly higher than with any commercial sorbents . disclosed herein materials for trace collection of rees from natural waters . the rate of uptake would allow for collection and recycling of materials to happen in mere minutes , for upwards of 1 , 000 collection cycles per day . these materials were tested in even the most competitive of solutions , geothermal waters , and were still found to have outstanding performance . these materials may be part of the solution to decrease the dependence on china for rees needed for alternative energy and technology . in view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the disclosed materials may be applied , it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only preferred examples of the invention and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention . | 1 |
fig1 shows a transmission 1 including an electric motor 3 with a motor shaft 5 on which a gearwheel 7 is fastened which is in engagement with a gearwheel 9 provided on a driven output shaft 11 . the electric motor 3 may be a servomotor . reference numeral 13 denotes a load on the output shaft 11 . the driven gearwheel 9 with the output shaft 11 has its rotation bearings in a stationary housing 15 . the servomotor 3 is smoothably suspended from the housing 15 by two pairs of parallel blade springs 17 constructed as a cross - spring pivot and is tiltable relative to the housing 15 about the pivot p which lies on the virtual hinge axis formed by the line of intersection of the blade springs 17 . an electromagnetic actuator 21 comprises a yoke 23 with a coil 25 fastened on the housing 15 and an armature 27 provided on the servomotor 3 . to apply a prestress force to the gearwheels 7 and 9 , a controlled current through the coil 25 exerts a controlled attraction force on the movable armature 27 , so that the servomotor 3 which is tillable about the pivot p , and thus the gearwheel 7 on the motor shaft 5 , is pressed against the gearwheel 9 with a controlled prestress force in a radial direction . the centerline of the motor shaft 5 has reference r , while s denotes the centerline of the output shaft 11 . t is the center - to - center distance between the two centerlines , so between the shafts . the control of the prestress force will be explained in more detail below with reference to fig8 . fig2 and 4 show a practical implementation of the embodiment of fig1 in which comparable parts have the same reference numerals . fig2 shows that the output shaft 11 is rotatably supported in the housing 15 by ball bearings 29 . the yoke 23 of the actuator 21 with the coil 25 is clearly visible , fastened with screws 26 on the housing . the armature 27 of the actuator 21 is fixedly connected to the housing 35 of the servomotor 3 by screws 28 and 32 , with an interposed block 31 and a plate 33 . the motor shaft 5 with the rotor 37 is supported in the housing 35 of the servomotor 3 by ball bearings 39 . the servomotor 3 is movably suspended from the housing 15 by blade springs 17 which are fastened with one end on the housing 15 and with the other end on the plate 33 by screws 41 . reference numeral 43 denotes an angular position transducer . the electromagnetic actuator 21 is clearly depicted in fig3 . the positions and fastenings of the blade springs 17 are evident from fig4 . fig5 shows the actuator 21 in the form of an electromagnet of the ei type with an e - shaped yoke 45 and an i - shaped armature 47 , the coil 25 being wound on the central leg of the yoke 45 and the armature 47 being clear of the yoke . the gap between the two parts is indicated with x . fig6 shows the bare yoke 45 in perspective view . the two parts 45 and 47 attract one another when current is passed through the coil 25 . electromagnets of the ei type have a comparatively high force density . fig7 diagrammatically shows another embodiment of a transmission 51 with a parallel guide for the motor shaft 5 relative to the output shaft 11 . for this purpose , the servomotor 3 together with the gearwheel 7 and the armature 27 is movably coupled to the housing 15 by two or more parallel blade springs 53 . the blade springs are fixed on the housing 15 and on a plate 55 which is fastened on the motor 3 . the further components are similar to those of the embodiment described above and are given the same reference numerals . the control of the compression force ( prestress force ) by the control circuit 60 will now be explained with reference to fig8 . the transmission is identical to the transmission shown in fig1 and is accordingly not described in any detail . an amplifier for the motor 3 is denoted with reference numeral 61 . if a prestress force is to be realized as a function of the motor current , the motor current must be detected . for measuring the motor current , an lem module la25 - np , supplied by the firm liaisons electroniques mechaniques lem s . a ., may be used for measuring the motor current . the lem module 63 supplies a control signal which is proportional to the motor current . the lem module has the advantage that an electrical separation between the motor current and the control circuit is provided . if prestress is provided on the basis of motor current alone , an incorrect prestress force will be applied in the dynamic case in which a certain acceleration is present , because part of the motor current is used for accelerating the rotor of the motor . to prevent this , a portion proportional to the rotor acceleration is subtracted from the obtained control signal in the differential circuit 62 . the rotor acceleration is estimated by an acceleration estimation unit 65 comprising a filtered double differentiator . fig8 shows the lagrange - transformed equation of such an acceleration estimation unit in module 65 . the acceleration may also be determined by an acceleration observer . the acceleration estimation unit 65 provides a signal which is a function of the rotor acceleration . this signal is subtracted from the control signal in the differential circuit 62 . reference numeral 67 denotes a root extractor circuit whose output signal is the square root of the input signal . such a root extractor circuit is known per se from linear products databook , published by analog devices inc ., april 1988 , pp . 6 - 13 to 6 - 21 . the object of this is to obtain a linear relationship between the corrected motor current and the compression force provided by the actuator . to adapt the compression force to gear tooth errors of the gearwheels , the speed is estimated by a speed estimation unit 69 having a filtered differentiator . fig8 shows the lagrange - transformed equation of such a speed estimation unit in module 69 . the speed may also be determined by a speed observer as described in &# 34 ; practical application of second order observers to electromechanical servo systems &# 34 ; by j . geerts and j . scannel in &# 34 ; journal a &# 34 ;, vol . 31 , no . 3 , september 1990 . the rotor speed is estimated in that the position signal of the rotor is differentiated and the differentiated signal is then filtered ( low - pass ). the output signal of the speed estimation unit 69 is a function of the motor speed . the output signal is supplied to a module 71 in which an empirically determined relation between the speed ( horizontal axis ) and the adaptation of the actuator current belonging to that speed ( vertical axis ) is stored . the prestress around the critical speeds of the transmission must be greater than at other speeds so as to prevent the transmission vibrating in a natural frequency . in the transmission 1 used , the transmission was found to vibrate in resonance at a critical speed e . by providing a higher compression force by the actuator around the speed e , it is possible to safeguard a sufficient prestress between the gearwheels . to reduce the natural resonance , a vibration damper may be used which is constructed , for example , from a mass mounted on the motor housing 35 with an interposed piece of rubber . the choice of the mass and the piece of rubber is made in such a way that the assembly has a resonance frequency close to the speed e . the signal provided by the module 71 is added to the signal supplied by the root extractor circuit 67 by the summation circuit 72 . the output signal of the summation circuit 72 is amplified and supplied to the actuator 21 in the form of a current i act . the correct prestress force ( compression force ) is then exerted by the actuator . experiments have shown that the invention provides substantial improvements , compared with a comparable transmission having a constant maximum prestress force of , for example , 50n : firstly , an increase in the positioning accuracy was obtained ; the virtual play or hysteresis resulting from friction was halved ; what remained was the hysteresis of the servomotor arising from motor bearings and carbon brushes . the angular accuracy of the output shaft is improved by a factor 80 compared with the situation with play ( from 8 mrad down to 0 . 1 mrad ). compared with the situation involving a constant prestress force of 50n , there is an improvement in the positioning accuracy of the output shaft by a factor 6 ( from 0 . 6 mrad down to 0 . 1 mrad ). transmissions according to the invention may be used in mechanical high - precision equipment , in displacement mechanisms for samples to be analysed in x - ray spectrometers , in production machines , robots , positioning mechanisms in general , and wherever no direct - drive motors ( without transmission ) are available . | 8 |
referring to fig1 there is depicted a graphical representation of a data processing system 8 which may be utilized to implement the present invention . as may be seen , data processing system 8 may include a plurality of networks , such as local area networks ( lan ) 10 and 32 , each of which preferably includes a plurality of individual computers 12 and 30 , respectively . those skilled in the art will appreciate that a plurality of intelligent workstations ( iws ) coupled to a host processor may be utilized for each such network . as is common in such data processing systems , each individual computer may be coupled to a storage device 14 and / or a printer / output device 16 . the data processing system 8 may also include multiple mainframe computers , such as mainframe computer 18 , which may be preferably coupled to lan 10 by means of communications link 22 . the mainframe computer 18 may also be coupled to a storage device 20 which may serve as remote storage for lan 10 . similarly , lan 10 may be coupled via communications link 24 through a subsystem control unit / communications controller 26 and communications link 34 to a gateway server 28 . gateway server 28 is preferably an individual computer or iws which serves to link lan 32 to lan 10 . with respect to lan 32 and lan 10 , a plurality of documents or resource objects may be stored within storage device 20 and controlled by mainframe computer 18 , as resource manager or library service for the resource objects thus stored . of course , those skilled in the art will appreciate that mainframe computer 18 may be located a great geographic distance from lan 10 and similarly , lan 10 may be located a substantial difference from lan 32 . for example , lan 32 may be located in california , while lan 10 may be located within texas , and mainframe computer 18 may be located in new york . referring to fig2 a computer screen 39 is shown with an embodiment of the present invention represented thereon . as is typical , a plurality of graphical objects 40 , such as icons , are arranged on the screen 39 . a plurality of windows opened on the screen 39 for implementation of the present invention are also shown . represented by windows 42 and 44 are music audios which have been started and subsequently stopped . similarly , windows 46 and 48 represent videos which have been started and subsequently stopped . in accordance with the present invention , whenever one of the windows 42 , 44 , 46 , or 48 are stopped , pop - up windows ( as are known in the art ) are presented to the user . the user must answer appropriate information ( such as , for example , a user supplied description and start / stop points ) into the pop - up window . the user then selects the named reference as a place mark . after indicating that the named reference is to be used for a place mark , a place marks list window 50 is created . the window 50 includes a place mark symbol such as , for example , musical note 52 and video symbol 54 , along with the user selected name for the place mark . in the implementation of the present invention , after the items have been inserted into the place mark list window 50 , a user may then incorporate the multi - media information into an electronic mail item . in the example shown in fig2 a correspondence editor window 56 is shown . the user has typed an electronic mail note to a recipient and has included therein two place marks . during the entry of the text into window 56 , the user may drag the place mark symbol and corresponding user name to the appropriate place in the text . for example , the user has dragged the symbol and name hawaii seascape , generally identified by the reference numeral 58 , and the symbol and user name mozart piano number 4 , generally identified by the reference numeral 60 , to the text in the window 56 . upon completion of the electronic mail note in the window 56 , the user may then send the note to a recipient . upon receiving the note , the recipient may select ( by any appropriate method such as clicking on the symbol with a mouse ) the place mark and the on - line referenced multi - media material identified therein will be automatically called and presented to the recipient . upon completion of the review of the multi - media object by the recipient , control will be transferred back to the electronic mail item for continued use thereof . referring to fig3 a flowchart illustrating the creation of a place mark is illustrated . the present invention starts at 80 and a multi - media object is selected at block 82 . linkage is established to the multi - media object at block 84 . the multi - media object is then run at block 86 . at decision block 88 , it is determined whether or not to pause . if the response to decision block 88 is no , it is determined whether or not to stop at decision block 90 . if the response to decision block 90 is yes , the present invention stops at 92 . if the response to decision block 90 is no , the present invention returns to block 86 to run the multi - media object . returning to decision block 88 , if the response thereto is yes , a user title is added at block 94 . a place mark is created at block 96 and placed in storage 98 , followed by a return to run the multi - media object at block 86 . referring to fig4 a flowchart illustrating the insertion of a place mark is shown . the present invention starts at 100 followed by a request to start creation of a note at block 102 . at block 104 , text is entered into the note . at decision block 106 , it is determined whether or not a place mark is to be added . if the response to decision block 106 is no , it is determined at decision block 108 whether or not to end the note . if the response to decision block 108 is yes , the present invention stops at 110 . if the response to decision block 108 is no , the present invention returns to block 104 to continue entering text . returning to decision block 106 , if the response thereto is yes , a list of place marks is requested at block 112 . the list is displayed at 114 and a place mark is selected from the list at 116 . the place mark is then inserted in the note at block 118 followed by a return to block 104 to continue entering text . referring to fig5 a flowchart illustrating the use of a place mark is shown . the present invention starts at 120 followed by an opening of the mail repository at block 122 . at block 124 , a note is selected for reading . at block 126 , the note is read followed by decision block 128 where it is determined whether or not to view a place mark . if the response to decision block 128 is no , it is determined at decision block 130 whether or not to end the note . if the response to decision block 130 is yes , the present invention stops at 132 . if the response to decision block 130 is no , the present invention returns to block 126 to continue reading the note . returning to decision block 128 , if the response thereto is yes , a place mark is selected at block 134 . it is then determined at decision block 136 whether or not there is local access to the multi - media object identified in the place mark . if the response to decision block 136 is no , an attempt is made to link to the multi - media object via the lan at block 138 . it is determined at decision block 140 , whether or not an error is detected . if the response to decision block 140 is yes , an error message is produced at block 142 followed by a return to block 126 to allow continued reading of the note . if the response to decision block 140 is no , it is determined at decision block 144 whether or not the multi - media object is the same version as in the place mark . similarly , returning to decision block 136 , if the response thereto is yes , the decision block 144 is directly accessed therefrom . if the response to decision block 144 is no , an error message is created at 142 , as previously discussed above . if the response to decision block 144 is yes , the place mark place in the multi - media object is located at block 146 . the multi - media object is then played at block 148 . at decision block 150 , it is then determined whether or not to pause . if the response to decision block 150 is no , the multi - media object continues to play at block 148 . if the response to decision block 150 is yes , it is determined at decision block 152 whether or not to end the multi - media presentation . if the response to decision block 152 is no , the multi - media object resumes play at block 148 . if the response to decision block 152 is yes , the present invention returns to decision block 128 where it is determined whether or not to view a place mark as previously described above . in summary , the present invention provides an improvement over the prior art which saves both user time and system storage . by utilizing the present invention , a user may insert place marks into an electronic mail item that do not require manual typing or sending of the entire reference . similarly , a recipient is not required to exit the electronic mail item and enter an on - line system to review a reference . a user now need only insert the place mark and the recipient may then call the referenced item by selecting the place mark . although the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to a preferred embodiment , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention . | 6 |
various objects , features , aspects and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments , along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components . the following discussion provides many example embodiments of the inventive subject matter . although each embodiment represents a single combination of inventive elements , the inventive subject matter is considered to include all possible combinations of the disclosed elements . thus if one embodiment comprises elements a , b , and c , and a second embodiment comprises elements b and d , then the inventive subject matter is also considered to include other remaining combinations of a , b , c , or d , even if not explicitly disclosed . in some embodiments , the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients , properties such as concentration , reaction conditions , and so forth , used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “ about .” accordingly , in some embodiments , the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment . in some embodiments , the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques . notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations , the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable . the numerical values presented in some embodiments of the invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements . as used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow , the meaning of “ a ,” “ an ,” and “ the ” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . also , as used in the description herein , the meaning of “ in ” includes “ in ” and “ on ” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . the recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range . unless otherwise indicated herein , each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein . all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context . the use of any and all examples , or exemplary language ( e . g . “ such as ”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed . no language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non - claimed element essential to the practice of the invention . groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations . each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other elements found herein . one or more members of a group can be included in , or deleted from , a group for reasons of convenience and / or patentability . when any such inclusion or deletion occurs , the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all markush groups used in the appended claims . as used herein , and unless the context dictates otherwise , the term “ coupled to ” is intended to include both direct coupling ( in which two elements that are coupled to each other contact each other ) and indirect coupling ( in which at least one additional element is located between the two elements ). therefore , the terms “ coupled to ” and “ coupled with ” are used synonymously . as used herein , a “ capacitor ” can be either a single component having a capacitance , or any combination of commonly used circuit components that have the same thevenin equivalent capacitance . as used herein , an “ inductor ” can be either a single component having an inductance , or any combination of commonly used circuit components that have the same thevenin equivalent inductance . the inventive subject matter described herein is directed to a circuit that minimizes signal reflection by substantially matching the impedances of an audio signal source ( e . g ., a music player , an amplifier , etc .) and an array of speakers . as defined herein the term “ array of speakers ” means one or more speakers that are coupled with each other in series and / or in parallel . in addition , some embodiments of the circuit modify an audio signal to reduce quantization errors . when a power source , such as an audio amplifier , feeds an array of speakers , the power transferred between the two is limited by the extent to which the impedances of the two are matched . two types of impedance matching exist in electrical circuits . the first is maximum power transfer matching and the second is electrical matching . both are described in detail below . to obtain maximum power transfer from a source to a load , the load impedance must be matched to the source impedance . for a resistive circuit , this match is achieved by ensuring the source and load resistances are equal . for a complex circuit that includes a time dependent signals , such a match is achieved when the load impedance is the complex conjugate of the source impedance . maximum power transfer matching is advantageous when the goal is to get as much power as possible out of a source and neither the source nor the feed impedances can be changed . however , a system designed for maximum power transfer is not always the most efficient system and , in fact , efficiency of such a system is half that of a system matched for reflectionless signal transmission . when an electrical signal encounters a resistance ( or an impedance ), a portion of that signal can be reflected back toward the source . in reflectionless matching , source and load impedances are matched such that substantially no part of an electrical signal is reflected back to the source . in the case of a circuit dealing with a non - time dependent signal , reflectionless matching is achieved by the extent to which the real component of the source and load impedances are equal . for complex circuits that handle ac signals , reflectionless matching is achieved when both the real and imaginary parts of the source and load impedances are equal . note that reflectionless matching and maximum power transfer matching have the same result for non - time dependent signals since a signal that is not time dependent will have no complex component . signal reflection is undesirable in many applications , including for example , sound reproduction . signal reflection can cause issues including amplification of some frequencies , cancellation of other frequencies , and it can affect dynamic ranges and cause distortion . impedance matching in the case of a dc circuit ( i . e ., a circuit without a complex source ) can be achieved by matching a source resistance with a load resistance . as used herein , a “ source resistance ” is a thevenin equivalent resistance of a signal source while a “ load resistance ” is a thevenin equivalent resistance of a load . matching these resistances results in maximum power dissipated across the load resistance . this can be explained using ohm &# 39 ; s law and the equation describing electronic power . ohm &# 39 ; s law is , where v is voltage , i is current , r is resistance , and p is power . for example , given a source having a constant resistance of 50ω and constant voltage of 100 v , table 1 shows how power dissipated by the load is affected when the load resistance ( rload ) is varied from 45 to 55ω . notably , power dissipation in the load is maximized when the source resistance is equal to the load resistance . this is also true for ac signal sources ( e . g ., an audio signal source ). in ac circuits , there are two types of impedance matching : reflectionless matching and maximum power transfer matching . the circuit of the inventive subject matter represents an effort to achieve reflectionless impedance matching between an audio signal source and an array of speakers . for purposes of explanation of the concept , the audio signal source is referred to as having a source impedance and the array of speakers is referred to as having a load impedance . it should be recognized that perfectly reflectionless matching may be unattainable for audio signal sources and speaker arrays that have different impedances , but the inventive subject matter is drawn toward a novel new system of minimizing , or at least substantially reducing , signal reflection . impedance is different from resistance in that impedance takes into account reactance as well as resistance . in a broad sense , impedance is a measure of opposition that a circuit presents to a current when a voltage is applied . more specifically , impedance has a resistance value and a reactance value . it is expressed as , where z is impedance , r is resistance , x is reactance , and j is the imaginary unit . simply put , impedance can be any combination of resistors , capacitors , and inductors , where the real component of impedance is resistance and the imaginary component is reactance ( e . g ., capacitor and / or inductor reactance ). finally , impedance can similarly be applied to ohm &# 39 ; s law as , because of the similarities between dc circuits and ac circuits , impedance matching can be accomplished in ac circuits in a manner similar to resistance matching in dc circuits . as mentioned above , there are two types of impedance matching that can be accomplished in ac circuits . this results from the fact that impedance in ac circuits has a complex reactance component as well as a resistive component . the first type of impedance matching results in maximum power transfer and is achieved by matching a source impedance with the complex conjugate of a load impedance . this is expressed as , where z s is a source impedance and z l is a load impedance , the asterisk represents the complex conjugate of the variable z l *. the second type of impedance matching results in minimized signal reflection from the load , z l . to minimize signal reflection source impedance and load impedance must be equal . this is expressed as , where z s is a source impedance and z l is a load impedance . in the inventive subject matter , the goal is to minimize signal reflection between a load ( e . g ., an array of speakers ) and a source ( e . g ., an audio signal source ). in the case of an audio signal source and an array of speakers , both source and load impedances are functions of frequency . frequency dependence of reactance makes impedance matching difficult when frequency constantly varies as with an audio signal ( e . g ., music and / or audio books ). the impedance of a source and a load may not vary by the same amount across all frequencies resulting in a mismatch leading to signal reflection . embodiments of the inventive subject matter solve this problem by providing a circuit comprising at least one inductor between the signal source and the load . when an inductor having an appropriate inductance is placed between an audio signal source and an array of speakers , it will naturally provide some degree of impedance matching . an inductor can be placed in different locations of the circuit ( e . g ., on the positive side that couples the positive terminal of an audio signal source to the positive terminal of an array of speakers and / or on the negative side that couples the negative terminal of an array of speakers to the negative terminal of an audio signal source ) to provide optimal impedance matching for different speaker set ups and / or different ranges of audio signals . the circuit additionally reduces quantization error instantiated during analog - to - digital conversion of an audio signal into a digital format . quantization distortion is also known as quantization error , and it represents a difference between an actual analog value and a corresponding quantized digital value . such errors are caused by rounding or truncation of an audio signal when it is encoded into a digital format . quantization errors are often manifested during signal reconstruction from a digital format : the signal is rebuilt into as many segments as were originally sampled , resulting in digital “ jumps ” in signal amplitude along sloped portions . since these jumps represent sharp rises or falls in a signal , the frequency associated with a jump is typically very high ( e . g ., greater than 20 khz ). circuits of the inventive subject matter accomplish this by virtue of the reactance of inductors . inductor reactance is expressed as , where ω is frequency in radians and l is inductance . therefore , as ω approaches infinity , the reactance of the inductor similarly approaches infinity . based on the inductance of the particular inductor used in some embodiments of the circuit , reactance can approach infinity at different rates . thus , very high frequency signals will be excluded by the inductors to some degree . a simple analogy to mechanical systems provides an excellent example for easy understanding . inductors can be viewed as operating as a mass does in a mechanical system . so for example , in a rotational system , flywheels are used to prevent sudden changes in rotational velocity . the same is true of inductors in an electrical system — inductors can be viewed as acting as flywheels to prevent sudden changes in current . depending on the mass of the flywheel ( i . e ., inductance ), sensitivity to change can be tuned to a desired level . the result of passing an audio signal through the circuit is that quantization errors in the audio signal will be reduced according to the selected inductance for each inductor in the circuit ( e . g ., 10 μh , 15 μh , 20 μh , 25 μh , 30 μh , 45 μh , 50 μh , 10 - 15 μh , 15 - 20 μh , 20 - 25 μh , 25 - 30 μh , 30 - 35 μh , 35 - 40 μh , 40 - 45 μh , 45 - 50 μh , 50 - 100 μh , 100 - 200 μh , 500 μh , 1 - 10 mh , 10 - 50 mh , 50 - 100 mh , 100 - 250 mh , 250 - 400 mh 400 - 500 mh ). ultimately , the circuit is configured to not only match the impedances of an audio signal source and an array of speakers , it is also configured to modify an audio signal so that the signal better imitates the original analog waveform . fig1 depicts an example circuit 100 disposed to couple an audio source ( not shown ) and an array of speakers 114 and reduces signal reflection by improving impedance matching . the circuit 100 comprises an inductor 110 , a resistor 112 , and a capacitor 116 . the circuit 100 has four terminals 102 , 104 , 106 , and 108 , coupled to a positive terminal of an audio signal source , a negative terminal of an audio signal source , a positive terminal of an array of speakers , and a negative terminal of an array of speakers , respectively . the audio signal source coupled to terminal 102 , generates an audio signal that can fluctuate in frequency ( e . g ., primarily frequencies between 20 hz and 20 khz for sounds detectible by most humans , but could also include frequencies between 20 khz - 100 khz and / or 100 khz - 200 khz caused by noise in the signal ). the audio signal generated by the audio signal source enters the circuit 100 via terminal 102 , passes to the array of speakers 114 via terminal 106 , passes to the circuit 100 from the array of speakers 114 via terminal 108 , and finally passes back to the audio signal source ( or to some other component , like ground ) via terminal 104 . in this particular configuration , the inductor 110 is located on the positive side of the circuit 100 that connects directly to the positive terminals 102 and 106 . as used herein with respect to circuits , the term “ directly ” means there is no intervening electrical component . the inductor 110 is generally configured to match the impedances of the audio signal source and the array of speakers 114 . in this embodiment , the audio signal source and the array of speakers 114 can each have different thevenin equivalent impedances , and the circuit 100 provides a balancing effect between the two to create an impedance match . as mentioned above , the frequency of an audio signal can fluctuate , which affects the impedances of both the audio signal source and the array of speakers 114 . as such , the circuit 100 substantially compensates for changes in frequency to maintain impedance matching between the audio signal source and the array of speakers . for example , if the audio signal source has an impedance of 6 ohms at some frequency , and the array of speakers 114 has an impedance of 8 ohms at that frequency , then the circuit will provide approximately 2 ohms of impedance at that frequency . the result is that the audio signal source impedance combined with the inductor impedance is approximately 8 ohms , which matches the impedance of the array of speakers 114 . similarly , if the audio signal source has a thevenin equivalent impedance of 8 ohms at some frequency and the array of speakers 114 has a thevenin equivalent impedance of 6 ohms at that frequency , the circuit will again provide 2 ohms of impedance at that frequency . this helps to balance the two because when looking from the audio signal source toward the array of speakers , the equivalent impedance of the audio signal source with the circuit 100 is 8 ohms , thus eliminating , or substantially reducing , reflection of the audio signal from the array of speakers back towards terminal 102 . since the frequency of the audio signal tends to vary over time , the impedance selected for inductor 110 is generally determined about an average frequency over the span of a selection of music , or a preferred frequency , such as a sustained note . where inductor 110 is a variable inductor , a control unit ( not shown ) could be included that allows a user to select the inductance of inductor 110 . in some embodiments where the inductance of the audio source and the array of speakers 114 is known , a control unit ( not shown ) of inductor 110 could allow a user to select a frequency , and inductor 110 will adjust to that frequency . for example , the control unit could be configured to impedance match the best at 1 khz , at 5 khz , and at 10 khz , where a user simply selects the preferred frequency of the circuit . where inductor 110 is a variable inductor , a user could vary the inductance of inductor 110 until the circuit matches the impedance of the input audio source and speaker array 114 about the preferred frequency , or preferred frequencies where the user wishes to have one preferred frequency for one song , and another preferred frequency for a second song . the circuit 100 also includes a resistor 112 and a capacitor 116 that are in series with each other while in parallel with the array of speakers 114 . the resistor 112 and capacitor 116 act as a high - pass filter preventing high frequency signals above a certain frequency from reaching the array of speakers 114 . this is caused by the nature of the impedance of a capacitor , described as , where x c is the impedance of a capacitor , co is the frequency of the signal , and c is capacitance . as frequency approaches infinity , the impedance of a capacitor approaches 0 . the effect of this is that a signal having a very high frequency will tend to pass through resistor 112 and capacitor 116 instead of through the array of speakers 114 , since current tends to travel through the path of least resistance ( or impedance ). by placing a resistor 112 and a capacitor 116 in series with each other , a “ drop - off ” in signal occurs above some frequency . changing the resistance and capacitance will change both the slope of the ramp portion of the drop - off and the frequency above which the drop - off occurs . resistance in embodiments of the circuit 100 can be varied in a number of different ways . in one way , a resistor can be incorporated into the circuit 100 such that it is simply plugged in , and when a different resistance is desired , a different resistor can be plugged in . another way to vary resistance is to incorporate a potentiometer into the circuit . potentiometers are typically manually operated , although electronically operated variable resistors are also contemplated . capacitor control can be achieved similarly . for example : capacitors having difference capacitances can be plugged into the circuit depending on the desired traits of the circuit ; variation in capacitance can be achieved mechanically via manual manipulation ( e . g ., operating a screw ); or capacitance can be modified electronically using , for example , a computer or a microcontroller . similar to the exemplary control unit above , another control unit could be included that allows a user to select the resistance of resistor 112 and capacitance of capacitor 116 , or the drop - off frequency itself . fig2 depicts another exemplary circuit 200 for matching impedance between an audio source and an array of speakers 214 . instead of having just one inductor as shown in the circuit 100 of fig1 , the circuit 200 includes two inductors 210 and 212 . as shown , the two inductors 210 and 212 are located on different sides of the circuit 200 . specifically , a first inductor 210 is located on the positive side of the circuit 200 and is coupled to the positive terminal of the audio signal source and the positive terminal of the array of speakers . a second inductor 212 is located on the negative side of the circuit 200 and is coupled to negative terminal of the audio signal source and the negative terminal of the array of speakers . fig2 also shows that the resistor and capacitor of fig1 can be optional to the circuit . providing a second inductor 212 on the other side of the circuit 200 ( i . e ., between the negative terminal of the array of speakers 206 and the negative terminal of the audio signal source 204 ) further helps to match impedance . an audio signal is typically an ac sinusoidal signal and thus fluctuates about a 0 value ( i . e ., 0 volts ). thus , the audio signal drives current in both directions through the circuit 200 , which causes the diaphragm ( s ) of the speaker ( s ) in the array of speakers to be actively pulled in different directions by the voice coil ( s ) to create sound waves . because current travels in both directions through the circuit and the array of speakers , it can be advantageous for the circuit to be symmetrical . this symmetry results in the ability of the circuit to compensate for the electromagnetic effects caused by movement of the permanent magnet in the speaker driver ( s ) relative to the voice coil of the driver ( s ). having inductors on both sides allows the circuit 200 to absorb current created by such movement and allow the speaker diaphragm ( s ) in the array of speakers 214 to more freely resonate without experiencing as much mechanical reluctance caused by the electromagnetic effect of the permanent magnet ( s ) moving relative to the voice coil ( s ). fig3 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the circuit 300 having two inductors 310 and 312 , a resistor 316 , and a capacitor 318 . as discussed in relation to fig1 , the resistor 316 and capacitor 318 act as a low - pass filter , and , as discussed above , the inductors 310 , 312 help to achieve substantially reflectionless impedance matching between the audio signal source ( e . g ., an amplifier ) and the array of speakers 314 . an audio signal enters the circuit through terminal 302 , passes through inductor 310 , and is affected by the filtering properties of the resistor 316 and the capacitor 318 before leaving the circuit via terminal 306 . terminal 306 is coupled to the positive terminal of the array of speakers 314 , which the signal passes through before returning to the circuit via terminal 308 . from there , it passes back through terminal 304 to the audio signal source . the embodiment of fig3 brings together two key advantageous aspects ( both described in more detail above ): ( 1 ) the advantages of a circuit 300 having an inductor 310 between the positive terminals of the audio signal source and the array of speakers , as well as an inductor 312 between the negative terminals of the same , and ( 2 ) the advantages of having a resistor 316 and capacitor 318 across the positive and negative terminals of the array of speakers 314 . having the resistor 316 and the capacitor 318 coupled to the positive and negative terminals allows the signal or a portion of the signal to pass back to the audio signal source without first travelling through the array of speakers 314 , as discussed above . in this embodiment , any signal , or portion of a signal , circumventing the array of speakers 314 will nevertheless encounter this inductor 312 . when signal passes through the resistor 316 and the capacitor 318 , and subsequently encounters inductor 312 , the signal that passed through the speakers is phase shifted relative to the signal that has passed through the resistor 316 and the capacitor 318 . signal that has passed through the resistor and the capacitor encounters signal that has passed through the array of speakers and cancels out the phase shift brought on by the array of speakers , thus allowing the inductor 312 to operate more effectively and in sync with the other inductor 310 . one advantageous result of this , as discussed above , is that the speakers are able to more freely mechanically resonate since the inductors are able to absorb electromagnetically induced current . fig4 is a circuit diagram of another embodiment of the circuit 400 . it is similar to the circuit of fig3 , except that it includes switches . the switches 420 , 422 , 424 can be closed to essentially take the corresponding circuit component out of the circuit . for example : if switch 420 is closed , then inductor 410 is shorted out of the circuit ; if switch 422 is closed , then resistor 416 and capacitor 418 are removed from the circuit ; and if switch 424 is closed , then inductor 412 is shorted out of the circuit . operating switches 420 , 422 , and 424 in a coordinated fashion can produce desirable results , such as phase shifting of an audio signal . the switches 420 , 422 , and 424 can be mechanical relays , electronic switches such as , for example , transistors , or any other switches known in the art . switches 420 , 422 , and 424 can additionally be operated either mechanically or electronically . mechanical operation involves mechanically changing the state of a switch , while electronic operation involves changing the state of a switch using electricity ( e . g ., a transistor ). a phase shift in this context can refer to any change in phase of a signal , or in the phase difference between two or more signals . in the embodiment of fig4 , the desired phase shift involves shifting an audio signal in the time domain . in other words , the signal is delayed by some fraction of time , causing the wave form to lag in time behind where it might otherwise be . this effect is desirable for the same reason as described above with regard to canceling phase shifting . by providing an avenue to control phase shifting , the negative effects of phase shifting caused by the array of speakers 414 can be minimized . thus , phase shifting can be used to advantageously to enable the speaker ( s ) of the array of speakers 414 to resonate more freely , which allows the array of speakers to perform better across a broader range of frequencies than it otherwise would without the circuit 400 . fig5 shows an embodiment of the inventive subject matter as a black box 500 . the black box 500 can contain any embodiment of the circuits including those described above . the black box 500 has four terminals 502 , 504 , 516 , and 518 that are used to transmit an audio signal . terminal 502 is coupled to the positive terminal of an audio signal source , and terminal 516 is coupled to a positive terminal of a speaker or array of speakers . terminal 518 is coupled to a negative terminal of a speaker or array of speakers . finally , terminal 504 is coupled to the negative terminal of an audio signal source . in alternative embodiments , terminal 502 and 504 could be incorporated into a single input port and terminal 516 and 518 could be incorporated into a single output port without departing from the scope of the current invention . in some embodiments , the positive terminal of an audio signal source transmits a signal to a speaker , while the negative terminal completes a circuit with the speaker and the audio signal source . in most home theater systems , for example , the audio signal source is an amplifier . other examples of signal sources include cd players , digital music players ( e . g ., cell phones , tablets , ipod touches and similar devices , etc .). it is foreseeable that the device of some embodiments can be used with any music signal from any source , even if the source does not provide a digitally reconstructed signal ( e . g ., a vinyl record player ). any speaker associated with an embodiment of the system has a positive and negative terminal corresponding to the positive and negative terminals of the audio signal source . the black box 500 is a unit designed to sit between the audio signal source and the array of speakers , thus it has four terminals 502 , 504 , 516 , and 518 . the black box 500 can additionally have a number of inputs 506 , 508 , 510 , 512 , and 514 . inputs 506 , 508 , and 510 provide for control of switches that can optionally be included in the circuit contained within the black box . first switch control 506 provides for control of a first switch , for example switch 420 , second switch control 508 provides for control of a second switch , for example switch 422 , and third switch control 510 provides for control of a third switch , for example switch 424 . additional switches could be incorporated without departing from the scope of the current invention . switching inputs are optional , however , and depend on the configuration of the circuit within the black box 500 . inputs 512 and 514 provide for control of a resistor and capacitor , respectively . resistor control 512 allows for variation of a resistor in a circuit contained with the black box 500 , while capacitor control 514 allows for variation of the capacitance of a capacitor . this feature is optional , and inclusion in the device depends on whether a variable resistor and / or capacitor has been used in the circuit . the switches could be manual switches controlled by moving a switch or a bar across an interface , or could be electronic switches that are controlled by a centralized control interface ( not shown ). in embodiments where the switches are manual switches , indicators are preferably placed near the switches to indicate how the properties of the circuit are changed . for example in one embodiment switch control 506 could have an indicator showing that it controls inductor 1 , which could be turned on for impedance matching or off to deactivate impedance matching , and / or could even have indicators that show that a first position sets inductor 1 to a first inductance of 25 μh , a second position that sets inductor 1 to a second inductance of 50 μh , and a third position that sets inductor 1 to a third inductance of 100 ph . similar indicators could be provided to adjust the resistance and / or capacitance of an rc circuit , and / or another inductor included in black box 500 . where the switches are electronic inputs , a separate user interface ( not shown ) would preferably have such indicators . fig6 a and 6 b show exemplary inductors 600 a , 600 b that can be used with any of the embodiments from fig1 - 5 to produce better impedance matching over a range of frequencies . inductors have three main components : ( 1 ) a coiled wire 602 a , 602 b ; ( 2 ) a core 604 a , 604 b ; and ( 3 ) a sometimes one or more gaps 606 a , 606 b . when current passes through the coiled wire 602 a , 602 b , a magnetic field is generated within the core 604 a , 604 b and gap 606 a , 606 b . depending on the material within the core 604 a , 604 b and the gap 606 a , 606 b , the magnetic field can have different effects . providing a component having an impedance between two other components having two different resulting impedances normally results in an impedance match only in the vicinity of a specific signal frequency . this results because impedance is a function of frequency , and thus as frequency changes , impedances change at different rates . embodiments of the inventive subject matter solve this problem by using inductors whose impedances vary at a rate that is proportional to the rate of change of both the impedance of the audio signal source and the impedance of the array of speakers . in this way , the impedances remain matched across a wide range of signal frequencies . in essence , the ability of the inductor to vary at a desired rate makes matching across a range of frequencies possible . for example , if the audio signal source has an impedance of 2 ohms at 100 hz and the array of speakers has an impedance of 8 ohms at 100 hz , then the inductor will have approximately 6 ohms impedance at 100 hz to create an impedance match . if those same components have impedances of 6 ohms and 24 ohms at 10 khz , respectively , then the inductor will ideally have an impedance of approximately 18 ohms at 10 khz to create an impedance match . where μ is the permeability of the core , n is the number of times the wire has been wound around the core , a is the cross - sectional area of the core , l is the length of the core , and l is inductance . thus , altering permeability of the core affects inductance and thus the response characteristics of an inductor . core material can also affect the resonant characteristics of an inductor , because a core material has a characteristic frequency at which the inductor exhibits the highest inductance . as a result , one or more core materials can be selected such that the inductor &# 39 ; s performance peaks at particular frequency or across a range of frequencies . the concept of selecting a core material to provide peak performance at a particular frequency can be expanded by creating an inductor using multiple materials having multiple characteristic frequencies . for example , a part of the core can be made from one material having a permeability and characteristic frequency , while the rest of the core can be made from another material having a different permeability and characteristic frequency . such a combination results in the inductor having two different performance peaks at two different frequencies . for applications such as audio signals , the overall effect is that such inductors are able to perform better over a broader range of audio signal frequencies . for example , an inductor can one or more core materials ( e . g ., blended or having boundary layers ) where the material or materials all have different material properties ( e . g ., different permeabilities ). by carefully selecting core materials based on desired permeability and material properties , an inductor can be created that exhibits advantageous characteristics across a broader range of frequencies than a standard inductors having only a single core material . the same concept can be applied the gap portion of the inductor . it can be made up of one or more materials selected based on desired permeability and desired effects across a range of frequencies . the materials used in the core and gap can be some combination of paramagnetic , ferromagnetic , and / or diamagnetic materials . some paramagnetic materials include ( written in the form of , “ material ( approximate relative permeability )”): air ( 1 . 0000004 ), aluminum ( 1 . 00002 ), and palladium ( 1 . 0008 ). some ferromagnetic materials include : 2 - 81 permalloy powder ( 130 ), cobalt ( 250 ), nickel ( 600 ), ferroxcube 3 ( 1 , 500 ), mild steel ( 2 , 000 ), iron ( 5 , 000 ), silicon iron ( 7 , 000 ), 78 permalloy ( 100 , 000 ), mumetal ( 100 , 000 ), purified iron ( 200 , 000 ), and superalloy ( 1 , 000 , 000 ). some diamagnetic materials include : bismuth ( 0 . 99983 ), silver ( 0 . 99993 ), lead ( 0 . 99993 ), copper ( 0 . 999991 ), and water ( 0 . 999991 ). the inductor can be made in many configurations based on the frequency requirements . for example , the frequency range that the inductor is to be used with is an important factor to consider when determining the size of the gap portion of the inductor . the gap and / or can include , for example , ti02 - 6 ( e . g ., 30 - 35 %, 35 - 40 %, 40 - 45 %, 45 - 50 %, 50 - 55 %, 55 - 60 %, 60 - 65 %, 65 - 70 %, 70 - 75 %, 75 - 80 %, 80 - 85 %, 85 - 90 %, or 90 - 98 % by volume ), aluminum ( e . g ., 5 - 10 %, 10 - 15 %, 15 - 20 %, 20 - 25 %, 25 - 30 % by volume ), cobalt ( e . g ., 2 - 5 %, 5 - 10 %, 10 - 15 %, 15 - 20 %, 20 - 25 %, 25 - 30 % by volume ), and sometimes tin binders ( 0 . 5 - 2 %, 2 - 4 %, 4 - 6 %, 6 - 8 %, 8 - 10 %). the proportions for each material used in the core and / or gap are determined based on a frequency range to be used with the inductor . in addition to the specific materials listed above , it is contemplated that these ranges can similarly apply to any paramagnetic , diamagnetic , or ferromagnetic material that is used to create the inductor . any combination of materials is contemplated to alter the properties of inductor 600 a or inductor 600 b . for example , 604 a could comprise a paramagnetic material comprising at least 60 % by volume while gap 606 a could comprise a ferromagnetic material comprising at least 30 % by volume , or 604 b could comprise a ferromagnetic material comprising at least 70 % by volume while gap 606 b could comprise a diamagnetic material comprising at least 25 % by volume . a plurality of gaps ( not shown ) could be used to further vary the properties of the inductor , such as an inductor having a paramagnetic core , a first gap of ferromagnetic material , and a second gap of diamagnetic material . one , two , three , or more such gaps could be embedded in an inductor to alter its properties . in other embodiments , the core itself is partitioned into segments of different materials , such as a first segment of paramagnetic material , a second segment of diamagnetic material , a third segment of ferromagnetic material , and a fourth segment of paramagnetic material . fig7 a - 7 b show a number of graphs 700 a , 700 b depicting gain characteristics of systems using embodiments of the circuit with inductors from fig6 . graph 700 a shows simulated gain relative to 1 khz both with and without an embodiment of the circuit activated to modify the signal . data set 702 a depicts a simulation of gain relative to 1 khz without an embodiment of the circuit connected between the audio source and the speaker array , and data set 704 a depicts a simulation of gain relative to 1 khz with an embodiment of the circuit connected between to the audio source and the speaker array . the simulated results show that passing a signal through a system using an embodiment of the circuit should result in a drop in gain relative to a system that is not using an embodiment of the circuit beginning around 2 khz . graph 700 b depicts actual measured results comparing the gain of a system that does not use an embodiment of the circuit compared to a system that does use an embodiment of the circuit . data set 702 b depicts a simulation of gain relative to 1 khz without an embodiment of the circuit , and data set 704 b depicts a simulation of gain relative to 1 khz with an embodiment of the circuit connected . the gain fluctuates more in the real - world system than in the simulated system , due in large part to un - modeled nonlinear behaviors in many of the components of the system . however , the real - world results also show that passing a signal through a system using an embodiment of the circuit should result in a drop in gain relative to a system that is not using an embodiment of the circuit beginning around 2 khz . fig8 shows a depiction of an example audio signal in three different forms . the first graph 800 shows an original audio signal 801 before it has been converted into a digital format , the second graph 820 shows the audio signal 803 after it has been reconstructed after digitization , and the third graph 840 shows the signal 805 after it has passed through an embodiment of the inventive subject matter . the original audio signal 801 is first divided into different segments of time , which correspond to sample times 802 . at each sample time 802 , the amplitude of the signal is detected and stored for an entire time segment . for example , when the original audio signal 801 is sampled at time 804 , the amplitude of the signal at that time is extended for the duration of that time segment . thus , segment 806 becomes segment 808 as seen in graph 820 . finally , after passing through an embodiment of the circuit , signal segment 808 appears approximately as signal segment 810 in graph 840 , which more closely resembles the analog input than digital output 808 . it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . the inventive subject matter , therefore , is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims . moreover , in interpreting both the specification and the claims , all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context . in particular , the terms “ comprises ” and “ comprising ” should be interpreted as referring to elements , components , or steps in a non - exclusive manner , indicating that the referenced elements , components , or steps may be present , or utilized , or combined with other elements , components , or steps that are not expressly referenced . where the specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of a , b , c . . . . and n , the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group , not a plus n , or b plus n , etc . 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at the outset it would be convenient to outline the general scheme of the system of the invention by explaining the functions which are performed . a tube or snorkel , which shall hereinafter be referred to as the aspirator tube , is introduced into the sample and a quantity of the sample is drawn into a first portion of the fluid transfer valve of the system . the valve operates to segment a minute measured part of the sample therein and such part is diluted with a predetermined quantity of diluent . the resulting suspension is transferred with the added diluent then to first testing apparatus of the system wherein one or more tests or operations can be performed thereon . a portion of the first diluted solution from a previous sample simultaneously is drawn into another portion of the transfer valve as the sample is drawn into the transfer valve . return of the valve to its initiate position causes the segmenting of the minute measured part of the first diluted solution and a second dilution is performed thereon by transferring that last part to a second testing apparatus , where remaining tests are performed . making and transfer of the second dilution occurs simultaneous with the return of the transfer valve to its initial position . a detailed description and explanation of the structure and operation of diluting systems of the type described as well as the combination therewith , of testing apparatus operating on the coulter principle is set forth in said u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 549 , 994 ; 3 , 567 , 390 ; and others . principally , reference is made to u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 549 , 994 and 3 , 567 , 390 and each is hereby incorporated by reference herein as a part hereof . in the system described in these patents , the sample consisted of whole blood . the blood sample tended to remain in the aspirator tube , and in the sample receiving portion of the transfer valve . removal thereof from the aspirator tube was dependent upon the great volume of the next sample acting as a flushing agent . additionally , the fluid transfer valve also required flushing to free same from the residual portions of the older sample whereby to prevent partial mixing or carry - over of successive samples . obviously , carry - over of a part of a preceding sample will result in chance of error , particularly if there is much difference in characteristics between samples . no arrangement was heretofore provided to cleanse both valve and aspirator tubes of residual sample . accordingly , as will be described hereinafter , the invention herein is directed to providing means for backwashing diluent in premeasured quantities through the fluid transfer valve and the aspirator tube in a predetermined time relationship relative to the programmed operations of the apparatus , and , likewise , to coordinate means for collecting the backwash and disposing of same with the backwashing operation . means are provided , alternatively to backflow diluent through the sample receiving passage of the fluid transfer valve to the aspirator tube which is utilized for sample intake . coordinated with such operation , a waste collector vessel is arranged for placement in a disposition whereat it is capable of receiving the backwash from the aspirator tube although normally such collector is not so disposed . one embodiment concerned provides a pivotally mounted collector vessel mounted on a spring biased shaft . the vessel is caused to pivot at the time when the backwash is effected . an aspirator is coupled to the vessel to direct the collected fluid to waste . another embodiment selectively rotates the aspirator tube between a normal sample taking condition and an angled condition when discharge therefrom is directed to a fixed positioned vessel . from there the backwash thus collected is aspirated to waste . in fig1 there is a diluting system schematically illustrated similar to the system illustrated and described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 567 , 390 . the control or fluid transfer valve provided for the careful measurement of the sample is designated generally by the reference character 10 . valve 10 is formed of three elements , an intermediate or center element 14 movable with respect to stationary outer elements 12 and 16 . the elements 12 , 14 and 16 are arranged coaxially . the sandwiched or central element 14 is a carefully made and highly accurate structure having conduits p - 9 and p - 10 , each on opposite sides of a central axis about which it is adapted to rotate . each of these conduits is designed to carry a precise quantity or volume of some fluid , and upon movement between positions , there being two such positions , will slice off or subtend within itself the said volume of fluid and pass it or transfer it . this function is represented by the arrows showing the alignment of the conduits p9 and p10 with others carried by the stationary sandwiching members 12 and 16 of the valve 10 . although represented in the figure as a block or rectangular configuration , the valve 10 consisting of the elements 12 , 14 and 16 preferably is cylindrical in configuration in accordance with and embodying the features of the valve illustrated specifically in fig6 - 10 of u . s . pat . no . 3 , 567 , 390 . the fluid transfer operation of valve 10 herein shall be described by reference only to the fluid passage means defined in the valve by which the transfer is effected and the respective dilutions made , schematically shown in rectangular configuration . each of the outer member 12 and 16 are fixed relative to one another and each is provided with two pairs of ports or passageways . these are designated p1 , p2 , p3 and p4 in element 12 and p5 , p6 , p7 , and p8 in element 16 . when the center element 14 is in one position , say the first position , the left - hand conduit or passageway p9 is aligned with the passageways p1 and p5 at the same time that the right - hand conduit or passageway p10 is aligned with the passageways p3 and p7 . rotation of the center element 14 brings the passageways p9 and p10 to the positions represented by the broken lines . further flow between the passageways p1 and p5 is blocked as is further flow between the passageways p3 and p7 . the passageway p9 is aligned with passageways p2 and p6 and the passageway p10 is aligned with passageways p4 and p8 . this action is reversible , and its effect is to slice or subtend a precise volume of fluid out of the one path and enable it to be inserted into the other path while blocking off the first path . this is done at both positions of the transfer valve 10 . as illustrated , various fluid lines connect the valve assembly 10 with the other elements of the system and for purposes of reference they are as follows : fluid line 20 connects from the passageway p1 to the normally closed conduit 22 of pneumatically operated pinch valve 24 , functionally equivalent in the illustrated system to the sample control valve to which reference is made in patent no . 3 , 567 , 390 . conduit 26 leads by way of line 28 to the sample pump which can be in the form of a diaphragmtype pump or , as illustrated , an aspirator cylinder 30 . if a diaphragm type or other positive displacement pump is used , there is a lead to a source of alternating vacuum and pressure for operating the pump . line 32 of y connection 29 leads to normally open conduit 34 of pinch valve 24 . conduit 34 is coupled to waste w by line 36 . fluid line 38 connects from the passageway p2 to the upper end of the diluent pinch valve 40 . fluid line 42 connects from the passageway p3 to the fluid line 38 at point 42 &# 39 ;. fluid line 44 connects from the passageway p5 to the sample aspirator tube 46 . note that the tube 46 is shown dipping into a vessel 48 containing a liquid sample 50 , which here is whole blood . the vessel 48 is of any suitable construction and is withdrawn or otherwise removed when the requisite quantity of sample 50 has been withdrawn . fluid line 52 connects from the passageway p6 to chamber 54 of mixing vessel 56 . fluid line 60 connects from the chamber 58 of mixing vessel 56 to the passageway p8 and is sometimes called a thief . fluid line 62 connects from the passageway p7 to the chamber 64 of mixing vessel 66 , which includes a second chamber 68 . fluid line 70 connects from the passageway p4 also to line 20 and to the normally closed conduit 22 of sample control pinch valve 24 . fluid line 72 leads from the normally closed conduit line 74 of control valve 76 . fluid line 78 leads from the diluent supply 80 to the normally open conduit 82 of the control valve 76 . a pump in the form of a flexible diaphragm type or as here described a dispensing cylinder 84 having a chamber therein and operates to draw a selected quantity of diluent from supply 80 into the chamber of said cylinder 84 for storage and dispensing , e . g ., the quantity preferably being 3 cubic centimeters . it will be noted in fig1 and 2 that aspirator cylinder 30 provided is functionally equivalent to the sample pump of the patented structure . the aspirator cylinder 30 is connected by line 26 , 28 to conduit 22 and by lines 28 , 32 to line 34 of the sample control valve 24 . in the illustrated example , sample control valve 24 comprises a pneumatically controlled double pinch valve having an intermediate condition where both conduits 22 and 34 are closed before the normally closed conduit 22 is opened . this operational characteristic assures clean separation during the operation of the valve 24 . there also is a diluent control pump 88 connected by the lines 90 and 92 to the pinch valve 40 . this arrangement may be identical to the equivalent arrangement described in the aforesaid pinch valve 24 and control valve 76 . accordingly , fluid line 38 is coupled to the normally closed conduit 90 &# 39 ; of pinch valve 40 . a fluid line 94 is coupled to the normally open conduit 92 &# 39 ; from diluent supply 80 . fluid lines 90 and 92 form a y connection into the diluent control pump 88 . the sample and diluent pumps may be of any construction , but preferably are manifolds having positive displacement means therein moving from end to end to displace a volume of fluid . each pump draws into itself the same volume of fluid it is capable of pushing out . the flexible diaphragm pump not shown suitable may differ from the equivalent pump of the patented system to include a flexible diaphragm pneumatically operated by a source of alternating vacuum and pressure . such pump is formed of two chambers each having a port and separated by the flexible diaphragm . introduction of pressure to one chamber forces the diaphragm fully into the other chamber and thus discharges any fluid contained therein . application thereafter of vacuum will cause reversal of the flexible diaphragm and hence will result in introduction of fluid into the last vacated chamber . cylinder pump 30 known as the aspirator cylinder pump 30 operates by reciprocable movement therein of its piston to draw and discharge fluid when actuated . according to the invention herein , a backwash system generally designated by reference character 100 is provided and illustrated in more detail in fig2 . the system 100 is supplementary to the diluting system of the patented apparatus and is coupled operationally to the diluent supply 80 . line 78 leads from the diluent supply 80 to normally open conduit 82 of backwash fluid control valve 76 . conduit 82 is coupled to one arm 96 of a y connection 97 , with the leg 102 thereof connected to the chamber of piston - actuated storage cylinder dispenser 84 . the other arm 104 of the y connection 96 is coupled to normally closed conduit 74 of backwash control valve 76 and connects by way of line 72 to passageway p1 of fluid sample transfer valve 10 . looking at fig2 we note that both cylinderdispenser 30 and the actuator 108 of the valve 24 are coupled by way of lines 110 and line 112 respectively to the so - called aspirator logic for a period of time as described in the referenced u . s . pat . no . 3 , 549 , 994 . the normally closed conduit 22 of sample control valve 24 is coupled to line 26 of y connection 29 while the other arm 32 thereof is coupled to the normally open conduit 34 of valve 24 and line 36 leading to waste generally represented by w . the leg 28 of y connection 29 leads to the interior chamber of cylinder 30 . the aspirator tube 46 is mounted in a rotatable holder 114 . holder 114 has an outwardly extending arm 116 which is secured pivotally to a reciprocating head 118 , itself secured at the upper end of plunger 120 , as shown . the opposite end of plunger 120 is secured to piston 122 within the interior chamber 124 of air cylinder 126 . the interior chamber 124 of air cylinder 126 has ports opening thereinto on opposite sides of the piston 122 , the ports being connected respectively by lines 128 and 130 to the outputs of four - way valve assembly 132 . four - way valve assembly 132 includes a pair of exhaust ports 134 and 136 and alternate paths leading to air line 140 . the valve assembly 132 also includes actuator means 142 coupled to the lyse logic . supply of air pressure by way of the valve 132 to one or the other side of the piston 122 causes the piston to reciprocate within the cylinder chamber 124 . this in turn causes the head 118 to be raised or lowered between positions represented by a &# 39 ; and b &# 39 ;. disposition of the head 118 at position b &# 39 ; causes the aspirator tube 46 to assume a canted condition b illustrated in broken line representation in fig2 . the backwash dispenser cylinder 84 is operatively coupled to pilot actuator valve 164 by line 166 , the actuator 106 of valve 76 is coupled by way of line 168 to line 166 , and thus when cylinder 84 is operated to discharge its contents , the actuator 106 is operated to open the normally closed conduit 82 . the actuator valve 164 is coupled to the line 140 by line 170 and operates when the head 118 is in the b &# 39 ; condition , in accordance with the operation of the lyse logic on the four - way valve 132 . in the canted condition b , the aspirator tube 46 is directed toward collector vessel 144 so that its tip 46 &# 39 ; is over said vessel . the collector vessel 144 is secured to a panel 146 of the instrument and includes a tapered floor 148 to facilitate drainage . port 150 formed in the vessel 144 is located near the floor 148 and is coupled by way of fitting 152 to line 1154 . line 154 is coupled by way of fitting 156 to a waste chamber 158 . a source of alternating vacuum and pressure is applied to the waste chamber 158 as shown at 160 to aspirate the contents of vessel 144 and chamber 158 to waste , the latter by way of line 162 leading from the bottom of the chamber 158 to waste w . having explained the fluid lines and connections generally involved in the operation of the system concerned , it should be pointed out that the patented apparatus in which the backwash system of the invention operates , is completely programmed by a series of cams which are disposed in proper rotative disposition with respect to one another on shafts driven at a constant speed . the cams are simple switch actuators with cam surfaces that engage or disengage from the switches which are to be opened or closed in response to the movement of the cams . the switches may be electrical , or may be hydraulically or pneumatically operated valves . in the united states patent no . 3 , 549 , 994 a chart is provided by means of which the timing is graphically illustrated by bars to explain which of the switches will be closed and opened by the cams and for what periods of time said cams are not illustrated in a drawing of this application . reference is made to said u . s . pat . no . 3 , 549 , 994 for such chart and the description therein of the cams and their operation and timing . three of the specific cam operations are important to the consideration of the operation of the backwash system of the invention in the environment of the general testing apparatus concerned herein and described in each of the referenced patents . of these timing operations , one concerns the operation involved in causing a whole blood sample to be drawn into the transfer valve 10 so that the portion disposed within passageway p9 , for example , can be segmented and transferred to a vessel for mixing and testing . this operational logic shall be referred to herein as the aspirator logic and is operated by cam c2 of the patented system . at the same time that the aspirator logic initiates the operation of the aspirator cylinder and causes the sample valve actuator 108 to open the normally closed conduit 22 whereby to draw a volume of sample 50 from container 48 , filling passageways p1 , p9 , and p5 of the valve 10 , there is a predetermined volume of diluent transferred by means of the diluent control valve 40 and diluent pump 88 to the segmented diluted sample which had remained in passageway p10 from the previous operation . this so - called second dilution is led by line 42 to chamber 64 of the mixing vessel 66 for preparation of the second diluted sample upon which red blood cell determinations can be carried out in the appropriate testing apparatus t - 2 . at the same time as whole blood sample 50 is being drawn into the aligned passageways p1 , p9 and p5 , any liquid which may have been in the aspirator tube 46 , the connecting fluid lines and aligned passageways of the valve to the aspirator the cylinder 30 are drawn ahead into the said cylinder . during the aspiration of sample 50 , the aspirator tube 44 is in condition a , the piston 122 of the cylinder 126 being disposed in the a &# 39 ; condition . now , the sample transfer valve 10 is operated to rotate the intermediate or center portion 14 thereof , thereby subtending a known volume of sample within passageway p9 . at the same time , passageway p10 is moved into alignment with passageways p4 and p8 . the diluent pump 88 is activated controlled by valve 40 to drive a predetermined quantity of diluent from the diluent supply along line 38 to passageway p2 , driving along therewith the plug or subtended sample portion from passageway p9 through passageway p6 along line 52 to the chamber 54 of mixing vessel 56 along with a predetermined quantity of diluent to form a first dilution of the sample . the end of the operation of cam the aspirator logic , causes the valve 24 to reassume its normal position with conduit 34 open . the cylinder is operated to clear itself of its contents . the cylinder 30 operates to thief or draw a portion of the previous first dilution in the chamber 58 of the mixing vessel 56 by way of line 60 to the then aligned passageways p8 , p10 and p4 . at the same time that the first diluted sample is transferred from the mixing chamber to a lyse station at which shall be included here as a part of the testing apparatus t - 1 , the lyse logic operates , as explained in the reference patents when the first dilution is at the lysing station . lysing agent is introduced to said first diluted sample at the lysing station just prior to its being passed into the actual testing chambers of testing apparatus t - 1 . at the time the lyse logic operates to initiate the lysing of the said first dilution is initiated . the four - way valve assembly 132 operates connecting line 128 to air pressure line 140 to introduce pressure into the chamber 124 of the air cylinder 156 above the piston 122 , driving the piston 122 downwardly . aspirator tube 46 rotates to position b , the tip 46 &# 39 ; thereof pointing in the direction to discharge of backwash diluent to the collector vessel 144 . when the head 118 engages pilot actuator valve 164 , lines 166 and 168 are coupled by way of line 170 to line 140 and the backwash dispenser cylinder 84 is operated to drive its contents , that is a predetermined volume of diluent , e . g . say 3 cc , through the now open conduit 74 as the actuator 106 likewise is rendered operative to open said normally closed conduit and close the normally open conduit 82 . in the meantime , the center element 14 of valve 10 has been indexed back to its initial condition so that the volume of diluent flowing from the dispensing cylinder 84 along path following 102 , 104 , 74 , and 72 respectively enters and passes through the passageways p1 , p9 and p5 . the backwash diluent continues from passageway p5 by way of line 44 to and through the aspirator tube 46 . the lyse logic acts again to shift the 4 - way valve 126 and introduce pressure to the portion of the chamber 124 of cylinder 126 which is below the piston 122 . the piston 122 is driven upwardly and once again the aspirator tube 44 is placed in vertical or sample - taking condition and the system is ready for resampling , a new vessel 48 introduced . the aspirator logic operates to draw a new sample and the aspirator logic operates to drive the cylinder 30 contents and that of lines 32 and 34 to waste . it should be understood that diluent will not be backwashed through the aspirator tube 44 until the said tube is in position b , this delay controlled by the pilot actuator valve 164 . in fig3 and 4 another embodiment of the invention is illustrated wherein the relative movement of aspirator tube 46 and collector vessel 144 is reversed , with the aspirator tube 46 being stationary , and the collector vessel 144 &# 39 ; being pivotally mounted so that at the proper time , it may be placed in receiving condition immediately below the tip 46 &# 39 ; of the aspirator tube 46 and backwashing may take place . the collector vessel 144 &# 39 ; then is withdrawn out of the way at other times . the collector vessel 144 &# 39 ; comprises a pie - shaped hollow vessel having first and second walls 200 , 202 at right angle one to the other , side walls 204 and 206 , and an arcuate connecting wall 208 . wall 202 is provided with a small circular opening or mouth 210 . a mounting bracket 212 enables the collector to be positioned on the panel ( not shown ) of the instrument so that wall 202 is flush with the mouth of a suitable recess which can be provided on said panel . the vessel 144 &# 39 ; is secured to a shaft 214 carrying pinion gear 216 . the position of the collector 144 &# 39 ; relative to the mounting flanges 218 , 220 of the bracket 212 is fixed by coil spring 224 bearing against suitable washers 222 . bracket 212 includes a planar portion 236 from which mounting flanges 218 , 220 depend . an air pressure operated cylinder 228 is mounted on the planar portion 226 and a reciprocal rack 230 extends outwardly from the cylinder 228 through portion 226 to terminate in cup 232 secured on the inside surface return bent flange 234 of bracket 212 . coil spring 236 is provided to bias the rack 230 toward the cylinder 228 . the rack 230 and pinion gear 216 are coupled so that movement of the rack 230 against the spring bias of spring 236 will rotate pinion gear 216 causing the collector vessel 144 &# 39 ; to pivot outward about its mounting axis and to present opening 210 to the tip 46 &# 39 ; of aspirator tube 46 as shown in phantom outline , in fig4 . the working end of the cylinder 228 is coupled to the equivalent of line 140 operated through an equivalent of valve 132 to the lyse logic so that cylinder 226 operates to drive the collector vessel 144 &# 39 ; to its receiving condition only when cylinder 84 and actuator 106 operates . an evacuation hose can be coupled to the exterior portion of plastic ( tetrafluorethylene or the like ) fitting 238 and an interior hose 244 is coupled to the interior end of the fitting . hose 244 leads to the lower corner 246 of vessel 144 &# 39 ; so as to reach all fluid contained therein when the collector vessel 14 &# 39 ; is in its receiving condition . | 8 |
preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings . in the drawings , the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are depicted in different drawings . in the following description of the present invention , a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted for clarity where they are well known in the art . [ 0017 ] fig2 is a view illustrating an example of a network structure for a mobile communication system utilizing a method of managing network operation information , according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig2 a public internet network 21 includes a plurality of ip routers 22 a through 22 d , a home agent 24 , and an authorization authentication accounting ( aaa ) server 25 . a plurality of nodes , that is , radio access points 23 a through 23 d are connected to the ip routers 22 a through 22 d , respectively . before describing each element of the network architecture of fig2 it should be noted that data is transmitted over the public internet network 21 according to such internet protocol as , for example , internet protocol version 6 ( ipv6 ) specified by the internet engineering task force ( ietf )&# 39 ; s request for comments ( rfc ) 2460 . the ip routers 22 a through 22 d serve as gateways for transmitting data between a sending node and a destination node by using typical internet addresses and routing protocols . the nodes , that is , raps 23 a through 23 d , can be accessed by mobile terminals in a wireless manner . in addition , the raps 23 a through 23 d are connected to the ip routers 22 a through 22 d in a wired manner , connect mobile terminals with the public internet network 21 , and perform router functions and general radio link functions . the raps 23 a through 23 d set a signalling path to each other , the home agent 24 , and the aaa server 25 through a typical virtual private network ( vpn ) service . accordingly , when any of the mobile terminals requests mobile communication service , each of raps 23 a through 23 d in the vicinity of which the mobile terminal is located can communicate with adjacent raps 23 a through 23 d , the home agent 24 and the aaa server 25 along a vpn signalling path while guaranteeing security . each of the raps 23 a through 23 d serves as a radio network controller ( rnc ), a gateway general - packet - radio - service ( gprs ) support node ( ggsn ), and a mobile service switching center ( msc ) in the network architecture illustrated in fig1 which is proposed by the third - generation partnership project ( 3gpp ). accordingly , the raps 23 a through 23 d may use session initiation protocol ( sip ) for call setting , telephony routing over ip ( trip ) for telephone services , e . 164 telephone numbers , and protocols defined by the ietf &# 39 ; s telephone number mapping ( enum ) working group for corresponding to domain name system ( dns ). additionally , the raps 23 a through 23 d are required to reserve resources on a network for guaranteeing different qualities of service depending on the types of communications , such as voice communications , videophone services , or data communications . the reservation of resources is performed by using either resource reservation protocol ( rsvp ), differentiated services ( diffserv ), or by using both . rsvp is a protocol that enables resources to be reserved along a predetermined path , and diffserv is an architecture that transmits data according to their priority . if a mobile terminal moves from the vicinity of an rap to the vicinity of another rap , a micromobility protocol operates and quickly performs a handover and also resource reservation changes only in areas , which have undergone a change in the setup of the path . thereafter , a binding update message , generated by the rap ( 23 a through 23 d ) in the vicinity of which the mobile terminal is located , is transmitted to the home agent 24 via a corresponding ip router ( 22 a through 22 d ). the home agent 24 controls all the raps 23 a through 23 d in the public internet network 21 , which is a wired network , and performs a variety of functions , such as initial registration of mobile terminals , ip routing and root optimization , management of the address and migration information of the mobile terminal , tunnelling , and inverse tunnelling . preferably , the home agent 24 supports virtual private network services of the mobile terminal . in order to manage and support migration of the mobile terminal , in particular , the home agent 24 receives location information of the mobile terminal contained in the binding update message delivered from the raps 23 a through 23 d when the mobile terminal leaves its home network and then attempts to access a network outside the home network . thereafter , the home agent 24 stores the received location information of the mobile terminal in a database . the home agent 24 stores a home ip address of each of the raps 23 a through 23 d as location information of the mobile terminal in the form of a table and , if necessary , transmits data received from the mobile terminal to the rap 23 a through 23 d through tunnelling and encapsulation . in other words , if a mobile terminal sends data to its home network with only knowledge of a home ip address of the destination mobile terminal , the home agent 24 analyzes the data , extracts location information of the destination mobile terminal from the database based on a result of the analysis , and transmits the data to a network where the destination mobile terminal belongs using the raps 23 a through 23 d . the home agent 24 may use ietf &# 39 ; s mobility ip protocol as a macromobility protocol and cellular ip or hawaii as a micromobility protocol . in addition , the home agent 24 may use a content transfer protocol for transmitting current connection information and a handoff candidate discovery protocol for a handover . the aaa server 25 serves as a subscriber server from a mobile ip &# 39 ; s point of view and performs authorization of subscribers who attempt to access the public internet network 21 from mobile terminals , authentication of the subscribers &# 39 ; rights to use the public internet network 21 , and charging the subscribers for access to the public internet network 21 . the aaa server 25 stores aaa information of each mobile terminal . for these functions , the aaa server 25 may use a protocol , such as remote authentication dial in user service ( radius ), diameter , or common open policy service ( cops ). like the home agent 24 , the aaa server 25 preferably supports vpn services of mobile terminals . [ 0025 ] fig3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of managing network operation information , according to an embodiment of the present invention . this method is applicable to all kinds of network structures including nodes offering communications with wired or wireless networks such as the internet network , for example , the raps 23 a through 23 d as well as a network structure illustrated in fig2 . referring to fig3 in step 31 , each of the raps 23 a through 23 d establishes a db to store an information management table as illustrated in fig4 . the information management table includes rap address information 41 , rap cell type information 42 , location information 43 , traffic load information 44 , time stamp information 45 , and other types of information . the information management table may further include phy parameter information , service type information , security feature information , etc . the rap cell type information 42 indicates whether the mobile communication system includes hierarchical cells or different cells with their own features . the location information 43 indicates location information of neighboring raps , which can be obtained using a global positioning system or the like . the traffic load information 44 indicates resources assigned to cells currently managed by current raps and available extra resources . the time stamp information 45 indicates the time required for generating a message including network operation information and enables an rap receiving the message to determine from a calculation of a transmission delay value or a time to live ( ttl ) value among the raps 23 a through 23 d whether the network operation information is discarded . the phy parameter information may include information on types of modulation methods supported by the raps 23 a through 23 d . the service type information indicates types of services that the raps 23 a through 23 d offer to users . the security feature information indicates security - related information necessary among the raps 23 a through 23 d or between the raps 23 a through 23 d and the mobile terminals . in step 32 , a message format is defined to transmit the network operation information among the raps 23 a through 23 d . as illustrated in fig5 information may be arranged in a type length value ( tlv ) format widely used by ieft . in the tlv format , 1 octet may be used for data type , 2 octets for data length , and variable octets for actual data . when such a tlv format is used , the raps 23 a through 23 d can effectively receive and transmit only useful information with one another . in step 33 , the raps 23 a through 23 d collect various types of information to operate networks for their managed cells , according to a set period . the network operation information may include the rap cell type information 42 , the location information 43 , the traffic load information 44 , the time stamp information 45 , the phy parameter information , the service type information , the security feature information , etc . in step 34 , the raps 23 a through 23 d packet the network operation information in the message format using a general - purpose protocol stack such as an ip to generate one piece of packet data . in step 35 , the raps 23 a through 23 d transmit the packet data to neighboring raps located within a predetermined range . the packet data may be transmitted using a broadcast method , a multicast method , or inter access point protocol ( iapp ), which is under development within ieee 802 . 11f . the range of the transmission of the packet data may be set using the ttl value . in other words , when one rap starts transmitting a message to neighboring raps , the ttl value is set to a hop number or an elapsed time . the neighboring raps then receive the message to collect information and checks whether the ttl value exceeds a threshold before transmitting the message to other raps . if the ttl value exceeds the threshold , the neighboring raps discard the message . in step 36 , each rap analyzes the message received from another rap and then stores information on neighboring raps in respective rap addresses in the db to update the network operation information . as a result of the message analysis , a signal delay time or a hop number is obtained . here , the signal delay time refers to transmission delay which is expected when signaling is performed between a transmitter rap and a receiver rap via a wire network . the signal delay time can be calculated from the time stamp information 45 and the actual time required for receiving a message from an rap . also , the hop number refers to a distance from a network between the transmitter rap and the receiver rap to a hop . the distance can be checked by indicating a number of hops whenever the packet data is transmitted to neighboring raps . due to the above - described steps , each rap can periodically update its information management table . thus , a mobile communication system can rapidly and appropriately process an admission control function , a handover control function , a resource management function , an aaa function , a quality of service ( qos ) function , and the like between mobile terminals and rans without exchanging information with additional devices . as described above , according to the present invention , nodes can exchange in advance various types of control information with one another to operate networks . thus , information management tables of the nodes can be periodically updated to rapidly process an admission control function , a handover control function , a resource management function , an aaa function , a qos function , and so forth . also , because it is not necessary to use various types of devices needed in a centralized management method , the costs for constituting a mobile communication system can be considerably reduced . in addition , the nodes can share various kinds of information in a decentralized management method to operate networks . thus , the networks can extend and the poor performance of the mobile communication system caused a load of traffic in a specific device can be prevented . further , because the network operation information can be transmitted using a general - purpose protocol stack , the mobile communication system can operate together with other systems . while the present invention has been illustrated 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 electrically insulating rubbery elastomer of the rod member of the inventive interconnector , which serves as the matrix for the electrically conductive linear bodies , can be any kind of natural and synthetic rubbers as well as certain thermoplastic resins having adequate elasticity . it is recommended that this material is not excessively rigid having a rubber hardness of 70 or below or , preferably , 50 or below by the shore a scale . it is of course optional that this material has a porous or cellular , spongy structure . this rubbery elastomer is required to exhibit adequate elastic behavior so as to be able to follow the bending of the linear conductive bodies in mounting of the interconnector and their regain of original configuration in dismounting of the interconnector . further , the elastic property of the material should be selected so as to ensure good close contact with the circuit board when the interconnector is mounted between the circuit boards . particularly recommended material in these connections is a silicone rubber . the shape or configuration of the rod member is determined , of course , according to particular need in respects of length and cross section . in any way , the rod member has two opposite surfaces extending in the longitudinal direction substantially in parallel with each other to form the contacting surfaces with the circuit boards . the material of the linear electroconductive bodies is selected from a variety of conductive materials . several of the examples are carbon fibers prepared by carbonization or graphitization of organic fibrous materials including natural , regenerated and synthetic fibers such as cellulosic fibers , polyacrylonitrile fibers , polyvinyl alcohol fibers and the like as well as fibrous bodies obtained by spinning petroleum pitches and phenolic resins . metallic materials are of course suitable for the purpose in the forms of filaments and ribbons prepared by a conventional method . further , the linear electroconductive bodies may be fibers or strings of resins or rubbers filled with carbon black or other conductivity - imparting material such as carbon black - filled polyamide or polyester fibers and strings of a rubber filled with carbon black or metal powder . fibers and ribbons of an insulating material provided with coating layers of an electroconductive coating composition are also suitable . the cross sectional shapes and the cross sectional dimensions are not limitative according to need . for example , a diameter of 3 to 200 μm is suitable when the linear body has a circular or annular cross section and a ribbon - like linear body may have a width of 30 to 2000 μm and a thickness of 5 to 200 μm . in shaping the rod member with the linear conductive bodies embedded therein , it is optional or sometimes recommendable that the surface of the linear bodies is treated in advance with a primer or the rubbery elastomer is admixed with a suitable coupling agent in order to increase the adhesive bonding strength between the linear conductive bodies and the rubbery elastomer as the matrix . the length of each of the linear conductive bodies should be as long as that both ends thereof appear on the opposite surfaces of the rod member coming into contact with the contacting terminals on the circuit board when the interconnector is mounted as sandwiched between the circuit boards . it is optional that the ends of the linear conductive body slightly protrude above or are recessed from the surface of the rod member in such an extent that close contacting is ensured between the interconnector and the circuit board by the compression in mounting . such a protrusion or recess is very conventional due to the difference between the shrinkage or thermal expansion between the linear conductive bodies and the rubbery elastomer of the rod member . the configuration of the linear conductive bodies embedded in the rubber matrix of the rod member is not necessarily straightforward but may be curved or bent as is shown in the attached figures . such a curved or bent configuration is rather preferable since the elastic resilience of the linear bodies can be effectively utilized when the interconnector is mounted between two circuit boards . the third component of the inventive interconnector is a sheet member embedded within or bonded to the surface of the rod member as extending in the longitudinal direction of the rod member . that is , the interconnector of the invention is provided with at least one sheet member , by virtue of which the longitudinal extension of the rod member under compression is effectively limited or prevented . in this connection , the sheet member should have higher rigidity than the rubbery elastomer of the rod member so as to be able to restrict the longitudinal extension of the rod member under compression with its rigidity . yet , the material of the sheet member should have flexibility not to unduly hinder bulging out of the rod member in the lateral direction . the sheet member has desirably a young &# 39 ; s modulus 1 . 5 times or , preferably , 2 . 0 times larger than that of the rubbery elastomer of the rod member in order to fully exhibit the benefit of the composite structure . in so far as the above principle is complied with , the material of the sheet member is not limitative including films and fabrics of various kinds of organic and inorganic insulating materials such as polyethylene terephthalate resins , polytetramethylene terephthalate resins , polyamide resins , polyimide resins , polyether resins , polydiphenylpropane therephthalate resins and the like as well as glass fiber - reinforced epoxy resins , triazine resins , polyester resins and the like . the sheet member is integrated with the rod member either by integral molding with the rubbery elastomer or by bonding with the aid of an adhesive agent on to the lateral surface of the pre - shaped rod member . the thickness of the sheet member is also not limitative and should be determined in consideration of the property relationship between the rubbery elastomer and the sheet member and the particular need for the interconnector . it is usually in the range from a few μm to 200 μm but the thickness of a sheet member or total thickness of the sheet members when a plurality of them are used in an interconnector should not exceed 40 % of the maximum width , i . e . the length in the direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the direction of the compression , of the rod member . following is a further description of the inventive interconnectors by way of examples illustrated in the drawing attached hereto . each of the embodiments is shown by the perspective view marked with ( a ) and a cross sectional view marked with ( b ) as cut in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction . the interconnector of the invention illustrated in fig1 is composed of an elongated rod member 1 made of a rubbery elastomer , a plurality of linear electrically conductive bodies 2 embedded in the rod member 1 and two sheet members 3 , 3 bonded to the lateral surfaces of the rod member 1 . the ends of each of the linear bodies 2 appear on the opposite surfaces , i . e . the top surface and the bottom surface , of the rod member 1 forming the contacting surfaces with the circuit boards between which the interconnector is to be mounted as sandwiched . the distribution of the linear bodies 2 covers substantially whole length in the direction shown by the arrow a of the rod member 1 and the linear bodies 2 are in alignment in the direction shown by the arrow b . when the interconnector of fig1 is mounted between two circuit boards with the contacting surfaces having the ends of the linear bodies 2 in contact therewith , it undergoes a compression in the direction shown by the arrow b so that the rod member 1 is bulged out in the lateral direction shown by the arrow c and , if the rod member 1 is not provided with the sheet members 3 , 3 , becomes extended also in the longitudinal direction shown by the arrow a . in the inventive interconnector , on the contrary , the longitudinal extension of the rod member 1 is effectively prevented by the sheet members 3 , 3 having higher rigidity than the rubbery elastomer of the rod member 1 so that the poisson deformation of the rod member 1 takes place only in the lateral direction shown by the arrow c . in order to smoothly comply with this deformation in the lateral direction and to absorb any localized stress in the rod member 1 , the sheet member 3 should desirably be bent or curved as viewed in the longitudinal direction shown by the arrow a . the interconnector shown in fig1 has two sheet members 3 , 3 one being convexly bent and the other being concavely bent ( the lefthand one and the righthand one , respectively ). the linear conductive bodies 2 are also bent at about the center portions thereof so as to be in alignment in approximate parallelism with the sheet members 3 , 3 bent as mentioned above so as that the elastic resilience of the linear bodies 2 can be most effectively utilized when the interconnector is mounted between two circuit boards with compressive force in the direction shown by the arrow b . the interconnector shown in fig2 is similar to that shown in fig1 except that both of the sheet members 3 , 3 , are bent convexly and the linear conductive bodies 2 are not bent but straightforwardly penetrating the rod member 1 between two opposite surfaces . fig3 illustrates another embodiment of the inventive interconnectors having a rectangular cross section of the rod member 1 within which two sheet members 3 , 3 are integrally embedded . each of the sheet members 3 , 3 has an undulating configuration as is shown by the wavy cross section shown in fig3 ( b ). correspondingly to the wavy configuration of the sheet members 3 , 3 , the linear conductive bodies 2 are also curved in wavy forms to be in approximate parallelism with the sheet members 3 , 3 . the interconnector shown in fig4 has a cross section something like a sector , that is , one of the lateral surfaces is convexly bulged while the other of the lateral surfaces is recessed concavely . it is provided with a single sheet member 3 bonded on the bulged surface of the rod member 1 as curved along the surface and the linear conductive bodies 2 are arranged in two rows instead of a single row as in the preceding examples . another embodiment of the single sheet model of the inventive interconnectors is shown in fig5 . the interconnector shown there has a rectangular cross section of the rod member 1 and the sheet member 3 is integrally embedded in the rod member 1 as bent along the center line thereof having a dog - legged cross section as shown in fig5 ( b ). the linear conductive bodies 2 are each a ribbon of , for example , a metal and bonded on one surface of the sheet member 3 . such a combination of the sheet member 3 and the linear conductive bodies 2 is readily obtained by the techniques of etching in which a laminate of the insulating sheet 3 and a metal foil bonded thereto is subjected to etching , e . g . photoetching , in stripes leaving the linear portions 2 . the thus prepared insulating sheet member 3 bearing the linear conductive bodies 2 thereon is then integrally molded with the insulating rubbery elastomer for the rod member 1 to give the interconnector . as is understood from the above description , each of the interconnectors illustrated in the drawing has an anisotropic conductivity in the direction shown by the arrow b and can be used in just the same manner as the conventional interconnectors of the similar type as mounted between two circuit boards with compression in the direction of the arrow b yet with no or little extension or stretching in the longitudinal direction shown by the arrow a so that the condition of the electric connection between the interconnector and the circuit board can be always very reliable regardless of the strength of the compression . the reliableness in the electric connection is further enhanced by virtue of the curved or bent configuration of the insulating sheet member or members facilitating to avoid local stress in the rod member which is readily bulged out laterally to release the stress caused by the compression in mounting of the interconnector . the composite structure of the inventive interconnector is so unique and advantageous as described above that the performance of the electronic instruments assembled with the interconnector can be imparted with remarkably improved stability in the electric connection between circuits . | 7 |
the description of the practice of the present technology will be generally described with regard one particular format of playing card shuffling device that described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 889 , 979 , which has been incorporated by reference herein . even though the descriptions and examples focus on that particular construction , as noted above , the technology originally described herein is useful in any playing card shuffling device where cards are to be moved from one stack of cards into a card moving system . in fig1 , a carousel format shuffling storage means 2 ′ is situated on a console formed of two legs 9 ( only one is viewed because of the side view ) which are arranged on a base plate 1 , which shuffling means is formed by a rotatably held drum 2 . the drum or carousel or wheel 2 is shown connected via spacers 62 ( fig6 ) with two disks 3 . the drum may be a unified , single piece molded article , however . the flanges 2 ″ of the drum 2 are provided with or form compartment - like slots 69 which are provided for receiving one or more cards 13 . the disks 3 are each shown in fig1 . each disk 3 is provided with a circular toothing 70 that serves as a pinion gear . the shuffling storage means 2 ′ can be driven via a gear 4 mounted to shaft 5 or any other driving mechanism , ( such as pulleys , magnetic gearing and the like ). the gear 4 is , in turn belt driven via a continuous belt 6 , by a rotational shaft 7 driven by motor 8 . gear 4 and motor 8 are jointly held rotatably inside a housing , one side of which is shown as a plate or bar 25 . the motor 8 may be driven via a random - check generator and optionally moves the shuffling storage means 2 ′ in mutually opposite directions ( e . g ., clockwise and counterclockwise ), so that an oscillating movement of the shuffling storage means 2 ′ can occur and a shortest route to a next selected compartment for insertion of cards can be achieved . although specific structures , features and components are discussed , as previously noted , these are merely specific examples within a disclosure of a generic concept . a prior art system for input of cards ( according to the teachings of u . s . pat . no . 6 , 889 , 979 ) is shown with its playing card storage container or playing card input compartment 10 for the playing cards to be randomized , shuffled or sorted ( e . g ., played cards ) 13 . this card input compartment 10 is provided as part of a playing card input apparatus 106 . it comprises a wedge 11 which rolls by way of a roller 12 which is arranged rotatably in the same on an inclined floor 107 of the storage container 10 against two elastic rollers 14 ( fig2 ). the two rollers 14 ( again , only a single roller can be seen because of the side view ) are held rotatably on a common shaft 28 between the two plate bars 25 that form sides of the housing and the rollers 14 can be driven jointly with the rollers 15 via two pulleys 26 ( and fig2 ), a toothed belt 29 ( fig2 ) as well as a pulley 27 ( fig2 ) via a motor 17 . two rollers 16 touch the two rollers 15 at their circumferences , so that they are co - rotated by surface friction . in fig2 , two bridges 104 each form with the floor 107 of the playing card input storage container 10 a gap - like draw - in zone which is substantially the thickness ( yet still greater than the actual thickness ) of a playing card 13 to guarantee that only one card at a time is conveyed to the shuffling storage means 2 ′ and to prevent jamming or misalignment of cards within the input compartment 10 . a position or optical reading ( camera ) sensor 24 may be provided as a preferably optical sensor for recognizing the presence or rank / suit of respectively moved card 13 . each card which is moved from the playing card storage container 10 to the shuffling storage means 2 ′ must therefore first pass a gap - like draw - in zone one after the other and then the sensor 24 , with the sensor 24 being covered or triggered at first by the playing card 13 entering the sensor zone and being uncovered again after the passage of the card 13 . an electronic controller , preferably a microprocessor , which is provided downstream of the sensor , may therefore register the change from covered to uncovered sensor as a passing playing card 13 , as long as the electronic control does not recognize a jam in the card path . the electronic control advances the cards 13 so that they are inserted one by one into the individual compartments 69 of the shuffling storage means 2 ′ and stores the information in an electronic register and then the electronic control subtracts the cards 13 taken from individual compartments according to their number from the electronic register with the goal of keeping a continual inventory on the playing cards 13 situated in the device 2 ′. a jam in the card path is recognized when the rollers 14 , 15 or 19 are stopped and thus the motors 17 and 20 show an increased current consumption . alternatively , a jam can be recognized when the playing card 13 covers the sensor 24 for a longer period than that time which corresponds to the conveying speed of rollers 14 and 15 with respect to the conveyance of a playing card 13 or when the sensor remains uncovered for a longer period than is standard for an active shuffling mode for the device while the electronic control triggers the drive of the rollers 14 and 15 and the playing cards 13 are located in the storage container 10 . this jamming event or fact can also be verified through a sensor ( not shown ) in floor 107 . the roller pair 19 and the pair of rollers 18 which touches the other pair on their circumferences and which pairs 18 of rollers are each situated on a shaft 30 can be driven in the same manner by motor 23 as described above . two levers 21 are shown in fig1 as being used for fully pushing the respectively moved card 13 into a compartment 69 of the shuffling storage means 2 ′ and can be driven in an oscillating fashion via the rod 22 , which is swivelably connected with one of the levers 21 by the shaft 34 , through an eccentric disk 23 seated on a motor . any other injection means , including gravity and momentum from rollers ( e . g ., 18 and 19 ) may also be used to advance cards into compartments 69 . at least two variants of output storage means 42 , 42 ′ are provided for the shuffled cards 13 which output storage means can be fastened optionally on the base plate 1 and can be exchanged easily for each other . a card storage or card receiving means 42 comprising a support area such as u - shaped table 43 is provided which comprises two alignment pins 100 which are inserted into the base plate 1 and on which a card storage means 42 ( fig1 ), 42 ′ ( fig4 ) for the shuffled cards can be inserted onto the end of the shuffling device 2 ′, which card storage means is provided in the zone of its floor with respective bores 102 ( fig4 ). to fix or secure the respective card storage means 42 , 42 ′ a screw 101 may be provided which engages in a threaded bore 103 of the card storage means 42 , 42 ′. the output of the cards 13 from the compartments 69 to a card storage means 42 , 42 ′ may be effected or occurs by means of a pushing or ejection device , such as two swiveling arms 35 which are swivelably mounted on the two legs 9 and are oscillatingly drivable via lever 37 and via an eccentric disk 38 seated on a motor . pins , bars , shafts , plates , compressed air , rollers and other physical systems may also be used to remove cards from the slots 69 . the two swiveling arms 35 shown each carry at their upper end an inwardly projecting rail 36 ( fig3 ) which grasps the cards 13 situated in a compartment 69 and conveys them to a nip line of two clamping rollers 40 . the clamping rollers 40 are held in the sides of the housing or plate bars 45 and are simultaneously drivable by a motor 41 . the clamping or transporting nip rollers 40 convey the respectively moved cards 13 to the card storage tray means 42 as shown in fig1 for the shuffled or sorted cards for the purpose of a stack - wise removal of the cards 13 , or to a card storage means 42 ′ for a removal of shuffled cards 13 one after the other . a card storage means 42 is shown as formed substantially by a u - shaped table 43 in which the cards 13 are deposited in a stack 44 . the cards can be upwardly removed from said table 43 by the croupier in an optionally stack - wise manner . the card storage means 42 ′ according to fig4 and 4a is provided for removing cards 13 one by one . the cards 13 emerging from the nip line of the clamping rollers 40 enter the card storage means 42 ′ via a gap 50 , which card storage means is delimited by a downwardly extending oblique wall 49 and for example a spring - loaded block 47 . the cards 13 , which may also optionally be present within the card storage means 2 ′ several of them at the same time , are pushed between the block 47 and the wall 49 or the cards 13 already situated in the card storage means 42 ′, with the block 47 being pushed back against the force of the spring 48 . the block 47 slides over the inclined plane of an l - shaped basic body 46 . a gap 73 remains between the lower edge of the wall 49 and the l - shaped basic body 46 through which the cards 13 can be withdrawn one by one . as is shown in fig4 a , the inclined wall 49 is provided at its lower edge with a centrally arranged recess opening 72 which facilitates the withdrawal of individual cards 13 . the card storage means 42 ′ is delimited at the side by walls 50 . the shuffled cards 13 can be removed one by one by the croupier in such a way that the front one of the playing cards 13 is grasped by friction with the fingers through the recess 72 in wall 49 and a single card is pulled out through the gap 73 . as is shown in fig5 and 5a , springs 51 , 52 are arranged in the compartments 69 of the shuffling storage means 2 ′ which produce a clamping of the card ( s ) 13 pushed into the respective compartment 69 . a spring 52 is provided with a bend - off 55 which covers the radially outer openings of the compartments 69 and prevents cards 13 from being ejected outwardly through centrifugal force during the rotation of the shuffling storage means 2 ′. the springs 51 according to fig5 a are arranged as bent or offset leaf springs and are inserted in a slot 53 of the one wall of the compartment 69 and press against the respective opposite wall of the compartment 69 . the card pushed into the respective compartment 69 is therefore clamped between said spring 51 and the opposite wall of the compartment 69 and held in this way in the respective compartment 69 . the output of the cards 13 of a compartment 69 occurs in such a way that the card 13 or a package of up to nine cards 13 for example is ejected as a group . this occurs by means of the swiveling arms 35 and the rails 36 , as has already been described above . the springs 51 , 52 are deformed during the ejection of the card ( s ) 13 . as is shown in fig1 and 6 , the drum 2 rests with its axle journals 57 in receiving means of the legs 9 and can be removed or lifted off from the same easily . since the compartments 69 are provided with springs 51 , 52 , the cards 13 remain in their compartments when the drum 2 is removed . the drum 2 can be placed in a security container 63 ( fig7 ) and can be transported with the same , with the container 63 being closeable by a lid 64 . for this purpose , flanges 65 , 66 are fastened to the container 63 and the lid 64 . this allows connecting and locking the container 63 with the lid 64 in a manipulation - proof way . in order to continually check the number of cards 13 situated in the shuffling storage means 2 ′, it is necessary to detect the number of all cards 13 which were placed in the compartments 69 of the shuffling storage means 2 ′. at the same time it is necessary to detect the number of cards 13 which were removed from the compartments 69 . for this purpose it must be ensured at first that the cards 13 are inserted into the compartments 69 one by one . it is provided for this purpose in accordance with one embodiment of the invention that the cards 13 are guided through a gap - like drawn - in zone 105 ( see fig1 ) of defined thickness , with the thickness corresponding substantially to the thickness of a card 13 . the gap - like draw - in zone 105 is defined in the present embodiment by two bridges 104 that project inwardly from the side walls 108 of the storage container 10 and are separated from the floor 107 of the storage container 10 a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a card 13 . it is understood that instead of the two bridges 104 it is also possible to provide a continuous bridge which connects the two side walls 108 of the storage container 10 . after the card 13 has passed said draw - in zone 105 ( again see fig1 ), a sensor 24 , preferably an optical sensor , is provided which detects the passage of a card 13 . after the passage of a card 13 an internal register of an electronic memory of the electronic control is increased by the value of one . at the same time the electronic control system stores the number of the compartment 69 in which the card 13 was inserted . the allocation of numbers to individual compartments 69 also occurs by the electronic control system upon activating the card shuffler . when cards 13 are removed from the compartments 69 of the shuffling storage means 2 ′, this occurs via the withdrawing apparatus 35 , 37 , 38 , as described above . in the present embodiment , a compartment 69 can only be emptied completely . since the electronic control system is informed at all times about the number of cards 13 per compartment ( card value ) it is thus easy to determine how many cards are taken from the shuffling storage means 2 ′. a sensor detects actuation of the withdrawing apparatus 35 , 37 that ejects all cards from a compartment as a group . an internal sensor facing the front side of playing cards ( not shown ) may be positioned within the device where cards are stationary or where cards are moving to read the rank and suit of cards so that such rank and / or suit information may be passed to a processor that can use that information for various legitimate purposes within the venue of a casino . the sum total of the cards 13 situated in the shuffling storage means 2 ′ is thus obtained in a simple manner by the addition of the cards 13 inserted in the shuffling storage means 2 ′ and the subtraction of the cards 13 removed therefrom . it is understood that the method can also be applied to a card shuffler which allows the removal of individual cards 13 from the shuffling storage means 2 ′, i . e . an entire compartment 69 is therefore not completely emptied . in this case it is not necessary that the electronic control system stores the number of cards 13 per compartment 69 , because after the removal of the individual cards 13 from the shuffling storage means 2 ′ the same can be moved past a sensor again . as a result , the electronic control system is informed at all times about the cards 13 individually supplied to and removed from the shuffling storage means 2 ′, as a result of which the sum total of the cards 13 situated in the shuffling storage means 2 ′ is always known . fig8 shows a side view of a novel gravity feed section 200 of a shuffler playing card input compartment 10 . a base plate 201 for the input compartment 10 is shown , with two pick - off rollers 202 shown extending through the base plate 201 to contact the bottom of playing cards 13 a 13 b in the playing card input compartment 10 . a slight separation 203 is shown for illustrative purposes between the bottom - most cards 13 b and the support plate 201 . there is a critical angle { acute over ( ø )} 203 a that exists with respect the support plate 201 and the horizon . that angle must be steep enough for the effects of gravity to significantly balance or overcome static friction between the playing cards and the support plate 201 and gradual enough so that cards are not forced too strongly down an incline over the support plate 201 . even though the frictional forces could be controlled by modifying the surface properties of the support plate , the angle has been found to be more important , as the surface of the plate 201 will change over time with usage . that critical angle has been found to be circumscribed around 17 °, as between 12 °- 21 °, preferably between 13 °- 20 °, and more preferably between 15 °- 19 ° slope . as shown in fig8 , the ends 214 of lower cards 13 b are stopped by extending and recessing pins ( which may be provided as fingers passing through or under the wall 218 ) or plate 204 while the ends 216 of upper cards 13 a pass over the pins or plate 204 to rest against the wall 218 of the input chamber 10 . the pin or plate 204 prevents lower cards ( such as 13 b ) from continuing downward into the exit slot or screening slot 210 where they would then contact advancing nip rollers 206 , 208 . the number of cards passing through slot 210 is at least partially controlled by the size of slot 210 which is determined by the gap between the lower plate 210 and the lowest point 212 of end wall 218 . also shown is a nub or glide element 220 that is affixed to the inside of the back wall 222 of the playing card input compartment 10 . the glide element 220 assists in allowing cards to slide down into the input chamber 10 and giving cards a slight push forward , down the slope , in the input chamber 10 . the guide 220 may be constructed of a heard material such as metal or hard plastic or a softer material such as rubber or a softer plastic . fig8 a , 8 b , 8 c and 8 d show variations on blocking elements for a gravity feed system or for any other slot feed system . fig8 a shows a “ finger ” blocking element 204 a in a blocking position . the end of the finger element 204 a extends far enough to block the slot 210 , preventing any playing cards ( not shown ) from entering the slot 210 . the blocking element 204 a may unblock by rotating about pin or pivot point 230 . fig8 b shows a blocking plate or panel 204 b that can be moved vertically to block the slot 210 . fig8 c shows a vertically transposing blocking element 204 c that has two arms 242 that move down and up ( see arrow 242 a ) to block and unblock , respectively , the slot 210 . fig8 d shows an angled pin or plate 204 d that moves at an angle through the wall 218 to extend downward to block the slot 210 , and would be retracted upwardly to clear the slot 210 . fig9 shows a top view of the gravity feed section 300 of a shuffler with the playing card support plate removed to expose the pick - off rollers 302 and 306 . the pins 304 can be seen extending into the card receiving well 310 . the pins 304 do not have to be very large to prevent playing cards from advancing against the slot ( not shown ) and may be flat , rounded , sloped or even form a continuous bar or plate a sufficient portion of or across the slot so as to prevent card entry . although the pins 304 are shown here as extending approximately horizontally or at a slight downward slope ( in fig8 ) to block the slot , a plate , pins , a bar , or other blocking surface may move in a more vertical direction to block the slot and then retract to expose the slot a slope or guide 320 on the rearward side of the system is present to assist in guiding playing cards into the gravity feed section 300 . fig1 is a top view of the playing card input compartment 10 with a support plate removed , the pick - off roller 340 and transportation rollers 302 , 304 exposed , and part of the levers 204 for a blocking element shown . a slide 330 for directing cards into the input area 10 is also shown fig1 shows a side view of a playing card input compartment 10 with blocking fingers 204 a in an unblocking position . one format for operation of the blocking fingers 204 a is for a motor 258 a to drive arm 256 via cam 256 a up and down , by engaging guide or roller 258 with a slot 258 a in the arm 256 . this causes a second arm portion 259 to articulate or rotate about pin 260 , which in turns drives the blocking element 204 a against an axel 262 on forward drive wheel 264 , causing the blocking element 204 a to rotate clockwise towards the slot 210 and block the slot 210 as shown in fig8 a . fig1 shows a bottom exposed view of the playing card input compartment ( not shown , as this is a bottom view ) with the levers 204 with fingers shown in an unblocking position . pick - off roller 340 is also shown . fig1 shows a top view of the playing card input compartment 10 with the fingers 204 exposed . the fingers 204 are shown in an unblocking position adjacent the playing card - moving rollers 262 . the use of a gravity feed system , without sliding weights and without mechanical springs , glides or other forwarding moving or downward pressing weights and devices simplifies the manufacture and operation of the movement of playing cards within and out of the playing card input compartment . the use of slides , glides , rollers , weights and other mechanical devices also provides a basis for complications in the initial movement of cards out of the playing card input compartment by way of jamming or forcing multiple cards into or through the exit slot from the compartment . the sloped angle has been found to be important and even critical within the narrow defined range for the operation of the gravity feed system . as repeatedly noted herein , although specific examples are shown for illustrative purposes , these specific examples are not intended to be limiting in the definition of the technology and inventions described herein , but are merely representative of specifics within the generic scope of the technology described . | 0 |
now referring to the drawings , fig1 depicts a schematic illustration of the internet . the internet 1 is a network of interconnected computers 5 . this includes systems owned by internet service providers 10 and information system bulletin board services 15 such as compuserve or america online . individual or corporate users may establish connections to the internet in several ways . an individual user 11 of a home computer 20 may purchase an internet access account through an internet service provider 10 . the home computer 20 includes a non - volatile storage device and a display monitor linked to the home computer 20 . using a modem 30 , the home user can dial up the internet service provider 10 to connect to a high speed modem 35 which provides full service connections to the internet through the server computer 38 of the internet service provider 10 . the server computer 38 of the internet service provider 10 is identified by a url assigned to it by the administrators of the internet . a corporate user 40 is normally connected to a server computer 45 located at the corporate location . the corporate server computer 45 is also connected to the internet by a high speed modem 46 and the server computer is also identified by a url assigned to it by the internet administrators . whether the user is an individual user 11 or a corporate user 40 , the computer system used by each is identified as the client computer . once access to the internet is provided by either an internet service provider 10 or by the server computer 45 at the corporate location , the client computer accesses web pages by connecting to another server computer identified as the host computer . each host computer is identified by a url assigned to it by the internet administrator . the embodiment described herein requires the use or creation of a browser program which incorporates the present invention . there are a number of currently available internet browser toolkits which allow programmers to generate special versions of an internet browser . during the creation of such a browser , the current invention can be incorporated into the functions of the newly generated browser . it is clear that in another embodiment of the present invention , the embodiment would permit the operation of the present invention in conjunction with the netscape and internet explorer browsers , or any other internet browser , in the event that those browsers allow the present invention to interface with the browser in a manner to allow the present invention to execute appropriate monitoring and control over transmissions of data to and from the client computer . the computer apparatus and method described herein generally comprises various program components stored on the non - volatile data storage device of the computer 20 . referring now to fig2 this drawing illustrates the initiation page of the present invention . in step 100 , the user boots up the client computer and logs onto the internet by starting the internet browser program installed on the client computer . in step 110 , the browser graphical interface displays the status of the cookie filtering process of the present invention by displaying a graphic on the tool bar of the browser . in step 115 , the browser determines whether the cookie filter process is activated by the user . if the cookie filter was activated by the user , step 120 shows the cookie filter as being activated by displaying the cookie filter activation graphic on the tool bar in a bright display mode . if the cookie filter is not activated , step 125 causes the cookie filter activation graphic on the tool bar to be displayed in a dim mode . in step 126 , the browser graphical interface displays the status of the url data filter of the present invention by displaying another graphic on the tool bar of the browser . in step 126 , the browser determines whether the url data filter process is activated by the user . if the url filter was activated by the user , step 127 shows the url data filter as being activated by displaying the url data filter activation graphic on the tool bar in a bright display mode . if the url data filter is not activated , step 128 causes the url data filter activation graphic on the tool bar to be displayed in a dim mode . after the browser is initiated and the cookie filter and url data filter activation graphics are properly displayed on the browser tool bar , the browser then accesses the default web page selected by the user for display upon initiation of the browser . when the user requests that another web page be accessed as shown in step 135 , then in step 138 the browser checks the status of the cookie filter and the url data filter . if either filter is activated , execution is transferred to fig3 request for new web page process by step 140 . if neither filter is activated , the internet web page requested by the user is displayed in step 145 . the browser checks continuously until the user requests the retrieval of a new internet web page in step 150 . if step 150 indicates that a new web page has been requested , execution is transferred to step 138 , where the process is repeated beginning with step 138 . when the user instructs the internet browser on the client computer to access a new internet web page and either the cookie filter or the url data filter is activated , step 140 transfers execution to fig3 step 160 , where the present invention extracts the name of the domain owner of the new web page being accessed . to accomplish this task , step 165 transfers execution to the extraction of name of root domain from url process depicted in fig4 . in step 200 of fig4 the url of the new web page being accessed is identified . using the “ two - dot ownership ” rule in use on the internet , step 205 applies this rule to the identified url . in step 210 , the two - dot ownership rule extracts the name of the root domain owning the web page by counting three slashes , i . e ., three “/”, to the right in the url , and then counting two dots , i . e ., two “.” back to the left in the url . the text contained between the third slash and the second dot is the name of the root domain owning the web page being accessed by the user . for example , if the full url of the web page is “ http :// www . cnn . com / weather /”, the name of the domain owner is “ cnn . com ”, the text between the third slash to the right and then back to the second dot to the left . after the name of the root domain owning the web page is extracted from the url , step 215 returns execution back to the request for new web page process in fig3 step 170 where the name of the root domain is saved for later reference by the browser . there are well - known exceptions to this rule for domains ending in some country codes ; e . g ., “ http :/ www . domain . co . uk ” which would correctly yield “ domain . co . uk ” not “ co . uk .” step 175 begins the assembly of the web page accessed by the user by beginning the retrieval and assembly of the web page &# 39 ; s html and other non - html elements of the web page . as part of this process , step 180 immediately transfers execution to step 225 of fig5 to initiate the assembly of accessed web page process . as the first step in this process , step 220 first checks to see if the web page assembly is completed . this step is required because the assembly of the accessed web page is an iterative process which requires verification of all cookies and page elements to prevent unwanted transmission of data from the client computer . if assembly of the accessed web page is completed , step 253 , returns execution to step 185 of fig3 to check for requests for the transmission of cookie information from the client computer to the host computer . if the assembly of the accessed web page is not complete , step 232 requests the next non - html element . step 240 then examines the root domain name owning the requested element by transferring execution again , in step 245 , to the extraction of name of root domain from url process in fig4 . once the root domain name is extracted from the non - html element , step 215 of fig4 returns execution to step 246 of fig5 where the root domain name of the requested element is compared to the root domain name of the web page itself , saved at step 170 . if these root domain names are the same , execution is transferred to step 250 . if the root domain names are not the same , execution is transferred to step 247 , where execution is transferred to the url data filter process of fig7 . in step 280 of fig7 a check is made to determine whether the url data filter has been activated by the user . if not , the process returns in step 285 to step 248 where a check is made to see if the flag is set to indicate that the request for the element has been cancelled . if the request has indeed been cancelled , execution is transferred back to step 220 where the browser assembly of the web page continues . if the request has not been cancelled , step 250 transfers execution to step 255 of fig6 assembly of accessed web page process . if the test in step 280 of fig7 indicates the url data filter is on , step 300 checks whether the url of the requested element contains one or more “ trigger phrases ” or keywords which would indicate a likelihood that the element requested would be of a type to receive the url data . if it is , step 320 cancels the browser &# 39 ; s request and , rather than displaying the requested element , simply returns a “ clear ” graphic image for placement in the display of the web page . thereafter , step 325 sets a flag indicating that the request for the element has been cancelled and in step 315 , execution is returned to step 248 of fig5 where a check is made to determine whether the flag is set indicating the request for the element was cancelled . if the request for the element was cancelled , execution transfers back to step 220 where the process is repeated until all requested elements have been examined . if step 300 of fig7 finds the url of the requested element contains one or more “ trigger phrases ” or keywords which would indicate a likelihood that the element requested would be of a type to contain url data , step 310 checks to determine whether the domain name of the requested element is on an internal list of domains known to receive url data . if so , execution is transferred to step 320 where the requests is cancelled . if not , step 312 allows the request to proceed normally and the browser retrieves the element . thereafter , the flag indicating a requests has not been cancelled is cleared in step 314 and execution is returned in step 315 to step 248 of fig5 . if the flag indicating request has been cancelled is set , execution transfers to step 225 . if the flag has not been set , step 250 transfers execution to fig6 step 255 where a test determine if the cookie filter has been activated . if not , step 256 allows the request for transmission of the cookie to proceed and step 258 returns execution to step 250 of fig5 where the assembly of the web page continues as described above . if step 255 determines that the cookie filter is activated , step 260 checks the client computer to determine if any cookies exist for the domain of the requested element . if not , execution is transferred to steps 256 and 258 for continued assembly of the web page . if the answer to step 260 is true , however , in step 262 , the root domain of the requested element which was previously extracted in step 240 is compared to the root domain stored in step 170 . if the test in step 264 indicates the root domain of the requested element is the same as the domain stored in step 170 , execution transfers to steps 256 and 258 and the assembly of the accessed web page continues and the request for the transmission of the cookie is executed . if the root domain of the requested element is not the same as the domain stored in step 170 , step 266 checks to determine if the cookie data has already been assembled into the http protocol request header . when the cookie data has not been assembled into the http protocol request header , execution is transferred in step 268 to fig8 cookie handler for case of http protocol “ request header ” not yet assembled process . in fig8 step 350 examines the cookie to determine if the cookie is a persistent cookie , and if so , the cookie is deleted from the hard disk of the client computer in step 355 . when the cookie is not a persistent cookie , then in step 360 , the cookie must be a “ session ” cookie which is stored in the ram of the client computer . in step 365 , the session cookie in ram is gutted by replacing the contents of the session cookie with a null value and in step 370 , the gutted cookie is allowed to be transmitted to the domain owner of the session cookie . because the session cookie contains a null value , no user data is transmitted from the client computer to the host computer . step 372 then tests to determine if there are any more cookies . if more cookies exist , execution is transferred to step 350 for further handling of the remaining cookies . this process defined in steps 350 through 372 is repeated until all cookies have been examined and handled . if there are no more cookies , in step 375 execution is returned to step 268 where , in step 275 , execution is returned to step 250 of fig5 . returning again to step 266 of fig6 if the cookies data has already been assembled into an http protocol request header , step 270 transfers execution to step 500 of fig9 cookie handler for case of http “ request header ” already assembled process . step 500 checks to determine whether a text header line beginning with the word “ cookie ” exists in the http request header . if not , step 505 returns execution to step 275 where execution is returned to step 250 to continue the assembly of the accessed web page . however , if there is a text header line beginning with the word “ cookie ”, execution is transferred to step 510 where the text line beginning with the word “ cookie ”, including the line &# 39 ; s terminating carriage return and line feed are removed . step 510 then transfers execution back to step 500 through step 520 where the process is repeated until there are no text header lines beginning with the word “ cookie .” at that time step 505 returns execution to step 275 of fig6 and from there to step 250 of fig5 where the assembly of the accessed page continues . once the assembly of the accessed web page is complete , step 253 returns the process execution to step 195 of fig3 . there , the final result of the process described in the present invention is the display of the new user accessed web page on the client computer without the unwanted transmission of any cookie or url information , directly or indirectly , from the client computer to the host computer . in the event the user requests that another new internet web page be accessed , step 150 repeats the entire process of the invention to again prohibit the unwanted transmission of data . as various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . | 7 |
in the following description , numerous details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present invention . those skilled in the relevant art will comprehend that the present invention may be practiced without these details and that numerous variations or modifications from the described embodiments may be possible . accordingly , the materials , methods , and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting . unless otherwise explained , any technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs . the term “ die - cutting ” refers to any process that employs a die to separate or demarcate a section of material from another . the term “ kiss - cut ” refers to a type or degree of die - cutting wherein a section of material is not cut all the way through . the terms “ sleeve ” or “ pocket ” can be used interchangeably depending on the open or closed state of the pocket at various times within the disclosed process . the term “ image ” refers to any kind of marking applied at any point in the disclosed production process to the sleeved device whether textual or decorative . the singular terms “ a ,” “ an ,” and “ the ” include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . similarly , the word “ or ” is intended to include “ and ” unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . the term “ comprises ” means “ includes .” although methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of this disclosure , suitable methods and materials are described below . publications , patent applications , patents , and other references mentioned herein , if any , are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes . in case of conflict , the present specification , including explanations of terms , will control . referring generally to fig1 - 7 ; a sleeved device 90 with identification means is produced in multiples by obtaining adhesive label stock including a substrate 100 having a printable top face 102 and a back side ; or bottom face 104 coated with a pressure sensitive removable adhesive 106 which is preferably an emulsion - type acrylic adhesive with minimal building of adhesion over time . while label stock such as 3m polyester label material 5771 or 5771nf with 3m removable adhesive 550 offer a gloss white polyester face paired with a peel away backing such as kraft paper or a polyester backing with excellent water repellant characteristics , any coated label stock with a peel away backing 108 exposing a pressure sensitive adhesive that is non - marring and removable , may be used if susceptibility to moisture damage is not a major concern . a predetermined pattern of applied adhesive 110 which is preferably a uv curing type , is either rolled or screen printed upon the face 102 , and a layer of translucent plastic film 112 , or polyester film is applied to face 102 where it selectively adheres to the predetermined pattern of applied adhesive 110 after exposing to uv light and forms a series of pockets 114 which are initially closed , with portions of the plastic film bonded to the adhesive pattern defining the bounds of the pockets . the laminate of plastic film 112 and substrate is then die cut by kiss - cutting to the backing 108 to delimit device size and open at least one end of each pocket 114 to produce a sleeve . subsequent die cutting , perforating or slitting separates the multiple devices on the sheet or roll , into individual devices and creates a periphery of disposable material between the kiss - cut and the separation line 118 that when discarded exposes a periphery of peel away backing which is removed to expose the adhesive coating of the label stock prior to adhering the device to a mounting surface . normally , printing on the top face 102 of the label stock occurs prior to application of the predetermined pattern of applied adhesive 110 and the adhering of plastic film 112 to face 102 . the plastic film may be in sheet form , or roll form , and applied as a secondary web to the primary web of the substrate by a roll die cutter which is often paired with laminating functions . fig2 shows a cross - sectional view taken along lines 3 ′- 3 ′ of fig1 that shows a sheet containing multiple devices with thickness of the materials exaggerated for clarity . moving from the top of the figure to the bottom is the plastic overlay 112 , pockets 114 formed between a pattern of adhesive 110 , printable top face 102 of substrate 100 , rear adhesive layer 106 and peel away backing 108 . fig3 is a plan view of one of the devices after separation from the sheet . the image area 116 printed on the top face 102 of the substrate can extend beyond the pocket to a region outside of the pocket bounds to edge 120 produced by kiss - cutting . fig4 is a cross - sectional view taken along lines 4 ′- 4 ′ of the individual device depicted in fig3 showing plastic film overlay 112 , adhesive pattern 110 , pocket 114 which has been opened at an end 124 , printable top face 102 of substrate 100 , and bottom face 104 of substrate 100 in which the size of the elements has again been exaggerated for clarity . fig5 shows a single device 90 affixed to the lid of a lap top . fig6 shows a single device 90 showing an identification means ; here a card 122 , being inserted into the mouth 124 of pocket 114 . note that the plastic film is attached only to the border of adhesive which also defines the internal bounds of the pocket . while offset printing is the preferred means of printing on top face 102 , other common processes such as xerography , thermal transfer , or laser printing can be used without diverging from the present invention . any multiple of the mounting devices may be produced quickly and efficiently using conventional print process machinery by the described process . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , the order of operations as given below can be varied somewhat to derive the mounting devices . accordingly , the specific examples discussed below are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention . in order to produce a series of sleeved devices , each providing an identification securing means according to the present invention in which a mounting means secures , for example , a business card for display , the following steps are followed : ( 1 ) a substrate 100 of suitable adhesive blank label stock is obtained , ( 2 ) a printing press is used to print a plurality of images 116 in which each image is reversed relative of the other , ( 3 ) a uv curable adhesive such as lomaprint spa 1000 from lohmann gmbh & amp ; co kg of neuwied germany , is applied by screen printing or other printing means to top face 102 of the substrate in a predetermined pattern 110 defining borders around the image pairs , ( 4 ) a layer of transparent material film such as cellophane or clear polyester film ( pet ) is applied over face 102 and laminated thereon . ( 5 ) the printed and laminated sheet stock is conveyed to a uv light curing area which adheres the clear film to the adhesive pattern whereby initially closed pocket 114 is formed over the image pair and adhered about its periphery to face 102 , ( 6 ) a roll die cut machine is used to define the edges of each mounting device by kiss - cutting through the face to backing material 108 , thereby bisecting the pocket over the image pairs to open the pockets 114 creating multiple sleeve pairs , and , leaves a peel away border of excess face material about the periphery of each mounting device , ( 7 ) individual mounting devices are separated from the sheet by shearing , cutting or slitting along dashed lines 119 along the defined borders 120 or a series of perforations may be applied in the areas between sheet carried mounting devices for later separation . ( 1 ) a substrate 100 of adhesive blank label stock in roll form is obtained , ( 2 ) the label stock is printed on a flexographic press , with areas corresponding to the location of mounting devices being printed with images , ( 3 ) a uv curable adhesive is applied to the roll in a pattern 110 which will define the inside boundaries of a pocket , ( 4 ) a clear polyester film 112 is applied continuously to the roll , ( 5 ) the printed and laminated stock is conveyed to a uv light curing area adhering the polyester film to the adhesive pattern on face 102 forming a sleeve 114 with an opening along one end over the printed image and adhered along the sleeve periphery to the face , ( 6 ) a roll die cutting machine is used to define edges of each mounting device and creates a border of discardable material about the periphery of the mounting device , ( 7 ) the mounting devices may be separated or otherwise demarcated from the sheet by shearing , cutting , slitting , or perforated along dashed lines 119 between the mounting devices . referring to fig3 , 4 and 6 , once separated from the sheet or roll , the mounting devices include a top overlay 112 with portions attached to the adhesive border 110 , and positioned flatly to top face 102 with an opening 124 therebetween for the insertion of an identification device 122 such as a business card or other identification tag . the mounting device produced by the disclosed method may have any number of sides comprising its perimeter defined by the kiss - cut border 120 which can be a variety of shapes . the mounting device produced by the disclosed method may have any number of openings for insertion of an insertable identification 122 such as a business card or logo . the front face of the mounting device produced by the disclosed method may possess an ornate design . the front face of the mounting device produced by the disclosed method may be printed with words , letters , numbers . symbols or any combination of characters and / or designs . mounting devices produced by the disclosed method can be attached to surfaces such as a laptops computers , portfolios , personal digital assistants ( pdas ), and documents or the like . mounting devices produced by the disclosed method can be supplied individually with a peel away backing material 108 that is removably adhered to the adhesive of the label stock . although this invention has been described above with reference to particular means , materials and embodiments , it is intended that the invention be not limited to the particular embodiments described , but extend instead to all equivalents falling within the scope and spirit of the following claims . | 1 |
the chemical synthesis methods employed herein to produce size -, shape -, composition - and phase - controlled , highly - coercive cobalt carbide nanoparticles according to the invention are based upon reduction of metallic salts in a liquid polyol medium that acts as both a solvent and a reducing agent . the reduction reaction kinetics of the process are enhanced by controlling the type , temperature , and concentration of the polyol medium and by adding appropriate surfactants that limit the re - oxidation of the reduced ions and regulate the growth of particles as the reaction progresses . the reaction takes place in the presence of a rare earth lanthanide series ion such as sm ii ions or another ionic form of a rare earth lanthanide series element as described herein . in general , for the preferred embodiment crystalline co x c nanoparticles according to the invention , the chemical synthesis method of the invention begins with the addition of a solution of a co ( ii ) salt ( such as acetate , nitrate , chloride , bromide , citrate , and sulfate , among others ) to tetraethylene glycol , with glycols of other molecular weights being equally feasible . poly - vinylpyrrolidone ( pvp , mw ˜ 40 , 000 ) is introduced as a capping agent along with naoh as a catalyst , with other capping agents and catalysts being equally feasible . in an exemplary procedure , the reaction takes place in the presence of sm ii . the sm ii ions are introduced as a nucleating agent , and they may also serve as an additional catalyst . the solution is allowed to degas in n 2 gas ( or in some instances ar gas ) for 10 - 15 minutes prior to the start of the reaction . the solution is then heated to the boiling point of tetraethylene glycol (˜ 573 k ) for 1 - 2 h using a distillation apparatus with magnetic stirring although mechanical stirring is equally feasible . after the completion of the reaction , the solution is cooled to room temperature , magnetically separated several times using an external rare earth magnet ( with other forms of separation such as centrifugation being equally feasible ), and rinsed repeatedly in methanol to remove unreacted reagents . the precipitate is dried under vacuum at room temperature prior to characterization . the dried powders were characterized by x - ray diffraction ( xrd ), transmission electron microscopy ( tem ), and vibrating sample magnetometry ( vsm ) for the determination of phase , morphology , and temperature dependent magnetic properties , respectively . xrd measurements were performed using a rigaku - ultima - iii bragg - brentano diffractometer employing cu - kα radiation ( λ = 0 . 15418 nm ) in the θ - 2θ powder diffraction geometry . thermomagnetometry was performed using a lakeshore cryotonics inc . model 7400 vsm for temperatures ranging from room temperature to 1000 k . a quantum design physical property measurement system ( ppms ) was employed to extend the temperature studies down to 10 k . the powders were characterized using a jeol 2200 - fx high - resolution transmission electron microscope with a 200 kv accelerating voltage . samples for tem were prepared by dispersing a drop of nanoparticle - loaded liquid suspension onto a carbon film supported by copper mesh ( 400 grid mesh ) followed by evaporation of the liquid medium . fast - fourier transforms ( ffts ) and inverse - fast fourier transforms ( iffts ) were obtained from experimental high resolution tem images using digitalmicrograph ™ software . energy dispersive x - ray spectroscopy ( edxs ) was utilized to determine the composition of the powder particles . the following examples are presented to illustrate the advantages of the present invention and to assist one of ordinary skill in making and using the same . these examples are not intended in any way otherwise to limit the scope of the disclosure . for structural characterization , x - ray diffraction was used for phase identification and high resolution electron microscopy with selected area diffraction was used as a means , not only to confirm phase , but also to identify particle morphology , e . g ., as spheroid or acicular particles . fig1 shows a representative θ - 2θ x - ray diffraction scan obtained from powders processed using the polyol reduction method according to the invention . in fig1 , the data collected at room temperature from powders that were chemically processed , rinsed , and dried , is depicted with an overlay of data from jcpds reference powder diffraction files co 2 c ( 65 - 1457 ) and co 3 c ( 26 - 0450 ) in which the intensity and position of each bragg diffraction peak is represented by a vertical line . ( the jcpds databases of diffraction files are universally used by materials scientists to identify phases and their relative content in unknown material systems .) there exist some diffraction features , for example near 67 degrees in 2θ , whose amplitude arises from residual phases that may include different allotropes of carbon and / or unreacted precursors . xrd analysis confirms that co 2 c and co 3 c are the dominant phases present in these nanoparticles of the invention . fig2 a - 2 c depict high - resolution transmission electron microscopy images . tem observations show agglomerated particle clusters , about 300 - 500 nm in diameter ( see inset to fig2 a ), consisting of nanocrystalline co - carbide particles with acicular or rod - like morphology having an approximate 2 : 1 aspect ratio . the ferromagnetic nature of these particles is the driving force behind particle agglomeration . the acicular nature of the particles provides the potential for field - aligned particle compacts , i . e ., anisotropic compacts , that will provide superior performance in power generation , conditioning , and conversion operations . fig2 a and 2 b are tem images of rod - like co - carbide crystals . these crystals are surrounded by a thin , 1 to 4 nm , graphite - like layer denoted by arrows in fig2 a and 2 b . such a graphitic layer may form during synthesis from the reduction of precursors and surfactants and may act as a barrier that impedes crystal growth . fig2 c is an hrtem ( i . e ., high resolution tem ) image of a rod - like co - carbide nanoparticle with an aspect ratio near 5 : 1 . in order to determine the crystal structure and preferred growth directions , fast fourier transforms ( fft ) were obtained from hrtem images of individual nanocrystalline particles . fig3 a is a hrtem image of a co 3 c nanoparticle with orientation close to the [ 010 ] zone axis . the fft seen in fig3 b was obtained from part of the crystal and indexed to the co 3 c phase ( space group : pnma with a = 5 . 03 å , b = 6 . 73 å and c = 4 . 48 å ), with additional reflections appearing due to double diffraction . a simulated diffraction pattern of co 3 c along this zone axis is provided for comparison ( see fig3 c ). the corresponding inverse fast fourier transform ( ifft ) image ( fig3 d ) shows the lattice spacing of about 5 å , consistent with a [ 100 ] direction along the long axis of the particle . fig4 a shows a hrtem image of a co 2 c crystal ( space group : pnnm with a = 4 . 45 å , b = 4 . 37 å , and c = 2 . 90 å ) close to the [ 001 ] zone axis . the fft ( fig4 b ) from a portion of the crystal shows a near - square pattern indicative of this zone in which the lattice parameters a and b are nearly equal . in this zone , the ( 100 ) and ( 010 ) reflections are present due to double diffraction ( fig4 b ). the corresponding ifft image ( fig4 c ) shows the lattice spacing of ( 100 ) and ( 010 ) is ˜ 4 . 4 å . such hrtem analyses confirm that the carbide nanoparticles of the invention have an acicular morphology , with the aspect ratio varying in relation to phase content and preparation conditions from 1 . 5 : 1 to 10 : 1 ( and more frequently from 2 : 1 to 7 : 1 ), and that the crystallites are surrounded by a thin graphite - like layer . table i presents the phase volume ratios and lattice parameters of each phase determined by rietveld reduction analyses of the xrd data for several samples . in addition to the these data derived from xrd analyses , similar data from selected area electron diffraction ( saed ), as well as values reported in the literature from bulk standards are presented . the xrd and saed determined lattice parameters are consistent with reported bulk values within the uncertainty of the measurements and analyses . table i structural properties of cobalt carbide nanoparticle samples according to the invention determined by x - ray diffraction and electron diffraction measurements . lattice parameters lattice parameters volume of co 2 c of co 3 c sample ratio ( angstrom ) ( angstrom ) no . co 2 c : co 3 c a b c a b c bulk 4 . 371 4 . 446 2 . 897 4 . 444 4 . 993 6 . 707 standards saed 4 . 37 4 . 45 2 . 90 4 . 48 5 . 03 6 . 73 4 - 4 ( 2 ) 1 . 89 : 1 4 . 361 4 . 446 2 . 888 4 . 448 5 . 005 6 . 718 4 - 4 ( 3 ) 1 . 06 : 1 4 . 362 4 . 444 2 . 891 4 . 450 5 . 002 6 . 712 4 - 4 ( 4 ) 0 . 93 : 1 4 . 365 4 . 443 2 . 894 4 . 454 4 . 998 6 . 714 4 - 4 ( 5 ) 0 . 99 : 1 4 . 364 4 . 443 2 . 900 4 . 443 5 . 005 6 . 710 4 - 4 ( 8 ) 1 . 46 : 1 4 . 361 4 . 444 2 . 890 4 . 454 5 . 004 6 . 707 fig5 is a room temperature hysteresis loop curve of one cobalt carbide nanoparticle sample according to the invention . for this sample , the room temperature magnetization under an applied field of ˜ 17 koe is 73 emu / g with a coercivity of 3 . 1 koe . the magnetization corresponding to an applied field of 17 koe is reported as the saturation magnetization ( m s ) although it is clear that saturation was not attained and , therefore , all energy product values are underestimated . this sample has a room temperature ( bh ) max of 20 . 7 kj / m 3 . all magnetization values have been corrected for the presence of the nonmagnetic graphitic surface layer . ( the correction involved the calculation of the surface layer volume based upon the thickness measured in hrtem images and assuming a rectangular cross section leading to the renormalization of the magnetic moment .) fig6 presents the room temperature saturation magnetization and coercivity data for several co x c particle samples collected during these experiments . it can be seen that there exists a great variation of property values coinciding with a broad range of chemical process parameters . nonetheless , it is clear from fig6 that there is a balance in magnetic properties — that is , the greater the saturation magnetization the lower the coercivity . these magnetic properties coincide with variations in the co 2 c : co 3 c volume fraction and relative particle size and morphology of each phase . the error bars presented on fig6 data points represent the uncertainty in the measurement of saturation magnetization due to the ambiguity in volume and mass of the particle sample . it would be clear to one of ordinary skill that variation of reactant and solvent molar concentrations , type and concentration of nucleating agent ( s ), type and concentration of surfactant agents , and other factors such as reaction temperature will lead to co 2 c : co 3 c ratio control . fig7 is a plot illustrating how the interrelationship between saturation magnetization and coercivity corresponds to the volume fraction of co 2 c to co 3 c as measured by x - ray diffraction ( see table i ). it can be seen that , as the relative fraction of co 2 c increases , e . g ., from 0 . 8 to 2 . 0 , the magnetization value of the sample is reduced while , concurrently , the coercivity value is increased . error bars reflect the measurement uncertainty ( the error bars on coercive field values being smaller than the symbols ). these results suggest the role of each carbide phase . for example , the co 3 c phase appears to be largely responsible for high saturation magnetization values of the samples while the co 2 c phase is responsible for large coercivity values . these results do not , however , indicate the fundamental origin of the room temperature coercivity measured in these samples . since the particles are clearly acicular in morphology , one can conclude that dipolar or shape anisotropy is responsible for some fraction of the large coercivity value . further , the atomic structure in these phases deviates from cubic symmetry , and , therefore , a second source of anisotropy is expected to be of a magnetocrystalline nature . other sources of coercivity may be related to exchange between particles . such interparticle exchange , including that of co 2 c — co 2 c , co 2 c — co 3 c , and co 3 c — co 3 c , may provide yet other significant contributions to anisotropy , and subsequently coercivity , in these nanoparticle carbide systems . thermomagnetic properties of a representative carbide powder sample are presented in fig8 and 9 . fig8 illustrates the temperature response of magnetization for a sample heated from 10 k to 900 k . magnetization data were collected as a function of temperature under the application of 0 . 5 koe and 10 koe fields . the data of fig8 , collected under the application of a 10 koe field , began at 10 k and approached a curie temperature of ˜ 510 k . the solid curve is a fit to a molecular field approximation . at temperatures approaching 700 k , a dramatic increase in magnetization is measured . the thermal cycle reveals an irreversible transformation . the magnetization and high curie temperature of the sample heated above 700 k is consistent with metallic cobalt . it is possible that during this vacuum heat treatment the carbide disassociates to metallic cobalt and free carbon . having a curie temperature near 510 k , these materials may be useful for permanent magnet applications from room temperature to greater than 400 k . as described above , it has been established that the exemplary cobalt carbide nanoparticles according to the invention exist in two phases , namely co 2 c and co 3 c . the room temperature hysteresis loop of fig5 illustrates a continuous variation of magnetization through remanence ; behavior that is consistent with the exchange coupling of the two carbide phases . fig9 contains both the 300 k and the 10 k hysteresis loops of a representative sample and clarifies this assertion . at 10 k , a knee is observed near remanence indicating the decoupling of hard and soft phases , presumably the co 2 c and co 3 c phases . from the trends seen in fig7 , the magnetically soft phase is likely co 3 c . these results imply that the co 2 c and co 3 c phases are exchange - coupled at room temperature . whether the exchange is of a particle - particle nature , or as an intimate admixture of the two phases within a single particle , is as yet unknown . it is also contemplated that cobalt carbide nanoparticles according to the invention , namely co x c , can be reduced to co x c + co ( metal ) to create exchange coupled co 2 c / co , co 3 c / co , or ( co 2 c + co 3 c )/ co nanoparticle systems . these nanoparticles would be of great value for high temperature operations and would be expected to have the same good range of coercivity and magnetization values as the co 2 c / co 3 c nanoparticle systems described above . a person of ordinary skill could synthesize a mixture of cobalt carbide particles and metallic cobalt ( iron or iron cobalt ) particles by reduction chemistry , thermal decomposition ( as demonstrated in fig1 ), or by direct mixing of the particles , thus forming an exchanged coupled carbide - metallic heterostructure having superior high temperature performance owing to the high curie temperature of the metallic cobalt ( iron or iron cobalt ). such magnet systems would find utility in high temperature permanent magnet applications such as stator and rotor components in turbine power generator systems , among others . fig1 displays a comparison of ( bh ) max vs h c among co x c , alnico and ba / sr ferrite ceramic magnets . alnico is shown to exhibit high ( bh ) max , 35 kj / m 3 , but a low intrinsic coercivity , mostly & lt ; 1 koe . ba / sr ferrite ceramic features high intrinsic coercivity , 3 - 4 . 5 koe , but typical values of ( bh ) max below 25 kj / m 3 . however , the multiple - phase cobalt carbide nanoparticles of the invention demonstrate noticeable characteristics of permanent magnets , i . e ., h c ˜ 3 . 5 koe and ( bh ) max ˜ 20 kj / m 3 . this system has the potential to compete with both ferrite ceramic magnets and alnico ; the ferrite market segment in particular is second only to nd — fe — b . to date , the study of these cobalt carbide particles is limited to the results presented here . however , due to the existence of surface dead layers and nanomagnetic surface coatings , one would expect to see an increase in magnetization for larger co x c particles . therefore , it is expected that higher ( bh ) max values may be achieved in carbide permanent magnets with optimization of size , shape and volumetric ratio of the two phases , an optimization that is well within the skill of those of ordinary skill in the art . konno et al ., 1999 , j magnetism and magnetic materials 195 9 - 18 . lee et al ., 2007 , j magnetism and magnetic materials 310 913 - 915 . wang et al ., 2001 , materials science and engineering c 16 147 - 151 . zhang et al ., 2008 , j . molecular structure : theochem 863 22 - 27 . zeng et al ., 2007 , j magnetism and magnetic materials 309 160 - 168 . while the present invention has been described in conjunction with a preferred embodiment , one of ordinary skill , after reading the foregoing specification , will be able to effect various changes , substitutions of equivalents , and other alterations to the compositions and methods set forth herein . it is therefore intended that the protection granted by letters patent hereon be limited only by the definitions contained in the appended claims and equivalents thereof . | 2 |
turning now to these drawings and first to fig1 - 3 , there is illustrated a liquid sampling device 10 located in sampling position in the path of a moving liquid s . as mentioned earlier and will be explained in more detail later , a sampling device according to the invention may be utilized to sample a great variety of liquids , including homogeneous liquids and liquid mixtures composed of either miscible or immiscible liquid components , in a variety of sampling environments and for a variety of purposes . also , the sampling device may be disposed in sampling relation to the sampled liquid in various ways including placement of the device in the path of a moving liquid , as in fig1 - 3 , and submersion of the device in a body of liquid . a particularly useful and important application of the sampling device involves sampling storm water runoff from an industrial property in accordance with the storm water permitting program referred to earlier . for convenience , the illustrated sampling device 10 is described primarily in the context of this particular use in which the sampled liquid is the storm water runoff . the illustrated storm water sampler 10 is placed in sampling position within a concrete sump 12 located in the path p of the storm water runoff from the industrial property to be monitored . the sump has an open top covered by a removable grate 14 . the sump is located in the storm water flow path p with the grate 14 substantially flush with the surrounding surface along which the storm water flow occurs . a subterranean drain line 16 leads from the bottom of the sump . the storm water sampler 10 comprises a receptacle 18 having a normally lower sample collection chamber 20 and normally upper inlet means 22 . this inlet means includes an inlet passage 24 through which storm water can enter the collection chamber . the sampler is positioned in the sump 12 in such a way that sampler inlet means 22 receives storm water entering the sump through the grate 14 . at least some of the storm water flows through the inlet passage 24 into the collection chamber 20 until the chamber is filled to a predetermined level , which is the level of fig3 . the contents of the chamber then constitutes a storm water sample which can be drained from the chamber through a drain valve 26 at the bottom of the collection chamber and analyzed to determine the presence of contaminants , if any , in the sample picked up by the storm water as it flowed across the industrial property in question . in order to assure an accurate storm water sample which complies fully with the storm water permitting program , it is neccessary to prevent dilution and contamination of a collected storm water sample by entry of foreign matter into the collection chamber prior to actual storm water sampling during a storm event , by continued storm water flow over the sampling device following collection of a complete storm water sample , and by deliberate action of a person seeking to alter the collected sample . to prevent such dilution and contamination , the sampler inlet means 22 includes inlet valve means 26 , 28 which close the inlet passage 24 except when both of the following conditions exist : ( a ) the upper inlet end of the inlet passage is covered by the liquid to be sampled , and ( b ) the collection chamber 20 contains less than a predetermined volume of the liquid . this predetermined volume of liquid constitutes a complete storm water sample and occurs when the collection chamber contains storm water to a predetermined level ( the level of fig3 ). the valve means 26 , 28 also block escape from the collection chamber of the collected sample liquid and volatile elements present in , that is vapor from , the collected sample . the terms &# 34 ; upper end &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; lower end &# 34 ; as applied herein to the collection chamber are used in a broad sense to mean the top and bottom of the chamber in its normal sampling position regardless of the physical shape of the chamber . referring now in more detail to fig1 - 3 , the sampler receptacle 18 comprises a generally cup - shaped body 30 having a cylindrical side wall 32 , a bottom wall 34 , and an outwardly directed flange or rim 36 about the open , normally upper end of the body . extending across the interior of the body 30 between its bottom wall 34 and rim 36 is an annular partition wall 38 which is welded or otherwise permanently secured and sealed to the the side wall 32 . the space between this partition wall and the bottom wall 34 forms the storm water sample collection chamber 20 . the partition wall 38 and the upper end portion of the side wall 32 which extends above the partition wall form a normally upper and upwardly opening storm water catch basin 40 at the upper end of the receptacle 18 . the partition wall forms the floor of this basin . the portion of the side wall 32 above this floor forms the side wall of the basin which terminates at its upper end in the rim 36 . at the center of the partition wall or basin floor 38 is a circular opening 42 circumferentially surrounded by an upstanding flange 44 . positioned over the upper edge of this flange 44 is resilient seal ring 45 having a coaxial circular slot in its lower edge receiving the flange . inlet means 22 comprises an inlet fitting 46 removably and coaxially positioned within the basin floor opening 42 . this inlet fitting includes , between its ends , an annular plate 48 whose outer edge portion is turned downwardly to form a depending cylindrical flange 50 about the plate . the inner diameter of this flange is sized to fit closely but removably over the seal ring 45 . the inner edge portion of the plate 48 is turned upwardly to form an upstanding cylindrical flange 51 about the central opening in the plate . rigidly joined to and extending coaxially upwardly from the flange 51 is a tubular inlet riser 52 which projects a distance upwardly above the basin floor 38 . a strainer 53 of inverted cup shape is positioned over the riser 52 . the open bottom of this strainer fits over and is secured to the depending flange 50 on the fitting plate 48 . rigidly joined to and coaxially depending from the underside of the plate is a lower cup - shaped valve cage 54 having ports 56 in its side wall . fixed to the inside of the strainer 53 over and coaxial with the inlet riser 52 is an upper valve cage 57 of inverted cup shape . the inlet fitting 46 is removably positioned on the partition wall or basin floor 38 with the fitting plate 48 above and seating downwardly against the seal ring 45 and with the plate flange 50 circumferentially surrounding the seal ring . the lower fitting valve cage 54 depends coaxially through the basin floor opening 42 into the collection chamber 20 . the inlet fitting is releasably secured in position by connecting means 61 including a shaft 62 . shaft 62 extends upwardly and coaxially through the bottom wall 34 of the collection chamber 20 and is threaded at its upper end in a nut 64 rigidly joined to the bottom wall of the lower valve cage 54 . threaded on the lower end of the shaft , below the bottom wall 34 of the collection chamber 20 , are a seal ring 66 and a wing - nut - like grip 68 . the shaft is fixed against rotation relative to either the nut 64 or the grip 68 , whereby the grip is rotatable to firmly clamp the inlet fitting plate 38 against the seal ring 45 and thereby secure and seal the fitting to the catch basin floor 38 about the floor opening 42 . the inlet passage 24 extends longitudinally through and opens through the upper end of the inlet riser 52 . the upper end of the riser is located at a level between the upper rim 36 and floor 38 of the basin 40 . the lower end of the inlet passage 24 opens to the collection chamber 20 through the valve lower cage 54 and its side wall ports 56 . the lower inlet valve means 26 of the storm water sampler comprise a buoyant ball forming a float valve 70 within the lower valve cage 54 . this float valve is engagable with a downwardly facing annular valve seat 72 about the lower end of the inlet passage 24 . as explained below , the lower float valve 70 normally occupies its lower solid line open position of fig3 wherein the lower float valve is spaced from its valve seat 72 . when the lower liquid - receiving space surrounding the lower cage ( i . e . collection chamber 20 ) fills with liquid to the level of the lower cage ports 56 , liquid passes from this lower space into the lower cage through the ports 56 and raises the lower float valve 70 to its broken line closed position in which the lower float valve contacts its valve seat 72 to close the lower end of the passage 24 . the upper inlet valve means 28 comprises a buoyant valve ball forming a float valve within the upper valve cage 57 . this upper float valve is engagable with an upwardly facing annular valve seat 78 about the upper end of the inlet riser 52 . the upper float valve 74 is movable through the region above its valve seat 78 ( i . e . the region extending upwardly from the seat through the upper valve cage 57 ). the upper float valve normally occupies its lower solid line closed position of fig3 at the lower end of this region in which the upper float valve engages its valve seat 78 to close the upper end of the passage 24 . the upper float valve is movable upwardly through the region and away from its valve seat to its broken line open position of fig3 to open the upper end of the passage 24 when the liquid level in the upper liquid - receiving space surrounding the upper cage and region ( i . e . catch basin 40 ) rises above the upper valve seat 78 . the liquid then passes from this upper space into the region above the upper valve seat 78 through the openings in the strainer 53 and the illustrated space between the upper valve seat 78 and the upper valve cage 57 and raises the upper float valve 74 from the upper valve seat . the storm water sampling device 10 is used in this fashion . prior to the first storm event of the wet season , the sampler is hung in storm water sampling position within the sump 12 located in an anticipated storm water runoff flow path from the industrial property to be monitored , as shown in fig1 . prior to the first storm event , the upper float valve 74 will engage its seat 78 to close the inlet passage 24 against entry of dirt , rocks and other foreign matter into the collection chamber 20 . during the first storm event , storm water runoff from the property flows into the sump 12 and enters sampler catch basin 40 . when the water level in the basin reaches the upper end of the inlet riser 52 , the water raises the upper float valve 74 from its valve seat 78 to an open position within the upper valve cage 76 . storm water then flows from the basin , through the inlet passage 24 into the sampler collection chamber 20 . this chamber may have a volume on the order of one gallon . assuming sufficient rainfall , the collection chamber will eventually fill sufficiently to provide a &# 34 ; grab sample &# 34 ; of the first storm water runoff from the property . as the chamber fills , the lower float valve 70 is raised from its solid line open position of fig3 to its broken line closed position of engagement with its valve seat 72 to close the inlet passage 24 . this closure of the lower float valve occurs when the water in the collection chamber 20 reaches a predetermined level ( the level shown in fig3 ) at which the chamber contains a storm water sample of predetermined volume . closure of the lower float valve prevents dilution and contamination of the collected sample by continuing storm water flow over the sampler or by deliberate action of a person seeking to alter the sample . closure of the lower float valve also prevents escape of storm water and vapor from the collection chamber . the inlet riser 52 delays flow of storm water from the basin into the collection chamber and acts as a dam which prevents passage of sand , dirt , silt or the like into the collection chamber . when the storm ends or the sampling device is removed from the sump 12 , the upper valve ball 74 will reengage its valve seat 78 to seal the upper end of the inlet passage 24 against entry of foreign matter . the sampling device is carried to a laboratory by its illustrated handle , where the collected sample is drained from the collection chamber 20 through the lower drain valve 26 for analysis . the inlet fitting 46 is then removed from the receptacle 18 to permit thorough flushing and cleaning of the fitting and the collection chamber through the basin floor opening 42 to avoid contamination of later collected samples . from the above description , it is evident that the inlet valve means 26 , 28 have , in effect , a standby mode in which the upper float valve 74 is closed and the lower float valve 70 is open , a sampling mode in which both float valves are open , and a sample containment mode in which the lower float valve or both float valves is / are closed . the valve means assume the standby mode during storage of the sampling device and when the sampling device is in sampling position awaiting the liquid to be sampled . the valve means assume the sampling mode when the upper inlet end of inlet passage is covered with liquid and the collection chamber contains less than the predetermined volume of liquid neccessary to constitute a complete liquid sample . the valve means assume the sample containment mode when the collection chamber contains a complete liquid sample and the upper float valve is either open or closed . fig4 illustrates a modified storm water sampling device 100 according to the invention for collecting , at spaced intervals , three separate storm water samples which , together , constitue a time composite storm water sample . this composite sampling device comprises , in effect , three separate storm water samplers 102a , 102b , 102c , each essentially identical , except for dimensions , to the storm water sampler of fig1 - 3 . accordingly , it is unneccessary to describe each individual composite sampler in elaborate detail . suffice it to say that the three samplers 102a , 102b , 102c differ from one another and from the sampler in fig1 - 3 only in the depth of their upper storm water receiving basins 104 and the height of their inlet risers 106 . thus , the basin depths and riser heights of the three samplers increase progressively . the dimensions and volumes of the sampler collection chambers 108 are equal to one another and to that of fig1 - 3 . the individual composite samplers are otherwise identical to that of fig1 - 3 . in use , the storm water time composite sampling device of fig4 is placed in sampling position within an anticipated storm water runoff flow path from an industrial property to be monitored in the same way as described in connection with fig1 - 3 so that the storm water enters the upper storm water catch basins 104 of the device . because of the different basin depths and riser heights of the sampling device , a first storm water sample will be collected in the collection chamber 108 of the sampler 102a with the shallowest basin and lowest riser height . after a period of time determined by the differing basin depths and riser heights , a second storm water sample will be collected in the collection chamber 108 of sampler 102b . after another period of time , a third storm water sample will be collected in the collection chamber of sampler 102c . by properly sizing the individual samplers 102a , 102b , 102c , the time composite sampling device of fig4 may be designed to collect three equal storm water samples at three spaced intervals during a storm event . as mentioned earlier , storm water sampling is but one of the many possible uses to the liquid sampling device of the invention . another possible use involves sampling of liquid leaking from industrial equipment to aid in locating the source of the leak ( s ). in this regard , assume that fig1 illustrates the floor of a large industrial facility , such as a brewery , having liquid handling equipment at many locations about the facility and that the liquid s on the floor is from a leak or leaks in this equipment which cannot be located by direct inspection . assume further that the processes performed in the equipment are such that the composition of the leakage liquid will be determined , at least to some extent , by the location of the leak ( s ) in the equipment . accordingly , analysis of the leakage liquid will aid in locating the source of the leak ( s ). the liquid sampling device of this invention may be used to collect samples of the leakage liquid for analysis and thereby aid in locating the leaks . in fig1 for example , the liquid sampling device 10 of the invention may be placed in sampling position within a sump 12 in the floor of the facility to sample leakage liquid s flowing along the floor . sampling operation of sampling device in this application , of course , is exactly the same as described earlier in connection with storm water sampling . other uses of the sampling device are also possible . in some cases , a liquid sample might be collected by submerging the sampling device in a body of the liquid . in other cases , the sampling device might be located to sample liquid flowing through a pipe or other fluid conductor or to sample liquid effluent from such a liquid conductor . referring now to fig5 - 7 , the illustrated liquid sampling device 200 comprises an outer casing 202 having an open upper end , and a liquid sampler 204 proper positioned in casing 202 and removable from the casing through its upper end . the casing 202 has a cylindrical side wall 206 , a bottom wall 208 , and an annular shoulder 210 extending circumferentially about the upper end of the side wall and terminating along its radially outer edge in an upstanding cylindrical wall portion 212 . the upper edge of this wall portion turns outwardly to form a lip or rim 214 . the liquid sampler 204 is very similar in construction and operation to the sampler of fig1 - 3 . the sampler 204 includes a generally cup - shaped cylindrical receptacle 216 having an open upper end , a cylindrical side wall 218 , and a bottom wall 220 . the upper end portion of the side wall 218 turns outwardly to form an annular flange 222 and an upwardly opening annular seat for an o - ring seal 224 circumferentially surrounding the open upper end of the receptacle . coaxially disposed below the bottom wall 220 of the receptacle 216 is a base 226 of inverted cup - shape for supporting the sampler 204 when it is removed from the casing 202 . the base has a top wall 227 seating against and rigidly joined to the bottom wall 220 of the sampler receptacle 216 , a sidewall opening 228 whose purpose will be explained presently , and a lower flange 230 . the sampler 204 is sized in diameter and length to fit closely but removably within the casing 202 with the sampler flange 222 seating on the casing shoulder 210 to vertically support the sampler in the casing . in this supported postion , the bottom flange 228 of the sampler base 226 is spaced from the bottom wall 208 of the casing , as shown in fig5 . when the sampler is removed from the casing , the base is used to support the sampler in an upright position on a supporting surface . the open upper end of the sampler receptacle 216 is closed by a removable partition wall or cover 232 having a shallow cup - shaped body 233 . the cover has an annular bottom wall 234 and a cylindrical side wall 236 projecting upwardly from the edge of the bottom wall . about the upper end of the cover side wall 236 is an outwardly directed annular flange 238 . the cover 232 is removably positioned in the upper end of the receptacle 216 with the cover body 233 fitting closely but removably within the upper end of the receptacle and with the cover flange 238 resting on the upper receptacle flange 222 to vertically support the cover in the receptacle . the o - ring 224 provides a liquid seal between the cover and the upper end of the receptacle . the interior space of the receptacle 216 between the cover 232 and the bottom wall 220 of the receptacle forms a liquid collection chamber 240 . the cover and the upper side wall portion 212 of the receptacle form an upwardly opening liquid catch basin 242 above the collection chamber . the cover forms the floor of this basin . the upper receptacle side wall portion 212 forms the side wall of the basin which terminates at its upper end in the rim 214 . the center of the cover wall 234 has a shallow coaxial circular recess 243 containing a relatively large coaxial circular opening 244 circumferentially surrounded by a depending flange 246 . positioned on the cover 232 within the cover recess 243 and opening 244 are liquid inlet means 248 similar to the inlet means of the liquid sampling device in fig1 - 3 . as shown best in fig6 the inlet means 248 comprises an inlet fitting 250 including an upper float valve cage 252 , a lower float valve cage 254 , and a strainer 256 about the upper valve cage . the upper valve cage 252 includes a tube 258 having a multiplicity of flow openings in its wall and closed at its lower end by an integral coaxial circular wall or plate 260 . this plate projects radially beyond the tube to form a coaxial circular flange about the lower end of the tube . extending through the plate 260 coaxial with the tube 258 is an inlet passage 262 surrounded by a depending short cylindrical sleeve 264 depending from the plate . the lower end of this sleeve flares outwardly to form a downwardly facing lower valve seat 266 about the lower end of the passage 262 . about the upper end of the passage 262 is an upwardly facing upper valve seat 268 . the lower valve cage 254 comprises a sleeve 270 having a multiplicity of flow openings in its wall and an annular flange 272 about its upper open end . fixed within the lower end of the sleeve 270 is an internally threaded nut 274 . the upper flange 272 of the lower cage 254 seats against and is rigidly joined to the underside of the upper cage plate 260 with the two cage sleeves 258 , 270 coaxially aligned . the strainer 256 of the inlet fitting 250 has an inverted cup shape . the lower edge of the strainer is rigidly joined to the outer edge of the upper valve cage plate 260 , as by crimping the strainer edge over the plate edge , as shown . fixed in the upper end of the strainer is a disc 276 which fits within the upper end of the upper cage sleeve 258 . freely movable within the upper and lower valve cages 252 , 254 are ball float valves 278 , 280 , respectively , which form , with the upper and lower valve seats 268 , 266 , upper and lower inlet valve means 282 , 284 . the upper float valve 278 is movable downwardly to its closed position of fig5 and 6 against the upper valve seat 268 to close the inlet passage 262 . the upper float valve is movable upwardly away from the upper valve seat to an open position against an adjustable limit stop 286 to open the inlet passage . the limit stop 286 is threaded in the strainer disc 276 for adjustment toward and away from the upper valve seat 268 to adjust the maximum open flow area of the upper valve means 282 . the lower float valve 280 is movable downwardly to its open position of fig5 and 6 away from the lower valve seat 266 to open the inlet passage 262 , and upwardly to its closed position against the lower valve seat to close the inlet passage . the sampler receptacle 216 , cover 232 , and inlet means 248 are releasably joined in assembled relation by connecting means 288 . as best shown in fig1 , this connecting means comprises a rod 290 threaded at its upper end in the nut 274 of the lower valve cage 254 . the lower end of the rod 290 is enlarged and defines a threaded axial socket for connection to a drain valve 292 located within the sampler base 226 . drain valve 292 has an l - shaped body 294 , one arm of which ( the vertical arm in fig1 ) is threadedly joined to a threaded stem 296 . this stem extends axially upward through the bottom wall 220 of the receptacle 216 and the top wall 227 of the base 226 and is threaded in the lower end of the connecting rod 290 . about the base of the stem 296 is a shoulder supporting a seal ring 298 engaging the upper base wall 227 . the drain valve 292 is rotatable in one direction about the axis of the connecting rod 290 to tighten the connecting means 288 for firmly securing the sampler receptacle , cover , and inlet means in assembled , mutually sealed relation . the drain valve is rotatable in the opposite direction to release the connecting means 288 for disassembly of the sampler for cleaning , as illustrated in fig7 . fixed to the cover 232 are handles 299 for holding the sampler and placing the sampler in and removing it from the casing 206 . threaded in the remaining horizontal arm of the drain valve body 294 is a drain tube 300 having an external knurled portion 302 by which the tube may be rotated . on the outer end of the drain tube is a hose nipple 304 for connection to a drain hose 306 extending through the base sidewall opening 228 . the drain valve contains a passage 308 which extends at one end through the vertical arm of the valve body 294 and the threaded stem 296 , and opens into the sampler collection chamber 240 through ports 310 in the stem . the other end of the valve passage 308 extends axially through the horizontal arm of the valve body 294 , the drain tube 300 and the hose nipple 304 . on the inner end of the drain tube 300 is a valve head 312 . this valve head is movable axially into and from engagement with a valve seat 314 about the valve passage 308 by rotation of the drain tube to open and close the passage . fig9 and 10 illustrate two different ways of locating the sampling device 200 in sampling position for the storm water sampling or leak sampling applications mentioned earlier . in fig9 the sampler casing 202 of the sampling device is embedded in concrete at the bottom of a relatively deep sump 316 with the lip 214 of the casing flush with the bottom of the sump . the sump is covered by a grate 318 flush with ground level and has a drain line 320 leading from the bottom of the sump . in fig1 , the casing 202 is embedded in concrete with the upper casing lip 214 flush with the bottom of a shallow cavity 322 covered by a grate 324 flush with ground level . the sampling device 200 is used in essentially the same way as the sampling device 10 of fig1 - 3 except for the following differences . in fig1 - 3 , the upper float valve seat 78 is located at upper end of the inlet riser 52 . when the liquid level in the basin 40 rises above the level of the upper valve seat , the upper float valve is raised from the seat to permit liquid flow into the inlet riser and then through the riser into the collection chamber 20 . in the sampling device 200 , the lowest flow openings in the side wall of the upper valve cage 258 are located a distance above the floor 234 of the basin 242 , and the solid lower portion of the cage below these lowest openings forms an inlet riser 325 . the upper valve seat 268 is located at the bottom of this inlet riser . accordingly , when the liquid level in the basin 242 reaches the upper end of the inlet riser 325 , the liquid flows over and to the bottom of the riser and then raises the upper float valve 278 from the upper valve seat 268 to permit flow into the collection chamber . the inlet riser serves the same purposes as the inlet riser in the sampling device 10 . the maximum flow opening of the upper float valve means 282 is adjustable by adjustment of the limit stop 286 . this upper valve adjustment adjusts the maximum liquid flow rate from the basin 242 into the collection chamber 240 and thereby the overall sampling duration of the sampling device . as a consequence , the limit stop adjustment permits use of the sampling device 200 for time composite storm water sampling . the inlet means 248 of the sampling device 200 also has a vent tube 326 which extends upwardly from the cover wall 234 , laterally into the upper valve cage 258 , and then downwardly toward the cover wall and contains a vent passage for venting air from the top of the collection chamber 240 to atmosphere during filling of the chamber with liquid . after the desired liquid sample has been collected , the sampler 204 is removed from the casing 202 by its handles 299 and carried to a laboratory where the sample is drained from the sampler through the drain valve 292 for analysis . after each use , the sampler is disassembled and thoroughly cleaned . in this regard , t will be seen that removal of the cover 232 from the sampler receptacle 202 provides a large opening in the upper end of the receptacle through which the interior of the collection chamber 240 may be easily cleaned . fig1 and 14 illustrate an in - line drain valve 400 for use on the liquid sampling device 200 in place of the right angle drain valve 292 . the in - line valve includes an elongate drain bolt 402 having an upper threaded end for threaded connection with the lower end of the connecting rod 290 of the sampling device 200 . the lower end of the drain bolt 402 is radially enlarged to form a coaxial shoulder portion 404 . axially entering the lower end of this shoulder portion is an internally threaded socket 406 which continues in a smaller diameter bore 408 extending axially upward through a lower end portion of the drain bolt . threaded in the socket 406 is an internally threaded bushing 410 which forms a valve seat 411 about the lower end of the bore 408 . the drain bolt 402 contains two axially spaced pairs of ports 412 opening to the bore along mutually perpendicular axes . threaded in the bushing 412 is a drain tube 414 . this drain tube has a lower threaded portion , an upper valve head 418 , and an intervening circumferential recess 420 . the valve head 418 is slightly larger in diameter than the threaded bore in the bushing 412 . threaded on and rigidly fixed to the lower end of the drain tube is a knurled grip 422 from which a hose nipple 424 extends axially of the tube . extending axially through the drain tube 414 , the grip 422 , and the nipple 424 is a passage 426 which opens radially into the upper drain tube recess 420 through ports 428 in the bottom of the recess . the drain valve 400 is installed on the liquid sampling device 200 , in place of the right angle drain valve 292 , by inserting the drain bolt 402 through the bottom wall 220 of the device and threading the upper end of the bolt into the lower end of the connecting rod 290 to firmly join the sampler receptacle 216 , cover 232 , and inlet means 248 in the same manner as described earlier in connection with the sampling device 200 . the drain valve 400 is closed by rotating the grip 422 in a direction to move the tube downwardly until its valve head 418 engages the bushing valve seat 411 . in this closed position , the drain tube ports 428 are situated below the valve seat 411 so that liquid cannot enter the drain valve passage 426 from the collection chamber 240 . the drain valve is opened by rotating the drain tube in the opposite direction to move its valve head 418 upwardly from the valve seat 411 to a position in which the drain tube recess 420 opens radially outward to either the lower pair of drain bolt ports 412 only or to both pairs of these ports . liquid flow can then occur from the sampler collection chamber 240 through the lower drain bolt ports 412 and the drain tube ports 428 into the drain valve passage 426 . operation of the liquid sampling device 200 with the drain valve 400 is the same as with drain valve 292 . it is evident at this point that the inlet valve means , i . e . the two valve balls together with their valve seats and cages , embodied in each described embodiment of the invention constitutes an inlet float valve means which closes the liquid inlet passage to the sample collection chamber except when both of the following conditions exist : ( a ) the inlet of the inlet passage is submerged in the liquid being sampled , and ( b ) the sample collection chamber contains less than a predetermined liquid volume . this inlet float valve means has an open mode in which the inlet valve opens the inlet passage to permit liquid flow into the collection chamber and a closed mode in which the inlet valve closes the inlet passage to seal the chamber and is operable to each of these modes by forces including a buoyant force produced by the liquid being sampled , i . e . by gravitational and buoyant forces . | 5 |
in a most preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig1 , a dual shaft flying notching and shearing machine 100 incorporates at least one , and optionally a multitude of diverse operations upon an extrusion or other stock material in a single pass operation in a way that is compatible with high speed extrusion lines , or other high speed lines . while not limited thereto , typical work materials include plastic and aluminum extrusions . commonly , these extrusions will require shearing at a predetermined repetitive length , and may also quite desirably have one or more additional features formed intermediate along the predetermined lengths , including the formation of one or more notches or other features . with appropriate design and control , the preferred embodiment flying notching and shearing machine 100 is highly accurate . most preferably , the preferred embodiment uses a computer , microcontroller , microprocessor or the equivalent to simplify the control and automation of operations . when properly designed , the cutting and notching heads will usually be operated while traveling at the rate of travel of an extrusion or work piece through the machine , effectively rendering the cutting and notching operations stationary relative to the axis of travel of the work . the cutting and notching heads , which are located adjacent the ends of arms 118 , 128 , are controlled to activate and act upon the extrusion . activation of arms 118 , 128 is controlled by first providing a driving source 106 , such as a motor or the like , to couple with and turn pulleys 110 , 120 . pulleys 110 , 120 are preferably provided with a belt or the like , not illustrated in this figure to maintain a more clear view of the clutches and pulleys , to couple driving source 106 through clutches 112 , 122 to ball spline shafts 114 , 124 , respectively . clutches 112 and 122 may be operated through pneumatic valves 107 or other means to activate independently of each other and of the motion of flying support 104 . consequently , activation of clutches 112 , 122 may be timed with a particular position of flying support 104 along ball spline shafts 114 , 124 , to begin rotation of ball spline shafts 114 , 124 at a particular moment . once ball spline shaft 114 begins to rotate , this will in turn rotate cam 116 . coupled to cam 116 is arm 118 , and at the end of arm 118 is an appropriate cutting , notching or other appropriate tool designed to act upon an extrusion . rotation of ball spline shaft 114 is entirely independent of shaft 124 , and so a second cam 126 may move a second arm 128 independently of movement of arm 118 . where desired or necessary , additional flying supports similar to flying support 104 may be provided . furthermore , while two ball spline shafts 114 , 124 are illustrated herein , fewer or more such shafts may be used , the number which is determined by reasonable considerations that the designer reasonably skilled in this field will understand . consequently , it is possible with the present invention , with nominal tooling changes , to adapt the present machine to a variety , and plurality where so desired , of notching , shaping and shearing operations . the cutting and notching tools may be carried or supported upon any suitable machine stand or support . fig2 illustrates a second preferred embodiment flying notching and shearing machine 200 , which as illustrated only has a single ball spline shaft 214 . for ease of understanding , as illustrated and described herein , the hundreds reference numeral designation refers to the embodiment , while similar tens and ones combinations between different embodiments will be understood to be similar in structure and function . for example , ball spline shaft 214 is similar or identical to ball spline shaft 114 , but is located on flying notching and shearing machine 200 rather than on flying notching and shearing machine 100 . flying notching and shearing machine 200 is configured for basic operation . as shown in fig2 , a workpiece 10 , which may for exemplary purposes include a plastic extrusion or any other suitable stock material , is shown entering from the right . it is preferably fed through a gauge which meters very accurately the amount of material which has passed through . in the preferred embodiment , this gauge is free - standing on a separate stand , though it will be understood that this stand may be formed integrally with the balance of the machine or may alternatively be attached adjacent to an extrusion machine or at any other suitable position in the path of an extrusion or stock material . workpiece 10 next passes into the body of flying notching and shearing machine 200 , where cutting and notching heads may be located . the cutting and notching heads are driven reciprocally along and parallel with shaft 214 , in one direction to track the movement of workpiece 10 and then in the other to reset . these heads may serve as the guides to retain workpiece 10 within flying notching and shearing machine 200 , or additional structure may be provided , such as will be apparent to those versed in the art and dependent upon the material , geometry , and speed of workpiece 10 . vertical actuation of the cutting and notching heads is controlled through the rotation of cam 216 . this rotation is generated by a servo - motor 206 , which couples through a belt 205 and pulley 208 into pulley 210 . since there is only a single shaft 214 , no clutch is required and instead servo - motor 206 may be directly controlled . rotation of shaft 214 results in rotary motion of cam 216 . rotary motion of cam 216 is converted into linear vertical travel of arm 218 by bearing follower 217 which is anchored to arm 218 by nut 219 . fig3 illustrates by cross - section view the ball grooves 215 and splines 213 formed in ball spline shaft 214 . ball spline bearings are a special type of linear motion bearing that are used to provide nearly frictionless linear motion while allowing the shaft to transmit torque simultaneously . for the purposes of the present disclosure , several exemplary patents illustrating ball spline bearings are incorporated herein by reference , including u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 629 , 337 by teramachi , entitled “ ball spline bearing ” and 5 , 584 , 765 by ochiai , entitled “ ball spline with liner member ”, though it will be understood that these patents are merely exemplary of the technology and not limiting thereto . ball grooves 215 are ground along the length of shaft 214 , thus forming splines 213 for the recirculating balls to run inside . the shell 253 , visible best in fig4 , at the center of cam 216 that houses the balls is called a nut rather than a bushing , but is not a nut in the traditional sense — it is not free to rotate about the shaft , but is free to travel up and down the shaft . fig4 illustrates the operation of cam 216 in much greater detail . the geometry of cam 216 may be changed to accommodate both the composition used and the geometry of extrusion 10 , and also the type of operation being performed . in other words , the travel of arm 218 is readily and precisely controlled in a vertical direction by the particular shape machined into the interior of cam 216 . a guide groove or valley 250 is formed , having an outer wall 251 and inner wall 252 . movement of arm 218 is very precisely controlled , in both an upward and downward direction , by the geometry of walls 251 , 252 . in contrast with cam 216 , air or similar cylinders might be used to move arm 218 . however , such air cylinders are driven by a blast which must have enough force to carry through the entire operation . consequently , all components , including extrusion 10 , tend to slam undesirably during the vertical travel of arm 218 . these forces are known in the prior art to be great enough to destroy linear bearings and the cylinders themselves . no adjustment may be made for particular moments during the operation . in the case of the present invention , cam 216 may have inner wall 252 shaped to provide a very gentle slope , translating into little movement and high force , where a tougher portion of a cut or notch is required . likewise , arm 218 may be slowed down prior to the end of the stroke , and then gently reversed and accelerated during mid - travel , and again slowed close to the opposite end of the stroke . consequently , the force and speed of travel may be customized for a particular operation , and at any point in the travel of an arm . owing to the continuous nature of guide groove 250 , the movement of arm 218 is also continuous and smooth , rather than discontinuous . as extrusion 10 exits the machine to the left , in the preferred embodiment there is an underlying support structure having a table surface , and there is most preferably a vertical space between table surface and the machine cutting body . this vertical space permits the placement of a box or shipping carton underneath the outlet , such that parts may be ejected directly into the shipping carton . in the preferred embodiment , the table is at comfortable working height , whereby the status of the contents may be readily inspected , and the cartons quickly and efficiently changed during operation of the preferred embodiment cutting and notching . with proper configuration , the preferred embodiment is additionally able to drop waste slugs into a chute for collection and recycling or disposal , while simultaneously dropping finished extrusions into a shipping carton . as will be apparent to those reasonably skilled in the art , while the present machine is designed for use in association with one particular geometry , dimension and material of extrusion , the concepts illustrated herein will be applicable for a nearly unlimited number of extrusion geometries and materials . consequently , the particular material and geometry illustrated herein for which the present machine is designed is merely for exemplary purposes and is in no way limiting to the scope of the invention . a flying notching and shearing machine designed in accord with the teachings of the present invention may be manufactured from a variety of materials , including metals , resins and plastics , ceramics or cementitious materials , and other suitable materials , or even combinations or composites of the above . in the case of the cams 116 , 126 , 216 , a preferred material is a nylon such as may be used in the fabrication of gears . the use of a polymer such as nylon helps to ensure a very long , trouble free , low wear life . while the foregoing details what is felt to be the preferred embodiment of the invention , no material limitations to the scope of the claimed invention are intended . further , features and design alternatives that would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be incorporated herein . for exemplary purposes , but not limiting thereto , the speed of the flying cutting heads parallel to the axis of work travel will , for most applications , preferably exactly match the speed of the workpiece . however , there may be applications where relative displacement therebetween is either tolerable or desirable . in addition , while the foregoing description may imply that only a single operation occurs at each tool head , it will be appreciated that with proper tool design , notches immediately adjacent to a shear may be formed within the same cutting head through a sequentially activated cutter , or with appropriate cutter head geometry . consequently , the scope of the invention is set forth and particularly described in the claims herein below . | 8 |
we summarize above method steps suitable for employment in a foucault knife - edge test , and capable of providing a quantitative interpretation of an imaging device &# 39 ; s characteristics . as an aid to explaining the details of the steps of the present method , we first make some alterations to the fig1 assembly , shown in fig4 and provide some important comments and heuristics ( fig5 ) on the definitions recited in the summary of the present method . fig4 accordingly , shows the basic fig1 foucault assembly 10 , but modified to help realize the quantitative aspects of the present invention . it is first noted that the eye has been replaced by a conventional photodetector 30 . for example , the photodetector 30 may comprise a matrix ( m × n ) array of conventional charge coupled devices ( ccd ) or charge injection devices ( cid ), where m is preferably from 64 to 1024 , and n is preferably from 64 to 1024 . the photodetector devices 30 can function , as is well known , to collect the radiation imaged by the imaging device 12 under test , and output , for each element in the matrix , a value proportional to the radiation intensity at that element . for our purposes , a preferred photodetector 30 comprises a cidtec corporation model no . tn 2250a2 . fig4 shows that the output of the photodetector 30 may be fed along a line 32 to a conventional computing means 34 . the computing means 34 preferably comprises a computer , for example , a hewlett packard vectra es . for purposes of pedagogy , the following definitions , first summarized above , are now detailed , and reference is also made to fig4 and 5 . we have asserted that the optical sample to be tested , shown in fig4 as the lens 12 , defines a &# 34 ; sample space &# 34 ;, and that the radiation imaged by the sample can be detected by the detection means ( here , the photodetector 30 ), the detection means , in turn , defining a &# 34 ; conjugate sample space &# 34 ; with respect to the lens sample space . fig5 a , b illustrate two such sample spaces , and corresponding conjugate sample spaces . in particular , the fig5 a definition follows from the fact that the radiation incident to the fig4 photodetector 30 , corresponds to the conjugate image of an entrance pupil defined by the imaging device ( lens 12 ) under test . the fig5 a sample space , therefore , can be thought of as an abstract concept derived from the lens 12 , where the lens 12 has been divided up into a plurality of predetermined areas comprising an array of matrix cells . in order to illustrate this concept throughout the rest of this description , we define the sample space and its conjugate sample space to each comprise a square matrix ( 2 × 2 ), in correspondence with a cid matrix array . radiation imaged from each of the plurality of predetermined sample space matrix cells ( a 11 , a 12 , a 21 , a 22 ) may be isomorphically mapped ( by way of the collector lens 20 ) to one of a plurality of corresponding and predetermined areas or matrix cells in the conjugate sample space ( a 11 &# 39 ; , a 12 &# 39 ; , a 21 &# 39 ; , a 22 &# 39 ; ). note that the isomorphic mapping , demonstrated in relation to fig5 a , can be exploited to resolve the ambiguities ( alluded to above ) that may be attendant in testing a segmented optic 36 , shown in fig5 b . thus , as fig5 b shows , even though the segmented optic 36 has a pair of discrete portions 38 , 40 in the sample space , the isomorphic mapping ( i . e ., the matrix [ a ], or the matrix [ b ]) can provide a unique &# 34 ; signature &# 34 ; as to which segment , 38 or 40 , has generated a conjugate sample space radiation pattern . note further that the fig5 a , b square matrices ( 2 × 2 ) are merely exemplary , and that in a preferred embodiment , the matrices may be enlarged to , for example , ( 512 × 512 ) predetermined areas . a preferred assembly ( fig4 ) of the present method has now been set forth , as well as explanations of definitions ( fig5 ) employed in the method . we therefore turn our attention to a detailed description of each of the three method steps summarized above . step 1 : determining , for each of a plurality of predetermined areas in the conjugate sample space , a reference intensity parameter based on the knife - edge positioned in a fully occluded , and fully non - occluded position . step 1 expresses in words an idea developed mathematically in both fig6 and 7 . in particular , fig6 develops step 1 for the case of a perfect sample to be tested , while fig7 develops step 1 for the case of a non - perfect or aberrated sample to be tested . fig6 accordingly , shows a family of curves ( fig6 a , b , c , d ). each of these curves corresponds to one of the plurality of four predetermined areas ( a 11 &# 39 ; , a 12 &# 39 ; , a 21 &# 39 ; , a 22 &# 39 ; ) in the conjugate sample space of fig5 a . each of the curves , moreover , is substantially the same i . e ., each provides a relationship of intensity ( i ) versus knife - edge position ( p ) for the two extreme knife - edge positions ( fully non - occluded , fully occluded ). further , each of the curves is substantially piecewise linear , with a sharp break at a reference point r o . r o is defined to be a reference knife - edge position , and corresponds to that point in the fig4 assembly 10 where the knife - edge 26 precisely touches the reference axis 24 , at the normal , thereby totally occluding the imaging device 12 to be tested . the fig6 family of curves has a piecewise linear profile , with a nearly 90 ° break point , and a substantial identity of form , because they have been generated , as stated , by a perfect lens . in other words , each of the predetermined areas ( a 11 , a 12 , a 21 , a 22 ) of the sample space of the perfect lens comprises a substantially identical radius of curvature i . e ., by definition , there are no inherent aberrations in the perfect lens . accordingly , the members of the fig6 family of curves , which curves express the sample space as mapped into the conjugate sample space , are substantially identical and piecewise linear . continuing , step 1 requires determining , for each of the curves ( fig6 a , b , c , d ), a reference intensity parameter ( i r ), where i r may be determined based on the knife - edge 26 being positioned first in a fully occluded , and then a fully non - occluded position ( or vice versa ). ( also note that the reference intensity parameter i r can be obtained by holding the knife - edge 26 in a fixed position , and moving the focused image of the radiation source 18 across the knife - edge ). since the fully occluded position corresponds to an intensity i minimum ≅ 0 watts , and the fully non - occluded position corresponds to an intensity i maximum = i max watts ( both as measured by the photodetector 30 ) a preferred reference intensity parameter ( i r ) may be computed by averaging i min and i max : ## equ1 ## step 1 is now analyzed for the case where the perfect lens is replaced by a non - perfect or aberrated lens . the action of sequentially positioning the knife - edge 26 at the extreme positions , fully occluded and fully non - occluded , can generate a family of curves of the type shown in fig7 a - d . here , each of the curves corresponds to one of the plurality of four predetermined areas ( a 11 &# 39 ; , a 12 &# 39 ; , a 21 &# 39 ; , a 22 &# 39 ; ) in the conjugate sample space of fig5 a . each of the fig7 curves , however , may not be substantially the same , as they were in fig6 for the case of the perfect lens . in fact , each of the curves may be arbitrary , due to arbitrary radii of curvature that indeed characterize the non - perfect lens . however , it can be stated that each of the curves in the fig7 family , corresponds to a mathematical real and monotonically decreasing function , so that each of the curves continuously falls off from a maximum intensity ( i max ), to some lower minimum intensity i min . it may be observed at this point , that a crucial advantage of the present invention is that one does not need to know the exact mathematical expression of each of the fig7 curves . for the present invention , it is merely sufficient to know a finite number of sampled , discrete pairs of variables ( i ordinate , p abscissa ). this is discussed more fully below . finally , step 1 requires determining , for each of the curves ( fig7 a , b , c , d ), a reference intensity ( i r ). i r may be expressed by equation ( 1 ) above , and computed in the same manner as for the perfect lens , by averaging the intensities generated by the two extreme knife - edge positions i . e ., fully occluded , and fully non - occluded . to review step 1 , it should be clear that for either the perfect lens ( fig6 ) or non - perfect lens ( fig7 ), step 1 comprises generating a family of reference intensity parameters , ( i r1 , i r2 , i r3 , i r4 ), derived from computations computed for each of the predetermined areas in the conjugate sample space . step 1 is preferably executed by the fig4 computer 34 , along the lines detailed above for both fig6 and 7 . the computer 34 preferably stores in a memory the family of reference intensity ( i r ) parameters , for subsequent operation in step 3 of the method . step 2 : positioning the knife - edge through a sequence of discrete positioning steps , for generating a family of variable radiation intensity patterns in the conjugate sample space , wherein each member of the family is a function of knife - edge position , and a function of each predetermined area in the conjugate sample space . step 2 expresses in words an idea developed mathematically in fig8 a - d . in particular , fig8 a - d comprise a family of four curves as generated from a non - perfect lens . each of the curves provides an example of a function dedicated to one of the four predetermined areas ( a 11 &# 39 ; , a 12 12 &# 39 ; , a 21 &# 39 ; , a 22 &# 39 ; ) in the fig5 a conjugate sample space . further , each function is a plot of discrete knife - edge position ( p ) versus radiation intensity ( i ). actual sampled points ( 10 ) for each function , shown as little circles , may be generated in the following way . first , the fig4 knife - edge 26 may be positioned at a first position p = 1 unit . this action , in turn , blocks some of the radiation from the source 18 , so that a radiation intensity number i 1 may be registered by the photodetector 30 , for each of the predetermined areas in the conjugate sample space . the set of intensity numbers , so generated , may be transmitted to the computer 34 , along the line 32 . the set of intensity numbers corresponds to a first set of sampled , discrete pairs of variables ( knife - edge position ( p 1 ), intensity ( i 1 )), as shown by way of the fig8 little circles . second , the fig4 knife - edge 26 may be positioned at a second position p = 2 units . this action , in turn , further blocks some of the radiation from the source 18 , so that a new and second set of radiation intensity numbers may be registered by the photodetector 30 , again for each of the predetermined areas in the conjugate sample space . the second set of intensity numbers , so generated , may be inputted to the computer 34 , along the line 32 . the second set of intensity numbers corresponds to a second set of sampled , discrete pair of variables ( knife - edge position ( p 2 ), intensity ( i 2 )), as shown by way of the fig8 little circles . this process of re - positioning the knife - edge 26 to third , fourth , fifth position units , etc ., may be repeated for any finite number of desired knife - edge 26 position units . ( note that this process can also be effected by holding the knife - edge 26 in a fixed position , and step - wise moving the focused image of the radiation source 18 across the knife - edge 26 ). preferably , the re - positioning process is repeated more times , rather than fewer times , to ultimately provide a greater quantitative accuracy in the foucault method . on the other hand , the trade - off to an exceptionally high number of process repetitions and hence greater quantitative accuracy , for example , greater than 20 repetitions , may be increased computer time or expense . step 3 : computing for each member of the family of variable radiation patterns , an interpolated knife - edge position . as just detailed , the second step of the method generates a family of variable radiation patterns in the conjugate sample space . an example of the family of radiation patterns is that generated above in fig8 a - d . we reprint one of these patterns ( fig8 a ), as fig9 in order to illustrate the present step 3 . it is to be understood that the third step , as detailed below in relation to fig9 is actually repeated by the computer 34 , mutatis mutandis , for each of the four predetermined areas that actually comprise the fig8 family of radiation patterns . fig9 accordingly , comprises a radiation function for one of the predetermined areas ( a 12 &# 39 ; ) in the conjugate sample space . it is a plot of knife - edge position ( p ) versus intensity ( i ), with position denoted in units , and intensities denoted in watts . the little circles indicate discrete , knife - edge position sample points . since fig9 in fact provides only discrete sample points , it should be graphically clear that a precise knife - edge position p r , which corresponds to the known intensity parameter i r ( from step 1 ), is , in the general case , unknown at this moment . it is the objective of step 3 to precisely determine p r , for the following reasons . a quantitatively precise determination of p r enables one to exploit the following equation ( 2 ), so as to arrive at a quantitative interpretation of the imaging device &# 39 ; s characteristics : ## equ2 ## equation ( 2 ) states that the quotient of the knife - edge position p r , divided by a radius of curvature r c , where r c is a measureable radius from the knife - edge 26 to a location where we choose to characterize the wavefront , namely , the surface of the imaging device 12 under test , is proportional to the magnitude of the wavefront slope aberration . with this motivation , therefore , we return to fig9 and step 3 , for instructions on how to precisely determine the knife - edge position , p r . the knife - edge position p r is preferably given by the following linear , hence interpolated equation ( 3 ): ## equ3 ## where m is the slope of a straight line between the points ui , up and li , lp . with reference to fig9 ui is defined as an upper intensity point ; li is defined as a lower intensity point ; up is defined as an upper position point ; and , lp is defined as a lower position point . more specifically , based on these definitions , the slope m may be expressed by equation ( 4 ): ## equ4 ## there remains the question , how are the variables ( ui , up ) and ( li , lp ) quantitatively determined ? the question is preferably answered by way of the following program / example . first , for each discrete , sampled point in the fig9 curve , a comparison is made as to whether or not the intensity i is greater than the known intensity parameter i r ( from step 1 ). if i is greater than i r , the program stores in memory the immediate values of intensity ( ui ) and position ( up ), and then advances to the next discrete , sampled point . assume now , that this value i is below that of i r . then , the program recalls from memory the last stored values , namely , ui and up , and saves the immediate intensity and position , as li and lp , respectively . in review , these numbers ( ui , up ) and ( li , lp ), are processed through equations ( 4 ), ( 3 ) and ( 2 ) supra , to arrive at the quantitative interpretation of the imaging device &# 39 ; s characteristics . note finally , that the numbers ( ui , up ) and ( li , lp ), may be generated , in an alternative reverse procedure , from that just specified . thus , by now working backwards , along the fig9 curve , from the more fully occluded knife - edge position , to the less fully occluded knife - edge position , one can equivalently determine when i is , for the first time , greater than i r . this occurrence signifies the point to register the values of ( ui , up ) and ( li , lp ), for insertion in equations ( 4 ), ( 3 ), and ( 2 ) supra . a computer program in accordance with the three steps of the present method , as specified above and in the figures , written in c language , is now listed . | 6 |
fig1 illustrates computer hardware 1 which can be used in implementing the present invention . a central processing unit ( cpu ) 10 processes program steps in order to implement the processes of the present invention . the cpu 10 can be any type of processor , such as those used in general purpose computers for executing instructions . a memory 20 stores the program steps and also stores the data used to represent the graphs in the present invention . the memory 20 can be any type of memory including ram , rom , cd - rom , magnetic disks or other digital storage medium . a display 30 is connected to the cpu for interacting with the user in displaying the status of the graph . the display also represents the constraints which have been placed upon the graph as discussed below with respect to the user interface . a keyboard 40 and mouse 50 are connected to the cpu 10 for input from the user . as the user inputs information on the keyboard 40 or mouse 50 , the cpu 10 processes the information and modifies the graph accordingly . a printer 60 may also be connected to the cpu in order to make a hard copy of the graph when complete . fig2 illustrates a user interface 100 which can be used in executing the processes of the graph . the interface 100 represents a display of information as it would appear on the display 30 connected to cpu 10 . the graph display area 110 of the user interface 100 displays the nodes and edges in the graph . the graph information in the memory 20 is processed by the cpu 10 in order to generate node locations and sizes , labels and edges to be displayed on the display 30 . a set of buttons 120 are used for selecting and applying visual organization features ( vofs ) to different nodes in the graph . a user would manipulate the mouse 50 in order to select specific nodes to which the vof is to be applied . once the nodes were selected , the user selects the appropriate vof to apply by using the buttons 120 a second set of buttons 140 provide additional features in operating the interface . for example , selection button 141 is used to show the vofs on the display and can be selected or deselected . selection button 142 centers the graph on the display . selection button 143 is used for adding or changing text labels . selection button 144 is used to anchor nodes to specific locations . section button 145 is used to delete nodes . selection button 146 deletes all the vofs which have been applied . selection button 147 is used to clear selections of specified nodes . nodes can be selected by clicking one of the mouse buttons when a cursor is located over the appropriate node . of course , other mechanisms could be used for selecting and applying vofs to the graph . for example , pull - down menus can be used in place of displayed selection buttons . the vofs corresponding to the selection elements in the first set of selection buttons 120 are illustrated in fig3 a - 3h . fig3 a illustrates sequential placement of nodes . this can be selected either in the horizontal ( selection button 131 ) or vertical ( selection button 132 ) direction . in sequential placement , the nodes are selected in a specified order ; when this constraint is satisfied the nodes are placed either horizontally or vertically in that order on the display . fig3 b illustrates clustering which causes all the selected nodes to be placed near to each other . fig3 c illustrates zoning ( selection button 124 ). in zoning , the nodes are enclosed within a rectangle . all the nodes selected are maintained within the rectangle and any unselected nodes are maintained outside the rectangle . as illustrated in fig3 c , zoning can be used for different groups of nodes . fig3 d illustrates t - shaped constraints ( selection button 129 ). in t - shape a center node is centered above or below an aligned row of other nodes . alternatively , t - shape may place the centered node to the left or right of the row of nodes . fig3 e illustrates alignment in which all the nodes are placed along a single line in either the horizontal ( selection button 121 ) or vertical ( selection button 122 ) direction . fig3 f illustrates even spacing in which all the nodes are separated by a common distance in either the horizontal ( selection button 125 ) or vertical ( selection button 126 ) direction . fig3 g represents symmetry . with symmetry , all the nodes are positioned to be symmetrical about a defined axis identified by the user . the axis may be in either the horizontal ( selection button 127 ) or vertical ( selection button 128 ) direction . finally , fig3 h illustrates a hub - shape design in which all the selected points are equidistant from a center node . the hub shape is selected by selection button number 130 . if a center node is not selected by the user , all of the selected nodes become points on the circumference of a circle equidistant from an average position of the nodes . fig4 a - 4d illustrate operation of the system in designing a graph . as illustrated in fig4 a , a graph consists of a group of nodes 500 - 518 and edges 520 - 534 connecting the nodes . the user identifies the characteristics of the nodes , and the labels for the nodes . the nodes are automatically generated to have sufficient space for the label . in fig4 a , the nodes have been somewhat arbitrarily placed upon the screen . the user then applies different vofs in order to improve the visual appearance of the graph . as illustrated in fig4 b , the user has applied three vofs for horizontal alignment 210 , 211 , 212 . a vof is applied by selecting the nodes and selecting the vof constraint . once the vof constraint is selected , the system automatically readjusts the nodes in order to meet that constraint and any pre - existing constraints . each upper - level constraint is converted into a set of specific forces acting on the nodes . a generalized spring algorithm is used for positioning the nodes . the generalized spring algorithm results in a locally optimum satisfaction of all of the applied vof constraints . in the generalized spring algorithm , all the nodes are treated as having a set of springs connecting them to certain points to each other . the springs are defined in order to meet the constraint objective . for example , in an alignment vof , a set of zero - length springs connect each node to a horizontal or vertical line through the centroid of the points . a cluster vof places springs pair - wise among the nodes with a short rest - length spring . the use of the spring algorithm allows placement without a firm adherence to the contraints . each node is located based upon all of the forces ( contraints ) acting on it , and may not perfectly meet any one constraint . for example , without any other constraints , all of the selected nodes to which an alignment vof has been applied lie upon the line through the centroid . as more constraints are applied , some nodes may not actually lie on the line through the centroid , as forces from other constraints act on the nodes . however , the algorithm balances all the constraints acting on the nodes . in the system of the present invention , the mass - spring model is continuously animated in order to illustrate the effect of the selected vofs . thus , as the user adds vofs ( or removes them ), the nodes are moved about on the screen to reflect the changes . the user may also move nodes or groups of nodes in the display . as the nodes are moved , the system redetermines the positioning based upon an at - rest position for the springs . user movement of the nodes allows the user to aid the system in finding a better global solution to the constraint . the mass - spring simulation is used in order to create a cooperative effort between the user and the system to obtain a pleasing layout . the system interprets each of the user &# 39 ; s changes and applies all of the constraints simultaneously in the best way possible . the user can then manipulate the nodes and constraints in order to obtain a desired effect while meeting certain specified visual constraints . fig4 c illustrates three additional constraints , a vertical symmetry 220 , vertical alignment 221 , and hubshape 222 . in the hub shape 222 , no center node is selected . as discussed above , each of the elements is placed at an equidistant location from a derived centroid of all of the selected nodes . fig4 d illustrates the addition of three more vofs to obtain the graph structure illustrated in fig2 . the three nodes on the left are subject to the cluster vof illustrated by dot 230 . the three nodes in the middle are subject to even spacing 231 . horizontal alignment is applied to the two nodes in the lower left . fig5 illustrates a flow diagram describing operation of the system for drawing graphs according to the present invention . initially , the drawing interface is displayed ( step 400 ). the data for the graph is retrieved from memory ( step 405 ) and displayed ( step 410 ), if a preexisting graph is being used . if preexisting graph is not used , then the user is presented with a blank screen within the display of the interface 100 at step 410 . the system then awits user input ( step 405 ). the user can perform several steps , including changing nodes , selecting nodes , and adding constraints . when a user wishes to add a node ( step 420 ) or text label , the user selects the position and types in the label ( step 423 ). a predefined global constraint is that each node must be of sufficient size to fit the label . the user may interactively set a different size larger than the minimum ( step 425 ). each node includes a box surrounding the label and can include a different color inside the box than the background . a text label is similar to a node , but does not include the surrounding box . however , vofs can be applied to text labels as well as nodes . when the user selects a node ( step 430 ), the node is highlighted ( step 435 ) on the display . the nodes must be selected , using steps 430 , 435 , before a vof can be applied . when a vof is to be applied ( step 440 ), an appropriate spring is attached to each of the selected nodes ( steps 444 , 446 , 448 ). once the springs are attached , the system calculates forces on the node ( step 470 ) to determine a steady state for all of the springs representing all of the vof constraints . as a steady state is being calculated , the display may be updated to present intermediate positions being moved into the steady state position ( step 472 ). alternatively , the graph may simply be redisplayed at the final position ( step 476 ). if a vof is to be removed ( steps 450 , et seq . ), the springs are removed and the same process ( steps 470 , 472 , 476 ) is repeated to find the current steady state for the graph . also , if a node is removed ( step 460 ), the corresponding springs to that node are removed and the graph is redrawn . removal of a node can affect positions of other nodes since springs may act between the nodes . 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 as defined by the appended claims . | 6 |
the term “ alkyl ” as used herein alone or in combination refers to c 1 - c 12 straight or branched , substituted or unsubstituted saturated chain radicals derived from saturated hydrocarbons by the removal of one hydrogen atom , unless the term alkyl is preceded by a c x - c y designation . representative examples of alkyl groups include methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , iso - propyl , n - butyl , sec - butyl , iso - butyl , and tert - butyl , among others . the term “ alkenyl ”, alone or in combination , refers to a substituted or unsubstituted straight - chain or substituted or unsubstituted branched - chain alkenyl radical containing from 2 to 10 carbon atoms . examples of such radicals include , but are not limited to , ethenyl , e - and z - pentenyl , decenyl and the like . the term “ alkynyl ”, alone or in combination , refers to a substituted or unsubstituted straight or substituted or unsubstituted branched chain alkynyl radical containing from 2 to 10 carbon atoms . examples of such radicals include , but are not limited to ethynyl , propynyl , propargyl , butynyl , hexynyl , decynyl and the like . the term “ lower ” modifying “ alkyl ”, “ alkenyl ”, “ alkynyl ” or “ alkoxy ” refers to a c 1 - c 6 unit for a particular functionality . for example lower alkyl means c 1 - c 6 alkyl . the term “ aliphatic acyl ” alone or in combination , refers to radicals of formula alkyl - c ( o )—, alkenyl - c ( o )— and alkynyl - c ( o )— derived from an alkane -, alkene - or alkyncarboxylic acid , wherein the terms “ alkyl ”, “ alkenyl ” and “ alkynyl ” are as defined above . examples of such aliphatic acyl radicals include , but are not limited to , acetyl , propionyl , butyryl , valeryl , 4 - methylvaleryl , acryloyl , crotyl , propiolyl and methylpropiolyl , among others . the term “ cycloalkyl ” as used herein refers to an aliphatic ring system having 3 to 10 carbon atoms and 1 to 3 rings , including , but not limited to cyclopropyl , cyclopentyl , cyclohexyl , norbornyl , and adamantyl among others . cycloalkyl groups can be unsubstituted or substituted with one , two or three substituents independently selected from lower alkyl , haloalkyl , alkoxy , thioalkoxy , amino , alkylamino , dialkylamino , hydroxy , halo , mercapto , nitro , carboxaldehyde , carboxy , alkoxycarbonyl and carboxamide . “ cycloalkyl ” includes cis or trans forms . furthermore , the substituents may either be in endo or exo positions in the bridged bicyclic systems . the term “ cycloalkenyl ” as used herein alone or in combination refers to a cyclic carbocycle containing from 4 to 8 carbon atoms and one or more double bonds . examples of such cycloalkenyl radicals include , but are not limited to , cyclopentenyl , cyclohexenyl , cyclopentadienyl and the like . the term “ cycloalkylalkyl ” as used herein refers to a cycloalkyl group appended to a lower alkyl radical , including , but not limited to cyclohexylmethyl . the term “ halo ” or “ halogen ” as used herein refers to i , br , cl or f . the term “ haloalkyl ” as used herein refers to a lower alkyl radical , to which is appended at least one halogen substituent , for example chloromethyl , fluoroethyl , trifluoromethyl and pentafluoroethyl among others . the term “ alkoxy ”, alone or in combination , refers to an alkyl ether radical , wherein the term “ alkyl ” is as defined above . examples of suitable alkyl ether radicals include , but are not limited to , methoxy , ethoxy , n - propoxy , iso - propoxy , n - butoxy , iso - butoxy , sec - butoxy , tert - butoxy and the like . the term “ alkoxycarbonyl ”, alone or in combination , refers to an alkoxy group as previously defined appended to the parent molecular moiety through a carbonyl group . examples of alkoxycarbonyl groups include methoxycarbonyl , ethoxycarbonyl and isopropoxycarbonyl among others . the term “ alkenoxy ”, alone or in combination , refers to a radical of formula allcenyl - o —, provided that the radical is not an enol ether , wherein the term “ alkenyl ” is as defined above . examples of suitable alkenoxy radicals include , but are not limited to , allyloxy , e - and z - 3 - methyl - 2 - propenoxy and the like . the term “ alkynoxy ”, alone or in combination , refers to a radical of formula alkynyl - o —, provided that the radical is not an - ynol ether . examples of suitable alkynoxy radicals include , but are not limited to , propargyloxy , 2 - butynyloxy and the like . the term “ carboxyl ” as used herein refers to a carboxylic acid radical , — c ( o ) oh . the term “ thioalkoxy ”, refers to a thioether radical of formula alkyl - s —, wherein “ alkyl ” is as defined above . the term “ sulfonamido ” as used herein refers to — so 2 nh 2 . the term “ carboxaldehyde ” as used herein refers to — c ( o ) r wherein r is hydrogen . the term “ carboxamide ” as used herein refers to — c ( o ) nr a r b wherein r a and r b are each independently hydrogen , alkyl or any other suitable substituent . the term “ alkoxyalkoxy ” as used herein refers to r c o — r d o — wherein r c is lower alkyl as defined above and r d is alkylene wherein alkylene is —( ch 2 ) n ′ — wherein n ′ is an integer from 1 to 6 . representative examples of alkoxyalkoxy groups include methoxymethoxy , ethoxymethoxy , t - butoxymethoxy among others . the term “ alkylamino ” as used herein refers to r e nh — wherein r e is a lower alkyl group , for example , ethylamino , butylamino , among others . the term “ alkenylamino ” alone or in combination , refers to a radical of formula alkenyl - nh — or ( alkenyl ) 2 n —, wherein the term “ alkenyl ” is as defined above , provided that the radical is not an enamine . an example of such alkenylamino radical is the allylamino radical . the term “ alkynylamino ”, alone or in combination , refers to a radical of formula alkynyl - nh — or ( alkynyl ) 2 n — wherein the term “ alkynyl ” is as defined above , provided that the radical is not an amine . an example of such alkynylamino radicals is the propargyl amino radical . the term “ dialkylamino ” as used herein refers to r f r g n — wherein r f and r g are independently selected from lower alkyl , for example diethylamino , and methyl propylamino , among others . the term “ amino ” as used herein refers to h 2 n —. the term “ alkoxycarbonyl ” as used herein refers to an alkoxyl group as previously defined appended to the parent molecular moiety through a carbonyl group . examples of alkoxycarbonyl include methoxycarbonyl , ethoxycarbonyl , and isopropoxycarbonyl among others . the term “ aryl ” or “ aromatic ” as used herein alone or in combination refers to a substituted or unsubstituted carbocyclic aromatic group having about 6 to 12 carbon atoms such as phenyl , naphthyl , indenyl , indanyl , azulenyl , fluorenyl and anthracenyl ; or a heterocyclic aromatic group selected from the group consisting of furyl , thienyl , pyridyl , pyrrolyl , oxazolyl , thiazolyl , imidazolyl , pyrazolyl , 2 - pyrazolinyl , pyrazolidinyl , isoxazolyl , isothiazolyl , 1 , 2 , 3 - oxadiazolyl , 1 , 2 , 3 - triazolyl , 1 , 3 , 4 - thiadiazolyl , pyridazinyl , pyrimidinyl , pyrazinyl , 1 , 3 , 5 - triazinyl , 1 , 3 , 5 - trithianyl , indolizinyl , indolyl , isoindolyl , 3h - indolyl , indolinyl , benzo [ b ] furanyl , 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzofuranyl , benzo [ b ] thiophenyl , 1h - indazolyl , benzimidazolyl , benzthiazolyl , purinyl , 4h - quinolizinyl , isoquinolinyl , cinnolinyl , phthalazinyl , quinazolinyl , quinoxalinyl , 1 , 8 - naphthridinyl , pteridinyl , carbazolyl , acridinyl , phenazinyl , phenothiazinyl , phenoxyazinyl , pyrazolo [ 1 , 5 - c ] triazinyl and the like . “ arylalkyl ” and “ alkylaryl ” employ the term “ alkyl ” as defined above . rings may be multiply substituted . the term “ aralkyl ”, alone or in combination , refers to an aryl substituted alkyl radical , wherein the terms “ alkyl ” and “ aryl ” are as defined above . examples of suitable aralkyl radicals include , but are not limited to , phenylmethyl , phenethyl , phenylhexyl , diphenylmethyl , pyridylmethyl , tetrazolyl methyl , furylmethyl , imidazolyl methyl , indolylmethyl , thienylpropyl and the like . the term “ aralkenyl ”, alone or in combination , refers to an aryl substituted alkenyl radical , wherein the terms “ aryl ” and “ alkenyl ” are as defined above . the term “ arylamino ”, alone or in combination , refers to a radical of formula aryl - nh —, wherein “ aryl ” is as defined above . examples of arylamino radicals include , but are not limited to , phenylamino ( anilido ), naphthlamino , 2 -, 3 -, and 4 - pyridylamino and the like . the term “ biaryl ”, alone or in combination , refers to a radical of formula aryl - aryl , wherein the term “ aryl ” is as defined above . the term “ thioaryl ”, alone or in combination , refers to a radical of formula aryl - s —, wherein the term “ aryl ” is as defined above . an example of a thioaryl radical is the thiophenyl radical . the term “ aroyl ”, alone or in combination , refers to a radical of formula aryl - co —, wherein the term “ aryl ” is as defined above . examples of suitable aromatic acyl radicals include , but are not limited to , benzoyl , 4 - halobenzoyl , 4 - carboxybenzoyl , naphthoyl , pyridylcarbonyl and the like . the term “ heterocyclyl ”, alone or in combination , refers to a non - aromatic 3 - to 10 - membered ring containing at least one endocyclic n , o , or s atom . the heterocycle may be optionally aryl - fused . the heterocycle may also optionally be substituted with at least one substituent which is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen , halogen , hydroxyl , amino , nitro , trifluoromethyl , trifluoromethoxy , alkyl , aralkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , aryl , cyano , carboxy , carboalkoxy , carboxyalkyl , oxo , arylsulfonyl and arallylaminocarbonyl among others . the term “ alkylheterocyclyl ” as used herein refers to an alkyl group as previously defined appended to the parent molecular moiety through a heterocyclyl group . the term “ heterocyclylalkyl ” as used herein refers to a heterocyclyl group as previously defined appended to the parent molecular moiety through an alkyl group . the term “ heterocycloyl ”, as used herein refers to radicals of formula heterocyclyl - c ( o )—, wherein the term “ heterocyclyl ” is as defined above . examples of suitable heterocycloyl radicals include tetrahydrofuranylcarbonyl , piperidinecarbonyl and tetrahydrothiophenecarbonyl among others . the term “ aminal ” as used herein refers to a hemi - acetal of the structure rch ( nh 2 )( oh ). the term “ amide ” as used herein refers to a moiety ending with a — c ( o ) nh 2 functional group . the term “ ester ” as used herein refers to — c ( o ) r m , wherein r m is hydrogen , alkyl or any other suitable substituent . the term “ carbamate ” as used herein refers to compounds based on carbamic acid , nh 2 c ( o ) oh . use of the above terms is meant to encompass substituted and unsubstituted moieties . substitution may be by one or more groups such as alcohols , ethers , esters , amides , sulfones , sulfides , hydroxyl , nitro , cyano , carboxy , amines , heteroatoms , lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , lower alkoxycarbonyl , alkoxyalkoxy , acyloxy , halogens , trifluoromethoxy , trifluoromethyl , alkyl , aralkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , aryl , cyano , carboxy , carboalkoxy , carboxyalkyl , cycloalkyl , cycloalkylalkyl , heterocyclyl , alkylheterocyclyl , heterocyclylalkyl , oxo , arylsulfonyl and aralkylaminocarbonyl or any of the substituents of the preceding paragraphs or any of those substituents either attached directly or by suitable linkers . the linkers are typically short chains of 1 - 3 atoms containing any combination of — c —, — c ( o )—, — nh —, — s —, — s ( o )—, — o —, — c ( o ) o — or — s ( o ) o —. rings may be substituted multiple times . the terms “ electron - withdrawing ” or “ electron - donating ” refer to the ability of a substituent to withdraw or donate electrons relative to that of hydrogen if hydrogen occupied the same position in the molecule . these terms are well - understood by one skilled in the art and are discussed in advanced organic chemistry by j . march , 1985 , pp . 16 - 18 , incorporated herein by reference . electron withdrawing groups include halo , nitro , carboxyl , lower alkenyl , lower alkynyl , carboxaldehyde , carboxyamido , aryl , quaternary ammonium , trifluoromethyl , and aryl lower alkanoyl among others . electron donating groups include such groups as hydroxy , lower alkyl , amino , lower alkylamino , di ( lower alkyl ) amino , aryloxy , mercapto , lower alkylthio , lower alkylmercapto , and disulfide among others . one skilled in the art will appreciate that the aforesaid substituents may have electron donating or electron withdrawing properties under different chemical conditions . moreover , the present invention contemplates any combination of substituents selected from the above - identified groups . the most preferred electron donating or electron withdrawing substituents are halo , nitro , alkanoyl , carboxaldehyde , arylalkanoyl , aryloxy , carboxyl , carboxamide , cyano , sulfonyl , sulfoxide , heterocyclyl , guanidine , quaternary ammonium , lower alkenyl , lower alkynyl , sulfonium salts , hydroxy , lower alkoxy , lower alkyl , amino , lower alkylamino , di ( lower alkyl ) amino , amine lower alkyl mercapto , mercaptoalkyl , alkylthio and alkyldithio . as used herein , the term “ composition ” is intended to encompass a product comprising the specified ingredients in the specified amounts , as well as any product which results , directly or indirectly , from a combination of the specified ingredients in the specified amounts . the term “ optical isomers ” as used herein refers to enantiomers which are optically active . examples of procedures that may be used to synthesize compounds of the formulae shown above is presented in the following scheme . the synthesis of the compounds of the invention is illustrated in scheme i . a compound of the invention , such as compound 6 was obtained in good yield by treating chloride 4 with potassium thiocyanate followed by reacting the resultant isothiocyanate 5 with anthranilic acid . the chloride was prepared according to a procedure disclosed in zh . org . khim ., 24 ( 2 ), 453 - 4 , 1988 . an alkyl or aryl carboxamide 1 on heating with chloral hydrate 2 in benzene gave the corresponding chloroamide 3 , which was subsequently converted to the corresponding chloride 4 on treatment with thionyl chloride . the compounds of the present invention can be used in the form of pharmaceutically acceptable salts derived from inorganic or organic acids . the phrase “ pharmaceutically acceptable salt ” means those salts which are , within the scope of sound medical judgement , suitable for use in contact with the tissues of humans and lower animals without undue toxicity , irritation , allergic response and the like and are commensurate with a reasonable benefit / risk ratio . pharmaceutically acceptable salts are well - known in the art . for example , s . m . berge et al . describe pharmaceutically acceptable salts in detail in j . pharmaceutical sciences , 1977 , 66 : 1 et seq . the salts can be prepared in situ during the final isolation and purification of the compounds of the invention or separately by reacting a free base function with a suitable organic acid . representative acid addition salts include , but are not limited to acetate , adipate , alginate , citrate , aspartate , benzoate , benzenesulfonate , bisulfate , butyrate , camphorate , camphor sulfonate , digluconate , glycerophosphate , hemisulfate , heptanoate , hexanoate , fumarate , hydrochloride , hydrobromide , hydroiodide , 2 - hydroxyethansulfonate ( isothionate ), lactate , maleate , methane sulfonate , nicotinate , 2 - naphthalene sulfonate , oxalate , palmitoate , pectinate , persulfate , 3 - phenylpropionate , picrate , pivalate , propionate , succinate , tartrate , thiocyanate , phosphate , glutamate , bicarbonate , p - toluenesulfonate and undecanoate . also , the basic nitrogen - containing groups can be quaternized with such agents as lower alkyl halides such as methyl , ethyl , propyl , and butyl chlorides , bromides and iodides ; dialkyl sulfates like dimethyl , diethyl , dibutyl and diamyl sulfates ; long chain halides such as decyl , lauryl , myristyl and stearyl chlorides , bromides and iodides ; arylalkyl halides like benzyl and phenethyl bromides and others . water or oil - soluble or dispersible products are thereby obtained . examples of acids which can be employed to form pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts include such inorganic acids as hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , sulphuric acid and phosphoric acid and such organic acids as oxalic acid , maleic acid , succinic acid and citric acid . basic addition salts can be prepared in situ during the final isolation and purification of compounds of this invention by reacting a carboxylic acid - containing moiety with a suitable base such as the hydroxide , carbonate or bicarbonate of a pharmaceutically acceptable metal cation or with ammonia or an organic primary , secondary or tertiary amine . pharmaceutically acceptable salts include , but are not limited to , cations based on alkali metals or alkaline earth metals such as lithium , sodium , potassium , calcium , magnesium and aluminum salts and the like and nontoxic quaternary ammonia and amine cations including ammonium , tetramethyl ammonium , tetraethylammonium , methylammonium , dimethylammonium , trimethylammonium , triethylammonium , diethylammonium , and ethylammonium among others . other representative organic amines useful for the formation of base addition salts include ethylenediamine , ethanolamine , diethanolamine , piperidine , piperazine and the like . dosage forms for topical administration of a compound of this invention include powders , sprays , ointments and inhalants . the active compound is mixed under sterile conditions with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and any needed preservatives , buffers or propellants which can be required . opthalmic formulations , eye ointments , powders and solutions are also contemplated as being within the scope of this invention . actual dosage levels of active ingredients in the pharmaceutical compositions of this invention can be varied so as to obtain an amount of the active compound ( s ) which is effective to achieve the desired therapeutic response for a particular patient , compositions and mode of administration . the selected dosage level will depend upon the activity of the particular compound , the route of administration , the severity of the condition being treated and the condition and prior medical history of the patient being treated . however , it is within the skill of the art to start doses of the compound at levels lower than required to achieve the desired therapeutic effect and to gradually increase the dosage until the desired effect is achieved . when used in the above or other treatments , a therapeutically effective amount of one of the compounds of the present invention can be employed in pure form or , where such forms exist , in pharmaceutically acceptable salt , ester or prodrug form . alternatively , the compound can be administered as a pharmaceutical composition containing the compound of interest in combination with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients . the phrase “ therapeutically effective amount ” of the compound of the invention means a sufficient amount of the compound to treat disorders , at a reasonable benefit / risk ratio applicable to any medical treatment . it will be understood , however , that the total daily usage of the compounds and compositions of the present invention will be decided by the attending physician within the scope of sound medical judgement . the specific therapeutically effective dose level for any particular patient will depend upon a variety of factors including the disorder being treated and the severity of the disorder ; activity of the specific compound employed ; the specific composition employed ; the age , body weight , general health , sex and diet of the patient ; the time of administration , route of administration , and rate of excretion of the specific compound employed ; the duration of the treatment ; drugs used in combination or coincidental with the specific compound employed ; and like factors well known in the medical arts . for example , it is well within the skill of the art to start doses of the compound at levels lower than required to achieve the desired therapeutic effect and to gradually increase the dosage until the desired effect is achieved . the total daily dose of the compounds of this invention administered to a human or lower animal may range from about 0 . 0001 to about 1000 mg / kg / day . for purposes of oral administration , more preferable doses can be in the range from about 0 . 001 to about 5 mg / kg / day . if desired , the effective daily dose can be divided into multiple doses for purposes of administration ; consequently , single dose compositions may contain such amounts or submultiples thereof to make up the daily dose . the present invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions that comprise compounds of the present invention formulated together with one or more non - toxic pharmaceutically acceptable carriers . the pharmaceutical compositions can be specially formulated for oral administration in solid or liquid form , for parenteral injection or for rectal administration . the pharmaceutical compositions of this invention can be administered to humans and other mammals orally , rectally , parenterally , intracisternally , intravaginally , intraperitoneally , topically ( as by powders , ointments or drops ), bucally or as an oral or nasal spray . the term “ parenterally ,” as used herein , refers to modes of administration which include intravenous , intramuscular , intraperitoneal , intrasternal , subcutaneous and intraarticular injection and infusion . in another aspect , the present invention provides a pharmaceutical composition comprising a component of the present invention and a physiologically tolerable diluent . the present invention includes one or more compounds as described above formulated into compositions together with one or more non - toxic physiologically tolerable or acceptable diluents , carriers , adjuvants or vehicles that are collectively referred to herein as diluents , for parenteral injection , for intranasal delivery , for oral administration in solid or liquid form , for rectal or topical administration , or the like . the compositions can also be delivered through a catheter for local delivery at a target site , via an intracoronary stent ( a tubular device composed of a fine wire mesh ), or via a biodegradable polymer . the compounds may also be complexed to ligands , such as antibodies , for targeted delivery . compositions suitable for parenteral injection may comprise physiologically acceptable , sterile aqueous or nonaqueous solutions , dispersions , suspensions or emulsions and sterile powders for reconstitution into sterile injectable solutions or dispersions . examples of suitable aqueous and nonaqueous carriers , diluents , solvents or vehicles include water , ethanol , polyols ( propyleneglycol , polyethyleneglycol , glycerol , and the like ), vegetable oils ( such as olive oil ), injectable organic esters such as ethyl oleate , and suitable mixtures thereof . these compositions can also contain adjuvants such as preserving , wetting , emulsifying , and dispensing agents . prevention of the action of microorganisms can be ensured by various antibacterial and antifungal agents , for example , parabens , chlorobutanol , phenol , sorbic acid , and the like . it may also be desirable to include isotonic agents , for example sugars , sodium chloride and the like . prolonged absorption of the injectable pharmaceutical form can be brought about by the use of agents delaying absorption , for example , aluminum monostearate and gelatin . suspensions , in addition to the active compounds , may contain suspending agents , as for example , ethoxylated isostearyl alcohols , polyoxyethylene sorbitol and sorbitan esters , microcrystalline cellulose , aluminum metahydroxide , bentonite , agar - agar and tragacanth , or mixtures of these substances , and the like . proper fluidity can be maintained , for example , by the use of coating materials such as lecithin , by the maintenance of the required particle size in the case of dispersions and by the use of surfactants . in some cases , in order to prolong the effect of the drug , it is desirable to slow the absorption of the drug from subcutaneous or intramuscular injection . this can be accomplished by the use of a liquid suspension of crystalline or amorphous material with poor water solubility . the rate of absorption of the drug then depends upon its rate of dissolution which , in turn , may depend upon crystal size and crystalline form . alternatively , delayed absorption of a parenterally administered drug form is accomplished by dissolving or suspending the drug in an oil vehicle . injectable depot forms are made by forming microencapsule matrices of the drug in biodegradable polymers such as polylactide - polyglycolide . depending upon the ratio of drug to polymer and the nature of the particular polymer employed , the rate of drug release can be controlled . examples of other biodegradable polymers include poly ( orthoesters ) and poly ( anhydrides ). depot injectable formulations are also prepared by entrapping the drug in liposomes or microemulsions which are compatible with body tissues . the injectable formulations can be sterilized , for example , by filtration through a bacterial - retaining filter or by incorporating sterilizing agents in the form of sterile solid compositions which can be dissolved or dispersed in sterile water or other sterile injectable medium just prior to use . solid dosage forms for oral administration include capsules , tablets , pills , powders and granules . in such solid dosage forms , the active compound may be mixed with at least one inert , pharmaceutically acceptable excipient or carrier , such as sodium citrate or dicalcium phosphate and / or a ) fillers or extenders such as starches , lactose , sucrose , glucose , mannitol and silicic acid ; b ) binders such as carboxymethylcellulose , alginates , gelatin , polyvinylpyrrolidone , sucrose and acacia ; c ) humectants such as glycerol ; d ) disintegrating agents such as agar - agar , calcium carbonate , potato or tapioca starch , alginic acid , certain silicates and sodium carbonate ; e ) solution retarding agents such as paraffin ; f ) absorption accelerators such as quaternary ammonium compounds ; g ) wetting agents such as cetyl alcohol and glycerol monostearate ; h ) absorbents such as kaolin and bentonite clay and i ) lubricants such as talc , calcium stearate , magnesium stearate , solid polyethylene glycols , sodium lauryl sulfate and mixtures thereof . in the case of capsules , tablets and pills , the dosage form may also comprise buffering agents . solid compositions of a similar type may also be employed as fillers in soft and hard - filled gelatin capsules using such excipients as lactose or milk sugar as well as high molecular weight polyethylene glycols and the like . the solid dosage forms of tablets , dragees , capsules , pills and granules can be prepared with coatings and shells such as enteric coatings and other coatings well - known in the pharmaceutical formulating art . they may optionally contain opacifying agents and may also be of a composition such that they release the active ingredient ( s ) only , or preferentially , in a certain part of the intestinal tract , optionally , in a delayed manner . examples of embedding compositions which can be used include polymeric substances and waxes . the active compounds can also be in micro - encapsulated form , if appropriate , with one or more of the above - mentioned excipients . liquid dosage forms for oral administration include pharmaceutically acceptable emulsions , solutions , suspensions , syrups and elixirs . in addition to the active compounds , the liquid dosage forms may contain inert diluents commonly used in the art such as , for example , water or other solvents , solubilizing agents and emulsifiers such as ethyl alcohol , isopropyl alcohol , ethyl carbonate , ethyl acetate , benzyl alcohol , benzyl benzoate , propylene glycol , 1 , 3 - butylene glycol , dimethyl formamide , oils ( in particular , cottonseed , groundnut , corn , germ , olive , castor and sesame oils ), glycerol , tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol , polyethylene glycols and fatty acid esters of sorbitan and mixtures thereof . besides inert diluents , the oral compositions may also include adjuvants such as wetting agents , emulsifying and suspending agents , sweetening , flavoring and perfuming agents . compositions for rectal or vaginal administration are preferably suppositories which can be prepared by mixing the compounds of this invention with suitable non - irritating excipients or carriers such as cocoa butter , polyethylene glycol or a suppository wax which are solid at room temperature but liquid at body temperature and therefore melt in the rectum or vaginal cavity and release the active compound . compounds of the present invention can also be administered in the form of liposomes . as is known in the art , liposomes are generally derived from phospholipids or other lipid substances . liposomes are formed by mono - or multi - lamellar hydrated liquid crystals which are dispersed in an aqueous medium . any non - toxic , physiologically acceptable and metabolizable lipid capable of forming liposomes can be used . the present compositions in liposome form can contain , in addition to a compound of the present invention , stabilizers , preservatives , excipients and the like . the preferred lipids are natural and synthetic phospholipids and phosphatidyl cholines ( lecithins ) used separately or together . methods to form liposomes are known in the art . see , for example , prescott , ed ., methods in cell biology , volume xiv , academic press , new york , n . y . ( 1976 ), p . 33 et seq . the term “ pharmaceutically acceptable prodrugs ” as used herein represents those prodrugs of the compounds of the present invention which are , within the scope of sound medical judgement , suitable for use in contact with the tissues of humans and lower animals without undue toxicity , irritation , allergic response , and the like , commensurate with a reasonable benefit / risk ratio , and effective for their intended use , as well as the zwitterionic forms , where possible , of the compounds of the invention . prodrugs of the present invention may be rapidly transformed in vivo to the parent compound of the above formula , for example , by hydrolysis in blood . a thorough discussion is provided in t . higuchi and v . stella , pro - drugs as novel delivery systems , v . 14 of the a . c . s . symposium series , and in edward b . roche , ed ., bioreversible carriers in drug design , american pharmaceutical association and pergamon press ( 1987 ), hereby incorporated by reference . the present invention contemplates both synthetic compounds of formulae i , ii and iii of the present invention , as well as compounds formed by in vivo conversion to compounds of the present invention . compounds of the present invention may exist as stereoisomers wherein asymmetric or chiral centers are present . these stereoisomers are “ r ” or “ s ” depending on the configuration of substituents around the chiral carbon atom . the present invention contemplates various stereoisomers and mixtures thereof . stereoisomers include enantiomers and diastereomers , and mixtures of enantiomers or diastereomers . individual stereoisomers of compounds of the present invention may be prepared synthetically from commercially available starting materials which contain asymmetric or chiral centers or by preparation of racemic mixtures followed by resolution well - known to those of ordinary skill in the art . these methods of resolution are exemplified by ( 1 ) attachment of a mixture of enantiomers to a chiral auxiliary , separation of the resulting mixture of diastereomers by recrystallization or chromatography and liberation of the optically pure product from the auxiliary or ( 2 ) direct separation of the mixture of optical enantiomers on chiral chromatographic columns . the compounds of the invention can exist in unsolvated as well as solvated forms , including hydrated forms , such as hemi - hydrates . in general , the solvated forms , with pharmaceutically acceptable solvents such as water and ethanol among others are equivalent to the unsolvated forms for the purposes of the invention . the ability of compounds of the present invention to inhibit glyt1 activity is described in detail hereinafter in the examples . these examples are presented to describe preferred embodiments and utilities of the invention and are not meant to limit the invention unless otherwise stated in the claims appended hereto . 3 -(( thioxo (( 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloro - 1 -( cyclohexylcarbonylamino ) ethyl ) amino ) methyl ) amino ) anphthalene - 2 - carboxylic acid ( compound 6 in scheme 1 ) was synthesized according to the following procedure , illustrated by general scheme i . step 1 : first , cyclohexyl - n -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloro - 1 - hydroxyethyl ) carboxamide 3 was synthesized as follows . a mixture of chloral hydrate ( 9 . 0 g , 54 , 5 mmol ) and cyclohexane carboxamide ( 5 . 0 g , 49 . 5 mmol ) in dry benzene ( 30 ml ) was heated at 80 ° c . in an oil bath . the initial suspension eventually became a clear solution ( reaction time depends on the amount of starting materials , in this example it took about 6 hours ). the mixture was stirred for an additional 30 minutes , then removed from the oil bath , and left at room temperature . upon cooling , the crystalline solid formed was filtered and washed with hexanes to give the product cyclohexyl - n -( 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloro - 1 - hydroxyethyl ) carboxamide 3 ( 11 . 0 g ). nmr ( 1 h , cdcl 3 ): δ 6 . 23 ( d , j = 8 . 4 hz , 1h ), 5 . 9 ( dd , 1h ), 4 . 35 ( broad s , 1h ), 2 . 16 ( t , 1h ), 1 . 90 - 1 . 22 ( m , 10h ). step 2 : next , cyclohexyl - n -( 1 , 2 , 2 , 2 - tetrachloro - 1 - hydroxyethyl ) carboxamide 4 was synthesized as follows . a mixture of compound 3 ( 8 . 0 g , 20 mmol ) and thionyl chloride ( 4 . 7 ml , 63 . 8 mmol , 2 . 2 equivalents ) in dry benzene ( 30 ml ) was heated at 80 ° c . in an oil bath . the initial suspension eventually became a clear solution ( reaction time depends on the amount of starting materials , in this example it took about 5 hours ). the mixture was stirred for an additional 30 minutes . the solvents were removed by evaporation under reduced pressure ( rotovapor ), and the resulting white solid was washed with hexanes and filtered , to produce the desired product 4 ( 7 . 0 g ). nmr ( 1 h , cdcl 3 ): δ 6 . 59 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 30 ( d , 1h ), 2 . 19 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 89 - 1 . 19 ( m , 10h ). step 3 : finally , compound 6 was prepared as follows . to a solution of compound 4 ( 100 mg , 0 . 34 mmol ) in acetonitrile ( 5 . 0 ml ) was added potassium thiocyanate ( 0 . 036 gm 1 . 1 equivalents ). the mixture was stirred for one hour at room temperature when the reaction mixture turned pink . the resulting solid was filtered . the filtrate was treated with a solution of 3 - amino - 2 - naphtholic acid ( 0 . 052 gm 1 : 1 equivalents ) and the mixture was stirred for 15 hours to give a solid . the solid was filtered , washed with 5 % methanol in ethyl acetate and dried to afford the final product 6 ( 110 mg ). compounds of formula i that were synthesized according to the general synthetic procedures are summarized in table i . 8 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 98 - 7 . 88 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 64 - 7 . 39 ( m , 8h ), 3 . 32 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 25 ( s , 3h ) ( cdcl 3 ) 8 . 70 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 75 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 48 - 7 . 24 ( m , 5h ), 6 . 43 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 29 ( d , 1h ) 7 . 65 - 7 . 28 ( m , 9h ), 6 . 90 ( m , 1h ), 7 . 74 ( t , 4h ), 6 . 61 ( d , 1h ) 9 . 16 , ( d , 1h ), 8 . 88 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 31 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 69 - 7 . 57 ( m , 9h ), 7 . 38 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 76 ( d , 1h ) 8 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 18 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 46 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 00 - 7 . 88 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 76 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 63 - 7 . 53 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 24 ( t , 1h ) 9 . 02 , ( d , 1h ), 8 . 88 ( m , 1h ), 8 . 42 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 32 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 01 - 7 . 90 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 82 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 7 - 7 . 53 ( m , 5h ) 7 . 68 - 7 . 38 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 43 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 70 ( d , 1h ), 2 . 26 ( br m , 1h ), 1 . 17 ( br m , 2h ), 1 . 03 ( br m , 1h ) 8 . 04 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 98 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 67 - 7 . 53 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 39 ( m , 4h ), 7 . 26 ( t , 1h ), 6 . 75 ( d , 1h ), 3 . 90 ( s , 3h ) 8 . 43 (( d , 1h ), 8 . 38 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 68 - 7 . 35 ( m , 7h ), 6 . 75 ( d , 1h 8 . 19 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 03 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 53 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 44 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( t , 1h ), 2 . 30 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 26 ( m , 10h ) 7 . 55 - 7 . 37 ( m , 5h ), 7 . 27 ( s , 1h ), 3 . 28 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 22 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 32 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 77 - 1 . 24 ( m , 10h ) 7 . 89 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 68 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 51 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 46 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 29 ( t , 1h ), 1 . 21 ( s , 9h ) 8 . 06 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 88 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 68 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 42 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 39 ( s , 1h ), 1 . 22 ( s , 9h ) 8 . 19 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 03 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 54 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 44 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 22 ( t , 1h ), 2 . 55 ( m , 3h ), 1 . 40 ( 2d , 6h ) 8 . 05 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 56 ( t , 1h ), 7 . 46 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 30 ( t , 1h ), 2 . 62 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 21 ( s , 9h ) 7 . 26 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 34 ( abq , 2h ), 3 . 73 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 29 ( t , 1h ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 28 ( m , 10h ) 8 . 21 ( d , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 8 . 03 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 53 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 7 . 49 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 21 ( t , j = 7 . 5 hz , 1h ), 1 . 71 ( m , 1h ), 0 . 95 - 0 . 81 ( m , 4h ) 8 . 51 ( d , j = 11 . 4 hz , 1h ), 8 . 1 ( br , 1h ), 7 . 44 ( s , 1h ), 6 . 81 ( br , 1h ), 2 . 28 ( t , 1h ), 1 . 81 - 1 . 26 ( m , 10h ) 8 . 65 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 51 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 95 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 84 ( d , j = 8 . 1 hz , 1h ), 7 . 60 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 1h ), 7 . 52 ( t , j = 6 . 9 hz , 1h ), 2 . 92 ( t , 1h ), 1 . 9 - 1 . 3 ( m , 10h ) the ability of compounds to inhibit glyt1 activity was determined in an assay that utilizes human u373mg astrocytoma cells . the cells were seeded into 96 - well plates at 1 × 10 4 cells per well in 0 . 1 ml of culture medium , and were allowed to grow for an additional two days to come to confluence . prior to the start of transport studies , the cells were washed thoroughly with kreb &# 39 ; s - ringer phosphate buffer containing 140 mm nacl , 5 mm kcl and 0 . 75 mm cacl 2 . one set of triplicate wells was washed with chloride - free buffer to serve as a measure of low affinity glycine transport , since high - affinity uptake requires cl − . test compounds ( 10 μm ) dissolved in fresh buffer , as well as buffer - only controls , were added to the assay plate ( 50 μl / well ). uptake analyses were initiated by the addition of buffer containing [ 3 h ] glycine ( 0 . 5 μci / well ), with a final glycine concentration of 100 nm . glycine uptake was terminated after an 8 minute period by removing the medium and washing the cells with buffer . the cells in each well were subsequently solubilized in detergent to allow scintillation counting of the internalized [ 3 h ] glycine . untreated cells were lysed prior to initiation of the assay for protein determinations , using the bca assay ( pierce chemical company , rockford , ill .). glycine uptake is expressed as nmoles glycine / mg protein / min . when the compounds of table 1 are tested according to the above procedure , they are shown to inhibit high - affinity glycine uptake by the astrocytoma cells . the present invention is illustrated by way of the foregoing description and examples . the foregoing description is intended as a non - limiting illustration , since many variations will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view thereof . it is intended that all such variations within the scope and spirit of the appended claims be embraced thereby . changes can be made in the composition , operation and arrangement of the method of the present invention described herein without departing from the concept and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims : | 2 |
we conducted extensive research to develop a commercially advantageous process for preparing δ 1 - thpi , the process being capable of producing a high - purity δ 1 - thpi in a high yield without use of a purified δ 1 - thpa as the starting material . our research revealed the following . ( i ) in the reaction with ammonia for conversion into imides , the monoesters of the contaminating phthalic anhydrides are more stable than δ 1 - thpa or monoesters thereof and are not easily convertible into imides , whereas δ 1 - thpa per se or the monoester thereof is easily convertible into imide . ( ii ) therefore , even if a crude δ 1 - thpa containing the contaminating phthalic anhydrides is used as the starting material , only δ 1 - thpa ( and a monoester thereof , if any ) of the crude δ 1 - thpa is selectively converted into imide , provided that before the conversion of the crude δ 1 - thpa into imide , the contaminating phthalic anhydrides are esterified into monoesters thereof which are difficult to change into imides . ( iii ) when a specific hydrocarbon inert to the starting material and δ 1 - thpi is used as the reaction medium , the obtained δ 1 - thpi can be more readily separated from the monoesters of the contaminating phthalic anhydrides without resort to recrystallization or like special purification procedure , and a high - purity δ 1 - thpi can be produced in high yields . the present invention has been accomplished based on these novel findings . the amount of the contaminating phthalic anhydrides to be acceptable in the invention is not specifically limited , but is typically about 1 to about 20 % by weight , preferably about 3 to about 15 % by weight from consideration of commercially beneficial composition . the kind of the alcohol represented by the formula ( i ) is not specifically limited insofar as the alcohol , when reacted with the contaminating phthalic anhydrides , can form the corresponding monoester which can retain the monoester structure during the reaction for conversion into an imide . given below are examples of groups represented by r in the formula ( i ). examples of the aryl group are phenyl , substituted phenyl , particularly phenyl substituted with one or two methyl groups , etc . ; examples of the aralkyl group are phenyl - c 1 - c 6 alkyl such as benzyl , phenethyl , etc . ; and examples of the alicyclic hydrocarbon group are cycloalkyl having 6 to 10 carbon atoms , such as cyclohexyl , decahydronaphthyl , etc . examples of alkoxyalkyl groups are c 1 - c 22 alkoxy - c 2 - c 3 alkyl groups such as methyloxyethyl , ethyloxyethyl , methyloxypropyl , ethyloxypropyl , etc . among the alcohols of the formula ( i ) wherein n is 2 , preferred are alkylene glycols or cycloalkylene glycols represented by the formula wherein r &# 39 ; is an alkylene group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms or an alicyclic hydrocarbon group . the alcohols of the formula ( i ) are usable singly , or at least two of them can be used in mixture . the alcohols of the formula ( i ) wherein n is 1 include , for example : ( a ) branched - or straight - chain aliphatic saturated or unsaturated alcohols having 1 to 22 carbon atoms , such as alcohols wherein r in the formula ( i ) is methyl , ethyl , propyl , n - butyl , isobutyl , amyl , hexyl , heptyl , n - octyl , 2 - ethylhexyl , isooctyl , isononyl , n - decyl , isodecyl , undecyl , dodecyl , tridecyl , myristyl , cetyl , stearyl , behenyl , allyl , oleyl or the like ; and adducts of each of these alcohols with c 2 - c 3 alkylene oxide such as ethylene glycol monomethyl ether , ethylene glycol monoethyl ether , etc . preferred alcohols of the formula ( i ) wherein n is 2 or 3 are polyhydric alcohols such as ethylene glycol , propylene glycol , glycerin and adducts thereof with c 2 - c 3 alkylene oxide , e . g . diethylene glycol . desirable as the alcohols of the formula ( i ) are those having a boiling point of not lower than 120 ° c ., preferably about 120 ° to about 180 ° c ., in view of the progress of the reaction for conversion into imides . the alcohol of the formula ( i ) is used in an amount effective to convert the contaminating phthalic anhydrides into their monoesters , more specifically , e . g . about 0 . 1 to about 20 moles , preferably , from consideration of industrial aspect , about 0 . 5 to about 10 moles , per mole of the crude δ 1 - thpa ( in terms of the mean molecular weight as calculated from the neutralization value , the same hereinafter ). when the crude δ 1 - thpa is heated to about 60 to about 140 ° c . in the presence of the alcohol , preferably in an atmosphere of an inert gas such as nitrogen gas or the like , at least the contaminating phthalic anhydrides are converted to the corresponding monoesters . when required , the esterification reaction for production of the monoesters may be conducted using as a solvent the hydrocarbon of the type to be used in the reaction for conversion into imides to be described later . in the foregoing esterification reaction , the monoesterification of the contaminating phthalic anhydrides predominates and substantially the whole of the contaminating phthalic anhydrides are converted to the monoesters , whereas δ 1 - thpa may be converted to its monoester or left unchanged , depending on the amount of the alcohol of the formula ( i ) used . the foregoing monoesterification reaction is continued until practically the entire amount of the contaminating phthalic anhydrides in the reaction mixture is esterified into their monoesters . the esterification reaction time is usually about 0 . 1 to about 2 hours . the subsequent reaction for conversion into the desired 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 - tetrahydrophthalimide ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; imide - forming reaction &# 34 ;) is conducted by adding ammonia to the reaction mixture of the above esterification reaction . the imide - forming reaction subsequent to the esterification can be performed without use of a solvent especially when an excess of the alcohol of the formula ( i ) is used in the esterification . however , the imide - forming reaction efficiently proceeds when the reactants are heated with stirring in a specific hydrocarbon solvent which is inert to the reactants and δ 1 - thpi while gradually adding ammonia . examples of preferred hydrocarbons are those having 6 to 16 carbon atoms and include aliphatic hydrocarbons , alicyclic hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons . these hydrocarbons are usable singly , or at least two of them can be used in mixture . more specific examples of the hydrocarbon are hexane , heptane , octane , decane , dodecane , cyclohexane , decalin , tetralin , toluene , xylene , mixed hydrocarbons produced in petroleum refining , etc . among them , preferred are the hydrocarbons having a boiling point of not lower than about 140 ° c ., particularly about 140 ° c . to about 255 ° c . ( under atmospheric pressure ), from the view point of the rate of imide - forming reaction . more preferred are dodecane , decalin , and paraffin - naphthene hydrocarbon mixture having a boiling point of about 140 ° c . to about 255 ° c . the amount of the reaction solvent to be used in the imide - forming reaction is not specifically limited insofar as the desired imide - forming reaction proceeds . the total amount of the hydrocarbon and the alcohol of the formula ( i ) is usually about 25 to about 250 % by weight , preferably about 50 to about 200 % by weight , based on the crude δ 1 - thpa . while ammonia to be used in the imide - forming reaction may be used either in the form of a gas or an aqueous solution , an aqueous ammonia solution is easy to handle and is commercially preferable . the aqueous ammonia solution is used in a concentration of about 10 to about 35 % by weight , preferably about 20 to about 30 % by weight . the amount of the ammonia to be used is about 1 . 01 to about 2 . 5 moles , preferably about 1 . 05 to about 2 . 2 moles , per mole of the crude δ 1 - thpa . the addition of more ammonia does not produce a significant difference in the effect . for the production of δ 1 - thpi in high yields , it is desirable to add an aqueous ammonia solution in small amounts , rather than adding the total amount at one time , during the reaction . the ammonia solution may be gradually added . for example , the ammonia solution is added in small amounts continuously from the start of the reaction until the completion thereof such that the total amount of ammonia added will become the above - specified amount . the reaction temperature is about 100 ° to about 160 ° c ., preferably about 120 ° to about 140 ° c . the imide - forming reaction is effected at atmospheric pressure , or under reduced pressure or increased pressure insofar as the water formed by the reaction can be distilled off due to vapor - liquid equilibrium or in the form of an azeotropic mixture . the imide - forming reaction is usually completed in about 2 to about 10 hours . the imide - forming reaction is carried out preferably in an atmosphere of nitrogen gas or like inert gas . in the imide - forming reaction , the monoesters of the contaminating phthalic anhydrides produced by the esterification remain without change to imides , while substantially the whole of the δ 1 - thpa and if any , a monoester thereof are easily converted into the desired δ 1 - thpi . the process for preparing δ 1 - thpi according to the invention can be carried out either batchwise or continuously . the thus obtained reaction mixture is cooled , whereby the desired product is precipitated as crystals . a high - purity δ 1 - thpi can be obtained merely by separating the crystals by conventional separation method such as filtration and drying the crystals . the present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to the following examples and comparative example . a 1 - liter four - necked flask equipped with a stirrer , a decanter with a condenser , a thermometer , a nitrogen inlet tube and an ammonia water - feeding unit was charged with 152 g of crude δ 1 - thpa , 200 ml of 2 - ethylhexanol ( boiling point of 184 ° c ., specific gravity of 0 . 834 [ 20 ° c .]) and 200 ml of a paraffin - naphthene hydrocarbon mixture ( tradename &# 34 ; exxsol d40 &# 34 ;, product of exxon chemicals , boiling point of 163 ° to 194 ° c ., specific gravity of 0 . 770 [ 15 ° c .]). the crude δ 1 - thpa had the following composition ( as determined by glc ). ______________________________________δ . sup . 1 - thpa 90 % by weighthexahydrophthalic 3 % by weightanhydridephthalic anhydride 1 % by weightstructural isomer of δ . sup . 1 - thpa 2 % by weightothers 4 % by weight______________________________________ the mixture in the flask was heated with stirring for 30 minutes to dissolve the crude δ 1 - thpa in the solvent , thereby conducting monoesterification reaction . thereafter , 121 g ( 2 . 0 moles ) of 28 wt . % aqueous ammonia solution was gradually added to the reaction mixture obtained above at 120 ° c . over a period of 3 . 5 hours while distilling off the formed water due to vapor - liquid equilibrium or in the form of an azeotropic mixture . the distillate was separated into two layers using a decanter and the aqueous layer was withdrawn from the reaction system . thus , imide - forming reaction was conducted and δ 1 - thpa and the monoesters thereof in the reaction system were converted into δ 1 - thpi . after the reaction , the reaction mixture obtained was cooled , and the crystals precipitated were filtered and dried , giving δ 1 - thpi having a purity of 99 . 9 % in a yield of 96 %. here , the purity of the product was determined by gas chromatography and the yield is based on the amount of δ 1 - thpa contained in the crude δ 1 - thpa . the same applies to the purity and yield in each of the following examples and comparative example . the same procedure as in example 1 was repeated except that 200 ml of isononyl alcohol ( boiling point of 198 ° to 205 ° c ., specific gravity of 0 . 834 [ 20 ° c .]) was used as the alcohol and that 200 ml of decalin ( boiling point of 196 ° c ., specific gravity of 0 . 897 [ 20 ° c .]) was used as the reaction medium and that the reaction was conducted at 130 ° c ., giving δ 1 - thpi . this desired product had a purity of 99 . 8 % and was obtained in a yield of 95 %. the same procedure as in example 1 was repeated except that 50 ml of n - butyl alcohol ( boiling point of 117 ° c ., specific gravity of 0 . 810 [ 20 ° c .]) was used as the alcohol and that 250 ml of the paraffin - naphthene hydrocarbon mixture was used as the reaction medium , giving δ 1 - thpi . this desired product had a purity of 99 . 7 % and was obtained in a yield of 95 %. the same procedure as in example 1 was repeated except that 200 ml of decyl alcohol ( boiling point of 232 ° c ., specific gravity of 0 . 830 [ 20 ° c .]) was used as the alcohol and that 200 ml of dodecane ( boiling point of 214 ° c ., specific gravity of 0 . 751 [ 20 ° c .]) was used as the reaction medium , giving δ 1 - thpi . this desired product had a purity of 99 . 8 % and was obtained in a yield of 96 %. the same procedure as in example 1 was repeated except that 100 ml of propylene glycol ( boiling point of 187 ° c ., specific gravity of 1 . 038 [ 20 ° c .]) was used as the alcohol and that 300 ml of the paraffin - naphthene hydrocarbon mixture was used as the reaction medium , giving δ 1 - thpi . this desired product had a purity of 99 . 9 % and was obtained in a yield of 96 %. the same procedure as in example 1 was repeated except that the paraffin - naphthene hydrocarbon mixture was not used and that 300 ml of 2 - ethylhexanol was used , giving δ 1 - thpi . this desired product had a purity of 99 . 8 % and was produced in a yield of 86 %. the same procedure as in example 1 was repeated with the exception of using different crude δ 1 - thpa having the following composition ( as determined by glc ), giving δ 1 - thpi . this desired product had a purity of 99 . 9 % and was prepared in a yield of 96 %. ______________________________________δ . sup . 1 - thpa 87 % by weighthexahydrophthalic 6 % by weightanhydridephthalic anhydride 3 % by weightstructural isomers of δ . sup . 1 thpa 1 % by weightothers 3 % by weight______________________________________ the same procedure as in example 1 was repeated except that alcohols were not used and that 400 ml of the paraffin - naphthene hydrocarbon mixture was used as the reaction medium , giving δ 1 - thpi . this product had a purity of 92 . 1 % and was obtained in a yield of 108 %. this means that the product contains impurities such as free acids of the contaminating phthalic anhydrides , ammonium salts thereof , etc . as seen from the foregoing examples and comparative example , the process of the present invention can provide δ 1 - thpi of high purity in a high yield with ease without necessitating any means for purification of reactants and reaction products . | 2 |
with references now to fig1 - 4 , there is shown a butt mounted riser hinge 10 that comprises a first part 20 which has a cylindrical barrel 21 and flange 22 of unitary , cast metal construction , with the flange 22 having a set of countersunk mounting holes 50 . fixedly mounted inside the barrel 21 is a cup - shaped female cam member 23 made entirely of smooth , low - frictional , plastic material such as nylon . the cam member has an internal floor , a bevelled first portion 24 which traverses the longitudinal axis a of the barrel at an oblique angle thereto . the floor has a second portion 24 &# 39 ; which is perpendicular to the axis a . the two internal floor portions provide a camming surface . the female cam member also has a cylindrical , internal sidewall 25 which extends from the cam floor 24 to an open end 29 . an axial bore hole 26 extends from the other cam end 27 to the floor portion 24 . end 27 is formed with a notch 28 that engages an interior barrel flange 30 to fix the rotary position of the cam inside the barrel . a bearing 31 is also mounted inside the barrel 21 in abutment with the cam end 27 . the hinge 10 further comprises a second part 40 which also has a unitarily cast metal cylindrical barrel 41 and mounting flange 42 with countersunk mounting holes 50 . fixedly mounted inside the barrel 41 is a generally cylindrical male cam member 44 also made of the low frictional material . the male cam member has a base portion 44 &# 39 ; of relatively large outside diameter and a protruding portion 44 &# 34 ; of reduced outside diameter which , when mounted , protrudes out of the barrel 41 . the base portion 44 &# 39 ; has a notch 48 at the cam end opposite the protrusion 44 &# 34 ;. this notch is shaped to correspond to a flange 46 inside the barrel 41 to fix the rotary position of the male cam member . the end 45 of the male member protruding portion 44 &# 34 ; transverses the longitudinal axis a of the barrel at an oblique angle thereto . a second portion 45 &# 39 ; is oriented perpendicularly to the axis a . the shape portions 45 , 45 &# 39 ; substantially match the floor portions 24 , 24 &# 39 ; of cam member 23 . the outside diameter of the protrusion 44 &# 34 ; closely matches the inside diameter of the sidewall 25 of the cup - shaped female cam member 23 and is telescopically received in it to form a camming assembly . an axial bore hole 47 extends through the male cam member 44 which is of the same size as the bore hole 26 in member 23 . a hinge pin 51 is axially mounted in the second hinge part 40 with its head 51 &# 39 ; seated in the barrel 41 and with its shaft 51 &# 34 ; extending through the male cam member bore hole 47 , the bore hole 26 &# 39 ; of the female cam member 23 , and through the bearing 31 . finally , protective end caps 55 are press fitted into the open ends of the barrels 21 and 41 to prevent dirt and other foreign matter from entering the hinge . to mount the hinge the first part 20 is axially aligned with the second hinge 40 and the first hinge part mounted to the edge 59 of door 56 , as shown in fig2 . in doing so , mounting screws 57 are passed through mounting holes 50 of the flange 22 and screwed into the door edge . the second part 40 is affixed to the door jamb 58 by passing screws 57 through the mounting holes of flange 42 and screwing them into the jamb . this all is done with the door elevated above the floor a sufficient distance so that it will still clear the floor when closed and thereby lowered . in operation , as the door is swung open the hinge barrel 21 and female cam member 23 of part 20 rotate about the hinge pin 51 and about the male cam member 44 of part 40 . as this occurs , the bevelled cam floor portion 24 of the cup - shaped cam member 23 rides up the male cam member end second portion 45 &# 39 ; thereby causing the first hinge part 20 to rise . its rising in turn lifts the door 56 as it is swung towards its open position shown in fig2 . the cam rotating and rising motion continues until the cam floor second portion 24 &# 39 ; arrives upon the male cam member perpendicular second portion 45 &# 39 ;. at this point further rotation of the cam assembly produces no vertical movement . thus , if the door is released it will tend to remain stationary . conversely , should the door be released before this occurs , the weight of the door will cause the camming assembly to close it as the female cam member 23 is returned to its at rest , closed position bringing the bevelled floor 24 flush against the male cam member bevelled end 45 . the bearing 31 rotatably holds the pin 51 in place so that it does not directly contact the cam bore hole 26 as the cam rotates . thus , as the relatively soft cam member 23 rotates and rises it contacts only the relatively soft male cam member 44 . therefore , at no position does the low friction material of the two cam members wear upon a metallic surface . the absence of such serves to increases the useful life of the hinge . with reference next to fig5 a butt mounted riser hinge with a spring assist assembly is illustrated that embodies principles of the invention in another form . the hinge here is of similar construction to that previously described . here , however , the hinge has a spring assembly indicated generally at 60 . more specifically , a spring shell 61 is slidably mounted in the open end 32 of barrel 21 . the shell has an inturned or flanged outer end 62 and an inner open end 63 . a compression spring 64 is mounted inside the shell in abutment with the inturned flanged end 62 . the spring 64 extends beyond the open end 63 of the shell 61 into abutment with a thrust washer 65 which is seated adjacent an end of the bearing 31 against an annular ledge within barrel 21 . hinge pin 51 here extends through the shell 61 , spring 64 , washer 65 , bearing 31 , cam bore hole 26 and cam follower bore hole 47 and insert 66 . in this embodiment it has a threaded end which is threaded into insert 66 and into a lock nut 67 . the pin head 70 abuts the outside of sleeve end 62 to fix the position of shell 61 relative to part 40 . in use here , as the door 56 is swung open the first hinge part 20 rotates and the cam assembly causes it to rise as previously described . this rising motion causes the spring 64 to compress . upon door release , the compressed spring acts in concert with the weight of the door in effecting an automatic closing . it thus is seen that a butt mounted riser hinge is now provided which overcomes problems long associated with those of the prior art . it should , however , be understood that the just described embodiments merely illustrate principles of the invention in two preferred forms . many modifications , additions and deletions may , of course , be made thereto without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims . | 8 |
reference is now made to fig1 wherein the operative components of a card reader constructed in accordance with the prior art are depicted . specifically , a reading position for a card carrying coded information is defined by a lamp 1 , which lamp defines a light source for reading information in a light reflecting mode or in a light transmitting mode . a plurality of photoelectric transducers 2 are positined to detect the amount of light reflected from the card 4 when same is disposed at a reading position . a second plurality of photoelectric transducers are disposed on the opposite side of the card 4 , when same is at a reading position , to detect the amount of light transmitted through openings formed in the card 4 when the card reader is disposed in a light transmissive mode . it is noted that the photoelectric transducers 2 and 3 can be formed of any light sensitive means such as photodetectors , photomultipliers , solar batteries or the like . a cover 5 is disposed over the lamp 1 in order to direct the light supplied by the lamp to the reading position of the card reader . because the instant invention is characterized by the relationship of the aforedescribed elements , the specific means for structurally supporting the operative elements , which structural means are conventional , have been omitted to simplify the discussion herein . as utilized herein , the terms &# 34 ; transmissive mode &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; reflective mode &# 34 ; refer to the type of information carrying card that is utilized . for example , if the card 4 is a punch card , in a light transmissive system , the amount of light that passes through the openings in the card is measured . in such a system , the photoelectric transducer 3 is normally referenced to produce a low voltage output when the card 4 is disposed between the lamp 1 and the photodetectors 3 , unless an opening in the punch card 4 permits light to be transmitted to the photoelectric transducer . accordingly , when a punch hole is disposed between the lamp 1 and a photoelectric transducer 3 , the photoelectric transducer detects the light and produces a high voltage level signal . alternatively , if the card 4 is not a punch card , but instead is a marked card , wherein the marks are formed by a dark pencil , or any other conventional writing implement such as a pen , the photoelectric transducers 2 are utilized to detect the amount of light reflected off the card 4 . in such an event , the card reader operates in a reflective mode , and the output voltage of the photoelectric transducers 2 are normally referenced to produce a high voltage level signal in response to the light being reflected from the card 4 , and produce a low voltage level signal in response to less light from the lamp 1 being reflected to the photoelectric transducer 2 because of the light from the lamp 1 being absorbed by the dark marks on the card . accordingly , the photoelectric transducers 3 are normally referenced to a low voltage when the card reader is in a transmissive mode , whereas the photoelectric transducers 2 are normally referenced to a high voltage when the card reader is in a reflective mode . thus , the logic circuitry required for processing the information produced by the light transmissive photoelectric transducers 3 and the logic circuitry for processing the signal produced by the light reflective photoelectric transducers 2 are 180 ° out of phase with respect to each other . therefore , as is illustrated in fig2 the connections of the photoelectric transducers must be logically inverted in order to utilize same in the same card reader . reference is now made to fig2 wherein a circuit diagram of a conventional reading circuit for a light transmissive and light reflective card reader , of the type depicted in fig1 is illustrated . a light reflective photoelectric transducer 6 is coupled to the negative (-) terminal of operational amplifier 8 , which amplifier is coupled through a first contact of a switch 10 to the negative (-) input of an output amplifier 11 . light reflective photoelectric transducer 7 is coupled to the positive (+) input of operational amplifier 9 , which amplifier is coupled through a second contact of switch 10 to the negative (-) input of output amplifier 11 . output amplifier 11 is an operational amplifier for performing a wave shape function . accordingly , when the card reader is in a light - reflective mode of operation , switch 10 couples the output of operational amplifier 8 to the wave shaping amplifier 11 to thereby produce a signal out representative of the light detected by the photoelectric transducer 6 . alternatively , when the card reader is in a light - transmissive mode of operation , the switch 10 couples the output of operational amplifier 9 to the output amplifier 11 to produce a signal out representaive of the changes in transmitted light detected by the transducer 7 . thus , by providing a negative logic coupling of the photoelectric transducer 6 , to the operational amplifier 8 , and a positive logic coupling of the light - transmissive photoelectric transducer 7 to the operational amplifier 9 , the out of phase relationship of the respective photoelectric transducers and circuitry for processing the information produced thereby , when the card reader is converted from reading cards having marks thereon to cards having punch holes formed therein , is effected . nevertheless , among the disadvantages that inure to such a card reader is the expense of providing two columns of photoelectric transducers , one for detecting light - transmissive information punched into a card , and the other for detecting light - reflective information marked on a card . additionally , an amplifier is needed for each photoelectric transducer , which amplifier and transducer remain inactive when the card reader is in the other mode . thus , providing a photosensitive transducer and amplifier for each bit of information to be read in both the light - reflective and light - transmissive modes adds to the expense and complexity of such card readers . moreover , in order to utilize the same output amplifier 11 with both of the input amplifiers 8 and 9 , it is necessary to provide a multicontact switch for each bit of information that is provided in the column of photoelectric transducers . for example , if twenty bits of information are provided in each column of photoelectric transducers ( 20 light - reflective transducers 2 and 20 light - transmissive transducers 3 ), twenty double contact switchs 10 must be provided for converting the card reader from and to a light - transmissive mode of operataion and light - reflective mode of operation . the large number of double contact switches required in such a card reader not only increases the complexity of the card reader , but additionally prevents miniaturization thereof . as is detailed hereinafter , the instant invention is particularly characterized by the elimination of the aforenoted disadvantages . reference is now made to fig3 and 4 , wherein the operative elements of a card reader , and the circuitry for a card reader , constructed in accordance with the instant invention , are respectively depicted . the operative elements of the card reader , depicted in fig3 include a light - reflective lamp 2 / disposed above the reading position of the card reader , and a light - transmissive lamp 22 disposed below the reading position of the card reader . covers 23 and 24 are respectively provided for the lamps 27 and 22 for insuring that the light produced thereby is directed to the reading position 25 defined by an opening formed in the bed 26 for supporting the information card 32 . a single column of photoelectric transducers 47 through 60 are disposed at a position to detect light reflected from the card 32 when the card is at a reading position , and additionally , to detect light transmitted through holes punched in the card 32 when the card is at a reading position . each of the transducers 47 through 60 is separated by a parting shield 33 through 46 , which parting shield prevents the light incident upon the adjacent transducers from being inadvertently detected . accordingly , when the card 32 contains marked information thereon , the card reader operates a light - reflective mode whereby the light produced by the lamp 27 is directed on the portion of the card disposed at the reading position 25 , and is detected by the photodetectors 47 through 60 . alternatively , if the card 32 contains holes punched therein , the card reader operates in a light - transmissive mode of operation whereby the light produced by lamp 22 is directed through the openings in the card 32 disposed at the reading position 25 , and are detected by the photoelectric transducers 47 through 60 . when the card reader is in a light - reflective mode , the photoelectric detector must be normally referenced at a high voltage level and produce a low voltage level in response to the light produced by lamp 27 being absorbed by the mark on the card . alternatively , when the card reader is in a light - transmissive mode , the photodetectors 47 through 60 will normally be referenced to a low voltage level , and will produce a high voltage level in response to an opening in the card permitting the light to be transmitted to the photoelectric transducer . accordingly , the output of the transducers are the same as those discussed above with respect to the prior art transducers . thus , the card reader depicted in fig3 is particularly characterized by the use of the same photoelectric transducer when the card reader is operating in both the light - transmissive mode and in the light - reflective mode , to thereby eliminate the necessity of providing twice the number of photoelectric transducers as the number of bits of information in the column to be read . referring particularly to fig4 the manner in which a single photoelectric transducer can be utilized for both modes of operation in accordance with the instant invention , is depicted . a single photoelectric transducer 12 is coupled to the positive (+) input of operational amplifier 13 , which amplifier 13 and photoelectric transducer 12 apply at least a two voltage level signal to the positive (+) input of operational amplifier 14 . a feedback resistor and negative (+) input of operational amplifier 14 are coupled through a resistor 61 and switch 18 to the dc supply voltage + v , in order to adjust the reference voltage level at which the operational amplifier 14 operates , and thereby vary the output voltage levels of the signals produced thereby . the output of operational amplifier 14 is coupled to the input of logic gate 16 and logic gate 17 , which logic gates are respectively coupled through switch 19 to the dc voltage supply + v . light - transmissive lamp 30 is coupled in parallel with logic gate 16 and light - reflective lamp 29 is coupled in parallel with logic gate 17 . it is noted that logic gate 16 is adapted to produce an output that is inverted with respect to the output of logic gate 17 at output terminal 31 . in operation , if a light - transmissive reading mode is selected , switch 19 couples the voltage supply + v to logic gate 16 and lamp 30 , to thereby provide an output signal 31 representative of the signal produced at the output of logic gate 16 . at this time , the logic gate 17 and lamp 29 are turned off , and hence have no influence upon the output produced at terminal 31 . since the card reader is in a light - transmissive mode , the output voltage of the photoelectric transducer 12 is normally referenced to a low voltage level , and when a hole in the card is detected , the output level of the photoelectric transducer 12 is referenced to a high voltage level . accordingly , this voltage level is applied through the positive logic connection of the wave shaping amplifier 14 to the logic gate 16 , which inverts same and produces a low voltage level at the output terminal 31 . alternatively , if the card reader were disposed in a light - reflective mode , the switch 19 would couple the voltage supply + v to logic gate 17 and lamp 29 , and cause the output produced by the photoelectric transducer 12 to be normally referenced to a high voltage level . thus , when the card reader is operating in a light - reflective mode , the high voltage level signal produced by photoelectric transducer 12 and operational amplifier 13 would be shaped by operational amplifier 14 and applied to logic gate 17 and have a high voltage level at the output terminal 31 . additionally , when absorbed light is detected by the photoelectric transducer 12 , the output produced by the logic gate 17 would be a low voltage level signal . accordingly , in either mode of operation , the lamp and logic gate for producing the output signal in the mode not selected is decoupled from the circuit and , hence , does not hinder the operation of the mode selected . moreover , the operational amplifiers 13 and 14 and the logic gates 16 and 17 can be integrated to a single ic chip , with a single switch 19 utilized to effect conversion between the light - transmissive mode and the light - reflective mode . also , the switch 18 utilized to adjust the respective voltage levels produced by the wave shaping circuit 14 can be coupled to the switch 19 in a conventional double - throw relationship , in order to select the respective voltage levels to be produced at the output of the operational amplifier 14 for the respective light - transmissive and light - reflective modes of operation selected . accordingly , the instant invention is particularly characterized by the photoelectric transducers being utilized for both light - reflective reading and light - transmissive reading , thereby eliminating the second column of photoelectric transducers that characterize the prior art . in addition to eliminating the expense of the additional photoelectric transducers , the number of amplifier circuits is equally reduced . moreover , since changeover of the logic is effected at the same time that the changeover in mode of operation is effected , and such changeover is effected by a single switch having two contacts , the reader circuitry is rendered more simple , less expensive to manufacture , and more readily miniaturized . it will thus be seen that the objects set forth above , among those made apparent from the preceding description , are efficiently attained and , since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which , as a matter of language , might be said to fall therebetween . | 6 |
a white led light emitting device according to a first embodiment of the invention includes a substrate 20 , an led chip 3 which is an excitation light source of a phosphor and is mounted on the substrate 20 , a transparent resin layer ( transparent resin portion ) 4 formed on the substrate 20 in a shape of dome ( for example , semispherical shape ) to cover the led chip 3 , and a phosphor layer 5 formed on an outer side of the transparent resin layer 4 , as shown in fig1 . a ring - shaped region having no phosphor layer 5 is provided in an outer side of a portion near a boundary between the semi - spherical transparent resin layer 4 and the substrate 20 . a reflecting layer 6 is formed to cover this region . the led chip 3 is connected to electrodes 8 and 9 on a lead frame 22 by means of a gold wire boding 7 or the like . the led light emitting device as constructed above is manufactured according to an order as shown in fig2 to 4 , for example . first , the led chip 3 is mounted on the substrate 20 . next , as shown in fig2 , under a state where a surface of the substrate 20 on which the led chip 3 is mounted is directed downward , a phosphor - containing transparent resin 11 is coated in a shape of dome on the substrate 20 . at this time , a liquid droplet discharging apparatus 10 discharges resin liquid droplets upward . next , before the phosphor - containing transparent resin 11 is cured , phosphor particles contained in the resin 11 are precipitated , thereby forming the phosphor layer 5 composed of phosphor particles gathered near a surface of the dome - shaped structure , as shown in fig3 , and then , the formed phosphor layer 5 is separated from the inner transparent resin layer 4 . thereafter , the transparent resin 11 is cured . next , as shown in fig4 , the ring - shaped reflecting layer 6 is formed to surround a portion near a boundary between the transparent resin layer 4 and the substrate 20 . at this time , like the coating of the phosphor - containing transparent resin 11 , the liquid droplet discharging apparatus 10 discharges metal - containing ink upward , thereby forming the reflecting layer 6 . although it has been illustrated in this embodiment that the phosphor - containing transparent resin 11 is formed to have the dome - shaped structure and then the phosphor particles contained in the resin to form the phosphor layer 5 , alternatively , a small semi - spherical structure by only transparent resin may be first formed on the led chip 3 , and then a phosphor - containing transparent layer may be overlapped with the small semi - spherical structure , thereby completing the phosphor layer 5 . in this manner , it is possible to isolate the phosphor from the led chip 3 and form the phosphor layer 5 on the outer side of the semi - spherical transparent resin layer 4 . the larger the diameter of phosphor particles is , the faster the phosphor particles are precipitated . accordingly , the formed phosphor layer has a structure in which the particle diameter increases in a radial direction of the semi - spherical structure . in the phosphor particle layer formed by the precipitation , particles having larger diameter are first deposited on the outer side of the semi - spherical structure and then particles having smaller diameter are deposited in such a manner to fill gaps formed by the particles having larger diameter . accordingly , unevenness of thickness of the phosphor layer becomes decrease . in this embodiment , the substrate 20 may be a substrate on which the led chip 3 of the lead frame 22 is mounted . alternatively , the substrate 20 may be either a ceramic flat substrate or a glass flat substrate . in consideration of the manufacturing process , particularly a high speed manufacturing process , it is preferable that the phosphor particles are quickly precipitated in the semi - spherical transparent resin . since the phosphor particles are faster precipitated as the transparent resin layer 4 has lower viscosity . in general , since it is difficult for the liquid droplet discharging apparatus 10 to discharge liquid having high viscosity , and accordingly , in respect of discharge ability , it is preferable that the transparent resin layer has low viscosity . for example , if the diameter of the phosphor particles is about 30 μm , the content of phosphor in the phosphor - containing transparent resin 11 discharged by the liquid droplet discharging apparatus is preferably 15 wt % to 60 wt %. for the phosphor - containing transparent resin of the same wt % of phosphor and the same blue led chip , as the size of the formed semi - spherical structure becomes increases , the amount of yellow phosphor tends to be excessive , thereby showing more yellowish emission . if the diameter of the semi - spherical structure is about 1 mm , the concentration of phosphor is preferably 40 to 50 wt %. in this embodiment , an inkjet apparatus used for a printer and the like may be used as the liquid droplet discharging apparatus 10 . in general , a piezoelectric type or thermal type liquid droplet discharging apparatus can stably discharge only ink having low viscosity of less than about 30 mpa · s or ink containing particles having small diameter in consideration of nozzle cogging . on the other hand , a converged ultrasonic type liquid droplet discharging apparatus ( see jp - a - 6 - 238884 and jp - a - 8 - 99408 ) can discharge ink having higher viscosity or liquid droplets containing particles having diameter of several tens microns since it does not require any nozzle which is the cause of ink cogging . accordingly , by means of the converged ultrasonic type liquid droplet discharging apparatus , it is possible to discharge resin having high viscosity (& gt ; 100 mpa · s ) or resin liquid droplets containing phosphor particles having diameter of 10 μm , which is used for packaging of white leds . in this embodiment , with use of the ultrasonic liquid droplet discharging apparatus for discharge of transparent resin and phosphor particles , the viscosity of the transparent resin is preferably less than 300 mpa · s , more preferably less than 1000 mpa · s in consideration of stable patterning ability . on the other hand , dispersibility of phosphor in an ink chamber of the liquid droplet discharging apparatus is preferably high and viscosity for the phosphor is preferably high since the phosphor is prevented from being precipitated . accordingly , from this point of view , the viscosity of the transparent resin is preferably more than 100 mp · s . it is preferable that the transparent resin has low viscosity for discharge of the liquid droplet discharging apparatus and can be cured after being impacted on the substrate 20 . specifically , the transparent resin is preferably thermosetting silicon resin or thermosetting epoxy resin . however , organic polymer materials such as epoxy resin is apt to be deteriorated by an led chip light source and maybe colored when they are used for a long time . accordingly , the thermosetting silicon resin is preferably used . the thermosetting resin may be either a single liquid type or a two - liquid mixed type . in addition , since the thermosetting resin can be accelerated by heating the substrate 20 , the precipitation of the phosphor can slow down by the heating of the substrate 20 . this makes it possible to adjust a phosphor distribution in the semi - spherical structure . it is preferable that the phosphor material has larger particle diameter since there is a need to quickly form the phosphor layer by the precipitation . in addition , it is preferable that the particle diameter of the phosphor for the light emitting device is larger since larger particle diameter of the phosphor tends to provide higher light output efficiency for a white led structure . on the other hand , larger particle diameter leads to lower particle dispersibility in an ink chamber of the liquid droplet discharging apparatus and makes it more difficult for the liquid droplet discharging apparatus to discharge ink . considering these factors collectively , the particle diameter of the phosphor is preferably 5 μm to 100 μm . in this embodiment , in the forming method of the phosphor layer using the precipitation of the phosphor , a region in which the phosphor is not nearly distributed is formed near the substrate 20 in the semi - spherical structure . blue color light emitted from the led chip is leaked through this region , which results in color unevenness of the white led light emitting device . in general , a white led has a structure including a reflecting plate arranged in the vicinity of the led chip in order to increase efficiency of light output to the upper side of the light emitting device . in this embodiment , by providing the reflecting layer 6 from the outside of a hemisphere at a portion near the substrate 20 in the semi - spherical structure of the white led light emitting device , color unevenness can be significantly reduced . in this case , in order to prevent leakage of blue color light , the reflecting layer 6 is needed to contact the semi - spherical structure . accordingly , for the purpose of providing the reflecting layer 6 at a lateral side of the cubic semi - spherical structure , it is preferable that metal - containing ink is coated on the lateral side by means of the liquid droplet discharging apparatus . exemplary metal - containing ink may include ink in which nano - sized particles of gold , silver , copper or the like are dispersed . from a standpoint of reflectivity , particle stability , etc ., silver particle - containing ink is more preferable for formation of the reflecting layer . in forming the reflecting layer , after forming the semi - spherical structure , the metal - containing ink is coated on the lateral side of the semi - spherical structure by means of the liquid droplet discharging apparatus 10 . dispersing agent for stably dispersing nano - particles is included in the metal - containing ink , thereby obtaining a reflecting layer having high reflectivity by coating , heating and firing the metal - containing ink including the dispersing agent . in this embodiment , using silver nano - colloid - containing ink of low temperature firing type , it is possible to form a reflecting layer having sufficient reflectivity by firing of 150 ° c . in the firing , if the reflecting layer has cracks , the cracks can be filled up by coating and firing the metal - containing ink repeatedly . when the phosphor layer 5 is formed by precipitating the phosphor , it is preferable that the diameter of the semi - spherical structure is small for forming the phosphor layer 5 having uniform film thickness . as the diameter of the semi - spherical structure becomes increase , the phosphor tends to concentrate in a leading edge of the semi - spherical structure . however , if low - viscous transparent resin having high affinity with the substrate 20 is coated on the substrate 20 , the resin is apt to be spread , thereby making it very difficult to form a semi - spherical structure having a desired size . in order to prevent the resin from being spread , in case of thermosetting resin , heating the substrate 20 may be considered . however , if the resin is too fast cured , the phosphor layer 5 is insufficiently formed by precipitation , thereby leading to insufficient characteristics of the structure of the light emitting device of this embodiment . thus , for the purpose of obtaining a semi - spherical structure having a desired size , one method is to make a resin forming portion of the lead frame 22 small . with this method , the semi - spherical structure has the same diameter as the resin forming portion , thereby preventing the resin from being spread . however , this method can not be applied to forming a white led light emitting device on a typical flat substrate 20 . another method is to prevent the transparent resin from being spread after being impacted on the substrate by lowering surface energy of the substrate 20 . for example , a surface of the substrate 20 is subjected to a water repellency treatment before the transparent resin is coated on the surface . with this method , the transparent resin impacted on the substrate 20 by means of the liquid droplet discharging apparatus 10 has a large contact angle with the substrate 20 , thereby making it possible to form a semi - spherical structure having a diameter depending on the amount of impacted resin . an example of the water repellency treatment may include coating fluorine - based polymer on the substrate 20 . in experiment , a semi - spherical structure having a contact angle of about 60 ° with silicon resin was obtained for surface - treated products on a gold - plated lead frame . on the other hand , for non - surface - treated products , silicon is irregularly spread over the substrate 20 , thereby making it difficult to coat an led chip on the substrate 20 . for example , using a release agent , which contains fluorine polymer , as a surface treating agent , the substrate 20 is subjected to a surface treatment by coating a solution of release agent on the substrate 20 by means of a dip coating method or a spin coating method . as described above , according to this embodiment , it is possible to realize a light emitting device structure having no contact between a light emitting chip and a phosphor layer and achieve a phosphor layer having uniform thickness , thereby realizing a white led light emitting device having little color unevenness . in addition , using precipitation of phosphor , a double structure of a transparent resin layer and a phosphor layer can be formed by a single coating process by means of a liquid droplet discharging apparatus , which is simplified as compared to conventional processes . as shown in fig5 to 7 , the processes of forming the white led light emitting device structure as described above may be changed in an order . specifically , the led chip 3 is first mounted on the substrate , and then , as shown in fig5 , the reflecting layer 6 is formed by coating the metal - containing ink 12 on the flat substrate 20 in a ring shape by means of the liquid droplet discharging apparatus 10 . at this tome , by discharging and coating the metal - containing ink having high viscosity on the flat substrate 20 by means of , particularly an ultrasonic type liquid droplet discharging apparatus 10 , it becomes easy to a cubic structure of the reflecting layer 6 having a thickness in a direction perpendicular to the substrate 20 . subsequently , as shown in fig6 , a dome is formed by discharging the phosphor - containing transparent resin 11 on the led chip formed on the substrate 20 . thereafter , the transparent resin is cured after the phosphor is precipitated . thus , the white led light emitting device structure as shown in fig7 can be obtained . with the processes of the second embodiment , since a direction of a reflecting surface contacting the transparent resin layer 4 of the reflecting layer 6 becomes a direction in which light emitted from the led chip 3 is more reflected toward the phosphor layer 5 that the case of the first embodiment , it is possible to achieve a structure advantageous over the first embodiment in respect of light output efficiency . the manufacturing method of the present invention may be applied to manufacturing a light emitting device using a package cup having a reflecting plate , as shown in fig8 . in this embodiment , a package cup 30 having a depressed portion 31 is used instead of a flat substrate , and the led chip 3 is mounted on the center of the bottom 32 of the depressed portion 31 . next , the semi - spherical transparent resin layer 4 and phosphor layer 5 are formed in the outer side of the led chip 3 , and the ring - shaped reflecting layer 6 is formed near a boundary between the transparent resin layer 4 and the bottom 32 of the depressed portion 31 . in this embodiment , like the first or second embodiment , the transparent resin layer 4 , the phosphor layer 5 and the reflecting layer 6 are formed by discharging liquid droplets upward by means of the liquid droplet discharging apparatus 10 under a state where the depressed portion 31 of the package cup 30 on which the led chip 3 is mounted is directed downward . at this time , in order to lower surface energy of the bottom 32 of the depressed portion 31 , a surface of the bottom 32 may be subjected to a water repellency treatment . as phosphor particles are precipitated in the semi - spherical transparent resin layer , the semi - spherical transparent resin layer 4 and phosphor layer 5 are formed . the process of forming the reflecting layer by coating the metal - containing ink on a lateral side of the transparent resin layer by means of the liquid drop let discharging apparatus 10 is the same as that in the first or second embodiment . in the third embodiment , a reflecting plate 1 is formed by the lateral side of the depressed portion 31 of the package cup 30 . with this configuration , the concentration of light on an upper side of the light emitting device can be enhanced . a light emitting device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention includes an ultraviolet led chip 3 mounted on the substrate 20 , a dome - shaped ( for example , semi - spherical ) transparent resin layer 4 arranged to cover the ultraviolet led chip 3 , and a red color phosphor layer 13 arranged to cover the transparent resin layer 4 , as shown in fig9 . additionally , the light emitting device of the fourth embodiment includes a second transparent resin layer 4 a , a green color phosphor layer 14 , a third transparent resin layer 4 b and a blue color phosphor layer 15 , which are formed in order on the red color phosphor layer 13 . the fourth embodiment is an application of the principle of the invention to the white led structure disclosed in u . s . patent application publication no . 2006 / 0105485 . specifically , white light is obtained by passing an ultraviolet ray , which is emitted from the ultraviolet led chip 3 , through the red color phosphor layer 13 , the green color phosphor layer 14 and the blue color phosphor 15 in turn . in this case , if red , blue and green color phosphors are mixed into a semi - spherical shape , light in a low wavelength band is typically apt to be absorbed . accordingly , in this embodiment , a phosphor layer emitting light having a lower wavelength is laminated to be located at an outer layer . next , a method of manufacturing the light emitting device of the fourth embodiment will be described . first , the ultraviolet led chip 3 is mounted on the substrate 20 , and then , under a state where the substrate 20 on which the ultraviolet led chip 3 is mounted is directed upward , transparent resin liquid droplets containing red color phosphor particles are upward discharged toward the ultraviolet led chip 3 by means of the liquid droplet discharging apparatus 10 , thereby forming a semi - spherical structure on the substrate 20 . next , after the red color phosphor layer 13 is precipitated near a surface of the semi - spherical structure , transparent resin is heated and cured , thereby forming the transparent resin layer 4 and the red color phosphor layer 13 . thereafter , likewise , green color phosphor - containing resin is coated and cured to form the second transparent resin layer 4 a and the green color phosphor layer 14 in order on the red color phosphor layer 13 . thereafter , additionally , the third transparent resin layer 4 b and the blue color phosphor layer 15 are formed on the green color phosphor layer 14 . according to the above processes , a 6 - layered structure including the transparent resin layer 4 , the red color phosphor layer 13 , the second transparent resin layer 4 a , the green color phosphor layer 14 , the third transparent resin layer 4 b , and the blue color phosphor layer 15 are obtained . with this structure , it is possible to realize a white led with restricted light absorption between colors of phosphor . | 7 |
the invention describes methods of making polymer / wool composites . instead of using expensive fibers such as carbon fibers , and relatively expensive ones such as glass fibers , sheep &# 39 ; s wool was used as a natural fiber to unexpectedly increase the strength of polymer matrices . the wool reinforcing fibers are often encountered as waste , which is produced in huge quantities , especially in saudi arabia during the annual season of hajj , when pilgrimage and non - pilgrimages are performed by sacrificing sheep and the like . thus , the present invention is advantageous in not only incorporating less expensive fibers as suitable for reinforcing polymer matrices , but also in providing an avenue for waste disposal . the prepared polymer / natural wool composites are demonstrated to have excellent mechanical properties . for instance polymer composites based on up to 15 wt % of the wool fibers can raise the strength three - fold as compared to the unreinforced polymers . polymeric matrices useful in this invention are melt processable thermoplastics , e . g . polystyrene ( ps ), polyethylene ( pe ), polypropylene ( pp ), polyester , polyethylene terephthalate ( pet ), polycarbonate , acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene ( abs ), thermoplastic elastomers , ethylenepropylenediene ( epdm ), polyacrylates , polyvinylchloride ( pvc ), and polyamide . however thermosets , such as epoxies , vinyl esters , polybenzoxazine , and polyimides may also be used . the orientation of wool fibers in the polymer matrices according to the present invention is not particularly limited . for example , fig1 a and 1b illustrate differing geometries for woven , continuous wool fibers disposed in a polymer matrix , and fig1 c illustrates a geometry for chopped wool fibers disposed in a polymer matrix . sheep &# 39 ; s wool fiber as it is received is depicted in fig2 , and has a diameter of between about 30 to about 150 micrometers , in lengths from about 30 mm and about 100 mm . upon receipt , the wool can be used as - is , or chopped into smaller pieces , such as from about 0 . 1 mm and about 1 mm in length . advantageously , either the chopped wool fibers or the continuous wool fibers are incorporated into a polymer melt or solution at levels from about 1 wt % to about 15 wt %, or from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt %, or even from about 5 wt % to about 10 wt %, based on the total weight of the polymer / fiber composite , in order to achieve the benefits of the present invention . methods of composite preparation include , but are not limited to solution casting , melt blending , solution blending , etc . those skilled in the art know that thermosetting polymers are not generally melt processable , and therefore when making composites according to the present invention with thermosetting polymers , solution casting or solution blending methods can be used , wherein the thermosetting polymer is dissolved in a suitable solvent prior to blending with the fibers . as previously stated , significant increases in various mechanical properties can be achieved according to the present invention . for example , in fig6 it is noted that izod impact strength ( astm d - 256 ) increases significantly for polymer matrices having chopped wool fibers incorporated therein , as compared to the unblended polymer . according to the data in fig6 , unblended polystyrene has an izod impact strength of only about 20 j / m ; but a polystyrene matrix having 5 wt % chopped wool fiber loading demonstrates an increase in izod impact strength to greater than about 25 j / m , up to about 26 j / m , and when 15 wt % chopped fibers are blended with the polystyrene , the izod impact strength increases to greater than about 40 j / m , even to about 42 j / m . fig7 demonstrates even greater increases in izod impact strength for polymer matrices blended with continuous wool fibers , as compared to the unblended polymer . again , the unblended polystyrene has an izod impact strength of only about 20 j / m ; but a polystyrene matrix having 5 wt % continuous wool fiber loading demonstrates an increase in izod impact strength up to about 32 j / m , and when 15 wt % continuous wool fibers are blended with the polystyrene , the izod impact strength increases to about 65 j / m . however , increased izod impact strength is not the only benefit of the present invention . fig8 demonstrates significant increases in tensile strength ( astm d - 1708 ) of polymer matrices blended with a little as 5 wt % chopped wool fibers , as compared to the unblended polymer . unblended polyethylene demonstrates a tensile strength of only about 18 . 75 mpa , whereas a polyethylene matrix containing as little as 5 wt % chopped wool fiber loading demonstrates an increase in tensile strength up to above 20 mpa . the following examples are provided by way of illustration and are not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limiting to the claimed invention . wool was chopped into small size fibers ( approximately 0 . 1 - 1 mm in length ) using a grinder with blade cutter suitable for fibrous materials ( ika mf 10 grinder was used ). general purpose polystyrene in pellet form was ground into small particles (˜ 0 . 5 mm ). the chopped wool fibers and polystyrene particles were dry mixed and fed to a lab mini extruder for the preparation of polymer / wool molten blends . the extrudates were dried in a vacuum oven overnight and then molded into samples suitable for izod impact and tensile strength tests according to astm d - 256 and astm d - 1708 , respectively . fig4 depicts a mixture of chopped fibers in a polymer matrix . the same procedure as in example 1 was performed , but the polymer used was high density polyethylene ( hdpe ). wool fibers ( continuous ) and polystyrene powder were put in a mold with dimensions of 100 cm × 100 cm × 3 . 5 mm ( l × w × d ) and melted under compression using a hot press . the resulting sheet was cut into samples for izod impact strength measurements . d was the thickness of the mold . fig5 depicts a blended matrix of polymer and continuous fibers . the same procedure as in example 3 was conducted , but the polymer used was high density polyethylene ( hdpe ). the foregoing examples have been provided for the purpose of explanation and should not be construed as limiting the present invention . while the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment . changes may be made , within the purview of the appended claims , without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its aspects . also , although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular materials and embodiments , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein ; rather , the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures , methods and uses , such as are within the scope of the appended claims . | 2 |
referring now to the drawings , a sliding window assembly embodying the principles of the present invention is illustrated in fig1 and generally designated at 10 . as its primary components , the window assembly 10 includes a pair of stationary windows 12 , 14 , a pair of guide rails 16 , 18 , a moveable window 20 and a screen assembly 22 . the entire window assembly 10 , is mounted as the rear window , i . e . as a back light window , in a pick - up truck or other vehicle ( not shown ). the stationary windows 12 , 14 are supported within a frame 24 or other structure utilized to mount the assembly 10 in window frame of the pick - up truck . in general , the stationary windows 12 , 14 are spaced apart and located on opposing ends of the window assembly 10 so as to include portions defining an opening 26 centrally therebetween . while the stationary windows 12 , 14 may be formed as individual panes of glass , or other transparent material , the stationary windows 12 , 14 can be formed as a unitary structure , as seen in fig1 and 2 , with the opening 26 centrally formed therein . the moveable window 20 is mounted with respect to the stationary windows 12 , 14 such that the moveable window 20 can selectively cover or uncover the opening 26 . as illustrated in fig1 , the moveable window 20 is in a “ closed ” position covering the opening 26 . as seen in fig2 , the moveable window 20 is in an “ open ” position where the opening 26 is uncovered . in order to mount the moveable window 20 and to permit the desired movement between the closed and open positions , the moveable window 20 is supported by the guide rails 16 , 18 . the guide rails 16 , 18 are each permanently affixed to the stationary windows 12 , 14 by means of adhesive or other conventional fastening techniques . generally , the guide rails 16 , 18 are mounted horizontally with respect to the window assembly 10 and are oriented parallel to one another . the guide rails 16 , 18 are each three walled structures , having side walls 19 connected by a base wall 21 so as to define a channel 28 into which the moveable window 20 is slidingly received . accordingly , the mounting of the guide rails 16 , 18 to the stationary windows 12 , 14 is such that the channels 28 of each guide rail 16 , 18 are counter - facing one another . when moved into the open position , the moveable window 20 engages stops 30 fixedly received in the end of the guide rails 16 , 18 so as to prohibit further movement of the moveable window 20 . in this position , the trailing edge 32 of the moveable window 20 is located at a position beyond or outside of the opening 26 . in order to prevent debris from entering into the occupant compartment of the vehicle through the opening 26 when the moveable window 20 is in its open position , the vent screen 22 is provided in such a manner that a screen panel 34 is moved over the opening 26 as the moveable window 20 is moved to its uncovered or open position . conversely the screen panel 34 is automatically retracted or spooled when the moveable window 20 is moved to its covered or closed position over the opening 26 . to accomplish the above , the vent screen 22 includes a roller shaft 36 to which one end 38 of the screen panel 34 is permanently mounted . the roller shaft 36 is supported in a housing 40 so as to be rotatable with respect to the housing 40 . also located within the housing 40 is a biasing member 42 . the biasing member 42 provides a rotational biasing force between the housing 40 and roller shaft 36 causing the roller shaft 36 to rotate relative to the housing 40 . support of the roller shaft 36 within the housing 40 can be achieved in any manner that will permit and enable rotation of the roller shaft 36 relative to the housing 40 . as seen in fig4 , the biasing member 42 is a coil spring , the inner end 44 of which is secured to the roller shaft 36 and the outer end 46 of which is secured to the housing 40 . under the influence of the biasing member 42 , the screen panel 34 is accordingly spooled or wound onto the roller shaft 36 . to enable entrance of the screen panel 34 into the housing 40 , a slot 48 is provided in the housing 40 . the vent screen 22 may be supported in various ways with respect to the moveable window 20 . in one embodiment , the vent screen 22 may be fixedly mounted or removeably mounted to the stationary window 12 at a location adjacent to the opening 26 . in another embodiment , and as illustrated in the figures , the vent screen 22 is removeably mounted between the guide rails 16 , 18 . in mounting the screen assembly 22 to the guide rails 16 , 18 , the ends of the guide rails 16 , 18 adjacent to the opening 26 are provided with apertures 50 in the sidewall 19 thereof . the vent screen 22 is provided , on opposing ends thereof , with an end block 52 . the end blocks 52 are mounted to the housing 40 and are profiled so as to enable them to be received within the channels 28 of the guide rails 16 , 18 . the retaining of the end blocks 52 within the channels 28 , the end blocks 52 are further provided with spring biased plungers 54 . the spring biased plungers 54 are of a conventional construction and are located on the end blocks 52 so as to correspond with the apertures 50 in the guide rails 16 , 18 and so as to be biased into engagement therewith as the end blocks 52 are slid into the channels 28 . when located in the guide rails 16 , 18 , the end blocks 52 also operate as end stops limiting movement of the moveable window 20 in the direction thereof . obviously , to remove the vent screen 22 from the remainder of the window assembly 10 , the plungers 54 are depressed and the vent screen 22 is slid in a lateral direction ( to the left in fig1 and 2 ) out of the ends of the guide rails 16 , 18 . as previously stated , one end 38 of the screen panel 34 is secured to the roller shaft 36 . the opposing end 56 of the screen panel 34 is attached to the moveable window 20 , adjacent to the trailing edge 32 . this end 56 of the screen panel 34 can be secured to the moveable window 20 in a variety of ways , including permanently adhering this end 56 to the moveable window 20 . in a preferred construction , however , this end 56 of the screen panel 34 is removeably attached to the moveable window 20 . one such possible construction for the removable attachment of the screen panel 34 to the moveable window 20 is seen in fig3 . as seen therein , the end 56 of the screen panel 34 is provided with a stay 58 or other reinforcing member . the stay may be constructed in a number of ways , including two pieces of plastic snap - fit together with the end 56 of the screen panel 34 impinged and retained therebetween . in order to mount the stay 56 to the moveable window 20 , corresponding portions of snaps 60 , or any other releasable fasteners , are respectively provided on the stay 58 and on the moveable window 20 . in this manner , when it is desired to have access through the opening 26 of the window assembly 10 , the screen panel 34 may be disconnected from the moveable window 20 by disengaging the corresponding portions of the snaps 60 located on the stay 58 and the moveable window 20 . with the snaps 60 disconnected , the screen panel 34 , under the influence of the biasing member 42 , will be spooled into the housing 40 and onto the roller shaft 36 . preferably , the stay 58 is sized such that upon full winding of the screen panel 34 onto the roller shaft 37 , the stay will engage the housing 40 adjacent to the slot 48 , being too large to pass through the slot 48 . as a person skilled in the art will readily appreciate , the above description is meant as an illustration of implementation of the principles this invention . this description is not intended to limit the scope or application of this invention in that the invention is susceptible to modification , variation and change , without departing from spirit of this invention , as defined in the following claims . | 1 |
reference is now made to fig2 which is a block diagram that schematically illustrates a software structure 30 for jtapi application support with a hybrid provider model , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the structure shown in fig2 enables application 20 to operate simultaneously over multiple provider networks 22 , 32 , each with its respective telephony stack 24 , 34 , while using the standard jtapi application program interface 26 . ( although for simplicity of illustration , only two different provider networks 22 and 32 are shown in this figure , structure 30 is similarly capable of supporting three or more provider networks simultaneously , as will be apparent to those skilled in the art .) application 20 is unaware of the number and types of provider implementations that it is using and may comprise substantially any sort of jtapi application known in the art . because of the close similarity between the jtapi call control model and the jcc api specified by jain , a structure substantially identical to structure 30 may similarly be used to provide jcc application support . therefore , in the description of the embodiments shown in fig2 - 5 , references to jtapi should be understood as being equivalently applicable to jcc , unless specifically noted otherwise . structure 30 is typically implemented in a software package or packages running on a communications processor 29 , typically a suitable general - or special - purpose computer processor . this software may be downloaded to the appropriate processor in electronic form , over a network , for example , or it may alternatively be furnished on tangible media , such as cd - rom . processor 29 has communication interfaces 23 and 33 for communicating with networks 22 and 32 , respectively . the core of structure 30 is a generic jtapi layer 36 , which encapsulates the logic of the common functions that must be provided in order to support api 26 , regardless of the specific provider implementation . the design and operation of layer 36 are described in detail in u . s . patent applications ser . nos . 09 / 885 , 576 , 09 / 885 , 577 and 09 / 885 , 588 , which are assigned to the assignee of the present patent application , and whose disclosures are incorporated herein by reference . although the descriptions of the inventions made in these applications refer specifically to jain specifications , their extension to jtapi - based systems is straightforward , for the reasons explained above . generic jtapi layer 36 contains a kernel of the call model objects required by jtapi in an abstract , provider - independent form . these objects cover both the basic call control functions and , preferably , the optional features provided by jtapi extension packages , as well . each conventional jtapi call model component has a corresponding generic class in layer 36 , which implements the capabilities required by the component . the call model objects in the generic layer kernel respond to calls from api 26 and change their states in a consistent manner that is independent of the underlying supplier networks 22 , 32 that may be invoked by such calls . in addition , layer 36 contains a provider interface framework , with a well - defined api 38 for use by network service providers . this api is referred to herein as the java telephony service provider interface ( jtspi ). the objects in the provider interface bind the functions of api 38 to the generic call model objects in the kernel of layer 36 . to interact with generic layer 36 , network service providers write plug - in modules 40 , 42 , with methods that associate the elements of their respective telephony stacks 24 , 34 with the appropriate functions of api 38 . thus , plug - in 40 typically includes methods that associate the abstract objects used in connecting , answering and disconnecting calls in layer 36 , via the framework exposed at api 38 , with the signaling used for these functions in stack 24 of network 22 . unlike the conventional approach shown in fig1 structure 30 relieves the provider of the need to write the jtapi call model objects that actually implement these methods . jtspi api 38 also provides ( like jtapi api 26 ) optional functions that the network service provider can use to link the advanced features of the jtapi extension packages with the appropriate signaling functions in the telephony stack . for example , table i below shows some typical mappings between jtspi method calls or functions and the corresponding messages that are sent by plug - in 40 to a ss7 network ( such as a pstn ), using the ss7 isdn user part ( isup ) protocol . table ii shows some events that might be generated at jtspi api 38 in response to isup messages from network 22 . these events are processed by generic layer 36 and are passed on to application 20 via api 26 as appropriate . table i jtspi to isup mapping jtspi call isup message connectdestination iam destinationisringing acm answer anm release rel [ 0077 ] table ii isup to jtspi mapping isup message jtspi event iam incomingcallevent acm partyringingevent anm partyconnectedevent rel partyreleasedevent or partyfailureevent ( depending on cause code ) rsc partyfailureevent the above correspondences are listed here by way of example , and the extension of these lists to other functions , events and messages will be apparent to those skilled in the art . the operation of generic jtapi layer 36 in handling a call is thus independent of the choice of supplier networks 22 , 32 and the corresponding telephony stacks 24 , 34 that actually carry the call signaling . this paradigm allows the generic layer to handle hybrid calls , between networks 22 and 32 , in the same manner as it handles homogeneous calls within a single network . the choice of which network service providers to use ( and thus which plug - ins 40 , 42 to load ) for a particular call is made by a by a java telephony service management interface ( jtsmi ) component 43 of generic jtapi layer 36 . jtsmi component 43 communicates with a jtsmi plug - in 44 via a jtsmi api 46 . this api is used to pass call information , such as the telephone number of a called party , from layer 36 to jtsmi plug - in 44 , and to return instructions regarding selection of supplier plug - ins 40 , 42 from plug - in 44 to component 43 of layer 36 . in choosing the service providers , the jtsmi plug - in refers to a registry 48 , containing configuration files for each of the available service providers , which indicate the providers &# 39 ; respective capabilities . the jtsmi plug - in may also refer to programmable rules 50 , which associate particular service domains with corresponding providers and service types . registry 48 and rules 50 are typically held in a memory 49 that is accessed by processor 29 . jtsmi api 46 is provided in order to enable application developers to create and use their own structures of registry 48 and rules 50 , without being bound in advance by particular types of data structures or database programming languages . alternatively , the functions of jtsmi plug - in 44 may be incorporated into jtsmi component 43 , as long as the registry and rules observe a predefined structure required by the jtsmi component . jtsmi plug - in 44 may use the information in registry 48 and rules 50 in a large variety of different ways to resolve the service domain for each call and to choose the service providers accordingly , for example : address resolution , using the address ( typically the telephone number ) of the called party to choose the provider who is to carry the call . telephone area codes , for example , may be used to distinguish between pstn and voip carriers , or between different cellular network operators . protocol selection , depending on the communication protocol required to make the call . if a given network device has the ability to communicate using multiple different protocols , the jtsmi plug - in may choose a provider to use for a given call depending on the desired protocol for the call , for example , choosing to make the call over a pstn or ip network . resource requirements of application 20 , which may call on capabilities specified by jtapi extension packages that are not supported by all providers . in such a case , the jtsmi plug - in will choose only providers who have the required capabilities , according to registry 48 . time resolution , wherein the criteria for selection of a provider may vary depending on the time or day . for example , rules 50 may specify the choice of a voip provider during daytime hours , and a pstn provider in the evening and on weekends . the term “ service domain ,” according to which the jtsmi plug - in associates a call with a given provider , should thus be understood broadly to encompass any criterion or set of criteria that can be used to distinguish among types , classes or categories of telephony services for the purpose of choosing a service provider . the configuration files in registry 48 are input and updated by a system administrator using an external utility program , referred to as a registry manager 52 . the configuration files include a main configuration file ( genjtapi . cfg ), which lists the services available and their corresponding configuration files . every service has a corresponding plug - in 40 , 42 that can be loaded . for each available service plug - in , there is a service configuration file , which holds information about the names of the jtspi and jtsmi classes for the service provider , preferably in the form of a xml file that specifies the mapping between providers and class names . either the service configuration file or the main configuration file also contains the name of a resource configuration file for each provider record . table iii below lists a sample service configuration file for an isup plug - in , written in xml , by way of example . this file , named uisup . xml , contains general purpose configuration attributes , logging configuration attributes , and a list of remote point codes ( in accordance with ss7 network standards ) that manage circuits : table iii service configuration file for isup service & lt ; service isupvariat =“ a7 ” noanswer =“ 0 ” locapc =“ 10 - 1 - 1 ” node =“ a7nl ” host =“ localhost ” spn =“ 0 ” prefix =“ 06 ” maxactvconns =“ 100 ” addresstype =“ 4 ”& gt ; & lt ; pointcodes & gt ; & lt ; pointcode rpc =“ 10 - 1 - 2 ” prefix =“ 04 ”& gt ; & lt ; circuitid start =“ 1 ” end =“ 4 ” usage =“ outgoing ”/& gt ; & lt ; circuitid start =“ 5 ” end =“ 8 ” usage =“ incoming ”/& gt ; & lt ; circuitid start =“ 9 ” end =“ 12 ” usage =“ both ”/& gt ; & lt ; circuitid start =“ 13 ” end =“ 24 ” usage “ incoming ”/& gt ; & lt ;/ pointcode & gt ; & lt ;/ pointcodes & gt ; & lt ; log name =“ jtpsilog ” value =“ true ”/& gt ; & lt ;/ service & gt ; a “ plugin ” tag for this service should be added to the main configuration file , typically having the general form shown below in table iv : table iv plugin tag for isup service & lt ; plugin classname =“ jtspi . uisup . uisupproviderplugin ” servicename =“ uisup ” configdata =“ conf / uisup . xml ”& gt ; & lt ; resourcefile classname =“ jtapi . util . xmlresourceisup ” configdata =“ conf / uisupaddr . xml ”/& gt ; & lt ;/ plugin & gt ; the resource configuration files in registry 48 define local endpoints that are associated with each service provider and service domain . the endpoints are defined in terms of both their addresses ( such as telephone numbers ) and their terminal identification , in accordance with jtapi convention . thus , each record in the resource configuration file includes the endpoint address name , along with the list of associated terminal names , as well as the service provider and resource requirements , for use by jtsmi plug - in 44 in service provider selection , as described above . in addition to the addresses , the end - point information may include alias addresses ( such as 1 - 800 numbers ), owner id , location of endpoints ( for wireline communications ) and dynamic updates , such as presence and location information for both wireline and wireless communications . this information may be dynamically updated under the control of registry manager 52 . upon initialization of a communication device based on structure 30 , a jtapiarranger class in generic layer 36 starts loading the main configuration file . as a result of this operation , the above - mentioned configuration structures are created and registered in a single instance of a jtsmiregistry class . jtapi provider instances are then created for each specific service . this operation starts with creating provider service object adapters for each registered specific implementation of a providerservice class . then , a new instance of the jtapi provider class is created and initialized , using an identifier string passed by the application . at runtime , the service domain for each endpoint is resolved by a domainmanager class of jtsmi component 43 , which tests the endpoint against particular service domain characteristics . this testing is performed using specific implementations of an abstract managerservice class , which are created by each specific service provider to enable testing of endpoints against its service domain . [ 0094 ] fig3 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates a hybrid conference bridge 60 , based on the principles described above , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . bridge 60 comprises a suitable host computer with interfaces to a variety of different communication networks including , in the present example , pstn 66 and an ip network 78 . conference signaling is handled by a teleconferencing application 62 running on the bridge , while media transcoding between networks 66 and 78 is performed by a media gateway 74 , as is known in the art . a first caller initiates a teleconference by dialing in to gateway 60 from a telephone 64 via pstn 66 . the incoming call is handled by a pstn provider plug - in 68 . by interacting with application 62 using telephone 64 , the first caller inputs the addresses of two additional conference participants : one participant who will use a telephone 70 to communicate via pstn 66 , and another who will use a computer 76 to communicate via ip network 78 . typically , the address of telephone 70 is simply its telephone number , while that of computer 76 may be an ip address or a voip telephone number . application 62 passes the addresses of telephone 70 and computer 76 via generic jtapi layer 36 to jtsmi plug - in 44 . the jtsmi plug - in checks registry 48 and determines that a pstn provider plug - in 72 is required to handle telephone 70 , while a voip provider plug - in 80 is required for computer 76 . layer 36 loads the required plug - ins dynamically , as part of setting up the call . each leg of the call thus has its own plug - in instance , which may be of any type for which registry 48 contains a suitable entry . if another participant joins the teleconference in progress , the appropriate provider plug - in for the new participant will be loaded in like manner . from the point of view of the kernel functions of layer 36 , however , all the legs of the call function identically . based on the different service types that it has resolved for the different participants , jtsmi plug - in 44 instructs media gateway 74 on the proper transcoding to be applied to the media stream that is output to each participant . [ 0097 ] fig4 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates a mobile telephone 90 , which uses generic jtapi layer 36 in accessing two different wireless networks 92 and 94 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . in this respect , telephone 90 can be viewed as a sort of “ single - line gateway .” in the present example , it is assumed that networks 92 and 94 use different air interfaces , so that telephone 90 is equipped with different telephony stacks 98 and 100 , in accordance with the respective protocols used in the two networks . for example , network 92 may be an is - 95 network with a code division multiple access ( cdma ) air interface , while network 94 is a gsm network using a time division multiple access ( tdma ) air interface . telephony stacks 98 and 100 for the two air interfaces are linked to the generic jtapi layer by respective provider plug - ins 102 and 104 . to place a call , a user of telephone 90 inputs the destination address of the call , typically a cellular telephone number or a wireless access protocol ( wap ) uniform resource identifier ( uri ). a telephony application 96 passes the address to the jtsmi plug - in ( omitted from this figure for simplicity ), in order to determine which network should be used to place the call . cellular telephone numbers , for example , generally have an area code or prefix that identifies the cellular service provider . based on the identification of the service provider returned by the jtsmi plug - in , generic jtapi layer 36 loads provider plug - in 102 to communicate with a subscriber 106 on network 92 , or provider plug - in 104 to communicate with a subscriber 108 on network 94 . alternatively or additionally , the jtsmi plug - in may select the network to use based on the time of day or other criteria , so as to take advantage of discount rates offered by the different cellular providers at different times , for example . the user of telephone 90 may thus realize substantial savings on telephone bills by making each call automatically over the most advantageous network . [ 0099 ] fig5 is a block diagram that schematically illustrates a contact center 110 ( also referred to as a call center ) that supports hybrid calls , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . typically , an agent station in the contact center comprises a computer 112 and a telephone 114 . the telephone is configured to place and receive calls via a private branch exchange ( pbx ) switch 116 . the agent may also receive voip calls , as well as e - mail and text chat communications , via a gateway 118 . incoming calls are handled by a computer telephony integration ( cti ) server 120 , which decides to whom such calls should be routed based on a database 122 that it maintains of the agents &# 39 ; skills and availability . the elements of contact center 110 are interconnected by a local area network ( lan ) 124 . further aspects of the operation of contact center 110 and agent stations associated therewith are described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 09 / 896 , 107 , which is assigned to the assignee of the present patent application , and whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference . in order to route calls to agents in the contact center and to track handling of calls by the agents , cti server 120 communicates with a call center application 128 running on computer 112 of each agent . computer 112 and telephone 114 are preferably configured so that the telephone functions both as an extension of pbx 116 for calls on pstn 66 and as a handset for voip calls on network 78 . further preferably , application 128 provides the agent with on - screen information regarding both pstn and voip calls that the agent is conducting , and tracks the status of both types of calls for reporting to cti server 120 . to facilitate these functions , application 128 interacts with generic jtapi layer 36 , which is able to load both a pstn plug - in 130 and a voip plug - in 132 . this software structure enables call center application 128 to handle voice calls transparently , with substantially identical functionality , regardless of whether the calls are carried over pstn 66 or ip network 78 . the contact center agent can also use application 128 to carry out hybrid pstn / voip calls . for example , if during a pstn call with a customer using telephone 70 , the agent decides it would be desirable to involve a supervisor in the discussion , he can conference in the supervisor by opening a voip link over lan 124 to a terminal 126 used by the supervisor . in this case , generic jtapi layer 36 loads pstn plug - in 130 to handle the customer leg of the call , following which voip plug - in 132 is dynamically loaded to handle the supervisor leg . although preferred embodiments are described herein with particular reference to the jtapi and jain specifications and call models , the principles embodied in structure 30 may similarly be applied using other abstract call models and interface conventions , including ( though not limited to ) the conventions of the above - mentioned tapi 3 . 0 specification . for example , structure 30 may be adapted to work with the call model and interfaces of the intelligent network application protocol ( inap ). it will thus be appreciated that the preferred embodiments described above are cited by way of example , and that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove . rather , the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove , as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not disclosed in the prior art . | 7 |
the tubular filtering assembly is illustrated in a top end view in fig3 . this arrangement serves for filtration of fluids , and includes a zigzag — or pleat — folded filter mat 10 . filter mat 10 , which is not shown in greater detail , is of a multiple - layer construction and can , for example , be of the following layer construction in sequence from the exterior into the interior : 1 . metal wire netting or plastic netting or plastic lattice construction with network structure , 2 . polyester material , 3 . fiberglass mat or melt - blown material , 4 . fiberglass mat or melt - blown material , 5 . paper material or polyester material , 6 . high quality steel - polyester - mix netting , and 7 . metal wire netting or cloth or plastic netting or cloth , or plastic lattice construction with network structure . a metal support tube 12 is provided for support of filter mat 10 in the interior of the filtering assembly . tube 12 is provided with fluid apertures , ( not shown ). the two ends 14 of filter mat 10 joined to one another extend at an acute angle relative to one another , and are of somewhat shorter length than the length of the adjacent folds of filter mat 10 . depending upon the layer materials being used , tubular filter mat 10 is more or less flexible . the pleated filter strips can be laid one atop the other , as is shown in fig1 and 4 , solely as an example . support tube 12 consequently gives filter mat 10 a certain support and defines its position in the subsequently constructed filtering assembly . a connection device , indicated in its entirety as 16 , fixes the ends 14 of filter mat 10 which are adjoining one another . connection device 16 , as shown in the drawing , at least partially overlaps ends 14 . connection device 16 is configured as a connection strip in the form of a clip 18 . when thrust on filter mat ends 14 , clip 18 holds these ends together throughout a thermal welding process . without additional welding , clip 18 in melted state is connected non - detachably with filter mat ends 14 . connection device 16 in the form of connection clip 18 , preferably is formed of a polyamide or polyester material which has excellent thermal welding properties . in the drawings , the individual layers of filter mat 10 for simplicity are represented simply as layered unit 20 . in fig2 and 5 the lattice - like metal wire netting arranged outermost on the mat is indicated with reference 22 . as shown particularly in fig1 and 2 , the plastic or connection clip 18 is thrust with its two free surrounding arms 24 onto the free ends 14 of filter mat 10 , and holds these parts together by means of its inherent elasticity . the two surrounding arms 24 of clip 18 are connected with one another by means of a curved connection piece or bight 26 . connection piece 26 , because of the surrounding arms 24 extending in alignment with one another in this area , forms a definite contact for the free ends 14 of filter mat 10 . in this manner , it is guaranteed that the two ends 14 end at approximately the same point and are in definitive contact with one another for the welding process provided thereafter , to be described hereinafter . because of the inherent elasticity of clip 18 , these filter mat ends can be given a definite structural option in the area of the surrounding arms 24 , and at , but not in , the curved contact area of connection piece 26 . plastic clip 18 is then optimized , so that the free thrust - on opening for filter mat ends 14 is maintained somewhat smaller than the width of the two filter mat ends 14 lying one over the other . because of the plastic elasticity ratio of clip 18 , a pressing contact of free filter mat ends 14 with one another occurs . a particularly cost - favorable feature for manufacture of clip 18 is that it is comparable with filter mat 10 in that the filter mat is formed of folded or pleated curvatures which are separate from one another , and thus , in turn end in a longitudinal clip 18 . to not impair the thrust - on capability of filter mat ends 14 , clip 18 , in the area of the free ends of the two surrounding arms 24 , is provided with a curved auxiliary feed device 28 inclined or angled outward toward the exterior . plastic clip 18 is thermally deformed during the welding process , and at that time , is provided with an embossment 30 ( see fig5 ) corresponding essentially to the lattice - like structure of metal wire netting 22 . in other words , the thermally deformed plastic material of clip 18 penetrates into the open spaces within the wire lattice structure , so that a particularly tight connection is attained . that connection is still further sustained in that the layered unit 20 , which likewise is at least partially of plastic materials , is welded together with clip 18 . an ultrasonic welding process is preferably used for the welding of filter mat ends 14 together with connection device 16 . however , other thermal welding processes could also be used . as is shown especially in fig3 , the lengthwise ratios in any case in the area of the connection seam are selected so that connection device 16 as seen from a radial viewpoint ends along the radial exterior periphery of filter mat 10 . with clip 18 in a molten state , filter mat ends 14 are then embedded therein , so that a non - detachable permanent connection is extant for the subsequent filtration using filter mat 10 and / or using the filtering assembly . the aforementioned embossment 30 can occur along one surrounding arm 24 or along both surrounding arms 24 . the ultrasonic welding device 32 with which the thermal welding process can be performed is shown in fig4 . the ultrasonic welding device includes a strip - like sonotrode 34 for the welding process . the sonotrode can be displaced in the direction of the arrow in fig4 from a starting position and moved in the direction toward the welding material in the form of longitudinal seam clip 18 during a welding process . for the welding process , filter mat 10 with its filter folds as shown in fig4 has one end lying atop the other . then , the welding of filter mat ends 14 with clip 18 is undertaken , following the mounting of clip 18 . the resulting welding process can be simplified by auxiliary handling aids . however , it is also possible to manually feed filter mat 10 into welding device 32 . following termination of the welding process , sonotrode 34 is raised again , and a weld seam construction is obtained as shown in fig5 . filter mat 10 is then brought into tubular formation and is mounted on support tube 12 for the further manufacturing processes regarding the filtering assembly . as a result of the welding process , the welded edge is sealed to prevent fiber migration , so that glass fibers , for example from the filter medium , are retained in filter mat 10 . clip 18 is of such dimensions in relation to the plastic volume required that in any case the connection can be produced without additional welding . the filter mat of the present invention , as well as the device for the manufacture of such a filtering assembly , facilitate rational manufacture without use of connecting adhesive material , such as epoxy resin adhesive , so that there is no down time for the hardening of the adhesive . also , the filter mat or the filtering assembly can be further processed directly following its manufacture . while an embodiment has been chosen to illustrate the invention , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
with reference now to fig1 and 2 , one technique for providing tactile feedback in a surface keyboard is depicted . fig1 is a vertical view of a surface keyboard 100 . fig2 is a cross - section view of surface keyboard 100 . surface keyboard 100 includes numerous key regions 101 . as used herein , the term “ key ” may also refer to the key regions 101 , although in a surface keyboard there is actually no mechanical key . rather , sensing circuitry 111 disposed beneath the surface cover 112 detects an object , such as a user &# 39 ; s finger , in contact or close proximity with the key regions 101 and outputs the corresponding letter , number , or symbol to a host computer or other device ( not shown ). the key layout shown in fig1 is a slightly modified qwerty layout , which has been ergonomically designed to provide a more comfortable typing position . key regions 101 are arranged in a plurality of rows . as known to touch typists , the row of keys containing the letters “ asdf ” on the left - hand side and “ jkl ;” on the right - hand side are known as the home row 102 . the home row is so called because a touch typist will keep the four fingers of each hand over these characters when a finger is not reaching for a key in another row . adjacent rows 103 are the rows immediately adjacent , for example , the rows containing “ qwer ” and “ zxcv .” the remaining rows are known as peripheral rows 104 , for example , the row of number keys . one mechanism to provide more robust tactile feedback for a user of a surface keyboard is to stamp two horizontally aligned dots 105 at the center of each home row key 106 . similarly , two vertically aligned dots 107 may be stamped on each adjacent key 108 . finally , a single dot 109 may be stamped on peripheral keys 110 . because the home row keys feel different than all other keys , home row 102 may be easily found without looking when sliding hands over the surface . the two vertical dots 107 on adjacent keys 108 in turn help distinguish their feel from peripheral number and punctuation keys having only one raised dot 110 . it will be appreciated that the particular arrangement of dots could vary from that described . for example , a single dot could be used to mark home row keys 102 , with two horizontal dots used for adjacent keys 103 and two vertical dots used for peripheral keys 104 . all that is required is that one unique tactile feedback mechanism , such as raised dots , be used for home row keys , while another is used for adjacent and / or peripheral keys . it is not required that the adjacent keys and peripheral keys employ different tactile feedback mechanisms , although it may be preferable to do so . moreover , the tactile feedback mechanism need not be limited to raised dots . in a variation of this technique , shown in plan - view in fig3 and in cross - section in fig4 , the a raised dot pair is replaced with a raised “ hyphen ,” i . e ., a short bar 113 . the short bars 113 may be , for example , arranged horizontally ( 113 a ) at the centers of home row keys 106 and vertically ( 113 b ) on keys adjacent to home row 102 . peripheral keys 110 may include a single raised dot 109 . other shapes , such as squares , circles , triangles , etc . could also be used so long as the arrangements used for home row keys 102 are distinct from those used for the adjacent keys 103 and / or peripheral keys 104 . these embodiments may be less desirable than a raised dot pair in terms of efficient tactility and minimizing sensor distortion . however , these raised bars or other shapes may be more aesthetically pleasing than raised dot pairs . it should also be noted that , although the tactile feedback arrangement described above has particular applicability to surface keyboards , it could also be used in conjunction with traditional mechanical / electromechanical keyboards . additionally , although described in terms of the traditional qwerty keyboard , the techniques may also be applied to other keyboard layouts , such as dvorak keyboard , foreign language keyboards , court reporting machine keyboards , and other keyboard - like input devices . an alternative technique for providing tactile feedback in a surface keyboard will now be described with respect to fig5 , 6 , and 7 . fig5 and 6 depict a cross - section view of the keyboard , while fig7 depicts a plan view . as illustrated in fig5 and 6 , the surface keyboard 200 comprises a plurality of layers including an enclosure base 201 , the electrode circuit board 202 , and the surface cover 203 . details of the construction of these devices are described in the various incorporated references and are not repeated here . additionally , the keyboard 200 includes an articulating frame 204 , which is disposed beneath the circuit board 202 . the articulating frame 204 may be raised and lowered by actuators 205 , which preferably take the form of electromagnetic actuators . raising and lowering the articulating frame extends and withdraws key edge ridges 206 , which are dots or bars that poke through the keyboard surface when extended . electromagnetic actuators 205 would raise the frame when operating in a typing mode such that the tops of the key edge ridges 206 are about 1 mm above the surface cover 203 . the electromagnetic actuators 205 would lower the frame when operating in a pointing / gesture mode such that the tops of the key edge ridges 206 are flush with surface cover 203 , thereby providing a substantially smooth surface for pointing and gesturing . although electromagnetic actuators 205 are depicted as being disposed beneath the frame and above the enclosure bottom , they may be disposed in any arrangement that allows them to suitably displace the frame 204 and key edge ridges 206 . preferably , each key edge comprises one to four distinct bars or braille - like dots . when constructed in conjunction with a capacitive multi - touch surface , the key edge ridges should separated to accommodate the routing of the drive electrodes , which may take the form of rows , columns , or other configurations . as an alternative to key edge ridges 206 , the frame could cause braille - like dots or similar markers , as discussed above with respect to fig1 - 4 to protrude through the key centers , although this arrangement would potentially interfere with touch detection and measurement because it would require mechanical devices in proximity to the key center , which is a preferred sensor location . in yet another alternative arrangement , articulating frame 204 could be disposed above the electrode circuit board 202 , although the added separation between the surface cover 203 and the circuit board 202 could complicate the touch measurement and detection . the electromagnetic actuators may be located at the corners and / or center of the frame or distributed variously throughout the frame . selection of a particular position will necessitate the determination of a variety of design parameters , such as frame material strength , power routing , cost , etc ., all of which would be within the abilities of one skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure . the actuators 205 may be activated manually , for example , by touching the surface in a particular region , pressing a dedicated button , activating a switch , etc . alternatively , the actuators raise and lower the frame according to mode commands from gesture and typing recognition software , such as that described in the &# 39 ; 846 patent incorporated by reference above . specifically , the recognition software commands lowering of the frame when lateral sliding gestures or mouse clicking activity chords are detected on the surface . alternatively , when homing chords ( i . e ., placing the fingers on the home row ) or asynchronous touches ( typing activity ) is detected on the surface , the recognition software commands raising of the frame . various combinations or subsets of these recognition techniques could also be used . for example , the device may activate a typing mode when homing chords or asynchronous touches are detected and deactivate the typing mode if neither is detected for a some time interval . in this configuration the device effectively defaults to a pointing mode and switches to a typing mode when necessary . conversely , the device could activate a pointing mode when lateral sliding gestures or mouse clicking activity is detected and switch to a typing mode when these activities are not detected for some time interval . in any case , the frame will change modes automatically from lowered and flush ( pointing mode ) to poking through the surface ( typing mode ) as often as the operator switches between pointing and typing . of course , operators who did not like the automated behavior could manually toggle the frame state with a pre - assigned gesture . when extended , the key edge bars 206 provide similar tactile feel to a conventional mechanical key edge when the finger straddles two keys . however , this arrangement does not effectively simulate the concave depression common in mechanical keycaps , which helps a typists fingers sink towards the key center . obviously , the key edge bars 206 will only be felt if fingers touch way off key center . additionally , the holes in surface cover 203 through which the key edge bars 206 extend may collect dirt and grime . however , an extension of this arrangement may be used to address these concerns . illustrated in fig8 a and 8b is a variation of the articulating frame arrangement discussed above with respect to fig5 , 6 , and 7 . fig8 a shows the frame in the raised ( typing ) position , while fig8 b shows the frame in the lowered ( pointing , gesturing , etc .) position . in this embodiment , the bars of articulating frame 304 protrude through the circuit board 302 , but not through the surface cover 303 . when actuators 305 , disposed between enclosure base 301 and the articulating frame 304 raise frame 304 , the bars 306 lift the surface cover 303 , rather than poking through . by tacking the surface cover 303 to the circuit board 302 at the key centers , a concave keycap depression effect 307 will be created when the frame raises . this allows a users fingers to be guided toward the center of each key , much like a conventional keyboard . additionally , because there are no holes in the surface cover 303 , there is likely to be less accumulation of dirt and grime on the surface . obviously , such an arrangement requires a more supple cover material than the rigid lexan ( polycarbonate ) sheets often used as touchpad surfaces , but a variety of such materials are well known to those skilled in the art . yet another embodiment may extends the covered key edge bars and key center depressions while dispensing with the mechanical complexity of frame articulation . such an embodiment is illustrated in fig9 . the surface keyboard 400 comprises the familiar layers of an enclosure base ( not shown ), sensing circuit board 402 ( with electrodes 402 a ), and surface cover 403 . the surface cover sits atop a frame including a fixed network of hard key - edge ridges 404 , which are preferably raised about 0 . 5 - 1 mm above the sensing circuit board 402 . the gaps between the key edge ridges 404 are filled with a compliant gel or foam material 405 ( or possibly even air ) filling the key centers up to flush with the ridges . this arrangement allows the surface cover 303 to drape substantially perfectly flat , and remain flat when under light pressure , e . g ., that from a pointing or dragging operation . however , when a user presses a key center , the cover would give under their finger somewhat as the foam / gel / air material 405 is compressed , while a user pressing over a key edge would feel the hard ridge underneath . while this arrangement is electrically and mechanically simple ( with no active mechanical parts ), the surface cover and key filler materials must be chosen carefully to provide noticeable compression at key center yet be durable to wear . additionally , the sandwich of surface cover and foam could become too thick for the capacitive sensors to properly detect through . to overcome these deficiencies , the surface cover 303 itself could contain flex circuitry ( well known to those skilled in the art ) imprinted with a suitable electrode pattern , which would dispense with the necessity of the electrode layer 402 . many variations and / or combinations of the embodiments discussed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art . for example , as noted above , the articulating frame may be combined with the braille - like dots to form articulating braille - like dots . alternatively , the fixed braille - like dots may be combined with the articulating ridges described with reference to fig8 or with the compressible material of fig9 . it should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention . it is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations , permutations , combinations and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
referring now to the figures , fig1 show a preferred embodiment of the present invention . a “ tank assembly ” ( 1 ) as taught herein is a container , preferably constructed of multiple panels or pieces , that is substantially watertight and is suitable to be carried on a trailer assembly ( 3 ) as taught herein . a tank assembly ( 1 ) according to teachings of the present invention may be made of any material suitable to withstand the rigors of containing large amounts of fluid for storage and of withstanding the plurality of stresses that occur when transporting a large amount of fluid over the road or off - road . preferable materials include plastics , fiberglass , metals , and metal alloys , including most preferably high - strength stainless steel . a tank assembly ( 1 ) as taught herein may be of any shape that accommodates these purposes . in a preferred embodiment , as shown in fig1 , the tank assembly ( 1 ) is composed of multiple panels to make a generally rectangular structure . in a preferred embodiment , a tank assembly ( 1 ) is made of metal panels that are joined to create a substantially flat floor ( 7 ) suitable tor resting on a trailer assembly ( 3 ) as taught herein , substantially flat walls ( 5 ) suitable to contain fluid , and a substantially flat ceiling ( 9 ). each of the floor ( 7 ), ceiling ( 9 ), and each all ( 5 ) may be a single unified structure , or may each be made of a single panel , or , in the preferred embodiment disclosed in the figures , each of the floor ( 7 ), ceiling ( 9 ), and each wall ( 5 ) are made of multiple panels joined to each other . in these embodiments , panels forming the tank assembly ( 1 ) may be joined to each other by any method that results in a substantially watertight interface between panels , to render the resulting container suitable for the transport of fluids . in a preferred embodiment , panels are welded to each other to form substantially watertight connections . in this preferred embodiment , wall panels that join to the panels comprising the floor or the ceiling are joined to those floor or ceiling panels through bevel welds , as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art . alternatively , a tank assembly ( 1 ) may be made of a non - metallic material such as a plastic , resin , or fiberglass , and may be formed of a single piece , or may be formed in multiple pieces that are welded , mechanically connected , or bonded adhesively , as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art . a tank assembly ( 1 ) as taught herein can hold large amounts of fluid . in preferred embodiments , the tank assembly ( 1 ) has as maximum internal fluid capacity of more than 8400 gallons , more preferably more than 15 , 000 gallons , still more preferably more than 20 , 000 gallons , and most preferably more than 25 , 000 gallons . in the embodiments depicted in the figures , the tank assembly ( 1 ) has a maximum internal fluid capacity of 25 , 200 gallons . the tank assembly ( 1 ) further comprises at least one , and preferably a plurality , of access openings ( 11 ) to allow water to be pumped into and out of the tank assembly ( 1 ). while the access opening ( 11 ) may be located virtually an where through the surface of the tank assembly , there are preferably a plurality of access openings ( 11 ), and these plurality of access openings ( 11 ) are most preferably located in the ceiling , as shown in fig1 . an access opening ( 11 ) is preferably covered , and the cover is preferably hinged and is also preferably locked or lockable . the access opening ( 11 ) can be of virtually any shape or size suitable to the overall size of the tank assembly ( 1 ). in the preferred embodiment shown in fig1 , each access opening ( 11 ) is shaped to couple , or most preferably disengagably lock , to a hose or tube for filling or emptying of the tank assembly ( 1 ). while the tank assembly ( 1 ) is substantially watertight , it is not necessary for the tank assembly ( 1 ) as a whole to hold as vacuum with access openings ( 11 ) in an either open or closed position . in a preferred embodiment , the tank assembly ( 1 ) is filled or emptied by use of one or more hydraulic pumps ( 13 ). such hydraulic pumps ( 13 ) may be pieces of equipment separate from the frac tank of the present invention , or , preferably , may be mounted or connected to a frac tank of the present invention . through the use of hydraulic pumps ( 13 ), fluid may be transported into or out of the frac tank to locations more distant from the frac tank than are possible for prior art frac tanks , particularly those that operate under an internal vacuum . a tank assembly ( 1 ) herein comprises in part a first section ( 15 ). in a preferred embodiment , the first section ( 15 ) is that portion of the tank assembly ( 1 ) configured to rest substantially over the axles ( 17 ) of the trailer assembly ( 3 ). in a preferred embodiment , the first section ( 15 ) comprises a floor , walls , and a ceiling , the ceiling comprising a plurality of access openings ( 11 ). the tank assembly ( 1 ) herein further comprises a second section ( 19 ) in internal fluid connection with the first section ( 15 ). the second section ( 19 ) is that portion of the tank assembly ( 1 ) configured to rest substantially over the hitch portion ( 21 ) of the trailer assembly ( 3 ). the second section ( 19 ) is preferably smaller than the first section ( 1 ) in at least one external dimension . in as preferred embodiment , as shown in fig2 and 3 , the second section ( 19 ) is smaller than the first section ( 1 ) in the dimensions of width and height , such that the first section ( 1 ) and second section ( 19 ) have coplanar ceiling portions , but do not have coplanar wall or floor portions . the second section ( 19 ) may , in the preferred embodiments , be made of additional panels attached , preferably by welding , to each other and to the panels of the first section ( 1 ) to form the tank assembly ( 1 ) container section of the desired shape . in other embodiments , the second section ( 19 ) may be formed integrally with all or portion of the first section ( 1 ). the second section ( 19 ) preferably comprises at least one access opening ( 11 ), and most preferably comprises as plurality of access openings ( 11 ). although the at least one access opening ( 11 ) may be located in any suitable location on the second section , the preferred access opening ( 11 ) location is the second section ( 19 ) ceiling . the present invention further includes a trailer assembly ( 3 ) detachably attached to the tank assembly ( 1 ). a trailer assembly ( 3 ) as disclosed herein generally comprises a large platform with a top surface configured support the tank assembly ( 1 ), a bottom surface operatively connected to a plurality of axles ( 17 ), each of said axles ( 17 ) operatively connected at or near each end to one or more wheels , each of said wheels operatively connected to at least one suspension element ( 27 ), and a hitch portion ( 21 ) disposed at or near one end of the trailer assembly ( 3 ) comprising a mechanical connecting device for connection to a truck , tractor , or other vehicle . the trailer assembly ( 3 ) is made of a material , and in general configuration , suitable for hauling heavy loads by truck or tractor over - the - road and off - road . preferably , the trailer assembly ( 3 ) is detachably attached to the tank assembly ( 1 ). the trailer assembly ( 3 ) and tank assembly ( 1 ) may be detachably attached by straps , chains , interlocking parts , or other mechanical connections suitable to retain heavy loads during , transit , as would be apparent to one skilled in the art . in the preferred embodiment depicted herein , as shown in fig8 and 9 , the trailer assembly ( 3 ) comprises to first portion ( 23 ) that comprises a substantially flat horizontal surface configured to support the tank assembly first section ( 15 ) and further comprises one or more studs or protrusions configured to assist with detachable attachment of the tank assembly ( 1 ). this preferred embodiment further comprises a second portion ( 25 ) attached to the first portion ( 23 ), comprising a flat horizontal surface with an area smaller than the area defined by flat horizontal surface of the first portion ( 23 ), configured to support the tank assembly second section ( 19 ) and located higher from the ground than the first portion ( 23 ). thus each of the tank assembly first section ( 15 ) and tank assembly second section ( 19 ) are substantially fully supported by a portion of the trailer assembly ( 3 ). the trailer assembly second portion ( 25 ) is further attached to a hitch portion ( 21 ). the trailer assembly ( 3 ) further comprises a plurality of axles ( 17 ) operatively connected to the bottom surface of the first portion ( 23 ). as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art , an axle ( 17 ) can be operatively connected to the bottom surface of a trailer portion through a variety of known intermediary mechanical connections or fittings that permit desired rotation of the axle ( 17 ) while retaining the axle ( 17 ) firmly , including , by way of example , brackets , tabs , and holders , or , optionally , by operative connection to one or more wheels that are operatively connected to the trailer assembly ( 3 ). each of the plurality of axles ( 17 ) may constitute a one - piece axle or a split axle . to accommodate the weight of a full tank assembly ( 1 ) during over - the - road or off - road transit , the trailer assembly ( 3 ) of the present invention makes use of a plurality of axles ( 17 ), preferably eight or more . in a most preferred embodiment , as shown in fig6 , the trailer assembly ( 3 ) comprises ten axles ( 17 ) operatively connected to the trailer assembly ( 3 ). each of the plurality of axles ( 17 ) is operatively connected at each end to at least one wheel . as would be understood by one skilled in the art , an axle ( 17 ) can be operatively connected to a wheel directly , or through a variety of intermediary connections or fittings that enable sympathetic rotation of the wheel and axle , including , by way of example , ball or cv joints . in a preferred embodiment herein , at least some of the plurality of axles ( 17 ) comprise , a split axle permitting the wheel operatively connected to one end of the axle to engage in rotation , and movement other than rotation , independent of the wheel operatively connected to the other end of the axle . each of said wheels is operatively connected to at least one suspension element ( 27 ). as would be appreciated by one skilled in the art , virtually any suspension element ( 27 ) suitable for use in connection with a semi - truck trailer may be used within the scope and spirit of this invention . suitable suspension elements ( 27 ) include , by way of non - limiting example , leaf springs , coil springs , air springs , hydraulic shock absorbers , pneumatic shock absorbers , and magnetic shock absorbers . each wheel may be operatively connected to one or multiple suspension elements ( 27 ). in a preferred embodiment , each wheel is connected to both a primary and second suspension element ( 27 ). optionally , each of the plurality of axles ( 17 ) may be operatively connected to the same , or to different suspension elements ( 27 ) as are operatively connected to the wheels . the trailer assembly ( 3 ) further comprises on a hitch portion ( 21 ) attached to said second portion ( 25 ). the hitch portion ( 21 ) can comprise any mechanical hitch known to the art for connection of an over - the - road or off - road trailer to a semi - truck , pickup truck , or tractor . a hitch portion ( 21 ) may comprise , by way of non - limiting example , a socket hitch , a fifth wheel hitch , a gooseneck hitch , or a kingpin hitch . the hitch portion ( 21 ) is rigidly attached to the second portion ( 25 ). in a preferred embodiment , the hitch portion ( 21 ) is a kingpin hitch integral to the bottom surface of said second portion . in use , the frac tank of the present invention can be relatively quickly and conveniently hitched to a truck for over - the - road transport , can be hauled over the road safely at highway speeds , can be relatively quickly and conveniently transferred to a tractor for off - road transport to or from an oil field site , and can be hauled over uneven ground safely at normal off - road transport speeds . further , the frac tank of the present invention can safely perform each of these tasks when empty , when partially full , or when completely full . the frac tank of the present invention can further receive substantially greater volumes of fluid than frac tanks known the art . although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof other versions are possible . for example , materials , shapes , sizes , or configurations other than those described in detail herein may be used for the versions of this invention . therefore , the spirit and scope of the claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred versions described herein . | 1 |
referring now to fig2 - 4 , an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail hereinafter . fig2 illustrates an arrangement of a disc unit in accordance with the present invention . the same reference numerals are used to designate similar parts in both fig1 and 2 , so that the parts which have been already explained shall not be described in detail hereinafter . in fig2 two magnetic disc drive mechanisms 1x and 1y are connected to a data processing unit such as a computer . the embodiment of the present invention has such an arrangement that the mechanical portions of the discdrive mechanisms 1x and 1y , that is , the motors and sensors illustrated around each floppy disc ( 11 and 11 &# 39 ;), are independent , but are controlled commonly by a control circuit incorporated in the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1x . that is , the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1x is assembled as one unit in which an electronic circuit section , consisting of the read / write circuit 5a and the drive control circuit 6a connected to a plurality of magnetic disc drives ( mechanical portion ), and one mechanicalportion , substantially similar in arrangement to the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1y , are supported by a common base ( not shown ). on the other hand , the magnetic disc drive mechanisms 1y is a unit only comprising the mechanism portion . the arrangement of the control circuit incorporated in the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1x will be described in detail below . the connector 3 is substantially similar in arrangement and mode of operation to that described above with reference to fig1 and inputs or outputs the signals - transmitted through signal lines 15 - 18 . the interface 4 is substantially similar in arrangement to the conventional interfaces except that the interface 4 of fig2 has a dip switches for connecting two of four signal lines 16 to the signal lines 19x and 19y . in this embodiment , the read / write circuit 5a and the drive control circuit6a are so designed and arranged as to control the mechanial portion of the magnetic disc drive mechanisms 1x and 1y , and the magnetic disc drive mechanisms 1x and 1y are different in arrangement so that in order to mount the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1y detachably , the disc drive mechanism 1y is connected through electrical connection means 5b and 6b . in response to the state of the signal line 19x or 19y , the drive control circuit 6a controles the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1x or 1y to write data on or read data from the floppy disc 11 . in this case , in response tothe state of the signal line 19x or 19y , the drive control circuit 6a selects the magnet head 14 or 14 &# 39 ; through the read / write circuit 5a . the signals are exchanged between the selected magnetic head and the read / write circuit 5a . the read / write circuit 5a and the drive control circuit 6a must have such an arrangement that the signal delivered to the disc drive unit may be distributed to the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1x or 1y , and one of two signals from the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1x and 1y may be delivered to the data processing unit . in order to switch the input and output signals in the manner described above , the circuits shown in fig3 and 4may be used . referring to fig3 and gates 21x and 21y receive the signals transmitted through the signal lines 19x and 19y , respectively , and the input signal idelivered from the data processing unit apparatus is applied to both and gates 21x and 21y . the output from the and gate 21x is delivered to a predetermined member ( for instance , a motor ) of the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1x , while the output from the and gate 21y is delivered to the member of the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1y . fig4 illustrates a circuit for converting different output signals received from the magnetic disc drive mechanisms 1x and 1y , respectively , into a single to be delivered to the data processing unit . and gate 22x and 22y receive the signals transmitted respectively transmitted through the signal lines 19x and 19y , and also receive the signals ix , iy ( for instance , the output signals from the sensors ) delivered from the magneticdisc drive mechanisms ix and iy . the outputs from the and gates 22x and 22yare delivered to an or gate 23 to become the signal to be delivered to the data processing unit . the above - described circuits are designed and arranged based on positive logic , and thereby the signal received from the data processing unit can be distributed to the mechanical portions of the magnetic disc drive mechanisms 1x and 1y , and a suitable one of the signals delivered from themagnetic disc drive mechanisms 1x and 1y can be returned to the data processing unit . in the case of writing or reading , the control mode of the data processing unit is substantially similar to that of the conventional data processing unit . when one of the signal lines 16 is made active by applying a suitable selection signal one of the signal lines 19x and 19y is made active . therefore the drive control circuit 6a and the read / write circuit 5a select the mechanical portion of one of the magnetic disc drive mechanisms 1x and 1y so that the writing or reading operation can be carried out . in accordance with the embodiment discribed above , if two disc drive mechanisms are connected , the circuitry of the control system is shared sothat only one connector is needed . further , the read / write circuit 5a and the drive control circuit 6a can be constituted by merely adding signal converting circuits as shown fig3 and 4 to the conventional arrangement . thus , it has become possible to control two disc drive mechanisms by employing about half of the circuitry used in conventional disc units . another advantage is that the control mode of the data processing unit is the same as that of the conventional unit , so that no special control modeis required . the embodiment described above with reference to fig2 may be adapted for use in a system in which the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1y for instance , is an optional one which is installed when the user demands . in this case , the magnetic disc drive mechanism 1y may comprises only a mechanical mechanism , so that it can be made compact in size and light in weight and inexpensive in cost . thus , a user can obtain an additional magnetic disc mechanism at a reduced price . so far the control system has been described for controlling two magnetic disc drive mechanisms commonly , but it is to be understood that it may control three or more . the present invention has been described in detail with respect to preferred embodiments , and it will now be apparent from the foregoing to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects , and it is theintention , therefore , in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit of the invention . | 6 |
referring now to the drawings , an embodiment of the invention will be described in detail . the same parts having the same function are designated by the same reference numerals and are not explained again throughout the drawings showing the embodiments of the invention . one of the objects of the invention is to provide a heat exchanger that is easy to manufacture and resistant to fluid leakage with low fluid pressure losses . a heat exchanger of the invention comprises : a corrugated plate ; a base plate joined on one of surfaces of said corrugated plate ; a cover plate joined on other surface of said corrugated plate ; two types of fluid flow paths a and b defined by said corrugated plate , said base plate , and said cover plate along a longitudinal direction of said corrugated plate , said two types of fluid flow paths comprising a plurality of flow paths a defined by said one of surfaces of said corrugated plate and said base plate , and said plurality of flow paths b defied by other surface of said corrugated plate and said cover plate , said plurality of flow pats a and said plurality of flow paths b being formed separately from each other , one of upper end portions and lower end portions of said corrugated plate for forming the flow paths a , which are hermetically sealed by providing two corresponding slant surfaces , and other one of the upper end portions and lower end portions of said corrugated plate for forming the flow paths b , which are hermetically sealed by providing two corresponding slant surfaces ; inlet ports for said fluid b being provided on one end portion of the corrugated plate which is the hermetically sealed side of the flow paths a , and inlet ports for said fluid a being provided on other end portion of the corrugated plate which is the hermetically sealed side of the flow paths b ; outlet ports for said fluid a and for said fluid b respectively being provided on opposite sides of said inlet ports for fluid a and fluid b , wherein heat is exchanged between fluid a and fluid b via the corrugated plate by supplying fluid a into the plurality of said flow paths a and supplying fluid b into the plurality of said flow paths b respectively from said inlet ports thus constructed toward said outlet ports . in addition , in a heat exchanger of the invention , said cover plate and / or said base plate are hermetically sealed with the end portions of said corrugated plate by making cuts at the end portions of the corrugated plate to leave margins so as to be capable of brazing either on said cover plate or on said base plate , and brazing said margins . in a heat exchanger of the invention , said corrugated plate is brazed to said base plate and / or said cover plate by the brazing material in a clad corrugated plate , and said flow paths a is completely divided off said flow paths b . furthermore , in a heat exchanger of the invention , said corrugated plate comprises a cladding plate including a core material and a brazing material formed on one side or both sides of said core material . referring now to a perspective view shown in fig1 a heat exchanger according to the first embodiment of the invention will be described . a cladding plate with brazing material formed on both surfaces of the core material is used as a material of the corrugated plate . a plurality of flow paths 3 ( a ) are formed by joining a base plate 2 on one of the surfaces of the corrugated plate 1 . a plurality of flow paths 6 ( b ) are formed by joining a body portion 5 of the cover plate 4 on the other surface of the corrugated plate 1 . the base plate 2 and the sleeve portion 7 of the cover plate 4 are joined , and outlet ports 8 for fluid a are formed on the upper portion of the base plate 2 , and outlet ports 9 for fluid b are formed at the lower portion of the body portion 5 of the cover plate , the openings at the lower end portion surrounded by the base plate 2 and the cover plate 4 are inlet ports 28 for fluid a , and the inlet ports 28 are provided with hollow bodies ( not shown ) extending in the same direction as the length of to respective flow paths 3 , 6 for supplying fluid a . the openings at the upper end are inlet ports 29 for fluid b , and the inlet ports 29 are provided with hollow bodies ( not shown ) extending in the same direction as the length of the respective flow paths 3 , 6 for supplying fluid b . at the upper end portions of the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the lower end portions of the flow paths 6 ( b ), the end portions 10 of the corrugated plate are bent so as to be brought into contact with each other at the extremities thereof and processed into the shape of gable roofs . the minute gaps at the extremities 11 of the gable roofs are brazed and hermetically sealed by filling brazing material , the lower end portions of the flow paths 6 ( b ), although they are not shown in fig1 are brazed and hermetically sealed by the same method as that for the upper end portions of the flow paths 3 . the corrugated plate 1 and the base plate 2 , and the corrugated plate 1 and the cover plate 4 are joined by the use of adhesive agent or sealing material , so that no leakage of fluid may occur between the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the flow pats 6 ( b ). in this embodiment , the reason why cladding material is used for the corrugated plate 1 is to hermetically seal the flow paths 3 ( a ) and flow paths 6 ( b ) by brazing . at the end portions 10 of the corrugated plate , the extremities 11 are bent toward each other and brought closer , and filled with brazing material in the minute gap therebetween so as to be brazed and hermetically sealed . the reason is to facilitate realization of the hermeticity at the end portions 10 of the corrugated plate , and to alleviate the extent of turbulent flow in the vicinity of the fluid inlet ports 28 , 29 . the corrugated plate and the base plate , and the corrugated plate and the cover plate are joined by the use of adhesive agent or sealing material , so that no leakage of fluid occurs between the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the flow paths 6 ( b ). in other words , in this embodiment , the end portions of the corrugated plate area brazed , and the corrugated plate and the base plate , and the corrugated plate and the cover plate are joined by the use of adhesive agent or sealing material . referring now to fig2 a to 2 c , the way to hermetically seal the extremities 11 of the end portions 10 of the corrugated plate will be described . a prescribed length of cut 13 is made along each crease 12 on the end portion 10 of the corrugated plate to form a strip 14 , a strip 15 , and a strip 16 . the strip 14 and he strip 16 , which are opposed each other , are bent from the ends of the cuts 13 so that the extremities 11 of the respective strips are brought closer with each other and formed into the shape of a gable roof by the use of a prescribed metal die ( not shown ). the extremities 11 of the strip 14 and the strip 16 , which are brought closer , are brazed and hermetically sealed with brazing material . the angle α 17 between the strip 14 and the strip 16 formed in the shape of a gable roof shown in fig2 c is preferably not less than 30 degrees and not more than 120 degrees . the reason is that when it is less than 30 degrees , inclination becomes sharp and thus the roof portion becomes high , which results in increased restrictions in design choice . when it exceeds 120 degrees , the effect of alleviating the turbulent flow cannot be obtained sufficiently . in fig3 the tip 14 and the strip 16 are bent in the vicinity of the respective extremities 11 and the surfaces of the bent extremities are formed to come into contact with each other . this example shows the case where the surfaces of the extremities bent and brought into contact with each other are formed to be in parallel with the flow paths , which has lower resistance with respect to fluid . as in this example , making surface joint at the contact portions 27 may increase hermeticity . furthermore , a heat exchanger of the invention comprises : a corrugated plate ; a base plate joined on one of surfaces of said corrugated plate ; a cover plate joined on other surface of said corrugated plate ; two types of fluid flow pats a and b defined by said corrugated plate , said base plate , and said cover plate along a longitudinal direction of said corrugated pit , said two types of flow paths comprising a plurality of flow paths a defined by said one of surfaces of said corrugated plate and said base plate , and said plurality of flow paths b defied by other surface of said corrugated plate and said cover plate , said plurality of flow paths a and said plurality of flow paths b being formed separately from each other ; upper end portion and lower end portion of said corrugated plate forming the flow paths a or b , which are hermetically sealed by providing two corresponding slant surfaces ; inlet ports provided on said base plate or said cover plate forming said flow paths a or said flow paths b , upper end portions and lower end portions of which are hermetically sealed , and outlet ports provided opposite side of said inlet ports ; inlet ports provided on one end of said flow paths a or said flow paths b , upper end potions and lower end portions of which are not hermetically sealed , and outlet ports provided on opposite side of said inlet ports , wherein heat is exchanged between fluid a and fluid b via the corrugated plate by supplying fluid a into the plurality of said flow pats a and supplying fluid b into the plurality of said flow paths b respectively from said inlet ports thus constructed toward said outlet ports . referring now to a perspective view of fig4 the heat exchanger according to the second embodiment of the invention will be described . the shape of the end portions of the corrugated plate described in conjunction with the heat exchanger according to the first embodiment referring to fig2 a to 2 c and 3 may be applied to this embodiment . in the heat exchanger according to the second embodiment of the invention , outlet ports 8 and inlet ports 28 for fluid a are provided on the base plate 2 to supply fluid a through the flow pats 3 ( a ), and fluid 1 is supplied from the inlet ports 29 at the lower end portions of the flow paths 6 ( b ) toward the outlet ports 9 at the upper end . in this heat exchanger , a cladding plate with brazing material formed on one of the surfaces of the core material is used as material for the corrugated plate . both end portions 10 of the corrugated plate 1 constituting the flow paths 3 ( a ) are bent at the extremities thereof so that they are brought into contact with each other into the shape of a gable roof . the minute gaps at the extremities 11 of the gable roof are brazed and hermetically sealed by being filled with brazing material . in this case , brazing material is filled inside the gable roof . in this heat exchanger , sealing work at both end portions of the corrugated plate that constitutes the flow paths 3 ( a ) can easily be performed , and in addition , good fish can be expected and pressure losses of fluid 6 ( b ) can be reduced . the corrugated plate 1 and the base plate 2 are joined by the use of adhesive agent or sealing material so that no leakage of fluid occurs between the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the flow paths 6 ( b ). since attachment of the cover plate does not effect directly on leakage of fluid between the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the flow paths 6 ( b ), any way of attachment can be employed . furthermore , a heat exchanger of the invention comprises : a corrugated plate ; a base plate joined on one of surfaces of said corrugated plate ; a cover plate joined on other surface of said corrugated plate ; two types of fluid flow paths a and b defined by said corrugated plate , said base plate , and said cover plate along a longitudinal direction of said corrugated plate , said two types of fluid flow paths comprising a plurality of flow paths a defied by said one of surfaces of said corrugated plate and said base plate , and said plurality of flow paths b defied by other surface of said corrugated plate and said cover plate , said plurality of flow paths a and said plurality of flow paths b being formed separately from each other ; one end portion of the upper end portion or the lower end portion of said corrugated plate forming the flow path a and other end portion of the upper end portion or the lower end portion of said corrugated plate forming the flow path b , which are hermetically sealed by providing two corresponding slant surfaces , respectively ; outlet ports for said fluid b being provided on one end portion of the corrugated plate which is the hermetically sealed side of the flow paths a , and outlet ports for said fluid a being provided on the other end portion of the corrugated plate which is the hermetically sealed side of the flow paths b ; inlet ports for said fluid a or inlet ports for said fluid b being provided on said base plate or said cover plate forming said flow paths a and said flow paths b , wherein heat is exchanged between fluid a and fluid b via the corrugated plate by supplying fluid a into the plurality of said flow paths a and supplying fluid b into the plurality of said flow paths b respectively from thus constructed said inlet ports toward said outlet ports . the shape described in conjunction with the first embodiment referring to fig1 is applied to the heat exchanger according to the third embodiment of the invention . as regards the end portion of the corrugated plate , the shape described in conjunction with the embodiment referring to fig2 a to 2 c and fig3 can also be applied . in the heat exchanger in this embodiment , a cladding plate with brazing material formed on the both surfaces thereof is used as material for corrugated plate . the corrugated plate 1 and the base plate 2 , and the corrugated plate 1 and the cover plate 4 are joined by brazing with brazing material formed in the corrugated plate . in other words , brazing material that is melted at the time of heating is filled in minute gaps formed between the corrugated plate 2 and the base plate 2 and between the corrugated plate 1 and the cover plate 4 , and then cured after cooling down , so that the gap is hermetically sealed . in other words , in this embodiment , brazing at the end portions of the corrugated plate and brazing between the corrugated plate and the base plate , and between the corrugated plate and the cover plate are performed simultaneously . according to this embodiment , hermeticity is increased . the shape described in conjunction with the second embodiment referring to fig4 can be applied to the heat exchanger of the fourth embodiment of the invention . as regards the end portion of the corrugated plate , the shape described in conjunction with the second embodiment referring to fig2 a to 2 c and fig3 can also be applied . this heat exchanger uses a cladding plate with brazing material formed on one of the surfaces thereof as material of the corrugated plate . the corrugated plate 1 and the base plate 2 are joined by brazing wit brazing material formed in the corrugated plate . in other words , brazing material that is melted at the time of heating is filled in a minute gap formed between the corrugated plate 1 and base plate 2 , and then cured after cooling down , so that the gap is hermetically sealed . since attachment of the cover plate does not effect directly on leakage of fluid between the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the flow paths 6 ( b ), any way of attachment can be employed . according to this embodiment , hermeticity is increased . according to the third embodiment and the fourth embodiment , it is not necessary to spend much time and efforts as in the case of using adhesive agent or sealing material . since the cladding plate is joined by brazing with brazing material , the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the flow paths 6 ( b ) can be divided off completely , and leakage of fluid between the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the flow paths 6 ( b ) can completely be avoided . the shape described in conjunction with the first embodiment referring to fig1 can be applied to the heat exchanger of the fifth embodiment of the invention . in this embodiment , the corrugated plate in which the end portions thereof are formed into the roof shape and the extremities thereof are processed to be brought closer is employed . referring now to fig5 a to fig5 c , this embodiment of the invention will be described . this heat exchanger uses a cladding plate with bring material formed on both surfaces thereof as material of the corrugated plate . as a fist step , cuts 33 are made from the edges of the end portions of the corrugated plate on one side along the creases at the comers defined by shorter sides 30 and the longer sides 31 in advance . then , the opposed longer sides 31 are folded into the shape of a roof so that the extremities thereof are brought closer , and simultaneously , the shorter sides 30 are bent and flattened out toward the folded opposed longer sides 31 as if they enfold the bent opposed longer sides 31 . preferably , as shown in fig5 c , they are flattening out so that the end surfaces of the longer sides 31 and of the shorter sides 30 are aligned and overlapped with each other , and that the bent contact surfaces of the extremities of the longer sides 31 are formed to be upright . by shaping according to the above method , the end portions of the corrugated plate 35 formed by the shorter sides 30 and the longer sides 31 may be formed into substantially t - shape . the minute gap formed between the corrugated plate 1 and the base plate 2 , and between the corrugated plate 1 and the cover plate 4 may be hermetically sealed by the use of adhesive agent or sealing material , or may be joined by brazing using brazing material formed in the corrugated plate . the shape described in conjunction with the second embodiment referring to fig4 may be applied to the heat exchanger according to the sixth embodiment of the invention . the shape described in conjunction with the fifth embodiment referring to fig5 a to 5 c may be applied as a method of forming the end portions of the corrugated plate into the roof shape to bring the extremities closer . in the cases of the fifth embodiment and of the sixth embodiment described in conjunction with fig1 no cut is made on the end formed into a substantially t - shape , but it is continuous . therefore , there is no probability leaving a hole after brazing along the cut , thereby ensuring hermeticity . since a special metal die is used for processing , working procedure can be facilitated significantly in comparison with the case where adhesive agent or sealing material is used . the shape described in conjunction with the first embodiment is applied to the heat exchanger according to the seventh embodiment of the invention . in this embodiment , the corrugated plate having the end portions formed in the roof shape , and the extremities being brought closer and processed referring now to fig6 a to fig6 d , the embodiment of the invention will be described . the heat exchanger uses a cladding plate with brazing material formed on both of the surfaces of the core material as material of the corrugated plate . as a fir step , cuts 43 are made on the shorter sides 40 from the upper edges of the end portions of the corrugated plate on one side in advance . the cuts 43 are made on the shorter sides 40 so as to leave margins 44 not less than several mm in width on both sides closer to the longer sides 41 . in other words , the cuts 43 are made so as to leave margins 44 for brazing the end portions of the corrugated plate to the cover plate or to the base plate . the margins 44 may have any width , for example , approximately 1 mm , as far as it can be used for brazing . as a next step , the cuts 43 on the shorter sides 40 are expanded outwardly , and then he expanded margins 44 are brought into contact with the adjacent margins respectively so that the end surfaces of the extremities of the margins 44 are aligned and overlapped with each other . the bent contact surfaces of the extremities of the margins 44 are preferably formed to be upright . after bringing the margins in contact , the extremities of the opposed longer sides 41 are brought closer into the roof shape , and simultaneously , the shorter sides 42 are bent and flattened out toward the folded opposed longer sides 41 as if they enfold the bent opposed longer sides 41 . as shown in fig6 d , they are flattened out so that the end surfaces of the longer sides 41 and of the shorter sides 42 are aligned and overlapped with each other . the bent contact surfaces of the extremities of the longer sides 41 are preferably formed to be upright . by shaping according to the above method , the end portions 45 of the corrugated plate 45 formed by the shorter sides 40 and the longer sides 41 may be formed into substantially t - shape . the minute gaps formed between the corrugated plate 1 and the base plate 2 , and the corrugated plate 1 and the cover plate 4 may be hermetically sealed by the use of adhesive agent or sealing material , or may be joined by brazing using brazing material in the corrugated plate . the shape described in conjunction with the second embodiment referring to fig4 may be applied to the heat exchanger according to the eighth embodiment of the invention . the shape described in conjunction with the seventh embodiment referring to fig6 a to 6 d may be applied as a method of forming the end portions of the corrugated plate into the roof shape to bring the extremities closer . in the cases of the seventh embodiment and of the eights embodiment , no cut is made on the end portions formed into a substantially t - shape , but it is continuous . therefore , there is no probability of leaving a hole after brazing along the cut , thereby ensuring hermeticity . since a special metal die is used for processing , working procedure can be facilitated significantly in comparison with the case where adhesive agent or sealing material is used . furthermore , in other embodiment of the heat exchanger of the invention , the flow paths a and the flow paths b are alternately disposed along the lateral direction of the corrugated plate described above , and the extent of turbulent flow of fluid that is generated in the vicinity of the inlet ports is alleviated by the shape of the end portions hermetically sealed by providing two corresponding slant surfaces . the aforementioned end portions sealed by providing two corresponding slant surfaces are further sealed hermetically by brazing . the corrugated plate is formed of cladding material comprising core material and brazing material formed on both surfaces thereof and the corrugated plate and the base plate , and the corrugated plate and the cover plate are respectively joined by brazing with brazing material of the corrugated plate . the corrugated plate and the base plate , and the corrugated plate and the cover plate , which are brazed and joined , are further joined by adhesive agent or sealing material . the end portions hermetically sealed by providing two corresponding slant surfaces are provided with vertical surfaces as margins for brazing , and hermetically sealed by brazing the vertical surfaces . as is described thus far , the invention will produce its effects by being applied to the given heat exchanger performing heat exchange via the corrugated plate . the invention will be described in detail referring to examples . a heat exchanger having a construction shown in fig1 was manufactured . a corrugated plate 1 of cladding plate of 0 . 5 mm in thickness including brazing material of jis4045 alloyed metal on both of the spices of the core material of jis3003 alloyed metal was used as a corrugated plate 1 . the end portions 10 which were to be the upper end portions of the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the end portions which were to be the lower end portions of the flow paths 6 ( b ) were processed to be brought closer into the shape of a gable roof in advance by the method described in conjunction with fig2 a to 2 c , and joined by brazing by filling brazing material in the minute gaps at the extremities thereof in the subsequent heating process . the corrugated plate 1 and the base plate 2 , and the corrugated plate 1 and the body portion of the cover plate 5 are respectively joined by adhesive agent . a heat exchanger having the same construction as the one shown in fig1 other than that the corrupted plate 1 and the base plate 2 , and the corrugated plate 1 and the body portion of the cover plate 5 were brazed by brazing material in the corrugated plate was manufactured . the heat exchanger having the same construction as the one shown in fig1 other than that the shape of the end portion of the corrugated plate is formed continuously without any cut into t - shape by the method shown in fig6 a to 6 d was manufactured by the same method as that in example 2 . a corrugated plate formed of jis3003 alloyed metal plate of 0 . 5 mm in thickness was used as a corrugated plate 1 . the end portions 10 which were to be upper end portions of the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the end portions which were to be the lower end portions of the flow paths 6 ( b ) were processed to be brought closer into the shape of a gable roof in advance by the method described in conjunction with fig2 a to 2 c , and hermetically sealed by filling sealing material 23 in the minute gaps at the extremities thereof . the corrugated plate 1 and the base plate 2 , and the corrugated plate 1 and the body portion 5 of the cover plate were joined by adhesive agent . a heat exchanger having a construction shown in fig1 other than the points described above was manufactured . a heat exchanger having a construction shown in fig1 other than that the upper end portions of the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the lower end portions of the flow paths 6 ( b ) were hermetically sealed by filling rubber material 26 and sealing material 23 without being processed to be formed into the shape of a gable roof was manufactured by the same method as that in the first comparative example . in fig7 a , a schematic plan view showing the upper end portions of the flow paths a in the first embodiment is shown . in the same manner , fig7 b shows the second embodiment , fig7 c shows the third embodiment , fig7 d shows the first comparative example , and fig7 e shows the second comparative example . in the first , second , and third examples of the invention , the extremity 11 of the end portions 10 of the corrugated plate formed into the shape of a gable roof are joined and hermetically sealed by brazing material 25 . in the second and third examples of the invention , the corrugated plate 1 and the base plate , and the corrugated plate 1 and the cover plate 4 are joined respectively by brazing . in particular , in the example 3 , there is no cut made at the end portions , and the substantially t - shaped portion integrally formed into the roof shape was formed in continuity . on the other hand , in the first comparative example , the extremity 11 of the end portions 10 of the corrugated plate formed into the shape of a gable roof were hermetically sealed with sealing material 23 . in the second comparative example , the upper end portions are not formed into the roof shape , but hermetically sealed as is with sealing material 23 , or with sealing material 23 and rubber material 26 . the respective heat exchangers manufactured in the first to third examples of the invention and in the first and second comparative examples were inspected for their hermeticity of the hermetically sealed end portions of the corrugated plates . those having good hermeticity were inspected for the pressures loss . the method of measuring the hermeticity will be described referring to fig8 . in a first place , the inlet port for fluid a of the heat exchanger is hermetically sealed and a hose 18 is attached to the outlet port 8 for fluid a in the water - tight state . then , the heat exchanger as soaked into the water , and high - pressure air was blown into the flow paths 3 ( a ) trough the hose 18 . presence of generation of air bubbles 19 from the hermetically sealed end portions 10 of the corrugated plate in the vicinity of the outlet port 8 for fluid a of the heat exchanger was observed . the same inspection was made also for the flow paths 6 ( b ). inspection was made for 200 each of heat exchangers , and evaluated as ; very good hermeticity (⊚) when the number of heat exchangers generated air bubbles was zero , good hermeticity (◯) when the number was not more than 5 , and no good hermeticity ( x ) when the number was six or more . the results are shown in table 1 as fig1 . pressure losses were inspected by , as shown in fig9 mounting air channels 20 , 21 at the inlet ports and the outlet ports of fluid a , blowing wind through the air channel 21 mounted at the inlet ports by a fan , and checking the difference of air pressure between the air channels 20 , 21 by means of a minute differential pressure gauge 22 . the results were evaluated as ; good (◯) when the differential pressure was less than 50 pa , and no good ( x ) when the value was not less than 50 pa . the results are shown in table 1 as fig1 . the productivities are also marked in table 1 . as is clear from table 1 , in the goods of the invention from nos . 1 to 3 , every end portions of the corrugated plates were heretically sealed by brazing after the extremities thereof were brought closer to reduce the sealing areas . therefore , the sealing work can be made easily and little leakage of fluid was observed . in particular , example no . 3 of the invention which has no cut at the extremities of the corrugated plate and formed into a continuous t - shape was superior in hermeticity . since the end portions of the corrugated plate were formed into the shape of a gable roof , the extent of turbulent flow of fluid was alleviated and pressure losses were reduced . examples no . 2 and no . 3 of the invention in which the extremities of the corrugated plate , and the corrugated plate and the base plate are brazed simultaneously were superior in hermeticity and excellent in productivity . in contrast to it , in the comparative example of no . 1 , the extremities of the corrugated plate were gabled , but the end portions of the corrugated plate were hermetically sealed by sealing material . therefore , sealing work took much time and efforts , and the hermeticity was low . comparative example no . 2 in which the end portions of the corrugated plate were not gabled and hermetically sealed by sealing material was low in hermeticity and pressure losses were increased because extreme turbulent flow of fluid was occurred in the vicinity of the fluid inlet port . as is described thus far , the invention relates to a heat exchanger in which fluid a and fluid b are flown in the flow paths 3 ( a ) and flow paths 6 ( b ) formed via the corrugated plate respectively for exchanging heat between the fluid a and fluid b . in the invention , when hermetically sealing the flow paths 3 ( a ) and the flow paths 6 ( b ) at the end portions of the corrugated plate , the extremities were brought closer by forming the end portions of the corrugated plate into the shape of a gabled roof for brazing , and the sealing work can be performed easily and the good results of sealing may be achieved . in addition , the extent of turbulent flow of fluid in the vicinity of the fluid inlet ports is alleviated , and thus pressure losses of fluid is reduced thereby realizing miniaturization of the fan and saving of electricity expense . therefore , industrially outstanding effects can be produced 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fig1 is a plan view of a bottom , first surface of the water skiing disk of the present invention 12 . in the preferred embodiment , the disk 12 has an exterior diameter dimension of 47 inches . it is contemplated that varying the exterior diameter dimension of the disk by plus or minus 2 inches from the preferred 47 inch exterior diameter of the disk would enable the disk to be used with substantially the same results in water skiing as the preferred 47 inch diameter disk . however , through experimentation it has been determined that the best results in water skiing with the disk 12 are achieved when the disk has a 47 inch diameter dimension combined with the other particular dimensions of the disk to be described . as seen in fig1 , the disk 12 has a circular outer peripheral edge 14 . there are no protrusions or obstructions on the circular outer edge 14 of the disk 12 . fig1 shows a first , bottom surface 18 of the disk 12 . it can be seen in fig1 that there are no holes or other obstructions through the disk within the disk outer edge 14 . referring to fig2 , the outer peripheral edge 14 has a center axis 16 that defines mutually perpendicular axial and radial directions relative to the disk . the disk 12 has a second , top surface 22 that is opposite the first , bottom surface 18 . the disk 18 is specifically designed for water skiing on the first surface 18 . it can also be seen in fig2 that both the first surface 18 and second surface 22 of the disk are smooth , continuous disk surfaces with there being no obstructions or protrusions on the surfaces within the disk outer peripheral edge 14 . the particular cross - section configuration of the disk shown in fig2 results in the synergistic ability of the disk to support one or more water skiers when the skiers are towed on the disk 12 at a reduced speed over the water . the synergistic effect of the particular exterior cross - section configuration of the disk 12 enables a water skier to easily get up on the water using the disk when towed at a reduced speed , and to remain on the water using the disk when towed at a reduced speed . because the particular configuration of the first , bottom surface 18 provides the stability of the disk as it is towed at slow speed over the water , the exterior configuration of the first surface 18 will be described in detail . it should be understood that the exterior configuration of the second surface 22 also contributes to the beneficial feature of the reduced weight of disk 12 which contributes to the ease and safety of using the disk 12 . referring to fig1 and 3 , the first , bottom disk surface 18 comprises a circular center section 24 that extends radially outwardly from the center axis 16 to a radius dimension of from 18 inches to 22 inches from the center axis 16 . better performance is achieved when the radius of the center section 24 of the first disk surface 18 is in a range of from 19 inches to 19 . 5 inches . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the radius of the circular center section is 19 . 47 inches , and the center section is flat and is positioned in a plane that is perpendicular to the center axis 16 . the axial distance between the first and second surfaces 18 , 22 at the center axis 16 is preferably in a range of 1 to 2 inches . in a more preferred embodiment , the axial thickness between the first surface 18 and the second surface 22 at the center axis 16 is 1 . 5 inches . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the axial thickness between the first surface 18 and the second surface 22 at the center axis 16 is 1 . 436 inches . outside of the center section 24 of the first surface 18 of the disk , the disk bottom surface has a first annular intermediate section 26 . the first annular intermediate section 26 of the first surface 18 extends radially outwardly from the first center section 24 to a radius of from 2 inches to 6 inches from the center section . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the first annular intermediate section 26 of the first surface 18 extends radially outwardly 4 inches from the preferred radial dimension of 19 . 47 inches of the first center section 24 . in addition to the above , the first annular intermediate section 26 of the first surface 18 has a radius of curvature in a range of from 225 inches to 235 inches . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the radius of curvature of the first annular intermediate section 26 is 275 . 4 inches . the first 18 disk surface also has an annular outer section 28 . the annular outer section 28 extends radially outwardly from the annular intermediate section 26 to the outer peripheral edge 14 of the disk , or for a radial distance of substantially 1 inch . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the first annular outer section 28 will have a radial dimension of 0 . 53 of an inch from the first annular intermediate section 26 of the preferred embodiment to the outer peripheral edge 14 of the disk . in addition , the first annular outer section 28 of the disk has a radius of curvature in a range of from 0 . 35 of an inch to 0 . 40 of an inch . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the radius of curvature of the first annular outer section 28 is 0 . 375 of an inch . the second disk surface 22 of the disk 12 is designed as the top surface of the disk that will support the skier . the second surface 22 has a continuous , convex surface that extends from the center axis 16 of the disk out to the outer edge 14 of the disk . the second surface 22 extends from the center axis 16 to a radial dimension of 20 to 23 inches . in the preferred embodiment , the radial dimension of the continuous , convex top surface is substantially 23 inches . in addition to the radial dimension , the second , top surface 22 of the disk 12 has a radius of curvature in a range of from 500 inches to 600 inches . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the radius of curvature of the top , second surface 22 is 552 inches . the second disk surface 22 also has an annular outer section 32 that is substantially a mirror image of the first surface annular outer section 28 . the annular outer section 32 of the second , top surface 22 extends around the outer peripheral edge 14 of the disk and has a radial width dimension of substantially one inch . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the second annular outer section 32 of the top , second surface 22 has a radial dimension of 0 . 53 of an inch . the particular dimensions of the disk 12 discussed above result in the synergistic ability of the disk to raise one or more skiers upon the water and keep the skiers on the water with a reduced speed of a towing boat . the particular dimensions of the disk 12 discussed above enable even a novice user of the disk to easily get up on the water and stay on the water skiing at an operating speed as slow as 12 - 14 miles per hour . referring to fig3 , the disk in its preferred form is constructed of a hollow plastic shell . the shell is comprised of a first saucer shaped piece 42 that defines the first , bottom surface 18 of the disk , and a second saucer shaped piece 44 that defines the second , top surface 22 of the disk . the two pieces 42 , 44 are formed of plastic by rotational molding . other means of forming plastic , for example blow molding , could also be used . however , the rotational molding process is preferred in performing the two pieces 42 , 44 of the outer shell of the disk 12 . the top piece 22 is formed with a vent hole 46 . the vent hole in the preferred embodiment has a 1 inch diameter . the preferred position of the vent hole 46 is off center as shown in fig4 . the vent hole 46 is employed in injecting foam pellets into the interior of the disk between the two disk pieces 42 , 44 . the foam pellets are also heated and rotary molded to form a rigid foam interior core 48 between the two pieces 42 , 44 of the disk . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the rotationally molded plastic that forms the two pieces 42 , 44 on the opposite sides of the disk 12 is a polyethylene such as the surpass ® polyethylene mdpe rms 539 produced by nova chemicals ®. the foam employed in producing the rigid foam core 48 of the disk 12 is preferably rotational molded in the interior of the disk 12 from micro pellets at 10 pounds per cubic foot . the above construction results in a weight of less than 30 pounds for the 47 inch diameter disk 12 . in the preferred embodiment , the weight of the disk is 24 pounds . this light weight not only makes the disk easily transportable , but also contributes to the safety of the disk should a person be struck by the disk when skiing . although the disk of the invention has been described above by reference to a particular embodiment of the disk , variations and modifications could be made to the disk described without departing from the intended scope of the following claims . 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to facilitate an understanding of the preferred embodiment , the general architecture and operation of a system for collecting an aircraft &# 39 ; s navigation data will be described . the specific architecture and operation of the preferred embodiments will then be described with reference to the general architecture . fig1 a shows a top - level block diagram for collecting real - time navigation data from an aircraft . an aircraft data center 102 located on aircraft 102 a communicates with a satellite 103 . satellite 103 collects aircraft 102 a &# 39 ; s flight data and navigation data , which is then passed to satellite gateway 104 , that is functionally , coupled to internet 101 ( described below ) and / or a data center 105 a . data center 105 a includes a network operation center (“ noc ”) 105 and an enterprise operation center (“ eoc ”) 106 . both noc 105 and eoc 106 include at least a computing system for executing the computer - executable code , according to one aspect of the present invention . a description of a computing system used by noc 105 and / or eoc 106 is provided below . fig1 d shows another block diagram of the data collection system described above with respect to fig1 a . fig1 d shows plural ground stations 104 a - 104 d that collect data from an aircraft while it is in transit . ground stations 104 a - 104 d are similar to satellite gateway 104 . ground station position data 107 includes the locations of plural ground stations 104 a - 104 d and sent to data center 105 a . data collected from the ground stations is processed by data center 105 a , according to the adaptive aspects of the present invention . fig1 e shows a block diagram of a system used by eoc 106 in data center 106 . eoc 106 includes a receiving module 106 a that receives input navigation data from gateway 104 . processing module 106 b processes the input data , based on the executable process steps of the present invention . display module 106 c displays the status of an aircraft based on the processing module 106 b operations . it is noteworthy that the invention is not limited to the structure of eoc 106 shown in fig1 e . a similar structure may be used in noc 105 . furthermore , noc 105 and eoc 106 may be an integral part of data center 105 a to execute the process steps of the present invention . the modular components shown in various figures and described herein are intended to illustrate the adaptive aspects of the present invention and not to limit the present invention to any particular modular configuration . fig1 b is a block diagram of a computing system for executing computer executable process steps according to one aspect of the present invention . fig1 b includes a host computer 10 and a monitor 11 . monitor 11 may be a crt type , a lcd type , or any other type of color or monochrome display ( or any other display device including a high definition television station ). also provided with computer 10 are a keyboard 13 for entering data and user commands , and a pointing device 14 for processing objects displayed on monitor 11 . computer 10 includes a computer - readable memory storage device 15 for storing readable data . besides other programs , storage device 15 can store application programs including web browsers by which computer 10 connect to the internet 101 , and the computer - executable code according to the present invention . according to one aspect of the present invention , computer 10 can also access computer - readable floppy disks storing data files , application program files , and computer executable process steps embodying the present invention or the like via a floppy disk drive 16 . a cd - rom , or cd r / w ( read / write ) interface ( not shown ) may also be provided with computer 10 to access application program files , and data files stored on a cd - rom . a modem , an integrated services digital network ( isdn ) connection , or the like also provide computer 10 with an internet connection 12 to the world wide web ( www ). the internet connection 12 allows computer 10 to download data files , application program files and computer - executable process steps embodying the present invention from internet 101 . it is noteworthy that the present invention is not limited to the fig1 b architecture . for example , notebook or laptop computers , handheld devices , set - top boxes or any other system capable of running computer - executable process steps , as described below , may be used to implement the various aspects of the present invention . fig1 c is a block diagram showing the internal functional architecture of computer 10 . as shown in fig1 c , computer 10 includes a central processing unit (“ cpu ”) 20 for executing computer - executable process steps and interfaces with a computer bus 21 . also shown in fig1 c are a video interface 22 , a www interface 23 , a display device interface 24 , a keyboard interface 25 , a pointing device interface 26 , and storage device 15 . as described above , storage device 15 stores operating system program files , application program files , web browsers , and other files . some of these files are stored using an installation program . for example , cpu 20 executes computer - executable process steps of an installation program so that cpu 20 can properly execute the application program . random access memory (“ ram ”) 27 also interfaces to computer bus 21 to provide cpu 20 with access to memory storage . when executing stored computer - executable process steps from storage device 15 ( or other storage media such as floppy disk 16 or www connection 12 ), cpu 20 stores and executes the process steps out of ram 27 . read only memory (“ rom ”) 28 is provided to store invariant instruction sequences such as start - up instruction sequences or basic input / output operating system ( bios ) sequences for operation of keyboard 13 . computer - executable process steps , according to one aspect of the present invention may be performed using the internet 101 . the following provides a brief description of the internet . the internet connects plural computers world wide through well - known protocols , for example , transmission control protocol ( tcp )/ internet protocol ( ip ), into a vast network . information on the internet is stored world wide as computer files , mostly written in the hypertext mark up language (“ html ”). other mark up languages , e . g ., extensible markup language ( xml ) as published by w3c consortium , version 1 , second edition , october 2000 , © w3c may also be used . the collection of all such publicly available computer files is known as the world wide web ( www ). the www is a multimedia - enabled hypertext system used for navigating the internet and is made up of hundreds of thousands of web pages with images and text and video files , which can be displayed on a computer monitor . each web page can have connections to other pages , which may be located on any computer connected to the internet . a typical internet user uses a client program called a “ web browser ” to connect to the internet . a user can connect to the internet via a proprietary network , such as america online or compuserve , or via an internet service provider , e . g ., earthlink . the web browser may run on any computer connected to the internet . currently , various browsers are available of which two prominent browsers are netscape navigator and microsoft internet explorer . the web browser receives and sends requests to a web server and acquires information from the www . a web server is a program that , upon receipt of a request , sends the requested data to the requesting user . a standard naming convention known as uniform resource locator (“ url ”) has been adopted to represent hypermedia links and links to network services . most files or services can be represented with a url . urls also enable two programs on two separate computers to communicate with each other through simple object access protocol (“ soap ”), extensible markup language (“ xml ”), and other protocols published by the w3c consortium , incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . urls enable web browsers to go directly to any file held on any www server . information from the www is accessed using well - known protocols , including the hypertext transport protocol (“ http ”), the wide area information service (“ wais ”) and the file transport protocol (“ ftp ”), over tcp / ip protocol . the transfer format for standard www pages is hypertext transfer protocol ( http ). it is noteworthy that the invention is not limited to standard www or w3c protocols for server access and information exchange . fig2 shows a flow diagram of computer executable process steps for processing real - time navigation data received from at least one ground station , according to one aspect of the present invention . raw data is received from plural ground stations , useful location and status information is extracted , a display code is assigned that controls how data is displayed , and a web address may be input for each displayed image , according to one aspect of the present invention . turning now in detail to fig2 , in step s 200 , input navigation data for aircraft 102 a is received from one or more ground stations ( 104 a - 104 d ) by data center 105 a . table i below provides a description of the collected data . table i input data description aircraft_id aircraft identifier that identifies aircraft 102a whose status is being monitored antenna_type_id identifies the type of antenna on aircraft 102a that communicates with satellite 103 model_type_id aircraft 102a model type model_desc aircraft 102a model description name aircraft 102a name faa_tail_number aircraft 102a &# 39 ; s unique tail number , assigned by the federal aviation authority icao a field that identifies the airlines , if applicable customer_type identifies the type of customer , i . e . commercial or government router_ip ip address for the router on aircraft 102a e_server_ip physical server address on aircraft 102a owner aircraft 102a owner altitude_pos_err altitude position error fl_xpdr_id forward link transponder on the aircraft fl_xpdr_name forward link transponder name rld_block_hw_id return link to aircraft 102a satellite_id identity of satellite 103 satellite_name name of satellite 103 rld_channel_num return link channel number restrict_zone_enable geographical zone for restricted data transmission tranmit_zone_enable geographical zone where data transmission is enabled last_rev_dttm time stamp for the last revision altitude latitude real - time latitude of aircraft 102a longitude real - time longitude of aircraft 102a ground speed ground speed of aircraft 102a at the time data is collected vertical speed vertical speed of aircraft 102a load_dtm last time data was updated source_location location of the data source source_sw_version software version of the data in step s 201 , the process evaluates whether the aircraft 102 a status is available in an existing status table . the status table ( described below with respect to table 11 ) is stored in data center 105 a or at location remote to data center 105 a . if aircraft 102 a status is not available , then in step s 202 , the position data is added to an aircraft status table and the process moves to step s 206 . if aircraft 102 a status table is available , then in step s 203 , the process determines if the revised timestamp for the received data is greater than the timestamp in the existing status table . if not , then the data is not processed in step s 204 . if the timestamp is greater than the previous value , then in step s 205 , the process updates the record and the process moves to step s 206 . in step s 206 , the process determines if aircraft 102 a is owned and / or operated by a government entity . if yes , then in step s 208 , the status data of aircraft 102 a is extracted and processed . also , any other field that is specified by the government agency is extracted and processed . an image code is added that specifies the type of image used for displaying the status of aircraft 102 a . a display code is also assigned to the data that defines the attributes of the image . the value of the code determines how the image will be displayed . for example , a “ flashing ” airplane image of any color may be used on a display screen 11 to show the status of aircraft 102 a . a url may also be added to the displayed image , which allows remote access to the status information using internet 101 . if the aircraft is not owned and / or operated by a government entity , then in step s 207 , position and status information is extracted and processed from the input data . again , an image and display code is assigned for the extracted data as described above . a url address may be added for the displayed image , allowing access to status information via internet 101 . the tail number of aircraft 102 a is also verified from a source that is independent from the input data source . a description for aircraft 102 a is added with the flight number , if applicable , and a time stamp is added that denotes when data was updated . furthermore , the bandwidth of the transponder ( not shown ) on aircraft 102 a is set . this optimizes data collection from aircraft 102 a . the process also specifies the first time communication was established between the ground station and aircraft 102 a . the status table also provides , airport departure code , airport arrival code , aircraft 102 a departure time and arrival time , as shown below with respect to table ii . in step s 209 , a display application displays the status of aircraft 102 a based on the assigned display code and image code . in one aspect , a pointing device ( a mouse ) 14 is used to click on an icon or an object to display the status of the aircraft 102 a . various fields may be displayed , as described below in table ii . the display application may be a three - dimensional program that is updated every time position information is received and updated . thereafter , the process ends in step s 210 . table ii below describes plural fields used by the process flow diagram described above to display the status of aircraft 102 a . table ii processed data description object_cd object code identifier for displaying the status of aircraft 102a description aircraft 102a description time_stamp the time a record is loaded into data center 105a obj_type_cd this field signifies the type of flight tail_number aircraft 102a tail number verified from a source independent of the input data source carrier_cd this field identifies the owner of aircraft 102a fligh_nbr this field specifies the flight number , if any aircraft_type this field specifies the type of aircraft dep_airport this field identifies the airport from where aircraft 102a departed arr_airport this field identifies the arrival airport for aircraft 102a departure_date this field specifies the departure date for aircraft 102a depart_time this field specifies the departure time for aircraft 102a arrival_time this field specifies arrival time for aircraft 102a altitude / latitude this field specifies the latitude for aircraft 102a longitude this field specifies the longitude for aircraft 102a satellite_id this field identifies satellite 103 bandwidth this field identifies the bandwidth of the transponder on aircraft 102a link_establish this field denotes the first time communication was established between a ground station and aircraft 102a symbol_image this field specifies the image used for providing status for aircraft 102a symbol_status this field provides the status on the symbol hyp_link this provides a url link to the image that is used to display the status of aircraft 102a display_code this code specifies how the image is displayed to show the status of aircraft 102a track_color this field is used to specify the color of the flight tracking image track_thickness this field is used to specify the thickness of the image tracking a flight track_type this field is used to specify the type of line ( for example , solid , dotted , or dashed ) for flight tracking num_user this field specifies the number of users that are using internet services on aircraft 102a at a given time last_revd_dttm this provides a time stamp for status update location this field specifies the physical location of data source sw_version this field specifies the software version of the program for the processed output data in one aspect of the present invention , a central monitoring station can use the processed data and status information to track the progress of a flight . this status may also be viewed and used by an airline or any other entity that needs to observe and monitor real - time data . the status is available via internet 101 and hence provides the flexibility to deal with any emergencies involving aircraft 102 a . the real - time data may also be made available to passengers on aircraft 102 a via the web link . furthermore , the various fields in table ii may be customized for different customers and entities . for example , specific display codes may be assigned for individual airlines . while the present invention is described above with respect to what is currently considered its preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to that described above . to the contrary , the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
fig1 illustrates a high - level overview of a voice mail system and related components adapted to execute the present invention . shown are a telephone 110 , a switching system 112 such as a central office or private branch exchange , and a voice mail system 114 . telephone 110 is a standard telephone having a dtmf keypad 116 by which commands and numbers can be entered . it should be recognized that other devices , such a computer modem , can be substituted for telephone 110 and used with respect to the present invention as described below . switching system 112 functions as a stand alone call processor . calls placed from telephone 110 may eventually be directed by switching system 112 to voice mail system 114 . voice mail system 114 answers the call and processes it as described below . voice mail system 114 stores information necessary to perform its functions in database 118 . database 118 can be any general purpose storage device , such as a hard drive . throughout this specification , reference is made to a &# 34 ; caller &# 34 ; and a &# 34 ; subscriber .&# 34 ; unless otherwise indicated , the caller is the person leaving a message and the subscriber is the person for whom the message is left . when the caller connects with the subscriber &# 39 ; s voice mail system 114 , the system prompts the caller to input a name tag , or header . usually , the header is the caller &# 39 ; s name , although it could also be a nickname or other means of identification . next , system 114 generates a speech recognition template from the header . a speech recognition template is a data construct well known in the art of speech recognition . essentially , a template is a digital representation of a spoken word or phrase stored in a format designed to ease comparison of the template with other spoken words or phrases . if the caller &# 39 ; s call originates outside system 114 , the caller is preferably prompted to enter information indicating the caller &# 39 ; s return address . usually , this information is the caller &# 39 ; s phone number and can be entered via the telephone keypad 116 or spoken . alternatively , the return address can be determined via automatic number identification ( ani ). this return address information is associated with the caller &# 39 ; s speech recognition template and saved in the system &# 39 ; s database 118 . finally , the caller is prompted to leave a voice message for the subscriber . the message is saved in voice mail system 114 along with its associated header and return address . system 114 saves incoming messages in an in box . multiple messages from the same caller , as indicated by the caller &# 39 ; s return address , can be grouped together . in addition , the subscriber &# 39 ; s saved messages are placed in a second box . fig2 is a flow diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of a menu structure used by a subscriber to access messages in voice mail system 114 . note that system 114 is preferably voice activated . accordingly , each time system 114 receives an input from the subscriber , system 114 compares the input to the voice templates for each possible command and to the voice templates for each voice message within system 114 . then , system 114 preferably plays a prompt to the subscriber indicating that the command was received and understood . assume that the subscriber calls in to retrieve messages . at step 210 , voice mail system 114 answers the subscriber &# 39 ; s call . at this point , the subscriber identifies him or herself to system 114 by , for example , speaking a password ( step 212 ). next , at step 214 , system 114 asks the subscriber whether it should play new or saved messages . if the subscriber says &# 34 ; new ,&# 34 ; then system 114 moves to step 216 to process the new messages as described below . if the subscriber says &# 34 ; saved ,&# 34 ; then system 114 moves to step 218 and processes saved messages in substantially the same manner as described below with respect to new messages . alternatively , system 114 could be configured to move directly from step 212 to step 216 , thereby saving the subscriber the step of specifying new or saved messages . at step 220 , system 114 announces the number of new messages and plays the headers of current messages in rapid succession . after the headers are played , system 114 waits for the subscriber to speak a particular header ( step 222 ). after system 114 receives a spoken header from the subscriber , system 114 plays the message ( step 224 ) having the header that mostly matches that spoken by the subscriber . if the subscriber remains silent , system 114 plays the messages in the order in which they were received . while the message is playing , the subscriber can &# 34 ; barge in &# 34 ; with a new command . in other words , the subscriber can speak a command and voice mail system 114 will immediately stop playing the message and process the command . otherwise , system 114 plays the whole message and then waits for a command from the subscriber . possible subscriber commands include : tag , reply , skip , delete , and save . the &# 34 ; tag &# 34 ; command ( step 226 ) tells system 114 to treat any new messages from the same caller in a special manner . when a tag command is received , system 114 marks the speech recognition template associated with the tagged message and saves the template in database 118 . at step 228 , system 114 queries the subscriber for a type of tag . possible tags could include : &# 34 ; page ,&# 34 ; which causes system 114 to page the subscriber if the caller calls again ; &# 34 ; call me ,&# 34 ; which causes system 114 to call the subscriber if the caller calls again ; and &# 34 ; voice mail ,&# 34 ; which merely directs the caller to voice mail . obviously , other types of tags can be developed depending upon the subscriber &# 39 ; s needs . once the type of tag is set , system 114 returns to step 222 . the subscriber can also issue a &# 34 ; reply &# 34 ; command ( step 230 ). in response , system 114 prompts the user to record a reply and schedule delivery ( step 232 ). if the reply is directed to another subscriber within voice mail system 114 , then system 114 merely places the reply in that subscriber &# 39 ; s in box . otherwise , system 114 can be configured to deliver the message to the return address left by the caller when the message was recorded . then , system 114 returns to step 222 . another possible command the subscriber can issue is &# 34 ; skip .&# 34 ; the skip command ( step 234 ) moves system 114 to the next message in the subscriber &# 39 ; s queue . accordingly , system 114 returns to step 222 . the skipped message remains in the subscriber &# 39 ; s in box . the &# 34 ; delete &# 34 ; command ( step 236 ) deletes the current message from the subscriber &# 39 ; s in box . the &# 34 ; save &# 34 ; command ( step 238 ) saves the current message to a different location within the subscriber &# 39 ; s voice mail . in addition , the save command can be made the default command if the subscriber does not speak a command within a predetermined time period after the message is played . after the save or delete command , system 114 returns to step 222 . of course , system 114 resembles a typical voice mail system in that it may have other commands not represented in the flowchart of fig2 . for example , system 114 can have a &# 34 ; forward &# 34 ; command that forwards messages to other subscribers or callers . similarly , system 114 should have commands for traversing back up the command hierarchy and replaying the new message headers . all of these commands can be implemented in a manner like those discussed above . fig3 is a flow chart illustrating the steps performed when a tagged caller calls voice mail system 114 . at step 310 , system 114 answers the caller &# 39 ; s call . at step 312 , system 114 prompts for and receives a header from the caller as discussed above with respect to fig1 . next , at step 314 , system 114 compares the newly received header with a list of speech recognition templates marked in response to the tag command as discussed with respect to step 226 . if the caller &# 39 ; s header matches a previously tagged header , then system 114 verifies that the caller is in fact the tagged caller ( step 316 ). step 316 could be performed , for example , by asking the caller &# 34 ; are you & lt ; play matching header & gt ;?&# 34 ; if the caller indicates &# 34 ; yes ,&# 34 ; then system 114 provides the special treatment indicated by the subscriber at step 228 ( step 318 ). otherwise , system 114 handles the call in the normal manner ( step 320 ). although the above system preferably responds to the caller &# 39 ; s and subscriber &# 39 ; s spoken commands , system 114 can easily be adapted to respond to other forms of input . for example , system 114 can be controlled by dtmf input or by a computer system coupled to voice mail system 114 . in addition , it should be noted that the command hierarchy discussed herein is exemplary in nature . indeed , a prime advantage of using speech templates as disclosed herein is that the command hierarchy can be greatly flattened . instead of responding to a series of prompts , the subscriber need only speak a header to retrieve a message . 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 herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 7 |
the pattern forming method according to one embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to fig1 a - 1 e , 2 a - 2 e , 3 a - 3 b , 4 and 5 a - 5 b . fig1 a - 1 e and 2 a - 2 e are sectional views of a package substrate in the steps of the pattern forming method according to the present embodiment , which explain the method . fig3 a and 3b are plan views showing the pattern forming method according to the present embodiment . fig4 is a plan view showing one example of disalignment of lsi chips . fig5 a and 5b are plan views of one example of a basic mask pattern and the mask pattern as corrected . grooves 12 for a plurality of lsi chips to be embedded in are formed in a core substrate 10 to be the base ( fig1 a , fig3 a ). in place of forming the grooves 12 , a core substrate with mold frames for the lsi chips to be embedded in may be used . then , lsi chips 14 are fit in the grooves 12 formed in the core substrate 12 and secured with a resin ( fig1 b ). the lsi chips are embedded with the circuit surfaces thereof faced upward . preferably , the resin is set by pressing the surfaces of the lsi chips 14 with a parallel plate , so that the circuit surfaces of the lsi chips 14 can be flush with the level of a height of the core substrate 10 . next , a resin 16 is filled in the gaps between the lsi chips 14 without adhering the resin 16 to the circuit surfaces of the lsi chips 14 to thereby make the surface flat ( fig1 c , fig3 b ). at this time , there is a risk that the respective lsi chips 14 may be disaligned due to alignment accuracy when the lsi chips 14 are secured to the core substrate 10 and stresses produced when the resin 16 is dried . the disalignment will include x - axial disalignment , y - axial disalignment , rotations , etc . [ 0028 ] fig4 shows an image in which the lsi chip 14 a has a disalignment containing rotation , and the lsi chip 14 b and the lsi chip 14 c have y - axial disalignments . in fig4 the dotted lines indicate the basic positions of the lsi chips 14 , and the solid lines indicate positions where the lsi chips 14 have been actually located . then , a photosensitive dielectric resin 18 is applied to the core substrate 10 with the lsi chips 14 embedded in , and dried ( fig1 d ). thus , a base pattern formed by the lsi chips 14 is formed on the core substrate 10 . the base pattern is a pattern including a tetragonal shape , a polygonal shape , etc . which is formed over the core substrate 10 . at least one interconnection layer is to be formed on the base pattern . in the present embodiment , outline shapes of the lsi chips 14 correspond to the base pattern . next , relative positions of the respective lsi chips 14 with respect to the core substrate 10 are detected by optical means . the positions of the lsi chips 14 may be detected by detecting the edges of the lsi chips 14 or alignment marks on the lsi chips 14 . then , based on the detected positional information of the lsi chips 14 , positions of the electrodes ( not shown ) formed on the lsi chips 14 are computed . for the computation , positional relationships between the edges of the lsi chips 14 and the electrodes or positional relationships between the alignment marks and the electrodes are beforehand in storage means , so that positions of the electrodes of the lsi chips 14 are computed , based on the stored information . next , based on the computed positional information of the electrodes of the respective lsi chips , basic pattern data of via holes , which has been in advance stored in the storage means is corrected to compute corrected pattern data . the basic pattern data is pattern data of idealistic locations of the lsi chips 14 without disalignments . the corrected pattern data is a pattern data of the basic pattern which has been corrected so that positions of the respective via holes are above the electrodes of the actual lsi chips . for example , in a case that the basic pattern data of the via holes is based on coordinate origins of the respective vial holes , the coordinate origins of the respective via holes are shifted by amounts corresponding to disalignment amounts of the lsi chips to thereby produce the corrected pattern data . then , based on the thus - computed corrected pattern data of the via holes , a mask pattern is produced and displayed on a liquid crystal panel . next , with the liquid crystal panel displaying the mask pattern as a mask , the photosensitive dielectric resin 18 is exposed and developed . the liquid crystal panel is thus used as a mask to thereby prepare mask patterns corrected suitably corresponding to disalignments of the lsi chips 14 . thus , via holes 20 are formed in the photosensitive dielectric resin 18 in alignment with the positions of the electrodes of the respective lsi chips 14 ( fig1 e ). the photosensitive dielectric resin 18 is to be an inter - layer insulating film for insulating the interconnection layers . then , a titanium nitride film , for example , is deposited on the entire surface to form a barrier metal layer 22 of the titanium nitride film ( fig2 a ). next , a photoresist film 24 is applied to the barrier metal layer 22 and dried . then , based on the computed positional information of the electrodes of the lsi chips 14 , basic pattern data of an interconnection layer , which has been beforehand stored in the storage means is corrected to compute corrected pattern data . here , the basic pattern data is idealistic pattern data of the lsi chips 14 without disalignments . the corrected pattern data is a pattern data of the basic pattern which has been corrected so that contact positions of the respective interconnections are above the via holes 20 formed in the photosensitive dielectric resin 18 . for example , in a case that the basic pattern of the interconnection layer is based on coordinate origins of the respective via holes 20 , the corrected pattern data can be produced , based on coordinate origins of the via holes 20 , which have been corrected in consideration of the positional information of the lsi chips . then , based on the thus computed corrected pattern data of the interconnection layer , the mask pattern is produced and displayed on a liquid crystal panel . at this time , when the photoresist film 24 is provided by a positive resist , the mask pattern is formed on the liquid crystal panel so that a region for the interconnection layer to be formed in is a transmitting region . fig5 a shows one example of the mask pattern formed based on the basic pattern data , and fig5 b shows one example of the mask pattern formed based on the corrected pattern data . when the basic pattern of the interconnection layer is corrected , it is preferable to suitably adjust a width of the interconnection so as not to change the width of the interconnection . especially , there is a risk that the breakage of the equipment or obstruction of the normal circuit operation is occurred because of exceeding the upper limit of the current density when the width of the interconnection narrows , so that it is effective to suitably adjust the width of the interconnection . then , with the liquid crystal panel displaying the mask pattern as a mask , the photoresist film 24 is exposed and developed . thus , the photoresist film 24 in the region for the interconnection layer to be formed in is selectively removed ( fig2 b ). next , with the photoresist film 24 formed , copper , for example , is deposited by plating with the barrier metal layer 22 as a seed layer to form a copper film 26 selectively in the region for the interconnection layer to be formed in ( fig2 c ). then , after the photoresist film 24 has been removed , with the copper film 26 as a mask , the barrier metal layer 22 is etched off to form the interconnection layer 28 , etc . of the barrier metal layer 22 and the copper layer 26 laid the one on the other ( fig2 d ). next , in the same way as in the steps of , e . g ., fig1 d to 2 d , on the photosensitive dielectric resin with the interconnection layer formed on , photosensitive dielectric resins 30 , 34 , 38 , etc . and interconnection layers 32 , 36 , etc . are repeated formed to thereby form a multi - level interconnection layer 40 on the core substrate 10 ( fig2 e ) as described above , according to the present embodiment , positions of the lsi chips with respect to the core substrate are detected , the pattern data for a pattern to be formed on the core substrate is corrected based on positional information of the lsi chips , a mask pattern based on the corrected pattern data is displayed on a liquid crystal panel , and the pattern is formed by lithography with the liquid crystal panel as a mask , whereby even when the lsi chips are disaligned with the core substrate , the multi - level interconnection layer can be formed on the core substrate accurately in alignment with the lsi chips . in the present embodiment , the patterning is performed in the process of forming the multi - level interconnection layer 40 by using information of positions of the electrodes of the lsi chips 14 . however , it is possible that positions of the via holes or the interconnection layer formed on the core substrate 10 are detected to obtain new positional information , and based on the positional information , the patterning of the upper layers is performed . in the latter , the multi - level interconnection layer 40 can be formed while not only disalignments of the lsi chips 14 , but also distortions and shrinkages of patterns taking place in processes , as of thermal processing , etc ., are corrected . in the present embodiment , positions of the lsi chips are detected after the photosensitive dielectric resin 18 has been applied to , but the positional detection of the lci chips may be performed before the application of the photosensitive dielectric resin 18 . when positions of the lsi chips are detected , the entire surface region of the core substrate is divided in a plurality of units , and the positional detection of the lsi chips may be performed for the respective units . in the present embodiment , the present invention has been explained by means of the example that the multi - level interconnection layer is formed on the core substrate with the lsi chips embedded in . however , the present invention is not limited to the process of fabricating package substrates and is applicable widely to the formation of patterns by photolithography . the present invention is advantageously applicable especially to cases where different factors for disalignment are present in one and the same plane and where distortion and shrinkage take place due to build - up , etc . the base pattern is not limited to a pattern formed on the core substrate 10 . as described above , a pattern formed by the interconnection layer formed on the core substrate 10 , etc . may be also included in the base pattern . | 7 |
referring now to fig1 , a downhole drill string 101 may be suspended by a derrick 102 . the downhole drill string 101 may comprise one or more downhole drill string tools 100 , linked together in the downhole drill string 101 and in communication with surface equipment 103 through a downhole network . fig2 shows a cross - sectional diagram of an embodiment of a downhole drill string tool 100 a . this embodiment of a downhole drill string tool 100 a includes a percussive tool 110 . the percussive tool 110 has an inner cylinder 120 that defines an interior chamber 125 . the percussive tool 110 also has an outer cylinder 180 which may have multiple internal flutes 182 ( see fig3 a ). the outer cylinder 180 substantially surrounds the internal cylinder 120 and the internal flutes 182 may be in contact with the internal cylinder 120 thus forming multiple input channels 184 and 186 . ( see fig3 a ) a piston element 130 sits within the interior chamber 125 and divides the interior chamber 125 into a first pressure chamber 126 and a second pressure chamber 127 . the piston element 130 may slide back and forth within the interior chamber 125 thus altering the respective volumes of the first pressure chamber 126 and the second pressure chamber 127 . the volume of the first pressure chamber 126 may be inversely related to the volume of the second pressure chamber 127 . the piston element 130 has seals 132 which may prevent drilling fluid from passing between the first pressure chamber 126 and the second pressure chamber 127 . the drill string 101 has a center bore 150 through which drilling fluid may flow downhole . at the percussive tool 110 , the center bore 150 may be separated thus allowing the drilling fluid to flow past a turbine 160 which has multiple turbine blades 162 . in this embodiment , the turbine 160 acts as a driving mechanism to drive a rotary valve 170 . in other embodiments , the driving mechanism may be a motor or another suitable means known in the art . the rotary valve 170 comprises a first disc 174 which is attached to the driving mechanism , the turbine 160 in this embodiment , and a second disc 172 which is axially aligned with the first disc 174 by means of an axial shaft 176 . the second disc 172 also faces the first disc 174 along a surface 173 . the first disc 174 and the second disc 172 may comprise materials selected from the group consisting of steel , chromium , tungsten , tantalum , niobium , titanium , molybdenum , carbide , natural diamond , polycrystalline diamond , vapor deposited diamond , cubic boron nitride , tin , alni , altini , tialn , crn / crc /( mo , w ) s2 , tin / ticn , altin / mos2 , tialn , zrn , diamond impregnated carbide , diamond impregnated matrix , silicon bounded , and diamond . a superhard material such as diamond or cubic boron nitride may line internal edges 371 ( see fig3 e ) of the first disc 174 and second disc 172 to increase resistance to abrasion . the superhard material may be sintered , inserted , coated , or vapor deposited . the first disc 174 may have through ports 370 and exhaust ports 372 . ( see fig3 f ) the second disc 172 may have first ports 374 and second ports 376 . ( see fig3 e ) as drilling fluid flows down the center bore 150 and passes by the turbine blades 162 it causes the turbine 160 to rotate and drive the first disc 174 . the first disc then rotates relative to the second disc . in a first stroke of the piston element 130 , as the first and second discs 174 and 172 rotate relative to one another , the through ports 370 of the first disc 174 align with the second ports 376 of the second disc 172 . this allows drilling fluid to flow into the second input channels 186 . from the second input channel a portion of the fluid flows into the first pressure chamber 126 and a portion of the fluid flows down the second input channels 186 and out a second exit orifice 386 . ( see fig3 g and 3 h ) also , during the first stroke the exhaust ports 372 of the first disc 174 align with the first ports 374 of the second disc 172 . this allows drilling fluid within the second pressure chamber 127 to escape to the first input channels 184 and either flow out first exit orifices 384 or flow out exhaust channel 190 to exhaust orifices 192 . in a second stroke of the piston element 130 , as the first and second discs 174 and 172 rotate further relative to one another , the through ports 370 of the first disc 174 align with the first ports 374 of the second disc 172 . this allows drilling fluid to flow into the first input channels 184 . from the first input channels a portion of the fluid flows into the second pressure chamber 127 and another portion of the fluid flows down the first input channels 184 and out the first exit orifice 384 . ( see fig3 g and 3 h ) also during the second stroke the exhaust ports 372 of the first disc 174 align with the second ports 376 of the second disc 172 . this allows drilling fluid within the first pressure chamber 126 to escape to the second input channels 186 and either flow out second exit orifices 386 or flow out exhaust channel 190 to exhaust orifices 192 . the drilling fluid may be drilling mud traveling down the drill string or hydraulic fluid isolated from the downhole drilling mud and circulated by a downhole motor . in various embodiments , the ports may be alternately opened electronically . in the embodiment shown in fig2 , the first exit orifices 384 includes first exit nozzles 204 , the second exit orifices 386 includes second exit nozzles 206 , and the exhaust orifices 192 includes exhaust nozzles 209 . ( see fig4 ) the first exit nozzles 204 , second exit nozzles 206 , and exhaust nozzles 209 may be located on a drill bit 140 . the drill bit 140 may have a plurality of cutting elements 142 . the cutting elements 142 may comprise a superhard material such as diamond , polycrystalline diamond , or cubic boron nitride . the drill bit 140 may rotate around a jack element 138 which protrudes from the drill bit 140 . the jack element 138 may be in contact with an impact element 136 . in operation , as the piston element 130 slides within the inner cylinder 120 it may impact the impact element 136 which may force the jack element 138 to protrude farther from the drill bit 140 with repeated thrusts . it is believed that these repeated thrusts may aid the drill bit 140 in drilling through earthen formations . the jack element 138 may also have an angled end that may help steer the drill bit 140 through earthen formations . one of the advantages of this embodiment is that if the first exit nozzles 204 and second exit nozzles 206 are similar in discharge area then the pressure in the first pressure chamber 126 is greater than the pressure in the second pressure chamber 127 during the first stroke and the reverse is true during the second stoke . this is true because the discharge area of the exhaust nozzles 209 added to the discharge area of the exit nozzles from which the drilling fluid is escaping will always be greater than the discharge area of the exit nozzles from which the drill fluid is not escaping . another believed advantage of this embodiment is that the pressure differential between the first pressure chamber 126 and the second pressure chamber 127 may be able to be adjusted by adjusting the discharge area of the exhaust nozzle 209 . referring now to fig3 a - j , which are perspective diagrams of several components of the embodiment shown in fig2 . fig3 a is a perspective diagram of an embodiment of the outer cylinder 180 . as described earlier , outer cylinder 180 may have multiple internal flutes 182 . the internal flutes 182 may be in contact with the internal cylinder 120 ( see fig3 b ) thus forming multiple input channels 184 and 186 . the first input channels 184 may be aligned with second openings 324 ( see fig3 b ) to the second pressure chamber 127 thus allowing drilling fluid to flow into and out of the second pressure chamber 127 . the second input channels 186 may be aligned with first openings 326 ( see fig3 b ) to the first pressure chamber 126 thus allowing drilling fluid to flow into and out of the first pressure chamber 126 . fig3 b is a perspective diagram of an embodiment of the inner cylinder 120 . the inner cylinder 120 may have first openings 326 and second openings 324 . fig3 c is a perspective diagram of an embodiment of the piston element 130 . the piston element 130 sits within the inner cylinder 120 ( see fig3 b ) and separates the inner cylinder into the first pressure chamber 126 and second pressure chamber 127 . ( see fig2 ) in operation , the piston element 130 may impact the impact element 136 . ( see fig3 d ). fig3 d is a perspective diagram of an embodiment of the impact element 136 . it is believed that the force of the piston element 130 ( see fig3 c ) impacting the impact element 136 may apply repetitive force to the jack element 138 ( see fig3 i ) thus aiding in the breaking up of earthen formations . fig3 e is a perspective diagram of an embodiment of a second disc 172 which may form part of rotary valve 170 . ( see fig2 ) second disc 172 may include first ports 374 and second ports 376 . fig3 f is a perspective diagram of an embodiment of a first disc 174 which may form another part of rotary valve 170 . ( see fig2 ) first disc 174 may have through ports 370 and exhaust ports 372 . the first disc 174 may face the second disc 172 ( see fig3 e ) along a surface 173 . fig3 g and 3 h are perspective diagrams showing reverse sides of an embodiment of a flow plate 380 . the flow plate 380 may have first exit orifices 384 and second exit orifices 386 which may conduct some of the flow from first input channels 184 and second input channels 186 respectively ( see fig2 ). flow plate 380 may also have exhaust orifice 192 which may conduct some of the flow from exhaust channel 190 ( see fig2 ). fig3 i is a perspective diagram of an embodiment of jack element 138 . the jack element 138 may be formed of a material such as steel , chromium , tungsten , tantalum , niobium , titanium , molybdenum , carbide , natural diamond , polycrystalline diamond , vapor deposited diamond , cubic boron nitride , tin , alni , altini , tialn , crn / crc /( mo , w ) s2 , tin / ticn , altin / mos2 , tialn , zrn , diamond impregnated carbide , diamond impregnated matrix , silicon bounded diamond , and / or combinations thereof . fig3 j is a perspective diagram of an embodiment of turbine 160 . turbine 160 may have a substantially circular geometry . turbine 160 may also include multiple turbine blades 162 . turbine 160 may be adapted to rotate when drilling fluid flows past turbine blades 162 . fig4 is an axial diagram of an embodiment of a drill bit 140 . drill bit 140 may include first exit nozzles 204 , second exit nozzles 206 , and exhaust nozzles 209 . drill bit 140 may also include a plurality of cutting elements 142 . drill bit 140 may rotate around a jack element 138 which protrudes from the drill bit 140 . fig5 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method of actuating a downhole drill string tool 500 . method 500 comprises the steps of rotating a rotary valve by means of a driving mechanism 502 ; aligning at least one port formed in a first disc with at least one port formed in a second disc 504 ; supplying drilling fluid from at least one second input channel to a first pressure chamber and to at least one second exit orifice 506 ; releasing drilling fluid from a second pressure chamber to at least one first exit orifice and at least one exhaust orifice 508 ; realigning the at least one port formed in the first disc with the at least one port formed in the second disc 510 ; supplying drilling fluid from the at least one first input channel to the second pressure chamber and to the at least one first exit orifice 512 ; and releasing drilling fluid from the first pressure chamber to the at least one second exit orifice and the at least one exhaust orifice 514 . the rotating a rotary valve by means of a driving mechanism 502 may comprise passing drilling fluid past a turbine with multiple turbine blades which then rotates a rotary valve . the rotating 502 may also comprise rotating a motor or other driving means known in the art . fig6 a and 6 b are drilling fluid flow diagrams representing embodiments of first and second strokes 600 and 610 respectively of a downhole drill string tool . fig6 a represents a piston element 630 sitting within an interior chamber 625 and dividing it into a first pressure chamber 626 and a second pressure chamber 627 . during the first stroke 600 , first input channels 684 are sealed , as indicated by the x next to the reference number , and second input channels 686 are open thus allowing drilling fluid to flow into first pressure chamber 626 and out a second exit orifice 696 . meanwhile , drilling fluid within second pressure chamber 627 is allowed to escape out of first exit orifice 694 and exhaust orifice 692 . if the discharge areas of first exit orifice 694 and second exit orifice 696 are similar then the additional discharge area of the exhaust orifice 692 will cause the pressure in the first pressure chamber 626 to be greater than the pressure in the second pressure chamber 627 during the first stroke 600 causing the piston element 630 to move away from the first pressure chamber 626 and toward the second pressure chamber 627 . the pressure differential between the first pressure chamber 626 and the second pressure chamber 627 will be able to be adjusted by adjusting the size of the exhaust orifice 692 . during second stroke 610 , second input channels 686 are sealed , as indicated by the x next to the reference number , and first input channels 684 are open thus allowing drilling fluid to flow into second pressure chamber 627 and out a second exit orifice 696 . meanwhile , drilling fluid within first pressure chamber 626 is allowed to escape out of second exit orifice 696 and exhaust orifice 692 . this will cause the pressure in the second pressure chamber 627 to be greater than the pressure in the first pressure chamber 626 causing the piston element 630 to move away from the second pressure chamber 627 and toward the first pressure chamber 626 . fig7 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method of actuating a downhole drill string tool comprising a jack element 700 . method 700 comprises the steps of rotating a rotary valve by means of a driving mechanism 702 ; aligning at least one port formed in a first disc with at least one port formed in a second disc 704 ; supplying drilling fluid from at least one second input channel to a first pressure chamber and to at least one second exit orifice 706 ; releasing drilling fluid from a second pressure chamber to at least one first exit orifice and at least one exhaust orifice 708 ; realigning the at least one port formed in the first disc with the at least one port formed in the second disc 710 ; supplying drilling fluid from the at least one first input channel to the second pressure chamber and to the at least one first exit orifice 712 ; releasing drilling fluid from the first pressure chamber to the at least one second exit orifice and the at least one exhaust orifice 714 ; wherein the first exit orifice includes a nozzle , the second exit orifice includes a nozzle , and the exhaust orifice includes a nozzle , altering the discharge area of the exhaust nozzle to change the pressure differential between the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber 716 ; contacting a piston element slidably sitting intermediate the first pressure chamber and second pressure chamber with a jack element substantially coaxial with an axis of rotation , partially housed within a bore of the drill string tool , and having a distal end extending beyond a working face of the drill string tool 718 ; and rotating the working face of the drill string tool around the jack element 720 . it is believed that the percussive action of the jack element will help break up earthen formations that may be surrounding the downhole drill string tool and thus allow it to progress more rapidly through the earthen formations . fig8 is a flow diagram of an embodiment of a method of actuating a downhole drill string tool comprising vibrating means 800 . method 800 comprises the steps of rotating a rotary valve by means of a driving mechanism 802 ; aligning at least one port formed in a first disc with at least one port formed in a second disc 804 ; supplying drilling fluid from at least one second input channel to a first pressure chamber and to at least one second exit orifice 806 ; releasing drilling fluid from a second pressure chamber to at least one first exit orifice and at least one exhaust orifice 808 ; realigning the at least one port formed in the first disc with the at least one port formed in the second disc 810 ; supplying drilling fluid from the at least one first input channel to the second pressure chamber and to the at least one first exit orifice 812 ; releasing drilling fluid from the first pressure chamber to the at least one second exit orifice and the at least one exhaust orifice 814 ; and contacting a piston element slidably sitting intermediate the first pressure chamber and second pressure chamber with a weight sufficient to vibrate the downhole drill string tool 816 . it is believed that the percussive action of the weight will help downhole drill string tool break free when caught on earthen formations that may be surrounding the downhole drill string tool and otherwise allow it to progress more rapidly through the earthen formations . whereas the present invention has been described in particular relation to the drawings attached hereto , it should be understood that other and further modifications apart from those shown or suggested herein , may be made within the scope and spirit of the present invention . | 4 |
while the present invention will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown , it is to be understood at the outset of the description which follows that persons of skill in the appropriate arts may modify the invention here described while still achieving the favorable results of this invention . accordingly , the description which follows is to be understood as being a broad , teaching disclosure directed to persons of skill in the appropriate arts , and not as limiting upon the present invention . illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below . in the interest of clarity , not all features of an actual implementation are described . in the following description , well - known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention with unnecessary detail . it will be appreciated that , in the development of any actual embodiment , numerous implementation - specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers &# 39 ; specific goals , such as compliance with system - related and business - related constraints , which will vary from one implementation to another . moreover , it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time - consuming , but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure . fig1 diagrammatically shows a configuration of an apparatus for monitoring optical signal performance in a wavelength division multiplexing ( wdm ) system and an operation waveform of each component , in accordance with the principles of the present invention . fig2 diagrammatically shows hysterisis characteristics of a tunable optical filter widely used in optical performance monitors and reference wavelength values according to the principles of the present invention reflected on a hysterisis loop . the dotted parts in fig2 represent the reference wavelength values . referring to fig1 , if the optical signal on an optical link , more specifically , if the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal ( wdmos ) is transmitted onto an optical path 10 , approximately 10 % of the wdmos transmitted onto the optical path branches off onto an optical path 16 through an optical coupler 12 having the 9 : 1 branching ratio . in the meantime , the remaining 90 % of the wdmos is transmitted onto another optical link through a fiber spool . a light emitting diode ( led ) 20 sends out an amplified spontaneous emission ( ase ) signal to a reference optical fiber 22 . on the reference optical fiber 22 , two tilted fiber bragg grating ( tfbg ) 24 and 26 are disposed being apart from each other by a designated distance . these tilted fiber bragg gratings 24 and 26 are downstream of the light emitting diode 20 , and thus the amplified spontaneous emission output from the light emitting diode 20 is conveyed toward the gratings 24 and 26 . these tilted fiber bragg gratings 24 and 26 set the reference wavelengths of the amplified spontaneous emission , and include a reflection wavelength or an absorbance wavelength of about 3 decibels ( db ) main modes mi ( here , i is an integer 1 or 2 ) and side modes si ( here , i is an integer 1 or 2 ). for example , as depicted in the diagram , the tilted fiber bragg grating 24 generates the reference wavelength of the main mode m 1 and the side mode , respectively , for the amplified spontaneous emission transmitted onto the optical fiber 22 . similarly , the tilted fiber bragg grating 26 generates the reference wavelength of the main mode m 2 and the side mode s 2 for the amplified spontaneous emission transmitted onto the optical fiber 22 . thus , the tilted fiber bragg gratings 24 and 26 are placed in such a manner that the wavelengths of the mi and the side mode si are outputted from the particular positions shown in fig1 . as described above , the present invention is very useful for wavelength analysis in that it enables the generation of an amplified spontaneous emission signal using the light emitting diode 20 , and the setting of approximately two times more reference wavelengths by using two tilted fiber bragg gratings 24 and 26 , instead of a typical fiber bragg grating , in which each tilted fiber bragg grating has the wavelengths for the main mode mi and the side mode si . such result is obtained because the present invention takes advantage of factors of the reference wavelength used in the analysis of the optical signal wavelength in various ways . the amplified spontaneous emission signal generated with the reference wavelengths for the main mode mi and the side mode si is then inputted through the optical fiber 22 to another side of a 2 × 1 optical switch 18 connected to the emission . the optical switch 18 is switched according to a pulse type switching control signal ( sctl ) input logic as shown in fig1 , and selectively outputs either the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal ( wdmos ) inputted to an optical fiber 16 or the amplified spontaneous emission having the added reference wavelengths of the main modes mi and the side modes si . for instance , if the switching control signal ( sctl ) is inputted as a logic “ high ”, the optical switch 18 selects the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal wdmos , while if the switching control signal ( sctl ) is inputted as a logic “ low ”, the optical switch 18 selects the amplified spontaneous emission ase with the added reference wavelength . once the selection is made by the optical switch 18 , the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal ( wdmos ) or the amplified spontaneous emission ( ase ) with the added wavelength is provided to an optically coupled tunable optical filter 28 through the optical fiber . the tunable optical filter 28 changes the transmission wavelength depending on the voltage level of a filtering control signal ( ftcs ) inputted to a control terminal . at this time , the filtering control signal ( ftcs ) provided to the control terminal of the tunable optical filter 28 looks like a sawtooth wave as depicted in fig1 , and its cycle is the same with the switching control signal ( sctl ). accordingly , in accordance with the optical filter coefficient depending on the voltage level of the filtering control signal ( ftcs ), the tunable optical filter 28 filters the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal ( wdmos ) outputted from the optical switch 18 or the amplified spontaneous emission ( ase ) with the added reference wavelengths of the main modes mi and the side modes si . a preferable example of the tunable optical filter 28 is a tunable fabry - perot filter ( tfpf ). especially , the tunable fabry - perot filter 28 is known to have voltages and wavelengths of the filtering control signals authorized as the control terminal in a non - linear proportional relationship . more specifically , the voltages and the input waves of the filtering control signals of the tunable fabry - perot filter 28 are changed to a hysterisis form , which is nonlinear . the photoelectric transducer shown in fig1 , that is , the photo diode 30 , selected by the operation of the optical switch 18 and the tunable optical filter 28 , converts the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal ( optical channel ) that underwent the tunable optical filtering process , or the amplified spontaneous emission ( ase ) with the added reference wavelength , to an electric signal , and provides the electric signal to an analog to digital converter ( adc ) 32 . the analog to digital converter 32 , as depicted in fig1 , performs a selective digital conversion on an outputted signal of the optical channel signal or a spectrum of the amplified spontaneous emission with the added reference wavelength , and then provides the digital converted signal or spectrum to a microprocessor 34 . the microprocessor 34 , in accordance with a masked program in an internal memory , transmits control data corresponding to the switching control signal ( sctl ) and the filtering control signal ( ftcs ) shown in fig1 to a digital to analog converter ( dac ) 36 , and controls the optical switch 18 and the tunable optical filter 28 using the analog signal as in fig1 . also , the microprocessor 34 inputs a value of the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal ( wdmos ) outputted from the analog to digital converter 32 and a value of the amplified spontaneous emission ( ase ) with the added reference wavelengths of the main mode mi and the side mode si . further , the microprocessor 34 finds - out determines the reference wavelength values of the main modes m 1 and m 2 , and the side modes si and s 2 , from the inputted amplified spontaneous emission ( ase ) value . here , the main modes m 1 and m 2 , and the side modes s 1 and 52 , are reference signals of the amplified spontaneous emission , and the reference signal is used to calculate the optical signal ( wdmos ) wavelength , the optical power , and the optical signal to noise ratio . the reference wavelength values of the main modes m 1 and m 2 , and the side modes s 1 and s 2 , obtained from the amplified spontaneous emission ( ase ) value , consist the reflection wavelength values or the absorbance wavelength values of the tilted fiber bragg gratings 24 and 26 , which are already known through measurement . in this manner , that is , using the reference wavelength values of the main modes mi , and the side modes si on the time base , the microprocessor 34 inputting the reference wavelength values can monitor the wavelength value , the optical signal power , and the optical signal to noise ratio of the successively inputted wavelength division multiplexed optical signal ( wdmos ) more easily . among other components of the apparatus , the photo diode 30 , the analog to digital converter 32 , the microprocessor 34 and the digital to analog converter ( dac ) 36 are components of a control unit mounted on a print board , and if necessary , they can be constructed as one chip . the present invention brings about improved resolution of the optical signal by generating amplified spontaneous emission using a light emitting diode , and by generating many more reference wavelengths ( at least twice more reference wavelengths ) to the amplified spontaneous emission using tilted fiber bragg gratings rather than a typical fiber bragg grating . in addition , the present invention is capable of monitoring the optical signals on the optical link very easily without any fiber amplifier . the present invention is very useful for monitoring the optical signals in the optical link section without a fiber amplifier because it can generate the reference wavelengths of the amplified spontaneous emission to analyze the wavelength division multiplexed optical signal . further , by using the reference wavelength of the amplified spontaneous emission ( or the discrimination signal of the amplified spontaneous emission ) and the tunable optical filter , the present invention enables an optical signal measuring system to take a precise measurement of the wavelength , the optical power , and the signal to noise ratio of the optical signal by generating more reference wavelength within a hysterisis characteristic section of the tunable optical filter using at least one tilted fiber bragg grating for generating two or more reference wavelengths . while the present invention has been illustrated by the description of embodiments thereof , and while the embodiments have been described in considerable detail , it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail . additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art . therefore , the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details , representative apparatus and method , and illustrative examples shown and described . accordingly , departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant &# 39 ; s general inventive concept . | 7 |
referring to the drawings , which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention only , fig1 shows the draft inducer / damper 10 and air heat exchanger 11 mounted in a typical fireplace . the draft inducer / damper is mounted near the upper end of the existing flue . the mounting apparatus 12 of the draft inducer constricts the cross sectional area of the flue so as to direct all of the exhaust through the draft inducer . the heat exchanger is mounted at the top of the firebox so as to be heated by the fire and escaping combustion products . the control apparatus for the draft inducer and heat exchanger ( not shown in fig1 ) may be mounted in a convenient location near the fireplace . fig2 is a more detailed illustration of the draft inducer / damper and mounting apparatus . a base plate 14 is provided of sufficient size to completely cover the upper end of standard fireplace flues . in order to secure the base plate to the flue , several legs 15 are attached so as to frictionally engage the inside of the flue . any overhang by the base plate over the outside of the flue may be trimmed off or folded down over the sides of the flue and secured with a steel band or the like ( not shown ). a particular advantage of the described mounting apparatus is that no drilling or permanent alteration to the flue is needed . this would be especially important when the invention is installed in a fireplace in an older home in which the flue may be somewhat deteriorated or weakened . also , the frictional mounting apparatus may be easily removed to permit repair or relocation of the draft inducer . in the center of the base plate 14 , a hole is provided to which a tube 16 is attached . the tube 16 is adapted to communicate with and be received in the intake opening 17 of a blower 18 , such as an electrically driven squirrel cage blower . thus , when fully mounted , the base plate reduces the cross sectional area of the flue to the size of the blower intake opening and ultimately to the size of the blower outlet . when the blower is operating , it draws the exhaust gases from the burner up the flue , through the reduced base plate tube , and expels them into the atmosphere through outlet 19 . when the blower is idle , however , the reduced flue opening provided by the base plate and , ultimately , the blower outlet , substantially restricts the natural convective flow of exhaust , thus automatically functioning as a damper . fig3 is a somewhat diagrammatic illustration of the heat exchanger 11 . a blower 20 draws air from the room through one or more intakes , forces it through the body of the exchanger which has been heated by the burner , and returns it to the room through one or more discharge openings 21 . alternatively , the intake 22 may be adapted to draw fresh air from outside the building instead of from the heated room . one or more temperature - responsive switches or sensors 23a - 23b are preferably mounted near the heated air discharges 21 so as to sense the temperature of the heated air or of the heat exchanger housing . these temperature - responsive sensors will be described in conjunction with the draft inducer / damper and heat exchanger control apparatus . fig4 is a diagrammatic view of the draft inducer / damper and air heat exchanger control apparatus and associated electrical circuit . the draft inducer blower and heat exchanger blower are located in parallel in the energizing circuit . a variable speed controller 24 and a temperature - responsive switch 23a are in series with the draft inducer blower motor 18m . a manually actuable switch 25 is in parallel with the variable speed controller 24 and the temperature - responsive switch 23a series combination . a variable speed controller 26 and a temperature - responsive switch 23b are in series with the heat exchanger blower motor 20m . the sensors for the temperature - responsive switches are adapted to sense the combustion conditions in the burner . to this end , they are adapted to close their respective switches at , and open them below , a predetermined temperature representative of the rate of combustion in the burner . the sensors are placed so that they detect the temperature of parts or air heated by the fire , and can be placed , for example , in the firebox or the heat exchanger . however , a particularly advantageous location for the sensors is in the discharge opening of the heat exchanger so as to sense the temperature of the discharged heated air . the temperature of the heated air discharge closely corresponds to the intensity of combustion in the burner , yet is substantially lower than the actual temperature in the firebox . thus , the combustion conditions in the burner can be monitored by reference to fluctuations in relatively low temperatures , permitting the use of less sophisticated , less expensive sensors . also , since the sensors are subjected to a norrower range of temperature , their service lives are prolonged . it should be noted that the various circuit elements are conventional units and no detailed explanation thereof is believed necessary . the operation of the apparatus described will now be explained . before starting a fire in the fireplace or stove , switch 25 is manually closed , activating the draft inducer blower motor 18m which then operates at substantially its full design speed . this ensures a strong draft for starting the fire quickly . a fire of the desired size is built . after the fire has raised the heat exchanger air discharge temperature sufficiently to cause the temperature - responsive switches 23a and 23b to close , switch 25 can be manually opened . the variable speed controllers 24 and 26 are then adjusted to provide the desired draft through the fireplace or stove and forced air flow through the heat exchanger respectively . the system is now automatic . as long as the fire is sufficiently intense to heat the forced air flow from the heat exchanger to above the predetermined temperatures , the blowers continue to create a draft and heated air flow . when the fire can no longer heat the forced air flow above the predetermined limit temperature of temperature - responsive switch 23b , the switch opens and shuts off the heat exchanger blower . similarly , when the temperature of the heated air discharge of the heat exchanger drops below the predetermined limit temperature of temperature - responsive switch 23a , the switch opens and shuts off the draft inducer blower . at this point , the small draft inducer blower outlet , through which the combustion products where drawn , still permits the reduced exhaust flow and residual gases to escape , yet substantially retards the loss of heated room air . thus , where evening heating is desired , a fire can be built and , without attention , the forced air heat exchanger and the draft inducer will automatically shut off when no longer needed . since the restricted flue opening created by the deactivated draft inducer will act as a damper , the loss of heated room air , a major cause of poor fireplace efficiency , will be substantially reduced . in addition to the convenience of automatic operation , the controls are likely to be more accurate in the timing of shut - down than a typical user who would be guessing as to the best time to deactivate the blowers . the temperature - responsive switches 23a and 23b can be adjustable , and thus automatically shut off the draft inducer blower and the heat exchanger blower , at desired temperatures , or are preset for optimum values at the factory . it has been found desirable to have the switch - off temperature for the switch 23b somewhat higher than that of switch 23a so that the heat exchanger blower ceases to function while the inducer / damper blower motor continues to operate . this is desirable to avoid the build - up of undesirable gases , for example carbon monoxide , within the burner . for fireplace units with the switches 23a and 23b located in the air heat exchanger , along the lines as illustrated in fig3 and for wood stove units , a temperature differential of approximately 14 ° c . ( 20 ° f .) has been found to yield desirable results . fig5 illustrates the draft inducer and heat exchanger mounted on a stove 28 . the draft inducer 10 &# 39 ; is mounted near the upper end of the vertical flue duct 29 . the heat exchanger 11 &# 39 ; is mounted above the firebox 30 in order to be heated by the fire . in this embodiment , the temperature - responsive switches 23a and 23b ( fig4 ) are preferably mounted adjacent the outlet ends of the heat exchanger tubes . adapted to a stove , the invention possesses several advantages in addition to those attendant to installation in a fireplace . the draft inducer will permit the use of a stove without a chimney or a long vertical flue normally necessary for proper draft . also , the draft inducer can be used to create sufficient draft in horizontal flues up to a distance of approximately sixty feet . this can simplify installation of the stove , as the flue can be diverted horizontally , for example through an outside wall . finally , several heat exchangers can be stacked above the stove firebox to increase its heating efficiency even further . the foregoing disclosure illustrates the manner in which the invention realizes the objects and advantages set forth above , and is intended to represent a preferred form of the invention rather than limit it . the invention is to be accorded the full scope of the appended claims . | 5 |
a preferred embodiment of a blasting apparatus and a blasting method according to the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is an explanatory view showing a basic structure of a sponge - shaped porous elastic body blasting apparatus ( hereinafter , called a sponge blasting apparatus ) 20 . explaining a sponge blasting technique using the sponge blasting apparatus 20 first , a blast medium 26 used in this technique is made by sticking abrasives ( also called a grinding material in the case of a urea resin ) of a different material ( steel grit , alumina , star light , a urea resin and the like ) in accordance with the roughness ( arithmetic average roughness , maximum height , ten point height of irregularities ), which is required of a coated surface 30 , to a sponge piece 24 as shown in fig2 a to 2 c . in this technique , the blast media 26 are ejected to a coating film 28 on a wall 40 by high pressure air , grind the coating film 28 and roughen the coated surface 30 to perform surface preparation . according to the sponge blasting technique , when the blast media 26 collide against the coating film 28 as shown in fig2 a , the blast media 26 become flat as shown in fig2 b , and the abrasives 22 , 22 contained therein directly collide against the coating film 28 at a high speed . thereby , as in the sand blasting technique , the coating film 28 can be ground as in fig2 c . dust particles 32 , 32 , which usually float in the air , are taken into the sponge pieces 24 and directly drop , and therefore , scattering of dust particles can be prevented . further , the repulsive force is also absorbed by the sponge pieces 24 , and therefore , there is less rebound of the blast media 26 . therefore , equipment 36 of a worker 34 who operates the sponge blasting apparatus 20 can be light as shown in fig3 . fig3 shows a view of the worker 34 holding a hose 39 in the vicinity of a nozzle 38 of the sponge blasting apparatus 20 with both hands , and ejecting the blast media 26 to the wall 40 . the worker 34 does not have to equip his or her entire body with a protector as in a sand blasting technique , and as for a helmet 42 , an ordinary helmet used in a working site with a face protector 43 formed of a transparent acrylic sheet mounted thereon is used instead of a full - face type helmet which covers all the head portion and the face portion , and the equipment 36 is made extremely light . thereby , the weight of the equipment is light , and therefore , labor of the worker 34 can be significantly reduced . the sponge blasting apparatus 20 is constructed by a sponge blast supply device 50 , a compressor 52 , a nozzle 38 , a recovery device 54 , a recycle separator 56 and a hopper 58 , as shown in fig1 . high pressure air is supplied from the compressor 52 and blast media 26 ( see fig2 a ) is supplied from the hopper 58 to the sponge blast supply device 50 . the blast media 26 are ejected to the wall 40 at a high speed from a tip end of the nozzle 38 by being transported by air via the hose 39 by the high pressure air from the compressor 52 . the blast media 26 used for grinding directly drop onto a sheet s in a state in which dust particles 32 , 32 ( see fig2 c ) are taken therein , are sucked into the recovery device 54 through a hose 61 from a suction port 60 of the recovery device 54 , and fed into the recycle separator 56 . the recycle separator 56 is constructed by stacking two sieves 62 , 64 , which respectively have sieve openings of large and medium sizes , in layer on a vibration generator 66 . the blast media 26 are first fed into the sieve 62 with the large sieve openings , and the sieve 62 is vibrated by the vibrator of the vibration generator 66 , whereby the large - sized blast media 26 are separated and taken out from the sieve 62 . the blast media 26 which pass through the sieve 62 drop into the sieve 64 , and the medium - sized blast media 26 are separated and taken out by the sieve 64 which is similarly vibrated by the vibrator . the large - and medium - sized blast media 26 removed from the sieves 62 and 64 can be used as they are , and therefore , they are conveyed to the hopper 58 . fine blast media 26 which pass through the sieve 64 are not reusable , and therefore , stored in a container 68 and discarded . reusable blast media 26 constitute about 90 % of the entire blast media 26 . the above is the basic structure of the sponge blasting apparatus 20 . fig4 is a sectional view of a blasting apparatus 70 according to an embodiment , the same or similar members as in the sponge blasting apparatus 20 shown in fig1 to fig3 are described by assigning them with the same reference numerals . an apparatus body 72 of the blasting apparatus 70 is a traveling carriage including a front wheel 74 and a rear wheel 76 of a permanent magnet , and by magnetically attaching the front wheel 74 and the rear wheel 76 to the coated surface 30 of a steel plate , the apparatus body 72 is mounted to be capable of traveling and moving along the coated surface 30 . in the embodiment , the front wheel 74 and the rear wheel 76 are made of the permanent magnet , but they may be of an electromagnet . further , rubber seal members 78 are fixed to opening end portions of the apparatus body 72 , and the seal members 78 are caused to abut on the coated surface 30 with elasticity , whereby the internal space 73 of the apparatus body 72 is sealed . thereby , the blast media 26 ejected in the internal space 73 is prevented from leaking out of the apparatus body 72 . further , a pressure sensor 80 which detects internal pressure of the internal space 73 is mounted to the apparatus body 72 , and the information indicating the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 80 is outputted to a cpu ( control unit ) 82 shown in fig5 . the cpu 82 is a central processing unit which has a centralized control over the entire blasting apparatus 70 such as the sponge blast supply device 50 , the compressor 52 , the recovery device 54 and the like . the cpu 82 will be described later . as shown in fig4 , the apparatus body 72 is provided with the nozzle 38 and the suction port 60 to penetrate through the internal space 73 . when the apparatus body 72 is magnetically attached to the coated surface 30 , the nozzle 38 and the suction port 60 are opposed to the coated surface 30 , and the blast media 26 are ejected to the coated surface 30 from the nozzle 38 while the used blast media 26 which collide against the coated surface 30 are sucked and recovered from the suction port 60 . probe type roughness meters ( roughness measuring devices ) 84 and 84 which measure the roughness of the uneven surface of the coated surface 30 which is ground by ejection of the blast media 26 are provided at a front portion and a rear portion of the apparatus body 72 . the information indicating the roughness measured by the roughness meter 84 is outputted to the cpu 82 shown in fig5 . when the apparatus body 72 is moved upward , the information indicating roughness measured by the roughness meter 84 at the rear portion is outputted to the cpu 82 , and when the apparatus body 72 is moved downward , the information indicating the roughness measured by the roughness meter 84 at the front portion is outputted to the cpu 82 . in the embodiment , an example of the probe ( contact ) type roughness meter 84 is shown , but the roughness meter is not limited to this , and a non - contact type roughness meter may be applied . the roughness meters 84 and 84 are provided at the apparatus body 72 via advancing and retreating devices 86 and 86 as shown in fig4 , and only at the time of measurement , they are advanced toward the coated surface 30 and brought into contact with the coated surface 30 . the advancing and retreating devices 86 and 86 are also controlled by the cpu 82 , and a motor 88 ( not shown in fig4 , shown in fig5 ) which drives the front wheel 74 and / or the rear wheel 76 is also remotely controlled by the cpu 82 . the advancing and retreating devices 86 and 86 and the motor 88 are supplied with power from a cable 83 shown in fig4 , and the cable 83 is inserted into the hose 85 connected to the apparatus body 72 . the cable 83 may be placed along the hoses 39 and 61 without using the hose 85 . meanwhile , the apparatus body 72 is provided with an electronic camera 90 which picks up an image of the coated surface 30 ground by ejection of the blast media 26 . the image data of the coated surface 30 picked up by the electronic camera 90 is outputted to the cpu 82 in fig5 . the cpu 82 compares the image obtained by the electronic camera 90 and a reference image ( sample image ) previously stored , and determines the rust removal degree of the coated surface 30 and the pattern of the stripped plane ( anchor pattern ). next , an operation of the blasting apparatus 70 constructed as above will be described . first , the apparatus body 72 on which the nozzle 38 , the suction port 60 , the pressure sensor 80 , the roughness meters 84 and the electronic camera 90 are mounted is magnetically attached to the coated surface 30 via the front wheel 74 and the rear wheel 76 of the permanent magnet . next , by driving the front wheel 74 and / or the rear wheel 76 by the motor 88 , the apparatus body 72 is caused to travel upward automatically , and while the blast media 26 are ejected to the coated surface 30 from the nozzle 38 and the used blast media 26 are sucked and recovered by the suction port 60 , roughness ( arithmetic average roughness , maximum height , ten point height of irregularities ) of the uneven surface of the coated surface 30 ground by the ejection of the blast media 26 is measured by the roughness meter 84 . the cpu 82 controls at least one of the sponge blasting supply device 50 , the compressor 52 , the recovery device 54 and the motor 88 so that the measured roughness is within a range of predetermined roughness corresponding to the coating , and performs a feedback control of at least one of an ejection amount of the blast media 26 , ejection pressure , ejection speed , an ejection air amount , a suction air amount , and speed of the apparatus body 72 . thereby , according to the blasting apparatus 70 of the embodiment , in the blasting operation of the coated surface 30 of which roughness is specified , standardization and automation can be achieved . the various conditions to make the predetermined roughness obtained by the above described feedback control are stored in a storage part of the cpu 82 . the various conditions are read from the storage part and used at the next time when the next same conditions are used . thereby , at the time of the next operation , the coated surface 30 can be treated to have predetermined roughness from the beginning without performing a feedback control . further , the cpu 82 compares the coated surface image after a blast operation which is picked up by the electronic camera 90 of the apparatus body 72 , and the reference image ( sample image ) previously stored , and the rust removal degree of the coated surface 30 specified by iso and the anchor pattern are determined . the rust removal degree and the anchor pattern are determined by comparing gradations of the images , for example . therefore , according to the blasting apparatus 70 of the embodiment , the blasting operation of the coated surface 30 , and the rust removal degree determining operation and / or the anchor pattern determining operation can be simultaneously performed the determination result by the cpu 82 may be outputted from a printer or may be displayed on a display . since the blasting apparatus 70 is for performing a blasting operation while moving on the coated surface 30 up and down , an over blast phenomenon in which portions which overlap the adjacent coated surface are ground more than the other portions sometimes occurs , and distribution sometimes occurs to roughness . in order to prevent this problem , in the blasting apparatus 70 of the embodiment , the number of blast media 26 which are ejected to the overlapping portions is made smaller than that of the blast media 26 ejected to the central portion , and adjustment is made so that the same amount is blasted to each portion as a result . after the blasting apparatus 70 moves upward , when the blasting apparatus is to move downward , the front wheel 74 and / or the rear wheel 76 which are magnetically attached are or is operated with a handle ( not shown ), and the overlapping regions of the coated surface 30 last surface ) to be ground can be made as small as possible . in the embodiment , the sponge blast medium 26 in which abrasives are contained in the porous elastic body is described as the blast medium , but the blast medium is not limited to this , and may be a sand blast medium . | 1 |
illustrative embodiments and exemplary applications will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to disclose the advantageous teachings of the present invention . while the present invention is described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments for particular applications , it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications , applications , and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the present invention would be of significant utility . fig1 is a diagram of a conventional long - life cryocooler compressor module 10 ′ that uses lvdt sensors for position feedback . end covers ( not shown ) are removed in fig1 to reveal two lvdts 12 ′ and 14 ′. the lvdts are used to sense the position of first and second internal moving pistons ( not shown ). as illustrated in fig1 , the lvdts typically occupy approximately 25 % of the total length of the module 10 ′. the lvdt system is therefore responsible for a significant percentage of the module &# 39 ; s total length , volume and mass . additionally , the lvdt sensors require a significant amount of drive and demodulation circuitry in order to function properly . this adds a large number of parts to the cryocooler drive electronics , increasing cost , complexity , and size while reducing overall electronics reliability . other continuous - feedback position sensor systems have strengths and weaknesses relative to the lvdt system , however they nonetheless generally have significant drawbacks at the cryocooler system level . those skilled in the art appreciate that an ideal position feedback system would not add any significant mass , volume , complexity , or reliability issues to the cryocooler system . inevitably , the addition of a continuous - feedback sensor system adds one or more of the above negative features to the system . the present teachings are based , at least in part , on a recognition that although continuous position feedback seems desirable , it is not in fact necessary . this is due to the fact that inasmuch as linear - oscillating cryocoolers are highly resonant systems , regardless of the waveform shape that is used to drive the cryocooler motors , the moving elements will move in a very sinusoidal fashion . the mechanisms involved are essentially spring / mass resonators , which resist moving at frequencies much higher than their fundamental resonant frequency . because distortion in the position waveform is simply higher - order harmonic content , the fundamental nature of the resonant mechanism prevents distortion of the position waveforms . hence , a plot of position versus time for well - designed cryocooler moving elements will look very sinusoidal regardless of the drive waveform . this is depicted as waveform 11 in fig2 . fig2 is a diagram showing a typical moving element position waveform and sample sensor output versus time in accordance with the present teachings . in accordance with the present teachings , knowledge that the piston position waveforms are sinusoidal is utilized . specifically , an equation to describe these waveforms to a high degree of accuracy is employed . this equation is : in the above equation , “ time ” is simply a reference to a system clock within the electronics . “ frequency ” is determined by the motor drive waveform that is known precisely . the equation for moving - element position therefore contains two known and three unknown quantities . in accordance with the present teachings , three discrete samples of the waveform in question are used to solve the equation [ 1 ] for the three unknown quantities . at this point , all relevant information about the position waveform will be known . hence , a set of three discrete samples of the moving - element position waveform is adequate to fully describe the position waveform in a mathematical sense . continuous position feedback is therefore not required , meaning that continuous - feedback sensors need not be employed . as a side note , the possibility exists that additional samples above and beyond the minimum 3 may add reliability and / or accuracy . the central point remains that a relatively small number of discrete samples can be used to accurately calculate the overall characteristics of a sinusoidal waveform . fig3 is a diagram of cryocooler position feedback system implemented in accordance with the present teachings . the system 10 includes an lvdt 12 mounted on a base 14 . the lvdt 12 is driven by a motor 16 through a piston 15 . a motor mount 17 is adjacent to the motor and serves to mechanically support it . flexure stacks 18 are disposed about a suspension cage 20 . together , the flexure stacks and suspension cage support the moving piston throughout its motion and provide an appropriate spring force in order to achieve a particular resonance frequency ( improving efficiency in a cryocooler application ). a shaft 22 is coupled to the piston 15 and reciprocates therewith from left to right in the figure as shown by the line with double arrowheads . as discussed more fully below , in accordance with the present teachings , the blade 24 interrupts a beam from a light emitting diode ( led ) 26 to a photodiode 28 ( both not shown in fig4 ). this is depicted in fig4 below . fig3 a is a block diagram of an illustrative implementation of an electrical circuit for use with the inventive position sensing system . as shown in fig3 a , light from the led is detected by the photodiode 28 . the photodiode 28 outputs an analog signal to an analog - to - digital converter 52 . this signal is digitized by the a / d converter 52 and input to a processor 54 . the processor 54 performs the calculations needed to solve equation [ 1 ] and outputs a signal to an input / output interface 56 . the processor may be implemented with discrete components with an fpga ( field programmable gate array ), asic ( application specific integrated circuit ) or other arrangement , or in software with a general - purpose processor or a risc ( reduced ( or rationalized ) instruction set computer ) processor . fig4 is an end view of the cryocooler position feedback system of fig2 . as depicted in fig4 , the led 26 and the photodiode 28 are mounted on a support 30 such that when the shaft 22 and attached blade 24 pass a predetermined position in its waveform , a signal is output or interrupted by the photodiode 28 . fig5 is a perspective view of an arrangement for sensing a position of any element adapted for reciprocal movement in accordance with the present teachings . in this case , the chopper blade 24 is mounted to the moving element ( not shown ) via a mounting bracket 40 . fig6 shows an arrangement for supporting the led and photodiode of fig5 . the arrangement 42 includes first and second posts 43 and 44 with which the led 26 and the photodiode 28 respectively are secured to a base via l brackets 46 and 47 and pedestals 48 and 49 . fig7 is an end view of the sensing arrangement shown in fig5 and 6 . note that , as depicted in fig4 , the photodiode 28 does not provide continuous feedback , but only triggers whenever the shaft 22 and attached blade 24 pass a particular pre - determined position in its waveform . as shown in fig2 , every time the position waveform passes through a predetermined position ( indicated on the figure with black circles ) the photodiode 28 triggers . this indicates that the position waveform is now at a certain known position . each stored trigger therefore contains two pieces of information : 1 ) the time of the trigger event and 2 ) the position of the moving element at the time of the trigger . after three trigger events are stored , all required data has been gathered and that data can then be processed to solve the equation of motion , equation [ 1 ]. the output of the algorithm will be the position waveform amplitude , dc offset , and relative phase . all relevant information about the position waveform is now known and can be used as input to relevant control loops ( position control and temperature control in the case of a cryocooler system ). the cryocooler electronics need only store the time of each trigger and the predetermined position that the trigger in question corresponds to . the cryocooler electronics ( not shown ) are electrically coupled to the photodiode 28 . the cryocooler electronics include a processor implemented in hardware or software for computing the position p ( t ) in accordance with equation [ 1 ]. thus , the present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application . those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings will recognize additional modifications applications and embodiments within the scope thereof . the inventive system can be implemented with a variety of sensor types . for example , an optical system could be used to sample the position waveform or a simplified eddy - current or capacitive - type sensor could be employed without departing from the scope of the present teachings . generally , however , it should be noted that the non - continuous nature of the sensors that can be used with this system ( various proximity sensors , optical sensors , etc ) implies that the sensors themselves can be made much smaller , simpler , and cheaper than their continuous - feedback alternatives . in any event , the number of sensors , sensor placement , number of samples , sample timing , and other related issues are expected to vary from implementation to implementation without departing from the scope of the present teachings . in addition , the invention is not limited to an arrangement by which light is blocked by the moving element . that is , other schemes may be used as well by which movement of the element either causes or terminates a reflection or transmission from a source to a sensor . and while the focus of this disclosure has been on applications to cryogenics , the present teachings are generally applicable to other resonant , oscillating systems without limitation thereto . it is therefore intended by the appended claims to cover any and all such applications , modifications and embodiments within the scope of the present invention . | 6 |
fig1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional asynchronous interface 100 for transmitting signals between a first receiver such as a state machine 102 ( that operates in a first clock domain 102 a ) and a second receiver such as a state machine 104 ( that operates in a second clock domain 104 a ) via a plurality of signal lines 106 a - d . the first and second signal lines 106 a - b may be employed to transmit signals from the second state machine 104 to the first state machine 102 . such signals may be latched into the first state machine 102 via a first plurality of metastability or similar latches 108 a , 110 a and 108 b , 110 b , respectively . likewise , the third and fourth signal lines 106 c - d may be employed to transmit signals from the first state machine 102 to the second state machine 104 . such signals may be latched into the second state machine 104 via a second plurality of metastability or similar latches 108 c , 110 c and 108 d , 110 d , respectively . during a typical simulation of the operation of the asynchronous interface 100 of fig1 , each signal line 106 a - d is assumed to have the same delay ( e . g ., 0 ) associated therewith . accordingly , two or more signals transmitted across the asynchronous interface 100 simultaneously are assumed to arrive at a latch 110 a - d at the same time . in practice , the signal lines 106 a - d may each have differing logic , wiring or other delays ; and the relative position in time between two signals at a receiver side of the asynchronous interface 100 may not be the same as the relative position in time between the two signals when the signals were launched from a transmitter side of the asynchronous interface 100 . for example , by the time the latches 108 a - b , 110 a - b ( 1 ) capture the logic state of two signals transmitted from the second state machine 104 to the first state machine 102 ; and ( 2 ) settle to a state , the two signals may be received by the first state machine 102 an entire clock cycle apart ( even though the signals were transmitted from the second state machine 104 at approximately the same time ). similarly , by the time the latches 108 c - d , 110 c - d ( 1 ) capture the logic state of two signals transmitted from the first state machine 102 to the second state machine 104 ; and ( 2 ) settle to a state , the two signals may be received by the second state machine 104 an entire clock cycle apart ( even though the signals were transmitted from the first state machine 102 at approximately the same time ). to accommodate the differing logic , wiring or other delays of the signal lines 106 a - d , the first and second state machines 102 , 104 should be resilient enough to function despite an unintended shift in time of as much as a receiver clock cycle between signals transmitted across the asynchronous interface 100 . however , for the reasons stated above , conventional simulation techniques typically cannot simulate such potential failure conditions . further , conventional asynchronous interfaces generally do not allow unintended shifts between signals to be corrected or compensated for without redesign . fig2 illustrates a first exemplary asynchronous interface system 200 provided in accordance with the present invention . as shown in fig2 , the asynchronous interface system 200 includes the components 102 - 110 d of the asynchronous interface 100 of fig1 , as well as a supplemental asynchronous interface device ( said ) 202 coupled between the first and second state machines 102 , 104 . with reference to fig2 , the said 202 includes a first clock domain portion 204 and a second clock domain portion 206 . the first clock domain portion 204 includes ( 1 ) a first delay circuit 208 coupled to the first signal line 106 a for selectively introducing a first clock domain clock cycle delay to a signal traveling on the first signal line 106 a ; and ( 2 ) a second delay circuit 210 coupled to the second signal line 106 b for selectively introducing a first clock domain clock cycle delay to a signal traveling on the second signal line 106 b . that is , each delay circuit 208 , 210 may introduce no delay or a one clock cycle delay ( in the first clock domain 102 a ) to a signal traveling on the signal line 106 a , 106 b . the second clock domain portion 206 includes ( 1 ) a third delay circuit 212 coupled to the third signal line 106 c for selectively introducing a second clock domain clock cycle delay to a signal traveling on the third signal line 106 c ; and ( 2 ) a fourth delay circuit 214 coupled to the fourth signal line 106 d for selectively introducing a second clock domain clock cycle delay to a signal traveling on the fourth signal line 106 d . that is , each delay circuit 212 , 214 may introduce no delay or a one clock cycle delay ( in the second clock domain 104 a ) to a signal traveling on the signal line 106 c , 106 d . each delay circuit 208 - 214 may comprise , for example , a multiplexer - type circuit for selecting between a delayed and non - delayed signal path . for example , the first delay circuit 208 includes a multiplexer or similar logic 216 adapted to select between a non - delay signal path 218 and a signal path that includes a latch 220 . the latch 220 is adapted to be latched via a receiver clock ( e . g ., a clock of the first clock domain 102 a in the case of the first delay circuit 208 ). multiplexer selection signals may be provided in hardware , software or a combination thereof ; and other delay signal configurations may be employed ( e . g ., additional delay paths , paths with longer delays , etc .). in operation , the said 202 may be employed to delay any ( or all ) signals that travel across an asynchronous interface ( e . g ., via signal lines 106 a - d ) by one receiving clock cycle . for example , simulating interface behavior with many randomly generated tests having signals transmitted across the interface system 200 with different combinations of delays may eventually detect problems with the asynchronous interface system 200 and / or the state machines 102 , 104 . alternatively , all possible combinations of random signal delays may be employed during simulated signal transmission across the interface system 200 to exhaustively verify operation of the asynchronous interface system 200 and / or state machines 102 , 104 . in this manner , the robustness of each state machine 102 , 104 to unintended signals delays of up to a clock cycle may be verified ( e . g ., by skewing signal arrival times under some or all possible conditions ). problems with an asynchronous interface thereby may be found with a logic simulator as part of a normal verification process . further , such verification may be performed at the behavior - level or gate level . in one or more embodiments of the invention , the said 202 need only be employed during simulation to allow more complete testing / simulation of an asynchronous interface during signal exchange between state machines . such an approach is simpler than attempting to simulate the various delays associated with each signal line of the asynchronous interface ; and may be implemented as one or more computer program products . each computer program product may include , for example , a netlist of components of the said 202 or another simulatable representation of the said 202 . to provide further verification options , the said 202 may be implemented in hardware as part of an asynchronous interface . for example , the said 202 may be included within an asynchronous interface as shown in fig2 , and employed to run tests through use of a hardware emulation platform ( e . g ., by randomly or systematically introducing delays to signals traveling between the state machines 102 , 104 so to determine the response / resiliency of the state machines 102 , 104 ). additional testing also may be performed on any production hardware . when implemented in hardware , the said 202 also may be employed to repair the operation of an otherwise defective interface . for example , the said 202 may be employed to permanently introduce a clock cycle delay to one or more signal lines of an asynchronous interface to correct defective operation of the interface . such delay selection may be achieved for example , by blowing one or more fuses or anti - fuses ( not shown ) provided with the said 202 or via any other suitable technique . while the present invention has been described with reference to an asynchronous interface that employs four signal lines 106 a - d , it will be understood that the present invention may be employed to selectively add delays to any number of signal lines of an asynchronous interface . in additional to adding one clock cycle of delay to one or more signal lines , the present invention may be employed to add additional delays to one or more signal lines ( e . g ., multiple clock cycle delays ). fig3 illustrates a second exemplary asynchronous interface system 300 provided in accordance with the present invention . the second exemplary asynchronous interface system 300 is similar to the first exemplary asynchronous interface system 200 of fig2 , but employs n signal lines 106 a - n between the first and second state machines ( not shown in fig3 ) operating in clock domains 102 a , 104 a , respectively . in general , any number of signal lines may be employed . further , the second exemplary asynchronous interface system 300 includes a plurality of programmable delays for each of the signal lines 106 a - n provided via a supplemental asynchronous interface device ( said ) 302 . in the embodiment shown , each signal line 106 a - n includes up to n − 1 programmable delay stages 304 a - n . that is , a signal traveling on a signal line 106 a - n may be delayed by any amount between 0 and n − 1 receiver clock cycles ( e . g ., in the clock domain of the state machine receiving the signal ). each delay stage may comprise , for example , a plurality of latches that are clocked via a receiver clock , and / or similar hardware to that described with reference to the delay circuits 208 - 214 of fig2 . fig4 is an exemplary embodiment of the first programmable delay stage 304 a of fig3 . the programmable delay stages 304 b - n may be similarly configured . as shown in fig4 , the programmable delay stage 304 a includes a multiplexer or similar logic 402 adapted to select between a non - delay signal path 404 a and signal paths 406 a - m that include increasing numbers of latches 408 ( e . g ., from one latch for signal path 406 a to n − 1 latches for signal path 406 m ). each latch 408 is adapted to be latched via a receiver clock ( e . g ., a clock of the first clock domain 102 a in the case of the first programmable delay stage 304 a ). multiplexer selection signals may be provided in hardware , software or a combination thereof ; and other delay signal configurations may be employed . when implemented in hardware ( e . g ., when not employed solely for simulation purposes ) the selection of the number of delays per signal line may be performed , for example , by blowing one or more fuses , anti - fuses , or the like . providing up to n − 1 selectable delays per signal line allows greater flexibility for altering signal line delays to correct interface errors , and in most cases , the sequence of n interface signals may be altered to correct errors without requiring redesign . likewise , the provision of up to n − 1 selectable delays during simulation allow further testing options . in one embodiment of the invention , every control vector of the n × n − 1 delay latch matrix associated with the said 302 may be employed to test operation of the asynchronous interface system 300 exhaustively . for example , if the asynchronous interface system 300 employs five signal lines , a control vector of ( 0 0 0 0 0 ) would cause no delay on any signal line , a control vector of ( 0 0 0 0 1 ) would cause one receiver clock cycle delay on the 5 th signal line , a control vector of ( 0 0 0 1 2 ) would cause a one receiver clock delay on the 4 th signal line and a two receiver clock delay on the 5 th signal line , etc . one possible algorithm for performing such an exhaustive test may be implemented as follows : control_vector = − 1 do { increment control_vector run test } testing in accordance with the present invention may be performed in any manner . for example , testing may be performed on a standalone tester under tester control . likewise , a control vector ( e . g ., control_vector ) may be visible to software in an actual use environment . accordingly , if a problem is detected during testing , a diagnostic routine may be employed to identify / employ the control_vector required to correct the problem ( e . g ., the system 300 may be self - healing and / or employ self - healing software / hardware ). for example , the inventive system may be designed to automatically test for , detect and / or repair interface problems in an actual use environment ( e . g ., by employing control vectors to test the interface and detect the error , by identifying a control vector that will correct the error and by employing the control vector to select the appropriate number of delays per signal line to correct the error ). such a process may be implemented , for example , as one or more computer program products ( e . g ., operable with one or more controllers and / or processes of a testing system ( not shown )). the foregoing description discloses only exemplary embodiments of the invention . modifications of the above disclosed apparatus and method which fall within the scope of the invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . for instance , other numbers of signal lines and / or delays per signal lines may be employed . accordingly , while the present invention has been disclosed in connection with exemplary embodiments thereof , it should be understood that other embodiments may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined by the following claims . | 7 |
referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawings which illustrate practical embodiments of the present invention , fig1 and fig2 are perspective views of a football game device , 1 , constructed in accordance with , used in and embodying the present invention . as shown in fig1 and fig2 device , 1 , comprises playing board , 2 , provided with football field indicia , 3 , marked thereon , goal post means , 4 , mounted on board , 2 , marker means , 5 , and football , or projectile means , 6 , in the shape of a conventional match book cover . an alternate football , 7 , is shown in fig3 . typically , the footballs would be constructed of materials as cardboard or the like and would be sized of the order of a conventional match book cover . a typical method of playing the game or the rules regulating the game are as follows : a touchdown is 6 points , a kick after is 1 point , a field goal is 3 points , a safety is 2 points , a game winner is an automatic 21 points . the object of the game is to be the first person to obtain 21 points or more . to score a touchdown the following must happen ; the ball , 6 , is placed in a designated area which would typically be the area short of a particular yard line , such as the 20 yard line or 40 yard line , and would be varied dependent upon the age and skill of the players , then it is hit , pushed or flipped across the playing field , 2 , and must stop in a touchdown area designated on board , 2 which would typically be the end zone . the force impelling the ball , 6 , is from the finger of the player . if the ball passes over the end of the board , 2 , the opponent places the ball , 6 , in his designated area and trys for a touchdown . if a player scores a touchdown then he is entitled to try for an extra point from a designated spot on the board , 2 . the player then attempts to impel the ball , 6 , between the uprights , 8 , and , 9 . if the ball comes up short of the touchdown area or end zone when attempting a touchdown an opponent may play from that spot and attempt a touchdown , field goal , or safety . a safety is obtained by trying for a touchdown and coming up a &# 34 ; little short &# 34 ;. a &# 34 ; little short &# 34 ; is determined by marker , 5 . if the ball is completely within a distance equal to the width of space , 10 , on marker , 5 , of the touchdown area or goal line , then safety is scored . following a safety the scorer may try for another safety or a touchdown . a &# 34 ; game winner &# 34 ; is obtained by causing the ball , 6 , to land in an area marked on the field , 2 . other provisions may be made for balls travelling out of bounds , etc . time limits may be placed upon the players taking their turns . considerable skill is required using a ball , 6 , as contemplated herein in order to cause them to travel a desired distance as well as to cause them to fly , sail or soar so that it can be caused to pass between uprights , 8 , and , 9 . it should be understood that changes and modifications in the form , construction , arrangement , and combination of the football game device and methods of making and using the same may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention . | 0 |
fig1 shows a non - limiting diagram of a network system 100 used to describe the authentication process preformed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the network system 100 includes a merchant terminal 110 that communicates with a transaction server 120 through a communication medium 130 . the transaction server 120 is coupled to an authentication server 140 which processes incoming transactions as will be described in greater detail below . the connection between the transaction server 120 and the authentication server 140 is established by means of a local area network ( lan ). the authentication server 140 receives the location of a subscriber &# 39 ; s mobile phone 160 through a location - based - services ( lbs ) server 150 . the lbs server 150 communicates with the authentication server 140 through , for example , an internet protocol ( ip ) network 160 . the lbs server 150 locates a mobile phone 170 in a cellular network 180 to which the card holder subscribes . the location provided by the lbs server 150 may be , but not limited to , a cell id of the cellular network , gps coordinates , and the like . the authentication process carried out by the network system 100 starts with a subscriber ( i . e ., a credit card holder making a purchase ) who initiates a purchasing transaction at the merchant &# 39 ; s place of business . then , the merchant terminal 110 connects with the transaction server 120 and sends to it the transaction information . the transaction information includes , but may not necessarily be limited to , details of the merchant ( e . g ., merchant &# 39 ; s id , type , name , and address ), payment card details ( e . g ., card number and expiry date ), sums to be charged , date of purchase , and so on . the transaction server 120 sends the transaction information to the authentication server 140 for authenticating the transaction . as part of the authentication process , the authentication server 140 generates a location request to the lbs server 150 to locate a mobile phone 170 associated with the card owner . upon receiving the location of the mobile phone 170 , the authentication server 140 performs a series of analyses to authenticate the transaction . specifically , the authentication server 140 produces a fraud - score that indicates to some extent the reliability of the transaction . based on the fraud - score , the transaction server 120 decides whether or not to authorize the transaction and produce an alert . fig2 shows a non - limiting block diagram of the authentication server 140 constructed and operative in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the authentication server 140 includes a transaction processor 210 , a graphical user interface ( gui ) 220 , and a database 230 . the transaction processor 210 performs all activities related to the processing and evaluation of transactions for the purpose of producing the fraud - score . specifically , the transaction processor 210 receives a transaction processing request from the transaction server 120 , sends a request to the lbs server 150 to get the location of a mobile phone 170 associated with the card owner , and performs a series of authentication analyses to determine the fraud - score . the authentication analyses carried by the transaction processor 210 are described in greater detail below with reference to fig3 . the transaction processor 210 includes external interfaces to the transaction server 120 and the lbs server 150 as well as internal interfaces to the gui 220 and the database 230 . in one embodiment , these interfaces are proprietary application programming interfaces ( apis ). the database 230 stores all the information collected by the authentication server 140 , e . g ., transactions and locations information as well as processed data , e . g ., fraud - scores and generated alerts . the gui 220 displays data of processed transactions and alerts . the displayed data can be utilized by a system operator for taking a decision as to whether a transaction is fraudulent after the authorization of the transactions . fig3 shows a non - limiting flowchart 300 describing a method for detecting fraudulent transactions in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . at s 310 , authentication server 140 collects transaction information sent from the transaction server 120 and saves the data in its database 230 . at s 312 , the subscriber information , including at least the current location associated with a credit card that is used to pay for the transaction or validate the purchaser , is retrieved by sending a lbs request to the lbs server 150 . at s 314 , merchant information including at least its current location is retrieved from the database 230 . the geographic location of a merchant is represented in a format that allows for an easy comparison to the location of a mobile phone . for example , the merchant location may be stored as a cell id of the cellular network , a set of gps coordinates , and so on . the position of a merchant is dynamically learnt by the authentication server 140 using a learning process described in greater detail below . at s 320 , a location rating that indicates if a subscriber is located in proximity to the merchant is generated . the location rating is determined by matching location of the mobile phone 170 associated with the owner of the credit card , as received from the lbs server 150 , to the learnt location of the merchant , and generating a location rating that is , in one embodiment of the disclosed invention , a function of the distance between the compared locations . this rating may be generated by normalizing the resultant distance to 1 , where a good rating is 1 and a poor rating is 0 . in one embodiment of the present invention a cellular analysis is applied if s 320 results in a poor rating . this analysis checks if the reason for the outcome rating is the inability to detect the location of the mobile phone ( e . g ., due to the inactiveness of the phone ). then , it is further checked whether it is a normal behavior for the subscriber not to activate the mobile phone on certain days or in certain locations . for example , the subscriber may shut - off the mobile phone when visiting theaters or museums . if the inability to detect the phone &# 39 ; s location is determined as a normal behavior , the location rating may be refined or may be given a lower weight when calculating the final fraud - score . at s 322 , a behavior rating is generated . this is performed by detecting deviations from a location behavioral profile ( lbp ), which characterizes the behavior pattern of both subscribers and merchants , and generates a value proportional to the detected deviations . the resultant value may be normalized to 1 , where a good rating is one and a poor rating is 0 . as will be described in greater detail below , the lbp includes historical information gathered on each subscriber and merchant with respect to their geographical locations and time periods ( e . g ., time of day , day of week , and so on ) in which transactions were recorded . at s 324 , a transaction rating is generated . the transaction rating is a function of the location rating and behavior rating . for example , the transaction rating may be a weighted average of both the location rating and behavior rating normalized to 1 , where a good rating is 1 and a poor rating is 0 . at s 330 , a card rating is determined that indicates the number of previous suspected transactions recorded for a specific card of a subscriber . the card rating is determined by accumulating the number of all transactions indicated as suspected , for example , all transactions with a transaction rating below a reconfigurable threshold . the counted number of transactions may be normalized to 1 , where a good rating is 1 and a poor rating is 0 . at s 340 , the fraud - score is generated using the computed transaction rating and card rating . the fraud - score is a function of both the transaction rating and card rating and may be , for example , a weighted average of both ratings normalized to 1 , where one represents the least suspicious . at s 350 , the fraud - score is sent to the transaction server 120 . the transaction server 120 authorizes the transaction if the fraud - score is within a trust range ; otherwise , the transaction is denied . the upper and lower bounds of a fraud - score are configurable and may be set by a system administrator or automatically determined by the authentication server 120 . the computed fraud - score , transaction and card ratings are saved in the database 230 . it will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the fraud - score provides a superior advantage over prior art solutions that produce an indication whether to authorize the transaction merely based on the locations of the merchant terminal 110 and a mobile phone 170 . fig4 shows a non - limiting flowchart 400 describing the process for generating a lbp in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . a lbp includes behavior patterns of merchants and subscribers ( either for a specific subscriber or a group of subscribers ) in respect to geographical regions and time periods . the learning of a behavior pattern is based on statistics gathered on performed transactions . in a pre - processing operation , the method gathers details on any transaction performed by a subscriber or group of subscribers . at s 410 , for each subscriber , the geographical regions in which the subscriber performs most of the transactions ( hereinafter the “ subscriber zones ”) are identified . each subscriber zone defined by a group of merchants ( i . e ., places of business a transaction took place at ) relatively located in the same distance region and the number of transactions above a predefined threshold associated with each such merchant . the distance region is defined as the maximum distance between each pair of merchants in a subscriber zone . at s 415 , the location ( e . g . a set of gps coordinates ) of each identified subscriber zone is added to the lbp of the respective subscriber zone . at s 420 , for each merchant , the minimal average distance ( mad ) between subscribers and their respective subscriber zones is computed . for example , subscribers x , y and z are respectively related to subscriber zones a , b and c and the minimal distances from a merchant - 1 ( i . e ., where the purchases were made ) to subscriber zones a , b and c are respectively 10 km , 15 km , and 2 km . in such a scenario the mad of merchant - 1 is 9 km . the mad may be significantly different from one merchant to another , as the types of businesses are different . for instant , the mad computed for a hotel may be higher than the mad computed for a local grocery store . at s 425 , the mad computed for each merchant is added to the profile . at s 430 , for each merchant the mad is computed for different profiles of transactions or cards for instance time periods , amount , type of card etc ., i . e ., using transactions recorded in designated time periods . the time periods may be , but are not limited to , time of day , day of week , holidays , sessions , and so on . as a non - limiting example , a lbp may include mads computed for a grocery store in two different time periods : saturdays and sundays between 10 am and 12 pm as well as mondays through thursdays between 2 pm and 6 pm . at s 435 , the mads computed at s 430 are saved together with their respective time periods in the lbp . other statistics related to transactions performed in respect to the subscriber zones may be computed and added to the lbp . these statistics include , but are not limited to , average amount of purchases where the distance between the merchant and a subscriber zone is less than a pre - defined distance , e . g ., the distance between a subscriber zone is between 10 - 15 km , standard deviation of the mad between the merchant and a subscriber zone , and so on . as mentioned above , the lbp is utilized for detecting a fraudulent transaction by identifying any deviation from data stored in the mad . fig5 shows a non - limiting flowchart describing a method for accurately and adaptively learning the locations of merchants in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the learning process allows precise location - based analysis of payment transactions to be performed . the authentication server 140 holds and constantly updates a lookup table , in the database 230 , of the locations of all possible merchants 110 in a specific area . at s 510 , a batch of historical payment transactions sent from merchants is uploaded to the authentication server 140 . a payment transaction is a request sent from a merchant terminal 110 , to the transaction server 120 , for authorizing the transaction . as mentioned above , all transactions are recorded by server 120 . at s 520 , all pairs of historical transactions that occurred within a pre - defined time interval and performed by the same card holder are identified . this is performed in order to determine if transactions of each such pair can be paired . at s 525 , the identified pairs of transactions are saved in a list ( hereinafter the “ pair list ”). at s 530 , the variables &# 39 ; maximum acceptable velocity (“ vmax ”) and maximum merchant location score (“ mlsmax ”) are set to their initial values , e . g ., 80 kph and 100 kph respectively . a merchant whose calculated mls is above mlsmax is considered as an ‘ established ’ location . at s 535 , a pair of transactions is selected from the pair list . at s 540 , it is checked if at least one of the merchants who submitted transactions in the selected pair is considered as an anchor location . an anchor location is a location that was verified and considered accurate , i . e ., a location with a relatively high mls . if s 540 results with an affirmative answer , execution continues with s 545 ; otherwise , execution ends . if none of the merchants is considered as an anchor location , then a process for updating the mls of each merchant is applied . one example for such process is described below with reference to fig6 . another process that may be used for updating the mls is the method described herein , where in this case , execution proceeds to s 545 regardless to the results yielded at s 540 . at s 545 , the distance between the merchants (“ δd ”) is computed . at s 550 , a transaction velocity ( vt ) is computed . vt is equal to δd divided by a time interval δt between transactions in the selected pair . for example , if a pair of transactions associated with merchants a and b is performed in a time interval δt and the distances between merchants a and b is δd , then vt is computed as follows : at s 555 , it is checked if v t is lower than vmax , and if so execution continues with s 560 where a new value of mls is computed for each of the merchants . specifically , the mls of the first and second merchants mls a and mls b are computed as follows : the mls ′ is the previous score assigned to each merchant location . this score may be a default or pre - computed value . at s 565 , it is checked if a mls computed for each merchant is below the value of mlsmax , and if so execution continues with s 570 where a mls value or values below mlsmax are saved in their respective entries in the lookup table . if the operation in s 565 results with a negative answer , then at s 575 , the coordinates of the anchor location are saved as the location of a merchant with mls greater than mlsmax . the new computed mls of each such merchant is also saved . execution proceeds to s 580 if the result of s 555 yields that vmax is higher than vt . at s 580 , the location coordinates of the merchant which is the anchor location are saved as the location of the second merchant ( hereinafter the “ remote merchant ”). at s 585 , a radius for the remote merchant is computed and added to the lookup table in the respective entry . the radius is computed as follows : where , tdfc is a difference factor that equals to δt * vmax and radiusc is the radius of the anchor location . at s 590 , a new mls is calculated for the remote merchant as follows : where , mlsc is the score of the merchant considered as the anchor location and β is a configurable parameter that may vary , for example , between 0 . 1 - 0 . 2 . the new computed mls is added to the lookup table . at s 595 , it is checked if all pairs of transactions in the pair list were handled , and if so execution terminates ; otherwise , execution returns to s 535 . fig6 shows a non - limiting flowchart 600 describing a method for updating and learning the locations of merchant terminals , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . the method updates and learns new locations in real - time , i . e ., as payment transactions received at the authentication server 140 from the transaction server 120 actually take place . specifically , the method updates the mls and the status of each merchant in the lookup table using lbs information retrieved from the cellular network 180 through the lbs server 150 . at s 610 , a subscriber - cellular score ( scs ) and a maximum scs (“ scsmax ”) are set to their initial values . the scs provides an indication if the mobile phone 170 of a user can be indicative of his location . for example , on the one hand , if a user always carries his phone then the scs may be set to a higher value ; on the other hand , if the user rarely carries his phone , the scs may be set to a lower value . the scs may be a function of a number of prior ‘ on - location ’ transactions . the scs and scsmax are relevant only if a user has two or more mobile phones . in the case that a user has only a single phone the scs and scsmax are set to 1 . at s 620 , a payment transaction sent from a merchant terminal 110 is received at authentication server 140 ( through the transaction server 120 ). a transaction carries information that includes , but may not necessarily be limited to , details of the merchant ( e . g ., merchant &# 39 ; s id , type , name , and address ), payment card details ( e . g ., card number and expired date ), sums to be charged , date of purchase , and so on . at s 625 , the known location of the merchant that initiates the transaction is obtained from the lookup table in database 230 . at s 630 , the authentication server 140 generates a location request to the lbs server 150 to locate each of the user ( i . e ., card holder ) mobile phones . specifically , first the authentication server 140 gets from database 230 a list of phone numbers of the user and send a lbs request to one or more cellular networks to retrieve the mobile phones &# 39 ; locations ( hereinafter the “ lbs locations ”). all lbs locations are kept in a lbs locations list . at s 635 , a single lbs location is selected from the list . at s 640 , it is checked if the chosen lbs location matches the merchant location as retrieved at s 625 , and if so execution proceeds to s 645 where the incoming transaction is declared as ‘ on - location ’ and the mls of the merchant is increased ; otherwise , execution continues s 650 . the transactions declared as ‘ on - location ’ can be used later for determining the scs of the user mobile phone . the new mls is set to : where mls ′ is the previous score assigned to a merchant and λ is a configurable parameter . at s 650 , is it checked if all lbs locations in the list were handled ; and if so execution continues with s 655 where a new merchant location is added to the lookup table ; otherwise , execution returns to s 635 . a new location is added only if none of the user &# 39 ; s mobile phones is ‘ on - location ’. specifically , at s 655 , each of the lbs locations in the list is added to the lookup table . for each such location , a set of coordinates as well as the radius of the lbs location are saved . furthermore , a mls is computed and added to the table . the mls is computed as follows : where the parameter α is configurable , e . g ., α may be set to a value of 1000 . it should be noted that a newly created merchant location is not necessarily valid , i . e ., is an ‘ un - established ’ location . in order for the location to be considered as established and trusted , it needs to be confirmed by the lbs locations of a configurable number of other card holders e . g ., two card holders . at s 660 , once one or more locations are created , a merging process takes place to eliminate duplicate newly created locations covering same areas . specifically , the merging process compares all merchant locations of each merchant and identifies groups of two or more locations which cover the same area . once a group is identified , all the relevant merchant locations are merged into one inclusive location . the mls of the merged location is the sum of the original locations &# 39 ; scores . in a case where at least one of the merged locations is an established location , the merged location is also considered established . after executing the real - time learning process , the transactions coupling process ( described above with reference to fig5 ), or a cleaning process , can further be performed to ensure a higher level of accuracy . the cleaning process comprises checks that all merchant locations are valid and no duplicates exist . the process checks all the merchant locations &# 39 ; scores and update dates . if the update date is older than a configurable expiration date the merchant location is purged . an ‘ un - established ’ merchant location can also be purged if its date is older than a configurable semi - expiation date and its mls is less than a configurable semi - expiration score . it will be understood that while the invention has been described with regard to payment using a credit card , actual payment may be made by other means and the purchaser &# 39 ; s credit card may be used only to authenticate the purchaser . for example , once it is established that the purchaser &# 39 ; s location , as identified by his cellular telephone for example , is within correct proximity of the merchant , payment itself can be charged to the purchaser &# 39 ; s cellular telephone bill or to another charging account associated with the purchaser . it will also be understood that the system according to the invention may be a suitably programmed computer . likewise , the invention contemplates a computer program being readable by a computer for executing the method of the invention . the invention further contemplates a machine - readable memory tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine for executing the method of the invention . | 6 |
it is known that for an object consisting of a single homogeneous material , such as calcium or water , the x - ray attenuation function has a shape in the form of curve a in fig1 . this function depends on the incident radiation spectrum and on the type of homogeneous material . its departure from linearity results from the shift and change of the shape of the photon energy spectrum as photons of different energy undergo different attenuation in passing through the same length of material . in fig1 the initial slope b of the curve may be considered as the incremental linear x - ray attenuation coefficient associated with the polychromatic x - ray beam . when such an x - ray beam passes through a composite material made up of two or more distinct homogeneous materials the attenuation is a non - linear function of the lengths of the materials and is not a sum of individual functions of single variables . experience indicates that the x - ray attenuation of human body structures may be characterized by the attenuation of a heterogeneous structure of soft tissues ( having a water - like energy attenuation spectrum ) and bone ( having a &# 34 ; compact bone &# 34 ;- like spectrum ). additional body structures may , in fact , comprise air or other gases , but the attenuation of such structures is so low , compared with bone and soft tissue , that its energy spectrum has an insignificant effect on image calculation . the non - linear interaction of bone and soft tissue in the attenuation of a polychromatic x - ray beam may be expressed by a power series of the form c . sub . 30 s . sub . 1 . sup . 3 + c . sub . 03 s . sub . 2 . sup . 3 + c . sub . 12 s . sub . 1 s . sub . 2 . sup . 2 + c . sub . 21 s . sub . 1 . sup . 2 s . sub . 2 + . . . + c . sub . 30 s . sub . 1 . sup . 3 + c . sub . 03 s . sub . 2 . sup . 3 + c . sub . 12 s . sub . 1 s . sub . 2 . sup . 2 + c . sub . 21 s . sub . 1 . sup . 2 s . sub . 2 + is a two - dimensional polynomial of degree n , and l ( s 1 , s 2 ) is the linear part of the function u ( s 1 s 2 ). by choosing the criterion for approximation properly , and the degree n of the polynomial and sufficiently high , ε ( s 1 , s s ) may be made sufficiently small for calculation purposes , so that t ( s 1 , s 2 ) is the correction which must be applied to compensate for the non - linear part of the interaction . experience indicates that a two - dimensional cubic correction c . sub . 11 s . sub . 1 s . sub . 2 + c . sub . 30 s . sub . 1 . sup . 3 + c . sub . 03 s . sub . 2 . sup . 3 + c . sub . 12 s . sub . 1 s . sub . 2 . sup . 2 + c . sub . 21 s . sub . 1 . sup . 2 s . sub . 2 is satisfactory for use with human images . the interaction of an x - ray beam with a heterogeneous material may be approximated by numerical integration using known spectra for the various constituents of the material and measured energy spectrum data for a particular x - ray source operating at a particular voltage . attenuation coefficients for water and compact bone are , for example , tabulated in the publication &# 34 ; photon cross - sections , attenuation coefficients , and energy coefficients from 10 kev to 100 gev &# 34 ; by j . h . hubbell , national bureau of standards , national standard reference data series nsrds - nbs 29 , issued august 1969 . energy spectrum data for a particular x - ray source is normally obtained by direct measurement of each type source at its expected operating voltages . the coefficients of the cubic approximation are calculated using any of the well known approximation algorithms . typically a set of coefficients will be calculated in advance for each x - ray source and operating voltage and stored for later use with raw images measured at the same spectral parameters . by way of example , table i tabulates the measured energy spectrum area j ( e ) δe for a tomoscan 200 ct scanner ( manufactured by philips medical systems , incorporated of shelton , connecticut , which utilizes a philips beryllium window x - ray tube ) measured at 150 kvp with a three millimeter thick aluminum filter inserted in the beam . corresponding attenuation coefficients for compact bone ( μ cb ) and for water ( μ h . sbsb . 2 o ) are also tabulated . table ii is a listing of a fortran iv computer program for calculating the polynomial coefficients by a suitable least squares approximation , and table iii are the corresponding coefficients calculated thereby from the data of table i . the coefficients listed in table iii are utilized in the further examples of image correction methods set forth below . fig2 is apparatus for correcting images in accordance with the invention . a computerized tomographic scanner 10 which includes an x - ray source 12 , a detector bank 14 and an image reconstruction computer 16 functions , in accordance with the methods of the prior art , to project x - rays through a body 18 along a plurality of beam paths to measure and record a series of x - ray projection data taken through the body 18 from a plurality of directions and to subsequently combine those projections , using any of the known image reconstruction algorithms , to produce a matrix of discrete element of a transverse image of the body wherein the numerical values of the elements represent the intensity in corresponding pixels of the transverse image . the matrix of image elements is stored in an image storage device 20 , which may , for example , comprise core memory or disc storage . the raw image may be directly displayed , as in prior art scanners , on a display device 22 . in accordance with the present invention the raw transverse image matrix produced by the computer 16 and stored in the image storage 20 is processed in an image correction processor 24 to compensate for polychromatic aberration . a projection generator 26 functions to assign relative proportions of the attenuation coefficient to soft tissue and compact bone in each pixel element represented in the image storage 20 . the mixture of soft tissue and bone represented in each pixel of the raw image may correspond to a macroscopic combination of bone and soft tissue structures lying within the pixel area or may , alternately , represent an intimate mixture as in varying bone or cartilage structures . the assignment of a proportion of the attenuation coefficient to bone and soft tissue in each pixel element may be based on a pattern recognition process and known structural details of the raw image , but is most readily accomplished by a multiple thresholding process which assigns a percentage of the attenuation coefficient to compact bone , soft tissue , or contrast media in each pixel element . for example , experience indicates that all pixels having a grey scale level l greater than 100 hounsfield units may be assumed to contain bone and that the percentage of the attenuation coefficient due to bone and soft tissue in such elements may be approximated by a linear interpolation of the grey scale value , relative to the upper and lower thresholds for soft tissue and compact bone , respectively . a value of grey level due to soft tissue and bone content is thus assigned to each pixel of the raw image and is used to generate sets of separate projections of soft tissue and bone from the raw image data . the projections thus generated correspond to a decomposition of the projections which were measured by the scanner 10 and were utilized for the original image reconstruction , and the process of generating projections of soft tissue and bone from the raw image in the image storage 20 is the mathematical adjoint of the operation of backprojection used to generate the raw image from the scanner convolved projection data in the computer 16 . there are , of course , many algorithms and methods for generating images from projections and it is not necessary that the process for generating bone and soft tissue projection sets from the raw image correspond to the exact adjoint in the algorithm used in the scanner 10 to generate the raw image from the scanner projection data . fig3 illustrates a preferred method for generating projections of bone or soft tissue from an image matrix and is related to the so - called strip method employed in itterative reconstruction algorithms . it can be implemented in a manner similar to that of backprojection either in a general purpose digital computer or in a dedicated hardware array processor . for each projection angle φ a series of equally spaced rays are assumed through the picture matrix and each pixel is assigned to that ray , m , nearest to its center ( x , y ). the values of the pixel elements assigned to each ray are then summed , the set of sums being the projection at the angle φ corresponding to the ray direction . other projection methods , for example direct projection or fourier transform projection , are also suitable . by way of example , tables iv and v are preferred embodiments of machine language computer programs , for operation on pdp 11 series computers , which function to threshold raw image data and generate soft tissue and bone projections , respectively , from that data . the projection generator 26 thus produces two sets of projection data . a first set corresponds to a plurality of projections , at different angles through the image plane , of the bone or calcium structures in the raw image and is stored in a bone projection storage 28 which may , for example , comprise core memory or disk storage . a second set describes corresponding projections of the soft tissue structures in the raw image and is stored in a second storage area 30 . the bone projections stored in device 28 and the soft tissue projections stored in device 30 are then combined in an error projection generator 32 which utilizes a precalculated polynomial , determined in the manner described above from the x - ray spectrum of the source 12 and the linear attenuation coefficients of the biological tissues , as a function of energy , to calculate projections of polychromatic aberration errors in the raw image data . if a single - spectrum type pre - reconstruction correction for energy spectrum effects was made during the calculation of the raw image data in the computer 16 the pre - calculated polynomial is modified to take into account this pre - reconstruction correction . the error projection generator 32 may comprise a dedicated hardware processor or may comprise a general purpose digital computer programmed to calculate the error projections from the soft tissue projection and the bone projection data . by way of example , table vi is a fortran language computer program which performs the error projection generator function . the calibration coefficient and system coefficient at lines 20 and 25 of the program are scaling factors related to the particular scanner 10 utilized to generate the raw data and have values of 5 , 000 and 614 respectively for a tomoscan 200 scanner . the coefficients at lines 12 - 18 of the correspond to the polynomial coefficients in table iii calculated for the tomoscan 200 operating at 150 kvp . lines 31 - 38 of the program compensate for the single - spectrum pre - reconstruction correction applied in the tomoscan 200 scanner . the actual computation of the polynomial value is accomplished at line 66 . the error projections produced by the projection generator 32 are filtered in a digital filter 34 to remove noise which inherently results from the projection of a quantized image . the digital filter 34 is , ideally , tuned to the projection generator 26 . a preferred embodiment for use with a projection generator described above comprises a three point averaging filter in cascade with an interpretive filter . the interpretive filter functions , for each data point in the projection , to take the average value of increasingly large sets of points surrounding the data point ( i . e . three points , five points , seven points . . . ) until the difference between the data point value and the surrounding average value is less than a predetermined threshold . the filter will not , however , increase or decrease the number of points in the averaging set by more than one point for adjacent data points . the digital filters described above may be implemented as dedicated hardware units or as program modules in a general purpose digital computer . by way of example , table vii is a fortran lanugage program for the three point averaging filter described above while table viii is a fortran language program for the interpretive filter . the filtered error projections from the digital filter 34 are then combined in an image reconstruction computer 36 to produce an error image data set which corresponds , on an element by element basis , to the polychromatic distortion error in the raw image in the image storage 20 . the image reconstruction computer 36 may be functionally identical to the image reconstruction function in the computer 16 which computes the raw image from the x - ray projections measured by the scanner 10 and may , thus , comprise any of the hardware or software image computers which are known and described in the prior art . the error image produced by the image reconstruction computer 36 is then subtracted , on a point by point basis , from the raw image held in image storage 20 ; the function being preformed in an image subtractor 38 . the corrected image thus produced is fully compensated for polychromatic distortion and is held in a corrected image storage device 40 for subsequent display on the display device 22 . by way of example , table ix is a fortran language computer program which may be utilized to preform the function of the image subtractor 38 . as will be recognized by those skilled in the art , the image subtractor 38 may , alternately , comprise a hardware digital subtractor . although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein with individual components corresponding to program modules for execution in a general purpose digital computer , it should be recognized that , in a given dedicated system , increases in speed and efficiency may be derived by constructing some or all of the individual components as dedicated digital hardware . it will likewise be recognized that the specific construction of these individual components is necessarily highly dependent on the nature and organization of other computing and data storage components in the system but that the methods for producing such hardware from the software embodiments set forth herein are well known . further , although the present system utilizes a two - dimensional polynomial to compensate for two tissue constituents , a higher dimensional polynomial may similarly be utilized to compensate for other tissue constituents or contrast media . table i______________________________________ j ( e ) δee ( relative . sup . μ cb . sup . μ h . sub . 2 o ( kev ) energy units ) ( cm . sup .- 1 ) ( cm . sup .- 1 ) ______________________________________20 . 007453 5 . 47950 0 . 76925 . 057012 3 . 61832 0 . 56630 . 152612 1 . 75695 0 . 36335 . 256730 1 . 37085 0 . 31340 . 342131 0 . 98475 0 . 26345 . 419619 0 . 82875 0 . 243550 . 477813 0 . 67275 0 . 24455 . 500218 0 . 60060 0 . 21460 . 529548 0 . 52845 0 . 20465 . 510852 0 . 49725 0 . 198770 . 460579 0 . 46605 0 . 193575 . 425318 0 . 43485 0 . 188280 . 397156 0 . 40365 0 . 18385 . 367806 0 . 39000 0 . 18090 . 335680 0 . 37635 0 . 17795 . 312675 0 . 36270 0 . 174100 . 279061 0 . 34905 0 . 171110 . 556958 0 . 33735 0 . 167120 . 345380 0 . 32565 0 . 163130 . 227633 0 . 31395 0 . 159140 . 119441 0 . 30225 0 . 155______________________________________ ## spc1 ## ## spc2 ## ## spc3 ## ## spc4 ## ## spc5 ## ## spc6 ## ## spc7 ## ## spc8 ## ## spc9 ## | 6 |
referring now to the drawings , where like and corresponding parts are represented with like reference numerals , fig1 is a sectional view of a brake cylinder ( 1 ) with a fixed threaded bolt ( 6 ) in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . threaded bolt ( 6 ) is fastened at its upper end to cylinder housing ( 2 ) of brake cylinder ( 1 ). brake cylinder ( 1 ) further includes a displaceable piston ( 3 ), which is sealed relative to cylinder housing ( 2 ) by means of a gasket and guide ( 5 ). piston ( 3 ) is forced into its upper end position by means of a restoring spring ( 15 ). as depicted in fig1 , when the piston ( 15 ) is in the lower end position or , in this case , parking position , a pressure space ( 17 ) between piston ( 3 ) and cylinder housing ( 2 ) has its maximum volume . in contrast , in this position a secondary space ( 24 ) under piston ( 3 ) has its minimum volume . brake cylinder ( 1 ) can be fastened to the vehicle using bolts ( 14 ), for example ( e . g ., to the brake housing of a disk brake ). a hollow piston tube ( 4 ) of piston ( 3 ) extends downwardly and is sealed from and guided relative to a flange ( 20 ) of brake cylinder ( 1 ) by means of a gasket and guide ( 19 ). a force interface ( 13 ) to a brake arm ( not illustrated ) of the disk brake is disposed at the lower end of piston tube ( 4 ). the force interface ( 13 ) enables actuation of the actual brake ( not illustrated ) in any desired manner . in other words , brake linings can be pressed by means of the brake arm against a friction face , such as a brake disk ( not illustrated ). compressed air can be admitted to or vented from pressure space ( 17 ) of the brake cylinder via a port ( 23 ). to realize a parking brake function according to an embodiment of the present invention , threaded bolt ( 6 ), which protrudes into piston tube ( 4 ), is provided . a rotatable clamping nut ( 7 ) which can be rotated by a fork - shaped driver ( 8 ) is disposed on threaded bolt ( 6 ) ( see fig3 and 4 ). driver ( 8 ) passes through clamping nut ( 7 ) and , at its lower end , is guided by a pin ( 26 ) on threaded bolt ( 6 ). at its upper end , driver ( 8 ) is fastened to a driver spindle ( 9 ). driver spindle ( 9 ) is mounted to rotate by means of a bearing ( 25 ). driver spindle ( 9 ) can be driven by a drive shaft ( 10 ). for this purpose , driver spindle ( 9 ) is constructed as a worm wheel and driver shaft ( 10 ) as a pinion or worm . a drive space ( 22 ) is hermetically isolated from pressure space ( 17 ) by a partition wall ( 21 ). in addition , drive shaft ( 10 ) is sealed relative to the outside . the inventive brake cylinder according to the embodiment depicted in fig1 functions as described below . to engage the parking brake , compressed air is admitted into pressure space ( 17 ) via port ( 23 ). as a result , piston ( 3 ) is moved into a lower end position in which the brake linings ( not illustrated ) of the brake to be actuated bear on the brake disk or brake drum . in this way , the needed parking brake force can be achieved accurately by a variably adjustable parking brake pressure . to fix the parking brake in position , drive shaft ( 10 ) is rotated , for example by an electric motor , and driver spindle ( 9 ) is also turned together with driver ( 8 ) fastened thereon . as a result , clamping nut ( 7 ) driven by driver ( 8 ) moves downward on fixed threaded bolt ( 6 ) to the indicated end position bearing on piston ( 3 ). in turn , piston ( 3 ) is immobilized in the last occupied parking brake position . compressed air can then be discharged from pressure space ( 17 ) without releasing the brake , and the parking brake function is achieved . to release the parking brake , compressed air is re - introduced into pressure space ( 17 ) until clamping nut ( 7 ) is relieved of the force of piston ( 3 ). thereafter , clamping nut ( 7 ) is returned to the upper end position on fixed threaded bolt ( 6 ) by rotation of drive shaft ( 10 ), and brake cylinder ( 1 ) is again ready for service braking . brake cylinder ( 1 ) according to the embodiment depicted in fig2 differs from that depicted in fig1 as , in fig2 , clamping nut ( 7 ) is not rotatable but , rather , is secured from rotation by means of a fork - shaped guide rod ( 18 ). guide rod ( 18 ) can be fastened to partition wall ( 21 ), for example . in the embodiment depicted in fig2 , threaded bolt ( 16 ) is permanently joined to driver spindle ( 9 ) and can be rotated by means of drive shaft ( 10 ). with the rotation of threaded bolt ( 16 ), clamping nut ( 7 ), which is secured from rotation , can be transported to lower and upper end positions . the mode of operation of the parking brake according to fig2 corresponds in principle to that of fig1 . fig3 is a perspective partial cutaway view of clamping nut ( 7 ), driver ( 8 ) or guide rod ( 18 ) and central threaded bolts ( 6 , 16 ). as described above , depending upon embodiment , clamping nut ( 7 ) is either rotatable ( see fig1 ) or is secured against rotation ( see fig2 ) by means of driver ( 8 ) or guide rod ( 18 ), respectively . provided with female thread ( 11 ), clamping nut ( 7 ) encircles and threadably engages threaded stud ( 6 , 16 ). a pin ( 26 ) at the lower end of fixed or rotatable threaded bolt ( 6 , 16 ) passes through a bore ( 34 ) of driver ( 8 ) or guide rod ( 18 ) to guide or stabilize driver ( 8 ) or guide rod ( 18 ) as well as threaded bolt ( 6 , 16 ). fig4 is a perspective sectional view of the embodiment of the brake cylinder depicted in fig1 . as in fig1 , threaded bolt ( 6 ), in this case , is fastened to cylinder housing ( 2 ), and clamping nut ( 7 ) can be rotated by means of driver ( 8 ) fastened to drive wheel ( 9 ). the other numbered parts correspond to those of fig1 . fig5 to 8 show different advantageous drive options for fork - shaped driver ( 8 ) and rotatable threaded bolt ( 18 ), respectively . in fig5 , driver spindle ( 9 ) is driven via an electric motor ( 27 ) attached to the outside of cylinder housing ( 2 ). electric motor ( 27 ) rotates driver spindle ( 9 ) via drive shaft ( 10 ), which is equipped with a pinion or a worm ( 28 ) and which is engaged in a corresponding tooth of driver spindle ( 9 ). depending on direction of rotation , the parking brake can be engaged or released in this way . because of the large reduction ratio permitted by the worm gear , a high - speed electric motor can be used . in fig6 , electric motor ( 27 ) rotates driver spindle ( 9 ) via a belt drive including a revolving belt ( 29 ) which connects electric motor ( 27 ) and driver spindle ( 9 ). for this purpose , driver spindle ( 9 ) is constructed as a drive pulley . in fig7 , rotatable driver ( 8 ) ( see fig1 ) or rotatable threaded bolt ( 16 ) ( see fig2 ) is alternatively driven by a coaxial electric motor ( 27 ) disposed in cylinder housing ( 2 ). in this case , electric motor ( 27 ) includes an internal armature ( 31 ) equipped with magnets and an external winding ( 30 ). armature ( 31 ) is connected to driver ( 8 ) or to rotatable threaded bolt ( 16 ). to accommodate electric motor ( 27 ), cylinder housing ( 2 ) is provided with an outward bulge by which the overall length of brake cylinder ( 1 ) is somewhat increased . the advantage of this embodiment is that the electric motor is protected inside brake cylinder ( 1 ). in the embodiments according to fig5 to 7 , the current to electric motor ( 27 ) is cut off when clamping nut ( 7 ) has arrived in either the lower or upper end position . this can be expediently achieved by sensing the drive current of electric motor ( 27 ). if the drive current exceeds a predetermined value due to the mechanical resistance of clamping nut ( 7 ), it can be inferred that one of the end positions has been reached and , so , the current can be cut . alternatively , the increase in mechanical resistance at the end positions can also be detected by a separate force sensor installed , for example , in driver spindle ( 9 ) or in the force flow of the bracing components . as a further alternative , instead of an axial force sensor , a radial force sensor can be used to detect the torque of the drive . as a further alternative , the drive current can be cut after a preselected time interval has elapsed . the preselected time interval is set such that clamping nut ( 7 ) will travel the complete distance on threaded bolt ( 16 ) during the set time . in the embodiment depicted in fig8 , driver spindle ( 9 ) is alternatively constructed as a paddle wheel ( 32 ). paddle wheel ( 32 ) is driven by compressed air , which for one direction of rotation is supplied via a compressed - air port ( 33 ). for the opposite direction of rotation , a second port disposed opposite port ( 33 ) is used . the port opposite that by which compressed air is admitted functions as the respective air outlet . the duration of admission of compressed air can again be controlled as a function of time , as described above . force sensing in the manner described above can also be provided . the advantage of this embodiment is that the space requirement of brake cylinder ( 1 ) is reduced due to the elimination of exteriorly disposed parts . it will thus be seen that the objects set forth above , among those made apparent from the preceding description , are efficiently attained , and since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . it is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which , as a matter of language , might be said to fall therebetween . | 5 |
in the following directional terms such up , down , top , bottom and so forth are used in conjunction with the orientation of the drawings for the sake of clarity . it should be understood that the assembly described below may have a different orientation once it is installed in a motor vehicle . referring now to the figures , an inflator assembly 10 constructed in accordance with this invention consists of a housing 12 formed of two cups 14 , 16 . upper cup 14 is formed of two concentric cylindrical walls , an outer wall 18 , and an inner wall 20 , both walls extending normally from a base plate 22 . similarly bottom cup 16 is formed of two cylindrical walls 24 , 26 extending normally from a base plate 28 . a peripheral flange 30 on cup 14 is used for mounting the assembly to an air bag module . as described in commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 201 , 542 , the two cups are secured together by a double threaded arrangement . more particularly , the inner surfaces of walls 18 , 20 are threaded and engage the threads formed on the outer surfaces of walls 24 , 26 respectively . in this manner , when the housing 10 is closed the two cups are engaged by the threaded co - axial annular couplings 32 , 34 . importantly , wall 24 of cup 16 is formed with an annular rib 36 disposed below the threads . in addition , wall 18 of cup 14 is formed with an axially extending annular lip 38 extending below rib 36 when the two cups are threadedly engaged as described above and as illustrated by letter a in dotted lines in fig3 . after the two cups have been engaged , this lip 38 is rolled over rib 36 to mechanically interlock the cups together , as shown in solid lines in fig3 by letter b . this mechanical interlock is provided to insure that after the two cups have been assembled , they cannot be opened and tampered with by unauthorized personnel . in addition , the mechanical interlock provides some mechanical strength for the housing 12 . alternatively , or in addition to the rib and lip arrangement described above , the two cups may also be interlocked by providing holes in the cups and driving spikes 40 through the holes as shown in fig3 . spikes 40 are preferably flush with the outer surface of wall 18 to insure that once they are driven in they cannot be removed . as it can be best seen in fig3 after the housing 10 is assembled , a substantial portion of the bottom cup 16 is disposed inside , or at least covered by the top cup 12 . hence it is difficult to grasp the bottom cup 16 properly to allow the two cups to be screwed together . in order to solve this problem , bottom plate 28 , which is substantially circular in shape , is provided peripherally with a plurality of scallops or notches 42 . the purpose of these notches is discussed below . the two cups 14 , 16 cooperate to form two chambers within housing 10 , a central chamber 44 , and annular chamber 46 disposed coaxially about chamber 44 . chamber 44 is used to hold an initiator 48 . preferably , initiator 48 has a cylindrical body 50 having a diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of hole 52 defined by wall 26 of cup 16 . near the top , initiator 48 has an annular enlarged portion 54 with a downwardly pointed shoulder 56 . below portion 54 , initiator 48 is provided with a plurality of flexing fingers 58 arranged annularly about body 50 . each of these fingers 58 extends upwardly toward portion 54 and radially outwardly and are slightly flexible radially . hole 52 is formed with an inner annular groove 60 defined by a wall portion 62 extending upward and toward a radially inwardly oriented shoulder 64 . the distance between shoulder 64 and the top surface 66 of wall 26 is slightly smaller than the distance between the tips of fingers 58 and shoulder 56 on portion 54 . the initiator includes wires 68 , 70 used to send an electrical signal to the initiator 48 for detonation . wires 68 , 70 are connected to an acceleration sensor disposed elsewhere in the system . alternatively , initiator 48 may include a mechanical acceleration sensor in which case the wires 68 , 70 are omitted . the wall 26 is thus arranged and constructed to engage with the initiator 48 and hold the same in a preselected position inside the chamber 44 . for this purpose , initiator 48 may be inserted into opening 52 from the top downward . as the body 50 is moving inward into hole 52 , fingers 58 are flexed radially inward . when the tip of the fingers 58 reach groove 60 they snap radially outward thereby locking the initiator 48 into the position shown in fig3 . in this position , wires 68 , 70 extend outwardly of hole 52 while the portion of initiator 48 disposed above top surface 66 of wall 26 is disposed inside chamber 44 . to insure that the initiator 48 remains in this position and does not move or fall out , a resilient o - ring 72 is placed between top surface 66 and shoulder 66 . when the initiator is in place the o - ring 72 is squeezed in the axial direction thereby providing an axial biasing force between the initiator portion 54 and surface 66 . in this manner o - ring 72 is pulling the fingers 58 upward to remain in engagement with shoulder 64 . additionally , the o - ring 72 also forms a seal around body 50 to insure that the chamber 44 is sealed off from ambient atmosphere . above initiator 48 , chamber 44 is provided with a pellet 74 made of an auto - ignition material . chamber 44 communicates with chamber 46 through a plurality of holes 76 . preferably holes 76 are sloped downwardly at an angle of about 45 °. chamber 46 is used to hold a canister 78 and a filter assembly discussed more fully below . canister 78 is generally annular in shape and has a generally l - shaped cross section . the canister 78 is formed of two members , a wall member 80 which defines an annular cavity and a ring - shaped cover member 82 . the inner and outer edges of the cover member is rolled together with the inner and outer edges of the wall member to form two annular seals 84 , 86 . these seals are also covered with a potting material as at 88 , 90 . in this manner the two members 80 , 82 form a hermetically sealed canister 78 . canister 78 is used to hold a plurality of tablets 92 which when heated above a preset temperature release a gas very rapidly . a disk shaped member 94 is used to keep the tablets 92 above cover 82 . cover 82 is formed with a circular groove 96 . this groove 96 is in contact with a circular ridge 98 formed on the inner surface of base plate 28 . radially outwardly of canister 78 , base plate 22 is provided with a downwardly extending annular wall 100 extending for a short distance inside chamber 46 . chamber 46 further holds a retaining ring 102 . this ring 102 has two annular portions , a substantially horizontal portion 104 and a vertical portion 106 . portion 104 is provided with a plurality of holes 107 . vertical porion 106 is sized so that it forms an interference fit with wall 100 as the ring 102 is inserted into cup 14 . as shown in fig3 above the horizontal portion 104 , there are provided two concentric annular filters , 108 , 110 . filter 108 is a slag filter and it forms an annular space 112 with the vertical portion 106 of ring 102 . filter 110 is disposed radially outwardly of filter 108 and is constructed and arranged to pick up fine particles from the gas flow . for example , filter 110 may be made of several layers of a fine filtration material made of paper , cloth , ceramic , and / or other filter media . preferably the filter media is embedded at the two axial ends in a graphite seal 114 , 116 used to insure that gases exiting the chamber 46 do not by - pass the filter 110 , however , other means of sealing can be used . as shown in the figures , the outer wall 18 of upper cup 14 is provided with a plurality of peripheral holes 118 for venting gasses through the filter 110 . the inflator assembly 10 is constructed as follows . the canister 78 is installed into the lower cup 16 and the initiator 48 is snapped into hole 52 from the top . the auto - ignition disk 74 is installed in the upper cup 14 , inside wall 20 . filters 108 and 110 are pressed into the upper cup 14 in an inverted position and the retaining ring 102 is pressed on top of filters 108 and 110 . ring 102 may be positioned such that its holes 107 are angularly offset from holes 118 in cup 14 . the filters 108 , 110 and ring 102 are maintained in this position by the interference fit between ring wall 106 and wall 100 . therefore cup 14 can be turned to the position shown in fig3 and 5 without the filters 108 , 110 and the ring 102 falling out therefrom . cups 14 and 16 are then placed into an abutting relationship and one or both cups are turned so that they become threadedly engaged . during this process the bottom cup 16 is grasped with a tool ( not shown ) having engaging means for engaging the cup 16 by notches 42 . cup 14 and / or 16 is turned until a torque in a preselected range is reached . for example , the cups can be turned until they are torqued at about 35 ft .-- lbs . once the housing 10 is completed the inflator assembly is ready to be installed . as shown in fig3 as the two cups 14 , 16 are screwed together an upper edge 120 of lower cup 16 presses ring 102 upward thereby squeezing the filters 108 , 110 and the graphite seals 114 , 116 between the horizontal ring portion 104 and base plate 22 . at the same time the portion of the canister 78 disposed under ring portion 104 is also captured between ring 104 and base plate 28 of lower cup 16 . in this manner the filters 108 , 110 and canister 78 are effectively trapped between the base plates 22 , 28 and ring 102 to prevent them from movement . the registration between ridge 98 and groove 96 further insures that the canister 78 does not shift in the radial or lateral direction . thus , the canister is prevented from rattling . this is important because if the canister rattles , the tablets contained therein may pulverize and thereby lose their effectiveness . the inflator assembly operates as follows . the inflator assembly is normally installed in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle , for example in the steering wheel . initiator 48 is connected by wires 68 , 70 to a crash detector ( not shown ). when a crash is sensed by the detector , an electrical signal is received over wires 68 , 70 which signal sets off the initiator 48 . the initiator 48 acts as a primer to generate a relatively small amount of gases . these gases quickly fill up chamber 44 and flow through holes 76 toward chamber 46 . the wall 80 of canister 78 is constructed and arranged so that its wall section disposed in the immediate vicinity of holes 76 is ruptured by the gases from the initiator 48 . the gases from the initiator then enter into the canister and set off tablets 92 . the tablets 92 then generate gases very rapidly and at a relatively high pressure . these gases rupture the portion of wall 80 disposed adjacent to holes 107 allowing gases to escape into space 112 . from this space , the gases exit through the filters 108 , 110 and holes 118 . importantly , holes 107 are positioned in such a manner that the gas flow through these holes is oriented at better than 90 ° with respect to the flow of gases through holes 76 . in fact holes 107 are oriented upwardly in an axial direction , i . e . in parallel with respect to the axis x -- x of inflator 10 , while holes 76 are oriented at 45 ° downwardly with respect to the axis , therefore the gas flow through these holes are oriented at a respective angle of 135 °. this feature is important because it allows causes the gases to flow turbulently through the canister 78 and provide extended contact between the initiator gases and the tablets 92 to insure that tablets 92 are set off rapidly and uniformly . otherwise the initiator gases could cause the canister wall 80 to rupture prematurely allowing the initiator gases to escape through holes 107 before the tablets are fully set off . the angular offset between holes 107 and 118 insure a turbulent flow of gases from chamber 46 to the outside . in this manner as theses gases flow through the filters 108 , 110 , they are cleaned better of particulate mater . if the inflator assembly overheats , for example in case of fire , the pellet 74 ignites causing the tablets 92 to set off at a preselected temperature . without the pellet 74 , the assembly 10 could overheat to a very high temperature to set off tablets 92 . by the time this high temperature is reached , the housing 10 may be weakened and therefore when the tablets 92 are set off the gases generated which may cause structural distress . obviously numerous modifications may be made to the invention without departing from its scope as defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
fig1 is a block diagram of an exemplary system 100 for compiling software programs , including computing an energy consumption profile for program code . system 100 can be any electronic device that runs software applications derived from compiled instructions , including without limitation personal computers , servers , smart phones , media players , electronic tablets , game consoles and email devices . in some implementations , system 100 can include one or more application processors or processing cores 102 , one or more graphics processing units ( gpus ) 104 , one or more network interfaces 106 , one or more input devices 108 , one or more display devices 110 and one or more computer - readable mediums 114 . each of these components can be coupled together by one or more buses 112 . processor 102 can be any known microprocessor technology , including but not limited to intel ® multi - core technology . in some implementations , processor 102 includes an application processor 102 a and a system management controller ( smc ) 102 b . smc 102 b can include one or more sensors 102 c that monitor one or more of temperatures , voltages , currents , fans , power supplies , bus errors , system physical security and any other metrics or data that could be used to detect or predict system malfunction . for example , application processor 102 a could become overheated while running an application . sensor 102 c can be a temperature sensor in smc 102 b that detects the temperature rise in the system 100 due to application processor 102 a . in response to the detection , smc 102 b can send a command to increase fan speed or reduce the speed of application processor 102 a . the data detected or monitored by sensor 102 c is also referred to herein as “ telemetry data .” in some implementations , sensor 102 c can be located anywhere in system 100 ( e . g ., outside of smc 102 c ). display device 110 can be any known display technology , including but not limited to display devices using liquid crystal display ( lcd ) or light emitting diode ( led ) technology . gpu 104 can be any known graphics processor technology , including but are not limited to nvidia ™ geforce ™ processor technology . input device 108 can be any known input device technology , including but not limited to a keyboard ( including a virtual keyboard ), mouse , track ball , and touch - sensitive pad or display . bus 112 can be any known internal or external bus technology , including but not limited to isa , eisa , pci , pci express , nubus , usb , serial ata or firewire . computer - readable medium 114 can be any medium that participates in providing instructions to processors 102 for execution , including without limitation , non - volatile media ( e . g ., optical disks , magnetic disks , flash drives ) or volatile media ( e . g ., sdram , rom etc .). computer - readable medium 114 can include various instructions 116 for implementing an operating system ( e . g ., mac os ®, windows ®, linux ). the operating system can be multi - user , multiprocessing , multitasking , multithreading , real - time and the like . the operating system performs basic tasks , including but not limited to : recognizing input from input device 108 ; sending output to display device 110 ; keeping track of files and directories on computer - readable medium 114 ; controlling peripheral devices ( e . g ., disk drive , printer ) which can controlled directly or through an i / o controller ( not shown ); and managing traffic on bus 112 . network communications instructions 118 can establish and maintain network connections ( e . g ., software for implementing communication protocols , such as tcp / ip , http , ethernet ). compiler / linker instructions 120 can implement compiler and linker operations as described in reference to fig2 programs 122 can be one or more of source code files as described in reference to fig2 . telemetry data 124 can be provided by sensor 102 c and can include data that can be used by smc 102 b to manage the health of system 100 . energy cost table 126 can include data related to energy consumption of various computations , operations or instructions which can be used to compute energy consumption profiles when telemetry data is not available . fig2 is a block diagram of an exemplary compiler system 200 for computing an energy consumption profile for program code . compiler system 200 will be described in reference to system 100 which implements compiler system 200 . a compiler is a computer program ( or set of programs ) that transforms source code written in a computer language ( the source language ) into another computer language ( the target language , often having a binary form known as object code ). a compiler is likely to perform many or all of the following operations : lexical analysis , preprocessing , parsing , semantic analysis , code generation , and code optimization . an example compiler is the publicly available gnu compiler collection ( gcc ) produced by the gnu project supporting various programming languages . gcc has been adopted as the standard compiler by most modern unix - based computer operating systems , including gnu / linux , the bsd family and mac os ™ x . gcc has been ported to a wide variety of processor architectures ( e . g ., arm processors ), embedded platforms , and targets a wide variety of platforms . in some implementations , the compiler system 200 can include lexical analyzer 202 , syntax / semantic analyzer 204 , intermediate code generator / optimizer 206 , target machine code generator 208 and target system 100 . compiler system 200 can be implemented on system 100 or on a separate computer . compiler system 200 can be a single pass or multi - pass compiler . a software developer can prepare various source code instructions to be compiled and run on target system 100 . in the example shown , the developer has prepared source code 202 a (“ source code a ”) and source code 202 b (“ source code b ”). the target system 100 is a laptop computer with limited battery power . source code a includes some vector operations and source code b includes equivalent register operations . the developer would like to develop source code that minimizes energy consumption when run on target system 100 . in a first pass through compiler system 200 , source code a is processed by lexical analyzer 202 . lexical analyzer 202 breaks source code a into a linear sequence of “ tokens ” which are single atomic units of a programming language ( e . g ., a keyword , identifier , symbol name ). the token sequence is processed by syntax / semantic analyzer 204 to identify the syntactic structure of the program . for example , a parse tree structure built according to rules of a formal grammar which define the syntax of the language can replace the linear sequence of tokens produced by lexical analyzer 202 . semantic analysis adds semantic information to the parse tree and builds a symbol table . intermediate code generator / optimizer 206 uses the results of syntax / semantic analyzer 204 to generate and optimize an intermediate code . the intermediate code is transformed by target machine code generator 208 into the native language of target system 100 . the native language can be run by target machine 100 on application processor 102 a . while target machine 100 runs the program generated by source code a on application processor 102 a , smc 102 b periodically receives telemetry data from sensor 102 c ( e . g ., every 1 millisecond ). smc 102 b can collect and retain the telemetry data ( e . g ., in cache memory ) while the program code executes on application processor 102 a . once the code completes execution , the telemetry data can be read out of smc 102 b by application processor 102 a and used to compute an energy profile . the telemetry data includes voltage , v ( t ) and current i ( t ). an instantaneous power consumed at time t is given by p ( t )= v ( t ) i ( t ). an estimate of the energy e a consumed by application processor 102 a running the program derived from source code a over the interval t 1 to t 2 is given by in practice , the integral in [ 1 ] can be calculated using one of several well - known integration techniques ( e . g ., newton - cotes integration formulas , trapezoidal rule ). the interval can be any desired time frame ( e . g ., 300 milliseconds ). the energy e a can be displayed to the developer at the end of compilation . in some implementations , the energy calculation can be invoked with a compiler command by using a compiler flag . in the example shown , using a gcc compiler , an example unix command line can be : {& gt ; gcc − ep source_code_a }, where “− ep ” invokes the energy consumption profile computation of [ 1 ]. the developer can proceed to perform the same process on source code b and compute energy e b . if e a & lt ; e b , then the developer knows that source code a ( with vector computations ) is more efficient for the desired program code than source code b ( register operations ). in some implementations , a program code could be run on more than one processor . for example , multiple application processors 102 can be run with one or more gpus 104 . to capture the energy consumption by an additional gpu , a second smc can be added to the gpu , or the gpu can be configured to report telemetry data to other devices having an smc or a central smc . alternatively or additionally , an energy cost table 126 can be provided which lists the energy cost for each gpu operation ( e . g ., in joules ). the energy costs for operations performed by gpu 104 or other processors ( e . g ., multiple cores , coprocessors ) can be retrieved from energy cost table 126 and added to the energy consumption data computed based on telemetry data from smc 102 b to generate a total energy consumption profile for the program code . fig3 is a flow diagram of an exemplary compiler process 300 for computing an energy consumption profile for program code . process 300 will be described in reference to system 100 which implements process 300 . in some implementations , process 300 can begin when a request is received to compile program code on a target machine ( 302 ). the request can be a compiler command with a compiler flag indicating that an energy consumption profile is desired . one or more instructions of the program code are executed on system 100 ( 304 ). telemetry data is collected by smc 102 b from sensor 102 c or any other sensor in system 100 . telemetry data can include instantaneous voltage and current . if process 300 determines that more instructions are available for execution ( 308 ), those additional instructions are executed until all instructions are executed . if process 300 determines that all instructions have be executed ( 308 ), an energy consumption profile is computed from telemetry data ( 310 ). the telemetry data ( which can include voltage and current ) can be used to compute an instantaneous power . the instantaneous power can be integrated over a time interval to provide the energy consumed by the system 100 during the time interval , as described in reference to fig2 . an energy consumption profile can be presented to the user ( 312 ). the profile can be displayed on display device 110 as a single number or can be compared and plotted with other energy consumption data as desired . a developer can use the energy consumption profiles to determine which program code will be included in a production application . in some implementations , libraries having different energy consumption profiles can be dynamically linked into an application during runtime based on a power state ( e . g ., the battery life ) of the system 100 running the application . dynamic linking involves loading the subroutines of a library into an application program at runtime , rather than linking them in at compile time ; the subroutines can remain as separate files on disk . the linker records what library routines the program code needs and the index names or numbers of the routines in the library . the remaining work of linking can be done at the time the application is loaded or during runtime . the linking code ( e . g ., a loader ) can be part of the underlying operating system ( e . g ., operating system 116 ). at the appropriate time the loader finds the relevant energy efficient library on disk and adds the relevant data from the library to the memory space of the processor . for example , the application can query the operating system ( or a power management system ) for the existing battery life of the system , and based on the battery life , select the library having the more efficient energy consumption profile , then dynamically link the library to the application . the disclosed and other embodiments and the functional operations described in this specification can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry , or in computer software , firmware , or hardware , including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents , or in combinations of one or more of them . the disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented as one or more computer program products , e . g ., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer - readable medium for execution by , or to control the operation of , data processing apparatus . the computer - readable medium can be a machine - readable storage device , a machine - readable storage substrate , a memory device , or a combination of one or more them . a computer program ( also known as a program , software , software application , script , or code ) can be written in any form of programming language , including compiled or interpreted languages , and it can be deployed in any form , including as a stand - alone program or as a module , component , subroutine , or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment . a computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system . a program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data ( e . g ., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document ), in a single file dedicated to the program in question , or in multiple coordinated files ( e . g ., files that store one or more modules , sub - programs , or portions of code ). a computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network . the processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors or cores executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output . the processes and logic flows can also be performed by , and apparatus can also be implemented as , special purpose logic circuitry , e . g ., an fpga ( field programmable gate array ) or an asic ( application - specific integrated circuit ). processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include , by way of example , both general and special purpose microprocessors , and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer . generally , a processor will receive instructions and data from a read - only memory or a random access memory or both . the essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data . generally , a computer will also include , or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to , or both , one or more mass storage devices for storing data , e . g ., magnetic , magneto - optical disks , or optical disks . however , a computer need not have such devices . computer - readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non - volatile memory , media and memory devices , including by way of example semiconductor memory devices , e . g ., eprom , eeprom , and flash memory devices ; magnetic disks , e . g ., internal hard disks or removable disks ; magneto - optical disks ; and cd - rom and dvd - rom disks . the processor and the memory can be supplemented by , or incorporated in , special purpose logic circuitry . to provide for interaction with a user , the disclosed embodiments can be implemented on a computer having a display device , e . g ., a crt ( cathode ray tube ) or lcd ( liquid crystal display ) monitor , for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device , e . g ., a mouse or a trackball , by which the user can provide input to the computer . other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well ; for example , feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback , e . g ., visual feedback , auditory feedback , or tactile feedback ; and input from the user can be received in any form , including acoustic , speech , or tactile input . while this specification contains many specifics , these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what being claims or of what may be claimed , but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments . certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment . conversely , various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination . moreover , although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such , one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination , and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination . similarly , while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order , this should not be understand as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order , or that all illustrated operations be performed , to achieve desirable results . in certain circumstances , multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous . moreover , the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments , and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products . particular embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification have been described . other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . for example , the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results . as one example , the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown , or sequential order , to achieve desirable results . in certain implementations , multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous . | 8 |
an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by a process for the preparation of a compound of formula i , so long as one of r and r 1 is a furanose group or a pyranose group ; r 2 and r 3 are taken together to form an oxo group ; 7 ) c 0 - c 10 alkylene - nr 5 r 6 ; 2 ) ( c 1 - c 8 alkyl )—( r 7 ) 2 , 8 ) ( c 2 - c 8 alkenyl )—( r 7 ) 2 , or r 5 and r 6 are taken together with the nitrogen to which they are attached to form n - phthalimido ; 4 ) aryl , said aryl optionally substituted with up to two groups selected from oh , o ( c 1 - c 6 alkyl ), and ( c 1 - c 3 alkylene )— oh ; ( a ) reacting a furanose or a pyranose with an activating reagent to produce an activated sugar ; and ( b ) coupling the activated sugar with a compound of formula iv wherein r 1a is h if q is o , s , ch 2 , or n — r and r is not h , otherwise r 1a is selected from r 1 ; in the presence of an aqueous solution of alkali hydroxide and a phase transfer catalyst in a biphasic system to produce the compound of formula i . r and r 1 are independently selected from a furanose group of formula iia or a pyranose group of formula iib , when r or r 1 is defined as a furanose group or a pyranose group , respectively ; two r 8 &# 39 ; s on the same carbon are taken together to be oxo , ═ n — r 5 , or ═ n ═ r 7 ; and the furanose or pyranose in step ( a ) is a furanose of formula iiia or a pyranose of formula iiib , respectively ; in another embodiment , the activating reagent in step ( a ) is selected from an acid halide , a sulfonate , a phosphate , a sulfate , a borate , or an acetate and the biphasic system in step ( b ) is comprised of an organic solvent selected from a hydrocarbon , a nitrile , an ether , a halogenated hydrocarbon , a ketone , or an apolar aprotic solvent . yet another embodiment is the process described above wherein the activating reagent is selected from socl 2 or oxalyl chloride . a further embodiment is the process described above wherein the biphasic system is comprised of methyl - t - butyl ether , dichloromethane , or trifluorotoluene . in still another embodiment the phase transfer catalyst in step ( b ) is ( r a ) 4 m + a − ; r a is independently h or c 1 - c 18 aliphatic hydrocarbon ; a is oh , f , br , cl , i , hso 4 , cn , meso 3 , or phch 2 co 2 . a preferred embodiment is the process described above wherein the phase transfer catalyst is tricaprylmethyl ammonium chloride . another preferred embodiment is the process according to the description above , wherein the aqueous solution of alkali hydroxide in step ( b ) has a concentration of about 5 % to about 95 % w / w and the alkali hydroxide is selected from lithium hydroxide , sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , and cesium hydroxide . also favored is the process wherein the aqueous solution of alkali hydroxide has a concentration of about 45 % to about 50 % w / v and the alkali hydroxide is potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide . a more preferred embodiment is a process for the preparation of a compound of formula v , 7 ) c 0 - c 10 alkylene - nr 5 r 6 ; 2 ) ( c 1 - c 8 alkyl )—( r 7 ) 2 , r 5 and r 6 are taken together with the nitrogen to which they are attached to form n - phthalimido ; 4 ) aryl , said aryl optionally substituted with up to two groups selected from oh , o ( c 1 - c 6 alkyl ), and ( c 1 - c 3 alkylene )— oh ; ( a ) reacting a sugar derivative of formula vi with an acid chloride to produce the activated sugar ; and ( b ) coupling the activated sugar with a compound of formula vii in the presence of an aqueous solution of an alkali hydroxide and tricaprylmethyl ammonium chloride in t - butyl methyl ether to produce the compound of formula v . and yet another preferred embodiment is a process for the preparation of a compound of formula viii , ( a ) reacting a sugar derivative of formula ix with thionyl chloride to produce the activated sugar ; ( b ) coupling the activated sugar with a compound of formula x in the presence of an aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide and tricaprylmethyl ammonium chloride in t - butyl methyl ether to form the glycosidated compound xi ; ( c ) deprotecting the glycosidated product xi by reacting it with catalytic palladium in he presence of hydrogen gas to form the deprotected glycosidated product xii ; ( d ) reacting the deprotected glycosidated product xii with an aqueous solution of alkali hydroxide to form anhydride xiii ; and ( e ) reacting anhydride xiii with 2 - hydrazino - 1 , 3 - propanediol to produce the compound of formula viii . also preferred is the process as described above to make a compound of formula v wherein step ( a ) is conducted in t - butyl methyl ether or tetrahydrofuran at a temperature of about − 10 ° c . to about 30 ° c . and step ( b ) is conducted at a temperature of about 0 ° c . to about 40 ° c . and a final embodiment is the process described above , wherein the potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide in step ( b ) is added before the tricaprylmethyl ammonium chloride . the compounds of the present invention may have asymmetric centers , chiral axes , and chiral planes ( as described in : e . l . eliel and s . h . wilen , stereochemistry of carbon compounds , john wiley & amp ; sons , new york , 1994 , pages 1119 - 1190 ), and occur as racemates , racemic mixtures , and as individual diastereomers , with all possible isomers and mixtures thereof , including optical isomers , being included in the present invention . in addition , the compounds disclosed herein may exist as tautomers and both tautomeric forms are intended to be encompassed by the scope of the invention , even though only one tautomeric structure is depicted . when any variable ( e . g . x 1 , x 2 , r 8 , r 9 etc .) occurs more than one by time in any constituent , its definition on each occurrence is independent at every other occurrence . also , combinations of substituents and variables are permissible only if such combinations result in stable compounds . lines drawn into the ring systems from substituents indicate that the indicated bond may be attached to any of the substitutable ring carbon atoms . if the ring system is polycyclic , it is intended that the bond be attached to any of the suitable carbon atoms on the proximal ring only . it is understood that substituents and substitution patterns on the compounds of the instant invention can be selected by one of ordinary skill in the art to provide compounds that are chemically stable and that can be readily synthesized by techniques known in the art , as well as those methods set forth below , from readily available starting materials . as used herein , “ alkyl ” is intended to include both branched , straight - chain , and cyclic saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon groups having the specified number of carbon atoms . for example , c 1 - c 6 , as in “ c 1 - c 6 alkyl ” is defined to include groups having 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , or 6 carbons in a linear , branched , or cyclic arrangement . for example , “ c 1 - c 6 alkyl ” specifically includes methyl , ethyl , propyl , butyl , pentyl , hexyl , and so on , as well as cycloalkyls such as cyclopropyl , methylcyclopropyl , dimethylcyclobutyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , and cyclohexyl , and so on . the alkyl substituents may be unsubstituted or substituted with one to three substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 6 alkyl , oh , oc 1 - c 6 alkyl , o ( c ═ o ) c 1 - c 6 alkyl , o ( c ═ o ) oc 1 - c 6 alkyl , amino , amido , co 2 h , cn , no 2 , n 3 , c 1 - c 6 perflouroalkyl , and oc 1 - c 6 perflouroalkyl . “ alkoxy ” represents an alkyl group of indicated number of carbon atoms attached through an oxygen bridge . the term “ alkenyl ” refers to a non - aromatic hydrocarbon radical , straight , branched or cyclic , containing from 2 to 10 carbon atoms and at least one carbon to carbon double bond . preferably one carbon to carbon double bond is present , and up to four non - aromatic carbon - carbon double bonds may be present . thus , “ c 2 - c 6 alkenyl ” means an alkenyl radical having from 2 to 6 carbon atoms . alkenyl groups include ethenyl , propenyl , butenyl , 2 - methylbutenyl and cyclohexenyl . the straight , branched or cyclic portion of the alkenyl group may contain double bonds and may be substituted if a substituted alkenyl group is indicated . in certain instances , substituents may be defined with a range of carbons that includes zero , such as ( c 0 - c 6 ) alkylene - nr 5 r 6 . if r 5 and r 6 are taken as h in this case , this definition would include nh 2 , as well as — ch 2 nh 2 , — ch 2 ch 2 nh 2 , ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) nh 2 , — ch 2 ch ( nh 2 ) ch 3 , and so on . it is intended in these cases that the substituent on the bivalent radical can be attached at any point and not limited to the terminal position . as used herein , “ aryl ” is intended to mean substituted and unsubstituted phenyl or naphthyl . if substituted , it may be substituted with one to three substituents selected from halogen , c 1 - c 6 alkyl , oh , oc 1 - c 6 alkyl , o ( c ═ o ) c 1 - c 6 alkyl , o ( c ═ o ) oc 1 - c 6 alkyl , amino , amido , co 2 h , cn , no 2 , n 3 , c 1 - c 6 perflouroalkyl , and oc 1 - c 6 perflouroalkyl . as appreciated by those of skill in the art , “ halo ” or “ halogen ” as used herein is intended to include chloro , fluoro , bromo and iodo . when definitions such as “( c 1 - c 8 alkyl )—( r 7 ) 2 ” are used , it is intended that the variable r 7 be attached at any point along the alkyl moiety . therefore , if r 7 is defined as oh in this case , the definition would include the following : ch 2 oh , ch 2 ch 2 oh , ch ( ch 3 ) ch ( oh ) ch 3 , ch ( ch 3 ) ch ( oh ) ch 2 — ch ( oh ) ch 3 , and so on . the term “ alkylene ” and “ alkenylene ” simply refer to an alkyl or alkenyl group as defined above , respectively , of the specified number of carbons that is divalent . for example , “ c 1 - c 4 alkylene ” includes — ch 2 —, — ch 2 ch 2 —, — ch ( ch 3 ) ch 2 —, and so on . the definitions of r and r 1 include furanose and pyranose sugar derivatives . preferred sugar derivatives are o - protected pyranoses , such as d - glucopyranose ; 6 - deoxy - 6 , 6 - difluoro - d - glucopyranose ; 6 - deoxy - 6 - azido - d - glucopyranose ; 6 - amino - 6 - deoxy - d - glucopyranose ; 6 - azido - d - glucopyranose ; 6 - amino - d - glucopyranose ; 4 - deoxy - 4 , 4 - difluoro - 6 - deoxy - 6 - azido - d - glucopyranose ; 2 - fluoro - d - glucopyranose ; d - galactopyranose ; 4 - deoxy - d - galactopyranose ; 4 - deoxy - d - glucopyranose ; and 4 - methoxy - d - glucopyranose . ( see , for examples , wo 98 / 07433 , hereby incorporated by reference ). preferred furanoses include xylofuranose , arabinofuranose , ribofuranose , allofuranose , and 2 - deoxyribofuranoses . r 9 can generally be any known o - protecting group . examples of such protecting groups include , but are not limited to : benzyl , p - nitrobenzyl , tolyl , and the like . a more preferred protecting group is benzyl ( bn ), i . e ., ch 2 ph . other suitable protecting groups will be known to those of skill in the art , examples of which can be found in protective groups in organic synthesis by peter g . m . wuts and theodora w . greene ; john wiley & amp ; sons , 3 rd ed . ( 1999 ). as used herein , “ biphasic system ” refers to a two - phase solvent system consisting of an aqueous phase and an organic phase . the choice of activating reagent to activate the sugar for coupling can be readily discerned by those skilled in the art . examples of such reagents include acid halides ( such as socl 2 , pocl 3 , sobr 2 , pobr 3 , pbr 3 and oxalyl chloride ), sulfonyl halides , and so on . the preferred reagents are thionyl chloride and oxalyl chloride . the most preferred is thionyl chloride . other useful reagents in the activation include triphenyl phosphine / i 2 , and triphenyl phosphine / azidodicarboxylate . the appropriate solvent to be used in the reaction to activate the sugar can be ascertained by the ordinary chemist . preferred solvents are hydrocarbons ( such as toluene , xylenes , heptane , and hexane ), nitriles ( such as acetonitrile ), ethers ( such as t - butyl methyl ether and tetrahydrofuran ), halogenated hydrocarbons ( such as methylene chloride , carbontetrachloride , chloroform , trifluorotoluene and dichlorobenzene ) ketones ( such as methyl isobutyl ketone and acetone ), and apolar aprotic solvents ( such as n , n - dimethylformamide and 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone ). more preferred solvents are t - butyl methyl ether and tetrahydrofuran . the most preferred solvent is t - butyl methyl ether . the activation reaction can be performed at temperatures ranging from about − 50 ° c . to about 200 ° c . the preferred temperatures are about − 10 ° c . to about 30 ° c . similarly , the appropriate solvent to use in the biphasic coupling reaction will be readily discernible to the skilled artisan . appropriate solvents include hydrocarbons ( such as toluene , xylenes , heptane , and hexane ), nitriles ( such as acetonitrile ), ethers ( such as t - butyl methyl ether and tetrahydrofuran ), halogenated hydrocarbons ( such as methylene chloride , carbontetrachloride , chloroform , trifluorotoluene and dichlorobenzene ) ketones ( such as methyl isobutyl ketone and acetone ), and apolar aprotic solvents ( such as n , n - dimethylformamide and 1 - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidinone ). the preferred solvents are t - butyl methyl ether , dichloromethane , and trifluorotoluene . the coupling reaction can be performed at temperatures ranging from about − 50 ° c . to about 200 ° c . the preferred temperatures are about 0 ° c . to about 40 ° c . the preferred bases for the coupling reaction are alkali hydroxides , such as lithium , sodium , potassium , and cesium hydroxide . potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide are more preferred . the base concentration in water can vary from about 5 % w / w to about 95 % w / w . the more preferred concentrations are about 45 % to about 50 % w / w . the preferred phase transfer reagents in the coupling reaction are of the general formula ( r a ) 4 m + a − , wherein r a is independently h or c 1 - c 18 aliphatic hydrocarbon ; m is n or p ; and a is oh , f , br , cl , i , hso 4 , cn , meso 3 , or phch 2 co 2 . a preferred phase transfer catalyst is tricaprylmethyl ammonium chloride . other suitable phase transfer catalysts include , but are not limited to , tris -[ 2 -( 2 - methoxyethoxy ) ethyl ] amine ( tda - 1 ); bnet 3 n + cl —; and ( bu ) 3 nh + hso 4 —. scheme a illustrates one possible generalized approach to the preparation of the glycosidation substrate a - 6 . other approaches are known in the art , some of which are taught by kojiri et al . in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 922 , 860 ( issued jul . 13 , 2000 ) and hereby incorporated by reference . scheme b shows the phase transfer catalyzed glycosidation of a - 6 to produce intermediates of type b - 3 . schemes c and d show possible further modifications to afford compounds known to be useful as topoisomerase inhibitors . examples provided are intended to assist in a further understanding of the invention . particular materials employed , species and conditions are intended to be further illustrative of the invention and not limiting of the reasonable scope thereof . intermediate 5 , used in the glycosidation reaction of this invention , can be obtained by the method disclosed by kojiri et al . in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 922 , 860 ( issued jul . 13 , 2000 ) and hereby incorporated by reference . the procedure is outlined below in examples 1 through 5 . 284 g of 6 - benzyloxyindole was dissolved in 3 liters of thf , and 2 . 7 liters of lithium hexamethyldisilazide ( as a 1m solution in thf ) was added thereto . after this mixture was stirred under an atmosphere of nitrogen at − 10 ° c . for 45 minutes , 3 liters of a thf solution containing 340 g of 2 , 3 - dibromo - n - methylmaleimide was added dropwise thereto over a period of 1 hour . after completion of the addition , the resulting mixture was stirred at 0 ° c . for 15 minutes . the reaction mixture was poured into 10 liters of 2n hydrochloric acid and extracted with 30 liters of ethyl acetate . the organic layer was washed with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate and then a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried and concentrated . the resulting residue was recrystallized from methanol to obtain desired compound 1 . hrms ( m / z ): found 410 . 0292 , calcd 410 . 0266 [ as c 20 h 15 n 2 o 3 br ] ir ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 3330 , 3318 , 1762 , 1701 , 1606 , 1511 , 1450 , 1165 , 1135 , 1041 , 794 . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 , δ ppm ): 8 . 60 ( 1h , brs ), 7 . 96 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 1 hz ), 7 . 94 ( 1h , d , j = 2 . 5 hz ), 7 . 33 - 7 . 47 ( 5h , m ), 7 . 00 ( 1h , dd , j = 2 . 5 , 8 . 8 hz ), 6 . 97 ( 1h , d , j = 2 . 5 hz ), 5 . 13 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 16 ( 3h , s ). 1 . 00 g of compound 1 obtained in example 1 , 637 mg of di - tert - butyl dicarbonate and 3 mg of 4 - n , n - dimethylaminopyridine were dissolved in 200 ml of thf , and this solution was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . after the reaction mixture was concentrated , the resulting residue was recrystallized from ethyl acetate - hexane to obtain the desired compound ( 2 ). ir ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 1740 , 1714 , 1614 , 1527 , 1487 , 1443 , 1373 , 1227 , 1153 . hrms ( m / z ): found 510 . 0771 , calcd 510 . 0791 [ as c 25 h 23 n 2 o 5 br ] 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 , δ . ppm ): 8 . 10 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 91 ( 1h , d , j = 2 . 3 hz ), 7 . 73 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 7 . 34 - 7 . 50 ( 5h , m ), 7 . 03 ( 1h , dd , j = 2 . 3 , 8 . 5 hz ), 5 . 16 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 18 ( 3h , s ), 1 . 68 ( 9h , s ). 218 . 4 mg of 6 - benzyloxyindole was dissolved in 20 ml of thf , and 2 . 35 ml of lithium hexamethyldisilazide ( as a 1m solution in thf ) was added thereto . after this mixture was stirred under an atmosphere of nitrogen at 0 ° c . for 15 minutes , 10 ml of a thf solution containing 500 mg of the compound ( 2 ) obtained in example 2 was added dropwise thereto over a period of 10 minutes . after completion of the addition , the resulting mixture was stirred at room temperature for 0 . 5 hour . the reaction mixture was poured into 100 ml of 2n hydrochloric acid and extracted with 400 ml of ethyl acetate . the organic layer was washed with water , a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate and then a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried and concentrated . the resulting residue was recrystallized from toluene - hexane to obtain the desired compound ( 3 ). hrms ( m / z ): found 653 . 2556 , calcd 653 . 2526 [ as c 40 h 35 n 3 o 6 ] ir ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 1740 , 1701 , 1646 , 1623 , 1543 , 1445 , 1155 . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , cdcl 3 , δ ppm ): 8 . 41 ( 1h , brs ), 7 . 97 ( 1h , s ), 7 . 84 ( 1h , brs ), 7 . 68 ( 1h , brs ), 7 . 16 - 7 . 43 ( 10h , m ), 6 . 98 ( 1h , d , j = 9 . 2 hz ), 6 . 85 ( 1h , brs ), 6 . 74 ( 1h , d , j = 9 . 2 hz ), 6 . 58 ( 1h , d , j = 9 . 2 hz ), 6 . 52 ( 1h , d , j = 9 . 2 hz ), 5 . 05 ( 2h , s ), 5 . 02 ( 2h , s ), 3 . 19 ( 3h , s ), 1 . 67 ( 9h , s ). 100 mg of the compound ( 3 ) obtained in example 3 was dissolved in 10 ml of methylamine ( as a 40 % solution in methanol ), and this solution was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes . after the reaction mixture was concentrated , the resulting residue was recrystallized from dichloromethane - acetone - hexane to obtain 68 . 6 m of the desired compound ( 4 ). hrms ( m / z ): found 553 . 1982 , calcd 553 . 2002 [ as c 35 h 27 n 3 o 4 ] ir ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 3419 , 3350 , 1759 , 1697 , 1620 , 1533 , 1454 , 1383 , 1292 , 1167 . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , δ ppm ): 11 . 48 ( 2h , s ), 7 . 62 ( 2h , s ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 45 ( 10h , m ), 6 . 95 ( 2h , d , j = 1 . 2 hz ), 6 . 70 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 7 hz ), 6 . 39 ( 2h , dd , j = 1 . 2 , 8 . 7 hz ), 5 . 04 ( 4h , s ), 3 . 03 ( 3h , s ). 1 . 01 g of the compound ( 4 ) obtained in example 4 and 456 . 1 mg of 2 , 3 - dichloro - 5 , 6 - dicyano - 1 , 4 - benzoquinone were dissolved in 50 ml of toluene , and this solution was stirred at 110 ° c . for 40 minutes . after the reaction mixture was returned to room temperature , the insoluble matter was filtered off and washed with 30 ml of methanol . the residue was recrystallized from dimethyl sulfoxidedichloromethane - methanol to obtain the desired compound ( 5 ). hrms ( m / z ): found 551 . 1829 , calcd 551 . 1845 [ as c 35 h 25 n 3 o 4 ] ir ( kbr , cm . − 1 ): 3257 , 1740 , 1675 , 1620 , 1571 , 1402 , 1246 , 1178 . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , δ ppm ): 11 . 46 ( 2h , s ), 8 . 79 ( 2h , d , j = 8 . 5 hz ), 7 . 53 ( 4h , d , 8 . 5 hz ), 7 . 35 - 7 . 44 ( 8h , m ), 7 . 02 ( 2h , 0 . 8 hz ), 5 . 25 ( 4h , s ), 3 . 13 ( 3h , s ). 100 g ( 185 mmols ) of 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 - o - tetrabenzyl - d - glucopyranose ( 6 - 1 ) was combined with 360 ml of dmf at 23 ° c . and then cooled to 9 ° c . thionyl chloride ( 16 . 2 ml ; 222 mols ) was added slowly over 15 minutes , during which time the temperature rose to 20 ° c . the solution was warmed to about 30 ° c . and aged for 1 hour . the solution was then cooled to − 10 ° c . and 10 % koh w / w ( about 150 ml ) was added , during which time the temperature did not exceed 0 ° c . the solution was warmed to 22 ° c . the aqueous layer was extracted with t - butyl methyl ether ( mtbe ) ( 1 × 300 ml ). the combined organic layers were then washed with brine ( 1 × 150 ml ) and water ( 1 × 200 ml ). the solution was concentrated under reduced pressure to the 350 ml level and used in the next step without further purification . 72 g ( 131 mmol ) of compound 5 from example 5 above were dissolved in 600 ml of mtbe and stirred for 10 minutes at 23 ° c . the solution of 6 - 2 made in step 1 above was then added and , after 10 minutes , 45 % w / w aqueous koh ( 300 ml ) was added . after an additional 10 minutes , 40 % w / w aliquat ® 336 ( 72 g in 110 g mtbe ) was added slowly over 22 minutes . aliquat ® 336 is a brand name of tricaprylmethylammonium chloride sold by aldrich chemical co ., inc ., in milwaukee , wis . the solution was aged at 23 ° c . for 6 hours and 350 ml of water were then added and allowed to mix for 5 minutes . the layers were separated and the aquoeus layer was washed with mtbe ( 1 × 300 ml ). the combined organic layers were then washed with 10 % w / w citric acid ( 1 × 300 ml ) and water ( 1 × 300 ml ). the organic layer was stirred at 22 ° c . overnight during which time the product ( 6 - 3 ) began to crystallize . the solution was then concentrated at atmospheric pressure ( bp 55 ° c .) to the 625 ml level . at this point , the solution was cooled to 23 ° c . and methanol ( 225 ml ) was added slowly over 1 hour . the slurry was then cooled to − 5 ° c . and aged for 45 minutes . the solids were isolated and washed with chilled 1 : 1 methanol / mtbe ( 2 × 400 ml ). drying in vacuo at 25 °- 40 ° c . provided the product 6 - 3 with over 99 % purity by liquid chromatography . the following examples , taken from kojiri et al . in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 922 , 860 and previously incorporated by reference , illustrate the use of the glycosidation products in the synthesis of a known topoisomerase inhibitor ( 9 ). 100 mg of compound 6 - 3 was dissolved in 6 ml of chloroform - methanol ( 2 : 1 ), and a catalytic amount of palladium black was added thereto . this mixture was stirred under an atmosphere of hydrogen for 2 hours . after the catalyst was filtered off , the filtrate was concentrated . the resulting residue was crystallized from methanol - acetone - ethyl acetate - hexane , developed with sephadex lh - 20 , eluted with chloroform - methanol - ethanol - tetrahydrofuran ( 5 : 2 : 2 : 1 ), and recrystallized from acetone - methanol - hexane to obtain the desired compound ( 7 ). hrms ( m / z ): found 533 . 1429 , calcd 533 . 1434 [ as c 27 h 23 n 3 o 9 ] ir ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 3328 , 1733 , 1683 , 1678 , 1540 , 1417 , 1126 , 1081 , 611 . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d6δ ppm ): 11 . 20 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 76 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 74 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 88 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 8 . 80 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 18 ( 1h , d , j = 2 . 1 hz ), 6 . 99 ( 1h , d , j = 2 . 1 hz ), 6 . 82 ( 1h , dd , j = 2 . 1 , 8 . 6 hz ), 6 . 80 ( 1h , dd , j = 2 . 1 , 8 . 6 hz ), 5 . 97 ( 1h , j = 8 . 9 hz ), 5 . 86 ( 1h , t , j = 4 . 0 hz ), 5 . 33 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 9 hz ), 5 . 12 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 3 hz ), 4 . 94 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 2 hz ), 4 . 02 ( 1h , dd , j = 3 . 0 , 10 . 7 hz ), 3 . 94 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 78 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 52 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 16 ( 3h , s ). 1 . 2 g the compound ( 7 ) was dissolved in 40 ml of a 10 % aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide , and this solution was stirred at room temperature for 1 hour . the reaction mixture was neutralized by the addition of 40 ml of 2n hydrochloric acid , and then extracted with 1 liter of methyl ethyl ketone . the organic layer was washed with a saturated aqueous solution of sodium chloride , dried and concentrated . the resulting residue was recrystallized from acetone - heptane to obtain the desired compound ( 8 ). hrms ( m / z ): found 520 . 1147 , calcd 520 . 1118 [ as c 26 h 20 n 2 o 10 ] ir ( kbr , cm − 1 ): 3311 , 1810 , 1739 , 1652 , 1626 , 1558 , 1405 , 1091 , 611 . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , δ ppm ): 11 . 4 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 95 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 92 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 69 ( 1h , d , j = 7 . 7 hz ), 8 . 63 ( 1h , d , j = 7 . 7 hz ), 7 . 25 ( 1h , d , j = 1 . 5 hz ), 7 . 03 ( 1h , d , j = 1 . 5 hz ), 6 . 90 ( 1h , dd , j = 1 . 5 , 7 . 7 hz ), 6 . 87 ( 1h , d , j = 1 . 5 , 7 . 7 hz ), 6 . 06 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 0 hz ), 5 . 95 ( 1h , t , j = 4 . 6 hz ), 5 . 38 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 1 hz ), 5 . 16 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 2 hz ), 4 . 99 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 2 hz ), 3 . 30 - 4 . 10 ( 6h , m ). 500 mg of compound 8 was dissolved in 50 ml of dmf , and 152 mg of 2 - hydrazino - 1 , 3 - propanediol was added thereto . this mixture was stirred at 80 ° c . for 1 hour . after the reaction mixture was concentrated , the resulting residue was purified with sephadex lh - 20 ( chloroform - methanol - ethanol - water = 5 : 2 : 2 : 1 ) to obtain compound 9 . hrms ( m / z ): found 609 . 1816 , calcd 609 . 1833 [ as c 29 h 28 n 4 o 11 ] ir ( kbr , cm . sup . − 1 ): 3415 , 3353 , 1749 , 1652 , 1575 , 1540 , 1375 , 1197 , 609 . 1 h - nmr ( 300 mhz , dmso - d 6 , δ ppm ): 11 . 20 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 78 ( 1h , s ), 9 . 75 ( 1h , s ), 8 . 87 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 8 . 79 ( 1h , d , j = 8 . 6 hz ), 7 . 18 ( 1h , d , j = 2 . 0 hz ), 6 . 98 ( 1h , d , j = 2 . 0 hz ), 6 . 82 ( 1h , dd , j = 2 . 0 , 8 . 6 hz ), 6 . 80 ( 1h , dd , j = 2 . 0 , 8 . 6 hz ), 5 . 97 ( 1h , j = 8 . 3 hz ), 5 . 86 ( 1h , d , j = 3 . 8 hz ), 5 . 55 ( 1h , d , j = 2 . 6 hz ), 5 . 32 ( 1h , d , j = 4 . 6 hz ), 5 . 11 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 3 hz ), 4 . 91 ( 1h , d , j = 5 . 1 hz ), 4 . 53 ( 2h , t , j = 5 . 4 hz ), 4 . 02 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 85 - 3 . 95 ( 2h , m ), 3 . 78 ( 1h , m ), 3 . 40 - 3 . 60 ( 6h , m ), 3 . 20 - 3 . 30 ( 1h , m ). | 2 |
in conjunction with the figures , details of the representative embodiments will next be presented . referring first to fig1 and 2 , there is shown in block diagram form the equipment that may be employed in determining the lung volume of a patient . the lung volume measurement device of the present invention includes a flow meter 10 , first and second body encircling impedance belts 12 and 14 respectively , a microprocessor - based controller 16 , display 18 , control panel 20 , and shutter 22 coupled to the flow meter 10 . the flow meter 10 includes a mouthpiece 30 having needle probes 32 and 34 entering sampling ports 36 and 38 . the needle probes 32 and 34 are coupled by appropriate tubular lines 40 to pressure transducers 42 and 44 in a low pressure channel and a high pressure channel respectively . the two transducers 42 and 44 are used to cover a pressure range of from 0 . 0001 to 40 inches water column . the low pressure transducer 42 has a full scale reading of about 0 . 5 inches water column while the high pressure transducer 44 may have a full scale of about 40 inches water column . the output of each of these transducers , after appropriate gain adjustment and offset compensation by circuits 46 and 48 comprises an analog signal with full scale output of each transducer corresponding to a positive or negative 10 volts , depending upon which side of the pressure transducer is at a higher pressure than the opposite side . when there is a zero pressure differential , the output of each of the transducers should be at zero volts . should small deviations from zero occur , they can be compensated for by means of an auto zero circuit 50 for the low pressure side and a corresponding circuit 52 for the high pressure side . the auto zero circuits are configured so that the signal input thereto is amplified and converted to a digital value proportional to pressure which is then stored in a buffer circuit . the contents of the buffer are then converted back into an analog signal form . the analog signal is inverted and attenuated to an appropriate level so that when it is summed with the original signal in a summing amplifier , as at 54 and 56 , the result will be zero volts . the contents of the buffer in the auto zero circuits 50 and 52 are updated , on command , during a time interval when it is known that there is a zero pressure difference across the two needle probes 32 and 34 . this condition is established by means of a shunt valve 58 which is opened by the same &# 34 ; zero &# 34 ; command . the output of one or the other of the transducers 42 and 44 is passed along to the next stage through a switch 60 referred to as the &# 34 ; crossover select switch &# 34 ;. switch 60 is controlled by a signal produced by a comparator 62 which is configured to monitor the output of the low pressure transducer 42 . when the output of that transducer is nearly full scale in either direction , the signal from the comparator 62 changes state , so that the output of the high pressure transducer 44 will be passed through the cross - over select switch 60 instead of the low pressure signal . it should also be noted that the output of the comparator 62 is used to select a gain value at a later amplifier stage . the amplified , zero - corrected output of the low pressure transducer at the output of summing amplifier 54 is also connected to a zero - crossing detector 64 whose output is used to re - introduce the appropriate algebraic sign in the signal at a later stage . the signal selected by the cross - over switch 60 is applied to an analog circuit ( absolute value ) 66 that has a voltage output equal to the absolute value of the input voltage . this signal is passed to a square root circuit 68 whose voltage output is equal to the square root of the voltage applied to its input . the output of the square root circuit is amplified by a variable gain stage 70 whose value of the gain is controlled by the same signal that is used to control the state of the cross - over select switch 60 . the gains are adjusted so that when the pressure is just sufficient to change the signal being acted upon by the absolute value and square root circuits 66 and 68 , the output of this gain stage 70 will be piecewise continuous . the signal is then acted upon by follower inverter stage 72 . the output of this stage is either equal to the input to the stage , or equal to the negative of the input to this stage , depending on the output of the zero - crossing detector 64 . from the output of the follower inverter stage 72 , the signal is buffered by a unity gain amplifier 74 before it is provided as the value of the flow measured in units of milliliters per second or liters per second , depending upon whether the low pressure transducer 42 or high pressure transducer &# 39 ; s 44 output is being processed . the flow information output is applied to an a / d converter 80 and then fed to the microprocessor - based controller 16 ( see connector a and fig2 or 3 ). a temperature transducer 82 and shutter 22 are sealably engaged to the mouthpiece 30 of the flow meter 10 . output from the temperature transducer 82 and shutter 22 are likewise fed through a / d converter 80 and then to the controller 16 for processing ( see connector b and fig2 or 3 ). the microprocessor - based controller 16 controls the actuation of the shutter through line 82 . the controller 16 includes a power supply 30 , microprocessor chip , rom memory for storing a program of instructions to be executed by the microprocessor , and a ram memory for storing operands and identifier values corresponding to the output signals of the impedance belts 12 and 14 , the flow output , temperature transducer 76 and shutter 22 . those skilled in programming a typical microprocessor are in a position to write the detailed code to determine the lung volume of a patient from what is presented in the flow diagram of fig3 the explanation that follows , and utilizing the output signals transmitted from the impedance belts 12 and 14 , the flow output , temperature transducer 76 and shutter 22 . a value associated with a measured barometric pressure may be input into the microprocessor based controller 16 through control panel 20 or a barometric pressure transducer may be electrically coupled to the controller 16 . the first and second impedance belts 12 and 14 are battery powered and are intended to separately monitor the chest and abdominal motions associated with the respiration of a patient . associating the chest movement and lung volume change to respiration is accomplished by monitoring minute changes in the electrical impedance of a one turn coil of wire contained in each belt 12 , 14 and surrounding the rib cage and abdominal areas of the patient . of course , the length of the coil of wire may be altered according to the size of the patient . each belt 12 , 14 includes an impedance matching transformer and provides a separate signal output associated with the impedance of the coil which is electrically transmitted to an lc oscillator circuit coupled to the micro - controller 16 . the output signals for each belt 12 and 14 are band pass filtered and also have a re - zeroing function . the band pass filter is electrically coupled to the electronic circuit of the controller 16 and is intended to filter out signals associated with large amplitude , short time constant transients such as motion artifacts corresponding to patient movement . the output signal of each belt 12 and 14 ranges between about a high of + 1 . 2 volts to a low of - 20 millivolts . those skilled in the art will recognize that increasing the sensitivity of the amplifiers employed will decrease the amount of respiratory motion needed to generate a signal sufficient to determine the volume change in lung volume . the filtered output signals are integrated and differentiated by known means for phase alignment and derivation of a value associated with the change in volume of the lungs . at the same time the change in volume is determined from the impedance belts 12 and 14 , the change in pressure within the lungs is also determined . the flow meter 10 is used to determine the pressure change during each respiratory cycle . the mouthpiece 30 of the flow meter 10 is provided with a shutter or valve 22 of known construction and may be electro mechanically opened and closed by the micro controller 16 . alternatively , a manual control 84 may be used to actuate the shutter 22 . prior to determining the change in pressure within the lungs , the flow meter 10 is used to determine a change of pressure within the mouthpiece 30 when the shutter is first open and then closed during the respiratory cycle . the patient is allowed to breath normally through the mouthpiece with the shutter open . the flow measured at the mouth is integrated to provide an amount associated with volume change and this amount is compared to the thoracic cage volume changes to derive a calibration factor to be applied to the determination of the change in the thoracic cage volume . the determination of the calibration factor may likewise be derived immediately following the determination of the change in pressure within the mouthpiece . the calibration and determination of a correction factor of the present invention occurs at a time sufficiently close in time to the determination of the thoracic gas volume to thereby eliminate the need to maintain a separate calibration relationship as the patient &# 39 ; s position changes and at a time sufficient to minimize drift and sensor changes . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the self calibration of the combined flow meter and impedance monitor eliminates the need for a separate calibration of the measured impedance changes from changes in the thoracic cage . once the calibration factor is determined , the shutter 22 is then closed for a predetermined time . when the shutter is closed , the pressure within the mouthpiece corresponds to the pressure within the lungs and may be measured by one of the pressure transducers 42 or 44 . during each respiratory cycle , the change in pressure may likewise be measured and recorded . an output corresponding to the pressure within the mouthpiece 30 is transmitted from the pressure transducer 42 or 44 to the controller 16 . from the pressure transducer output , the change in pressure may be determined and stored by the controller 16 . knowing the change in pressure , change in lung volume and barometric pressure during a respiratory cycle , the patient &# 39 ; s lung volume may be determined . assuming the temperature is held constant during the respiratory cycle , it is known that pv = p &# 39 ; v &# 39 ;, where p is the barometric pressure , v is the thoracic gas volume to be measured , p &# 39 ; is the pressure changes in alveolar pressure and v &# 39 ; is associated with changes in the thoracic gas volume . p &# 39 ; can also be represented as p &# 39 ;=( p - δp ) and v &# 39 ; may be represented as v &# 39 ;=( v + δv ) where δp is the change in pressure ( measured in the mouthpiece 30 ) and δv is the change in volume ( measured by the first and second impedance belts 12 and 14 ). substituting in for p &# 39 ; and v &# 39 ;, pv may be represented as pv =( p - δp )( v + δv ). cross multiplying , pv = pv + pδv - δpv - δpδv . in this equation the amounts associated with δpδv are insubstantial and there δpδv is canceled from the equation leaving pv = pv + pδv - δpv subtracting pv from both sides results in 0 = pδv - δpv . adding δpv to both sides , the equation then becomes δpv = pδv . solving for v , the equation then is v = p ( δv / δp ). hence , knowing the barometric pressure , the δp from the flow meter 10 in the mouthpiece 30 and the δv from the first and second impedance belts 12 and 14 , the microprocessor 16 may calculate the patient &# 39 ; s lung volume incorporating the predetermined calibration factor into the determination of the patient &# 39 ; s lung volume v . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the calibration factor may be a linear , polynomial or other mathematical correction that correlates a measured change in thoracic cage volume to a measured change in volume in the mouthpiece . in an alternate embodiment shown in fig2 the microprocessor - based controller 16 is shown electrically coupled to electrodes 24 - 28 . an output signal from each electrode 24 - 28 is transmitted to the microprocessor - based controller 16 , wherein the output signal is converted to a value associated with the change in volume of the lungs . in use , the user first attaches the belts 12 and 14 , electrodes 24 - 28 , or other detectors of known construction to the patient &# 39 ; s torso ( see block 90 ). the detection means is then coupled to the microprocessor - based controller 16 . the patient then breaths through the mouthpiece 30 . during a predetermined respiratory cycle of the patient , the shutter 22 is closed . while the shutter is closed , the output signals from the 15 belts 12 and 14 and the flow meter 10 are transmitted to the controller 16 for processing and storage . from the belts 12 and 14 output signals , the controller 16 determines the change of lung volume during a respiratory cycle ( see block 92 ). the change in pressure in the mouthpiece during the respiratory cycle is also determined by the controller 16 from the output signals of one of the pressure transducers 42 or 44 ( see block 96 ). the controller 16 also stores the barometric pressure ( see block 94 ). without any limitation intended , the barometric pressure is measured near the patient , within a proximity sufficient to minimizes changes in barometric pressure . from the measured change in volume , change in pressure and barometric pressure , the controller 16 is programmed to determine the thoracic gas volume for the respiratory cycle being observed ( see block 98 ) by substituting the determined values into the above derived algebraic equation v = δv ( p / δp ) and applying the derived correction factor . the controller may then be programmed to automatically adjust auxiliary equipment based on the determined lung volume ( see block 100 ). this invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required . however , it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different devices , and that various modifications , both as to the equipment details and operating procedures , can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself . | 0 |
fig1 shows an enteral feeding set 2 having two tubes 4 , 6 for connection to respective fluid sources 8 , 9 by means of respective connectors 10 . referring now to fig2 - 3 , the connector 10 is shown in more detail . the connector includes a body , generally indicated at 12 , having an interior surface 14 ( fig3 ) that defines a cavity 16 for receiving an outlet of the container , as explained in more detail below ( fig4 - 6 ). the body 12 has a cylindrical lower portion 18 and a smaller cylindrical upper portion 20 projecting upward from a top surface 22 of the lower portion . referring to fig4 - 6 , the cavity 16 is configured for receiving different types of containers . as shown in fig4 , the cavity 16 at the upper portion 20 is sized and shaped for snap - fit reception of a relatively small outlet 24 of a container 26 . the interior surface 14 at the upper portion 20 is elastically deformable to allow a rigid snap - fit member 27 ( e . g ., a projecting rim extending around the outlet 24 ) to snap - fit into the upper portion . as shown in fig5 , the cavity 16 at the lower portion 18 is sized and shaped to threadably receive a relatively larger outlet 28 of a container 30 . the interior surface 14 at the lower portion 18 of the connector 10 includes internally projecting threads 32 for attaching to external threads 33 extending around the outlet 28 of the container 30 . the depth d ( fig3 ) of the cavity 16 at the lower portion 18 is between about 1 . 40 cm and 1 . 80 cm . this depth d allows the connector 10 to attach to containers 30 having necks of different sizes and accommodates a more secure connection with the different containers . further , the internal threads 32 of the lower portion 18 have a thickness t 1 of between about 0 . 12 cm and about 0 . 11 cm . ridges 34 ( fig2 ) disposed around an exterior surface of the body 12 at the lower portion 18 provide a user with adequate grip when threading the connector 10 on the container 30 . the connector 10 may be configured to attach to an outlet of a container in other ways without departing from the scope of this invention . moreover , the connector 10 may be configured to attach only to one type of container , such as a threaded container or a snap - fit container , or the connector may be configured to attach to more than two types of containers . referring to fig3 - 5 , a liquid passage 38 extends through the upper portion 20 of the body 12 and is in fluid communication with the cavity 16 . an opening 40 of the liquid passage 38 is substantially flush with an upper surface section 42 of the interior surface 14 of the body 12 ( i . e ., the liquid passage does not extend into the cavity 16 ), although it is contemplated that the liquid passage may extend into the cavity . in the illustrated embodiment , the upper surface section 42 is substantially flat . the liquid passage 38 also extends through a conduit 44 projecting outward from the exterior surface of the body 12 at the upper portion 20 . the conduit 44 has externally projecting threads 46 for attaching to an internally threaded adapter 52 of an enteral feeding tube 54 ( fig4 - 6 ). the external threads 46 of the conduit 44 have a thickness t 2 of between about 0 . 11 cm and about 0 . 06 cm . other ways of connecting the enteral feeding tube 54 to the connector 10 , including the use of an interference fitting , is within the scope of this invention . as shown in fig4 - 6 , when assembled , the connector 10 is secured to the outlet 24 , 28 of the respective container 26 , 30 by either threading ( as shown in fig5 and 6 ) or fitting the connector on the container ( fig4 ). the threaded adapter 52 is threaded on the conduit 44 of the connector 10 . thus , when assembled , the connector 10 fluidly connects the enteral feeding tube 54 to the attached container 26 , 30 . referring to fig3 - 8 , a generally elongate spike , generally indicated at 58 , formed integrally with the body 12 projects from the upper surface section 42 of the body into the cavity 16 . the spike 58 is spaced a distance s 1 ( fig3 ) from a central axis a b of the body 12 and a distance s 2 ( fig3 ) from a longitudinal axis a o of the opening 40 of the liquid passage 38 . the spike 58 is configured to puncture a puncturable seal 60 ( e . g ., foil seal ) ( fig4 - 6 ) covering the outlet 24 , 28 of the container 26 , 30 to allow the liquid nutrients to exit the container . as shown best in fig7 , the spike 58 has a pair of opposite narrow sides 63 a , 63 b and a pair of opposite broad sides 63 c , 63 d extending between its length l s ( fig8 ). referring to fig7 and 8 , a bottom surface 62 of the spike 58 ( i . e ., at the free end of the spike ) is generally flat . as shown in fig8 , the bottom surface 62 is bevelled from the narrow side 63 a ( broadly , a first narrow side ) to the opposite narrow side 63 b ( broadly , a second narrow side ), such that the bottom surface lies in a plane intersecting the central axis a b of the body 12 at an angle θ 1 . this bevelled configuration of the bottom surface 62 forms a sharp tip 64 for puncturing the seal 60 of the threaded container 30 . as shown in fig8 , the bottom surface 62 is also bevelled from the broad side 63 c ( broadly , a first broad side ) to the opposite broad side 63 d ( broadly , a second broad side ), such that the bottom surface lies in a plane intersecting the central axis of the body a b at an angle θ 2 . referring to fig8 , the narrow side 63 b is bevelled from the broad side 63 d to the opposite broad side 63 c , defining a knife edge 66 along the length l s of the spike to the tip 64 . after the seal 60 is punctured by the tip 64 , the knife edge 66 cuts the seal 60 as the connector 10 is rotated ( e . g ., threaded ) on the outlet 24 , 28 of the container 26 , 30 . the spike 58 makes a relatively large ( i . e ., larger than the width of the spike 58 ), generally circular opening 70 through the seal , as illustrated in fig4 and 5 . referring to fig7 - 9 , the broad side 63 d of the spike 58 is generally arcuate and joins the bevelled narrow side 63 b at folding edge 68 . the narrow side 63 b tapers toward the bottom surface 62 such that the folding edge 68 falls off or angles toward the tip 64 . as the connector 10 is rotated on the container 26 , 30 , the knife edge 66 cuts the seal 60 and forms a foil edge margin 69 ( fig3 and 4 ) defining the opening 70 . referring to fig4 and 5 , as the connector 10 continues to rotate , the folding edge 68 of the spike 58 folds the foil edge margin 68 of the seal 60 away from the opening 70 in the seal 60 and away from the opening 40 of the liquid passage 38 so that the foil edge margin will not obstruct the openings . referring to fig3 - 5 , an air passage 72 extends from the cavity 16 through the spike 58 and the upper portion 20 of the body 12 . a vacuum within the container 26 , 30 , created when the liquid exits the container , draws air into the container through the air passage 72 , thereby allowing the liquid to flow continuously and freely out of the container through the liquid passage 38 of the connector 10 . the air passage 72 opens at the bottom surface 62 of the spike 58 to communicate with the cavity 16 , although the passage may open at other locations along the length l s of the spike . referring to fig3 - 5 and 9 , the air passage 72 is fluidly connected to a filter mount , generally indicated at 74 , projecting outward from the exterior surface of the body 12 at the upper portion 20 . the filter mount 74 includes a large cylindrical opening 76 ( fig3 ) having a longitudinal axis a co extending generally transverse to the central axis a b of the body 12 . a tubular duct 78 disposed within the large opening 76 extends generally coaxially therein . as shown in fig3 , the duct 78 has a first open end 80 in fluid communication with the air passage 72 and a second open end 82 terminating within the large opening 76 . the large opening 76 and an exterior surface of the duct 78 define an annular socket 84 ( fig3 ) making an interference fit with a tubular end 86 of a filter 88 ( fig1 ) such that the filter is in fluid communication with the duct and the air passage 72 when fitted in the socket . as shown in fig2 , 4 and 5 , when the air filter 88 is received in the filter mount 74 , a filter medium 90 of the filter extends outside the mount . the entire connector 10 , excluding the air filter 88 , may be formed as a homogeneous and integral unit , such as by molding ( e . g ., injection molding ) or by forming , including boring , from stock material . alternatively , the connector 10 may be constructed of one or more separate components fastened together in a suitable manner . suitable materials for making the connector 10 include polypropylene ( e . g ., polypropylene 535 ), polyethylene and other suitable polymers . other material may be used , and different material may be used for the separate components of the connector 10 . referring again to fig1 , the connectors 10 are connected to first ends of respective tubes 4 and 6 . these tubes are connected at their opposite ends to a valve unit 100 which also connects to a single tube 102 at a first end thereof . the tube 102 is attached to an automated peristaltic pump ( not shown ) which as well as controlling the pumping of fluid through the feeding set 2 operates the valve unit 100 . a magnetic feed set identifier 104 is attached to a second end of the tube 102 and a further tube 106 leads therefrom for connection to a patient - indwelling gastrostomy device ( not shown ). details of a suitable automated pump arrangement are described in wo 2005 / 115501 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference . fluid sources are attachable to the connectors 10 . in the preferred embodiment , fluid sources 8 and 9 may be connected , in which fluid source 8 contains a feeding solution and fluid source 9 contains a flushing solution . in view of the automated operation of the pump , it is important that an operator correctly connects the fluid sources to the feed set in order that the automatic pump controls the valve appropriately . in order to ensure correct matching of a particular connector 10 to a particular fluid source , in the preferred embodiment , the connectors are colour coded such that a colour of the plastic molding of the body 12 of the connector corresponds to a colour of the fluid source container , whereby the container may , for example , be appropriately coloured by colouring a screw fitting molding to which the connector 10 is attached or by a coloured foil around the fluid container . rather than colouring the connector 10 , a coloured flag could be attached to the appropriate tube 4 and 6 for matching with an appropriate coloured container . another solution for providing an improved enteral feeding set is an arrangement as shown in fig1 . in the arrangement of fig1 , rather than the connectors 10 of the fig1 arrangement , the enteral feeding set 202 shown in fig1 includes two sliding seal connectors 210 . the sliding seal connectors 210 are fabricated in accordance with the arrangement shown in wo 2004 / 017852 . an expanded view of one of the connectors 210 is shown in fig1 . as in the case of the feeding set 2 , the feeding set 202 provides means for correctly matching up a respective connector 210 to a respective fluid source . the preferred means in the case of the arrangement shown in fig1 is to colour code one of the components forming the connector , for example a body portion 220 . of course , a coloured flag arrangement could also be used , as with the arrangement of fig1 . a still further solution for providing an improved enteral feeding set is an arrangement as shown in fig1 . in this arrangement , the enteral feeding set 302 incorporates a single connector 10 in accordance with the connector shown in fig2 - 10 attached to one tube 306 . second tube 308 terminates in a permanent connection to a refillable fluid bag 310 . by providing two different fluid sources , one a rigid container containing a feeding solution and a refillable bag for receiving a flushing solution , the arrangement of fig1 provides an enhanced degree of security that the correct fluid solution will be provided to the correct connection tube . when introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiments ( s ) thereof , the articles “ a ”, “ an ”, “ the ” and “ said ” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements . the terms “ comprising ”, “ including ” and “ having ” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements . in view of the above , it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained . as various changes could be made in the above constructions , products , and methods without departing from the scope of the invention , it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . | 0 |
fig1 is a schematic illustration of the components of a typical digital automatic test equipment ( ate ) system 100 for implementing the present invention to perform tests on an integrated circuit 102 . the ate comprises a plurality of test channels 0 . . . n , illustrated generally by channel 104 , . . . , 104 n . all tester channels 104 , . . . 104 n are synchronized by the master ate clock 106 which provides inputs to the timing generators 108 , . . . , 108 n and the pattern memories 110 , . . . , 110 n . the period of this clock determines the tester period , which is user programmable . each ate channel 104 , . . . , 104 n is connected to a separate pin of the integrated circuit under test 102 . pattern memories 110 , . . . , 110 n store data relating to the sequence of digital waveforms comprising the test signals to be applied to the integrated circuit 102 . the formatters 114 , . . . , 114 n receive the outputs from the pattern memories 110 , . . . , 110 n and the waveform tables 112 , . . . , 112 n and provide formatted waveforms to the pin electronics 116 , . . . , 116 n . the pin electronics 116 , . . . , 116 n comprise the driver and receiver circuitry for transmitting signals to , and receiving signals from , the integrated circuit under test 102 . fig2 illustrates the logical functions of the components shown in fig1 . the test vectors for the device under test 102 are determined by the test vectors contained in pattern memories 110 , . . . , 110 n . the waveform tables 112 , . . . , 112 n contain a list of basic digital waveform shapes which are referenced by each test vector in the pattern memories 110 , . . . , 110 n . the timing generators 108 , . . . , 108 n set the points within a tester period at which either waveform transitions occur or integrated circuit pin outputs are sampled by the pin electronics 116 , . . . , 116 n shown in fig1 . the samples received by the pin electronics 116 , . . . , 116 n are analyzed by the pin compare electronics 118 , . . . , 118 n and are compared to expected results to detect any errors in the circuits under test . details relating to the operation of automatic test equipment are discussed in the following publications : essentials of electronic testing for digital , memory , and mixed - signal vlsi circuits ( frontiers in electronic testing volume 17 ) by michael l . bushnell , vishwani d . agrawal and michael j . bushnell , kluwer academic publishers ( 2000 ); and digital systems testing and testable design , by miron abramovici , melvin a . breuer and arthur d . friedman , john wiley & amp ; sons publishers ( 1990 ). each of the aforementioned publications is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes . fig3 and fig4 illustrate the structure of the pattern memories 110 , . . . , 110 n and the waveform tables 112 , . . . , 112 n in more detail . for purposes of discussion of the basic waveform shapes in a waveform table , the following notations will be used : h means an expected logic - 1 from the chip , l means an expected logic - 0 from the chip , x means the output of the chip is to be ignored , 0 means to drive a logic - 0 to the chip , and 1 means to drive a logic - 1 to the chip . fig3 shows the contents of a waveform table , where each of these symbols constitutes a basic waveform shape . each such shape has an associated index in the waveform table . the basic shapes in the waveform table can be more complicated , as shown in fig4 . however , there is a limit on the number of entries in the waveform table , which is usually small . for example , the agilent 93000 tester has a limit of 32 . each memory location in the pattern memory illustrated in fig2 and 4 contains an index into the respective waveform tables illustrated in fig3 and 4 . every time the ate master clock 106 advances to a new tester period , the memory pointer points to the next entry in the pattern memory and the corresponding waveform is applied in that tester cycle by the pin electronics illustrated in fig1 . the pattern memory in fig3 and 4 corresponds to the ate pattern memories 110 , . . . , 110 n discussed in connection with fig1 . as discussed hereinabove , test patterns are stored in the pattern memories 110 , . . . , 10 n . the method and apparatus of the present invention provides a substantial increase in the utilization efficiency of the pattern memories . moreover , the method and apparatus of the present invention improves the efficiency of the ate memories regardless of the types of waveforms stored in the waveform tables 112 , . . . , 112 n . for purposes of discussion , it can be assumed that the waveform table has only 4 basic waveforms , which are 0 , 1 , h , and l . the present invention provides the same savings in the pattern memory usage regardless of the basic waveforms used . fig5 illustrates a simplified example of a test pattern transmitted by an ate 100 and the output signal received from an integrated circuit under test 102 in response to the timed test pattern . only two pins of the integrated circuit under test 102 are shown for simplicity : in_ 1 and out_ 1 , which are connected to channel - 0 and channel - 1 of the ate 100 , respectively . the timing of these test signals is governed by the length of the cycle of the timed test pattern , which can be programmed to a desired value usually in units of nanoseconds or picoseconds on the ate . as will be understood by those of skill in the art , all ate channels are synchronized to the same tester cycle via the ate master clock 106 . the waveform table symbols are used to show the contents of the pattern memory in one of the channels 104 , . . . , 104 n . the timed test pattern in fig5 consists of 21 tester cycles ; therefore , 21 units of data need to be stored in the pattern memories 110 , . . . , 10 n of each respective tester channel , 104 , . . . , 104 n , since in every new tester cycle the memory pointers shown in fig3 and fig4 advance to the next entry in the pattern memory . as will be understood by those of skill in the art , the test patterns illustrated in fig4 and 5 are for discussion purposes only . in an actual testing system , millions of bits of data are stored per tester channel . in current complex system - on - chip integrated circuits , several clock domains exist for use by the circuit component in various modules within the integrated circuit . if , for a significant part of a test , only a slow clock is used to perform a required function , then the method and apparatus of the present can exploit this fact to significantly reduce the ate memory requirement . waveforms of an example test pattern are shown in the top portion of fig6 for two pins of the integrated circuit under test 102 . in this test , starting from cycle 10 , the speed of the waveforms is reduced to 1 / 4th of the initial speed . in other words , a waveform can make a transition only every other 4 tester cycles . originally , each such waveform takes 21 units of memory space in the pattern memory per tester channel , as also shown in fig5 . in the lower part of fig6 , however , using the method and apparatus of the present invention , the length of the test cycle is switched from 10 ns to 40 ns in the middle of the timed test pattern starting at cycle 10 . this cycle length is within the capability of most testers currently available . using the method and apparatus of the present invention , the test pattern now takes only 12 units of memory space per tester channel , thereby giving a 75 % savings over 21 units of pattern data to be stored if the method and apparatus of the present invention is not used . the method and apparatus of the present invention can be utilized in the following ways : first , the present invention can be used to place more test patterns on an ate without increasing its memory capacity . alternatively , for testing environments that do not require an increase the number of test patterns , the same set of test patterns can use less tester memory , thereby enabling testing to be accomplished using less expensive ates with smaller memory capacity . the invention disclosed herein is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms . specific embodiments therefore have been shown by way of example in the drawings and detailed description . it should be understood , however , that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed , but on the contrary , the invention is to cover all modifications , equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims . | 6 |
the poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) derivative resin used as an essential component in the thermosetting resin composition of this invention is represented by the formula : ## str4 ## wherein a is an alkyl group preferably having 1 to 10 carbon atoms ; x is a halogen group , e . g . fluorine , chlorine , bromine or iodine atom ; r is an alkylene or alkenoyl group having 2 to 4 carbon atoms such as an allyl group , an isobutenyl group , a vinyl group , an acrynoyl group , a methacrynoyl group , an epoxymethacrynoyl group , etc . ; p and q are independently zero or an integer of 1 to 4 ; and n is an integer of 1 to 100 , preferably 20 to 70 , more preferably 25 to 50 . examples of the resin of the formula ( i ) are a vinyl ether , isobutenyl ether , or allyl ether of poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ); an acrylate ester , methacrylate ester or epoxymethacrylate ester of poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ); brominated these resins mentioned above , etc . these resins of the formula ( i ) can be produced by , for example , dissolving poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) in a solvent such as acetone , etc ., adding sodium hydroxide thereto to yield a sodium salt of poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ), adding gradually an acid chloride such as acrylic acid chloride , methacrylic acid chloride , to carry out a reaction , followed by separation and purification to yield the desired resin of the formula ( i ). when an alkyl group shown by the mark a is introduced into benzene rings , the solubility can be improved . when a halogen group shown by the mark x is introduced into benzene rings , the flame retardancy can be improved remarkably . one or more resins of the formula ( i ) can be used in the thermosetting resin composition . another component used in the thermosetting resin composition is the epoxy modified polybutadiene represented by the formula : ## str5 ## wherein y is an epoxy resin ; and m is an integer of 4 to 100 . examples of the epoxy resin to be modified are diglycidyl ether bisphenol a , diglycidyl ether 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- dibromobisphenol a , diglycidyl ether 2 , 2 &# 39 ;, 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- tetrabromobisphenol a , diglycidyl ether 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- dimethylbisphenol a , diglycidyl ether 2 , 2 &# 39 ;, 4 - trimethylbisphenol a , phenol novolak type epoxy resin , ortho - cresol novolak type epoxy resin , alicyclic epoxy resin , etc . these epoxy resins can be used alone or as a mixture thereof . by the addition of the epoxy modified polybutadiene of the formula ( ii ) to the poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) derivative resin of the formula ( i ), flexibility , adhesiveness to copper foils and mechanical properties can be improved . further , when a curing agent for epoxy resins is added to the thermosetting resin composition , the flexibility , adhesiveness to copper foils and mechanical properties can further be improved and at the same time , the dielectric constant can also be lowered . the content of the epoxy modified polybutadiene of the formula ( ii ) in the thermosetting resin composition is preferably in the range of 20 to 80 % by weight . when the content is too much , the dielectric constant of the thermosetting resin composition becomes higher , while the flame retardancy , heat resistance and dimensional stability are lowered . the prepreg and laminate of this invention can be produced as follows . the poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) derivative resin ( i ) is dissolved in an organic solvent to prepare a varnish . as the organic solvent , there can be used , for example , toluene , xylenes , acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , methyl isobutyl ketone , n , n - dimethylformamide , n - methyl - pyrrolidone , dimethylsulfoxide , trichloroethylene , trichloroethane , methylene chloride , dioxane , ethyl acetate , etc . any solvents which can dissolve the thermosetting resin composition uniformly can be used . the epoxy modified polybutadiene ( ii ) can be mixed dependent on purposes . to the thus prepared varnish , a radical polymerization initiator and a curing agent for epoxy resins are added to give a varnish for impregnation . in this case , it is preferable to add a polyvalent carboxylic acid allyl ester which can react with the poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) derivative resin ( i ) for improving mechanical properties in an amount of preferably 50 % by weight or less , more preferably 20 % by weight or less based on the total weight of the resin components . examples of the polyvalent carboxylic acid allyl ester are triallyl trimellitate , diallyl terephthalate , diallyl isophthalate , diallyl orthophthalate , triallyl trimellitate , triallyl cyanurate , triallyl isocyanurate , trimetallyl isocyanurate , p , p &# 39 ;- diallyloxycarbonyl diphenyl ether , m , p &# 39 ;- diallyloxycarbonyl diphenyl ether , o , p &# 39 ;- diallyloxycarbonyl diphenyl ether , m , m &# 39 ;- diallyloxycarbonyl diphenyl ether , etc . these compounds can be used alone or as a mixture thereof . typical examples of the radical polymerization initiators are benzoyl peroxide , dicumyl peroxide , methyl ethyl ketone peroxide , t - butyl peroxylaurate , di - t - butyl peroxyphthalate , dibenzyl oxide , 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - di ( t - butylperoxy ) hexane , t - butyl cumyl peroxide , t - butyl hydroperoxide , di - t - butyl peroxide , 2 , 5 - dimethyl - 2 , 5 - di ( t - butylperoxy ) hexine ( 3 ), diisopropylbenzene hydroperoxide , p - methane hydroperoxide , 2 , 5 - dimethylhexane - 2 , 5 - dihydroperoxide , cumene hydroperoxide , etc . these radical polymerization initiators can be used in an amount of 0 . 1 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the thermosetting resin composition . typical examples of the curing agent for epoxy resins are 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodicyclohexylmethane , 1 , 4 - diaminocyclohexane , 2 , 6 - diaminopyridine , m - phenylenediamine , p - phenylenediamine , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane , 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- bis ( 4 - aminophenyl ) propane , benzine , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminophenyl oxide , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminophenylsulfone , bis ( 4 - aminophenyl ) methylphosphine oxide , bis ( 4 - aminophenyl ) phenylphosphine oxide , bis ( 4 - aminophenyl ) methylamine , 1 , 5 - diaminonaphthalene , m - xylylenediamine , p - xylylenediamine , hexamethylenediamine , 6 , 6 &# 39 ;- diamino - 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- dipyridyl , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminobenzophenone , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminoazobenzene , bis ( 4 - aminophenyl ) phenylmethane , 1 , 1 &# 39 ;- bis ( 4 - aminophenyl ) cyclohexane , 1 , 1 &# 39 ;- bis ( 4 - amino - 3 - methylphenyl ) cyclohexane , 2 , 5 - bis ( m - aminophenyl )- 1 , 3 - oxadiazole , 2 , 5 - bis ( p - aminophenyl )- 1 , 3 , 4 - oxadiazole , 2 , 5 - bis ( m - aminophenyl ) thiazolo ( 4 , 5 - d ) thiazole , 5 , 5 &# 39 ;- di ( m - aminophenyl )-( 2 , 2 &# 39 ;)- bis ( 1 , 3 , 4 - oxadiazolyl ), 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenyl ether , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- bis ( b - aminophenyl )- 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- dithiazole , m - bis ( 4 - p - aminophenyl - 2 - thiazolyl ) benzene , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminobenzanilide , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminophenyl benzoate , n , n &# 39 ;- bis ( 4 - aminobenzyl )- p - phenylenediamine , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- methylenebis ( 2 - dichloroaniline ), dicyandiamide , benzoguanamine , methylguanamine , tetramethylbutanediamine , dibasic dihydrazide , phthalic anhydride , trimellitic anhydride , pyromellitic anhydride , benzophenonetetracarboxylic anhydride , ethylene glcol bis ( anhydro trimellitate ), glycelol tris ( anhydro trimellitate ), maleic anhydride , 2 - methylimidazole , 2 - phenylimidazole , 2 - ethyl - 4 - methylimidazole , 1 - cyanoethyl - 2 - ethyl - 4 - methylimidazole , 2 - undecylimidazole , 2 - heptadecylimidazole , azine derivatives of these compounds , trimellitates of these compounds , nitrilethyl derivatives of these compounds , tetra - substituent phosphonium tetra - substituent borates of these compounds , etc . these compounds can be used alone or as a mixture thereof . the curing agent for epoxy resins can be used in an amount of 0 . 1 to 30 parts by weight , more preferably 0 . 3 to 10 parts by weight , based on 100 parts by weight of the epoxy modified polybutadiene . the resulting impregnation varnish is impregnated into a sheet - like base material and dried at from room temperature to 170 ° c . to give a prepreg having no stickiness . the drying temperature can be determined depending on the solvent used and the polymerization initiator used . as the sheet - like base material , there can be used almost fibrous cloth conventionally used as laminate materials . as inorganic fibers , there can be used various glass fibers such as e glass , c glass , a glass , s glass , d glass , ym - 31 - a glass , each containing sio 2 , a 2 0 3 , etc ., q glass obtained by using coal , and the like . as organic fibers , there can be used aramide fibers containing aromatic polyamide - imide skeleton , etc . the laminate can be obtained by piling a plurality of prepreg sheets and pressed preferably at 1 to 100 kgf / cm 2 with heating preferably at 100 ° to 250 ° c . to carry out curing reaction with heating . the multilayer printed circuit board can be produced by laminating a plurality of insulating layers and a plurality of circuit conductor layers alternately , followed by pressing and heating preferably at 100 ° to 250 ° c . and 1 to 100 kgf / cm 2 . the circuit conductor layers can be prepared by forming a conductor layer on a prepreg such as that mentioned above , followed by circuit pattern formation according to a conventional method . as the conductor layer , there can be used a metal foil , plated layer or vapor deposited layer of copper , silver , gold , aluminum , chromium , molybdenum , tungsten , or the like . among them , the use of a copper foil is preferable . as the insulating layers , the laminates obtained from the special prepregs mentioned above are used . it is preferable that the insulating layer has a dielectric constant of 3 . 5 or less at 1 mhz . the resin of the formula ( i ) or resin composition including at least the resin of the formula ( i ) preferably has flame retardancy of v - o by the standard of ul 94 , a glass transition temperature of 200 ° c . or higher and a thermal expansion coefficient of 10 - 4 /° c . or less at room temperature . it is preferable that one insulating layer ( laminate ) has a plurality of prepreg sheets ( the resin impregnated fibrous cloth layers ) wherein the content of fibrous cloth in an insulating layer is preferably 20 to 40 % by volume . the thickness of the insulating layer is usually 250 μm or less . the number of fibrous cloth layers in one insulating layer is preferably 2 to 5 . it is also preferable to laminate a thinner insulating layer ( 100 μm thick or less with two fibrous cloth layers ) and a thicker insulating layer ( 150 μm thick or less with three fibrous cloth layers ) alternately via circuit conductor layers . in this case , the line width on the circuit conductor layer is preferably 100 μm or less . an example of such a multilayer printed circuit board is shown in the attached drawing . the resin of the formula ( i ) can also be used as a molding material by mixing with a radical polymerization initiator , a filler and the like conventional additives . this invention is illustrated by way of the following examples , in which all parts and percents are by weight unless otherwise specified . brominated poly ( p - hydroxystyrene )( manufactured by maruzen petrochemicals co ., ltd .) in an amount of 250 g was dissolved in 500 g of chloroform and 500 g of aqueous solution containing 120 g of sodium hydroxide was added thereto with stirring to carry out a reaction at 25 ° c . for 1 hour . then , 200 g of a chloroform solution containing 120 g of methacrylic acid chloride was added thereto gradually and the reaction was continued at 25 ° c . for 2 hours . subsequently , the chloroform solution and the aqueous solution were separated and the chloroform solution was condensed to give a reaction product . then , the reaction product was dissolved in acetone , and purification was conducted while dropping the resulting solution into methanol . in the same manner as mentioned above , acrylic acid chloride ( example 2 ), allyl chloride ( example 3 ), and epoxy methacrylic acid chloride ( example 4 ) were reacted in place of methacrylic acid chloride to yield reaction products , respectively . the process of example 1 was repeated except for using poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) and methacrylic acid chloride and acrylic acid chloride as the acid chloride , respectively . properties of the reaction products of examples 1 to 6 and the compound of comparative example 1 are listed in table 1 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________ examples comparative 1 2 3 4 5 6 example 1__________________________________________________________________________molecular weight 7 , 400 7 , 900 6 , 700 14 , 500 35 , 000 17 , 400 4 , 000 - 10 , 000 (-- mw ) bromine content 44 43 45 33 -- -- 47 - 52 (%) pyrolysis begin - 300 340 310 300 320 330 300ning temperature (° c . ) dielectric 2 . 9 3 . 1 2 . 7 3 . 5 2 . 9 3 . 2 4 . 1constantacid value 2 . 8 4 . 2 0 . 2 2 . 0 25 . 2 12 . 3 230__________________________________________________________________________ the brominated poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) methacrylic acid ester obtained in example 1 was dissolved in methyl ethyl ketone with heating to give a varnish with a solid content of 40 to 50 %. then , 3 parts of dicumyl peroxide as a radical polymerization initiator per 100 parts of the resin component was added to the vanish . glass cloth of e glass ( mfd . by nitto boseki co ., ltd ., 0 . 1 mm in thickness ) was impregnated with the varnish and dried at 60 ° to 80 ° c . for 10 to 20 minutes to give tack - free prepreg sheets . then , 10 prepreg sheets were laminated and pressed at 30 kgf / cm 2 with heating at 130 ° c . for 30 minutes , followed by pressing at 170 ° c . for 1 hour and at 220 ° c . for 2 hours to give a laminate . the process of example 7 was repeated except for using the brominated poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) acrylic acid ester obtained in example 2 to give a laminate . the process of example 7 was repeated except for using the brominated poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) allyl ether obtained in example 3 to give a laminate . the process of example 7 was repeated except for using the brominated poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) epoxymethacrylic acid ester obtained in example 4 and silica glass cloth ( 0 . 075 mm thick ) as the sheet - like base material to give a laminate . the process of example 7 was repeated except for using a thermosetting resin composition comprising 70 parts of brominated poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) methacrylic acid ester , 30 parts of polybutadiene modified with diglycidyl ether bisphenol a , and 0 . 6 part of 2 - ethyl - 4 - methylimidazole as the curing agent for epoxy resins to give a laminate . as the laminate , there were used an epoxy resin laminate ( gea - 67n , a trade name mfd . by hitachi chemical co ., ltd .) and a polyimide resin laminate ( gia - 67n , a trade name mfd . by hitachi chemical co ., ltd .). a varnish with 20 to 30 % solid content was obtained by dissolving 50 parts of 1 , 2 - polybutadiene prepolymer and 50 parts of phenol novolak type epoxy modified polybutadiene in xylene . as a radical polymerization initiator , 5 parts of dicumyl peroxide and 1 part of 2 - ethyl - 4 - methylimidazole as a curing agent for epoxy resins were added to the varnish . using the resulting varnish , a laminate was obtained in the same manner as described in example 7 . table 2__________________________________________________________________________ examples comparative example 7 8 9 10 11 2 3 4__________________________________________________________________________resin platecuring time ( min . ) 170 ° c . 60 60 60 60 60 60 - 90 60 60220 ° c . 120 120 120 120 120 -- 120 120glass transition 215 220 210 215 210 120 210 135temp . (° c . ) pyrolysis beginning 340 350 330 320 310 260 325 320temp . (° c . ) laminatedielectric constant 3 . 3 3 . 2 3 . 0 3 . 4 3 . 5 4 . 7 4 . 7 3 . 6 ( 1 mhz ) linear expansion 5 6 6 4 8 20 6 15coefficient (× 10 . sup .- 5 /° c . ) solder heat resistance no no no no no blistered no change no change ( 300 ° c ., 300 sec .) change change change change changeflexial strength ( kgf / mm . sup . 2 ) room temp . 45 43 46 50 40 45 45 28180 ° c . 35 30 34 35 30 -- 30 20flame retardancy v - 0 v - 0 v - 0 v - 0 v - 0 v - 0 v - 1 hbul - 94__________________________________________________________________________ a varnish was obtained by dissolving the brominated poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) methacrylic acid ester obtained in example 1 in methyl ethyl ketone so as to make the solid content 40 to 50 %. after adding 3 parts of dicumyl peroxide as a radical polymerization initiator to 100 parts of the resin component , the resulting varnish was impregnated into e glass cloth ( 50 μm thick ) and dried at 60 ° to 80 ° c . for 10 to 20 minutes to give tack - free prepreg sheets . then , two prepreg sheets were piled and surface - roughened copper foils were placed on both sides of the resulting prepreg so as to contact the roughened sides of the copper foils with the prepreg , followed by heating at 130 ° c . for 30 minutes , at 170 ° c . for 1 hour and at 220 ° c . for 2 hours , under a pressure of 30 kgf / cm 2 , to give a copper - clad laminate with about 100 μm thick in the insulating layer portion . the copper - clad laminates were subjected to formation of circuit patterns of inner layers such as a signal layer , an electric source layer , a matching layer , etc . the copper surfaces of circuit patterns were treated in the following manner to form two - sides wiring unit circuit sheets . ## str6 ## ______________________________________solution compositions : ______________________________________ ( 1 ) conc . hcl 300 g cupric chloride 50 g distilled water 650 g ( for roughening of copper surface )( 2 ) sodium hydroxide 5 g trisodium phosphate 10 g sodium chlorite 30 g distilled water 955 g ( for stabilization of copper surface ) ______________________________________ after the above - mentioned treatment , 30 layers of circuit conductor layers 2 were formed by using the above - mentioned unit circuit sheets with the structure as shown in the attached drawing , and bonding was conducted at 130 ° c . under pressure of 20 kg / cm 2 for 30 minutes , followed by heating at 170 ° c . for 1 hour and at 220 ° c . for 1 hours to give a multilayer printed circuit board . for multilayer bonding , 3 sheets of prepreg were piled for one insulating layer with a thickness of about 150 μm . the multilayer bonding was carried out by inserting guide pins in holes formed on four sides of a sheet in order to prevent positional shift . after the multilayer bonding , through - holes 4 of 0 . 3 mm or 0 . 6 mm in diameter were formed by using a microdrill and a throughhole conductor was formed on whole surface of a throughhole by electroless copper plating . then , outermost layer circuits were formed by etching to produce a multilayer printed circuit board . the resulting multilayer printed circuit board has a size of 570mm × 420mm with about 4 mm thick , with 2 kinds of line width of 70 μm and 100 μm , channel / grid =- 2 - 3 / 1 . 3mm , and positional shift between layers about 100 μm . the glass cloth content in the insulating layer was about 30 % by volume . in the attached drawing , numeral 1 denotes a copper - clad lamine ( insulating layer ), numeral 2 a circuit conductor layer , numeral 3 a prepreg resin sheet , and numeral 4 a through - hole . according to this invention , since there is used the special resin of the formula ( i ) having a low dielectric constant , heat resistance , flame retardancy and a low thermal expansion coefficient , a compact multilayer printed circuit board can be produced and the signalling delay time can be reduced by about 15 % compared with the prior art ones . such reduction in the signalling delay time is very remarkable . a molding material was prepared by mixing and kneading 100 parts of brominated poly ( p - hydroxystyrene ) allyl ether , 5 parts of dicumyl peroxide , 200 parts of molten qualtz glass powder as a filler , 100 parts of glass fiber with 3 mm long as a reinforcing agent , and 2 parts of a coupling agent in a kneader heated at about 80 ° c . for 10 minutes . using this molding material , specimens of 127 × 13 × 1mm were produced by transfer molding under conditions of a mold temperature 180 ° c ., a mold pressure 150 kg / cm 2 and a curing time 3 minutes . the molded articles showed flame retardancy of v - o when tested according to the standards of ul 94 . further , storage stability of the molding material at 25 ° c . was as excellent as longer than 30 days , and flexial strength can be maintained with 90 % of the initial value even if deteriorated at 200 ° c . for 30 days . the molded material was also excellent in heat resistance with heating weight loss of 3 %. in the above - mentioned examples , various tests were carried out as follows : thermal expansion coefficient of a resin cured article with 10 mm in a diameter and 2 mm in thickness was measured with a temperature rise rate of 2 ° c ./ min . and the temperature at which the thermal expansion coefficient changes is defined as the glass transition temperature . a sample in an amount of 10 mg obtained by grinding a resin cured material was heated in air with a temperature rise rate of 5 ° c ./ min ., and the temperature at which 5 % of the weight loss was measured was defined as the pyrolysis beginning temperature . dielectric constant was obtained according to jis c6481 by measuring an electrostatic capacity at a frequency of 1 mhz . thermal expansion coefficient at the thickness direction of a laminate ( 10 mm square ) was measured with a temperature rise rate of 2 ° c ./ min . and obtained from changed amounts from 50 ° c . to 200 ° c . a sample was dipped in a solder bath heated at 300 ° c . for 300 seconds and changes of surface appearance was observed . a laminate was cut into a piece of 25 × 50mm and placed on two supporting points with a distance of 30 mm and bended at a rate of 1 mm / min . at room temperature and at 180 ° c . flame retardancy was measured according to the standards of ul - 94 , perpendicular method . the resin compositions of this invention are revealed that the reactions are almost completed from infrared spectra and the acid values listed in table 1 . further , the obtained resins contain a large amount of bromine having a flame retardant effect and can be cured with heating at low temperatures . in addition , the obtained resins are preferably low dielectric constant materials with a dielectric constant of 3 . 5 or lower with a linear expansion coefficient of 10 × 10 - 5 /° c . or less , preferably 6 × 10 - 5 /° c . or less . the laminate obtained by using at least the special resin of the formula ( i ) has the same properties in low dielectric constant as polybutadiene series materials known as low dielectric constant materials and can make the dielectric constant 4 . 7 to 3 . 5 or less compared with epoxy series materials and polyimide series materials widely applied to multilayer printed circuit boards used now for large - sized computers . thus the signalling delay time can be reduced by about 15 %. further properties of heat resistance and linear expansion coefficient expressed by the glass transition temperature , the pyrolysis beginning temperature and the solder heat resistance are excellent compared with the epoxy series materials and the polybutadiene series materials and equal to those of the polyimide series materials . in addition , as to the flame retardancy , the class of v - o in the ul standards can be obtained without adding any flame retardants . as mentioned above , according to this invention , it is possible to produce laminate materials having a low dielectric constant as well as excellent heat resistance and flame retardancy . | 8 |
reference is first being made to fig1 that shows a general flow chart of an embodiment of the virtual treatment method in accordance with the invention . upon initiation 20 , a virtual diagnostic setup model is inputted . this model may be obtained by a number of different ways . the basis is a virtual teeth model obtained through a variety of teeth scanning or direct teeth imaging techniques , or through scanning or otherwise capturing a negative teeth impression or a positive teeth model . an example of a method for obtaining three - dimensional digital model of teeth is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 099 , 314 . from such a model a virtual setup model may be obtained through an automatic or manual procedure in which the setup model the teeth are separated from one another in a manner that permits separate manipulation of the position of each of the teeth . at the next step 24 a set of orthodontic appliances is selected for subsequent association with the teeth . as will be appreciated , the invention is not limited to a specific set of orthodontic appliances and the general principle described herein applies to any selected set . however , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention , the set of orthodontic appliances which is to be used is a straight wire set that comprises a straight wire and brackets . as known , each bracket has a horizontal slot for receiving the wire . in addition , similarly as in real life orthodontic treatment , other orthodontic appliances such as hooks , elastic components , and others may be included in the set . the selection of the set may be automatic by the system or may be manual . for selection of a set of orthodontic appliances , different options may be presented to the user , for example , sets of different manufacturers , and the orthodont may then choose the one most familiar to him or the set which he prefers to use . alternatively , rather than selecting a complete set , optionally the user may select individual components that together will comprise the set . at a next step 26 the appliances are attached to or made to associate with the teeth . in one embodiment of the invention this is an automatic operation . in such an embodiment , after selection of the set for orthodontic appliances , the brackets are automatically attached to teeth . in such an automatic attachment , the brackets are typically attached to the center point of the teeth crown ( namely at the center of the exposed surface of the teeth ). in accordance with another embodiment the user may be permitted to select the position of all or of only some of the brackets . once all brackets have been selected , a wire , typically a straight wire as pointed out above , is added , and the first sequence of orthodontic treatment follows . in this first sequence , teeth are repositioned in a manner so that all the wire - receiving slots on the brackets snap onto the wire . this causes all slots to align in the plane defined by the wire and the teeth to align in an overall arch is also defined by the wire . this step may be carried out , for example , in a manner as described in pct publication wo 99 / 34747 . thereby , a first treatment state of the virtual model is obtained . a more detailed description of the step appears further below . in a next step 30 , this initial treatment state is analyzed and graded by a variety of criteria c 1 , c 2 , . . . cn . these grading criteria include , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention , the following : alignment , marginal ridges , buccolingual inclination , overjet , occlusal relationship , occlusal contact and interproximal contacts . reference is made to the explanation above of these criteria . the grading , as pointed out above , is based on the deviation of the teeth arrangement from a standard or ideal arrangement , in accordance with one or more of established standards . an example of a standard which may be applied is that set by the american board of orthdontics , referenced above . it should , however , be noted that in some embodiments only part of the above criteria or at times even one , e . g . only the criteria of alignment , may be used to grade the teeth arrangement . in a typical embodiment of the invention , the grading is carried out automatically , although optionally , the grading may be manually done by the user . following the grading according to one or more of the above criteria , at a next step 32 an overall model analysis is carried out . in this analysis the different grading scores are combined , which combination may be a simple combination , may be a weighted combination ( ascribing a different way to a different criteria ) or any other acceptable analysis of the system . here again , the overall model analysis is typically automatic , although it is possible also to permit the user to do it manually . following this overall analysis , at a distant point 34 an assessment is made whether the model meets orthodontic standards or whether an improvement is required . if no improvement is required , the virtual treatment ends 36 . if a decision is made and an improvement is required , which decision may be automatic or may be a decision made by the user , a next step 38 teeth for repositioning are selected , then at 40 the orthodontic appliances are virtually detached from at least the selected teeth , the detached appliances are then repositioned at 42 , to yield repositioning of the teeth . for example , where a bracket is repositioned to a different lateral portion of the tooth , it causes axial rotation of the tooth . where , by another example the bracket is repositioned to a different vertical position of the tooth crown , it causes extraction or retraction of the tooth . where , by a further example , the attachment of the bracket to the wire is the different anteoposterior point on the wire , it causes the tooth to move in the anterior or posterior direction . it should be noted that optionally in steps 40 and 42 , orthodontic appliances are at least temporary removed or hidden for easier visualization of the manipulation outcome . then , at 44 , the detached orthodontic appliances are reassociated to the teeth and a resulting altered treatment state is obtained . the appliances repositioning may be done using an optimization algorithm employing one of many optimization or goal - seeking algorithms where the variable set is the set of appliances positions and the goal is best grade . possible algorithms include deepest descent , newton - raphson method and others . in addition , the goal may also include additional restrictions such as having minimal angle between teeth to avoid results that may give a goal grade but are less aesthetically appealing . the resulting altered treatment state so obtained is analyzed and graded in the same manner as described above . typically in the orthodontic treatment , each tooth is assembled with its corresponding bracket such that the base point of the bracket falls initially on the facial axis point of the tooth , as typically done in orthodontry . the assembled teeth may then translocate along the wire &# 39 ; s curve according to the following criteria ; ( i ) the two central incisors are translocated along the wire curve ( along the curve falling on the andrews plane ) until they are brought into at least one point of contact , preferably such that their contact point falls on the mid - platal plane . ( ii ) the lateral incisors on each side of the mid - platal ( the left and right lateral incisors ) may be translocated towards their respective central incisors ( i . e . the left and right incisors , respectively ), followed by translocating the canine , premolar ( first premolar , then premolar ) and molar ( for the first molar , then second molar and optionally then the third molar ) teeth such that each flanking teeth have at least one point of contact therebetween . it should be clear that the same procedure is applied whenever a tooth is extracted or stripped , taking into consideration which tooth exactly was extracted . the outcome of the above procedure is an arch wire set with brackets which are fixed with the respective tooth , the teeth being optimally arranged according to orthodontic criteria . at times , movement of the first molar teeth by the system of the invention may result in a distilization of the mandibular molar teeth in an amount greater than that allowed in a real life treatment according to real life treatment considerations . accordingly , after translocation of teeth as described above , the system verifies whether the mandibular distilization performed would be allowed in real life considerations and if in the negative , the result displayed on the display screen , will show the user that the procedure performed would not be feasible in the real life orthodontic treatment . the user will then know that the orthodontic treatment plan he selected should be changed , e . g . by selecting a different wire , different brackets , performing other , if any manipulations on the teeth , etc . the resulting arrangement of the teeth may further be processed by applying a vertical repositioning of the teeth , and if necessary , move in a manner similar to that in step ( ii ) above . the result obtained for one arch , i . e . the maxillary arch or the mandibular arch , is then used for determination of the inter arch relationship . the algorithm employed may also use some optimization criteria for obtaining the initial treatment stage . for example , the mandibular arch may be first aligned with the mandibular jaw by their central point ( an average distance between the central incisors ) to fall onto the mid palatal plane . the maxillary arch fixed onto the maxillary jaw may then be vertically aligned onto the mandibular jaw in the manner as described in pct publication no . wo 98 / 52493 . the alignment between the two jaws may be according to a fixed mandibular jaw or alternatively according to a fixed maxillary jaw . the following description refers to alignment of the maxilla according to the fixed mandibular jaw . however , it should be understood that the same steps apply in flow diagram , for alignment of the mandible according to the fixed maxilla jaw ( muatis mutandis ). for determining the inter arch relationship , first the parameters of the mandibular jaw are provided , with which the mandibular arch is aligned by determining their center antheroposterior point ( lower center point a - p56 ). then occlusion of the mandibular first molar with the maxillary first molar is dictated by the features of class ( i ) type of occlusion . if necessary , i . e . when the outcome obtained and displayed on the display screen is not the desired outcome or when the user decides it is required to change the class type , he may change the class by which the mandibular first molar and the maxillary first molar interlock until reaching the desired outcome . at times , the horizontal alignment performed will result in a mandibular distilization which is greater than that acceptable in real life orthodontic treatment . as a result , the procedure according to the invention may be carried out while each arch is positioned onto their respective jaw by defining their center antheroposterior point , the steps of interlocking the molar teeth according to standard orthodontic guidelines is not performed . the definition of the different classes which can be selected by the user in a manner as shown herein in fig3 which shows an example of a screen display showing a virtual model 100 with an upper jaw 102 and a lower jaw 103 . shown in this view is also a view control window 105 which permits control of position of orientation as well as view angles in a manner as described in pct application , publication . no . wo 98 / 53428 . the treatment parameters may be controlled through user interface window 106 . a front view of the same jaw is seen in fig4 . [ 0097 ] fig3 and 4 also show a virtual diagnostic setup model of an individual &# 39 ; s jaws , in its original , untreated form . once an orthodontic treatment is executed , a second three dimensional digital model is obtained . the second three dimensional digital model includes the jaw carrying teeth assembled with brackets and a wire . the teeth in the second model are arranged in an optimal dental and skeletal arrangement as obtained by the system of the invention . the teeth are automatically associated with brackets , the later set on a wire . the outcome of virtual treatment of the original model ( shown in fig3 and 4 ) is seen in fig5 and 6 . in this case the parameters of the system were automatically selected , including the arch wire ( rothoformiii - ovoid ), the brackets ( clarity ™), and class ( class i ) and yielded one optimal outcome . there are different classes which may be applied . class 1 , which is a default class in the system and is that applied in fig5 and 6 . change in the class may be achieved by ticking off box 120 in user interface window 106 and moving scroll bar 122 to either side . another parameter which may be selected is a lower center point , which may be automatically selected ( the automatic selection is dictated by the original center point in the individual &# 39 ; s jaw before treatment ), as in fig3 - 6 or , it may be moved between the interior posterior direction by ticking off box 124 and moving scroll bar 126 to either the left , as seen in fig7 or the right directions . in addition , the arch wire selection may be automatic , as in fig6 and 7 , which in this case is the default arch wire known as ortho formii - ovoid , but may also be manually selected within selection window 130 . the user may also control the parameters of which jaw will be fixed during the procedure . this is achieved by ticking in the set up design user interface 140 between the mandible 142 selection point or the maxilla 144 selection point . in the case of fig8 the parameters of maxillary jaw are fixed during the procedure and after aligning therewith the maxillary arch , the inter arch arrangement is performed . by the default of the system , the mandible parameters are fixed and the maxilla is moved accordingly . the reverse selection is shown in fig9 ( 145 ). thus , as can be seen , in view of the initial structure of the teeth , the two jaws are more forwardly oriented in fig9 as compared to fig8 . another manner of control is a virtual extraction of teeth . in fig1 , the treatment is preceded normally without extraction . by ticking alleviation box 138 and marking in the user interface window 106 the tooth or the to be extracted , the marked tooth , in this particular case , the second molar 148 is virtually extracted and the void 150 which is left is at least partially filled by lateral movement of the flanking teeth , as seen in fig1 . this feature of the system of the invention enables the user to decide whether extraction of a tooth in a real life treatment will be effective in achieving a desired orthodontic outcome before performing such an irreversible manipulation in the real life treatment . reference is made now to fig2 which shows the manner of using the results of the virtual orthodontic treatment for guidance for the real - life orthodontic treatment . following start 50 , the virtual model with the altered treatment state obtained through the virtual orthodontic treatment ( 36 in fig1 ) is inputted at 52 . the teeth are then , at 54 , permitted to reposition to their original position in the original diagnostic setup model with the orthodontic appliances remaining attached thereon . the association of the orthodontic appliances with the teeth is then recorded as 56 and this is served as an input for guidance of the real - life orthodontic treatment for the purpose of achieving results similar to those obtained in the virtual treatment in accordance with the invention . the manner of association of the orthodontic appliances may be displayed on the screen or may be outputted to a guidance system for proper placing of an orthodontic element on a tooth &# 39 ; s surface , such as that described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 334 , 772 . | 0 |
as is depicted according to a traditional arrangement in fig1 a flow meter 1 is inserted into a gas circulation line , and includes a gas input 2 and a gas output 3 ( the direction of the circulation of the gas is symbolized by the arrows ). the circulation of the gas has a laminar restriction 4 in the flow meter 1 in the main section of the gas passage , having a branch passage ( bypass ) 5 in parallel which circulates a part of the gas flow into a capillary tube 6 in the sensor 7 . the flow meter 1 also includes a valve 8 for controlling the gaseous flow 2 , which regulates the flow , and an electronic circuit 9 which is of the comparator type ( p . i . d ., i . e . proportional integrator differentiating circuit ) between an externally transmitted control variable and the measurement made by the sensor 7 . a control loop 10 of the type known to the professional performs the automatic functional control of the flow rate 1 . in so far as its principle is concerned , the sensor 7 receives and heats up a small part of the laminar flow ( at full scale 10 cm 3 / min ), which is proportional to the total flow . the mass flow rate is estimated based on the thermal transfer which it generates : the profile of the temperature without circulation of the gas 11 along the capillary tube 6 of the sensor 7 heated on one part of its length is changed into an asymmetrical profile 12 when the gas circulates in the capillary tube 6 , and this temperature difference between the upstream 13 and the downstream 14 of the capillary tube 6 is a measurement of the mass flow . the flow sensor , in the traditional device not according to the invention , comprises , as viewed in fig2 a and 2b , two coils 15 , 16 of resistive wire , which ensure two simultaneous functions : heating and temperature measurement . this temperature measurement is obtained by measuring the variation of the two resistances , mounted in a traditional manner in a wheatstone bridge . the application of a constant current between the resistor connecting terminals which are selected at the equivalent value r ( at the same temperature ) induces heating of the capillary tube at the two adjacent locations . in the absence of the circulation of gas in the capillary , the temperature distribution is represented by the curve 11 in fig2 ( the curve shows the value of the temperature in the ordinate ( y ) axis , and the distance along the tube in the abscissas ( x ) axis ) and is , of course , symmetrical with respect to the center 17 of the two coils 15 , 16 . on the contrary , in the case of the circulation of gas in the tube ( curve 12 ), the temperature distribution is asymmetrical , and it is seen that between the two points 18 , 19 equidistant from the center 17 of the coils 15 , 16 , a temperature difference δt , which results in the different measurements of the resistance for the two resistive components 15 , 16 , r − δr and r + δr . in a thermocouple sensor , the mounting with the two resistances in the wheatstone bridge is functionally replaced by a thermocouple which , as is known , includes two different materials such that a difference of the temperature observed between these materials induces the appearance of a directly measurable electric current which results in a mounting which is more simple than the traditional design having two measurement resistances . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the couple bi ( n )— sb ( p ) ( bismuth - antimony ) is used based on thin film technology . the thermoelectric power of this couple , on the order of 120 microv /° c ., is achieved by optimizing the parameters of the deposit temperature of the substrate , the speed of the deposit , temperature ( 0 - 100 ° c .) and the duration of the annealing . various embodiment modes of the thermocouples have been conceived . in one preferred embodiment detailed in fig3 the structure is made up of a heating element 20 , a wire made of an alloy of nickel ( 75 %) and chromium ( 25 %) which has the characteristic feature of having a high resistivity ( 1 . 33 ohm . mm2 . m − 1 ) and a low coefficient of variation of resistance as a function of temperature ( 10 ppm /° c .) ( its diameter is 28 microns and it is powered by a current of 12 . 5 ma ), and of the thermocouple bi ( n )— sb ( p ) comprising of two side areas 21 , 22 of bismuth surrounding a central area 23 made of antimony . before the deposit of the active elements , an insulating layer of zirconia ( zro 2 ), not shown , is deposited on the capillary tube 6 of a metallic nature . the zirconia ( zro 2 ), selected for its good stability and its good dielectric characteristics , is deposited by electron gun on the capillary tube 6 of the sensor , at a thickness of 2 . 5 microns . the substrate , made up of a capillary tube 6 made of stainless steel 316l , is supported on a heating support not shown but of a type known to the professional . it is preferable that the substrate support be in rotation during depositing . the deposit of the insulating layer is done by the addition of oxygen into the enclosed space of the deposit . the parameters for the deposit by electron gun of the zirconia on the capillary tubes 6 are thus the following : target : zro 2 , thickness deposited : 2 to 3 microns , residual pressure : lower than 10 − 6 torr , o 2 pressure : 8 10 − 5 torr , substrate temperature : 300 ° c ., speed of deposition : 20 to 40 angstroms per second . the depositing of the components of bismuth 21 , 22 and antimony 23 of the thermocouple are carried out in a manner known to the professional , with typically a depositing by electron gun , through the nickel masks , at a residual pressure lower than 10 − 6 torr , and at a thickness of several microns . as can be seen in fig3 the bismuth deposits 21 , 22 overlap the edges 24 , 25 of the central deposit 23 in antimony ( configuration npn ). the resistive wire making up the heating component 20 is wound around the zone having the antimony deposit 23 . the functioning mode of the device is identical to the traditional function the context of a mass flow meter 1 on a thermocouple for a fluid circuit . in a variation not shown , the couple bi2te3 ( n )— bi2te3 ( p ) ( bismuth telluride ), in thin film technology , is used to replace the couple bi ( n )— sb ( p ). the sensitivity obtained is on the order of 400 microv /° c . in the temp ( range of ° c .- 150 ° c . in another variation presented in fig4 the heating element 20 is a copper sleeve on which the resistors 27 , 28 of the cms type are mounted . the copper sleeve performs the function of making the temperature on one section of the capillary tube 6 uniform . in yet another structural variation , presented in fig5 the heating element 20 is deposited on the tube 6 by a method known to the professional , for example , by electron gun or by magnetron pulverization . the material of this element is a nickel - chromium alloy . the resistor , deposited on the antimony area 23 of the thermocouple , includes a central zone 29 and two contacts 30 , 31 at its ends . in the case of the deposit by electron gun , two stages of successive depositing are imagined with the nickel masks adapted to the different geometries of the central region 29 of the resistor and the contacts 30 , 31 . in a third embodiment of the structure presented in fig6 the heating component 20 is made of one of the thermocouple materials . it is then heated by the joule effect in an alternative scheme . during the functioning of the mass flow measurement device , when the gas is circulating , the temperature difference between the two junctions of the thermocouple is determined by a continuous micro - voltmeter 32 , from the impedance value of the elevated input . the range of the invention presented here is not limited to the embodiment methods presented but , on the contrary , extends to improvements and modifications which are conceivable to the professional . | 6 |
referring now to the drawings , in fig1 there is shown a basic kite or module according to the present invention . the kite includes a forward sail 12 and an aft sail 14 . these sails are arched about an imaginary common longitudinally directed axis 13 , and although they appear to be semi - circular in cross - section , their shape is more accurately described as parabolic in cross - section , conforming to the surface of an imaginary right parabolic cylinder , or arch . in flight these sails are disposed in a substantially concave - downward direction . the sails 12 and 14 are held in their desired relative position by a substantially rectangular framework 16 - 22 . the kite is attached to the flying string 24 by a bridle , including in a preferred embodiment a forward bridle string 26 attached at two forward points of the frame of the kite , and an aft bridle string 28 attached at two aft points of the frame of the kite . fig2 shows the structural frame of the preferred embodiment . longitudinal members 20 and 22 are opposite sides of the generally rectangular frame , and are connected by laterally extending tension members 16 and 18 . longitudinally extending members 20 and 22 extend some distance beyond the aft lateral member 16 forming extensions 30 and 32 respectively . in the preferred embodiment the sails 12 and 14 are supported and given shape by curved members 34 and 36 respectively , which extend along the leading edges of the sails . the frame described above for the preferred embodiment contemplates sails of a lightweight flexible material such as fabric or plastic film . in other embodiments , the sails 12 and 14 may be formed of a more rigid , shape - holding material , in which case , the curved structural members 34 and 36 could be dispensed with . if the sails 12 and 14 are of a sufficiently stiff material , the lateral tension members 16 and 18 might also be dispensed with , although to achieve this degree of rigidity in the sail would probably result in excessive weight . lateral structural members 16 and 18 are referred to as tension members because in the preferred embodiment it is contemplated that curved members 34 and 36 are formed by bowing originally straight members and then bridging their ends by means of the tension members . thus , in the preferred embodiment , tension members 16 and 18 are always under tension and never compression . therefore , in an alternative embodiment , members 16 and 18 could be replaced by strings or rubber bands . fig3 shows a detail of the preferred embodiment , specifically that part of the structure at connector 40 . connector 40 joins together longitudinal structural member 22 , curved member 34 and tension member 18 . connector 40 also has a hole 50 to which a string 26 may be tied as shown in fig3 . fig3 also shows that sail 12 , in the preferred embodiment , consists of a double thickness of a flexible film , having sheets 46 and 48 joined together along their edges , as at 54 . the structural members , such as 22 and 34 , are inserted between sheets 46 and 48 and extend along the edges where the sheets are joined . to permit the kite to be assembled in this manner , it is necessary that the corners of the sails 12 and 14 be cut in the vicinity of the four connectors 38 - 44 . fig4 is a perspective view of an aft connector such as 42 . in a preferred embodiment the connectors are molded from plastic and have the shape shown in fig4 . the connector of fig4 differs from that shown in fig3 only in that the connector of fig3 does not have the spoke 54 . structural member 36 , which typifies structural members 20 , 22 , 30 , 32 and 34 is a plastic extrusion having substantially a hollow rectangular cross section , whose longer sides are bowed toward each other so as to grip spokes such as 54 - 58 more tightly . in general , tension members 16 and 18 have circular cross - section and the connectors therefore have a tightly - fitting circular hole 52 into which the tension members can be slid in the preferred embodiment . in an alternative embodiment the tension members are strings or rubber bands which can be threaded through the hole 52 . it is contemplated that the kite of the present invention will be marketed in the form of a kit containing the sails , struts , connectors , and tension members in a substantially ready - to - assemble form . the use of components having the characteristics described above assures that the kite can be assembled with a minimum of difficulty . fig8 illustrates the way in which the bridle is formed . a forward bridel string 26 is tied at its ends to connectors 38 and 40 . a loop 60 is formed by typing a knot 62 at the center of string 26 . bridle string 28 is passed through loop 60 and the ends of string 28 are tied to connectors 42 and 44 . this method of forming the bridle arrangement has proven to be extremely reliable and simple in practice . fig5 shows how the basic kite module described above can be combined to form a laterally compound kite . because the connectors were provided with a central hole 52 for receiving the tension members , it is possible in this configuration to use a single triple - length forward tension member in place of the above - described tension member 18 , and likewise for aft tension member 16 . it is also possible to assemble such compound kites by tying them to each other at adjacent bridle attachment points 50 . fig6 shows modules of the basic kite combined in the longitudinal direction to form a tandem compound kite . in this configuration it is helpful if all of the connectors are of the 3 - pin form shown in fig4 . fig7 shows a train of kites constructed from the basic kite of the preferred embodiment . in flight , the kite of the present invention exhibits great stability . this results from its unique design . the scoop - like shape of the sails tunnels the wind through the kite . the center part of the sail contributes the most lift , while the lateral portions of the sail contribute lateral stability and prevent the air from spilling out of the kite over the lateral edges . the aft sail helps to shift the center of pressure and center of gravity down wind of the point of attachment , thereby contributing to the longitudinal stability of the kite . it has been found that the depth of the concave sail is crucial . if the sail is too shallow , like a dish , the air spills out over the lateral edges and the kite is found to lack stability . on the other hand , if the concave portion is too deep , the kite will be unnecessarily heavy and performance will be reduced . the optimum performance results when the cross - section of the sail is an approximate parabolic arch with side tangent to vertical planes . thus , there has been described a rigid kite having the superior flying qualities of the flexible kite while avoiding certain of its disadvantages . in particular , the kite of the present invention is easy to launch and cannot collapse in flight , even in the presence of strong gusts . the kite is easily assembled by means of special connectors and the use of a double - sheeted sail . the kite can be mass - produced economically . the foregoing detailed description is illustrative of one embodiment of the invention , and it is to be understood that additional embodiments thereof will be obvious to those skilled in the art . the embodiments described herein together with those additional embodiments are considered to be within the scope of the invention . | 0 |
preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in more detail below referring to the accompanying drawings . an understanding of the present invention may be best gained by reference fig1 to 7 . reference numeral 1 is a shot blast machine which burrs molded goods , treats the surface of molded goods and removes crud attached to the surface of works . the shot blast machine 1 is comprised of a case body 2 ; a table 4 , as a supporting tool supports a work 3 , installed into an upper portion of the case body 2 , forming of a perforated plate or mesh body ; an openable door 5 attached to the case body 2 capable of taking the work 3 in and out the table 4 ; a picking device 7 with a vibrating screen , providing at a lower position of the table 4 in the case body 2 through the hopper 6 ; a liquid tank 8 provided liquid including water , cleaning liquid or the like sorted out by the picking device 7 therein , a projectile tank 9 provided the projectile therein , a small dust tank 10 provided small dusts therein , and a large dust tank 11 provided large dusts therein ; a mixing tank 13 having a mixer 12 which mixes the liquid from the liquid tank 8 and projectile from the projectile tank 9 ; a projector 15 having a impeller 14 made of a high abrasion - resistant rubber , installing in the upper portion of the case body 2 capable of blasting out the liquid mixed the projectile to the table 4 ; a supplying channel 18 interposed a slurry pump 17 therebetween , the pump 17 sucks the liquid mixed the projectile in the mixing tank 13 and introduces in a nozzle 16 positioned into the projector 15 , a pump 19 which showers the liquid of the liquid tank 8 to the work 3 supported by the table 4 ; and a shower device 21 having a shower nozzle 20 . the projector 15 further includes a wheel cover 23 having an opening 22 provided at a lower portion thereof and forming a nozzle - insertion hole 24 at a wall surface of a side of suction and inserting fixedly the nozzle 16 ; the impeller 14 attached into the wheel cover 23 rotatably , being made of high abrasion - resistant rubber ; and a high - speed motor 25 attached to the wheel cover 23 , capable of making the impeller 14 to drive at a high speed . in addition , the impeller 14 further includes one side plate 27 attached to a drive shaft 26 of the high - speed motor 25 , forming in the shape of a disc ; a plurality of blades 28 fixed to a part except for a center portion of the side plate 27 in a radial pattern ; and other side plate 30 fixed so as to cover the blades 28 , having a nozzle - insertion hole 29 formed at a part corresponding to the nozzle - insertion hole 24 of the wheel cover 23 . the above - mentioned shot blast machine 1 uses water as a liquid when it removes the weld flashes of the molded goods . in addition , it uses washing water when it removes the cruds attached at the surface of the work . when it is performed to blast , the projector 15 , pump 19 , slurry pump 17 and picking device 7 are driven after the work 3 is put on the table 4 . thereby the liquid mixed the projectile of the mixing tank 13 is blasted from the nozzle 16 after it passes through the supplying channel 18 by the slurry pump 17 . the blasted liquid including the projectile is blasted to the work 3 on the table 4 by the impeller 14 , which rotates at high speed , of the projector 15 . in this way , since the projectile of the blasted liquid strikes the rotating impeller 14 with the high abrasion - resistant rubber , it can prevent the damage as in the case of the conventional metallic impeller , and the blasting from the impeller 14 can be carried out as in the case of the conventional metallic impeller . the liquid mixed the projectile blasted out by the projector 15 is supplied to the picking device 7 with the removed objects from the work through the hopper 6 , and the large dust , projectile , small dust are introduced into the large - dust tank 11 , projectile tank 9 , small - dust tank 10 and liquid tank 8 respectively after they are selected by the liquid . the liquid supplied into the liquid tank 8 is supplied into the shower nozzle 20 by the mixing tank 13 and pump 19 of the shower device 21 , and it is showered to the work 3 on the table 4 . in this way , the liquid mixed the projectile and liquid which is showered are circulated and used for blasting . other embodiments of the present invention will now be described referring to fig8 to 16 . through the drawings of the embodiments , like components are denoted by like numerals as of the first embodiment and will not be further explained in great detail . a second embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig8 and 9 and is distinguished from the first embodiment by the fact that a high abrasion - resistant rubber sheet 39 is fixed to an inner wall surface of the wheel cover 23 by adhering , coating and the like in order to blast the liquid mixed the projectile to the work 3 on the table from the side and upper portion of the case body 2 ; and the projector 15 is replaced from two projectors 15 a , 15 a which adhered or coated a high abrasion - resistant rubber 41 on a surface of an impeller body 40 made of metal . a shot blast machine 1 a in this way according to the third embodiment has similar advantages to that according to the first embodiment . a third embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 to 12 and is distinguished from the first embodiment by the fact that a belt conveyor 31 as a supporting device is used , forming in the shape of a l - letter , capable of holding the work 3 and agitating it . a shot blast machine 1 b with the belt conveyor 31 according to the third embodiment has similar advantages to that according to the first embodiment . in addition , reference numerals 32 , 33 and 34 are revolving shafts which are arranged at the case body 2 so as to form in the shape of a l - letter ; reference numeral 35 is belt which is laid on the revolving shaft 32 , 33 and 34 so as to formed in the shape of l - letter , having a plurality of through holes 36 ; reference numerals 37 , 37 are guide rollers which are attached to the case body 2 , pressing the both edges of the belt 35 positioned between the revolving shafts 32 and 34 ; and reference numeral 38 is a reversible motor attached at the case body 2 , making the revolving shaft 33 to rotate in the forward and backward directions . a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 and 14 and is distinguished from the first embodiment by the fact that the liquid and projectile which are selected by the picking device 7 are stored automatically by empty weight of the mixing tank 13 with the mixer 12 , and the liquid which overflows from the mixing tank 13 is supplied into the shower device 21 . a shot blast machine 1 c in this way according to the fourth embodiment has similar advantages to that according to the first embodiment . a fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig1 and 16 and is distinguished from the first embodiment by the fact that the projectile which are selected by the picking device 7 is stored into a projectile tank 42 , and the projectile is sucked from the projectile tank 42 by a sucking hose 43 and is supplied into the projector 15 . a shot blast machine 1 d in this way according to the fifth embodiment may be composed . as set forth above , the advantages of the invention are as follows : ( 1 ) for the shot blast machine with the projector having the impeller , since the shot blast machine uses the impeller which is formed of the high abrasion - resistant rubber , it can prevent the damage of the projectile when it is blasted and strikes the impeller . therefore , it can improve the durability of the projectile , and it is possible to manufacture it at a relatively low cost . ( 2 ) as discussed above , it can reduce the noise which is produced when the projectile strikes the impeller . ( 3 ) as discussed above , when the projectile with high grindability is used , it can be used without the damage of the impeller . therefore , the different kinds of the projectile are used widely , and it can be used for the different kinds of work widely . ( 4 ) as discussed above , since it can be reduced the weight of the impeller , it is possible to rotate at high speed . therefore , the projectile can be blasted out in efficiency , and the projectile with small particles and light gravity can be used . ( 5 ) claim 2 has the same effect as the above ( 1 ) to ( 3 ). ( 6 ) claim 3 has the same effect as the above ( 1 ) to ( 4 ), the projector with the impeller blasts out the liquid with the projectile widely , and it can burr molded goods , treats the surface of molded goods and removes crud attached to the surface of works . ( 7 ) as discussed above , since the liquid mixed the projectile can be supplied into the projector with the impeller by the pump , its structure is simple , and it can be performed to carry the liquid mixed the projectile smoothly . ( 8 ) as discussed above , since the liquid mixed the projectile can be supplied into the projector with the impeller by the pump and can be blasted out to the work by the projector so as to remove the weld flash of the molded goods , it is not necessary to accelerate the speed and increase pressure for the carrying of the liquid mixed the projectile to the projector , its structure is simple , it can carry it certainly . ( 9 ) claim 4 has the same effect as the above ( 1 ) to ( 7 ), and the projector has a simple structure and it is easy to manufacture . in addition , since the slurry pump is used , it can supply the liquid with the projectile that has staying power in efficiency . the present invention is utilized in the industry to manufacture the shot blast machine mainly . | 1 |
for purposes of disclosure , the following co - pending u . s . utility applications , which are owned by the same assignee as in this case , are hereby incorporated by references , as if fully set forth herein : ( a ) pending u . s . utility application ser . no . 12 / 589 , 277 , entitled “ interactive and 3 - d multi - sensor touch selection interface for an automated retail store , vending machine , digital sign , or retail display ,” filed oct . 21 , 2009 , by coinventors mara segal , darrell mockus , and russell greenberg , that was based upon a prior pending u . s . provisional application ser . no . 61 / 107 , 829 , filed oct . 23 , 2008 , and entitled “ interactive and 3 - d multi - sensor touch selection interface for an automated retail store , vending machine , digital sign , or retail display ”; ( b ) pending u . s . utility application ser . no . 12 / 589 , 164 , entitled “ vending machines with lighting interactivity and item - based lighting systems for retail display and automated retail stores ,” filed oct . 19 , 2009 by coinventors mara segal , darrell mockus , and russell greenberg , that was based upon a prior pending u . s . provisional application ser . no . 61 / 106 , 952 , filed oct . 20 , 2008 , and entitled “ lighting interactivity and item - based lighting systems in retail display , automated retail stores and vending machines ,” by the same coinventors ; and , ( c ) pending u . s . utility application ser . no . 12 / 798 , 803 , entitled “ customer retention system and process in a vending unit , retail display or automated retail store ” filed apr . 12 , 2010 , by coinventors mara segal , darrell mockus , and russell greenberg , that was based upon a prior pending u . s . provisional application ser . no . 61 / 168 , 838 filed apr . 13 , 2009 , and entitled “ customer retention system and automated retail store ( kiosk , vending unit , automated retail display and point - of - sale )”, by coinventors darrell scott mockus , mara segal and russell greenberg . ( d ) pending u . s . utility application ser . no . 12 / 806 , 862 , entitled “ modular vending with centralized robotic gantry ” filed aug . 23 , 2010 , by coinventors darrell mockus , mara segal , and russell greenberg , that was based upon a prior pending u . s . provisional application ser . no . 61 / 237 , 604 filed aug . 27 , 2009 , and entitled “ system and method for dispensing items in an automated retail store or other self - service system ( including vending and self - service check - out or kiosk platforms )”: by co - inventors darrell scott mockus , mara segal and russell greenberg , and priority based on said application is claimed . with initial reference directed to fig1 a - 1e of the appended drawings , a robotized gantry 100 is adapted to be integrated into a multiple - module vending machine or automated retail store ( see vending machine 200 , fig2 a and 2b ). gantry 100 comprises a rigid , upright frame consisting of an upper square portion 101 , supported by vertical upright c - channel support beams 102 attached to a gantry base 110 . an internal elevator comprises a transverse conveyor 105 resting upon an elevator conveyor tray 107 within the gantry 100 . conveyor 105 comprises a flexible sheet looped and entrained about a pair of spaced apart rollers 105 b that are journalled in the frame at 120 ( fig1 d ). the elevator is supported by two brackets 109 disposed on opposite ends of conveyor tray 107 . the elevator , and thus conveyor 105 and tray 107 can be raised or lowered using pulleys 103 ( fig1 a ) that are attached atop the vertical support beams 102 and which entrain 9 mm wide and 3605 mm long belts 104 . preferably conveyor tray 107 has a pair of retractable , product collection wings 106 that open in response to wing hinge assembly 108 when the elevator is in place to collect items that are dispensed from inventory area ( s ) in modules placed on either side of the dispensing gantry 100 . wings 106 span the distance between the conveyor and the inventory shelves caused by the necessary existence of the frame structure to support the conveyor elevator . fig1 c and 1d clarify how gantry components are driven . the conveyor belt 105 is driven by a conveyor stepper motor 111 that uses a 9 mm . wide belt 121 ( fig1 e ) to power a drive pulley connected to a roller bar 112 and feeds the conveyor belt around the conveyor rollers 105 b that are journalled at 120 . the flexible conveyor fabric is wrapped around the conveyor drive roller 112 and the rollers 105 b . the generally rectangular product collection wings 106 are disposed on either side of the conveyor 105 to direct selected products upon the conveyor to vend . the retractable wings 106 are actuated by the wing motor 113 ( 514 fig5 ) connected to the wing hinge assembly 108 ( fig1 a ) which comprises a wing drive shaft ( 124 fig1 f ) that distributes power from the motor to a series of levers 114 and 115 that are connected to hinges 116 secured to the product collection wings 106 . as the motor turns from the closed position , the support levers 115 are pulled downwardly , causing the upper portion of the levers 115 to slide within stabilizer follower slots ( fig1 b ) in hinges 116 . this opens the collection wings 106 to a predetermined width that allows the conveyor 105 to collect products from inventory areas attached to either side of the central gantry dispensing assembly 100 . the motor can be reversed to close the product collection wings . the elevator motor 117 ( 507 fig5 ) is connected to a pulley wheel and uses a 9 mm . wide belt to drive the elevator drive shaft 118 turning two pulleys 129 mounted on either side of the subassembly that drives the elevator belt 104 which loops around the top pulleys 103 thereby raising or lowering the elevator . after a product is collected from the inventory shelf , the elevator is aligned with the collection area compartment behind the collection area opening 204 ( fig2 a ) in the totem door 211 ( fig2 a ). fig1 e provides additional reference for fig1 a through 1d in relation to the mechanisms that drive the conveyor belt in the robotic gantry . parts and components have been removed for clarity . in this view , the belt 121 that drives the pulley 122 connected to roller bar 112 is illustrated . the conveyor 105 is threaded under roller bar 112 and over auxiliary roller bars 123 . fig1 f provides additional reference for fig1 a through 1d in relation to the mechanisms that operate the product collection wings 106 in the robotic gantry . parts and components have been removed for clarity . when motor 113 is actuated from a closed position , drive shaft 124 rotates causing levers 125 to rotate . this causes levers 127 that are connected to levers 125 to contract because of their connection to hinges 126 . these levers are connected to lever 115 at point 128 pulling down forcing the lever connection point to slide in the slot in hinge 116 . crossbar 114 keeps the power distribution even . when the motor is reversed back to the starting position , the levers move in the opposite direction causing the product collection wings 106 to close . fig1 g provides additional reference for fig1 a through 1d in relation to the mechanisms that operate the elevator in the robotic gantry . parts and components have been removed for clarity . motor 117 is connected to pulley 130 which drives belt 131 connected to pulley 132 . pulley 132 is affixed with two set screws driven into flat spots on elevator drive shaft 118 . a support 135 provides additional shaft support between the couplers . the shaft is connected at either end to couplers 119 that deliver power to the belt pulley mechanisms 129 . the couplers 119 each have two flex points that allow the gantry to compensate for any torque on the assembly . the couplers 119 are helical beam couplings that each have two sets of spiral slots , a feature that provides compensation for parallel misalignment , angular misalignment or axial motion issues by flexing to these forces while maintaining a connection on both ends without compromising the coupler integrity . this way , the machine will continue to operate even if the drive shaft gets pulled out of alignment due to natural forces attributed to the installation environment or through warping due to age and wear . this feature greatly increases the mechanism &# 39 ; s ability to perform under structure strain and natural wear . both ends of the elevator belt 104 are attached to clamp 136 . there is one clamp on each side of the gantry ( only one side is visible in the diagram ). these clamps are attached to supports 134 . this clamp pinches the ends each belt 104 and causes the gantry to be attached to a fixed point on the belt . as the pulley assemblies drive the elevator belt in either direction , the gantry raises or lowers the entire elevator assembly accordingly . supports 109 keep the elevator platform level . the elevator tray has a hinge coupler support 133 that consists of a pin and a series of rubber o - rings that fit inside a shaft . this mechanism allows the tray to have some flexibility to compensate for irregular weight distribution of heavy products and natural torque that can occur because of the installation location of the machine and wear and tear on the components that will occur over time . this feature is assisted by the design where the supports only connect on one side of the gantry allowing for additional stress on the frame to occur without impeding the elevator . there is great advantage to having this flexibility built into the gantry mechanism as the inability to compensate for these common forces in automated retailing installations can cause the dispensing mechanism to fail . the alternative of providing a very rigid support structure is cost prohibitive and can add significant weight to the machine that in turn causes logistic issues . with additional reference directed to fig2 a and 2b , a vending machine constructed in accordance with the best mode of the invention has been generally designated by the reference numeral 200 ( fig2 a ). much of the hardware details are explained in the aforementioned pending applications that have been incorporated by reference herein . display module 210 can be attached with a hinge to an inventory area covered by control panel 211 , comprised of a rigid upright cabinet , or the module 210 can be mounted to a solid structure as a stand - alone retail display . the display module 210 forms a door hinged to an adjacent cabinet such as an inventory cabinet 212 a adjacent gantry 100 that is covered by control column 211 . a variety of door configurations known in the art can be employed . for example , the display doors can be smaller or larger , and they can be located on one or both sides of the control column 211 . the display doors can have multiple square , oval , circular , diamond - shaped , rectangular or any other geometrically shaped windows . alternatively , the display area can have one large display window with shelves inside . a customizable , lighted logo area 201 ( fig2 a ) is disposed at the top of column 211 . touch screen display 202 is located below area 201 . panel 203 locates the machine payment system , coin acceptor machine or the like . additionally panel 203 can secure a receipt printer , keypad , headphone jack , fingerprint scanner or other access device . the product retrieval area 204 is disposed beneath the console 211 in a conventional collection area compartment ( not shown ). a key lock 205 , which can be mechanical or electrical such as a punch - key lock , is disposed beneath the face of the module 210 . one or more motion sensors 214 are disposed within smaller display tubes within the console interior . a plurality of generally circular product viewing areas 207 and a plurality of generally diamond shaped viewing areas 206 are defined upon the outer the face of the casing 208 that are aligned with internal display tubes behind the product viewing surface areas , though the shape of the viewing areas may alter with various merchandising concepts . however , the convention of framing merchandising offerings is consistent to enable intuitive interfacing whether a physical or virtual representation of the merchandise display . the reference numeral 209 designates an exterior antenna that connects to a wireless modem inside the machine providing connectivity . 213 shows inventory shelves which may be mounted in the inventory cabinet 212 . these inventory shelves may contain any mechanism such as conveyors or spiral vending systems as long as they can push a product off the edge of the inventory tray . speakers 215 are mounted in the column 211 . a camera 216 capable of capturing video and still images is also mounted in the column 211 . the machine components are set on casters 217 with feet that can be retracted for moving or lowered to position a machine in a deployed location . fig2 b shows a standard configuration of the assembly . the robotized modular gantry 100 is shown connected to an inventory cabinet 212 a by bolting the upright c - channel structures 102 of the modular gantry 100 to upright c - channel beams 219 which are then affixed to the upright c - channel structures 220 of the inventory cabinet using additional bolts . power and controls are routed to the modular gantry via a wiring harness ( not depicted ) located on the bottom of the modular gantry . the cpu and power supplies ( detailed in fig4 and 5 ) are located in the bottom of the main inventory cabinet that is attached to a modular gantry . a second inventory cabinet 2128 can also be attached to the other side of the robotized modular gantry 100 using the same method of bolting the upright supports of the inventory cabinets 220 and the upright supports of the gantry 102 to a common upright c - channel support 219 . power and control cables for the additional inventory system modules and power and control cables for the additional lighting modules can be connected via cables with standard connectors ( not pictured ). display doors 210 can be attached to the inventory cabinets via a piano hinge 218 running the full height of the door . the necessary electrical and control wiring connects via a wiring harness 221 located on the interior of the inventory cabinet near the hinge connection . these piano style hinges are located on the exterior corners of the inventory cabinets . they are covered with simple metal paneling if they are not in use . the totem doors 211 are attached in a similar manner using a piano hinge 218 . the necessary electrical and control wiring connect to a wiring harness located in the interior of the totem door ( wiring harness not depicted ). with primary reference directed to fig3 , a system consisting of a plurality of automated retail machines connected via a data connection to a centralized , backend operations center system has been designated by the reference numeral 300 . at least one automated retail machine 301 is deployed in a physical environment accessible by a consumer who can interact with the machine 301 directly . there can be any number of machines 301 , all connected to a single , remote logical operations center 330 via the internet 320 ( or a private network ). the operations center 330 can physically reside in a number of locations to meet redundancy and scaling requirements . the machine software is composed of a number of segments that all work in concert to provide an integrated system . logical area 302 provides the interface to deal with all of the machine &# 39 ; s peripherals such as sensors , keypads , printers and touch screen . area 303 handles the monitoring of the machine and the notifications the machine provides to administrative users when their attention is required . area 304 controls the reporting and logging on the machine . all events on the machine are logged and recorded so they can be analyzed later for marketing , sales and troubleshooting analysis . logical area 305 is responsible for handling the machine &# 39 ; s lighting controls . logical area 306 is the inventory management application . it allows administrative users on location to manage the inventory . this includes restocking the machine with replacement merchandise and changing the merchandise that is sold inside the machine . administrative users can set the location of stored merchandise and the quantity . logical area 307 is the retail store application . it is the primary area that consumers use to interface with the system . logical area 308 handles the controls required to physically dispense items that are purchased on the machine or physically dispense samples that are requested by a consumer . this area reads the data files that tell the machine how many and what types of inventory systems are connected to the machine . logical area 309 controls the inventory management system allowing authorized administrative users to configure and manage the physical inventory in the machine . area 310 controls the payment processing on the machine . it manages the communication from the machine to external systems that authorize and process payments made on the machine . area 311 is an administrative system that allows an authorized user to manage the content on the machine . this logical area handles the virtual administrative user interface described previously . the content can consist of text , images , video and any configuration files that determine the user &# 39 ; s interaction with the machine . the latter applications interface with the system through an application layer designated in fig3 by the reference numeral 312 . this application layer 312 handles the communication between all of these routines and the computer &# 39 ; s operating system 313 . layer 312 provides security and lower level messaging capabilities . it also provides stability in monitoring the processes , ensuring they are active and properly functioning . logical area 331 is the user database repository that resides in the operations center 330 . this repository is responsible for storing all of the registered user data that is described in the following figures . it is logically a single repository but physically can represent numerous hardware machines that run an integrated database . the campaign and promotions database and repository 332 stores all of the sales , promotions , specials , campaigns and deals that are executed on the system . both of these databases directly interface with the real - time management system 333 that handles real - time requests described in later figures . logical area 334 aggregates data across all of the databases and data repositories to perform inventory and sales reporting . the marketing management system 335 is used by administrative marketing personnel to manage the marketing messaging that occurs on the system ; messages are deployed either to machines or to any e - commerce or digital portals . logical area 336 monitors the deployed machines described in fig2 , and provides the tools to observe current status , troubleshoot errors and make remote fixes . logical area 337 represents the general user interface portion of the system . this area has web tools that allow users to manage their profiles and purchase products , items and services . the content repository database 338 contains all of the content displayed on the machines and in the web portal . logical area 339 is an aggregate of current and historical sales and usage databases comprised of the logs and reports produced by all of the machines in the field and the web portals . fig4 and 5 illustrate system wiring to interconnect with a computer 450 such as advantech &# 39 ; s computer engine with a 3 ghz cpu , 1 gb of ram memory , 320 gb 7200 rpm hard disk drive , twelve usb ports , at least one serial port , and an audio output and microphone input . the computer 450 ( fig4 and 5 ) communicates to the lighting system network controller via line 479 . through these connections , the lighting system is integrated to the rest of system . power is supplied through a plug 452 that powers an outlet 453 , which in turn powers a ups 454 such as triplite &# 39 ; s ups ( 900 w , 15 va ) ( part number smart1500lcd ) that conditions source power , which is applied to input 455 via line 456 . power is available to accessories through outlet 453 and ups 454 . computer 450 ( fig4 ) is interconnected with a conventional payment reader 458 via cabling 459 . a pin pad 485 such as sagem denmark int1315 - 4240 is connected to the cpu 450 via a usb cable . an optional web - accessing camera 461 such as a logitech webcam ( part number 961398 - 0403 ) connects to computer 450 via cabling 462 . audio is provided by transducers 464 such as happ controls four - inch speakers ( part number 49 - 0228 - 00r ) driven by audio amplifier 465 such a happ controls kiosk 2 - channel amplifier with enclosure ( part number 49 - 5140 - 100 ) with approximately 8 watts rms per channel at 10 % thd with an audio input though a 3 . 5 mm . stereo jack connected to computer 450 . a receipt printer 466 such as epson &# 39 ; s eu - t300 thermal printer connects to the computer 450 via cabling 467 . the printer is powered by a low voltage power supply such as epson &# 39 ; s 24 vdc power supply ( part number ps - 180 ). a remote connection with the computer 450 is enabled by a cellular link 470 such as multitech &# 39 ; s verizon cdma cellular modem ( part number mtcba - c - ip - n3 - nam ) powered by low voltage power supply 472 . the cellular link 470 is connected to an exterior antenna 209 . a touch enabled liquid crystal display 474 such as a ceronix 22 ″ widescreen ( 16 : 10 ) touch monitor for computer operation also connects to computer 450 . a bluetooth adapter 487 such as d - link &# 39 ; s dbt - 120 wireless bluetooth 2 . 0 usb adapter is attached to the cpu allowing it to send and receive bluetooth communication . a wireless router 488 such as cisco - linksys &# 39 ; wrt610n simultaneous dual - n band wireless router is connected to the cpu to allow users to connect to the machine via a private network created by the router . digital connections are seen on the right of fig4 . gantry - y ( conveyor elevator ), stepper motor controller such as the arcus advanced motion driver + controller usb / rs485 ( part number arcus ace - sde ) connection is designated by the reference numerals 476 . 477 connects to the conveyor motor controller which can also be something similar to an arcus advanced motion driver + controller usb / rs485 ( part number arcus ace - sde ). dispenser control output is designated by the reference numeral 478 which operates the product collection wings motor 113 ( fig1 b ). the led lighting control signals communicate through usb cabling to a dmx controller 479 that transmits digital lighting control signals in the rs - 485 protocol to the display tube lighting circuit board arrays . an enttec - brand , model dmx usb pro 512 i / f controller is suitable . cabling 480 leads to vending control . one or more inventory systems can be connected to the vending control depending on the configuration . dispenser door control is effectuated via cabling 481 . façade touch sensor inputs arrive through interconnection 482 . motion sensor inputs from a motion sensor such as digi &# 39 ; s watchport / d ( part number watchport / d 301 - 1146 - 01 ) are received through connection 483 . a usb connection connects the product weight sensor 484 such as sartorius ( part number ff03 vf3959 ) that is located in the collection area to determine the presence of a dispensed item . fig5 illustrates a detailed power distribution arrangement 500 . because of the various components needed , power has to be converted to different voltages and currents throughout the entire system . the system is wired so that it can run from standard 110 v . a . c . power used in north america . it can be converted to run from 220 v . a . c . for deployments where necessary . power from line - in 455 supplied through plug 452 ( fig4 ) powers a main junction box 453 with multiple outlets ( fig4 , 5 ) that powers ups 454 which conditions source power , and outputs to computer 450 line 456 . power is available to accessories through main junction box 453 and ground - fault current interrupt ac line - in 455 . an additional ac outlet strip 501 such as triplite &# 39 ; s six position power strip ( part number tlm606nc ) powers led lighting circuits 502 and a touch system 503 . power is first converted to 5 volts to run the lighting board logic using a converter 540 . another converter , 541 , converts the ac into 24 volt power to run the lights and touch system . an open frame power supply 505 ( fig5 ) provides 24 vdc , 6 . 3 a , at 150 watts . power supply 505 powers y - controller 506 such as the arcus advanced motion driver + controller usb / rs485 ( part number arcus ace - sde ), that connects to y axis stepper motor 507 ( 117 fig1 c & amp ; 1d ). a suitable stepper 507 can be a moons - brand stepper motor ( part number moons p / n 24hs5403 - 01n ). power supply 505 also connects to a conveyor controller 508 , which can be an arcus - brand advanced motion driver + controller usb / rs485 ( part number arcus ace - sde ), that connects to a conveyor stepper 509 ( 111 in fig1 c and fig1 d ). a moons - brand stepper motor ( part number moons p / n 24hs5403 - 01n ) is suitable for stepper 509 . power supply 505 ( fig5 ) also powers dispenser controller 510 , dispenser door control 511 , and vending controller 512 . controller 510 powers collection wing motor 514 ( 113 fig1 c and 1d ) and door motor 515 . motors 514 and 515 can be canon - brand dc gear motors ( part number 05s026 - dg16 ). controller 512 operates conveyor motors 516 such as micro - drives dc gear motor ( part number m32p0264ysgt4 ). the logo space 201 ( fig2 ) is illuminated by lighting 518 ( fig5 ) powered by supply 505 . supply 505 also powers lcd touch screen block 520 ( fig5 ) such as a kristel 22 ″ widescreen ( 16 : 10 ) lcd touch monitor with usb connection for the touch panel . ups 454 ( fig5 ) also powers an ac outlet strip 522 that in turn powers a receipt printer power supply 523 such as epson &# 39 ; s 24 vdc power supply ( part number ps - 180 ) that energizes receipt printer 524 such as epson &# 39 ; s eu - t300 thermal printer , an audio power supply that powers audio amplifier 527 such a happ controls kiosk 2 - channel amplifier with enclosure ( part number 49 - 5140 - 100 ), and a low voltage cell modem power supply 530 that runs cellular modem 531 such as multitech &# 39 ; s verizon cdma cellular modem ( part number mtcba - c - ip - n3 - nam ). a proximity sensor 214 ( fig2 ) such as a digi watchport / d part number 301 - 1146 - 01 is connected to the cpu 450 . 532 is a door sensor and actuator such as hamlin &# 39 ; s position and movement sensor ( part 59125 ) and actuator ( part 57125 ) which are connected to the cpu 450 . subroutine 600 ( fig6 ) illustrates the preferred method of initializing the machine and inventory and dispensing system at system runtime . the process begins at step 601 when the system application is launched . step 602 reads in and parses the lighting xml file 603 . the lighting file contains a sequence of lighting sequences to be performed for various user actions on the system such as selecting a product or category , adding to the virtual shopping bag and removing it from the shopping bag . these lighting sequences dictate both the onscreen coloring of products in the virtual display and the lighting of products in the physical display . these values are cached in local memory as an application variable . step 604 checks if there are any fatal errors . fatal errors are ones that prevent the system from allowing a user to complete a transaction . all errors are logged using the reporting and logging system 303 ( fig3 ). non - fatal errors are noted in the log file so they can be examined later to correct the issue . if the error is fatal , the process goes to step 605 where the user is notified of an error and given customer support information and an alert notification is sent out to the notification system 303 ( fig3 ). the system is placed in an idle state where the touch screen will display a message noting that the machine is currently not in service . the system will attempt to recover in step 606 by attempting to start the application process again and reinitialize the system . if there are no fatal errors , the process continues to step 607 that reads in and parses the planogram file 608 . the planogram file contains the product identification number , or item identification number , a product name and a boolean value if it is active or not for each display slot number . these values are cached in local memory as an application variable . step 609 checks if there are any fatal errors . if there are fatal errors , it routes to step 605 , otherwise the process continues at step 610 . step 610 reads in all of the inventory xml files . these files instruct the system on what inventory cabinets are attached to the machine and what inventory is in what inventory slots . each inventory slot is designated by the cabinet it is located in , the shelf it is on , the size of the inventory slot and the motors that drive the dispensing mechanism . using this information , the application can determine the shelf location ( height ). the xml file information is cached and then accessed during product dispensing to guide the robotic gantry elevator to the correct shelf height to collect a product . the dispensing motor information is used by the dispenser control to turn on the motor that dispenses the product until a mechanical switch is activated determining the product has been dispensed to the gantry elevator . because of the centralized layout of the robotic gantry , it does not matter which inventory system is connected or even what side from which the product is being dispensed . it only matters what shelf the product is on so the elevator can move to the correct height to collect the product . step 610 reads in all of the screen templates 611 that determine the layout of the visual selection interface . step 612 checks if there are any fatal errors . if there are fatal errors , it routes to step 605 , otherwise the process continues at step 613 . step 613 reads in all of the screen templates 611 that determine the layout of the user interface and all of the screen asset files 614 associated with the screen templates 611 . these asset files can be images or extended markup files that represent buttons , header banners graphics that fit into header areas , directions or instructions that are displayed in designated areas , image map files that determine which area on an image corresponds represents which area on the physical facade or images representing the physical façade . these assets are cached into local memory in the application . step 615 checks if there are any fatal errors . if there are fatal errors , it routes to step 605 , otherwise the process continues at step 616 . step 616 reads and parses the product catalog files 617 . the product catalog stores all of information , graphics , specifications , prices and rich media elements ( e . g . video , audio , etc .) for each item or product in the system . each element is organized according to its identification number . these elements can be stored in a database or organized in a file folder system . these items are cached in application memory . step 618 checks if there are any fatal errors . if there are fatal errors , it routes to step 605 , otherwise the process continues at step 619 . step 619 reads in all of the system audio files 620 and the file that the stores the actions with which each audio file is associated . audio files can be of any format , compressed or uncompressed such as wav , aiff , mpeg , etc . an xml file stores the name of the application event and the sound file name and location . step 621 checks if there are any fatal errors . if there are fatal errors , it routes to step 905 , otherwise the process continues at step 622 . step 622 does a system wide hardware check by communicating with the system peripherals and controllers 302 and 308 ( fig3 ). step 623 checks if there are any fatal errors . if there are fatal errors , it routes to step 605 , otherwise the process continues at step 624 . step 624 launches the application display on the touch screen interface . the system then waits for user input 625 . subroutine 700 ( fig7 ) illustrates the preferred runtime method the machine uses to dispense items to an end user during a user session . the process begins at step 701 after a user completed a transaction that purchases the merchandise about to be vended . this process assumes that a separate process has already checked that the inventory is available for vending and it has been paid for . the routine is passed a list of items to be dispensed . for items that have multiple quantities , each item is listed as a separate item . step 702 reads this list into the process memory . step 703 determines if the dispensing system is busy processing another request . if the dispensing system is busy for any reason , step 704 pings the resource until it is free and then directs the process to step 708 where the first ( or next ) item in the list is read . step 705 is a timer that monitors step 704 to determine if the wait for the resource times out to a preset time . if it does time out , the process is considered to have an error and it directs control to step 706 that sends out an alert using the notification system designated by 303 ( fig3 ). step 707 attempts the recovery of the system by running any preprogrammed diagnostics and self repairing routines that check and restart power and communication links to the system . if the system cannot automatically recover , the machines goes into an idle state and a message is displayed on the main screen indicating the machine is currently out of service preventing users from using the system . if the system resources are free , step 708 reads the next item to be vended from the list and retrieves its associative information into memory . this information was originally loaded into the system as the inventory xml file 611 ( fig6 ) read into memory in step 610 . the item , or product id is used to retrieve this information . information associated with the identification number includes the item &# 39 ; s location in the inventory system ( shelf height and corresponding elevator position represented as the position the elevator needs to be in to properly collect the dispensed product ), the dispensing motors associated with vending the item from the inventory shelf and item details such as its name to prompt the user , and its weight and dimensions which are used in conjunction with the product weight sensor 484 ( fig6 ) to determine a successful vend . step 709 uses this information to move the elevator tray assembly 107 ( fig1 a ) to the correct shelf height for the current item being vended . the elevator height is determined by preset position values that tell the stepper motor where to position itself on the vertical aspect of the gantry . the stepper motor has an encoder that communicates with the controller to verify the position . this combination of hardware allows the software to set a height value and have the stepper motor and the stepper controller ensure the correct position is attained . if there is a detectable error with the elevator mechanics , an error message is generated and sent out by step 706 . step 707 will again try to recover if possible . if the elevator assembly reaches the correct height and position as designated by the product information record , the product collection wings 106 ( fig1 a and 1b ) are expanded to create an extended landing area that will catch products coming off the inventory trays 213 ( fig2 ). if an error in this process is detected , an error message is generated and step 706 will send out an alert . otherwise , if the elevator is in position and the production collection wings are extended , step 711 will use the information retrieved in the product record to activate the motor ( s ) associated with that item of inventory . a mechanical switch is used to indicate that the motor has revolved enough times to properly dispense the product or item off the shelf at which point it falls on to the product collection wings and into the conveyor 105 ( fig1 a and 1b ). errors are again detected if present and routed to the notification system in step 706 . step 712 retracts the product collection wings so the elevator can freely move up and down in the dispensing assembly . this step also assists in positioning the product on the conveyor where it can be delivered to the user later in the process . any detected errors in this step are routed to step 706 . if there are no errors , step 713 moved the elevator gantry to the user collection area . the movement of the elevator mechanically opens up the product collection area by activating levers that open the top and back of the area . if no errors are detected , step 714 notes which control activated the dispensing process . this is only relevant when the machine is configured for dual sided vending ( see fig9 and 11 ). step 715 then spins the conveyor in the direction of the user that initiated the dispensing process . if no errors were detected , step 716 repositions the elevator that reverses the mechanical operation that opened the back of the collection area and closed it sealing off the internal components of the machine from the user . if no errors were detected , step 717 turns on the lights in the collection area 204 ( fig2 ) and opens the exterior collection area door . step 718 prompts the user on the screen 202 ( fig2 ) to collect their product . step 719 monitors signals from the product weight sensor 484 ( fig4 ) records the weight and matches it against the product weight information stored in the inventory xml file 611 ( fig6 ). this sensor could also be a motion or light curtain sensor . if the item was not removed for a preset amount of time , the user is prompted again to collect their item in step 718 . if user does not collect their product after a set number of attempts , an error is generated . if the sensor determines the user has removed their item , the process continues to step 720 where the exterior door is closed and the product collection area lights are turned off . the system again monitors for any mechanical errors in this process ( line to step 706 not shown ). step 721 determines if there are any additional items in the list of items to be vended . if there are additional items to be vended , the process routes back to step 703 where it begins again for the next item . if there are no more items to be vended , the process ends at step 722 . with reference directed to fig8 , an alternative vending machine 800 constructed in accordance with the best mode of the invention incorporates a variant on the display module designated as 210 in fig2 a . in this version the display module has a plurality of generally square product viewing areas 801 that present an alternative display , different from the diamond and circle display windows designated at 206 and 207 respectively in fig2 a . with reference directed to fig9 , an alternative 900 ( fig9 ) shows an alternative configuration of the machine where it has been outfitted to dispense merchandise out of both the front and back of the machine . this machine has display modules 210 affixed to both sides of the inventory cabinet 212 . it also has a vertical control column 211 affixed to both sides of the central robotic gantry 100 . this configuration allows the unit to serve two people at the same time . with reference directed to fig1 , alternative machine 1000 represents a similar configuration but with only one inventory cabinet 212 and display module 210 . these are once again attached to the common centralized robotic dispensing gantry 100 . in this configuration a simple metal plate 1001 ( not shown ) cut the size of the dispensing system tower is affixed to the side where the inventory cabinet was attached in fig8 using the same bolts to secure the system . with reference directed to fig1 , another configuration of a vending machine 1100 utilizes the centralized robotic dispensing gantry 100 with one inventory cabinet and two display modules 210 and two vertical control columns 211 . as in fig9 , this configuration allows for two users to simultaneously interact with the machine while using only one robotic dispensing mechanism and sharing a common inventory cabinet . it will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations . this is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims . as many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof , it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense . | 6 |
a mask of amorphous carbon can be prepared by a variety of techniques over a wide range of process conditions . some of the most common techniques which are useful for preparing this material include : plasma - assisted cvd , i . e ., the plasma decomposition of a hydrocarbon , and variations ; glow discharge ( rf and dc ) sputter deposition ; single and dual ion beam sputter deposition ; reactive ion beam deposition ; evaporation ; and ion plating . depending on the deposition technique and conditions selected , the chemical and physical properties of the amorphous carbon will vary ; the chemical properties from amorphous carbon ( a - c ) to hydrogenated amorphous carbon ( a - c : h ), the physical properties from diamond - like to graphite - like . the hydrogen content of hydrogenated amorphous carbon is typically between 5 and 60 atomic percent . hydrogenated amorphous carbon which serves as a durable mask is determined easily through routine examination using , for example , scanning electron microscopy ( sem ), from data obtained by experiment . to be considered highly durable , the ratio of the etch rate of gaas to that of the mask should exceed 50 : 1 or more typically , 75 - 100 : 1 . for dry etch processes in chlorine containing ambients , the etch rate of gaas to that of the mask has been found to exceed 100 : 1 . chlorine containing gases or gas mixtures other than those given by the example , e . g ., bcl 3 , bcl 3 / ar , etc ., may be useful also as long as the ambient is a suitable ambient for the dry etch processing of gaas . with an etch rate ratio of 100 : 1 a mask of hydrogenated amorphous carbon , 0 . 1 microns thick , can be expected to withstand etch processes which remove up to 10 microns of gaas . a mask of this thickness would easily permit the lithographic patterning of features with widths as small as 0 . 1 micron . an example which illustrates use of the present invention is described in detail below . in this example multiple pairs of laser diode emitters and photodiode detectors are fabricated on a single substrate . the electrical contacts to these devices are aligned between both dry and wet etch features ; dry etch features in one dimension , wet etch features in the other . a view of a substrate containing such devices is shown in fig1 . in this figure the top electrical contacts 1 to the laser diode emitters 2 and photodiode detectors 2 are shown aligned with etch facets 4 formed through dry etch processing . ( the laser diode emitters and photodiode detectors are identical structures in this figure .) use of a dry etch process provides the anisotropy needed to obtain facets with near vertical walls . dry processing is not required , however , to form etch features in gaas for all applications . in this example the isolation ( both electrical and optical ) of adjacent pairs of devices was achieved through use of features 5 having re - entrant profiles formed by wet etch processing along the [ 011 ] direction of gaas ( 100 ). deposition of metal overlayers through a line of sight deposition process produced top surface electrical contacts which aligned directly with the features formed by the wet etch processing . the alignment of the contacts to these , i . e ., wet etch , features is not part of the present invention . use of the present invention to pattern overlayers on gaas and to align the overlayers with etch features produced by dry etch processing is illustrated in fig2 . reference is made in describing this figure to the example depicted in fig1 where the overlayers are top surface electrical contacts . in fig2 a , a layer of lithographically patternable material 11 , e . g ., photoresist or electron beam sensitive resist , is shown applied over the surface of a gaas substrate 10 . the region of gaas covered by this layer is assumed to be appropriate , i . e ., suitably doped ( typical p - dopant concentrations greater than or equal to 1 × 10 19 / cm 3 ), to accommodate an appropriate electrical contact . this layer 11 is patterned according to accepted practices to provide a mask with a first set of spaced openings with features suitable for lift - off processing as shown in fig2 b . one or more layers 12 of material suitable for use as an electrical contact on gaas is applied over both the features 11 and in openings in the mask onto substrate 10 ( fig2 c ). a layer of hydrogenated amorphous carbon 13 is applied over this , i . e ., contact , layer ( s ) to form a durable , process integrable mask ( fig2 d ). the features 11 with the contact and hydrogenated amorphous carbon overlayers are removed by lift - off processing providing a second set of openings to the substrate 10 which are offset in space from the first ( fig2 e ). an anneal of the contact overlayer 12 and the underlying gaas is performed to produce an ohmic contact . at this point the backside of the substrate is prepared ( lapped and polished , if necessary ) for application of a backside contact . the backside contact 14 , which consists of one or more layers , is applied ( fig2 f ) and annealed ( again to produce an ohmic contact with the substrate ). next , the front surface of the substrate is subjected to a dry etch , either a reactive ion etch ( rie ) or a chemically - assisted ion beam etch ( caibe ), in a chlorine containing ambient to form the desired features ( fig2 g ). in this etch the hydrogenated amorphous carbon layer 13 is the mask which protects the underlying contact layer 12 and substrate . following this etch the substrate is subjected to another rie using oxygen o 2 to remove the hydrogenated amorphous carbon 13 . the electrical contacts patterned by this process are self - aligned with the newly formed etch features ( fig2 h ). alternative dry etch techniques may be substituted for any of the rie steps specified above if more convenient . application of the present invention is described in detail as it applies to the example depicted in fig1 . in this example a 2 inch diameter wafer of n - type gaas ( 100 ) with n ≧ 10 18 / cm 3 having the epitaxial layer structure shown in fig4 was cleaved into a number of 1 × 1 cm 2 substrates . these substrates were cleaned using procedures well known to those skilled in the art and coated with a layer of si 3 n 4 ( 0 . 245 microns thick ) via pecvd ( plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition ; 48 mw / cm 2 , 13 . 56 mhz using sih 4 ( 9 . 6 sccm ) and n 2 ( 81 sccm ) at a total pressure of 610 mtorr and a temperature of 380 ° c . a photolithography step ( photolith # 1 in fig3 ) followed to form the device isolation pattern . the stripes formed by this lithography step were aligned along the [ 011 ] direction . the si 3 n 4 on the surface of the gaas between the stripes was removed by rie at 0 . 55 w / cm . sup . 2 in chf ( 45 sccm ) and o 2 ( 5 sccm ) at a pressure of 80 mtorr . a wet etch followed using h 2 so 4 : h 2 o 2 : h 2 o ( 1 : 8 : 8 ) at 7 ° c . for 4 minutes to form features in the substrate 6 - 8 microns deep having a re - entrant profile such as 5 in fig1 . the photoresist from photolith # 1 was removed , the substrates were cleaned , and the photoresist for a second photolithography step , photolith # 2 , was applied . this resist was patterned as indicated in fig3 opening up windows for a zn diffusion process step . this was followed by another rie in chf 3 o 2 to remove the si 3 n 4 layer between the stripes ( using the same conditions as before ). after 1 rie the photoresist from photolith # 2 was removed and the substrates were cleaned and etched in hcl : h 2 o ( 1 : 1 ) for 60 seconds at 23 ° c . a coating of zno x / sio 1 - x was applied with a cap layer of sio 2 and annealed at 650 ° c . for 40 minutes to effect zn diffusion into the substrate to form p - doped regions ( p & gt ;= 10 19 / cm 3 ). the residual zinc silicate and sio 2 cap were next removed by wet etching in boe for 60 seconds . a rinse followed in hcl : h 2 o ( 1 : 1 ) for 60 seconds to remove all surface oxide . the substrates were again cleaned and photoresist for a third photolithography step , photolith # 3 , was applied . this resist was patterned as indicated in fig3 with features perpendicular to the stripes formed during the previous photolithography steps , photolith # 1 and photolith # 2 . the resist in this step was treated to permit use of imidazole based lift - off process . the substrates were cleaned and etched in h 3 po4 4 : h 2 o 2 : h 2 o ( 3 : 1 : 100 ) for 30 seconds and in hcl : h 2 o ( 1 : 1 ) for 60 seconds ( both at room temperature ). the electrical contact to the p - doped regions was then vapor deposited via e - beam . this contact was composed of layers of ti ( 0 . 07 micron thick ), pt ( 0 . 04 micron thick ), au ( 0 . 2 micron thick ), pt ( 0 . 04 micron thick ), and ti ( 0 . 04 micron thick ). a layer of hydrogenated amorphous carbon ( 0 . 1 micron thick ) was deposited over the top of this metal overlayer by the plasma - assisted cvd technique ( substrates placed on the powered electrode , 800v self - bias , 1 mtorr ch 4 ). the outermost 0 . 04 micron thick layer of ti served as an adhesion layer for the carbon . following lift - off of the features from photolith # 3 the wafer was annealed via a rapid thermal process ( 500 ° c . for 60 seconds in dry nitrogen ) to produce an ohmic contact between the p - doped gaas and the metal . the backside of the substrates was next lapped , polished and prepared ( using the same pre - metal clean and etch as above ) for deposition of the backside electrical contact ( to n - gaas ). the backside metal comprising layers of ni ( 0 . 005 micron thick ), auge ( 0 . 1 micron thick ) and ni ( 0 . 1 micron thick ) was vapor deposited and rapid thermal annealed ( 400 ° c . for 30 seconds in dry nitrogen ) to make the contact ohmic . the si 3 n 4 exposed after removal of the lift - off features from photolith # 3 was removed by rie ( using the same conditions as in photolith # 1 ). chemically - assisted ion beam etching ( caibe ) was used to etch the facets ( 4 in fig1 ) between the laser and photodiodes in the gaas substrate under the following conditions : kauffman source , ar flow , 3 sccm ; chlorine flow , 12 sccm ; pressure , 2 × 10 - 4 torr ; voltage , 500 v ; current density , 0 . 4 ma / cm 2 ; and substrate temperature , 115 ° c . the top electrical contacts ( 1 in fig1 ) were self - aligned in one dimension with the facets produced by caibe . in the other dimension the contacts were isolated by the re - entrant device isolation stripes ( 5 in fig1 ) formed after photolith # 1 . rie at 0 . 41 w / cm 2 in o 2 at a pressure of 40 mtorr was used to remove the remaining layer of hydrogenated amorphous carbon and rie at 0 . 41 w / cm . sup . 2 in cf 4 / o 2 ( 96 vol % cf 4 , 4 vol % o 2 ) at a pressure of 100 mtorr was used to remove the outermost ( 0 . 04 micron thick ) ti layer from the p - contact . leads were connected to the p and n contacts to test the devices . the final topography of the substrates with the laser diode emitter - photodiode detector pairs is as illustrated in fig1 . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to a certain preferred embodiment thereof , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 8 |
reference will now be made to the figures wherein like structures will be provided with like reference designations . it is understood that the drawings are diagrammatic and schematic representations of presently preferred embodiments of the invention , and are not limiting of the present invention nor are they necessarily drawn to scale . in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . it will be obvious , however , to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known aspects of cardboard balers and recyclable plastics have not been described in particular detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present invention . referring now to fig1 , a conventionally formed cardboard bale 100 includes a compacted single layer 102 of cardboard . as depicted , the compacted cardboard bale 100 is bound together by bands 104 to keep the cardboard bale 100 in a compacted state . cardboard bale 100 can be formed by a cardboard baler as generally depicted in fig4 or any other suitable baler or device used to compact cardboard . typically , the majority of the individual pieces of cardboard that form cardboard bale 100 come from the same product distribution activities that generate most recyclable plastic film . as previously noted , it has been conventionally held that cardboard cannot be mixed with plastic film in collecting materials for recycling . more particularly , the chemical and mechanical processes for recycling cardboard and plastic film cannot work if both are present . it has therefore been axiomatic that cardboard bales , such as bale 100 , cannot contain any plastic film or the whole bale must be discarded . this is because not only can the materials not be mixed in recycling processes , but the cost of separating plastic film from cardboard is too high for cost - effective recycling . as a result , mixed cardboard and plastic bales have heretofore been discarded as waste . contrary to this conventional thinking , however , it has been surprisingly found that plastic film can be effectively combined with cardboard in forming a combined cardboard and plastic film bale . as generally depicted in fig2 , one embodiment of such a combined cardboard and plastic film bale 200 incorporates a first layer 204 of cardboard , a layer 202 of plastic film , and a second layer 206 of cardboard . the plastic film layer 202 is in effect sandwiched between the two cardboard layers 204 , 206 . the compacted plastic / cardboard bale is bound together by bands 208 . it can be readily seen in fig2 how a significant amount of plastic film has been compacted to a very small space in the plastic / cardboard bale . in addition , it is also apparent that a significantly less amount of plastic is used in this plastic / cardboard bale than if the entire bale were formed of only plastic film . thus , because a smaller amount of plastic film can be compacted in a single bale , the plastic can be disposed of in a timely fashion from a single location . in contrast , if the plastic were required to fill the entire bale , it would require many days , weeks , or even months to fill a single bale , requiring great expense to store a significant amount of uncompacted plastic . although it is preferred to have cardboard layers both above and below the plastic film layer , other embodiments of the invention may use only a single cardboard layer on one side of a plastic film layer . alternatively , a plastic / cardboard bale may have numerous layers . for example , fig3 illustrates several plastic film layers 256 , 260 , 264 sandwiched between several cardboard layers 254 , 258 , 262 , 266 to form a plastic / cardboard bale having a thickness 252 . of course , one skilled in the art , in view of the disclosure herein , could configure a plastic / cardboard bale with any number of layers of plastic and cardboard . the limiting factor is that the thickness of each plastic layer and the number of such plastic layers must be cost effective . this use of numerous plastic film layers may be preferable in locations where there is little storage space for loose plastic or cardboard and so it is desirable to frequently compact the on hand loose plastic and cardboard in multiple layers . with reference now to fig4 , a conventional cardboard baler 400 is used to form plastic / cardboard bales according to embodiments of the invention . using conventional cardboard balers greatly reduces the cost to retailers and distributors that already have the balers on - site in that they do not have to acquire another machine nor do they have to store two machines , one for cardboard and one for plastic . the construction and operation of conventional cardboard balers , such as for example cardboard baler 400 , is well known in the art and will not be described in great detail herein . most conventional balers are designed to form 48 inch , 60 inch , or 72 inch bales . generally , it can be seen that cardboard and plastic can each be inserted through a top opening 402 while a gate 404 is in the open position . in the illustration , a series of bags 302 containing plastic film have been inserted into the baler . although not visible in the illustration , a layer of compacted cardboard of preferably twelve to eighteen inches is already formed below the uncompacted plastic bags 302 . after the gate 404 is closed , the baler 400 can then be operated to compact the plastic bags 302 into a compacted plastic film layer over the previously compacted cardboard layer . it is preferably to load and compact several cycles of plastic bags , for example eight to twelve , to form an ideally sized plastic film layer . for example , a preferred plastic film layer will be from about nine inches to about eighteen inches in thickness . after the plastic film layer is formed , an operator preferably inserts a cycle of cardboard and then operates baler 400 to compress a layer of cardboard over the plastic film layer . this top layer may be formed over several load cycles and preferably has a thickness of twelve to eighteen inches . finally , the finished bale is bound , preferably with wire in contrast to conventional plastic bands , to keep it compacted and then ejected from the baler 400 . preferably the bales have two wires at each end to further bind the bales . fig5 illustrates a completed and bound bale 200 seated within the bottom portion of baler 400 . alternatively , as illustrated in fig3 and previously discussed , multiple layers of plastic film can be formed within a single bale and top or bottom cardboard bales can be omitted . these embodiments are less preferred , however . referring now to fig6 , forming stacks of plastic / cardboard bales 200 a - c is important in the recycling industry because it allows for economy of storage and transport efficiency . completed plastic / cardboard bales 200 a - c are typically stored for a time at distribution and recycling centers , as seen in fig6 , stacked on top of one another to conserve space . during transport to these locations , bales are typically stacked on top of one another on a flat - bed trailer . as the trailers travel , turn corners , bounce , etc ., the need for increased stability is important as bales shift and tend to lose their structural integrity . the weight of these bales is often over one thousand pounds , accentuating the tendency of the bales to shift and lose structural integrity . the structure of the inventive bales is particularly beneficial in that having cardboard layers 204 a - c , 206 a - c sandwich plastic layers 202 a - c forms structural bookends that allow the bales to maintain form and be transported safely and effectively . in other words , whereas the plastic layers are not strong enough to effectively stack perpendicularly on their own , the cardboard end layers provide excellent structural integrity so the bales can be stacked perpendicular to gravity without collapsing . the top and bottom cardboard layers 204 a - c , 206 a - c therefore preferably each have a thickness of at least about twelve inches to provide good support , but as few as six inches or even three inches may also be used in some embodiments . in addition , the cardboard ends of the plastic / cardboard bales allow the bales to be tightly secured by straps tightened by a winch on a flat - bed trailer without the force of the straps breaking the bales part . accordingly , one embodiment of the invention is a method of transporting or storing plastic / cardboard bales by stacking two or more plastic / cardboard bales , wherein each of the bales has a cardboard layer , perpendicular to the stack , on each end of each bale such that the bales do not lose structural integrity and do not collapse . such cardboard layers preferably have a thickness of least about three inches , more preferable at least about six inches , still more preferably at least about twelve inches . in addition to providing structural support , the top and bottom cardboard layers 204 a - c , 206 a - c also help contain loss of debris when the bales 200 a - c are transported on an open flat - bed trailer . cardboard is less likely to pull loose in the wind than plastic and so having cardboard at the end pieces reduces the likelihood of plastic being pulled loose . the cardboard layers are also beneficial when the bales are stored on the ground in that the cardboard absorbs water , reducing the amount of water entering the plastic . one example process of implementing the invention involves first gathering recyclable plastic film to a single location . such plastic may include plastic generated on - site , for example plastic shrink wrap or plastic garment bags removed from clothing prior to sale . plastic may also be gathered from other locations . for example , a collection location may have a plastic bag collection program wherein consumers can return their small plastic grocery or shopping bags for recycling . in addition , plastic bags can be collected throughout a community , such as at local schools , to promote recycling and thereby provide the double effect of providing a revenue stream for the store ( sales of recyclable plastic ) and by generating community goodwill . the gathered plastic film must then be stored for a brief period of time . storing recyclable plastic according to one embodiment of the invention includes providing a specially designed collection area . as seen in fig7 and 8 , such a collection area may be for example a tall narrow ball bin 280 , 300 similar to those currently used to store large rubber balls and the like . within a ball bin 280 , 300 a plurality of single plastic bags 302 , such as a garbage bags , are filled with shrink wrap and other accumulated plastic . the plastic bags 302 are preferably themselves recyclable plastic film bags having other recyclable plastic film therein . a ball bin 280 , 300 can be conveniently located near a cardboard baler so that bags 302 of plastic film can be stored vertically to minimize occupied floor space . the ball bins can also be formed or placed on a pallet 288 or wheeled dolly so it can be moved as desired . in the embodiment of fig7 , the ball bin 280 can have a lightweight frame 282 , for example formed of pvc . the depicted ball bin has a funneled top opening 290 and plurality of bungee cords or ropes 286 that keep bags 302 from falling out . for storage , the plastic bags can be either tossed in through the funneled top opening or pushed between the movable bungee retainer cords 286 . the bags can then be removed for compacting by pulling them through the movable bungee retainer cords 286 . in the depicted embodiment of fig8 , in another example the ball bin also be a metal cage having top and bottom openings where the plastic bags 302 can be tossed in and removed . the bags of plastic are preferably stored in a ball bin until it is completely full . that volume of plastic is then loaded into the baler over a series of compacting cycles to make a plastic / cardboard bale . it has been determined that one bin of approximately 4 feet in width , 4 feet in depth , and ten feet in height can hold the plastic generated over two to three days by a typical large retail store or discount warehouse . it is preferable to make each plastic layer as thick as possible to reduce the number of plastic / cardboard bales . fewer plastic / cardboard bales is preferable since it reduces the number of bales that need to be specially handled . it is estimated that large retail stores using a ball bin as describe herein to store plastic film will generate approximately one plastic / cardboard bale for every eight or nine cardboard bales . upon formation of a plastic / cardboard bale , such as for example plastic / cardboard bale 200 or plastic / cardboard bale 250 . the plastic / cardboard bale can then be stored on - site until it is shipped to a plastic and cardboard processing center , optionally via other distribution locales such as returns centers . because , the plastic film has been compacted in the plastic / cardboard bales , it takes up the less space in a trailer or other transportation vehicle as a similar weight of loosely gathered plastic film . at the downstream plastic and cardboard processing center the bale is separated into its constituent parts , for example first cardboard layer 204 , plastic layer 202 , and second cardboard layer 206 . because the plastic film in the plastic / cardboard bale is contiguous , the compact plastic layer can be easily and readily removed and isolated for recycling . thus , neither the plastic nor the cardboard is contaminated by the other . cardboard balers typically form bales that are about forty - eight inches tall , about sixty to seventy - two inches wide , and about thirty inches deep . a single plastic layer , in turn , may comprise from about three inches to about thirty - six inches or more in height . alternatively , the layer of plastic film can be described as being at least about 5 % of the bale thickness , more preferably from about 10 % to about 70 % of the bale thickness . while less than about 3 inches , or less than about 5 %, can be used in embodiments of the invention , unless the price per pound for recyclable plastic film becomes very high it is significantly less financially feasible to process a bale to collect such a relatively small volume of plastic . in addition , having at least about 30 % cardboard in each bale helps ensure sufficient rigidity for bale stability and containment or plastic . a lower cardboard layer will preferably be from about 5 % to about 95 % of the bale thickness , more preferably about 75 % of the bale thickness . the optional top cardboard layer is preferably thinner than the bottom cardboard layer such that it can be more easily removed when the bale is disassembled . a top cardboard layer thickness of about three to twelve inches , more preferably about six inches to about nine inches , is therefore preferred . although not necessary , the use of the top cardboard layer is preferred as it helps keep the bale more compact and intact than it would be if plastic film were on the top of the bale . of course , the denotations of top and bottom are interchangeable and the bales can be formed in an inverse manner to that described hereinabove . various approaches can be used to track the weight of plastic film that is pressed into each plastic / cardboard bale . one efficient manner of keeping track of the volume of plastic that is compacted in each bale is simply to measure the thickness of each plastic layer and multiply that thickness times other known constants such as the dimensions of the bale to determine an approximate plastic volume . this number is particularly helpful for use in determining the value of the plastic that has been recovered . for example , it is currently known that every three inches of compacted plastic film in a 60 ″ by 48 ″ by 30 ″ bale weights about 50 pounds . a 72 ″ by 48 ″ by 30 ″ bale , in turn weights about 65 pounds . thus , upon the formation of the bale the thickness of the plastic film layer can be approximately measured in inches and a weight estimate can be made . alternatively , the thickness of the plastic film layer can be estimated as a fraction of the bale thickness . regardless , the entire bale can also be weighed so that the correct fractional portion of the load is assigned to the plastic film layer . past measurements of separated bales as well as the known densities of plastic and cardboard can be used to create tables that indicate any adjustments to these estimates if more precise estimates are desired . at the plastic and cardboard processing center , the whole bales can be again weighed . after the bales are broken open and the plastic is separated from cardboard the plastic can once more be weighed to get a final accurate measurement of the recovered plastic film . of course , not all of these measurements may be necessary depending upon the accuracy and tracking that is desired . after sorting the cardboard and plastic , each of the cardboard and plastic can be baled separately and shipped either on truck or rail car to paper and plastic consuming manufacturers throughout the country . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics . the described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is , therefore , indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope . | 1 |
according to fig1 , the machine 1 for the laser welding of , in particular , metal workpieces , has a workpiece support table 2 on which a workpiece 3 is placed during processing , a laser processing head 4 with a laser processing nozzle 5 and a moving unit 6 to move the laser processing nozzle 5 relative to the workpiece 3 . the movement unit 6 is provided on a machine base body 7 and comprises three linearly translatable movement carriages 8 , 9 , 10 , by means of which the laser processing head 4 can be moved about three orthogonally running movement axes 11 , 12 , 13 . the laser processing head 4 can rotate on the carriages about a vertical drive axis 14 and can pivot about a horizontal pivot axis ( not shown ). the laser processing head 4 or , respectively , the laser processing nozzle 5 can follow relatively freely almost any desired path of a weld seam 16 to be produced along the workpiece 3 , by means the movement unit 6 . a supply unit 17 is arranged laterally on the machine base body 7 . the supply unit 17 comprises , amongst other things , a laser resonator and at least partially a system for supplying the process gas ( not shown ). the laser processing beam 18 generated in the laser resonator and the process gases are fed through beam guide and supply lines 19 to the processing zone 20 . the numerical machine control 21 which serves to control the apparatus 1 is shown by way of example underneath the supply unit 17 . the illustrated configuration of the machine 1 , in particular the configuration of the machine axes and the spatial arrangement of the supply unit 17 and the machine control 21 are merely exemplary in nature . many variations are conceivable . fig1 shows the machine 1 during the processing of the workpiece 3 . a weld seam 16 is being produced on the workpiece 3 by means of the laser beam 18 . the laser beam 18 is moved by means of the movement unit 6 along the movement axis 13 relative to the workpiece 3 . in a continuous process — during which the laser beam 18 is neither stopped nor switched off — a continuous weld seam 16 is produced . according to fig1 , a first section of the weld seam 16 has been produced already . in fig2 , the processing zone 20 of the machine 1 is shown with a section of the laser processing head 4 . also , the system for feeding the process gas 22 including the setting device 23 for the process gas feed and the associated control machine 24 is illustrated highly diagrammatically . it can be seen from fig2 that the process gas can be fed to the processing zone 20 along three different paths . by using a cross jet nozzle 25 , a process gas can flow transversely to the path of the laser beam 18 and leave again through an outlet opening 26 which is simply indicated . the action of the cross jet gas prevents emissions coming from the processing point 27 , to which the laser beam 18 is applied to the workpiece 3 , and reaching focussing optics in the form of a lens 28 shown further above in fig2 . another path by which process gas is fed is through process gas ducts 29 in the laser processing nozzle 5 . the process gas fed through the ducts 29 flows essentially coaxially to the laser beam 18 to the processing point 27 . a working gas for example , such as air , is fed via this feed line . lastly , process gas can be fed by means of a laterally arranged gas nozzle 30 which is aligned towards the processing point 27 . the process gas fed in this manner or the process gas mixture fed in this manner serves as protective gas . the processing point 27 is shielded effectively from the ambient air by the process gas . the protective gas used can be , for example , helium , argon , nitrogen or carbon dioxide or a mixture of several of these gases . in order to set the particular quantity of process gases per unit of time which are fed to the processing zone , the nozzles 25 , 30 or ducts 29 are connected via a respective proportional control valve unit 31 with respective gas source 32 . the proportional control valve units 31 each comprise a proportional control valve 33 and a control unit 34 , by means of which the proportional control valve 33 can be controlled by the central machine control 21 . ( standard -) control functions , in particular a ramp function for changing the quantity of process gas per unit of time , are stored in the control units 34 . the control units 34 are connected in particular via a bus system 35 to the central machine control 21 . the proportional control valve units 31 form part of the supply unit 17 , for example . a processing program 36 which executes the welding operation is provided in the machine control 21 . the processing program 36 comprises control commands , which determine , in particular , the quantity of process gas per unit of time that is fed to the processing zone . in this respect , the control apparatus 24 of the setting device 23 of the process gas feed is largely incorporated in the numerical apparatus control 21 . in particular , a stabilization time and a first and a second , smaller specified value for the quantity of process gas per unit of time are stored by the processing program 36 in the control apparatus 24 or machine control 21 , whereby the process gas is intended to be fed as a protective gas by means of the lateral gas nozzle 30 to the processing zone 20 . based on the specified values and the stabilization time , the proportional valve 33 associated with the gas nozzle 30 is controlled to provide a quantity of process gas per unit of time , an example of which is shown in fig3 . as the processing begins ( t 1 ), the laser processing nozzle 5 is positioned over a point where the weld seam 16 to be produced is to start . the laser beam 18 is switched on . the flow of protective gas is started at least almost at the same time . the inflow of protective gas per unit of time ( q 1 ) is set based on the first specified value . the quantity of protective gas per unit of time is 17 l / min , for example . a first weld seam section is now produced on the workpiece 3 by moving the laser beam 18 along the workpiece 3 until the specified stabilization time finishes ( t 2 ). from the start ( t 1 ) of the processing , 5 to 6 seconds , for example , may go by until reaching the stabilization time . without stopping the movement of the laser beam 18 relative to the workpiece 3 or switching off the laser beam 18 , from this point in time the quantity of process gas per unit of time is reduced gradually for a transitional period . the transitional period ends ( t 3 ), when the quantity of process gas per unit of time ( q 2 ) is set based on the second specified value . the quantity can be a mere 10 l / min , for example . accordingly , the quantity of process gas per unit of time can be reduced by 40 %, for example . the transitional period lasts for 3 s , for example , that is , between 30 % to 50 % of the stabilization time . the remainder of the welding operation is performed with the reduced quantity of process gas per unit of time ( q 2 ). at the end of the welding ( t 3 ), the laser beam is switched off and the process gas feed stopped . the length of time during which the reduced quantity of process gas ( q 2 ) per unit of time is fed depends largely on the length of the weld seam 16 . when the welding operation has finished , a further welding operation can be carried out at another place on the workpiece 3 and the steps described above are repeated . if a protective gas mixture is fed through the gas nozzle 30 , the total quantity of gas per unit of time can be controlled in an analogous manner . moreover , it should be mentioned that , during the described processing method , for example , no amount of working gas or an independently controlled quantity of working gas per unit of time and / or no amount of cross jet gas or an independently controlled amount of cross jet gas per unit of time can be fed to the processing zone 20 . a programming system 37 in the form of a computer programme product is also provided in the numerical machine control 21 , which has encoding means suitable for performing a method of producing a processing program 36 when the computer program product is operated on the numerical apparatus control 21 . the computer programme product can be operated , however , on a separate data processing system and the processing program 36 thereby produced can then be transferred to the machine control 21 . the programming system 37 has an automatic input and / or selection capability 38 for selecting the first and second specified values and for the stabilization time . in particular , the programming system 37 also comprises a technological database 39 , in which suggestions for specified values and stabilization times for different applications are stored . the operator can accept or modify the suggestions . the input and / or selection capability 38 can be used in advance to choose between operating in process energy - saving mode or operating without the automatic reduction in the process gas . a number of embodiments of the invention have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims . | 1 |
the formulation according to the invention will generally contain a solubilisation agent to aid solubilisation of the fluticasone propionate in the formulation . suitable solubilisation agents include propylene glycol and ethanol , preferably ethanol . other suitable solubilisation agents include ethers ( eg dimethyl ether ). alkanes may also be of use . a further solubilisation agent of interest is dimethoxymethane ( methylal ) which has good solvency properties . we have also found ethylacetate to be a solubilising agent with good solvency properties . as a particular aspect of the present invention we provide a pharmaceutical aerosol formulation comprising ( i ) fluticasone propionate , ( ii ) a hydrofluoroalkane ( hfa ) propellant , ( iii ) a low volatility component to increase the mass median aerodynamic diameter ( mmad ) of the aerosol particles on actuation of the inhaler and ( iv ) a solubilisation agent in sufficient quantity to solubilise the fluticasone propionate in the formulation . the presence of the low volatility component in the solution formulation increases the fine particle mass ( fpm ) as defined by the content of stages 3 - 5 of an andersen cascade impactor on actuation of the formulation relative to solutions formulations which omit this component . solution formulations which omit the higher volatility component generally give rise to a particle size distribution which have a higher content of finer particles ; such distributions generally do not match the distribution of the existing commercialised suspension formulations which contain cfc &# 39 ; s and may therefore not be bio - equivalent . examples of hfa propellants include 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane ( hfa134a ) and 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - n - propane ( hfa227 ) and mixtures there of . the preferred propellant is 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane ( hfa134a ). an alternative propellant of interest is 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - n - propane ( hfa227 ). the preferred low volatility component is glycerol , propylene glycol or polyethyleneglycol ( eg peg 200 or peg 400 ), especially glycerol . polyethylene glycol is also of particular interest , especially peg400 . preferably it is present in an amount of 0 . 5 to 3 % ( w / w ), especially around 1 % ( w / w ). more specifically , the present invention can be defined as a pharmaceutical aerosol formulation which comprises : ( iv ) a solubilisation agent ( particularly ethanol ) in sufficient quantity to solubilise the fluticasone propionate in the formulation . we prefer the formulation to be suitable for delivering a therapeutic amount of fluticasone propionate in one or two actuations . preferably , the formulation will be suitable for delivering 25 - 250 μg per actuation , especially 25 μg , 50 μg , 125 μg or 250 μg per actuation . however , as mentioned in the foregoing , the amount of ethanol required to dissolve high concentrations of fluticasone propionate may tend to depress the vapour pressure of the propellant to an undesirable degree . the vapour pressure should desirably remain above around 50 psi . therefore the formulation is most suitable for delivering 25 - 125 μg per actuation , especially 25 - 50 μg per actuation . the formulation according to the invention will be used in association with a suitable metering valve . we prefer that the formulation is actuated by a metering valve capable of delivering a volume of between 50 μl and 100 μl , eg 50 μl or 63 μl . 100 μl is also suitable . when a 50 μl metering volume is used , the final concentration of fluticasone propionate delivered per actuation would be 0 . 1 % w / v ( which equates to 0 . 1 g of fluticasone propionate per 100 ml of formulation ) or approx . 0 . 083 % w / w ( which equates to 0 . 083 g of fluticasone propionate per 100 g of formulation ) for a 50 μg dose , 0 . 25 % ( w / v ) or approx . 0 . 21 % ( w / w ) for a 125 μg dose , 0 . 5 % ( w / v ) or approx . 0 . 42 % ( w / w ) for a 250 μg dose and 0 . 05 % ( w / v ) or approx 0 . 042 % ( w / w ) for a 25 μg dose . wherein a 63 μl metering volume is used , the final concentration of fluticasone propionate delivered per actuation would be 0 . 079 % ( w / v ) or approx . 0 . 067 % ( w / w ) for a 50 μg dose , 0 . 198 % ( w / v ) or approx . 0 . 167 % ( w / w ) for a 125 μg dose , 0 . 397 % ( w / v ) or approx . 0 . 333 % ( w / w ) for a 250 μg dose and 0 . 04 % ( w / v ) or approx . 0 . 033 % ( w / w ) for a 25 μg dose . when a 100 μl metering volume is used , the final concentration of fluticasone propionate delivered per actuation would be 0 . 05 % w / v ( which equates to 0 . 05g of fluticasone propionate per 100 ml of formulation ) or approx . 0 . 042 % w / w ( which equates to 0 . 042 g of fluticasone propionate per 100 g of formulation ) for a 50 μg dose , 0 . 125 % ( w / v ) or approx . 0 . 11 % ( w / w ) for a 125 μg dose , 0 . 25 ,% ( w / v ) or approx . 0 . 21 % ( w / w ) for a 250 μg dose and 0 . 025 % ( w / v ) or approx 0 . 021 % ( w / w ) for a 25 μg dose . the previously quoted w / w figures are approximate in that they do not compensate in the mismatch in density between hfa134a and ethanol , however the precise figures may be readily determined . the formulation is most suitable for concentrations of fluticasone propionate in the range 0 . 025 to 0 . 25 % ( w / v ), preferably 0 . 025 to 0 . 15 % ( w / v ), more preferably 0 . 035 to 0 . 15 % ( w / v ), particularly 0 . 04 to 0 . 1 % ( w / v ). a concentration of 0 . 025 to 0 . 04 % ( w / v ) is also of particular interest . formulations of the present invention containing such low concentrations of fluticasone propionate may have particular physical stability advantages relative to suspension formulations containing the same wherein particles of fluticasone propionate may be susceptible to ostwald ripening or to drug deposition on the canister wall or on parts of the valve as discussed above . drug deposition is especially problematic in low strength fluticasone propionate suspension formulations because the amount of drug lost through deposition on internal surfaces of the metered dose inhaler can represent a significant proportion of the total available drug and therefore have a significant effect on dosing uniformity through the life of the product . the solution formulations of the present invention overcome or substantially mitigate such disadvantages . use of a larger metering chamber eg 100 μl will generally be preferred . we prefer the formulation to contain between 0 . 5 and 2 % w / w , more preferably between 0 . 8 and 1 . 6 % w / w , particularly between 1 . 0 and 1 . 6 % w / w glycerol . another range of particular interest is 0 . 5 - 1 % ( w / w ) glycerol . we especially prefer to use 1 . 3 % ( w / w ) glycerol . we also especially prefer to use 1 . 0 % w / w glycerol . depending on the final concentration of fluticasone propionate in the formulation , the propellant , and the precise amount of low volatility component , the concentration of solubilisation agent ( eg ethanol ) required will vary . so as not to suppress the vapour pressure of the propellant to an undesirable extent , the amount of ethanol should preferably not exceed around 35 %. the amount of ethanol will more preferably be in the range 5 to 30 %, particularly 5 to 20 %, more particularly 10 to 20 %. a range of 7to 16 % w / w is also particularly preferred , more particularly 7 to 11 % w / w . when the concentration of fluticasone propionate is around 0 . 1 % w / v and the propellant is 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane , an amount of ethanol of 16 - 24 % w / w eg 16 - 18 % w / w , especially around 16 % w / w is particularly suitable but is more preferably 20 - 22 % w / w especially around 21 % w / w . when the concentration of fluticasone propionate is around 0 . 05 % w / v and the propellant is 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane , an amount of ethanol of 7 - 11 % w / w eg 7 - 8 % w / w , especially around 7 % w / w is particularly suitable but is more preferably 9 - 11 % w / w especially around 10 % w / w . when the concentration of fluticasone propionate is around 0 . 079 % w / v and the propellant is 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane , an amount of ethanol of 15 - 17 % w / w especially around 16 % is suitable . when the concentration of fluticasone propionate is around 0 . 198 % w / v and the propellant is 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane , an amount of ethanol of 34 - 36 % w / w eg around 35 % is suitable . when the concentration of fluticasone propionate is around 0 . 025 % w / v and the propellant is 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane , an amount of ethanol of 7 - 9 % w / w especially around 8 %, more preferably around 7 % is suitable . when the concentration of fluticasone propionate is around 0 . 025 % w / v and the propellant is 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - n - propane , an amount of ethanol of 13 - 15 % w / w especially around 14 % is suitable . when the concentration of fluticasone propionate is around 0 . 05 % w / v and the propellant is 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - n - propane , an amount of ethanol of 17 - 19 % w / w especially around 18 % is suitable . when the concentration of fluticasone propionate is around 0 . 05 % w / v and the propellant is 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane , an amount of ethylacetate as solubilisation agent of 13 - 16 % w / w especially around 15 % is suitable . when the concentration of fluticasone propionate is around 0 . 05 % w / v and the propellant is 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane , an amount of dimethoxymethane ( methylal ) as solubilisation agent of 13 - 16 % w / w especially around 15 % is suitable . the above generally described formulations are particularly preferred in conjunction with 1 . 0 - 1 . 6 % w / w glycerol , particularly 1 . 0 % w / w glycerol or 1 . 3 % w / w glycerol . formulations according to the invention which are free of surfactants are preferred . formulations according to the invention which are free of all excipients besides the solubilisation agent ( eg ethanol ), low volatility component ( such as glycerol ) and the propellant are particularly preferred . formulations according to the invention will preferably contain fluticasone propionate as the only medicament . however formulations which contain medicaments in addition to fluticasone propionate such as beta adrenergic agonists and anti - cholinergic compounds may also be contemplated . the pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention may be filled into canisters suitable for delivering pharmaceutical aerosol formulations . canisters generally comprise a container capable of withstanding the vapour pressure of the hfa propellant , such as plastic or plastic - coated glass bottle or preferably a metal can , for example an aluminium can which may optionally be anodised , lacquer - coated and / or plastic - coated , which container is closed with a metering valve . it may be preferred that canisters be coated with a fluorocarbon polymer as described in wo 96 / 32151 , for example , a co - polymer of polyethersulphone ( pes ) and polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ). another polymer for coating that may be contemplated is fep ( fluorinated ethylene propylene ). the metering valves are designed to deliver a metered amount of the formulation per actuation and incorporate a gasket to prevent leakage of propellant through the valve . the gasket may comprise any suitable elastomeric material such as for example low density polyethylene , chlorobutyl , black and white butadiene - acrylonitrile rubbers , butyl rubber and neoprene . thermoplastic elastomer valves as described in wo92 / 11190 and valves containing epdm rubber as described in wo95 / 02651 are especially suitable . suitable valves are commercially available from manufacturers well known in the aerosol industry , for example , from valois , france ( eg . df10 , df30 , df60 ), bespak plc , uk ( eg . bk300 , bk356 , bk357 ) and 3m - neotechnic ltd , uk ( eg . spraymiser ™ ). the df31 valve of valois , france is also suitable . valve seals , especially the gasket seal , and also the seals around the metering chamber , will preferably be manufactured of a material which is inert to and resists extraction into the contents of the formulation , especially when the contents include ethanol . valve materials , especially the material of manufacture of the metering chamber , will preferably be manufactured of a material which is inert to and resists distortion by contents of the formulation , especially when the contents include ethanol . particularly suitable materials for use in manufacture of the metering chamber include polyesters eg polybutyleneterephthalate ( pbt ) and acetals , especially pbt . materials of manufacture of the metering chamber and / or the valve stem may desirably be fluorinated , partially fluorinated or impregnated with fluorine containing substances in order to resist drug deposition . valves which are entirely or substantially composed of metal components ( eg spraymiser , 3m - neotechnic ) are especially preferred for use according to the invention . conventional bulk manufacturing methods and machinery well known to those skilled in the art of pharmaceutical aerosol manufacture may be employed for the preparation of large scale batches for the commercial production of filled canisters . thus , for example , in one bulk manufacturing method a metering valve is crimped onto an aluminium can to form an empty canister . the medicament is added to a charge vessel and a mixture of ethanol , low volatility component and liquefied propellant is pressure filled through the charge vessel into a manufacturing vessel . an aliquot of the formulation is then filled through the metering valve into the canister . typically , in batches prepared for pharmaceutical use , each filled canister is check - weighed , coded with a batch number and packed into a tray for storage before release testing . in an alternative process , an aliquot of the liquified formulation is added to an open canister under conditions which are sufficiently cold that the formulation does not vaporise , and then a metering valve crimped onto the canister . in an alternative process an aliquot of medicament dissolved in the solubilising agent and any low - volatility component is dispensed into an empty canister , a metering valve is crimped on , and then the propellant is filled into the canister through the valve . typically , in batches prepared for pharmaceutical use , each filled canister is check - weighed , coded with a batch number and packed into a tray for storage before release testing . each filled canister is conveniently fitted into a suitable channelling device prior to use to form a metered dose inhaler for administration of the medicament into the lungs or nasal cavity of a patient . suitable channelling devices comprise , for example a valve actuator and a cylindrical or cone - like passage through which medicament may be delivered from the filled canister via the metering valve to the nose or mouth of a patient eg . a mouthpiece actuator . in a typical arrangement the valve stem is seated in a nozzle block which has an orifice leading to an expansion chamber . the expansion chamber has an exit orifice which extends into the mouthpiece . actuator ( exit ) orifice diameters in the range 0 . 15 - 0 . 45 mm particularly 0 . 2 - 0 . 45 mm are generally suitable eg 0 . 15 , 0 . 22 , 0 . 25 , 0 . 30 , 0 . 33 or 0 . 42 mm . we have found that it is advantageous to use a small diameter eg 0 . 25 mm or less , particularly 0 . 22 mm since this tends to result in a higher fpm and lower throat deposition . 0 . 15 mm is also particularly suitable . the dimensions of the orifice should not be so small that blockage of the jet occurs . actuator jet lengths are typically in the range 0 . 30 - 1 . 7 mm eg 0 . 30 , 0 . 65 or 1 . 50 mm . smaller dimensions are preferred eg 0 . 65 mm or 0 . 30 mm . metered dose inhalers are designed to deliver a fixed unit dosage of medicament per actuation or ‘ puff ’, for example in the range of 25 to 250 μg medicament per puff . administration of medicament may be indicated for the treatment of mild , moderate or severe acute or chronic symptoms or for prophylactic treatment . treatment may be of asthma , chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( copd ) or other respiratory disorder . it will be appreciated that the precise dose administered will depend upon the age and condition of the patient , the quantity and frequency of administration will ultimately be at the discretion of the attendant physician . typically , administration may be one or more times , for example from 1 to 8 times per day , giving for example 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 puffs each time . the preferred treatment regime is 1 or 2 puffs of 25 , 50 , 125 or 250 μg / puff fluticasone propionate , 2 times per day . the filled canisters and metered dose inhalers described herein comprise further aspects of the present invention . a still further aspect of the present invention comprises a method of treating respiratory disorders such as , for example , asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( copd ), which comprises administration by inhalation of an effective amount of a formulation herein before described , a further aspect of the present invention comprises the use of a formulation herein before described in the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of respiratory disorders , eg . asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( copd ). as mentioned above the advantages of the invention include the fact that formulations according to the invention may be more environmentally friendly , more stable , less susceptible to oswald ripening or drug deposition onto internal surfaces of a metered dose inhaler , have better dosing uniformity , deliver a higher fpm , give lower throat deposition , be more easily or economically manufactured , or may be otherwise beneficial relative to known formulations . fluticasone propionate : 0 . 1 % w / v 0 . 05 % w / v ethanol : 16 % w / w 7 % glycerol : 1 . 3 % w / w 1 . 3 % 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % to 100 % these solution formulations may be filled into an aluminium canister under pressure and fitted with a metering valve having a 50 μl metering chamber . these formulations are suitable for delivering 50 μg or 25 μg fluticasone propionate per actuation respectively . form . 3a form . 3b form . 3c fluticasone 0 . 1 % w / v 0 . 079 % w / v 0 . 05 % w / v propionate : ethanol : 21 % w / w 16 % w / w 10 % glycerol : 1 . 0 % w / w 1 . 0 % w / w 1 . 0 % 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - to 100 % to 100 % to 100 % tetrafluoroethane : these solution formulations were filled into aluminium canisters ( 120 actuations / canister ; overage of 40 actuations ) under pressure and fitted with a metering valve ( valois df60 ) having metering chambers of volume 50 μl , 63 μl and 100 μl respectively . these formulations are suitable for delivering 50 μg fluticasone propionate per actuation . form . 4a form . 4b form . 4c fluticasone 0 . 1 % w / v 0 . 079 % w / v 0 . 05 % w / v propionate : ethanol : 21 % w / w 16 % w / w 10 % 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - to 100 % to 100 % to 100 % tetrafluoroethane : these solution formulations were filled into aluminium canisters ( 120 actuations / canister ; overage of 40 actuations ) under pressure and fitted with a metering valve ( valois df60 ) having metering chambers of volume 50 μl , 63 μl and 100 μl respectively . these formulations are suitable for delivering 50 μg fluticasone propionate per actuation . fluticasone propionate : 0 . 198 % w / v ethanol : 35 % w / w glycerol : 1 . 0 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % this solution formulation was filled into an aluminium canisters ( 120 actuations / canister ; overage of 40 actuations ) under pressure and fitted with a metering valve ( valois df60 ) having metering chamber of volume 63 μl . this formulation is suitable for delivering 125 μg fluticasone propionate per actuation . fluticasone propionate : 0 . 198 % w / v ethanol : 35 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % this solution formulation was filled into an aluminium canisters ( 120 actuations / canister ; overage of 40 actuations ) under pressure and fitted with a metering valve ( valois df60 ) having metering chamber of volume 63 μl . this formulation is suitable for delivering 125 μg fluticasone propionate per actuation . form . 7a form . 7b form . 7c fluticasone 0 . 05 % w / v 0 . 05 % w / v 0 . 05 % w / v propionate : ethanol : 10 % w / w 10 % w / w 10 % w / w glycerol : 0 . 5 % w / w 2 % w / w 3 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - to 100 % to 100 % to 100 % tetrafluoroethane : these solution formulations were filled into aluminium canisters ( 120 actuations / canister ; overage of 40 actuations ) under pressure and fitted with a metering valve ( valois df60 ) having metering chamber of volume 100 μl . these formulations are suitable for delivering 50 μg fluticasone propionate per actuation . fluticasone propionate : 0 . 025 % w / v 0 . 025 % w / v ethanol : 8 % w / w 7 % w / w glycerol : 1 . 0 % w / w 1 . 0 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % to 100 % these solution formulations were filled into an aluminium canisters ( 120 actuations / canister ; overage or 40 actuations ) under pressure and fitted with a metering valve ( valois df60 ) having metering chamber of volume 100 μl . these formulations are suitable for delivering 25 μg fluticasone propionate per actuation . fluticasone propionate : 0 . 05 % w / v dimethoxymethane : 15 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 05 % w / v ethylacetate : 15 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 05 % w / v dimethoxymethane : 15 % w / w glycerol : 1 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 05 % w / v ethylacetate : 15 % w / w glycerol : 1 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % these solution formulations were filled into aluminium canisters ( 120 actuations / canister ; overage of 40 actuations ) under pressure and fitted with a metering valve ( valois df60 ) having metering chamber of volume 100 μl . these formulations are suitable for delivering 50 μg fluticasone propionate per actuation . fluticasone propionate : 0 . 05 % w / v ethanol : 10 % w / w glycerol : 1 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 05 % w / v ethanol : 10 % w / w peg 200 : 1 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 05 % w / v ethanol : 10 % w / w peg 400 : 1 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 05 % w / v ethanol : 10 % w / w propylene glycol : 1 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 05 % w / v ethanol : 18 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - n - propane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 05 % w / v ethanol : 18 % w / w glycerol : 1 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - n - propane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 025 % w / v ethanol : 14 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - n - propane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 025 % w / v ethanol : 14 % w / w glycerol : 1 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - n - propane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 025 % w / v ethanol : 7 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane : to 100 % fluticasone propionate : 0 . 025 % w / v ethanol : 7 % w / w glycerol : 1 % w / w 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane to 100 % these solution formulations were filled into aluminium canisters ( 120 actuations / canister ; overage of 40 actuations ) under pressure and fitted with a metering valve ( valois df60 ) having metering chamber of volume 63 μl . these formulations are suitable for delivering 31 . 5 μg ( 10a - 10e ) or 15 . 75 μg ( 10f , 10g ) fluticasone propionate per actuation . however the performance of these formulations is a model for formulations that would deliver 50 μg and 25 μg fluticasone propionate using a metering valve of 100 μl . formulations as described in examples 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 were profiled using an andersen cascade impactor , using a 0 . 22 mm ( orifice )× 0 . 65 mm ( jet length ) actuator from bespak ( bk621 variant ). testing was performed on canisters at “ beginning of use ” ( bou ) and delivered drug from 10 actuations was collected in the instrument after 4 priming actuations were fired to waste . results are shown in tables 1 - 4 and fig1 - 4 and 11 . for comparison , data from a flixotide evohaler ( trademark ) ( particulate fluticasone propionate suspensed in hfa134a ( excipient free ) 50 μg per actuation ) product is also shown in some figures . the 0 . 079 % w / v fluticasone propionate products of examples 3 and 4 ( 50 μg per actuation ; 63 μl metering chamber ) were profiled using an andersen cascade impactor in a study to see the effect of actuator orifice diameter and length . results are shown in table 5 and fig5 to 9 . for comparison , data from a flixotide evohaler ( trademark ) ( particulate fluticasone propionate suspensed in hfa134a ( excipient free ) 50 μg per actuation ) product is also shown in some figures . the results show the best performance ( as indicated by highest fpm ) in products containing a relatively low concentration of ethanol ( say around 10 %) and containing glycerol ( say around 1 %). a small actuator orifice diameter ( say around 0 . 22 mm ) is also seen to be preferred . the solubility of fluticasone propionate in ethanol in the presence of hfa134a is shown in fig1 . a study was performed on the 0 . 05 % w / v fluticasone propionate formulations ( hfa134a / 10 % ethanol ) of examples 3 ( formulation 3c ), 4 ( formulation 4c ) and 7 ( formulations 7a , 7b and 7c ) with a 0 . 22 mm × 0 . 65 mm actuator using an andersen cascade impactor to consider the effect of glycerol content on the following properties : ( i ) mmad , ( ii ) throat deposition , and ( iii ) stage 3 - 7 deposition . the results are shown in fig1 - 14 . for maximum deposition in the desired region without excessive throat deposition the optimal glycerol concentration appears to be around 0 . 8 - 1 . 6 % w / w , particularly 1 . 0 - 1 . 6 % w / w . a study was performed using an andersen cascade impactor to compare the properties of formulations containing different solubilising agents . an actuator of dimensions 0 . 22 mm × 0 . 65 mm was used for the study . the results of the analysis of the formulations of example 9 formulations 9a , 9b , 9c and 9d and a comparison with the formulations of example 3 formulation 3c and example 4 formulation 4c are shown in table 6 and fig1 . the ethanol with glycerol profile clearly appears the most attractive since it demonstrates the highest fpm content in view of the high dosing in stages 4 and 4 relative to the other profiles . nevertheless the methylal profiles also looked of significant interest in view of the very low throat deposition . the addition of 1 % glycerol shifted the methylal profile to lower stages only to a small extent , perhaps in view of its greater volatility than ethanol . a higher percentage of glycerol would be expected to increase the magnitude of the shift . a study was performed using an andersen cascade impactor to compare the properties of formulations containing different low volatility components . an actuator of dimensions 0 . 22 mm × 0 . 65 mm was used for the study . the results of the analysis of the formulations of example 10 formulations 10a to 10d are shown in table 7 and fig1 . particularly good profiles are shown by glycerol and peg400 which demonstrate relatively low throat deposition and high dosing in stages 4 and 5 . a study was performed using an andersen cascade impactor to study the properties of 0 . 05 % fluticasone propionate formulations containing 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - n - propane ( hfa227 ) as propellant . an actuator of dimensions 0 . 22 mm × 0 . 65 mm was used for the study . the results of the analysis of the formulations of example 10 formulations 10e and 10f are shown in table 8 and fig1 . comparison with the hfa134a aerosol formulation of formulation 10a is shown . a study was performed using an andersen cascade impactor to study the properties of 0 . 025 % fluticasone propionate formulations containing 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 - tetrafluoroethane ( hfa134a ) or 1 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 3 , 3 - heptafluoro - n - propane ( hfa227 ) as propellant . an actuator of dimensions 0 . 22 mm × 0 . 65 mm was used for the study . the results of the analysis of the formulations of example 10 formulations log to 10j are shown in table 9 and fig1 and 19 . the hfa134a product with ethanol shows a particularly attractive profile eg as shown by a high total delivered dose and a relatively low throat deposition . table 1 : effect of valve on fpm in fluticasone propionate hfa134a solution aerosols ( 50 μg / actuation ) table 2 : effect of different levels of ethanol on fpm in fluticasone propionate / hfa 134a solution aerosols table 3 : effect of different levels of ethanol on fpm in fluticasone propionate / hfa 134a solution aerosols ( valve size effect ignored ) table 4 : cascade impaction analysis of fluticasone propionate / hfa134a solution aerosols ( 125 μg / actuation ) containing 35 % ethanol or 35 % ethanol and 1 % glycerol table 5 : cascade impaction analysis of fluticasone propionate / hfa134a solution aerosols ( 50 μg / actuation ) containing 16 % ethanol or 16 % ethanol and 1 % glycerol table 6 : cascade impaction analysis of fluticasone propionate / hfa 134a solution aerosols ( 50 μg / actuation ) containing various solubiling agents with and without 1 % glycerol table 7 : cascade impaction analysis of fluticasone propionate / hfa134a solution aerosols ( 50 μg / actuation ) containing various low volatility components table 8 : cascade impaction analysis of fluticasone propionate solution aerosols ( 50 μg / actuation ) containing various propellants table 9 : cascade impaction analysis of fluticasone propionate solution aerosols ( 25 μg / actuation ) containing various propellants [ 0132 ] fig1 : effect of valve size and glycerol on fpm in fluticasone propionate solution aerosols in hfa134a ( 50 μg / actuation ) [ 0133 ] fig2 : effect of level of ethanol on fpm in various fluticasone propionate / hfa134a solution aerosols with no addition of glycerol [ 0134 ] fig3 : effect of level of ethanol on fpm in various fluticasone propionate / hfa134a solution aerosols with addition of 1 % glycerol [ 0135 ] fig4 : effect of glycerol on fpm in fluticasone propionate 125 μg / hfa134a solution aerosols containing 35 % ethanol or 35 % ethanol and 1 % glycerol [ 0136 ] fig5 : effect of actuator dimensions on fpm and throat in fluticasone propionate / hfa134a solution aerosols ( 50 μg / actuation ) containing 16 % ethanol [ 0137 ] fig6 : effect of actuator dimensions on fpm and throat in fluticasone propionate / hfa134a solution aerosols ( 50 μg / actuation ) containing 16 % ethanol and 1 % ethanol [ 0138 ] fig7 : the effect of addition of glycerol on fpm in fluticasone propionate 50 μg / hfa134a solution aerosols containing 16 % ethanol or 16 % ethanol and 1 % glycerol ( 0 . 22 mm diameter actuator orifice ) [ 0139 ] fig8 : the effect of addition of glycerol on fpm in fluticasone propionate 50 μg / hfa134a solution aerosols containing 16 % ethanol or 16 % ethanol and 1 % glycerol ( 0 . 33 mm diameter actuator orifice ) [ 0140 ] fig9 : effects of addition of glycerol and actuator dimensions on fpm in fluticasone propionate 50 μg / hfa134a solution aerosols containing 16 % ethanol or 16 % ethanol and 1 % glycerol ( all actuator variants ) [ 0142 ] fig1 : effects of addition of glycerol and actuator dimensions on fpm in fluticasone propionate 50 μg / hfa134a solution aerosols containing 10 % ethanol or 10 % ethanol and 1 % glycerol [ 0143 ] fig1 : effects of addition of glycerol on mmad in fluticasone propionate 50 μg / hfa134a solution aerosols containing 10 % ethanol [ 0144 ] fig1 : effects of addition of glycerol on throat deposition in fluticasone propionate 50 μg / hfa134a solution aerosols containing 10 % ethanol [ 0145 ] fig1 : effects of addition of glycerol on stage 3 - 7 deposition in fluticasone propionate 50 μg / hfa134a solution aerosols containing 10 % ethanol [ 0146 ] fig1 : cascade impaction analysis of fluticasone propionate / hfa134a solution aerosols ( 50 μg / actuation ) containing ethanol , methylal or ethylacetate as solubilising agent , with and without 1 % glycerol [ 0147 ] fig1 : cascade impaction analysis of fluticasone propionate / hfa134a solution aerosols ( 50 μg / actuation ) containing various low volatility components and 10 % ethanol [ 0148 ] fig1 : cascade impaction analysis of fluticasone propionate / hfa227 solution aerosols ( 50 μg actuation ) containing 18 % ethanol with and without 1 % glycerol and comparison with hfa134a aerosol [ 0149 ] fig1 : cascade impaction analysis of fluticasone propionate in hfa227 or hfa134a solution aerosols ( 25 μg actuation ) containing ethanol [ 0150 ] fig1 : cascade impaction analysis of fluticasone propionate in hfa227 or hfa134a solution aerosols ( 25 μg actuation ) containing ethanol and 1 % glycerol throughout the specification and the claims which follow , unless the context requires otherwise , the word ‘ comprise ’, and variations such as ‘ comprises ’ and ‘ comprising ’, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers but not to the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps . above mentioned patents and patent applications are hereinbefore incorporated by reference . fpm fine particle mass fp fluticasone propionate m / c metering chamber bou beginning of use peg polyethyleneglycol form . formulation mmad mass median aerodynamic diameter [ 0154 ] table 1 the effect of valve on fpm in fp 50 μg solution aerosols all data generated with 0 . 22 mm actuator , except hfa134a suspension product tested with 0 . 50 mm actuator μg results cascade impaction formulation ethanol only ethanol and 1 % glycerol hfa134a * ethanol conc . 10 % w / w 16 % w / w 21 % w / w 10 % w / w 16 % w / w 21 % w / w — valve size 100 μl 63 μl 50 μl 100 μl 63 μl 50 μl 50 μl product fp fp fp fp fp fp fp product strength 50 μg 50 μg 50 μg 50 μg 50 μg 50 μg 50 μg device 5 . 7 4 . 3 5 . 3 5 . 2 4 . 1 5 . 2 6 . 6 throat 12 . 7 15 . 2 21 . 2 16 . 0 17 . 1 23 . 1 13 . 5 stage 0 4 . 5 2 . 2 2 . 8 3 . 4 3 . 1 2 . 9 1 . 6 stage 1 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 7 0 . 5 0 . 6 0 . 8 stage 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 1 . 1 0 . 9 0 . 8 1 . 1 stage 3 0 . 3 0 . 2 0 . 3 5 . 4 3 . 9 3 . 8 3 . 2 stage 4 0 . 9 0 . 6 1 . 0 7 . 6 5 . 9 5 . 2 9 . 8 stage 5 9 . 8 6 . 5 7 . 0 8 . 5 7 . 3 5 . 3 11 . 2 stage 6 8 . 6 6 . 8 5 . 6 2 . 4 1 . 6 1 . 6 1 . 4 stage 7 5 . 5 3 . 4 2 . 8 1 . 4 1 . 0 0 . 8 0 . 3 filter 4 . 7 2 . 7 2 . 1 0 . 9 0 . 7 0 . 5 0 . 2 total 53 . 2 42 . 4 48 . 6 52 . 6 46 . 1 49 . 8 48 . 0 total ex - device 47 . 5 38 . 1 43 . 3 47 . 4 42 . 0 44 . 6 43 . 3 fpm , st3 + st4 + st5 11 . 0 7 . 3 8 . 3 21 . 5 17 . 1 14 . 3 15 . 7 fpm , st5 + st6 + st7 23 . 9 16 . 7 15 . 4 12 . 3 9 . 9 7 . 7 8 . 8 [ 0155 ] table 2 effect of different levels of ethanol on fpm in fp / hfa134a solution aerosols all fitted with 63 μl m / c and tested with 0 . 22 mm actuator % results cascade impaction ethanol and formulation ethanol only 1 % glycerol ethanol conc . 16 % w / w 35 % w / w 16 % w / w 35 % w / w valve size 63 μl 63 μl 63 μl 63 μl product fp fp fp fp product strength 50 μg 125 μg 50 μg 125 μg device 10 . 1 12 . 1 8 . 6 12 . 6 throat 35 . 8 62 . 6 38 . 8 63 . 1 stage 0 5 . 2 6 . 5 6 . 3 5 . 8 stage 1 0 . 7 0 . 0 1 . 0 1 . 0 stage 2 0 . 5 0 . 0 1 . 7 1 . 0 stage 3 0 . 5 0 . 9 8 . 2 2 . 9 stage 4 1 . 4 1 . 9 12 . 6 4 . 9 stage 5 15 . 3 6 . 5 15 . 9 4 . 9 stage 6 16 . 0 4 . 7 3 . 3 1 . 9 stage 7 8 . 0 1 . 9 2 . 1 1 . 0 filter 6 . 4 2 . 8 1 . 4 1 . 0 total 100 . 0 100 . 0 100 . 0 100 . 0 total ex - device 89 . 9 87 . 9 91 . 4 87 . 4 fpm , st3 + st4 + st5 17 . 2 9 . 3 36 . 7 12 . 6 fpm , sts + st6 + st7 39 . 3 13 . 1 21 . 3 7 . 8 [ 0156 ] table 3 effect of different levels of ethanol on fpm in fp / hfa134a solution aerosols ( valve size effect ignored ) all tested with 0 . 22 mm actuator , except hfa134a suspension product tested with 0 . 50 mm actuator % results cascade impaction formulation ethanol only ethanol and 1 % glycerol hfa134a * ethanol conc . 10 % w / w 16 % w / w 21 % w / w 35 % w / w 10 % w / w 16 % w / w 21 % w / w 35 % w / w — valve size 100 μl 63 μl 50 μl 63 μl 100 μl 63 μl 50 μl 63 μl 50 μl product fp fp fp fp fp fp fp fp fp product strength 50 μg 50 μg 50 μg 125 μg 50 μg 50 μg 50 μg 125 μg 50 μg device 10 . 7 10 . 1 10 . 9 12 . 1 9 . 9 8 . 6 10 . 4 12 . 6 13 . 3 throat 23 . 9 35 . 8 43 . 6 62 . 6 30 . 4 38 . 8 46 . 4 63 . 1 27 . 2 stage 0 8 . 5 5 . 2 5 . 8 6 . 5 6 . 5 6 . 3 5 . 8 5 . 8 3 . 2 stage 1 0 . 6 0 . 7 0 . 6 0 . 0 1 . 3 1 . 0 1 . 2 1 . 0 1 . 6 stage 2 0 . 4 0 . 5 0 . 4 0 . 0 2 . 1 1 . 7 1 . 6 1 . 0 2 . 2 stage 3 0 . 6 0 . 5 0 . 6 0 . 9 10 . 3 8 . 2 7 . 6 2 . 9 6 . 4 stage 4 1 . 7 1 . 4 2 . 1 1 . 9 14 . 4 12 . 6 10 . 4 4 . 9 19 . 7 stage 5 18 . 4 15 . 3 14 . 4 6 . 5 16 . 2 15 . 9 10 . 6 4 . 9 22 . 5 stage 6 16 . 2 16 . 0 11 . 5 4 . 7 4 . 6 3 . 3 3 . 2 1 . 9 2 . 8 stage 7 10 . 3 8 . 0 5 . 8 1 . 9 2 . 7 2 . 1 1 . 6 1 . 0 0 . 6 filter 8 . 8 6 . 4 4 . 3 2 . 8 1 . 7 1 . 4 1 1 . 0 0 . 4 total 100 . 0 100 . 0 100 . 0 100 . 0 100 . 0 100 . 0 100 . 0 100 . 0 100 total ex - device 89 . 3 89 . 8 89 . 1 87 . 8 90 . 1 91 . 3 89 . 6 87 . 4 86 . 7 fpm , st3 + st4 + st5 20 . 7 17 . 2 17 . 1 9 . 3 40 . 9 36 . 7 28 . 6 12 . 7 48 . 7 fpm , st5 + st6 + st7 44 . 9 39 . 3 31 . 7 13 . 1 23 . 5 21 . 3 15 . 4 7 . 8 25 . 9 [ 0157 ] table 4 cascade impaction analysis of fp / hfa134a 125 μg solution aerosols containing 35 % ethanol or 35 % ethanol and 1 % glycerol ( 0 . 22 mm actuator 63 μl m / c valois valve ) formulation ethanol only ethanol and glycerol stage of use bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) sample fp125 / fp125 / fp125 / fp125 / id a3 / 1 a3 / 1 mean a3 / 1 a3 / 2 mean device 13 . 6 10 . 7 12 . 2 14 . 4 10 . 9 12 . 7 throat 59 . 2 73 . 9 66 . 6 64 . 7 64 . 4 64 . 6 stage 0 6 . 8 6 . 9 6 . 9 5 . 6 5 . 9 5 . 8 stage 1 0 . 5 0 . 3 0 . 4 0 . 5 0 . 5 0 . 5 stage 2 0 . 3 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 6 0 . 8 0 . 7 stage 3 0 . 5 0 . 4 0 . 5 2 . 4 2 . 6 2 . 5 stage 4 2 . 2 1 . 7 2 . 0 4 . 8 5 . 0 4 . 9 stage 5 8 . 5 6 . 1 7 . 3 5 . 5 5 . 0 5 . 3 stage 6 5 . 2 4 . 1 4 . 7 2 . 0 1 . 7 1 . 9 stage 7 2 . 4 1 . 8 2 . 1 1 . 1 0 . 8 1 . 0 filter 2 . 1 2 . 7 2 . 4 0 . 7 0 . 5 0 . 6 total 101 . 3 108 . 7 105 . 0 102 . 3 98 . 1 100 . 2 total ex - device 87 . 7 98 . 0 92 . 9 87 . 9 87 . 2 87 . 6 fpm , st3 + st4 + 11 . 2 8 . 2 9 . 7 12 . 7 12 . 6 12 . 7 st5 fpm , st5 + st6 + 16 . 1 12 . 0 14 . 1 8 . 6 7 . 5 8 . 1 st7 [ 0158 ] table 5 cascade impaction analysis of fp / hfa134a 50 μg solution aerosols containing 16 % ethanol or 16 % ethanol and 1 % glycerol ( 63 μl m / c valois valve df60 mk37 ) formulation ethanol only stage of use bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) product fp 50 fp 50 mean fp 50 fp 50 mean fp 50 fp 50 mean actuator 0 . 50 mm 0 . 50 mm 0 . 33 mm 0 . 33 mm 0 . 22 mm 0 . 22 mm device 4 . 2 4 . 2 4 . 2 5 . 3 4 . 2 4 . 8 5 . 2 3 . 3 4 . 3 throat 32 . 4 32 . 3 32 . 4 25 . 1 25 . 9 25 . 5 13 . 9 16 . 4 15 . 2 stage 0 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 4 1 . 0 1 . 7 1 . 4 2 . 3 2 . 1 2 . 2 stage 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 3 stage 2 0 . 0 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 stage 3 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 1 0 . 3 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 2 stage 4 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 3 0 . 5 0 . 4 0 . 7 0 . 5 0 . 6 stage 5 1 . 8 2 . 0 1 . 9 3 . 6 3 . 9 3 . 8 6 . 4 6 . 5 6 . 5 stage 6 1 . 5 1 . 6 1 . 6 3 . 5 3 . 5 3 . 5 6 . 8 6 . 8 6 . 8 stage 7 0 . 9 1 . 0 1 . 0 2 . 1 2 . 0 2 . 1 3 . 4 3 . 4 3 . 4 filter 1 . 3 1 . 4 1 . 4 2 . 1 2 . 6 2 . 4 2 . 7 2 . 7 2 . 7 total 44 . 0 44 . 5 44 . 3 43 . 3 44 . 8 44 . 1 42 . 1 42 . 4 42 . 3 total ex - device 39 . 0 39 . 0 39 . 0 37 . 0 40 . 0 38 . 5 36 . 0 38 . 0 37 . 0 fpm , st3 + st4 + st5 2 . 0 2 . 0 2 . 0 4 . 0 4 . 0 4 . 0 7 . 0 7 . 0 7 . 0 fpm , st5 + st6 + st7 4 . 2 4 . 6 4 . 4 9 . 2 9 . 4 9 . 3 16 . 6 16 . 7 16 . 7 formulation ethanol and glycerol fp / 134a 50 μg stage of use bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) initial , bou product fp 50 fp 50 mean fp 50 fp 50 mean mean actuator 0 . 33 mm 0 . 33 mm 0 . 22 mm 0 . 22 mm 0 . 50 mm device 4 . 7 4 . 4 4 . 6 4 . 4 3 . 7 4 . 1 6 . 6 throat 26 . 2 28 . 5 27 . 4 16 . 3 17 . 8 17 . 1 13 . 5 stage 0 1 . 0 1 . 3 1 . 2 3 . 6 2 . 6 3 . 1 1 . 6 stage 1 0 . 2 0 . 4 0 . 3 0 . 6 0 . 4 0 . 5 0 . 8 stage 2 0 . 3 0 . 4 0 . 4 1 . 0 0 . 7 0 . 9 1 . 1 stage 3 1 . 4 1 . 5 1 . 5 4 . 3 3 . 5 3 . 9 3 . 2 stage 4 2 . 6 2 . 5 2 . 6 6 . 2 5 . 5 5 . 9 9 . 8 stage 5 4 . 0 3 . 5 3 . 8 7 . 5 7 . 0 7 . 3 11 . 2 stage 6 1 . 0 0 . 9 1 . 0 1 . 8 1 . 4 1 . 6 1 . 4 stage 7 0 . 6 0 . 5 0 . 6 1 . 0 0 . 9 1 . 0 0 . 3 filter 0 . 5 0 . 4 0 . 5 0 . 7 0 . 6 0 . 7 0 . 2 total 42 . 5 44 . 3 43 . 4 47 . 4 44 . 1 45 . 8 44 . 9 total ex - device 38 . 0 39 . 0 38 . 5 44 . 0 43 . 0 43 . 5 43 . 3 fpm , st3 + st4 + st5 8 . 0 8 . 0 8 . 0 18 . 0 17 . 0 17 . 5 17 . 3 fpm , st5 + st6 + st7 5 . 6 4 . 9 5 . 3 10 . 3 9 . 3 9 . 8 9 . 6 [ 0159 ] table 6 cascade impaction analysis of fp / hfa134a 50 μg solution aerosols containing various solubilising agents ( 100 μl valois valve , bespak 0 . 22 mm × 0 . 65 mm actuator ) formulation fp 50 μg fp 50 μg fp 50 μg stage of use bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) valve 100 μl 100 μl 100 μl 100 μl 100 μl 100 μl lvc — 1 % glycerol — 1 % glycerol — 1 % glycerol solvent 15 % methylal * 15 % methylal 15 % ethyl acetate 15 % ethyl acetate 10 % ethanol 10 % ethanol device 5 . 9 6 . 2 9 . 0 6 . 4 4 . 3 4 . 4 throat 5 . 8 6 . 3 5 . 3 13 . 8 15 . 2 14 . 0 stage 0 1 . 4 3 . 9 1 . 2 1 . 6 2 . 2 3 . 3 stage 1 0 . 5 0 . 8 0 . 5 0 . 6 0 . 3 0 . 7 stage 2 0 . 6 0 . 7 0 . 5 0 . 8 0 . 2 1 . 0 stage 3 0 . 9 1 . 4 1 . 1 1 . 7 0 . 2 5 . 3 stage 4 1 . 6 2 . 3 0 . 8 1 . 8 0 . 6 8 . 1 stage 5 6 . 9 10 . 3 1 . 9 9 . 2 6 . 5 8 . 8 stage 6 8 . 8 7 . 6 5 . 0 6 . 2 6 . 8 2 . 4 stage 7 6 . 0 3 . 8 4 . 4 3 . 2 3 . 4 1 . 3 filter 4 . 8 2 . 0 3 . 0 2 . 0 2 . 7 0 . 7 total 43 . 2 45 . 1 32 . 4 47 . 1 42 . 3 49 . 8 total ex - device 37 . 3 39 . 0 23 . 4 40 . 7 37 . 0 45 . 5 fpm , st3 + st4 + st5 9 . 4 13 . 9 3 . 7 12 . 7 7 . 0 22 . 2 [ 0160 ] table 7 cascade impaction analysis of fp / hfa134a 50 μg solution aerosols containing various low volatility components ( 63 μl m / c valois valve df60 or 100 μl valois valve , bespak 0 . 2 mm × 0 . 65 mm actuator ) formulation fp 50 μg hfa134a fp 50 μg hfa134a fp 50 μg hfa134a fp 50 μg hfa134a stage of use bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) normalised normalised normalised normalised valve 63 μl for 100 μl 63 μl for 100 μl 63 μl for 100 μl 63 μl for 100 μl 1 % propylene 1 % propylene lvc glycol glycol 1 % peg200 1 % peg200 1 % peg400 1 % peg400 1 % glycerol 1 % glycerol solvent 10 % ethanol 10 % ethanol 10 % ethanol 10 % ethanol 10 % ethanol 10 % ethanol 10 % ethanol 10 % ethanol device 2 . 2 3 . 5 2 . 3 3 . 7 2 . 0 3 . 1 1 . 7 2 . 7 throat 7 . 3 11 . 6 6 . 1 9 . 7 5 . 5 8 . 7 5 . 5 8 . 7 stage 0 0 . 7 1 . 1 0 . 8 1 . 3 0 . 9 1 . 4 1 . 2 1 . 9 stage 1 0 . 3 0 . 5 0 . 3 0 . 5 0 . 2 0 . 4 0 . 3 0 . 5 stage 2 0 . 6 1 . 0 0 . 6 1 . 0 0 . 6 1 . 0 0 . 7 1 . 1 stage 3 3 . 1 4 . 9 3 . 5 5 . 6 2 . 9 4 . 6 3 . 0 4 . 8 stage 4 3 . 6 5 . 7 4 . 7 7 . 5 5 . 2 8 . 3 5 . 5 8 . 7 stage 5 3 . 7 5 . 9 5 . 7 9 . 0 6 . 4 10 . 2 5 . 2 8 . 3 stage 6 1 . 0 1 . 6 1 . 7 2 . 7 1 . 7 2 . 7 1 . 5 2 . 4 stage 7 1 . 4 2 . 2 0 . 9 1 . 4 1 . 0 1 . 5 0 . 7 1 . 1 filter 0 . 6 1 . 0 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 6 0 . 9 0 . 4 0 . 6 total 24 . 3 38 . 6 26 . 5 42 . 1 27 . 0 42 . 8 25 . 4 40 . 3 total ex - device 22 . 1 35 . 1 24 . 2 38 . 4 25 . 0 39 . 7 23 . 8 37 . 8 fpm , st3 + 10 . 3 16 . 3 13 . 8 21 . 9 14 . 5 23 . 0 13 . 6 21 . 6 st4 + st5 [ 0161 ] table 8 cascade impaction analysis of fp 50 μg solution aerosols containing various propellants ( 63 μl m / c valois valve df60 or 100 μl valois valve , bespak 0 . 22 mm × 0 . 65 mm actuator ) formulation fp 50 μg hfa227ea fp 50 μg hfa227ea fp 50μ hfa134a stage of use bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) valve 63 μl normalised for 100 μl 63 μl normalised for 100 μl 63 μl normalised for 100 μl lvc — — 1 % glycerol 1 % glycerol 1 % glycerol 1 % glycerol solvent 18 % ethanol 18 % ethanol 18 % ethanol 18 % ethanol 10 % ethanol 10 % ethanol device 2 . 4 3 . 8 2 . 4 3 . 8 1 . 7 2 . 7 throat 14 . 4 22 . 9 13 . 8 21 . 8 5 . 5 8 . 7 stage 0 2 . 0 3 . 2 2 . 3 3 . 7 1 . 2 1 . 9 stage 1 0 . 3 0 . 5 0 . 4 0 . 6 0 . 3 0 . 5 stage 2 0 . 2 0 . 3 0 . 7 1 . 1 0 . 7 1 . 1 stage 3 0 . 2 0 . 3 2 . 4 3 . 7 3 . 0 4 . 8 stage 4 0 . 4 0 . 6 2 . 9 4 . 6 5 . 5 8 . 7 stage 5 3 . 0 4 . 8 2 . 4 3 . 8 5 . 2 8 . 3 stage 6 2 . 7 4 . 3 0 . 6 1 . 0 1 . 5 2 . 4 stage 7 1 . 4 2 . 2 0 . 3 0 . 5 0 . 7 1 . 1 filter 1 . 2 1 . 9 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 4 0 . 6 total 28 . 1 44 . 6 28 . 2 44 . 8 25 . 4 40 . 3 total ex - device 25 . 7 40 . 8 25 . 8 41 . 0 23 . 8 37 . 8 fpm , st3 + st4 + st5 3 . 6 5 . 7 7 . 7 12 . 1 13 . 6 21 . 6 [ 0162 ] table 9 cascade impaction analysis of fp 25 μg solution aerosols containing various propellants ( 63 μl m / c valois valve df60 or 100 μl valois valve , bespak 0 . 22 mm × 0 . 65 mm actuator ) formulation fp 25 μg hfa134a fp 25 μg hfa134a fp 25μ hfa227ea fp 25μ hfa227ea stage of use bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) bou ( act . 1 - 10 ) normalised normalised normalised normalised valve 63 μl for 100 μl 63 μl for 100 μl 63 μl for 100 μl 63 μl for 100 μl lvc — — 1 % glycerol 1 % glycerol — — 1 % glycerol 1 % glycerol solvent 7 % ethanol 7 % ethanol 7 % ethanol 7 % ethanol 14 % ethanol 14 % ethanol 14 % ethanol 14 % ethanol device 1 . 3 2 . 1 1 . 1 1 . 7 1 . 1 1 . 7 1 . 0 1 . 6 throat 1 . 3 2 . 1 1 . 6 2 . 5 4 . 2 6 . 7 4 . 5 7 . 1 stage 0 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 3 0 . 5 1 . 1 1 . 7 1 . 5 2 . 4 stage 1 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 3 0 . 5 stage 2 0 . 0 0 . 0 0 . 2 0 . 3 0 . 1 0 . 2 0 . 4 0 . 6 stage 3 0 . 0 0 . 0 1 . 1 1 . 7 0 . 1 0 . 2 1 . 6 2 . 5 stage 4 0 . 1 0 . 2 2 . 7 4 . 3 0 . 1 0 . 2 1 . 9 3 . 0 stage 5 1 . 0 1 . 6 4 . 1 6 . 5 1 . 9 3 . 0 1 . 5 2 . 4 stage 6 2 . 8 4 . 4 1 . 3 2 . 1 2 . 4 3 . 8 0 . 4 0 . 6 stage 7 2 . 4 3 . 8 0 . 6 1 . 0 1 . 4 2 . 2 0 . 2 0 . 3 filter 1 . 9 3 . 0 0 . 3 0 . 5 1 . 0 1 . 6 0 . 2 0 . 3 total 10 . 8 17 . 1 13 . 3 21 . 1 13 . 3 21 . 1 13 . 3 21 . 1 total ex - device 9 . 5 15 . 1 12 . 2 19 . 4 12 . 3 19 . 5 12 . 3 19 . 5 fpm , st3 + st4 + st5 1 . 1 1 . 7 7 . 8 12 . 4 2 . 1 3 . 3 4 . 9 7 . 8 | 8 |
the present invention can be used to mechanically scan 200 or 300 mm silicon wafers through an ion beam at speeds sufficient to reduce wafer heating and charging effects . it is important to note that although the present invention is described herein with respect to ion implantation , the present apparatus can also be used for other scanning operations , such as for the treatment of flat panels for flat panel displays . the ion beam is either fanned ( i . e ., a large rectangular cross section ) or scanned ( i . e ., a small beam swept back and forth to form a large rectangular scanned area ) at high speeds ( e . g ., in the range of about 150 hz ) in a direction ( e . g ., the x direction ) orthogonal to that of the mechanical scan direction ( e . g ., the y direction ). the term “ scanning ” as used herein encompasses either magnetic or electrostatic fanning and magnetic or electrostatic scanning . the mechanical scanning ( i . e ., reciprocating ) in the y direction moves the wafer back and forth at high speeds ( e . g ., in the range of about 0 . 5 to 1 hz ) through the ion beam at a speed that is proportional to the measured beam current . in this way , the doping level per mechanical scan pass is controlled and the total dose is proportional to the dose per scan pass times the number of scan passes . in order to achieve mechanical scanning within the vacuum chamber 24 at high speeds with frictionless operation for long wear life and no particle generation , the present invention uses a novel combination of a linear motion bearing with differentially pumped vacuum seal ( for friction - free movement in the y direction ) mounted on a rotary motion bearing with differentially pumped vacuum seal ( for friction - free rotation about the x axis ) on the exterior of the vacuum chamber 24 . the linear motion bearing has a shaft 11 with a workpiece holder 10 at the distal end which extends through each of the vacuum seals into the vacuum chamber 24 . the shaft ii and workpiece holder 10 are translated in the y direction by reciprocating the bearing and seal member or plate 12 . the shaft 11 and workpiece holder 10 are tilted , along with bearing and seal member 12 , by rotating the bearing and seal assembly 17 . the novel combination of a linear motion bearing and seal member with a workpiece holder and shaft attached thereto mounted on a rotary motion bearing and seal member provides isocentric scanning of the workpiece using the least number ( i . e ., three ) of axes of motion possible . isocentric scanning means that every intersection point of the ion beam with the surface of the workpiece is the same distance from the collimator magnet 98 exit boundary and the angular orientation of the ion beam and the angular orientation of the workpiece remain constant during the implant . the only three axes of motion required are ( 1 ) magnetically scanning the ion beam back and forth in the x ′ direction , ( 2 ) tilting the workpiece 18 and linear motion bearing and seal member 12 about the x axis , and ( 3 ) reciprocating the workpiece 18 and linear motion bearing and seal member 12 along the tilted y axis , ( i . e ., reciprocating the workpiece 18 and linear motion bearing and seal plate 12 in the plane of the surface of the workpiece ). referring to fig1 the workpiece holder 10 is attached to a hollow shaft 11 connected to the linearly moveable bearing and seal member or plate 12 . bearing plate 12 reciprocates in the y direction providing mechanical scanning of the workpiece ( e . g ., a silicon wafer ) 18 through the parallel magnetically scanned ion beam 13 . the ion beam 13 is directed along the z ′ direction and magnetically scanned back and forth in the x ′ direction perpendicular to the x ′ y ′ plane creating a parallel scanned ion beam 13 . hollow shaft 11 extends through bearing plate 12 and slot 32 ( fig3 ) in the raised portion 21 of wall of vacuum chamber 24 and rotating bearing assembly 17 . portion 21 is described herein as a raised portion of the vacuum chamber wall but it should be understood that the portion 21 need not be raised . likewise , it should be understood that the portion 21 can be a fixed plate attached to the wall of the vacuum chamber . the combination of the moveable bearing members 12 and 17 provides tilting of the workpiece holder 10 ( see fig5 ) at any angle between 0 and 60 degrees from vertical for ion implanting in a silicon wafer and between 0 and 90 degrees for wafer handling . tilting is accomplished by rotating the moveable bearing members 12 and 17 about the x axis creating an angle between the z & amp ; z ′ and y & amp ; y ′ axes . the z ′ direction is defined as being parallel with the incoming ion beam and z is defined as being perpendicular to the surface of the workpiece holder 10 . the tilting of the workpiece holder 10 allows implants into the sides of deep trenches and gate structures located on the surface of the silicon wafer . horizontal wafer handling ( i . e ., tilting the workpiece holder 90 degrees from vertical ) in accordance with the present invention uses gravity to hold the wafer on the workpiece holder while in motion obviating the need for edge clamping on the wafer that may result in damage to the wafer . gas bearings 28 ( fig2 b ) on the exterior of vacuum chamber wall 21 center the rotating bearing and seal assembly 17 about the x axis . gas bearings 30 mounted on rectangular bearing plate 19 prevent lateral motion of the bearing member 12 along the z direction . the bearing member or plate 12 ( fig1 ) is connected to a drive motor 14 controlled by a computer 15 . the computer 15 in combination with a current integrator 73 monitors the ion flux arriving in a downstream faraday 16 . the velocity in the y direction imparted to the bearing plate 12 by the motor 14 is varied in proportion to the ion flux measured by the control computer 15 so as to create uniform average flux density across the surface of the workpiece 18 . with the laterally moveable bearing plate 12 connected to the rotating bearing member or assembly 17 by support arm 97 the intercept of the ion beam 13 with the workpiece 18 is maintained at a constant distance along the z ′ axis as the workpiece 18 is translated back and forth through the ion beam 13 by the linear drive motor 14 . the rotary motion of the rotating bearing assembly 17 is provided by a linear drive motor ( not shown ) and associated linkage ( not shown ) as known in the art . rotation of the bearing assembly 17 by 90 degrees from vertical about the x axis when the bearing plate 12 is in its uppermost position allows horizontal handling of the workpiece 18 during wafer load and unload from the wafer handler 99 . the surface of the workpiece holder 10 may be rotated about its z axis to any rotation angle between 0 and 360 degrees through a drive system ( not shown ) connected through the hollow shaft 11 . this permits wafer flat or notch orientation prior to implantation and may be done while the workpiece holder 10 is in motion from the load position to the implant position eliminating time normally wasted for wafer flat orientation . the present invention uses a video camera and processing software for the purpose of locating the position and orientation of each wafer relative to the load / unload robot 99 and workpiece holder 10 while the handler is in motion . this allows precise loading of the wafer onto the workpiece holder 10 as well as correct flat or notch orientation . this video image may also be used to capture the part code or number scribed onto the wafer surface for material tracking purposes . rotation about the z axis of the surface of the workpiece holder is also an enabling function for implants into the sides of deep trenches and gate structures . referring to fig2 a - 3c , the details of the linear reciprocating bearing and seal plate 12 and the rotating bearing and seal assembly 17 are shown . rotating bearing and seal assembly 17 is made up of bearing and seal plate 19 and a circular bearing and seal plate 20 attached on opposite sides of a center plate 31 . the gas bearings will be described first . bearing and seal plate 20 of seal assembly 17 is separated from wall portion 21 by a gas bearing formed by an array of gas nozzles 25 ( fig3 c ) located on the surface 59 of the bearing plate 20 . a high pressure gas manifold 58 ( fig2 d ) is connected to each of the gas nozzles 25 to provide a steady supply of gas for the gas bearing . the pressure over surface 59 between the outer and inner gas nozzles 25 is maintained at a constant pressure by flow restrictors in the nozzles 25 and the spacing between the seal and bearing plate 20 and the wall portion 21 . the wall portion 21 , which is a circular seal plate , is fixed in position relative to the overall vacuum chamber 24 . wall portion 21 contains a set of air bearings 28 ( fig2 b ) that center the rotating seal assembly 17 about the center of the fixed seal plate 21 by applying a gas force directed in the radial direction against the side of the center plate 31 . bearing and seal plate 19 of seal assembly 17 is separated from bearing and seal plate 12 by a gas bearing formed by an array of gas nozzles 26 ( fig2 b and 3a ) located on the surface 90 of the bearing plate 19 . a high pressure gas manifold ( not shown ) supplies a steady supply of gas for the gas bearing . the pressure over surface 90 between the outer and inner gas nozzles 26 is maintained at a constant pressure by flow restrictors in the nozzles 26 and the spacing between the seal and bearing plate 19 and the seal and bearing plate 12 . a set of gas bearings 30 attached to the bearing plate 19 prevent movement of the seal plate 12 in the z direction by applying a gas force to the opposite sides of the seal plate 12 . having described the gas bearings , the vacuum seals will now be described . pumping grooves 37 , 40 and 41 ( fig3 b and 3c ) in the surface of the bearing and seal plate 20 form a differentially pumped vacuum seal between bearing and seal plate 20 and wall portion 21 of the vacuum chamber 24 . pumping grooves 33 . 38 and 39 ( fig3 a and 3b ) in the surface of the bearing and seal plate 19 form a differentially pumped vacuum seal between bearing and seal plate 19 and bearing and seal plate 12 . grooves 33 , 38 and 39 have an oval shape to accommodate the rectangular shape of the reciprocating seal plate 12 . the bearings and seals are non - contact with respect to each other and the reciprocating shaft 11 thus providing a friction - free , non - particle generating , high speed rotation and linear motion vacuum feed - through . the balance of force on each of the elements of the vacuum seal assembly is as follows . atmospheric pressure working against the vacuum inside the vacuum chamber 24 applies an external force which balanced against the air cushion created by the gas being between the bearing and seal plate 12 and the bearing and seal plate 19 creates a slight separation between the plate 12 and plate 19 while preventing movement in the x direction of the seal plate 12 . the set of air bearings 30 located on opposite sides of the seal plate 12 and attached to the rotating seal assembly 17 apply equal forces in the positive z and negative z directions preventing contact and relative z motion between the seal plate 12 and the bearing plate 19 . in this way seal plate 12 is prevented from moving in either the x or z direction but allowed frictionless translation in the y direction . atmospheric pressure working against the vacuum inside the vacuum chamber 24 also applies an external force which balanced against the air cushion created by the gas bearing between the bearing and seal plate 20 and the wall portion 21 creates a slight separation between the plate 20 and wall portion 21 while preventing contact and relative x motion between the wall portion 21 and the bearing and seal plate 20 . the set of air bearings 28 attached to the wall portion 21 apply a uniform radial force against the center plate 31 preventing contact and relative radial motion between the seal assembly 17 and the wall portion plate 21 . the wall portion 21 , which is a seal plate , is attached to the vacuum chamber 24 fixing the position of the seal plate 21 which in turn fixes the position of the seal assembly 17 which in turn fixes the position of the seal plate 12 relative to the vacuum chamber 24 . the rotating seal assembly 17 is constrained in x , y and z but allowed frictionless rotary motion about the x axis . the pressure inside the air bearing regions 59 and 90 is self - regulated to some fraction of the pressure inside the high pressure manifold . this self - regulation occurs because the gap between the bearing and seal plates is constrained only by the atmospheric pressure applied to the outside of the seal plates , thereby controlling the leak rate of air out of the bearing regions . by adjusting the pressure in the high pressure manifold , one can vary the gap between the seal and bearing plates . the gap between the seal and bearing plates is , preferably , 0 . 001 inches or less . since the gas bearing gap is very small , the gas flow rates required to produce the gas bearing are also very small ( e . g ., 1 to 4 cubic feet per minute ). for proper spacing , the opposing seal and bearing plate surfaces must be very flat across their entire width . a technique known as “ lapping ” performed by form centerless co . in st . medfield , mass . can be used to achieve the desired flatness which should be within 0 . 0003 inches of true flatness . to prevent damage to the seal and bearing plate surfaces if they were to come into contact , an anodized surface such as polytetrafluoroethylene - penetrated hardcoat anodizing for aluminum alloys sold under the tradename nituff available from nimet industries , inc . in south - bend , ind ., nickel , or hard chrome can be applied to the surface of the seal surfaces and bearing plate . referring now to fig3 and 4 , the differentially pumped vacuum seal system will now be described . an oval slot 32 extends through the plates 19 , 20 , and 31 in direct communication with the high vacuum region of the vacuum chamber 24 . the slot 32 allows non - contact full translation of the workpiece holder 10 and shaft 11 in the y direction . adjacent to slot 32 is the oval pumping groove 33 ( fig3 a ) in the surface of the plate 19 . ports 36 extending through the center plate 31 connect groove 33 to circular groove 37 in the surface of the bearing plate 20 . oval grooves 38 and 39 are connected to circular grooves 40 and 41 through ports 42 and 43 , respectively . each pair of oval and circular grooves are connected through ports ( not shown ) to the differential pumping vacuum system shown in fig4 as follows . grooves 33 and 37 and ports 36 are connected to the third stage 34 of the differential pumping system and nearly isolated from the high vacuum region 52 and the second stage 53 of the differential pumping system by the seal surfaces 29 and 35 and 46 and 49 , respectively . grooves 38 and 40 and ports 42 are connected to second stage 53 of the differential pumping system and nearly isolated from the third stage 34 and the first stage 54 of the differential pumping system by the seal surfaces 46 and 49 and 47 and 50 , respectively . grooves 39 and 40 and ports 43 are connected to the first stage 54 of the differential pumping system and nearly isolated from the second stage 53 of the differential pumping system and atmosphere 55 by the seal surfaces 47 and 50 and 48 and 51 , respectively . grooves 56 and 57 in seal plates 19 and 20 , respectively , located at a greater diameter than the other grooves are ported to the atmosphere side of the vacuum seal assembly to exhaust the air that escapes the inside perimeter of the air bearing assembly . each set of grooves are described as “ nearly ” isolated because there is some movement of gas over the seal surfaces toward the vacuum region . referring now to fig4 the vacuum schematic illustrates the differential pumping system which includes a high vacuum cryo - pump 60 to create a vacuum in the vicinity of the workpiece 18 , a turbomolecular mechanical pump 61 to maintain the pressure in the third stage differential pumping region 34 , a second turbomolecular pump 62 connected to the exhaust port 65 of the first turbomolecular pump 61 and to the second stage differential pumping region 53 , a dry mechanical pump 63 connected to the exhaust port 66 of the second turbomolecular pump and to the first stage differential pumping region 54 with its outlet exhausted to atmosphere 55 . the pressure in each of the successive differential pumping stages 54 , 53 and 34 , drops by roughly an order of magnitude from atmosphere at 55 to less than a millibar in the third stage 34 . the conductance between the third stage 34 and the high vacuum region 52 is several orders of magnitude lower than the pumping speed of the high vacuum pump 60 reducing the pressure in the vicinity of the workpiece 18 to a level near the base pressure of the high vacuum pump 60 . as bearing and seal member 12 reciprocates along the y axis , the two outermost ends 92 and 94 ( fig1 and 2b ) are extended beyond the ends of the seal plate 19 thus exposing the ends 92 and 94 to the atmosphere where the ends pick up moisture . as the end exposed to the atmosphere is translated to a position where it is exposed to the vacuum seal grooves , moisture from the seal member 12 is drawn into the vacuum region creating a load causing the vacuum pumps to work harder . therefore , in a preferred embodiment , a dry gas ( e . g ., nitrogen ) blanket is applied using a shield or bag to each of the ends 92 and 94 as they travel past the ends of the seal plate 19 to prevent them from picking up moisture . as conventionally known in the prior art , the workpiece holder 10 has an electrostatic chuck for holding silicon wafers onto a ceramic coated platen surface , a plurality of gas cooling ports to feed gas to the region between the back of the wafer and the surface of the platen , a plurality of water cooling passages to cool the backside of the electrostatic chuck , a rotary bearing , a differentially pumped rotary shaft seal assembly , a plurality of wafer lifting pins , and a drive assembly used to rotate the surface of the workpiece holder 0 to 360 degrees about an axis perpendicular to the workpiece . magnetic scanning is conducted with the present invention such that the ion beam trajectory is maintained perpendicular to the x ′ y ′ plane at all times . as described previously , two magnetic deflection systems 95 and 98 ( fig7 ) located one after the other along the beam flight path are used . referring to fig5 and 7 , the implantation control system will be described . a faraday assembly 16 is mounted to a linear actuator 68 that provides motion of the faraday 16 along the x ′ direction . the faraday 16 is fitted with an aperture plate 69 positioned with its surface in the x ′ y ′ plane . a thin slit aperture 70 is located through the aperture plate 69 with its long dimension oriented in the y ′ direction . the faraday 16 is moved by the linear actuator 68 such that the slit 70 may be positioned anywhere within the transverse range of the scanned beam 13 along the x ′ direction . the aperture plate 69 and its slit 70 are longer in the y ′ direction than the y ′ height of the beam 13 . this allows for the beam 13 to be scanned across the surface of the aperture plate 69 admitting a fraction of the beam current into the faraday cup 71 located behind the plate 69 . the current - time profile of the faraday signal may be transformed into a one - dimensional beam intensity - position profile using suitable arithmetic in a computer controlled measurement system as known by those of ordinary skill in the art . this enables correlation between magnetic scan amplitude and beam position in the x ′ direction . in a preferred embodiment , there are two movable faraday assemblies 16 and 72 . downstream faraday 16 is located in the beam scanning plane next to the workpiece holder 10 and the faraday 72 is located upstream . both faraday assemblies have the same freedom of motion allowing identical measurements of the ion beam 13 both upstream and downstream inside the vacuum chamber 24 . the downstream faraday 16 serves the dual purposes of beam setup and measuring and controlling implant dose . the upstream and dow am faradays 16 and 72 are used to measure beam parallelism . each of these faradays is positioned in the beam path 13 at identical x ′ positions but with different z ′ positions . since the magnetic scan waveform ( amplitude versus time ) is repetitive , the amplitude versus beam position can be expressed in terms of the phase angle of the repeated wave form . the phase angle difference between measurements of beam position in the two faradays 16 and 72 is used to calculate the deviation from parallel for the scanned rays of the ion beam 13 . these phase angle measurements are made when the workpiece holder 10 is moved out of the beam path . the faraday cup 72 is electrically connected to the vacuum chamber 24 through an electrometer circuit ( not shown ) to measure the total ion beam charge entering the faraday cup 96 through slit 70 ′ in plate 69 ′. for each positive ion entering the field of the faraday cup 72 , a negative charge is induced on the surface of the cup . these charges combine to maintain net neutrality . the flow of negative charge into the cup from the electrometer is a measure of ion beam flux entering the cup . when the ion beam consists of singlely charged ions , the number of negative charges equals the number of positive ions entering the faraday cup 72 through the slit 70 ′. in another aspect of the present invention , the magnetic scanner is used to hold the ion beam 13 in an overscan region off of the workpiece holder 10 for a short 13 duration while the flag faraday 93 is inserted or retracted from in front of the ion beam to prevent fine structure ( i . e ., non - uniformity ) in the doping level across the workpiece . to avoid non - uniformity in the doping , the ion beam 13 is sampled when it is scanned off the edge of the wafer with the present invention and both the magnetic and mechanical scanning controls are stopped if beam loss is detected . the magnetic scanner is capable of holding the ion beam off the edge of the wafer for approximately 200 milliseconds providing ample time to insert the flag faraday 93 into the ion beam path . this method is also used to temporarily interrupt the implant for any reason deemed necessary . the implant state is started in a similar manner , the ion beam 13 is turned on before the flag faraday 93 is retracted and scanning starts precisely where it was interrupted . in other words , the ion beam is held off the wafer whenever a loss of beam is detected or other requirements dictate that the system go from an implant in progress to an implant hold state . this occurs within a few tens of milliseconds while a flag faraday 93 is inserted into the beam path for set - up or tuning purposes . the process of starting an implant occurs in a similar way . first the scanning magnet is set to deflect the beam off of the wafer path while the flag . faraday 93 is retracted . then , the scanning starts with the beam off the wafer to prevent structure ( i . e ., non - uniformity ) in the doping of the implanted wafer . the ion beam 13 is scanned at a constant velocity v x across both the faraday cup 71 and the workpiece 18 such that the ion beam 13 moves completely off the workpiece 18 and past the slit 70 during ion implantation steps . the one dimensional dose d , is measured by integrating the flux of charge entering the faraday cup 71 . this one dimensional dose d x is simply the integral of the charge flux and is measured by the scan control computer 15 . the mechanical scan velocity v y of the workpiece holder 10 in the y direction is controlled by the scan control computer 15 in proportion to the one dimensional dose d x measured during each back and forth pass of the ion beam 13 across the faraday cup 71 and workpiece 18 . the dose d x multiplied by a constant k determines the total dose per unit area that the workpiece 18 receives in a single back and forth pass of the workpiece 18 through the scanned ion beam 13 . the total dose per unit area received by the workpiece in a complete implant cycle is determined by the single pass dose times the number of passes n . both the number of passes n and the constant k are predetermined such that after n passes the desired dose is received by the workpiece 18 . during beam setup , the workpiece holder 10 is moved in the y direction to a location clear of the faraday 16 to allow for x ′ motion of the faraday 16 for purposes of measuring beam parallelism and scan uniformity . fig6 illustrates the amplitude time wave form of the current integrator 73 ( fig1 ) associated with the scan control computer 15 . the wave form results from the ion beam 13 being scanned across the faraday slit 70 . the current integrator 73 consists of a current - to - voltage converter section followed by an integrator section . the output wave form 74 of the current - to - voltage converter section is integrated to produce the integral wave form 75 . the flat regions 76 and 78 of the integrator output represent the periods when no part of the ion beam 13 is entering the faraday cup 71 . the rising region 79 of the integrator output represents the period when the ion beam 13 passes over the faraday slit 70 allowing a portion of the ion beam to enter the faraday cup 71 . the sharp negative slope 80 of the wave form 75 represents the integrator - reset function . a fast sampling aid converter ( not shown ) is used to measure the amplitude of the integrator output during the periods 76 , 79 and 78 to determine instrument offset , dark or stray current , and beam current reproduced by the current - to - voltage converter . offset and dark current are determined by the slope of the amplitude during periods 76 and 78 . beam current is measured during the period 79 . the slope of periods 76 and 78 are multiplied by the total integrator period 81 and then subtracted from the difference between the starting sample 82 and ending sample 83 to arrive at a corrected integral measurement . the time of the one - half height measurement 84 corresponds to the time when the beam is centered over the faraday slit 70 which precisely defines the beam position in the x ′ direction . each of the faradays 16 and 72 are stepped across the x ′ positions and measure the beam arrival times 84 relative to the turn around points in the magnetic scan space x ′. although 20 the faradays 16 and 72 cover the same x ′ positions , they occupy separate but parallel x ′ y ′ planes during these measurement steps . a pulse integrator ( not shown ) in combination with a sampling aid converter ( not shown ) and the small movable faraday cups 16 and 72 measure beam profiles , magnetic scan linearity , beam parallelism , dose rate , and instrumentation offset . this information is used in combination to compensate for offset or dark current , scan non - linearity , variations in beam current versus x ′ position , and beam parallelism during set - up and during implant operations . the magnetic scan profile of magnet current versus time may be modified to produce a one - dimensional uniform doping profile across the target plane in the x ′ direction . the method of measuring dark current ( which is all unwanted constant currents including instrumentation offset ) is accomplished by sampling the slope of the integrator output as the beam passes across the faraday aperture , including a period before and a period after its passage . the pulse integrator is enabled for a precisely fixed period of time and produces an analog output that is the time integral of the beam current pulse and any stray current not related to the ion beam . the stray current may include instrument offset current , leakage current in the faraday , electron current from wafer charged neutralizers , ion current from the background plasma surrounding the ion beam , or any other source of constant current summed together and included in the integral measurement . the characteristic wave form of the integrator output , when sampling a pulse or current with no contributing offsets has two periods of time one before and one after passage of the pulse when the slope of the integrator output versus time is zero . when an offset current is simultaneously summed with the true beam current pulse , the slope before and after the passage of the beam pulse is constant and is easily measured using a fast sampling a / d convertor . since the slope is constant and measurable , the product of the slope and the integrator time period can easily be subtracted from the integral measurement to arrive at the true integrated beam current pulse . the method of measuring beam parallelism and scan uniformity utilizes the two separate faradays 16 and 72 in combination with the integrator 73 to measure the x ′ position of the ion beam in two parallel x ′ y ′ planes . each faraday 16 and 72 is positioned using a stepper motor drive 91 in combination with a linear drive mechanism 68 and 68 ′ to provide accurate and repeatable x ′ position in small discrete 0 . 001 inch steps ( fig5 ). faraday 16 is positioned such that its slit 70 is located in the implant plane while the faraday 72 is positioned upstream . the width of the beam 13 is larger than the slit width , however , this is of no consequence since the integrator output yields the total integrated current once the beam passes over the slits 70 and 70 ′. this integrated current is the one dimensional dose d x at the x ′ position of each of the faradays . varying the x ′ position of each of the faradays enables measurement of d x at discrete locations across the magnetic scan space . the output wave form , after it has been corrected for offset or dark current will have three pieces of information critical for this control algorithm . the ending amplitude of the integrator output less the beginning amplitude is the integral of the beam current . the time at which the half amplitude of the integrator output is reached corresponds to the time when the beam center is coincident with the center of the faraday slit . these two measurements , d x and x ′( t ), provide the basis for calibrating parallelism and scan or dose uniformity of the system . since the magnetic scan wave form is repetitive , the ion beam retraces the same space across the x ′ direction in a continuous manner with each successive magnetic scan pass . it follows that by positioning a faraday at discrete locations in the x ′ scan space one can measure x ′ and d x at each of these locations . assigning x ′ i and x ′ j to locations corresponding to the upstream and downstream faradays 16 and 72 , respectively , with the i and j positions being identical in x ′ but not z ′, then the angular deviation in the ion beam trajectory from the z ′ direction is the arc - tangent of δx / δz . where δx is equal to x ′ i minus x ′ j . the collimator magnet 98 is adjusted under software control to assure a minimum angular variation across the scan space . the next step is to calibrate the scanner magnet 95 . it is a requirement for uniform dose control in the implant plane that the discrete values of d xj be equal . the scan velocity v x must be constant to achieve a uniform dose when the beam current is constant . the scanner 95 is simply calibrated by measuring values of x j versus b j and finding a scan wave form that satisfies the requirement for constant scan velocity . once the wave form is defined that produces a constant velocity v x , the doses checked , d x against x is measured and variations are used to recalculate a function to modify the scan velocity . the final result is a polynomial in time t that defines the magnetic scan wave form that includes corrections for beam intensity variation as well as non - linearity in the scanner magnet 95 . it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential character thereof . the presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive . the scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description , and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalents thereof are intended to be embraced therein . | 7 |
the general arrangement of a magnetic bubble memory device according to this invention is quite the same as that of the magnetic bubble memory device described in detail with reference to fig1 . the point of difference between the prior - art memory arrangement and the memory arrangement according to this invention resides in the length ( ordinarily , represented by the number of bits ) of a magnetic bubble propagation path from one end of the read - out major line 10 to the detecting line 11 of the expansion detector 12 . more specifically , the number of bits from a bit position a on the read - out major line 10 corresponding to the read - out gate 9 n of the minor loop 3 n to a bit position d on the detecting line 11 in fig1 is the length of the magnetic bubble propagation path . in this length , a propagation length from the bit position a to a bit position b is determined by the number of the minor loops 3 1 - 3 n , and it is 2 · n where n denotes the number of the minor loops . the characterizing feature of this invention consists in that a magnetic bubble propagation length from a bit position c on the read - out major line 10 to the bit position d on the detecting line 11 in the expansion detector 12 is defined to be ( 2 · n + g ) bits . here , g denotes the number of extra dummy bits and is an integer of at least 1 ( one ). in other words , the magnetic bubble memory device according to this invention is characterized in that the magnetic bubble propagation length from the bit position a on the read - out major line 10 to the bit position d on the detecting line 11 of the detector 12 is set at ( 4 · n + g ) bits . here , n and g denote the number of the minor loops and the number of the extra dummy bits as stated above , respectively . the operational timing relationship between the replicating operation and the detecting operation based on such construction of the magnetic bubble memory device will be described with reference to fig3 a and 3b . fig3 a illustrates a line of replicate pulses r 4n and fig3 b a line of strobing pulses d 4n , and since the details of these pulses have been explained in relation to the prior - art operational timings shown in fig2 a - 2f , they are omitted here . referring to fig3 a and 3b , the first information is read out onto the read - out major line 10 by the first replicate pulse r 41 . before the magnetic bubble representative of the information of the first bit in the information firstly read out arrives at the detecting line 11 in the detector 12 , the next replicate pulse r 42 is generated and the next information is read out . immediately after the generation of the replicate pulse r 42 , that is , after the lapse of a period of time n 42 from the replicate pulse r 41 , the detecting operation is started . this period of time n 42 is evaluated in such a way that the number of bits ( 2 · n + g ) from the bit position c to the bit position d is multiplied by the period of the rotating magnetic field . the strobing pulse at that time is indicated by d 41 . the third replicate pulse r 43 is generated immediately after the last bit of the information read out by the first replicate pulse r 41 has passed through the detecting line 11 . thereafter , the detecting operation of the information read out by the second replicate pulse r 42 is started . thenceforth , similar operations are continuously repeated . more specifically , the replicating operation in the memory arrangement according to this invention is performed by generating the replicate pulse r 4n at a timing corresponding to when the extra dummy bit or bits g considered to exist between two information read out on the read - out major line 10 based upon the propagating length from bit position a to bit position d reaches / reach the detecting line 11 . accordingly , the detection output is meaningless and is neglected . this output can be removed very easily because the number of bits of the information is fixed . the pulse width of the replicate pulse r 4n is usually less than a half of the period of the rotating magnetic field , and a propagating length corresponding to one extra dummy bit g suffices in the magnetic bubble memory device shown in fig1 . however , it is ordinarily desirable to set the propagating length to correspond to several extra dummy bits g . the addresses of the information in the minor loops 3 1 - 3 n are allocated so as to make the continuous read - out of the information possible , and this allocation can be simply made . by applying this invention , magnetic bubble memory chips having a memory capacity of 64 kbits per chip were produced . the memory arrangement was the same as that shown in fig1 . the specifications of the memory chip were as follows . the number of minor loops was 128 , and each of the minor loops had a memory capacity of 513 bits . the bit length from the bit position a to the bit position d was 522 bits . that is the propagation length or bit length included the provision for the number g of extra dummy bits of 10 . on the other hand , in a prior - art chip of 64 kbits , the bit length from the bit position a to the bit position d was 384 bits . fig4 shows another embodiment of the magnetic bubble memory device according to this invention . as seen from the figure , this embodiment is constructed of two sets of the arrangement illustrated in fig1 and thus permits the continuous read - out and continuous detection . minor loops 3 1 &# 39 ;- 3 n &# 39 ; and 3 1 &# 34 ;- 3 n &# 34 ; have numbers of loops obtained by equally dividing the minor loops 3 1 - 3 n in fig1 respectively . the operation of each set is as has been explained with reference to fig1 but the operation of the whole arrangement can realize the continuous read - out and continuous detection of information owing to the organic coupling of the two sets . more specifically , a propagation length from a generator 1 &# 39 ; to a bit position on a write - in major line 2 &# 39 ; corresponding to a write - in gate 4 n &# 39 ; of the minor loop 3 n &# 39 ; and a propagation length from a generator 1 &# 34 ; to a bit position on a write - in major line 2 &# 34 ; corresponding to a write - in gate 4 n &# 34 ; of the minor loop 3 n &# 34 ; are endowed therebetween with a difference of bit lengths equal to one period of the rotating magnetic field . further , a propagation length to a detector 12 &# 39 ; from a bit position on a read - out major line 10 &# 39 ; corresponding to a read - out gate 9 1 &# 39 ; of the minor loop 3 1 &# 39 ; and a propagation length to a detector 12 &# 34 ; from a bit position on a read - out major line 10 &# 34 ; corresponding to a read - out gate 9 1 &# 34 ; of the minor loop 3 1 &# 34 ; are endowed therebetween with a difference of bit lengths also equal to one period of the rotating magnetic field . of course , a propagation length from one end of the read - out major line 10 &# 39 ; to a detecting line 11 &# 39 ; and a propagation length from one end of the read - out major line 10 &# 34 ; to a detecting line 11 &# 34 ; are set so as to include the corresponding numbers of bits satisfying this invention ( numbers g of extra dummy bits being desirably 2 or more ), respectively . moreover , a difference equal to one period is provided between them . as a result , odd - numbered bits and even - numbered bits in a line of information bits to be written in are distributed and written into the minor loops 3 1 &# 39 ;- 3 n &# 39 ; and 3 1 &# 34 ;- 3 n &# 34 ; within the left and right sets . when the read - out is similarly considered , the information in the left and right sets are detected alternately and continuously . owing to such memory arrangement , the continuous read - out of information can be performed without affecting the detecting operation , and the continuous detection is simultaneously permitted , so that an operation of higher speed is realized . the magnetic bubble memory device according to this invention demonstrates its performance to the utmost when it conducts the continuous read - out operation . however , it undergoes quite no inconvenience even in the usual read - out operation and is very versatile . as set forth above , the magnetic bubble memory device according to this invention becomes capable of the continuous read - out operation of high speed without hampering the detecting operation because the operational timings of the replicating operation and the detecting operation do not overlap each other . in consequence , a magnetic bubble memory device of high reliability for high - speed continuous read - out is provided . | 6 |
with more particular reference to fig1 - 3 of the drawings , a portable power distribution box is shown generally at 1 , having a hollow cabinet portion 2 and a hollow cover portion 4 , pivotally interconnected by hinges 6 , which have headless hinge pins 8 , projecting in the same direction along a common axis , and allowing removal of the cover from the cabinet 2 by slidably separating the hinges along the hinge pins . alternatively the cover may be closed over the cabinet and latched by bail type , suitcase latches 10 . a carrying handle allows transport of the box 1 in suitcase fashion . the cover and cabinet are advantageously provided with a suitcase finish , such as a covering skin of upholstery material or other suitable finish material . a lock ii is provided for locking the cover over the panel to prevent unauthorized access to the panel during transport or when ready for use . as shown in fig1 and 6 , the cover 4 is provided with a storage compartment 12 for casters 14 . the casters can be removably mounted in caster sockets 16 provided into the bottom 18 of the cabinet 2 . the bottom 18 also is provided with the aforesaid suitcase finish which is protected by projecting , threadably adjustable metal feet 20 and decorative metal , corner cover plates 22 . fig1 - 3 illustrate a control panel 24 which comprises the top of the cabinet 2 . with the cover 4 removed , the panel 24 is exposed , ready for use , and the entire cabinet 2 may be moved by wheeling the casters 14 , or by sliding the feet 20 in the absence of the casters . the panel includes a commercially available push button circuit breaker 26 having a 50 amp rated or other appropriate rated main breaker reset button 28 and twelve secondary breakers with reset buttons 30 and which may be rated , for example , at 110 volts , 20 amps or 15 amps . the panel further includes twelve outlet receptacles 32 each having their own manual toggle switch 34 and a pilot light 36 . this type of outlet receptacle is commercially available , and comes in the version as shown , or in a version in which the pilot light is incorporated in the toggel switch or in a version in which a code approved pilot light is mounted on a separate face plate and is hand wired to the switch and receptacle . fig7 shows that the circuit breaker 26 is mounted inside the hollow cabinet 2 against the bottom wall 18 , and against the top wall 24 which is provided with an opening 38 through which the push buttons 28 and 30 project . an additional opening 40 is provided in the panel 24 for a respective receptacle box 42 in which a respective receptacle 32 may be mounted . if the entire cabinet 2 is code approved , the receptacle 32 may be mounted directly in the opening 40 . each box 42 is covered by a face plate 44 covering the opening 40 . electrical wiring 46 is contained within the cabinet 2 and connects each receptacle 32 to a respective secondary circuit breaker according to the wiring diagram of fig4 . the figure also shows each receptacle 32 connected by appropriate color coded wiring to a neutral bus 26a which may be mounted in the cabinet 2 on the bottom wall 18 . fig1 - 3 show one side wall 48 of the cabinet 2 providing a mounting panel for a commercially available twist lock plug 50 of the type having a hinged cover 52 and rated for 50 amps , for example , at 220 volts . fig4 shows the wiring diagram for connecting the plug 50 inside the cabinet 2 to the power bus of the circuit breaker 26 and the neutral bus 26a . a separate green wire advantageously provides additional ground protection to each receptacle 32 , which may be supplied in their commercial form with a ground wire terminal . the plug 50 is supplied with a power cord 54 having a receptacle connector 56 which is plugged into the plug 50 . the cord 54 may be wired by a qualified electrician directly to a circuit breaker of a main breaker box of a buliding &# 39 ; s electrical wiring . alternatively , the cord may be plugged into an existing electrical outlet which usually supplies power to a stove or air conditioner . fig5 illustrates another type of twist lock receptacle wired in a commercially available weatherproof box 60 . the box has a hinged cover 62 and a length of conduit 64 for the receptacle wiring 66 . the conduit has a flange 68 and a threaded end portion 70 for connecting through a knock out wire entry opening provided through a main breaker box . a standard nut is threaded over the conduit end 70 to sandwich the main breaker box between the nut and the flange 68 . this receptacle 58 is used to provide an outlet for the power cord 54 directly from the main breaker box , as the local wiring code may require . the wiring 66 is connected to a circuit breaker by an electrician . since all the electrical components are commercially available , they are advantageously capable of assembly in the cabinet 2 , in a manner , which is familiar to an electrician and which will satisfy wiring codes . each receptacle has its own switch and pilot light . any circuit plugged into a receptacle may be switched off to extend the life of high wattage spotlights , or to produce an audio or visual theatrical effect . all the controls to the circuits are located on the single panel 24 , including the resettable circuit breakers which provide overload protection for each circuit . the main circuit breaker also will provide speedy switching off of all the circuits to produce a theatrical blackout effect . the suitcase construction and appearance permits transport and use of the distribution box as a piece of luggage . a binding strap 72 of flexible material such as leather or nylon has one end secured by a fastener 74 to the panel . the other end is provided with a strip of material 76 such as velcro which may be secured to a pad of hook section 78 of velcro fastener material mounted on the panel 24 . in use , the strap is disconnected from the velcro fastening and reconnected thereto over power cords ( not shown ) which are to be plugged into the receptacles 32 . the power cords will be dressed to one side of the panel and tied down by the strap 72 . although a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown and described in detail , other embodiments and modifications of the same are intended to be covered by the spirit and scope of the claims . | 7 |
the substrates given by the formula above may be used to determine the activity of various enzymes some of which are plasmin , thrombin , the factors x a , xi a , and xii a , kallikrein trypsin , elastase , urokinse , and cathepsin b 1 . in discussing specific compounds , the following symbols stand for the groups indicated next to them : ______________________________________bz = benzoyl gly = glycinebzo . sub . 2 = benzenesulfonyl glu = glutamic acidgl = glutaryl leu = leucinepg = pyroglutamyl lys = lysinecbz = carbobenzoxy phe = phenylalanineala = alanine pro = prolinearg = arginine ser = serinemna = 4 - methoxy - β - naphthylamine val = valineaie = 5 - aminoisophthalic acid , dimethyl ester______________________________________ specifically , plasmin reacts with the following compounds : h - d - val - leu - lys - mna , h - d - phe - pro - arg - mna , h - l - ala - ala - lys - mna , bz - phe - val - arg - mna , bz - glu - gly - arg - mna , gl - ala - ala - lys - mna , cbz - gly - gly - arg - mna , cbz - phe - val - arg - mna , cbz - ala - ala - lys - mna , cbz - ala - lys - lys - mna , cbz - ala - arg - arg - mna , h - d - val - leu - lys - aie , h - d - phe - pro - arg - aie , cbz - phe - val - arg - aie , and cbz - ala - ala - lys - aie . thrombin similarly reacts with a variety of compounds , including h - gly - pro - arg - mna , h - d - phe - pro - arg - mna , bzso 2 - phe - val - arg - mna , bz - phe - val - arg - mna , bz - gly - pro - arg - mna , gl - phe - val - arg - mna , gl - phe - gly - arg - mna , gl - gly - pro - arg - mna , pg - gly - pro - arg - mna , cbz - gly - gly - arg - mna , cbz - phe - val - arg - mna , cbz - phe - gly - arg - mna , cbz - gly - pro - arg - mna , cbz - ala - ala - lys - mna , cbz - ser - pro - phe - arg - mna , h - d - phe - pro - arg - aie , h - d - pro - phe - arg - aie , gl - phe - gly - arg - aie , cbz - phe - gly - arg - aie , cbz - phe - val - arg - aie , and cbz - gly - pro - arg - aie . the factor x a can react with h - d - phe - pro - arg - mna , bz - glu - gly - arg - mna , gl - phe - val - arg - mna , gl - phe - gly - arg - mna , cbz - gly - gly - arg - mna , and cbz - gly - pro - arg - mna . factors xi a , xii a , and kallikrein react with h - d - phe - pro - arg - aie , h - d - pro - phe - arg - aie , h - d - ser - pro - phe - arg - aie , and cbz - ser - pro - phe - arg - mna . other proteases include trypsin which can react with cbz - gly - gly - arg - mna . elastase will react with gl - ala - ala - ala - mna . urokinase has indicated reactivity with cbz - gly - gly - arg - mna and cbz - ala - ala - lys - mna . and , cathepsin b 1 has indicated reactivity with cbz - ala - arg - arg - mna . a suspension of 6 g ( 1 . 9 × 10 - 2 molar ) of cbz - arg in 25 ml dimethylformamide ( dmf ) at - 15 ° c . received 0 . 1 ml n - methylmorpholine and 2 . 6 ml ( 1 . 9 × 10 - 2 molar ) isobutyl chloroformate . after stirring at - 15 ° c . for 45 minutes , this mixture received , in a dropwise fashion over a 10 minute period , a solution of 4 g ( 1 . 9 × 10 - 2 molar ) of 5 - aminoisophthalic acid , dimethyl ester in 15 ml dmf . this latter mixture was stirred at - 15 ° c . for 1 hour , 0 ° c . for 1 hour , and lastly overnight at ambient temperature . after the removal of the solvent under vacuum , the isolated oil was stirred in saturated sodium bicarbonate and then distilled water to yield a white solid . seven grams of dry product resulted from this procedure . fifteen ( 15 ) ml ethanol and 0 . 5 ml acetic acid received 500 mg of the solid produced above . to this solution was added 150 mg of 10 % palladium on charcoal ( pd / c ). hydrogen gas was then bubbled through this mixture for 16 hours . after filtration , the solvent was removed to yield 440 mg of material which gave a positive ninhydrin test and consisted of arg - aie ( hcl ) acetate salt . a solution of 442 mg ( 1 . 7 × 10 - 3 molar ) of cbz - proline in 3 ml ethyl acetate and 150 ml n - methylmorpholine at - 15 °, received 275 mg ( 2 . 0 × 10 - 3 molar ) of isobutyl chloroformate . after eight minutes , this mixture then received a pre - cooled solution containing 694 mg ( 1 . 7 × 10 - 3 molar ) of the arg - aie ( hcl ) acetate salt dissolved in 2 ml dimethylacetamide and 150 μl n - methylmorpholine . this mixture remained at - 10 ° c . for 1 hour and then was stirred overnight at ambient temperature . the solvent was removed under vacuum and the resulting material chromatographed over silica gel , using chcl 3 / etoh ( 7 : 3 ) as the eluent to yield 188 mg of product . the product was dissolved in ethyl alcohol and acetic acid to which was added pd / c ( 10 %). after bubbling hydrogen through it and filtration , removing the solvent yielded pro - arg -( hcl ) aie . a solution of 260 mg ( 8 . 6 × 10 - 4 molar ) of cbz - d - phenylalanine in 3 ml tetrahydrofuran ( thf ) and 142 μl of n - methylmorpholine received , at - 15 ° c ., 142 mg ( 1 . 0 × 10 - 3 molar ) of isobutyl chloroformate . to this latter mixture , after 8 minutes , was added a precooled solution of 8 . 6 × 10 - 4 molar of the pro - arg -( hcl ) aie , produced above , in 3 ml dimethylacetamide and 142 μl n - methylmorpholine . this latter mixture remained at - 10 ° c . for one - half hour and then at ambient temperature overnight . evaporating the solvent under vacuum produced an oily material which was then chromatographed over silica gel using chcl 3 / etoh ( 8 : 2 ) as the eluent . removing the solvent left an oil . this oil was dissolved in 3 ml ethyl alcohol which contained 6 drops of acetic acid . the solution additionally received 30 mg of pd / c ( 10 %) and had hydrogen bubbled through it for 2 hours . after filtration and evaporation of the solvent , 88 mg of the final product remained which gave a positive ninhydrin test . a solution of 170 mg ( 4 . 7 × 10 - 4 molar ) of cbz - phe - gly in 2 ml thf received , at - 10 ° c ., equal molar amounts of n - methylmorpholine ( 50 mg ) and isobutyl chloroformate ( 65 mg ). after 5 minutes , this combination received a solution of 200 mg ( 4 . 7 × 10 - 4 molar ) of arg - mna . 2hcl and an equal molar amount of n - methylmorpholine in 1 . 3 ml dmf . the mixture was stirred at - 5 ° c . for one hour and then at ambient temperature overnight . the resulting solution underwent filtration and removal of the solvent , with the residue chromatographed over silica gel . evaporating the solvent yielded an oil which , when solidified , produced 200 mg of cbz - phe - gly - arg ( hcl ) mna . a solution containing 75 mg of the above product in 2 ml methanol received 10 mg of 5 % pd / c . after bubbling hydrogen through the mixture for 5 hours , the catalyst was removed and the solvent evaporated . the resulting oil was dissolved in 1 ml methylene chloride and 0 . 3 ml dmf . the solution then received 15 mg glutaric anhydride . after standing overnight , no color developed upon subjecting the product to the ninhydrin test . this indicated the completion of the reaction . adding ether to the mixture caused the formation of an oil . trituration with chloroform caused the oil to solidify . purified plasminogen , approximately 9 . 7 cta units / ml in 50 % glycerol , was obtained from national institutes of health , bethesda , md . it was diluted 1 : 2 in the assay buffer , 0 . 05 m tris , 0 . 05 m glycine and 0 . 01 % brij - 35 , ph 8 . 0 , and used as the reference plasminogen in the tests . streptokinase , 100 , 000 units / vial , obtained from lederle laboratories , pearl river , n . y ., as varidase was reconstituted in 10 . 0 ml 0 . 05 m tris , 0 . 1 m glycine , ph 7 . 5 , and stored at 20 ° c . before use , the streptokinase was thawed and diluted to 2 , 000 units / ml in the same buffer . tfa - d - val - leu - lys ( tfa )- aie , molecular weight 777 . 8 , was obtained from enzyme systems products , inc ., p . o . box 1191 , indianapolis , ind . it was dissolved in the assay buffer to a concentration of 0 . 8 mm / liter and warmed to 37 ° c . before use . a k m value of 3 . 1 × 10 - 4 m ( 37 ° c .) was determined within the assay system using the lineweaver - burk equation . blood specimens from laboratory workers with normal prothrombin and partial thromboplastin times were collected in plastic tubes containing one volume of 3 . 8 % trisodium citrate for each nine volumes of blood . the specimens were centrifuged at 1 , 500 to 2 , 000 g for 10 to 15 minutes to obtain the plasmas which were then stored at - 20 ° c . and thawed prior to assay . the assays were performed with 10 μl of plasma sample or diluted reference plasminogen added to 0 . 5 ml streptokinase solution . the reagents were vortex - mixed , incubated for 15 minutes at 37 ° c . to convert the plasminogen to its active for plasmin , and stored at 4 ° c . until assayed . from each of these activation mixtures 200 μl was transferred to a cuvet containing 2 . 0 ml of substrate solution pre - warmed to 37 ° c . the plasmin activity was determined by kinetic measurement of the released 5 - aminoisophthalic acid dimethyl ester over a 2 - 4 minute interval , using a model 430 spectrofluorometer from g . k . turner associates , palo alto , calif . the instrument was equipped with a controlled temperature sample cell holder and model ev - 200 recorder from health schlumberger , benton harbor , mich . the excitation and emission wavelength and slit width settings were 335 × 430 nm and 60 × 15 nm respectively . the recorder chart speed was 1 inch / min . disposable tpx plastic cuvets , 10 × 8 × 50 nm , were used . the plasmin activity of each sample expressed in cta units / ml was calculated by comparison of the relative fluorescent rate of the sample with that of the reference plasminogen ( 4 . 85 cta units / ml ) as follows : ## equ1 ## plasma plasminogen values determined by this fluorescent substrate method were compared with the results from two reference methods . m - partigen ™ plasminogen kits from behring diagnostics ( american hoechst corporation , somerville , n . j . 08876 ) were used to determine plasminogen concentration in mg / dl by the radial immunodiffusion technique . a standard caseinolytic assay method was used to measure the plasmin activity generated by streptokinase activation of each plasma sample . in the caseinolytic assay method , the relatively large sample volume required acid pre - treatment of the plasmas to destroy plasmin inhibitors prior to activation . good agreement was obtained between the fluorescent substrate assay and the two reference methods . the correlation coefficients obtained from least squares analyses of the data were 0 . 98 or the fluorescent versus caseinolytic assay , and 0 . 99 for the fluorescent versus radial immunodiffusion assay . the precision of the fluorescent substrate assay for plasma plasminogen determinations was less than 5 % for levels for plasminogen over the normal range . five normal blood specimens were collected daily in siliconized glass tubes containing 3 . 8 % trisodium citrate for each 9 volumes of blood . the plasma was obtained by centrifugation of the blood at 1 , 240 g for 15 minutes . the resulting individual plasma samples were pooled and stored at 4 ° c . until used . part of the plasma was diluted 1 : 40 in a general assay buffer for use in all the determinations , including the standard and test plasmas , as an equalizer of at - iii activity . the general assay buffer contained 0 . 25 m glycine in 0 . 03 m nacl with 2 mm k 2 edta and 0 . 01 % thimerosal with the ph adjusted to 8 . 3 using 5 n naoh . beef lung sodium heparin containing 10 , 000 u . s . p . units / ml was obtained from the upjohn company ( kalamazoo , mich . 49001 ). the heparin underwent dilution to 80 units / ml with the general buffer given above . heparin standards were prepared in the pooled plasma at concentrations of 0 . 1 , 0 . 2 , 0 . 4 and 0 . 8 units / ml . the d - phe - pro - arg - aie , diacetate , having a molecular weight of 728 . 8 , was prepared in absolute ethanol at a concentration of 11 . 2 mg / ml and stored at 4 ° c . before use , the stock solution was diluted in the general buffer to a concentration of 0 . 19 mm and warmed to 37 ° c . a k m value of 5 . 4 × 10 - 5 m at 37 ° c . was determined within the assay system using the lineweaver - burk equation . lyophilized human thrombin containing 2 , 500 nih units / mg were obtained from calibiochem ( san diego , calif . 92112 ). this material was dissolved to 10 units / ml with a buffer solution containing 0 . 05 m glycine in 0 . 15 m nacl having a ph of 5 . 0 with 2 mm k 2 edta and 0 . 01 % bovine serum albumin . the diluted solution was stored in aliquots at - 20 ° c . before use , the thrombin was thawed and further diluted with the same solution to 2 nih units / ml . for this experiment , the perkin elmer spectrophotometer had an excitation wavelength setting of 335 nm with a slit width of 6 nm and the emission wavelength setting of 430 nm with a slit width of 12 nm . volumes of 200 μl of 1 : 40 diluted normal plasma and 5 μl of test plasma or standard heparin in plasma were added to a sample cuvette and warmed to 37 ° c . fifty ( 50 ) μl of thrombin having 0 . 1 nih unit was added and the reagents mixed . after preincubation for 60 sec at 37 ° c ., 2 . 0 ml of the substrate solution containing , 140 mg / l , prewarmed to 37 ° c . was added , and the contents of the cuvette mixed by inversion . uninhibited thrombin was determined by kinetic measurement of the released aie over a 2 to 4 minute interval . assay values were calculated according to the following equation with the blank result determined in the absence of heparin : ## equ2 ## table 2 gives the precision of standard heparin measurements determined according to the above procedure . the within and between - day precision for heparin standards at 0 . 1 to 0 . 4 units / ml was better than ± 5 %. the reported anticoagulant concentration range of heparin of 0 . 2 to 0 . 4 units / ml of plasma lies within the standard range . ______________________________________assay precision forstandard heparin determinationsheparin , - x , % initialu . s . p . u / ml . thrombin cv , % ______________________________________within - day , n = 40 . 1 93 . 4 1 . 50 . 2 83 . 0 3 . 60 . 4 61 . 3 4 . 40 . 8 28 . 0 10 . 0day - to - day , n = 50 . 1 91 . 1 2 . 90 . 2 79 . 8 3 . 30 . 4 59 . 6 3 . 10 . 8 30 . 2 11 . 8______________________________________ the reduced precision accompanying the measurements of the highest heparin standard , 0 . 8 units / ml , may result from assay timing errors . experiments involving different incubation times showed a greater dependence of this heparin concentration upon this variable . increasing the preincubation time or reducing the thrombin concentration did , however , improve the assay &# 39 ; s sensitivity . freezing heparin standards prepared in plasma with a low platelet count of around 75 , 900 / mm 3 at - 20 ° c . and subsequently thawing them at 22 ° to 28 ° c . produced some loss in the measured heparin activity . these data are consistent with the work of others suggesting that plasma standards and test samples may require special treatment to reduce or eliminate platelets if the samples are to be stored frozen before assay . determinations were also made with who heparin preparations , bovine mucosal working reagent ( no . 63 / 10 ) and porcine mucosal standard ( third international standard no . 65 / 69 ). on the basis of their stated activities , there was good agreement between the dose response curves for these two preparations . the commercial beef lung heparin gave a standard curve which proved less sensitive and varied from the who standard curves by approximately 20 %. these results may be related to the reported discrepancy between lung and mucosal heparin activities . the sensitive detection of thrombin with the fluorescent substrate assay appears to allow its use rather than the factor x a for determining plasma heparin anticoagulant activity . clotting interference is not encountered since only 1 . 10 nih unit of thrombin and 10 μl of total plasma are employed in each determination . the assay precision of better than ± 5 % over the heparin anticoagulant range at least equalled or excelled the precision of the standard clotting assays designed for the measurement of heparin . the assay range would appear acceptable for routine monitoring of heparinized patient samples . however , increasing the preincubation time or reducing the amount of thrombin used can increase the assay sensitivity as required . | 2 |
fig1 is a block diagram of a disc drive system 20 including controller 30 and its associated disc drive 40 . disc controller 30 includes read / write ( rw ) engine 62 that connects to read / write data path unit 64 . rw engine 62 communicates directly with disc drive 40 while the rw datapath unit 64 communicates data and control signals to and from system bus 66 and also supplies an audio signal to audio output line 68 . rw engine 62 includes system controller 70 , digital signal processor 72 and servo control unit 74 . system controller 70 receives commands from and sends status information to system bus 66 via rw datapath unit 64 . in response to commands from system bus 66 , system controller 70 sends commands to and receives status information from digital signal processor ( dsp ) 72 and servo control unit 74 to read data from or write data to a disc . servo control unit 74 positions head 48 with respect to a target track , and then keeps head 48 centered and focused on the target track . to do so , servo control unit 74 receives control signals from dsp 72 . servo control unit 74 sends signals to sled motor 54 , actuator 52 and spindle motor 42 to control focusing and tracking . servo control unit 74 communicates with spindle motor 42 , actuator 52 and sled motor 54 to position optical head 48 precisely to read the desired information from a disc . dsp 72 receives an analog read channel signal from preamplifier 56 . the analog read channel signal includes both digital data and control information . dsp 72 processes the analog read channel signal and outputs control signals that are used by servo control unit 74 . referring now to fig2 to write data to a disc , byte preparation block 80 receives data bytes from read / write data path unit 64 , and processes the data bytes . efm encoder 76 receives the processed data bytes from byte preparation block 80 , and encodes the data bytes to generate an efm signal . encoder 76 encodes the data bytes for a specified constant linear velocity of the disc . write strategy circuit 78 receives the efm signal and outputs the laser power control signals to write data to the disc . byte preparation block 80 ensures that unbiased random data is stored on the disc when the optimum write power is determined as will be explained in more detail , below . when writing data to a disc , buffer manager / interface controller 82 in read / write data path unit 64 receives the data from system bus 66 , processes the data , and stores the data in dynamic random access memory ( dram ) 84 . buffer manager 82 sends the data bytes from dram 84 to efm encoder 76 , which subsequently flow to write strategy circuit 78 . when reading data from the disc , buffer manager 82 receives the digital data signal from dsp 72 in a serial stream , descrambles the data , and assembles the data into eight - bit bytes . buffer manager 82 then stores the data in dram 84 . dram 84 acts as a buffer for the digital data from dsp 72 . buffer manager 82 also performs error detection and correction operations on the buffered data and transfers the data to the system bus 66 . when a write operation is initiated , system controller 70 sets one or more bits in control register 73 of encoder block 76 indicating a write operation is to be processed . control register 73 governs the operations performed by static random access memory ( sram ) control 90 . buffer manager 82 supplies write data from dram 84 to scramble circuit 77 which generates scrambled write data . scramble circuit 77 rearranges bytes of the write data in a predetermined pattern as would be familiar to those of ordinary skill in the art . sram control block 90 stores the scrambled write data in sram 92 . sram control block 90 controls the filling of sram 92 , supplying addresses and timing signals . sram control block 90 also supplies the data stored in sram 92 to c 1 / c 2 encoder 71 which generates c 1 / c 2 parity data in accordance with predefined c 1 and c 2 encoding rules familiar to those of ordinary skill in the art . after c 1 / c 2 encoding , the c 1 / c 2 encoded data is returned to sram 90 . the c 1 / c 2 encoded data is then passed to efm encoder 76 and write strategy circuit 78 for final processing in preparation for writing to disc . the data output from write strategy circuit 78 is then written to disc 79 . write strategy circuit 78 generates laser control signals to head assembly 48 to write the efm data stream on the disc . during a write operation , data continuously flows from dram 84 through buffer manager 82 to byte preparation block 80 , efm encoder 76 , and write strategy circuit 78 . scramble circuit 77 and c 1 / c 2 encoder 71 operate concurrently to process the data . as noted , before writing to a disc , it is necessary to determine the optimum write power to use by writing test data to the pca of the disc . the present invention provides a stream of random data without the zero biased data of prior art systems to sram 90 for writing to the pca . as shown in fig3 three general states are used to perform the pca write operation according to the present invention . during an idle state , registers , such as control register 73 of encoder block 76 , are initialized . during a prepare state , sram 92 is initialized with data . in the past , as noted , sram 92 has been initialized with zeroes . in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , sram 92 can be initialized with random data or with zeroes . during a write state , data from sram 92 is written to disc . fig4 illustrates an exemplary circuit for initializing a memory with random data or zeroes in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . fig5 illustrates encoder state machine 102 . initially , encoder state machine 102 , which is a part of sram control 90 , is idle . when a write operation is initiated , encoder state machine 102 receives a signal from system controller 70 to move to the next state and generates the encprp signal which indicates the prepare state . andgate 104 receives the encprp signal and generates the rdmlat 2 signal upon receipt of nextstate == zfil_s 1 . nextstate == zfil_s 1 is generated by sram control 90 indicating that sram 92 is available for initializing . sram control 90 arbitrates requests from devices that transfer data to or from sram 92 and determines which device ( i . e ., efm encoder 76 , c 1 / c 2 encoder 71 , scramble logic 77 ) should be granted access to sram 92 at a particular time . or - gate 106 accepts signals next state == scrm_s 1 or nextstate == scrm_s 3 which are also generated by sram control 90 when sram 92 is available for transfer of the high and low bytes of data from scramble logic 77 . or - gate 92 outputs the rdmlat 1 signal to one input of or - gate 108 when either next state == scrm_s 1 or nextstate == scrm_s 3 are asserted . rdmlat 2 is asserted by and gate 108 when next state == zfil_s 1 and the encprp signal is generated by encoder state machine . flip - flop 110 outputs rdmlat to clock pseudo random number generator 112 upon assertion of either rdmlat 2 or rdmlat 1 and the encoder clock . thus , rdmlat 1 is asserted during the write state and rdmlat 2 is asserted during the prepare state . in this way , pseudo random number generator is latched upon assertion of either rdmlat 1 or rdmlat 2 in sync with the encoder clock signal . thus , flip - flop 110 ensures that pseudo random number generator 112 will be clocked in sync with the encoder clock signal and that it is ready to generate random numbers during both the write and prepare states of encoder state machine 102 upon being enabled . or gate 122 generates a pcamod signal . pseudo random number generator 112 is enabled by not pcamod . one input to or gate 122 is the encprp signal generated by encoder state machine 102 representing the prepare state . the other input to or gate 122 is driven by the output of and gate 124 shown as the ramif . pcamod signal on fig6 . and gate 124 is driven by two inputs , the reqon ( write state ) signal from encoder state machine 102 and the encmod bit from control register 73 which is set by system controller 70 when random data is to be written to the pca . thus , pseudo random number generator 112 is enabled during both the prepare state and the write state of encoder state machine 102 ( if , in the latter case , the encmod bit has been set in control register 73 ). thus , pseudo random number generator provides a stream of random data during the prepare and write states so that sram 90 can be initialized with random data . pseudo - random number generator 112 generates two bytes of random data . the lower order byte is supplied to selection circuit 118 . the higher order byte is supplied to selection circuit 120 . to initialize sram 92 with random data , as opposed to zeroes , prior to beginning the write operation a control bit ( rdmfill ) is set in control register 73 ; otherwise , sram 92 will be initialized with zeroes . the rdmfill bit is used to select between the inputs set to zero for conventional initializing of sram 92 with zeros and the rdmbyte inputs of selection circuits 118 and 120 . when data is written to the pca scramble logic 77 is bypassed . this bypass function is handled by bypass scramble circuit 128 . selection circuit 130 of bypass scramble circuit 128 is enabled by the pcamod signal from or gate 122 . thus , whenever pseudo - random number generator 112 is enabled , scramble logic 77 is bypassed . selection circuit 118 outputs either zeroes or the low order byte of random data ( rdmbyte ) in response to the rdmfill bit in the control register 73 . the outputs of selection circuit 118 and selection circuit 120 are provided to a second bank of selection circuits 126 and 127 . selection circuits 126 and 127 select among the outputs of selection circuits 118 and 120 ( either zeroes or random numbers , as noted ) and the cross interleaved reed - solomon encoded data ( circ ) or data from the output of bypass scramble circuit 128 . the selection is determined by sel_circ , sel_zfill signals generated by a state machine of disc controller 70 . as would be familiar to those of ordinary skill , an address bus provides addresses to sram 92 for loading data from selection circuits 126 and 127 into memory . the present invention may also be used to write data to other discs such as dvd - ram or dvd - rw , and in general will be useful in any optical disc controller that uses random test data to determine the optimum write power for writing data to a disc . as would be known by those of ordinary skill in the art , a variety of devices could perform the functions called for by the present invention . for example , in all cases where a specific switching device is specified , such as a multiplexer or a particular logic gate , alternative switching devices , logic gates or combinations of gates , programmable logic arrays , or other switch mechanisms could be employed . of course , many different configurations could be used to replace or supplement the logic gates and other switching devices shown , as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art . the foregoing description , for purposes of explanation , used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the invention . in other instances , well known circuits and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid unnecessary distraction from the underlying invention . thus , the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , obviously many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications , 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 following claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
referring now to fig1 is a slip assembly with two split bowl halves 12 and 14 sitting in a support ring 16 . split bowl half 12 has a sloping bowl surface 18 and split bowl half 14 has a bowl sloping surface 20 . slip carrier 22 has a sloping surface which engages sloping surface 18 and slip carrier 24 has a sloping surface which engages surface 20 . pipe 26 is supported by the slip assembly 10 . referring now to fig2 the slip carrier 22 is seen to have two internal profiles at 30 and 32 which support slips 34 and 36 respectively . the slips 34 and 36 engage the outer surface of the pipe 26 at slip front surfaces 37 and 38 . in the figure the pipe is shown as round , however , other shapes such as square or hexagonal can be beneficially used . referring again to fig1 internal profile 32 is shown supporting the slip 36 against vertical movement , except as slip carrier 22 moves vertically . if internal profiles 30 and 32 were at 90 degrees and the system was frictionless , and a force of 100 lbs was exerted by the slip carrier against the split bowl half 12 , the two internal profiles would exert a force of 70 . 7 ( cosine 45 deg .) against the pipe , or a total of 141 . 4 lbs against the pipe due to the wedging effect of the angle . referring now to fig3 a simple 2d model of a conventional slip assembly which was tested is shown . basically a round pipe 100 is supported by having two wedges 102 and 104 going down sloping surfaces 106 and 108 . as the pipe is pushed down ( or pulled down by weight ), there is a natural friction force 110 against the pipe , a combination of a normal force 112 times the coefficient of friction . the exact same force 114 is transmitted out against surfaces 106 and 108 . however , because of the taper of surfaces 106 and 108 , there is a resultant vertical component 116 of the force which is a combination of the friction force plus a trigonometric component . basically , the force 116 urging the wedge up is greater than the force 110 urging the wedge down . this means that the pipe will not be supported by these wedges , but will rather slip under load . the conventional solution to this is to put sharp teeth on the surface 120 which bite into the external surface of the pipe and effectively give a higher coefficient of friction to compensate for the problem with the angle on the back side of the wedge . this 2 dimensional example is shown for simplicity , but typical circular slips work in this exact same way . referring now to fig4 another tested configuration is shown . the tapered surfaces 202 and 204 are the same , and the pipe 204 is the same . however , instead of flat wedges , angle iron was used to make a wedging insert . as is shown , a 100 lbs . load on the center back of wedging insert 206 yields a 70 . 7 lbs . load on the two 90 degree surfaces for a total pipe loading of 141 . 4 lbs . basically the back of the wedging insert is seeing only 100 lbs ., but the pipe is acting as if it is seeing 141 . 4 lbs . as greater force is seen against the pipe than the back of the wedging insert , if the coefficient of frictions are the same on the front and the back , pushing the pipe down will cause the wedging insert to move down for increased wedging and therefore more wedging support . referring back now to fig2 the wedging profile can be seen on profiles 30 and 32 of the slip carrier 22 . the slips 34 and 36 engage the slip profiles 30 and 32 , and provide an opposing face to engage the pipe 26 . profiles 30 and 32 provide a slip face such that when increasing wedging occurs due to increased loads , the front faces can always remain in good contact with the pipe . as profiles 30 and 32 have their own friction coefficients , the 90 degree wedging angle can be increased slightly to compensate for that friction and deliver loads directly into the pipe . the particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only , as the invention may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein . furthermore , no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown , other than as described in the claims below . it is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the invention . accordingly , the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below . | 4 |
in the following detailed description , certain specific terminology will be employed for the sake of clarity and a particular embodiment described in accordance with the requirements of 35 usc 112 , but it is to be understood that the same is not intended to be limiting and should not be so construed inasmuch as the invention is capable of taking many forms and variations within the scope of the appended claims . referring to fig1 , a machining center booth 10 is shown which encloses a conventional automated cnc machining station ( not shown ) in which parts are machined with the use of metal cutting tools in the well known manner . the parts are typically unloaded after one or more access door panels 12 are opened , as indicated in fig1 by load / unload robots or other part handling devices ( not shown ), which then load parts to be machined into the machines , with the access door panels then closed . as noted , such machining operations use metal cutting tools which involve the use of cutting fluids sprayed on the part and tools in the well known manner . this generates mist such as from oil , water vapor , synthetic coolant , etc . which is designed to be confined within the booth 10 in order to prevent the mist from escaping into the surrounding air where it would present the various problems referred to above . this is done conventionally by continuously drawing the air into which the mist has dispersed out from booth 10 and into ducting 14 by operation of a blower 16 which is driven by a powerful electric motor 18 ( fig2 ). the blower 16 may be contained within a central separator / filter apparatus 20 . this is air flow drawn out of the machining center booth is continuously maintained so as to make certain that none of the mist containing air escapes the confines of the machining center booth 10 except dispersed in this flow of air drawn out by the blower 16 . as described above , it is now known that it is desirable to remove as large proportion of the mist at points close to each booth 10 , rather than directing the mist laden air to a central filter / demister before removing any of the mist , as was the former practice . again , this is because movement of the air containing the mist through long ducts increases the evaporation of oils into the atmosphere to create air pollution , and finally , partially condenses the mist therein , to create a fire hazard , and mold growth , creates a maintenance burden due to the necessity for regular cleaning of the ducts . this also necessitates pumping of condensed coolant back to the machining stations for reuse . thus , it is now common practice to install a first stage separator 22 immediately above the enclosure 10 , which collects condensed mist liquid that is drained back into the reservoir of cutting fluids in the machine tool in the booth 10 , as by gravity via a drain line 24 . referring to fig2 , the details of a central demister / filter apparatus 20 are shown with the fan motor 18 and fan 16 mounted within a housing 56 located above aluminum mesh washable prefilter 58 ; and 95 % dop hepa filter 64 . the top insures substantially all of the mist is removed from the air flow prior to its discharge into the outlet 66 and thence into the atmosphere . the air inlet 53 ( connected to ducting 14 ), receives air flow at a point below the prefilter 58 and is drawn up by operation of the blower 16 . condensed mist drawn from the prefilter 58 and final filter 64 is collected at the bottom of the housing 55 and drains back by gravity or is pumped back to the station via pipe 65 ( fig1 ). the machine control 70 receives a signal from a sensor ( not shown ) detecting when the panels 12 are open or closed such that a variable frequency ( vfd ) 72 drive control is operated to normally run the fan motor 18 at a substantially reduced power setting which is still adequate to maintain vacuum levels exist within the booth 10 to present the escape of air , i . e ., when the panels 12 are closed , and at a stepped up power level only when the access door panels 12 are opened . there are several ways contemplated by the present invention to determine when and to what extent the air flow drawn out of the booth 10 must be varied over the course of operation of the machining station to achieve the benefits of the present invention . firstly and preferably , the machine controls 70 transmits a signal to the vfd drive control 72 when the door panels 12 are about to be opened by the machine controls 70 for the unloading and loading of parts , such that the blower motor 18 power can be stepped up to a much higher level , predetermined to be adequate to reliably insure mist containing air will not escape from the booth 10 . this approach allows anticipation of the need for increased air flow so that the shift to a higher flow rate can be initiated before the access door panels open and thus actually be developed by the time the door panels 12 are opened . this requires integration with the machine controls 70 which may require the cooperation of those responsible for the machine tool operation . an alternative approach is depicted in the arrangement of fig3 a , in which changes in air flow are sensed such as by measuring the pressure drop across the first stage separator 22 with a differential pressure sensor 74 connected to pressure taps 76 on either end of the separator 22 . as the door panels 12 begin to open , the air flow and pressure drop will begin to increase due to the reduced restriction of the air flow entering the booth 10 . in response , the power level of the fan motor 18 is correspondingly ramped up , set by a control 78 acting on the vfd 72 . such sensor differential pressure can be measured anywhere in the system to detect increases in the air flow drawn out of the machining center booth 10 . another alternative approach is depicted in fig3 b , where one or more vacuum sensors 80 , 82 are provided within the machining center booth 10 at one or more locations therein in order to sense vacuum level changes anywhere within the machining center booth 10 . as the access door panels 12 begin to open , the vacuum level within the enclosure booth 10 will begin to lessen , i . e ., the pressure in the booth 10 will begin to increase , so that the vacuum level will begin to decline . this reading will be sent to control 78 which acts on the vfd to cause a corresponding increase in power of the blower motor 18 as in fig3 a as necessary to maintain the vacuum level . as the vacuum level start to move higher as the door panels 12 begin to close , this is sensed by the sensors 80 , 82 and the air flow rate reduced accordingly . fig3 c shows yet another alternative approach in which a switch 84 is associated with one or more of the access door panels 12 which generate when the associated access door panel 12 begins to open . again , this causes the control 78 to generate a signal transmitted to the vfd 72 increasing the power to the blower 18 to increase the outflow of air from the enclosure booth 10 . other arrangements may be used that will achieve this same result . the mist separator 22 is advantageously of a particular cyclonic design generally described in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 311 , 744 , although in a modified form . it has been discovered that such a separator particularly as modified can function successfully to remove a high proportion of mist from the air flow directed therethrough over a substantial range of air flow rates through the separator 30 such that considerable variations in the rate of flow of the air being drawn through the separator 30 is possible while maintaining a high degree of demisting at the enclosure booths 10 . referring to fig5 - 10 , the separator 30 includes a cylindrical , tubular housing 32 that defines a cylindrical inside wall 34 ( see fig5 - 7 ), and that is connected between aligned inlet and exit end couplings 36 b and 36 a provided with associated inlet 96 and exit 97 openings and adapted for connection to the ducting 14 such that mist contaminated air enters as indicated at 40 g and pre - cleaned air exits as indicated at 40 a . internal stationary vanes 38 are connected in the upstream and downstream end portions of the housing 32 . the vanes 38 are sized and positioned to establish and maintain a cyclonic air flow pattern such as indicated at 40 b downstream thereof . the cyclonic flow causes the moisture to migrate outwardly as indicated at 40 c to the inside wall 34 , and to flow downwardly along the surface of the inside wall 34 as indicated at 40 d . to this end , a separation chamber 56 is defined between the vanes , generally in the center portion of the housing , and is characterized as being of generally open , unobstructed construction as shown for maximum separation of moisture from the swirling air flowing therethrough . in preferred embodiments , the vanes 38 are used at both the upstream and downstream ends . between the inside wall 34 , longitudinally spaced center supports 52 a , 52 b provide for relatively stiff cyclonic - flow vane structure . a liquid collection chamber 42 is located at the bottom portion of the separator 30 to collect the liquid flowing along the inside wall 34 , and to direct the liquid to a drain 44 . the liquid collection chamber also establishes a barrier to prevent the liquid from being sucked back into the air as it exits the separator such that , once the liquid enters the chamber , it is generally trapped therein . the collection chamber is an annular , dead - ended space provided with an annular entrance opening that is coincident with the inside wall 34 of the housing such that liquid flowing in the upstream direction along the inside wall of the separation chamber flows directly into the collection chamber as indicated at 40 e . the collection chamber may be defined between the outside diameter ( od ) of an inlet tube 48 that extends in the downstream direction from the inlet coupling 96 , the inside diameter ( id ) of the housing wall 34 , a downstream end wall 54 b of the housing . for separators as here intended to be used in a generally vertical orientation , the drain hole 44 is preferably positioned with its downstream open edge coincident with or slightly downstream of the radially outer edge of the end wall 54 b ( to the left as shown in fig5 ) to preclude a dead - space behind the drain hole in which liquid cold accumulate . in the collection chamber 42 , the liquid continues to flow in a generally circular pattern such as indicated at 40 f in fig6 . upon reaching the downstream end and bottom of the collection chamber , circulation of the liquid is interrupted by a flow - interrupter 50 that projects into the collection chamber in the downstream end portion proximate the downstream wall 54 b . the flow interrupter is shaped to direct the liquid flowing around the collection chamber to the drain 44 . the flow interrupter is preferably provided in the form of a generally radially inwardly extending wall portion that breaks the swirling flow at the drain . to this end , the flow interrupter is connected or located just downstream of the drain with respect to the swirling flow of liquid therein , and is provided in a form that includes at least a first portion that projects generally longitudinally along the wall 34 . in preferred embodiments , the flow interrupter is further provided with a second portion that extends generally substantially circumferentially from the first portion such as the l - shaped hood shown that extends over and above the drain hole , or in the form of a curved - hood that curves over and above the drain hole . it has been found that , in most instances encountered , the hood extending to a position over the drain hole is preferred as providing better direction of the liquid into the drain as compared with , for example , a straight interrupter consisting of only the first generally radially projecting portion . for use in existing mist collection systems , the separator 30 is preferably adapted for relatively low air pressure drop . this allows use of the separator to be used within the air - flow capacity of the fan of the existing system . to this end , the separator may be provided with upstream and downstream annular walls 54 a , 54 b that extend radially outwardly from associated inlet and exit couplings 36 b , 36 a proximate the inlet and exit openings , and the inside wall 34 extends therebetween to define an upstream expansion chamber into which the air flow enters upon flowing through the inlet opening and in which stationary vanes are located , the inside diameter of the wall 34 being preferably approximately one - fourth to one - third larger than the diameter of the hoses and end couplings 36 a , 36 b ( i . e ., the diameter of the inlet and exit openings ) for a relatively low pressure drop embodiment . by way of dimensional example , one of the common size hoses currently used in mist collectors are six inch hoses . in this instance , it has been found that a cylindrical wall id of eight inches , with end coupling of six inches diameter , provides relatively low pressure drop ; and that for vanes extending longitudinally approximately four and one - hale ( 4½ ) inches , with the leading edges set at an angle of approximately 25 degrees with respect to the upstream opening face ( as seen in fig5 ), and extending longitudinally therefrom at an angle of approximately 35 degrees with respect to a longitudinal axis therethrough , provides good cyclonic action in the separator . it has also been found that a flow restrictor adapted to provide a radial clearance of approximately one - fourth ( ¼ ) to one - half ( ½ ) inch , and preferably three - eighths (%) inch allows the liquid to enter the collection chamber 42 , while providing good restriction to prevent the liquid from leaving the chamber . in this example , as well as other similarly sized units such as for eight inch hoses provided with a ten inch id wall and a flow restrictor cone radial clearance of approximately three - eighths inch , removal of between 85 - 95 % of the mist from the air has been consistently achieved , with a relatively low pressure drop . it will also be understood , however , that for new design systems where the pressure drop may be permitted to increase or decrease , because the capacity of the fan has not yet been established ( as compared to existing mist collections systems with an already installed fan ), the dimensional difference between the end couplings and the inside diameter of the housing may be increased or decreased . it has also been found that the optimum size and number of vanes to establish the desired cyclonic action will vary depending on the size of the cylindrical wall 34 . continuing with the above dimensional examples , it has been found that three vanes of suitable size provide good cyclonic action in a separator with a six inch id , and five vanes may be required in the larger ten inch housing . fig3 shows the performance of the cyclonic mist separator 22 over a range of flow rates , showing that effective demisting is achieved over a substantial range of air flow rates , thus allowing the variation in air outflow rates while still achieving effective demisting at the machine . | 1 |
referring first to fig1 , there is illustrated a fluid filter assembly 10 . filter assembly 10 is particularly adapted for filtration of liquid , for example oil , as for example in a lube system for an over the highway truck . the filter assembly 10 includes a filter cartridge or element 12 operably oriented on a filter block or filter head 16 , typically by threadably connecting ( i . e ., screwing or “ spinning on ”). in the one depicted , the filter cartridge 12 includes filter media 13 operably oriented in a can or housing 14 . the filter assembly 10 is utilized in a filtering system . the filtering system includes a supply for supplying dirty fluid to the filter assembly 10 through an inlet 22 of the filter head 16 . the fluid enters and is filtered or cleaned by the filter element 12 . the cleaned fluid exits the filter head 16 at an outlet 24 . in reference now to fig4 , one application for the filter assembly 10 is to remove particulate matter from oil that is used on an engine 28 for vehicles such as an over the highway truck . other applications for the filter assembly 10 include farm equipment , construction equipment , skidders , loaders , off - road vehicles , automobiles , industrial machines , and other devices that require the filtering of fluids . additionally , the filter assembly 10 can be used to remove foreign matter from a variety of different fluids . examples of liquid fluids include hydraulic fluids , engine lubrication oil , diesel fuel , gasoline , engine coolant , automatic transmission fluid and others . in reference now to fig1 and 3 , the filter cartridge 12 includes housing 14 . the filter housing 14 has an interior volume 32 designed to hold the filter media 13 therein . the filter housing 14 generally has a mouth 34 ( fig3 ) at an open first end 35 ( fig3 ), a surrounding wall 37 , and a closed bottom 39 at a second end 36 . preferably , the housing 14 is of generally thin - walled construction having sufficient rigidity to withstand the pressure experienced during typical filtering operations . housing 14 is typically metal , or other suitable materials , such as a strong non - metal ; if housing 14 is metal , it is typically formed by stamping or drawing . the filter media 13 , in the embodiment shown , is generally a tubular extension 38 , depicted as cylindrical , of media 13 operably mounted in the interior volume 32 of the housing 14 . the media 13 , when in the form of tubular extension 38 , defines an open filter interior 44 . the tubular extension 38 , in the embodiment shown , has first and second opposite ends 43 , 45 . the first end 43 , in the particular embodiment depicted , is secured to a first end cap 40 . the first end cap 40 defines an opening 50 ( fig3 ), which is in communication with the open filter interior 44 . in the embodiment depicted , there is also a second end cap 42 secured to the second end 45 of the tubular extension 38 . the second end cap 42 is depicted in fig1 and 3 as being closed . typically , the filter media 13 is material such as cellulous , paper , non - woven material , synthetic material , and the like . the filter material 13 may be treated or coated to improve its filtering capabilities . in the one shown , the filter media 13 is pleated media 46 , generally paper . a perforated tubular inner liner 48 can be included to help support the media 13 . the inner liner 48 is surrounded , or circumscribed by , the tubular extension 38 . the inner liner 48 typically extends between the first and second end caps 40 , 42 . a thread ring 52 extends between the open mouth 34 of the housing 14 and the first end cap 40 . in the embodiment shown , the thread ring 52 is a single piece construction 53 . in general , the thread ring 52 functions to both secure the filter cartridge 12 to the filter head 16 and permit the flow of fluid from the filter head 16 to the filter media 13 , when the filter assembly 10 is functioning in an outside to inward flow application . in the embodiment shown , the thread ring 52 , as a single piece construction 53 , has at least three regions . a first region 56 is secured to the housing 14 . in the embodiment shown , the housing 14 has an expanded diameter region 58 that terminates with a u - shaped bend 60 , formed as a portion bent over an end tip 62 of the first region 56 . the first region 56 defines a first diameter . the first region 56 of the thread ring 52 cooperates with the housing 14 to result in easier manufacturing with less variability and greater control then over prior art constructions . for example , the filter housing 14 defines a step or shoulder 90 between expanded diameter region 58 and diameter portion 92 of the housing 14 . specifically , the expanded diameter region 58 is the portion of the housing 14 that is immediately adjacent to the mouth 34 . it has a diameter that is greater than the housing portion 92 . the step or shoulder 90 is a transition point between the region 58 and housing portion 92 . when the filter cartridge 12 is assembled , the shoulder 90 is used for helping with assembly . to assemble , first , the thread ring 52 is placed on a surface , such as a conveyor . next , the filter media 13 with the first and second end caps 43 , 45 is oriented on the thread ring 52 . next , a spring 74 is oriented on the second end cap 45 . next , the housing 14 is inserted over the assembly including the thread ring 52 , filter media 13 , and spring 74 . the thread ring 52 is pressed into the housing 14 until it stops on the shoulder 90 . next , the assembly is inverted , and is followed by a seaming operation , in which the bend 60 is formed to be bent over the end tip 62 of the first region 56 . the single piece construction 53 of the thread ring 52 further includes a second region 64 both axially and radially spaced from the first region 56 . in preferred embodiments , the second region 64 is threaded along its inner surface 66 ( fig3 ) to selectively mateably connect with mating threads on the filter head 16 . in the example depicted , the filter head 16 has a threaded wall 55 that mates with the inner threaded surface 66 of the second region 64 . the second region 64 defines a second diameter . in the embodiment shown , the second diameter is less than the first diameter of the first region 56 . in preferred arrangements , the second diameter is at least 70 % of the first diameter , and in many preferred arrangements , is at least 75 % of the first diameter . the thread ring 52 further includes a third region 68 axially spaced from the first and second regions 56 , 64 . in the embodiment shown , the third region 68 also defines a fluid aperture arrangement 70 ( fig3 ) extending through the thread ring 52 . the fluid aperture arrangement 70 can include slots , cutouts , or any variety of holes in order to permit the flow of fluid entering the cartridge 12 from the filter head 16 through the thread ring 52 . in the embodiment shown , the fluid aperture arrangement 70 comprises a plurality of spaced holes 72 extending through the third region 68 . the third region 68 defines a third diameter , which in the embodiment shown in fig1 and 3 , is between the first diameter and the second diameter . the second diameter is smaller than the third diameter and is typically at least 70 % for example , at least 75 % of the third diameter . fig5 shows an alternate embodiment for thread ring 52 ′, in which the third diameter is equal to the second diameter . the thread ring 52 ′ includes first region 56 ′, second region 64 ′, and third region 68 ′. the third region 68 ′ has third diameter equal to second diameter of the second region 64 ′. in the embodiment shown , the third region 68 is radially spaced from the housing wall 37 . this radial spacing allows a volume for the liquid to pass when it flows from the filter head 16 through the holes 72 and into the interior volume 32 , before flowing through the filter media 13 and out of the filter assembly 10 through the outlet 24 . in the embodiment shown , the second region 64 is also radially spaced from the housing wall 37 . a spring 74 extends between the second end 36 of the housing 14 and the second end cap 42 . while a coiled spring 74 is shown , of course , other biasing mechanisms could be used . the filter assembly 10 further includes a seal member 76 located between the first end cap 40 and the spud 78 of the filter head 16 . when the filter cartridge 12 is spun onto the filter head 16 , a seal member 76 will compress against the spud 78 and form a seal 80 between the filter cartridge 12 and the filter head 16 . a seal member 82 is located between the filter head 16 and the u - shaped bend 60 of the housing 14 to form another seal 83 between the filter head 16 and the housing 14 . fig3 and 5 depict the filter cartridge 12 without the seal member 82 , for purposes of clarity in showing the remaining structure . it should be understood that preferred arrangements of the filter cartridge 12 include the seal member 82 as a part of the filter cartridge 12 . in fig1 and 3 , note how an end 69 of the third region 68 of the thread ring 52 is axially engaged against the first end cap 40 . this arrangement prevents flow from passing anywhere other than through the fluid aperture arrangement 10 . in operation , the filter assembly 10 works as follows : in an outside to inside operation , fluid to be cleaned enters the filter head through inlet 22 . from there , it flows through the openings 72 in the thread ring 52 and into the open interior volume 32 of the filter housing 14 . from there , the fluid is forced to flow through the filter media 13 and into the open interior volume 44 . the fluid is prevented from bypassing the filter media 13 due to seal 80 formed between the end cap 40 and the spud 78 of the filter head 16 . the seal 83 between the housing 14 and the filter head 16 prevents leakage to the outside . from the open interior volume 44 , the cleaned fluid passes through the outlet 24 of the filter head 16 . after a period of operation , the filter media 13 will become occluded . the occluded filter media 13 will cause an increase in restriction . at such time , it will become appropriate to change and replace the filter assembly . in order to do this , the filter cartridge 12 will be released from the filter head 16 by unscrewing the filter cartridge 12 from the filter head 16 . this will release seals 80 and 83 . the old filter cartridge 12 is discarded and replaced with a new filter cartridge 12 . the new filter cartridge 12 is screwed onto the filter head 16 and filtering can then be restarted . a method of assembling a filter cartridge is provided . the method includes providing housing 14 . the housing 14 is generally cylindrical and includes closed bottom 36 and open mouth 34 . the housing 14 also defines shoulder 90 adjacent to the mouth 34 . the u - shaped bend will not be formed in the housing 14 at this stage . to assemble , first , the thread ring 52 is placed on a surface , such as a conveyor . next , the filter media 13 with the first and second end caps 43 , 45 is oriented on the thread ring 52 . next , a spring 74 is oriented on the second end cap 45 . next , the housing 14 is inserted over the assembly including the thread ring 52 , filter media 13 , and spring 74 . the thread ring 52 is pressed into the housing 14 until it stops on the shoulder 90 . next , the assembly is inverted , and is followed by a seaming operation , in which the bend 60 is formed to be bent over the end tip 62 of the first region 56 . | 1 |
streptomyces sp . 8446 - cci used in the present invention has the following morphological cultural physiological characteristics . ______________________________________medium cultural characteristics______________________________________sucrose g : thin , colorless to yellowish graynitrate am : abundant , powdery , whiteagar sp : very slight , yellowish grayglycerol - g : thin , colorless to yellowish graynitrate am : poor , powdery , whiteagar sp : very slight , yellowish grayglucose - g : moderate , yellowish gray with paleasparagine yellowish brown reverseagar am : abundant , velvety , light gray to light brownish gray sp : slight , pale yellowish brown g : moderate , spreading and penetratingglycerol - into agar , yellowish graycalcium am : abundant , velvety , light brownish graymalate with whitish patchagar sp : very slight , yellowish gray g : moderate , spreading and penetrating into agar , yellowish gray with light brownish gray reversestarch agar am : abundant , velvety , light gray with brownish tinge sp : very slight , yellowish graypeptone g : moderate , pale yellowish brown withbeef ex - yellowish brown reversetract agar am : poor , powdery , white at margin of colony sp : yellowish brownglucose g : thick and wrinkled , yellowish graypeptone - am : poor , powdery , white at margin ofbeef - ex - colonytract agar sp : yellowish brownglucose g : thin , pale yellowpeptone am : noneagar sp : slight , pale yellowglucose g : moderate and wrinkled , pale yellowishcasein brown reversedigest - am : moderate , velvety , light gray withyeast - brownish tingebeef agar sp : slight , pale yellowish brown g : moderate , spreading and penetratingoatmeal - into agar , yellowish grayyeast am : abundant , velvety , light gray withextract brownish tingeagar sp : very slight , yellowish g : thick and wrinkledpotato plug am : abundant , light gray with brownish tinge sp : dark brownloeffler &# 39 ; s g : moderate , dark brownblood am : poor , powdery , whiteserum sp : dark brown g : surface ring , pale yellowish browngelatin am : none sp : brown g : surface ring , pale yellowish brownmilk am : abundant , powdery white sp : brown to dark brown g : thin , colorlesscellulose am : abundant , powdery , light gray sp : none g : moderate , yellowish gray to paleglycerin - yellowasparagin am : abundant , powdery brownwhite to light brown gray sp : very slight , yellowish gray g : moderate , grayish yellow brownthyrosine am : moderate , powdery whiteagar sp : dark yellow brown g : thick , pale yellow brown to grayishyeast - yellowish brownmalt am : abundant , velvety , light brownish grayagar sp : pale yellow brown g : thin , yellowish grayoatmeal am : abundant , velvety , light brownish grayagar sp : slight , yellowish gray______________________________________ g : growth am : aerial mycelium sp : soluble pigments in the table above , color was determined by the method described in &# 34 ; color harmony manual &# 34 ; published by container corporation of america . growth condition : ph 6 . 2 - 7 . 8 ungrowable under 5 ° c . and above 45 ° c . and ungrowable under anaerobic condition ( ungrowable in a lower layer in the case of stab culture in a thick yeast - melt agar culture medium ) color production : prepare deep brown color in a natural culture medium and melamine color in tyrosine culture medium utilization of hydrocarbons : utilizes as carbon source glucose , rhamnose , mannose , milk sugar , raffinose , mannitol , sucrose , glycerin and salicin , and does not utilize arabinose , fructose and cellulose . cultural and physiological characteristics of the strain 8446 - cci are as shown in the above . the strain was determined to belong to &# 34 ; gray series &# 34 ; of &# 34 ; treser and backus &# 34 ; by the fact that the color of aerial mycelium was light gray to light brownish gray . the substrate mycelium or reverse side of colony showed no distinctive colors ( yellowish gray to yellowish brown ) on all media . soluble pigments were produced slightly and no distinctively ( yellowish gray to pale yellowish brown ) on synthetic or some organic media . chromogenic pigments ( yellowish brown to dark brown ) were produced on most organic media and melanoid pigment on tyrosine agar . judging from the above - described morphological culture physiological characteristics , streptomyces sp . 8446 - cci is considered to be a strain belonging to streptomyces antibioticus . this strain was deposited in an unrestricted form with the fermentation research institute of agency of industrial science and technology of japan ( no . 8 - 15 - chome higashi inage , chiba - city , chiba prefecture , japan ) under strain deposit no . perm - p 3 , 284 and the samples of the strain can be issued to the third parties after the japanese patent application no . 128910 / 1975 which is the base application of this application , is open . for obtaining multhiomycin , a multhiomycin - producing strain belonging to genus steptomyces is cultured in a culture medium which comprises a carbon source and a nitrogen source . if necessary , it is also possible to add to the culture medium sodium chloride , phosphate or a very small amount of metal ions . a culture medium which contain dextrine , dry yeast , methionine , sodium chloride and calcium carbonate , and which contain starch , cotton - seed flour , methionine , sodium chloride and calcium carbonate are best suited for production of multhiomycin . although cultivation of the multhiomycin - producing strain can be accomplished by solid culture , it is more advantageous to employ liquid culture , particularly submerged culture , for mass cultivation . cultivation can be conducted under an aerobic or semi - aerobic condition . for instance , it is possible to carry out cultivation under flow of germ - free air or by surface culture with no aeration . cultivation temperature is usually within the range of 10 ° to 50 ° c . preferably 23 ° to 32 ° c ., but in most cases a temperature of around 27 ° c . is found to be optimal . generally , production of multhiomycin reaches its maximum after about 1 to 9 days cultivation in the case of shaking culture and in about 1 to 8 days cultivation in the case of aerated tank culture . the collection of multhiomycin can be accomplished by any suitable known methods generally used in separating and collecting the antibiotics from a culture of microorganisms or by combining such methods . now the methods of cultivation as well as the methods for collecting multhiomycin are described by way of example . a seed culture solution of streptomyces sp . 8446 - cci strain was inoculated in 30 liter of culture medium ( with adjusted ph of 5 . 6 ) containing 2 . 5 % of dextrine , 2 . 0 % of dry yeast , 0 . 5 % of sodium chloride and 0 . 4 % of calcium carbonate . the culture medium was subjected to culturing under agitation by agitator and under aeration with 15 liter / min . of air . as the production of multhiomycin reached its maximum level after 96 hours cultivation , the cultivation was suspended at that point and the myceline were filtered out to obtain about 10 kg of wet mycelium . these mycelium were extracted first with 15 liter of methanol and then with 15 liter of a mixed solvent of acetone and methanol mixed in the mixing ratio of 4 : 1 in volume and then the two extracted solutions were combined and subjected to vacuum distillation ( at 60 ° c .) to separate methanol and acetone from the mixed solution , and 500 ml of remaining aqueous solution was further extracted with 1 liter of mixed solvent of isopropanol and dichloroethane mixed in the ratio of 1 : 4 in volume , isopropanol and dichloroethane were distilled off under vacuum ( at 60 ° c .) from this isopropanol - dichloroethane mixed extracted solution and the residual oily substance was dissolved in a mixed solvent of isopropanol and dichloroethane ( mixed in the ratio of 1 : 4 in volume ), and to this solution was added portionwise , n - hexane in amount 1 . 5 times as much as that of the solution , whereby yellow sediment of multhiomycin was obtained . this sediment was collected on a glass filter and washed once with 10 ml of methanol , obtaining 6 . 2 gr of crude crystals of multhiomycin ( with a purity of 90 % ). 1 gr . of these crude crystals of multhiomycin was dissolved in 800 ml of ethyl acetate containing 10 % of dmf and then allowed to stand at room temperature ( about 20 ° c .) for two days , consequently obtaining 660 mg of needle crystals of multhiomycin ( with a purity of 100 %). the elemental analysis of multhiomycin showed the following constituents : c 49 . 74 ; h 4 . 17 ; o 16 . 74 ; n 15 . 13 ; and s 15 . 03 , and molecular weight measured by the vapor pressure method was 1064 . it is anticipated from these facts that multhiomycin has the molecular formula , c 44 h 45 o 11 n 11 s 5 . melting point ( decomposition point ) of this antibiotic is higher than 300 ° c . the ultraviolet absorption curve of multhiomycin is as shown in the graph of fig1 . as seen from the graph , it shows the maximum absorptivity at 328 mμ ( e 1cm 1 % 220 ) and 420 mμ ( e 1cm 1 % 20 ) in the neutral or acid methanol ( b ), while in the alkaline methanol ( a ) it shows the maximum absorptivity at 292 mμ ( e 1cm 1 % 255 ) and 406 mμ ( e 1cm 1 % 132 ). fig2 shows the infrared absorption curve of multhiomycin ( in potassium bromide tablet ), from which is will be seen that high absorptivity is observed at 3380 cm - 1 , 1660 cm - 1 , 1520 cm - 1 , 1470 cm - 1 , 1200 cm - 1 , 1110 cm - 1 , 1015 cm - 1 , 910 cm - 1 and 750 cm - 1 . multhiomycin is soluble in dimethylformamide , dimethyl sulfoxide and pyridine , but is only slightly soluble in ethyl acetate , methanol , ethanol and dioxane and is insoluble in water , acetic acid , n - hexane , ether , chloroform and many other organic solvents . as for color reaction of multhiomycin , it develops various colors by the ferric chloride reagent , folin &# 39 ; s reagent and lemieux reagent , but it develops no color by the ninhydrin reagent , fehling &# 39 ; s reagent and ponceau - 3r reagent or in the buret reactions . multhiomycin remains stable , when heated in an aqueous solution at 100 ° c . at a ph of 2 to 5 for five minutes . it is a slightly acidic and is in the form of yellow needle crystal . no optional activity is observed in its 1 % solution . as a medicine for animals using multhiomycin , the fungus containing multhiomycin obtained by the cultivation of streptomyces sp . 8446 - cci , or multhiomycin producing fungus , crude multhiomycin or refined multhiomycin can be directly administrated to the animals or fishes and shellfishes in the form of a solution , emulsion , suspension , wettable powder , dust , tablets or injection , or administrated to the animals or fishes and shellfishes by adding to their feed or drinking water . multhiomycin can also be used as a growth stimulator for a wide variety of animals including bird , fishes and shellfishes , for example poultry such as laying hens , broilers , turkeys , ducks , etc ., livestock such as cattle , horses , pigs , sheeps , goats , mink , etc ., pet animals such as dogs , cats , pigeons , etc ., or laboratory animals such as mice , rats , rabbits , etc ., or fishes and shellfishes such as carp , trouts , eels , goldfishes , sweetfishes , sea gold breams , yellowtails , oysters , scallops , etc . in administering multhiomycin to said animals , or fishes and shellfishes , it may be directly blended in feed or drinking water . more effectively , multhiomycin is once formed into a solution or emulsion or into a wettable powder or suspension and then added to feed or drinking water given to the animals including birds , fishes and shellfishes . in case of using multhiomycin in the form of solids such as wettable powder or suspension , good results can be obtained if the particle size of multhiomycin is within the range of 1 to 100μ , preferably less than 5μ . this is due to the property of multhiomycin of not being absorbed in the body of the animal or fish and shellfish to which it is administered . further multhiomycin can be given directly to animals , fishes and shellfishes as growth promoting agent in a form of powder , grain , tablet or suspension without mixing with feed or drinking water . as for the optimal dosage of multhiomycin for animals including birds , fishes and shellfishes , it is usually given in an amount of 0 . 1 to 500 ppm , preferably 0 . 5 to 100 ppm , by blending it in feed or drinking water , although the amount is somewhat varied depending upon the degree of growth of the object animals including birds , fishes and shellfishes . this level of concentration is far lower than dosage required for various kinds of diseases of animals including birds , fishes and shellfishes . in case of using multhiomycin in mixture ( blend ) with feedstuff , multhiomycin or its mixture ( pre - mix ) with an extender or diluent such as starch , dextrose , dextrine , calcium carbonate , kaolin or the like is crushed by a crushing machine such as jet pulverizer to prepare a dust , wettable powder or suspension , then this is diluted with a suitable amount of water and adsorbed or spread in a feedstuff such as soybean meal or fish meal to make a feed containing about 0 . 5 to 10 % of multhiomycin , and then this is further blended with feedstuff so that multhiomycin has the prescribed concentration therein . in case that multhiomycin is in the form of a solution or emulsion , it is adsorbed or spread in a feedstuff directly or after diluting it with water to prepare a feed containing about 0 . 5 to 10 % of multhiomycin , and then this is blended with feedstuff in such an amount as to provide a predetermined concentration . multhiomycin can be added to any type of feedstuff generally used for animals including birds , fishes and shellfishes such as corn , milo , soybean meal , soybean flour , lucern meal , fish meal , rice bran , wheat flour , wheat bran , fats , cottonseed meal , etc . it is also possible to blend other additives therewith , for example a surfactant or adjuvants such as sodium asparaginate , sorbitan monostearate , sorbitan monolaurate , tween , calcium carbonate , sodium chloride , choline chloride , vitamines , calcium pantothenate , nicotinic acid amide , folic acid , iron sulfate , magnesium sulfate , zinc sulfate , cobalt sulfate , amino acids , etc ., or other feed additives such as sulfa drugs , various kinds of coccidiostats , and other antibiotics and antiparasitics . multhiomycin is efficacious not only for promoting growth of animals including birds , fishes and shellfishes but also for improving feed efficiency , egg - laying and fertilization rates as well as for preventing diarrhea ( watery feces ) of fowls . now the physiological effects of multhiomycin are described in detail in the results of tests on promotion of growth of animals including birds , fishes and shellfishes and other matters . 500 broiler chickens ( 250 males and 250 females ) one - day old after hatching were divided into five groups each of which consisted of 100 chickens ( with the same number of males and females ) and these groups of chickens were fed with the feeds containing multhiomycin of 0 . 5 , 1 , 2 and 4 ppm , respectively , with the control group being fed with feeds to which no multhiomycin was added and such feeding was continued for eight weeks according to a floor pen system . the results of the test are shown in table 1 below , from which it is noted that the average body weight of the 8 - weeks old chickens in the multhiomycin - added feed groups is higher by 6 . 4 to 9 . 0 % than that of the counterparts in the control group , while the feed efficiency is improved by an amount of 0 . 13 to 0 . 24 over the control . table 1______________________________________change of average body weight andfeed efficiency feed 0 - week 2 - week 4 - week 6 - week 8 - week effici - group old old old old old ency______________________________________control 43 245 685 1330 1825 2 . 440 . 5 ppm 43 245 706 1412 1942 2 . 311 . 0 ppm 43 247 719 1419 1951 2 . 302 . 0 ppm 43 250 723 1423 1962 2 . 254 . 0 ppm 43 247 726 1431 1989 2 . 20______________________________________ ( notes ) ( 1 ) each numerical value in the table is a mean value ( gr ). ( 2 ) feed efficiency = total amount of feed ingested during the entire tes period + body weight gain during the entire test period . ______________________________________corn 49 . 5 % soybean meal 24 . 5milo 12 . 2 % lucerne meal 4 . 0fish meal 6 . 5sodium chloride 0 . 3calcium carbonate 1 . 5calcium phosphate 1 . 0premix (*) 0 . 5______________________________________ 125 ppm of amprolium plus ** ( trade mark ) was added as a coccidiosis preventive . ______________________________________corn 52 . 0 % soybean meal 10 . 0milo 14 . 5fish meal 9 . 8fats 7 . 0lucerne meal 3 . 5sodium chloride 0 . 2calcium carbonate 1 . 5calcium phosphate 1 . 0premix (*) 0 . 5______________________________________ 125 ppm amprolium plus ** ( trade mark ) was added as a coccidiosis preventive . (*) premix contains vitamin a , vitamin d . sub . 3 , vitamin e , vitamin b . sub . 1 , vitamin b . sub . 2 , vitamin b . sub . 6 , vitamin b . sub . 12 , pantothenic acid , nicotinic acid , choline chloride , folic acid , iron sulfate , copper sulfate , cobalt and zinc . (**) mixture of 1 ( 4 - amino - 2 - propyl - 5 - pyrimidinyl methyl ) 2 - picolium hydrochloride and methyl4 - acetamido - 2 - ethoxybenzoate ( 100 : 64 ) 400 broiler chickens ( 200 males and 200 females were equally divided into 4 groups ( each group consisting of 100 chickens ) and 2 ppm of multhiomycin with prescribed particle sizes was added to the feeds to be given to the respective groups except for the control group , to which ordinary commercial feed ( produced by zenno ) were given and the feeding test was conducted by using such feeds for eight weeks according to a floor pen system . multhiomycin - blended feeds were prepared in the following way . that is , a wettable powder consisting of 20 % of multhiomycin with various particle sizes , 40 % of calcium carbonate , 30 % of dextrose , 15 % of kaolin and 5 % of sorbitan monostearate was diluted in water and then spread to soybean meal to make a feed material containing 2 % of multhiomycin , and then this was further blended with feedstuff so that multhiomycin was contained in an amount of 2 ppm therein . it was found as a result that the smaller is the particle size of multhiomycin added , the higher is the degree of improvement . table 2______________________________________change of average body weight andfeed efficiency particle size of feed multhio - 0 - 2 - 4 - 6 - 8 - effici - group mycin ( ) week week week week week ency______________________________________control -- 42 236 689 1323 1812 2 . 44addedwith 52 - 44 42 227 695 1380 1891 2 . 34multhio - mycinaddedwith 43 - 37 42 242 705 1389 1902 2 . 32multhio - mycinaddedwith 3 - 5 42 252 733 1438 1975 2 . 21multhio - mycin______________________________________ ( notes ) ( 1 ) each numerical figure in the table is a mean value ( gr .) ( 2 ) feed efficiency = total amount of feed ingested during the entire tes period + body weight gain during the entire test period . ______________________________________ used in 0 to used in 5 tofeed materials 4 - week period 8 - week period______________________________________corn 49 . 5 % 52 . 0soybean meal 24 . 5 10 . 0milo 12 . 2 1 . 5fats -- 7 . 0lucerne meal 4 . 0 3 . 5fish meal 6 . 5 9 . 8sodium chloride 0 . 3 0 . 2calcium carbonate 1 . 5 1 . 5calcium phosphate 1 . 0 1 . 0premix (*) 0 . 5 0 . 5______________________________________ coccidium preventive ( amprolium plus ) 125 ppm (*) premix contains vitamin a , vitamin d . sub . 3 , vitamin e , vitamin b . sub . 1 , vitamin b . sub . 2 , vitamin b . sub . 6 , vitamin b . sub . 12 , pantothenic acid , nicotinic acid , choline chloride , folic acid , iron sulfate , copper sulfate , cobalt and zinc . 600 ( 180 - days - old ) egg - laying hens ( white leghorns ) were divided into three groups each consisting of 200 hens , and multhiomycin was added in an amount of 2 ppm and 10 ppm , respectively , to the feeds to be given to the respective groups except for the control group to which ordinary commercial feed for laying - hens was given , and the test was carried out by giving such feed to the respective groups continuously for six months . the test results are shown in table 3 below . as apparent from the table , an eminent improvement in egg - laying was seen in the groups to which multhiomycin - blended feed was given . table 3______________________________________change of average egg - layingrate (%) 1st month from start 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6thgroup of text month month month month month______________________________________control 74 . 2 80 . 5 81 . 2 82 . 1 82 . 0 82 . 5 2 ppm 75 . 0 82 . 3 83 . 5 84 . 5 85 . 0 86 . 410 ppm 74 . 8 82 . 9 85 . 4 85 . 6 85 . 7 87 . 1______________________________________ 40 weaned piglets ( 21 days old ) were divided into four groups and commercially available piglet feed to which 0 , 5 , 10 and 20 ppm of multhiomycin was respectively added , was given to the respective groups continuously for four weeks , and the effects on body weight and feed efficiency were examined . as noted from table 4 which shows the test results , the piglets bred with multhiomycin - added feed had 12 . 3 to 15 . 7 % greater body weight than the piglets of the control group , and the feed efficiency was also improved by an amount of 0 . 32 to 0 . 37 over the control . table 4______________________________________change of average body weightand feed efficiency at start 1 2 3 4 feed of week weeks weeks weeks effici - group test later later later later ency______________________________________control 4 . 43 6 . 44 8 . 55 11 . 21 13 . 45 2 . 02 5 ppm 4 . 21 6 . 90 9 . 20 12 . 00 15 . 10 1 . 7010 ppm 4 . 50 6 . 52 9 . 44 12 . 44 15 . 35 1 . 6820 ppm 4 . 35 6 . 75 9 . 44 12 . 31 15 . 56 1 . 65______________________________________ ( note ) each numerical value in the table is a means value ( kg ). 80 ( 10 - weeks - old ) of first cross pigs ( landrace x hampshire ) were divided into four groups each consisting of 20 pigs ( with same number of males and females ) and multhiomycin was added in an amount of 5 , 50 and 100 ppm , respectively to the feeds shown below , and the said feed were given to the respective groups except for the control group , and such feeds were given to the pigs of the respective groups continuously for 10 weeks . to the control group , an ordinary feed was given . the results are shown in table 5 below . it was confirmed that , at the end of the test , the average body weight of the pigs given the multhiomycin - blended feeds was higher by 11 . 4 to 16 . 1 % than that of the pigs of the control group , while the feed efficiency was also improved by 0 . 25 to 0 . 45 over the control . table 5______________________________________change of average body weightand feed efficiency at feed start 2 4 6 8 10 ef - of weeks weeks weeks weeks weeks fici - group test later later later later later ency______________________________________control 21 . 3 26 . 0 35 . 2 43 . 2 50 . 3 60 . 4 3 . 66 5 ppm 20 . 1 27 . 0 37 . 5 45 . 5 54 . 5 67 . 3 3 . 41 50 ppm 20 . 9 27 . 5 38 . 0 47 . 8 56 . 2 69 . 4 3 . 38100 ppm 21 . 0 26 . 9 37 . 9 45 . 9 57 . 8 70 . 1 3 . 21______________________________________ ( note ) each numerical value in the table is a mean value ( kg ). ______________________________________corn 48 . 9 % soybean meal 13 . 0milo 10 . 0defatted rice bran 5 . 0barley 8 . 0fish meal 8 . 0lucerne meal 4 . 0calcium carbonate 1 . 4calcium phosphate 0 . 7sodium chloride 0 . 5premix (*) 0 . 5______________________________________ (*) premix was the same as that used in example 2 . note : multhiomycin was added to the feeds in examples 2 , 4 , 5 , and 6 by spraying multhiomycin solution in acetone to the feed and removing acetone therefrom . in a culture farm 100 hamachis ( japanese name for young yellow tail , soriola quinqueradiata ) were cultured for 21 days using the feed containing 5 ppm of multhiomycin in which there were used as basic feed stuff &# 34 ; feed stuff for fingerlings &# 34 ; prepared by japan haigoshiryo co ., ltd . after the test , various factors such as the body weight increase were measured and the number of surviving fish were counted . table 6______________________________________ control feed containing ( only basic multhiomycin feed ) ______________________________________number of initially 100 100stocked hamachiinitial average 10 . 6 10 . 5body weight ( g ) total weight of 1 , 060 1 , 050stocked fish ( g ) number of dead fish 2 13number of living fish 98 87final total weight 3 , 812 3 , 158of living fish ( g ) final average bodyweight of living 38 . 9 36 . 3fish ( g ) increase of totalweight of living 2 , 752 2 , 108fish ( g ) total amount offeed supplied ( g ) 18 , 438 17 , 920increase factor 6 . 7 8 . 5of flesh______________________________________ as shown in table 6 , an increase of 7 % in average body weight and of 31 % in total body weight was obtained for the fish supplied with a feed containing multhiomycin over those of the control group supplied with feed containing no multhiomycin and significant improvement was obtained in the finally obtained yield as a result of the higher surviving ratio and rate of body weight increase . in a culture farm 200 eels fingerlings ( angnilla japonica ) were cultured for 70 days using a feed containing 10 ppm of multhiomycin in which there was used as basic feed stuff &# 34 ; feed stuff for eel fingerlings &# 34 ; prepared by japan haigoshiryo co ., ltd . after the test , various factors such as the body weight increase were measured and the number of surviving eels were counted . the results obtained are shown in table 7 . table 7______________________________________ control feed contain - ( only basic ing multhiomycin feed stuff ) ______________________________________number of initially 200 200stocked eelsinitial average 1 . 30 1 . 31body weight ( g ) total weight ofstocked eels ( g ) number of dead eels 0 14number of living eels 200 186final total weightof living eels ( g ) 1 , 530 1 , 207final average bodyweight of living 7 . 65 6 . 49eels ( g ) increase of total weight 1 , 270 945of living eels ( g ) total amounts offeed supplied ( g ) 1 , 549 1 , 531increase factor of 1 . 22 1 . 62flesh______________________________________ as shown in table 7 , an increase of 18 % in average body weight and of 27 % of total body weight was obtained for the eel supplied with a feed containing multhiomycin over those of the control group supplied with feed containing no multhiomycin and significant improvement was obtained in the finally obtained yield as a result of the higher surviving ratio and rate of body weight increase . 5 parts of multhiomycin , 90 parts of ethylalcohol and 5 parts of sugar - ester were mixed throughly to form a solution . the solution can be used as a premix composition . the premix composition was mixed with feed or drink water in a predetermined amounts to form feed or drink water for animals , fishes and shellfishes . 10 parts of multhiomycin , 80 parts of sodium chloride , 3 parts of solbitanstearate and 7 parts of sugar ester were mixed throughly and grained to form powder for animals , fishes and shellfishes . the powder is mixed with feed or drinking water in a predetermined amounts to prepare feed or drinking water for animals , fishes and shellfishes . 1 part of multhiomycin , 5000 parts of starch , 4999 parts of kaolin were grained and mixed throughly to form powder . the powder is given orally to animals as growth promoting agent in a suitable amount according to the growth state of the said animals . 5 parts of multhiomycin , 2500 parts of calcium carbonate , 2500 parts of glucose , 100 parts of sodium chloride , 4000 parts of kaolin , 400 parts of sodium bicarbonate , 200 parts of cmc , and 295 parts of sugar ester were grained and mixed throughly , and tablets were prepared using tablet machine . a suitable amounts of the tablets are orally given to animals as growth promoting agent . 1 part of multhiomycin , 300 parts of oil , 499 parts of water , 50 parts of sodium asparaginate and 100 parts of sugar ester were mixed throughly to form suspension . a suitable amount of the suspension are given orally to animals , fishes and shellfishes as growth promoting agent . | 2 |
the electrical drive train failure detector and safety brake , as illustrated in fig1 is adapted to prevent rotation of a cable drum 12 in the event of mechanical failure in a drive train , such as transmission 14 connecting the cable drum 12 , to a prime mover , such as an electrical motor 16 . the cable drum 12 is rotatably mounted on a fixed mounting surface ( not shown ) by bearings 18 of conventional variety engaging a cable drum axle 20 . a relatively large pinion gear 22 mounted at one end of the drum 12 engages a smaller pinion gear 24 mounted on the output shaft 26 of the transmission 14 . the end of the output shaft 26 is rotatably mounted on a fixed surface by a bearing 28 of conventional variety . the motor 16 is connected to an input shaft 30 of the transmission 14 so that as the motor 16 rotates , the drum 12 rotates through the gears 22 , 24 . in operation the motor 16 rotates in either direction depending upon the desired direction of rotation of the cable drum 12 . the transmission 14 is generally a speed reduction device so that the input shaft 30 rotates a large number of revolutions for each revolution of the drum 12 . the system as described to this point is well known and conventionally used for a variety of purposes including the actuating mechanism for cable hoists . the safety braking system is adapted to prevent rotation of the cable drum 12 in response to a failure in the mechanical drive train connecting the cable drum 12 to the motor 16 . although such failures generally occur in the transmission 14 , the term &# 34 ; drive train &# 34 ; as used herein includes all of the mechanical coupling devices between the drum 12 and motor 16 including the input shaft 30 , the transmission 14 , the output shaft 26 and the pinion gears 22 , 24 . the drum 12 is prevented from rotating in response to a mechanical failure by actuating a caliper disc braking mechanism 32 so that it frictionally engages a disc 34 mounted on the drum 12 and rotating therewith . briefly , the system functions by measuring the rotation of the motor 16 with a conventional encoder 36 which produces a fixed number of output pulses for each revolution of the encoder shaft . simularly , the rotation of the cable drum 12 is measured by an encoder 38 coupled to the cable drum axle 20 by a drive belt 40 . the number of pulses per revolution produced by the motor encoder 36 relative to the number of pulses produced per revolution by the cable drum encoder 38 is selected so that the frequency of the pulses from both encoders 36 , 38 are approximately equal during normal operating conditions . thus , for example , where the rotation of the motor 16 is 500 times the rotation of the cable drum 12 , the cable drum encoder 38 produces 500 pulses for each revolution while the motor encoder 36 produces only one pulse per revolution . consequently , the drive motor encoder 36 produces one pulse for each pulse produced by the cable drum encoder 38 . the conditioned outputs of the encoders 36 , 38 are connected to a brake mechanism control system 42 which generates appropriate pressure signals on pneumatic lines 45 , 46 to actuate the braking mechanism 32 when the total number of the pulses from the drive motor encoder 16 deviates by a sufficient amount from the total number of the pulses produced by the cable drum encoder 38 . the cable drum safety brake shown in fig1 is also capable of preventing rotation of the cable drum 12 responsive to other failure modes besides a mechanical failure in the drive train between the drum 12 and motor 16 . for example , a failure in external braking systems ( not shown ) for selectively preventing rotation of the motor 16 or drum 12 may allow the drum 12 and motor 16 to freely rotate . since the frequency of the pulses from both encoders 36 , 38 are equal during this condition the previously described system would not respond to this failure mode . however , an overspeed switch 44 is coupled to the cable drum axle 20 for producing an electrical indication when the rotational velocity of the cable drum 12 exceeds a predetermined value . the output of the overspeed switch 44 is connected to the braking mechanism control system 42 so that the control system 42 can actuate the braking mechanism 32 in an overspeed condition . the overspeed switch 44 is a conventional device sold by the industrial control division of harvey hubbell , inc . of madison , ohio . although the specific model of overspeed switch utilized will , of course , depend upon the specific application , the model 2220 which opens an electrical contact when the rotational velocity of its input shaft exceeds a value adjustable between 5 and 50 revolutions per minute has been advantageously used in one application . a portion of the braking mechanism control system including the system for actuating the braking mechanism 32 is illustrated in fig2 . an illustrative brake mechanism 32 includes a pair of caliper arms 50 , 52 pivotally mounted to a frame 54 and positioned to straddle the braking disc 34 . layers of frictional braking material 56 , 58 are secured to the opposed faces of the caliper arms 50 , 52 and are spring set against opposite faces of the disc 34 thereby preventing rotation of the drum 12 . the arms 50 , 52 are actuated away from their braking position by a pneumatic actuator 62 connected between the arms 50 , 52 on the opposite side of the frame 54 from the tension spring 60 . the pneumatic system is powered by a prime mover 64 , such as an electric motor , which drives a conventional compressor pump 66 through a shaft 68 . the pump 66 delivers pressurized air to a tank 72 . the air pressure from the tank 72 is applied to a conventional solenoid valve 74 . when the solenoid valve 74 is in its energized position as illustrated in fig2 the lefthand side of the piston in actuator 62 is pressurized while the right - hand side of the piston is vented . consequently , the arms 50 , 52 adjacent the actuator 62 are drawn toward each other thereby removing the frictional braking surfaces 56 , 58 from the disc 34 and allowing the drum 12 to rotate . when the coil 78 of the solenoid 74 is de - energized the lefthand side of the actuator 62 is vented thereby applying the braking mechanism 32 and preventing the drum 12 from rotating . the solenoid coil 78 is connected in series with an electrical contact 80 of the overspeed switch 44 and a normally open relay contact 82 so that the solenoid 74 is energized and the braking mechanism 32 is disengaged to allow the drum 12 to rotate as long as the overspeed contact 80 and the relay contact 82 are closed . the system for comparing the rotation of the motor 16 and cable drum 12 is illustrated in fig3 . both the cable drum encoder 38 and the drive motor encoder 36 have two outputs . pulses are produced on one output when the shafts of the encoders 36 , 38 are rotating in a clockwise direction , and pulses are produced on the other output when the shafts of the encoders 36 , 38 are rotating in a counter - clockwise direction . the encoders 36 , 38 are commercially available model 715 encoders sold by encoder products co . of sand point , idaho . the clockwise outputs of both encoders 36 , 38 are connected to the &# 34 ; up &# 34 ; inputs of up - down binary counters 90 , 92 through opto - isolators 94 , 96 , respectively . similarly , the counter - clockwise outputs of the encoders 36 , 38 are connected to the &# 34 ; down &# 34 ; inputs of the counters 90 , 92 through opto - isolators 98 , 100 . the counters 90 , 92 are standard articles of commerce such as model 74c193 counter sold by texas instruments , inc . ( hereinafter referred to as &# 34 ; t . i .&# 34 ;), motorola , inc . and national semiconductor , inc . ( hereinafter &# 34 ; nat &# 39 ; l .&# 34 ;). similarly , the opto - isolators 94 - 100 are available from motorola and t . i . and designated model ilct - 6 . under normal operating conditions both counters 90 , 92 are either counting up at the same rate or down at the same rate so that the outputs of both counters 90 , 92 are equal . the outputs of the counters 90 , 92 are received by a matched pair of binary magnitude comparators 104 , 102 which each will produce a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; output whenever the binary information in each line is equal . by changing the internal connection on the comparators , the system sensitivity is set . the sensitivity adjustment allows operation when the actual mechanical speed ratio is not a ratio which can be exactly electrically matched . the sensitivity adjustment , or offset , also allows for the mechanical slack take - up , lash , without a false trip . the binary magnitude comparators are commercially available integrated circuits such as nat &# 39 ; l . mm74c85 4 bit units cascaded . the counters 90 , 92 are periodically reset by a reset timer 112 having a reset frequency determined by timing capacitor 114 and resistor 116 . since both counters 90 , 92 are periodically reset to zero , the outputs of the counters 90 , 92 are proportional to the amount the shafts of the drive motor encoder 36 and cable drum encoder 38 , respectively , have rotated since the last reset . however , the outputs of the counters 90 , 92 are also representative of the average rotational velocities of the motor 16 and drum 12 , respectively , during the counting interval , since a higher rotational velocity produces a larger number of pulses from the respective encoder in a given period of time . hence , the output of the binary magnitude comparators 102 , 104 will be &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; until the predetermined offset is exceeded between counter reset points . the typical offset would be four counts , which at 1000 r . p . m . on the prime mover shaft could occur in 0 . 24 seconds on this system if the cable drum shaft stopped moving . once the offset is exceeded , the output of each comparator will go &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; feeding a signal to its respective output driver latch circuit 107 , 108 . the output driver / latch circuits utilize nat &# 39 ; l . mm 74c175 latch integrated circuits . the comparator &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; output will drive the output driver &# 34 ; low ,&# 34 ; de - energizing the relay 120 , and the output drivers will latch in the &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; state and energize the fault indicators 118 , 119 . reset is accomplished by removing power from the latch circuit and resetting the ratio monitoring system . the relay 120 , when de - energized , will stop the prime mover , de - energize the solenoid coil 78 , and allow the cable drum brake 32 to set , thus stopping the load . the static system check circuit is used to prove that all electronic components , with the exception of the encoders , are functioning properly . while the drive is at rest , the switch 12 is set to either up or down , and the two gang potentiometer 121a , b is moved from its center position to a value which causes the dual square wave generator 122 to simulate one encoder counting faster than the other . once the offset is exceeded both fault indicator 118 , 199 light are energized the normal indicator light 110 is de - energized . the system is then checked in the opposite direction . these checks prove that both of the redundant paths are functioning properly . the switch is then returned to the &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; position to return the drive train detector to operation . this check verifies that any single component failure would only cause a safe shutdown of the machinery . not shown is the reset circuitry which resets all counters to zero and holds off the latch circuitry for approximately 1 / 2 second on initial erergization of the system . a mechanical drive train failure detector cable drum safety brake as illustrated in fig4 utilizes the same concept as the system of fig1 . the shaft of the motor 16 is connected to the input shaft 130 of a transmission 132 having a speed reduction ratio which is identical to the speed reduction ratio of the drive train between the cable drum 12 and motor 16 . cnosequently , the output shaft 134 of the transmission 132 rotates the same amount as the cable drum 12 during normal operating conditions . the axle 20 of the cable drum 12 and the output shaft 134 of the transmission 132 are connected to respective rotation transmitting cables 136 , 138 such as those conventionally used as speedometer cables . the opposite ends of the cables 136 , 138 drive a differential phase switch 140 illustrated in detail in fig5 . the phase switch 140 includes a pair of discs 142 , 144 rotatably mounted on a shaft 146 and connected to respective cables , 136 , 138 so that the disc 142 rotates with cable 136 and the disc 144 rotates with cable 138 . the discs 142 , 144 have formed on their outer peripheries notches 148 , 150 , respectively , which are normally positioned out of alignment as best illustrated in fig5 c during normal operating conditions . a cam following 152 connected to a normally closed switch contact 154 is resiliently biased against the peripheries of the discs 142 , 144 . as long as the notches 148 , 150 do not align themselves with each other the cam follower 152 is positioned at the outer periphery of the discs 142 , 144 thereby maintaining the contact 154 in its closed position . however , in response to a mechanical failure of the drive train the output shaft 134 of the transmission 132 rotates at a different rate than the axle 20 of the cable drum 12 thereby causing the discs 142 , 144 to rotate at different rates so that the notches 148 , 150 are periodically placed in alignment with each other as illustrated in fig5 b . when the aligned notches 148 , 150 pass beneath the cam follower 152 the follower is permitted to move radially inward thereby opening the normally closed contacts of switch 154 . the contacts of the switch 154 are in series with the coil 78 of solenoid 74 ( fig2 ) in place of the contact 82 in the electrical system so that the braking mechanism is applied to prevent rotation of the cable drum 12 . while the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described , variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the principles herein , i . e ., hydraulically releasing the brake . while the disclosed embodiments are very advantageous , it is recognized that other forms of detection of a malfunction are possible . for example , other detection systems such as cable drum overspeed , or a deviation between commanded - speed or - direction and actual - speed or - direction may be used in some instances . | 1 |
embodiments of the invention provide a method , device and system for handling an rlf so as to offer handling of an rlf in a scenario where cell resources of a plurality of enb &# 39 ; s aggregated for a ue . an embodiment of the invention provides a method for handling an rlf occurring in a cell served by a local enb for the network architecture with inter - enb aggregation . referring to fig3 , a method for handling an rlf at the lenb side according to an embodiment of the invention includes : s 101 . an lenb detects an rlf occurring with a ue in a scenario where cell resources of a plurality of enb &# 39 ; s are aggregated for the ue . s 102 . the lenb stops data of related rb &# 39 ; s of the rlf from being transmitted and notifies a macro enb of information about the rlf . preferably the information about the rlf includes at least the identifier of the ue with the rlf occurring . information about the other rb &# 39 ; s than the rb with the rlf occurring , where the other rb &# 39 ; s and the rb with the rlf occurring are rb &# 39 ; s serving the same ue . preferably the lenb stops the data of the related rb &# 39 ; s of the rlf from being transmitted as follows : the lenb stops data of all the rb &# 39 ; s corresponding to the ue with the rlf occurring from being transmitted ; or the lenb stops data of an rb with the rlf occurring thereon from being transmitted . correspondingly referring to fig4 , an embodiment of the invention provides a method for handling an rlf at the macro enb side , the method including : s 201 . a macro enb receives information about an rlf notified by an lenb in a scenario where cell resources of a plurality of enb &# 39 ; s are aggregated for a ue ; and s 202 . the macro enb judges from the information about the rlf whether one or any combination of operations of releasing , remerging and re - separating related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring will be performed subsequently . preferably the related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring are released as follows : the macro enb transmits an rb release command respectively to the ue and the local enb . preferably the related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring are remerged as follows : the macro enb transmits an rb remerge command to the ue to instruct the ue to reestablish an rb on the macro enb . preferably the related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring are re - separated as follows : upon reception of a notification transmitted from a first local enb that there is an rlf occurring , the macro enb determines from a measurement result reported by the ue that a second local enb is available and transmits a bearer separation request to the second local enb ; and the macro enb receives a notification of an rb which can be admitted by the second local enb and configures the ue with the rb which can be admitted , and the macro enb transmits an rb release command respectively to the first local enb and the ue . stated otherwise , handling of an rlf can include handling of the rlf by the macro enb itself and handling of the rlf by the macro enb negotiating with adjacent lenb &# 39 ; s . the rlf is handled by the macro enb itself ( primarily for an rb to be released or remerged ) as follows : a radio link failure of a local cell is handled as follows in the network scenario with layered coverage in support of enb aggregation : the local enb judges whether an rlf condition is satisfied dependent upon an implementation ; and the local enb transmits an rlf report and other information to the macro enb . the macro enb judges from a current measurement result , network bearers and other conditions whether to initiate an rb release or remerge procedure . the macro enb initiates the rb release procedure and transmits an rb release command to the local enb . the macro enb initiates the rb release procedure and transmits the rb release command to the ue . the macro nb initiates the rb remerge procedure and transmits an rb remerge command to the ue . the ue reestablishes related rb &# 39 ; s on the macro enb in response to the rb remerge command . the rlf is handled by the macro enb negotiating with the adjacent lenb &# 39 ; s ( primarily for an rb to be released or re - separated ) as follows : a radio link failure of a local cell is handled as follows in the network scenario with layered coverage in support of enb aggregation : the local enb judges whether an rlf condition is satisfied dependent upon an implementation ; and the local enb transmits an rlf report and other information to the macro enb . the macro enb determines , from a measurement report made by the ue , the rlf report and other information , or admission decision feedback information of the adjacent lenb &# 39 ; s , adjacent lenb &# 39 ; s available for a bearer to be established and transmits a bearer setup request to the adjacent lenb &# 39 ; s . the adjacent lenb &# 39 ; s make an admission decision according to their own load conditions and other information , and transmits bearer setup feedback information to the macro enb . the macro enb judges , from the bearer setup feedback information of the adjacent lenb &# 39 ; s , the current measurement result of the ue , a network load and other conditions , whether to initiate an rb release or re - separation procedure . in response to results of the lenb &# 39 ; s to admit the rb &# 39 ; s to be established , the macro enb can reinitiate an rb setup request to the other adjacent lenb &# 39 ; s for rb &# 39 ; s which are not admitted . the macro enb initiates the rb release procedure and transmits an rb release command to the local enb . the macro enb initiates the rb release procedure and transmits the rb release command to the ue . the macro nb transmits an rb re - separation command to the ue . the ue creates rb re - separation related lower - layer entities , transmits acknowledgement information to the macro enb and initiates a bearer setup procedure on the adjacent lenb &# 39 ; s . preferably the information about the rlf includes at least the identifier of the ue with the rlf occurring . information about the other rb &# 39 ; s than the rb with the rlf occurring , ere the other rb &# 39 ; s and the rb with the rlf occurring are rb &# 39 ; s serving the same ue . as can be apparent , in the invention , the lenb detects by itself an rlf occurring with the ue . the lenb stops data of related rb &# 39 ; s with the rlf occurring from being transmitted and reports an rlf report and related assistance information to the macro enb . the macro enb can judge whether the related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue of the ue with the rlf occurring will be released , remerged or re - separated subsequently after collecting the related information assisting in handling the rlf . rb &# 39 ; s can be released in such a way that the macro enb instructs an rb related resource at the ue side with the rlf occurring to be released / de - configured / deactivated , etc ., and the macro enb instructs a related resource at the enb side with the rlf occurring to be released . rb &# 39 ; s can be remerged by reestablishing the related rb &# 39 ; s on the macro enb . an rb ( s ) can be re - separated by establishing the related rb &# 39 ; s on the adjacent lenb &# 39 ; s . in a first embodiment , a macro enb handles by itself an unsuccessfully separated rb ( where an rb will be released or an rb will be remerged ). it is assumed that resources of only two enb &# 39 ; s , which are a macro enb and a local enb respectively , are aggregated for a ue , where the macro enb initiates separation of a bearer , and an ref occurs on the separated bearer on the local enb . in the first operation , the local enb detects an rlf occurring with some ue from which a bearer is separated and notifies the macro enb ; and the local enb stops data of the ue with the rlf occurring from being transmitted upon detecting by itself the rlf of the ue in a particular implementation . data of rb &# 39 ; s can be stopped from being transmitted in the following several schemes : in a first scheme , the lenb stops transmission over all the rb &# 39 ; s corresponding to the ue with the rlf occurring thereon . in a second scheme , the lenb stops transmission over the rb &# 39 ; s with the rlf occurring thereon with the ue . when or after the lenb stops data of the rb &# 39 ; s corresponding to the ue with the rlf occurring from being transmitted , the local enb instructs the macro enb via an inter - enb interface to perform a subsequent process for the ue with the rlf occurring , there an instruction message includes : optionally the message can further include information about the rb , established on the local enb , with the rlf occurring ; and optionally the message can further include information about the other related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring . the macro enb performs admission control on the rb separated to the local enb upon reception of the rlf and other information transmitted by the local enb . referring to fig5 , if it is determined that the rb can not be admitted , then the macro enb instructs the ue and the local enb to release the rb ; and referring to fig6 , if it is determined that the rb can be admitted , then the macro enb instructs the ue in rrc reconfiguration signaling to create packet data . convergence protocol ( pdcp )/ rlc entities corresponding to the rb , and the correspondence relationship between the pdcp / rlc entities and an mac entity , in entities corresponding to the macro enb and releases pdcp / rlc and mac entities at the ue side corresponding to the local enb . in the meantime the macro enb needs to instruct the local enb via an interface between the macro and local enb &# 39 ; s to release the configuration related to the ue or the rb . the local enb responds to the macro enb with a response message at the end of the flow . data can be forwarded in an rb ( re ) merging procedure as in a procedure of forwarding data in a non - rb separation scenario . in a second embodiment , a macro enb requests another node for handling an rlf ( where an rb is re - separated ). referring to fig7 , it is assumed that a ue is located in an area covered by a plurality of local enb &# 39 ; s and a current bearer separated to the local enb 1 is re - separated to the local enb 2 after there is an rlf occurring . in the first operation , the local enb 1 detects an rlf occurring with some ue from which a bearer is separated and notifies the macro enb ; and the local enb stops data of the ue with the rlf occurring from being transmitted upon detecting by itself the rlf of the ue in some implementation . data of rb &# 39 ; s can be stopped from being transmitted in the following several schemes : in a first scheme , the local enb 1 stops transmission over all the rb &# 39 ; s corresponding to the ue with the rlf occurring thereon . in a second scheme , the local enb 1 stops transmission over the rb &# 39 ; s with the rlf occurring thereon with the ue . when or after the local enb 1 stops data of the rb &# 39 ; s corresponding to the ue with the rlf occurring from being transmitted , the local enb 1 instructs the macro enb via an inter - enb interface to perform a subsequent process for the ue with the rlf occurring , where an instruction message includes : optionally the message can further include information about the rb , established on the local enb , with the rlf occurring ; and optionally the message can further include information about the other related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring . in the second operation , the macro enb handles the rlf of the ue served by the local enb 1 ; if the macro enb determines from a measurement result reported by the ue that there are local enb &# 39 ; s 2 available upon reception of the rlf and other information transmitted by the local enb 1 , then the macro enb transmits a bearer separation request to the plurality of local enb &# 39 ; s 2 via interfaces between the macro enb and the local enb &# 39 ; s 2 for results of the respective local enb &# 39 ; s 2 to admit the separated rb . in the operation 3 , the local enb 2 assists the macro enb in handling e rlf of the ue served by the local enb 1 ; the local enb makes an admission decision and notifies the macro enb of the rb which can be admitted , the macro enb configures the ue with the rb which can be admitted by the local enb 2 in rrc reconfiguration , and the ue releases configured pdcp / rlc / mac entities related to the local enb 1 ; and also recreates pdcp / rlc / mac entities of the rb related to the local enb 2 and the correspondence between the pdcp / rlc and mac entities . in the meantime the macro enb needs to instruct the local enb 1 to release configuration information related to the rb and the ue . data can be forwarded in an rb ( re -) separation procedure as in a procedure of forwarding data in a non - rb separation scenario . it shall be noted that in addition to this implementation , the macro enb can re - separate directly the rb of the ue with the rlf as described in the second embodiment above , the operation can also be enforced in any of the following four implementations , and since their flows are similar to the second embodiment , so they will not be described respectively but outlined below with respect to their ideas . in a first implementation , the macro enb firstly admits and then re - separates the bearers separated thereto . in a second implementation , the macro enb firstly admits the bearers separated thereto and then re - separates only such a part of the rb &# 39 ; s that can not be admitted . in a third implementation , if the local enb &# 39 ; s are rrc capable , then the rb can be transferred from one local enb directly to another local enb and the macro enb can be notified if the transfer is successful . in a fourth implementation , if the local enb notifies the macro enb that the rb the rlf occurring can be recreated , then the macro enb will not renegotiate with the local enb about an admission decision but recreate the rb directly on the local enb . referring to fig8 a , an embodiment of the invention provides a device for handling an rlf at the lenb side , the device including : a detecting component 11 is configured to detect an rlf occurring with a ue in a scenario where cell resources of a plurality of enb &# 39 ; s are aggregated for the ue ; and a handling component 12 , is configured to stop data of related rb &# 39 ; s of the rlf from being transmitted and to notify a macro enb of information about the rlf . preferably the information about the rlf includes at least the identifier of the ue with the rlf occurring . information about the other rb &# 39 ; s than the rb with the rlf occurring , where the other rb &# 39 ; s and the rb with the rlf occurring are rb &# 39 ; s serving the same ue . preferably the handling component 12 configured to stop the data of the related rb &# 39 ; s of the rlf from being transmitted is configured : to stop data of all the rb &# 39 ; s corresponding to the ue with the rlf occurring from being transmitted ; or to stop data of an rb with the rlf occurring thereon from being transmitted . particularly in hardware , the detecting component 11 can be a processor , and the handling component 12 can be a signal transceiver including transmit and receive antennas , etc ., and at this time , as illustrated in fig8 b , an lenb according to an embodiment of the invention includes : a first processor 110 is configured to detect an rlf occurring with a ue in a scenario where cell resources of a plurality of enb &# 39 ; s are aggregated for the ue ; and a first signal transceiver 120 is configured to stop data of related rb &# 39 ; s of the rlf from being transmitted and to notify a macro enb of information about the rlf . preferably the information about the rlf includes at least the identifier of the ue with the rlf occurring . information about the other rb &# 39 ; s than the rb with the rlf occurring , where the other rb &# 39 ; s and the rb with the rlf occurring are rb &# 39 ; s serving the same ue . preferably the first signal transceiver 120 configured to stop the data of the related rb &# 39 ; s of the rlf from being transmitted is configured : to stop data of all the rb &# 39 ; s corresponding to the ue with the rlf occurring from being transmitted ; or to stop data of an rb with the rlf occurring thereon from being transmitted . correspondingly , referring to fig9 a , an embodiment of the invention provides a device for handling an rlf at the macro enb side , the device including : a receiving component 21 is configured to receive information about rlf notified by an lenb in a scenario where cell resources of a plurality of enb &# 39 ; s are aggregated for a ue ; and a handling component 22 is configured to judge from the information about the rlf whether one or any combination of operations of releasing , remerging and re - separating related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring will be performed subsequently . preferably the information about the rlf includes at least the identifier of the ue with the rlf occurring . information about the other rb &# 39 ; s than the rb with the rlf occurring , where the other rb &# 39 ; s and the rb with the rlf occurring are rb &# 39 ; s serving the same ue . preferably the handling component 22 configured to release the related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring is configured : to transmit an rb release command respectively to the ue and the local enb . preferably the handling component 22 configured to remerge the related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring is configured : to transmit an rb remerge command to the ue to instruct the ue to reestablish an rb on the macro enb . preferably the handling component 22 configured to release the related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring is configured : upon reception of a notification transmitted from a first local enb that there is an rlf occurring , to determine from a measurement result reported by the ue that a second local enb is available and to transmit a bearer separation request to the second local enb ; and to receive a notification of an rb which can be admitted by the second local enb and to configure the ue with the rb which can be admitted , and to transmit an rb release command respectively to the first local enb and the ue . particularly in hardware , the receiving component 21 can be a signal transceiver including transmit and receive antennas , etc ., and the handling component 22 can be a signal transceiver including a processor , transmit and receive antennas , etc ., and at this time , as illustrated in fig9 b , a macro enb according to an embodiment of the invention includes : a second signal transceiver 210 is configured to receive information about an rlf notified by an lenb in a scenario where cell resources of a plurality of enb &# 39 ; s are aggregated for a ue ; and a second processor 220 is configured to judge from the information about the rlf whether one or any combination of operations of releasing , remerging and re - separating related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring will be performed subsequently . preferably the information about the rlf includes at least the identifier of the ue with the rlf occurring . information about the other rb &# 39 ; s than the rb with the rlf occurring , where the other rb &# 39 ; s and the rb with the rlf occurring are rb &# 39 ; s serving the same ue . preferably the second signal transceiver 210 is further configured to transmit an rb release command respectively to the ue and the local enb when the second processor 220 judges the related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring to be released . preferably the second signal transceiver 210 is further configured to transmit an rb remerge command to the ue to instruct the ue to reestablish an rb on the macro enb when the second processor 220 judges the related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring to be remerged . preferably when the second processor 220 judges the related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring o be re - separated , the second signal transceiver 210 is further configured , upon reception of a notification transmitted from a first local enb that there is an rlf occurring , to determine from a measurement result reported by the ur that a second local enb is available and to transmit a bearer separation request to the second local enb ; and to receive a notification of an rb which can be admitted by the second local enb and to configure the ue with the rb which can be admitted , and to transmit an rb release command respectively to the first local enb and the ue . as can be apparent , an embodiment of the invention provides a system for handling an rlf , the system including : an lenb configured to detect an rlf occurring with a ue in a scenario where cell resources of a plurality of enb &# 39 ; s are aggregated for the ue ; and to stop data of related rb &# 39 ; s of the rif from being transmitted and to notify a macro enb of information about the rlf ; and the macro enb is configured to receive the information about the rlf notified by then lenb ; and to judge from the information about the rlf whether one or any combination of operations of releasing , remerging and re - separating related rb &# 39 ; s of the ue with the rlf occurring will be performed subsequently . in summary , the invention offers a method for handling a radio link failure in a network scenario with layered coverage where a plurality of enb &# 39 ; s cooperate / are aggregated , where a local enb reports an rlf and other information to a macro enb , and the macro enb decides on and notifies the local enb of a subsequent process , thus better guaranteeing a quality of service of a user and coordinating the enb &# 39 ; s to address the rlf rapidly and effectively . those skilled in the art shall appreciate that the embodiments of the invention can be embodied as a method , a system or a computer program product . therefore the invention can be embodied in the form of an all - hardware embodiment , an all - software embodiment or an embodiment of software and hardware in combination . furthermore the invention can be embodied in the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer useable storage mediums ( including but not limited to a disk memory , an optical memory , etc .) in which computer useable program codes are contained . the invention has been described in a flow chart and / or a block diagram of the method , the device ( system ) and the computer program product according to the embodiments of the invention . it shall be appreciated that respective flows and / or blocks in the flow chart and / or the block diagram and combinations of the flows and / or the blocks in the flow chart and / or the block diagram can be embodied in computer program instructions . these computer program instructions can be loaded onto a general - purpose computer , a specific - purpose computer , an embedded processor or a processor of another programmable data processing device to produce a machine so that the instructions executed on the computer or the processor of the other programmable data processing device create means for performing the functions specified in the flow ( s ) of the flow chart and / or the block ( s ) of the block diagram . these computer program instructions can also be stored into a computer readable memory capable of directing the computer or the other programmable data processing device to operate in a specific manner so that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory create an article of manufacture including instruction means which perform the functions specified in the flow ( s ) of the flow chart and / or the block ( s ) of the block diagram . these computer program instructions can also be loaded onto the computer or the other programmable data processing device so that a series of operational operations are performed on the computer or the other programmable data processing device to create a computer implemented process no that the instructions executed on the computer or the other programmable device provide operations for performing the functions specified in the flow ( s ) of the flow chart and / or the block ( s ) of the block diagram . although the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described , those skilled in the art benefiting from the underlying inventive concept can make additional modifications and variations to these embodiments . therefore the appended claims are intended to be construed as encompassing the preferred embodiments and all the modifications and variations coming into the scope of the invention . evidently those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to t invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . thus the invention is also intended to encompass these modifications and variations thereto so long as the modifications and variations come into the scope of the claims appended to the invention and their equivalents . | 7 |
a first preferred embodiment of the invention is specified in fig1 - 4 . in fig1 the invention &# 39 ; s needlepoint pattern display device , designated generally 20 , with its assembled needlepoint pattern detail visual guiding or indicating device , designated generally 22 , is shown mounted to a conventional needlepoint scroll frame 24 with needlepoint fabric 26 tautly assembled thereto . needlepoint pattern 100 ( fig4 ) is affixed upon device 20 , beneath the movable mechanism of indicating device 22 . the pattern 100 takes the form of small floss color - indicating symbols 102 placed in squares of cross hatched paper , in accordance with cartesian coordinates . it is to be understood that the present invention is shown for use with a scroll frame as an example ; the present invention may be used with , or modified for use with any type of needleworking frame , hoop , etc . or any similar needleworking stretching apparatus . pattern display device 20 comprises panel 28 , arm 30 , mounting bracket 32 and pattern clamp 34 . panel 28 is preferably formed from a suitably rigid material and of a generally flat configuration . however , it is to be understood that any suitable material and configuration may be chosen . some of the many advantageous aspects of panel 28 are as follows . it holds a pattern 100 in close proximity to the needleworking fabric 26 ; due to the material and configuration of panel 28 , pattern 100 stays securely in place ; and , due to the absence of light , the image or needlework of the fabric 26 itself , or the like filtering through the back of pattern 100 , it is less likely that the pattern will be misread . panel 28 pivotally assembles atop arm 30 , also preferably formed from a suitably rigid material and of a generally flat configuration , via carrier bolt 36 fixedly pressed into panel bore 38 , freely received by one of a plurality of arm bores 40 and releasably assembled to lock washer 42 and wing nut 44 . as detailed in fig2 the illustrated upper end of arm 30 pivotally assembles to mounting bracket 32 via carriage bolt 46 fixedly pressed into arm bore 48 , freely received by bore 50 of bracket leg 52 and releasably assembled to lock washer 42 and wing nut 44 . pattern clamp 34 may be fixedly assembled , as for example with rivets 54 or any other suitable means , upon panel 28 near its illustrated upper edge and centrally between its sides ( or any other desired location ). clamp 34 is preferably a metal spring - controlled type incorporating a vertically - actuable lip 56 and a finger - operable lever 58 . needlepoint pattern 100 is insertable beneath pattern detail indicating device 22 and hence upon panel 28 of pattern display device 20 , and is secured by clamp 34 as clamp lever 58 is depressed to raise lip 56 , after which the upper edge of the pattern is slid under lip 56 and lever 58 is released . in fig1 it can be noted that panel 28 can , by virtue of the multiple bores 40 of arm 30 , be selectively mounted to the arm in different positions , as warranted for different sizes of scroll frames 24 . referring now to fig2 mounting bracket 32 is shown in its assembled mode . bracket 32 is preferably made of steel or any other suitably rigid material and is right angle formed and punched to produce the illustrated horizontal leg 52 with mounting bore 50 and vertical leg 60 with mounting bore 62 . arm 30 pivotally ( horizontally ) assembles to horizontal leg 52 as described above , while the bracket &# 39 ; s vertical leg 60 pivotally ( vertically ) assembles to the outer surface of side rail 64 of scroll frame 24 via knob 66 which threadably assembles , with lock washer 42 , to stud 68 press fitted in the end of upper roller bar 70 of scroll frame 24 , along a stud axis in axial alignment with the bar . stud 68 is freely received by bore 72 through side rail 64 . it is to be noted that each of the side rails 64 may incorporate a plurality of bores 72 , some of which are shown in fig1 . also , each end of upper 70 and lower 71 roller bar has an appropriate stud 68 and corresponding knob 66 . thus , depending on sizes and locations of needlepoint detail , roller bar 70 and hence the invention &# 39 ; s mounting bracket 32 may be selectively assembled to scroll frame side rails 64 at a plurality of different positions , as desired . as thus designed , it can be noted that pattern display device 20 can be , by virtue of the connection of its panel 28 to its arm 30 and the arm &# 39 ; s connection to mounting bracket 32 , both rotated horizontally and pivoted , as required to bring the pattern closest to the fabric location being needlepointed . also , because of the pivotal feature of bracket 32 , display device 20 can be pivoted vertically , as might facilitate inspection of work already needlepointed . returning to fig1 it can be observed that the invention &# 39 ; s pattern detail indicating device 22 fixedly assembles upon panel 28 and display device 20 . as specified above , and described in detail later , needlepoint patterns are insertable between devices 22 and 20 . as shown in fig3 device 22 comprises a mounting bracket 74 , a first pair of straight and identical , parallel opposed arms 76 , a second pair of parallel opposed arms 78 , a round - formed arm mounting hub 80 and a right angle - shaped detail indicator 82 . parts 74 , 76 , 78 and 80 are preferably made of a generally flat metal , or any other suitably rigid material , while part 82 is preferably made of a generally flat polymeric material , or any other suitable material , as desired . arms 76 and 78 each incorporate an assembly bore 84 at each end . hub 80 incorporates four essentially evenly spaced and circumferentially arranged arm assembly bores 86 . arms 76 assemble at one end upon hub 80 at the illustrated 3 and 9 o &# 39 ; clock positions by rivets 54 freely received by arm bores 84 and hub bores 86 , and at the other ends upon the upper left - hand surface of bracket 74 by large head rivets 88 freely received by arm bores 84 and bracket bores 90 . similarly , arms 78 assemble at one end to the under surface of hub 80 at the 12 and 6 o &# 39 ; clock positions by rivets 54 freely received by arm bores 84 and hub bores 86 , and at the other ends upon the illustrated left - hand surface of detail indicator 82 with rivets 54 freely received by arm bores 84 and indicator bores 92 . it is preferable that the spacing should be substantially the same between the arm assembly bores 90 of bracket 74 , arm assembly bores 92 of indicator 82 , hub bores 86 accommodating arms 76 and hub bores 86 accommodating arms 78 . the right - hand end of bracket 74 fixedly assembles , as with rivets 54 , upon the upper left - hand corner surface of panel 28 of pattern display device 20 , the rivets being received by bracket bores 90 and panel bores 94 . bracket 74 extends leftwardly from panel 28 to allow arms 76 to be connected thereto at a location which optimizes the excursions of detail indicator 82 relative to locations of required needlepointing , as shown on patterns affixed to panel 28 of pattern display device 20 . it is to be understood that this is a preferred means of mounting pattern indicating device 22 and detail indicator 82 ; however , any suitable means may be used . as shown in phantom in fig3 it is to be noted that , by virtue of the operating principle of the device &# 39 ; s pantograph mechanism , the alignment edges 96 and 98 of indicator 82 remain aligned with the x and y axes of panel 28 at all positions which may be taken by the indicator . three different positions are shown in fig3 ; however , it is to be understood that any number of positions are possible . a second preferred embodiment of the invention , shown in fig5 differs from the first in that it provides an alternate means for identification of alignment of symbols 102 of needlepoint pattern 100 ( fig4 ). otherwise , both embodiments are of the same design and attach to scroll frame 24 in the same manner described above . for a symbol alignment means , the second embodiment incorporates a horizontal cursor 104 and a vertical cursor 106 employed to align with applicable needlepoint pattern symbols 102 in the x and y axes , respectively . cursors 104 and 106 are made of clear , thin , narrow and rigid plastic strips , or any other suitable material , having lengths corresponding , respectively , to the width and height of needlepoint pattern display panel 28 . both cursors may incorporate a longitudinally - centered thin black line 108 conventionally called a &# 34 ; hairline &# 34 ;. cursors 104 and 106 are slidably maintained atop panel 28 by &# 34 ; v &# 34 ; cross - sectioned , thin , spring - conditioned clips made preferably of plastic . however , it is to be understood that metal or any other suitable material may be used . the clips slidably assemble over the edges of panel 28 , with their converging lips 112 bearing snugly against the panel under the upper surfaces and hence against the ends of cursors 104 and 106 inserted thereunder . cursor 104 may overlap cursor 106 , or vice versa . referring now to fig2 and 4 , the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the operable mode . a needlepoint scroll frame 24 has a needlepoint fabric 26 tautly assembled thereto . in order to use the present invention , the frame &# 39 ; s upper left - hand roller bar knob 66 is disassembled from the bar &# 39 ; s stud 68 . vertical leg 60 of the invention &# 39 ; s mounting bracket 32 is then assembled to stud 68 via its mounting bore 62 being received by the stud . knob 66 is then screwed tightly back on stud 68 to thereby secure both bracket 32 and the scroll frame &# 39 ; s upper roller bar 70 . a chosen needlepoint pattern 100 , conventionally shown on a sheet of thick , white paper , is inserted beneath the movable mechanism of needlepoint pattern detail indicating device 22 and upon panel 28 of needlepoint pattern display device 20 . lever 58 of display device clamp 34 is then depressed to raise clamp lip 56 , after which the upper edge of pattern 100 is inserted thereunder and lever 58 is released . since the pattern is displayed in the form of small , square - contained floss color and needlepoint position - specifying symbols 102 arranged in the x and y axes , the pattern may need to be positionally adjusted to align its axes with respective edges 96 and 98 of detail indicator 82 of pattern detail indicating device 22 . the needlepoint pattern panel 28 is pivoted , via its arm 30 , to a location very close to the point of fabric 26 where needlepointing is to begin , tilting the panel upwardly if necessary . detail indicator 82 is then pivoted to align its edges 96 and 98 beneath and beside , respectively , the chosen needlepoint beginning symbol 102 of pattern 100 . the indicator may be retained in this position until one finishes accommodating all symbols thus aligned , whether working horizontally or vertically . alternately , one may progressively advance indicator 82 from symbol to symbol while retaining edge 96 in the x axis or edge 98 in the y axis , depending on whether one works horizontally or vertically , respectively . to maintain panel 28 and hence pattern 100 as close as possible to the point of fabric 26 requiring needlepointing , panel 28 and hence pattern 100 may , by virtue of arm 30 , be progressively pivoted over completed needlepoint as the needlepointing progresses . now referring to fig5 an alternate embodiment of the present invention is shown . in the operating mode , the invention is first assembled , as described above , to the chosen scroll frame 24 with the needlepoint fabric assembled thereto . for brevity , the scroll frame , with its fabric , are not shown . the chosen needlepoint pattern 100 is then assembled atop panel 28 in the manner described above . cursors 104 and 106 are then placed over pattern 100 and assembled horizontally and vertically , respectively , with their ends pressed under top lips 112 of clips 110 . the cursors are then positionally adjusted to bring cursor 104 just beneath the chosen first needlepointing symbol 102 and cursor 106 immediately alongside this symbol . panel 28 is then pivoted , by virtue of its arm 30 , to a location very close to the point of fabric 26 where the needlepointing is to begin , tilting the panel upwardly if necessary . depending on whether the needlepointing is to proceed horizontally or vertically , one cursor is maintained stationary until all symbols 102 of its positioned line or row are accommodated , while the other cursor is progressively , slidably symbol - indexed in accordance with progress of needlepointing . to maintain panel 28 and hence pattern 100 as close as possible to the point of fabric 26 ( fig4 ) requiring needlepointing , panel 28 may be progressively pivoted over completed needlepoint as the needlepointing progresses . as thus designed , it can be appreciated that the present invention allows for marked reduction of eye and neck strain attendant to continuous looking of relatively excessive distances from the needlepointing work to the pattern symbols , and vice - versa . among other features and advantages of the present invention , the reduction of eye and neck strain substantially reduces fatigue while increasing speed and pleasure of needlepoint art . while preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in detail , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed embodiments may be modified . therefore , the foregoing description is to be considered exemplary rather than limiting , and the true scope of the invention is that defined in the following claims . | 3 |
as stated above , the present disclosure relates to an extreme ultraviolet ( euv ) radiation source activated by dual laser pluses and an apparatus for generating euv radiation by generating and activating the same . aspects of the present disclosure are now described in detail with accompanying figures . throughout the drawings , the same reference numerals or letters are used to designate like or equivalent elements . the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale . referring to fig1 a , 1b , and 1c , exemplary extreme ultraviolet ( euv ) source pellets 8 are schematically illustrated . fig1 a is a schematic of a first exemplary euv radiation source pellet 8 , fig1 b is a schematic of a second exemplary euv radiation source pellet 8 , and fig1 c is a schematic of a third exemplary euv radiation source pellet 8 as used herein , a “ pellet ” refers to a spherical or non - spherical composite particle including at least two component materials and having a maximum dimension not greater than 100 μm . each exemplary euv radiation source pellet 8 includes a noble gas shell cluster 10 . as used herein , a “ cluster ” refers to a physically adjoined set of atoms or molecules . as used herein , a “ shell cluster ” refers to a cluster in a configuration of a shell that embeds an object therein such that the object is physically separated from any other element outside of the shell cluster by the shell cluster . as used herein , a “ noble gas shell cluster ” refers to a shell cluster consisting essentially of at least one light noble gas . thus , the composition of the noble gas shell cluster 10 can consist of at least one noble gas , or can consist of at least one light noble gas and trace level impurity atoms . the trace level impurity atoms if present , do not exceed an impurity level as known in the art , e . g ., below 10 p . p . m ., and preferably below 1 p . p . m . as used herein , a light noble gas refers to any one of he , ne , and ar . in one embodiment , the noble gas shell cluster 10 can consist essentially of a single noble gas selected from he , ne , and ar . in one embodiment , the total number of atoms of the light noble gas in the noble gas shell cluster 10 can be in a range from 10 4 to 10 16 , although a lesser or greater number of atoms of the light noble gas can be present in the noble gas shell cluster 10 . in another embodiment , the total number of atoms of the light noble gas in the noble gas shell cluster 10 can be in a range from 10 10 to 10 15 . each exemplary euv radiation source pellet 8 further includes a heavy noble gas cluster 20 that is embedded within the noble gas shell cluster 10 . as used herein , a “ heavy noble gas ” refers to any of xe , kr , and rn . although xe atoms are well suited for generating euv radiation at around 13 . 5 nm , other heavy noble gases such kr or rn may also be employed as an alternative . in one embodiment , the heavy noble gas is xenon . the composition of the heavy noble gas cluster 20 can consist of heavy noble gas atoms , or a combination of heavy noble gas atoms and trace level impurity atoms . the trace level impurity atoms if present , do not exceed an impurity level as known in the art , e . g ., below 10 p . p . m ., and preferably below 1 p . p . m . the maximum dimension of the heavy noble gas cluster 20 is less than the maximum dimension of the noble gas shell cluster 10 . because the heavy noble gas cluster 20 maintains a higher density due to inherent stronger adhesion of the heavy noble gas atoms than the light noble gas atoms in the noble gas shell cluster 10 , the heavy noble gas cluster 20 is located approximately at the geometrical center of the noble gas shell cluster 10 . it is further noted that heavy noble gas atoms have enough time to defuse to the center of the cluster to form a heavy noble gas center agglomerate . the speed of heavy noble gas diffusion within the shell cluster 10 depends on the cluster noble gas . selecting lighter noble gas results in faster heavy noble gas diffusion within the shell cluster 10 . consequently , he - based shell cluster 10 is preferred . in one embodiment , the total number of atoms of the light noble gas in the noble gas shell cluster 10 can be greater than the total number of heavy noble gas atoms in the heavy noble gas cluster by a factor of at least two . in another embodiment , the total number of atoms of the light noble gas in the noble gas shell cluster 10 can be greater than the total number of heavy noble gas atoms in the heavy noble gas cluster by a factor of at least 100 . in yet another embodiment , the total number of heavy noble gas atoms in the heavy noble gas cluster 20 can be in a range from 10 3 to 10 15 . each exemplary euv radiation source pellet 8 further includes at least one metallic particle 30 . at least one metallic particle 30 is embedded within the heavy noble gas cluster 20 . in one embodiment , a plurality of metallic particles 30 can be embedded within the heavy noble gas cluster 20 . in one embodiment , the plurality of metallic particles 30 may be present as a cluster of metallic particles 30 as in the first exemplary euv radiation source pellet 8 illustrated in fig1 a . in this case , the plurality of metallic particles 30 can be in a configuration of a cluster in which the metallic particles 30 are in physical contact with one another . in another embodiment , the plurality of metallic particles 30 may be present as dispersed metallic particles 30 that are scattered within the heavy noble gas cluster 20 and do not contact one another as in the second exemplary euv radiation source pellet 8 illustrated in fig1 b . in yet another embodiment , the plurality of metallic particles 30 may be present as dispersed metallic particles 30 that are scattered at the interface of the heavy noble gas cluster 20 and the outer shell 10 as illustrated in fig1 c . each metallic particle 30 can be a single atom particle of a metallic element , or can include a nanoparticle including a plurality of atoms of a metallic element . as used herein , a nanoparticle refers to a particle having a maximum dimension that does not exceed 100 nm . the number of atoms in a metallic particle can be , for example , in a range from 1 to 100 . the total number of heavy noble gas atoms in the heavy noble gas cluster 20 can be greater than a total number of the atoms in all metallic particles 30 by a factor of at least ten . in one embodiment , the total number of heavy noble gas atoms in the heavy noble gas cluster 20 can be greater than a total number of the atoms in all metallic particles 30 by a factor of at least one hundred . in another embodiment , the total number of heavy noble gas atoms in the heavy noble gas cluster 20 can be greater than a total number of the atoms in all metallic particles 30 by a factor of at least one thousand . the metallic element within the metallic particles 30 can be any metallic element that can be excited to generate a plasma under irradiation by a laser beam . the metallic element within the metallic particles 30 can be a transition metal element , a lanthanide element , an actinide element , al , ga , in , tl , sn , pb , or bi . in one embodiment , the metallic element can be tin ( sn ). referring to fig2 , a first exemplary apparatus for generating euv radiation according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure includes an extreme ultraviolet ( euv ) radiation source pellet generator ( 50 , 60 , 70 ) configured to generate euv radiation pellets 8 . each euv radiation pellet 8 contains at least one metallic particle 30 , a heavy noble gas cluster 20 embedding the at least one metallic particle 30 , and a noble gas shell cluster 10 embedding the heavy noble gas cluster 20 and containing a cluster of a noble gas selected from he , ne , and ar . the first exemplary apparatus further includes at least one irradiation source ( 82 , 84 ). each of the irradiation sources are focused on to their respective focal plane ( 83 , 86 ). each of the at least one laser irradiation source ( 82 , 84 ) can be configured to irradiate a laser beam toward a path of the euv radiation pellets 8 at their respective focal plane ( 83 , 86 ). the first exemplary apparatus can include a vacuum enclosure in which the euv radiation source pellets 8 are generated and irradiated by at least one irradiation source . the euv radiation source pellet generator ( 50 , 60 , 70 ) includes a droplet generator unit 50 configured to emit clusters of a noble gas selected from he , ne , and ar along a droplet transit path . each cluster 4 of the noble gas can be a substantially spherical noble gas droplet consisting essentially of a light noble gas selected from he , ne , and ar . each cluster 4 of the noble gas can be substantially spherical due to the surface tension , close packing or crystallization , as the case may be , of the atoms of the light noble gas therein . the droplet generator unit 50 can include a droplet source tank 52 in which the light noble gas is stored , and a droplet ejection device 54 that includes an opening through which clusters 4 of the light noble gas are emitted . the droplet generator unit 50 can be configured to emit the clusters 4 of the light noble gas downward . in one embodiment , each cluster 4 of the light noble gas can be emitted with negligible lateral velocity so that the droplet transit path can be a substantially vertical downward line . the droplet generator unit 50 can be employed such that clusters 4 of the light noble gas can be emitted into the vacuum enclosure along a well - defined particle path . the droplet generator works by expanding the light noble gas into vacuum through a nozzle in such a way that the pressure after the nozzle ( vacuum side ) is less than about 40 % of the pressure before the nozzle at the source tank side . nozzle conditions of the droplet generator 50 ( temperature , pressure , nozzle diameter ) can be tuned to control size and density of clusters 4 generated . this allows to control density of pellets 8 and hence number of pellets being irradiated in the focal volume of irradiation source . the euv radiation source pellet generator ( 50 , 60 , 70 ) includes a metallic particle impregnation unit 60 that is adjoined to the droplet generator unit 50 . the metallic particle impregnation unit 60 includes a metallic particle generator 62 configured to emit metallic particles 5 along a metallic particle beam direction that intersects the droplet transit path at a region , which is herein referred to as a first intersect region . the metallic particle impregnation unit 60 further includes a first vacuum chamber 65 , which is a portion of the vacuum enclosure into which the clusters 4 of the light noble gas are emitted from the droplet generator unit 50 . the metallic particle generator 62 can be any source that can generate a beam of metallic particles 30 , which can have any of the metallic compositions described above . the typical particle beam generator includes the thermally generated beam of metallic atoms . the beam of metallic particles 30 can cause formation of a metallic deposit portion 68 at a wall of the first vacuum chamber 65 . the metallic particle impregnation unit 60 generates metallic particle that collide with the droplet 10 , condense on the surface of the droplet 10 , and then diffuse to center of droplet 10 , and thereafter agglomerate at the center of the droplet 10 . accordingly , the impregnated noble gas clusters 6 forms the combinations of the clusters 4 of the light noble gas and the metallic particles 30 in the center of droplet 10 . the euv radiation source pellet generator ( 50 , 60 , 70 ) further includes a heavy noble gas cluster impregnation unit 70 . the heavy noble gas cluster impregnation unit 70 includes a heavy noble gas cluster generator 72 configured to emit heavy noble gas clusters 20 along a heavy noble gas beam direction that intersects the droplet transit path at a region , which is herein referred to as a second intersect region . the heavy noble gas cluster impregnation unit 70 further includes a second vacuum chamber 75 that is adjoined to the first vacuum chamber 65 through an opening . the second vacuum chamber 75 is a portion of the vacuum enclosure into which the metallic particle impregnated noble gas clusters 6 are emitted from the first vacuum chamber 65 . the metallic particle impregnated noble gas clusters 6 enter the second vacuum chamber 75 through an opening between the first vacuum chamber 65 and the second vacuum chamber 75 . the heavy noble gas cluster generator 72 can be configured to generate heavy noble gas clusters 20 from a heavy noble gas source tank ( not expressly shown ) and to emit the heavy noble gas clusters 20 along a direction that intersects the path of the clusters of the noble gas as impregnated with at least one metallic particle 30 . the heavy noble gas cluster 20 is an aggregate with more than one heavy noble gas atom . at least one heavy noble gas cluster 20 is impregnated into the noble gas cluster 6 impregnated with at least one metallic particle 30 . multiple heavy noble gas clusters 20 impregnated into the noble gas cluster 6 , impregnated with at least one metallic particle , may typically coagulate at the center of the noble gas cluster 6 after impregnation . a vacuum pump 78 can be attached to the second vacuum chamber 75 on the opposite side of the heavy noble gas cluster generator 72 so that the heavy noble gas clusters 20 that are not incorporated into the metallic particle impregnated noble gas clusters 6 are pumped away from the second vacuum chamber 75 . the heavy noble gas cluster impregnation unit 70 generates euv radiation source pellets 8 from combinations of the metallic particle impregnated noble gas clusters 6 . the collection of the noble gas atoms in each euv radiation source pellet 8 constitutes a noble gas cluster 10 that embeds a heavy noble gas cluster 20 and at least one metallic particle 30 . each noble gas cluster 10 can have a configuration of a shell that encases a heavy noble gas cluster 20 and a plurality of metallic particles 30 therein . the euv radiation source pellets 8 of the first embodiment can be the same as the euv radiation source pellets 8 illustrated in fig1 a - 1c . in each of the euv radiation source pellets 8 , the total number of atoms of the light noble gas contained in the noble gas cluster 10 is greater than the total number of heavy noble gas atoms in the heavy noble gas cluster 20 by a factor of at least two . in one embodiment , the total number of atoms of the light noble gas in the noble gas shell cluster 10 can be greater than the total number of heavy noble gas atoms in the heavy noble gas cluster by a factor of at least 10 . in another embodiment , the total number of atoms of the light noble gas in the noble gas shell cluster 10 can be greater than the total number of heavy noble gas atoms in the heavy noble gas cluster by a factor of at least 100 . in yet another embodiment , the total number of heavy noble gas atoms in the heavy noble gas cluster 20 can be in a range from 10 3 to 10 15 . the first intersect region at which the metallic particles 30 are incorporated into a cluster 4 of the light noble gas is located in the first vacuum chamber 65 , and the second intersect region at which the heavy noble gas clusters 20 are incorporated into the metallic particle impregnated noble gas clusters 6 in the second vacuum chamber 75 . as such , the first intersect region is more proximal to the location at which the clusters 4 of the light noble gas are emitted , i . e ., the opening in the droplet generator unit 50 , than the second intersect region is to the location at which the clusters 4 of the light noble gas are emitted . the first exemplary apparatus can further include a radiation generation unit 80 . the radiation generation unit 80 includes a third vacuum chamber 85 , which is a portion of the vacuum enclosure and is connected to the second vacuum chamber 75 via an opening . the euv radiation source pellets 8 can pass from the second vacuum chamber 75 into the third vacuum chamber 85 by a gravitational pull and / or due to the substantially vertical downward linear momentum of pellets 8 . in this case , the path of the euv radiation source pellets 8 within the third vacuum chamber 8 can be is substantially vertical downward path . as the pellets 8 have significant momentum ( due to injection source ) the whole apparatus can be operated in horizontal direction without depending on gravitation for pellet flow . the radiation generation unit 80 further includes at least one irradiation source ( 82 , 84 ), which can include a first irradiation source 82 configured to excite a plasma from the at least one metallic particle 30 within the euv radiation source pellets 8 and a second irradiation source 84 configured to amplify and heat the plasma of the at least one metallic particle and to generate a hot plasma within the heavy noble gas cluster 20 . both of the sources are focused on their respective focal planes ( 83 , 86 ), respectively . typical beam size of the focal plane is about 100 microns limiting the maximum pellet 8 size to about this dimension . in another embodiment smaller size pellets 8 with higher density can be present in focal volume of irradiation source ( 82 , 84 ), with more than one pellet 8 being irradiated at the same time . the focal planes ( 83 , 86 ) are separated by a vertical distance d . in one embodiment , the first irradiation source 82 can be a first laser source configured to irradiate a first laser beam at a first point in the path of the euv radiation pellets 8 , and the second irradiation source 84 can be a second laser source configured to irradiate a second laser beam at a second point in the path of the euv radiation pellets . the second point is more distal from the location at which the euv radiation pellets 8 are generated from the combination of the metallic particle impregnated noble gas clusters 6 and the heavy noble gas clusters 20 than the first point is from the location at which the euv radiation pellets 8 are generated . since the first irradiation source 82 excites a plasma from the at least one metallic particle 30 within the euv radiation source pellets 8 and the second irradiation source 84 amplifies and heats the plasma exciting inter - orbital electron transitions in the heavy noble gas cluster 20 , the wavelength and the intensity of the laser beams from the first and second irradiation sources can be tailored to achieve the aforementioned two different purposes . the distance d between the focal planes ( 83 , 86 ) is selected to be short enough that the initial plasma generated in the first laser irradiation does not have enough time to decay significantly before it is exposed to the second irradiation and the pellet expansion caused by the first irradiation does not lead to full pellet disintegration prior to second irradiation . the distance d is so chosen , based on velocity of pellet 8 , such that the second laser irradiation transfers maximum power to initial plasma generated in the first laser irradiation . to further reduce the unwanted plasma decay and excessive pellet expansion , the distance d can be reduced to near zero by overlapping focal planes ( 83 , 86 ) in the vicinity of euv pellet path . the overlapping of focal planes can be achieved by tilting irradiation sources ( 82 , 84 ) with respect to each other ( not shown ). in general , generation of an initial plasma from a pure heavy noble gas cluster takes more energy than generation of an initial plasma from pure metallic droplets . this disparity in plasma generation thresholds is especially large for longer - wavelength radiation that couples laser energy into free electrons that are present in metallic droplets but initially absent in noble gas clusters . a high power threshold for ionizing or igniting pure heavy noble gas clusters leads to a reduced efficiency for converting laser power into euv radiation . it is due to this reason , the state of the art euv sources excite pure metallic ( tin ) droplets by a 10 . 6 - um laser . the present invention overcomes these limitations by incorporating metallic particles 30 into heavy noble gas cluster 20 and by employing a dual pulse irradiation scheme . in the dual pulse scheme , the purpose of the first irradiation is to ionize metallic particles creating initial plasma within heavy noble gas cluster 20 . the purpose of the second irradiation is to amplify initial plasma and to bring its electron temperature high enough for exciting euv radiation . correspondingly , the second laser beam from the second irradiation source 84 can have an intensity that is greater than an intensity of the first laser beam from the first irradiation source 82 by a factor of at least 3 . in one embodiment , the second laser beam from the second irradiation source 84 can have an intensity that is greater than an intensity of the first laser beam from the first irradiation source 82 by a factor of at least 2 . in another embodiment , the second laser beam from the second irradiation source 84 can have an intensity that is greater than an intensity of the first laser beam from the first irradiation source 82 by a factor of at least 100 . further , the wavelength of the first laser beam from the first irradiation source 82 is selected such that the irradiated beam couples with electrons of the metallic particles 30 . unlike relatively large metallic droplets , metallic nanoparticles 30 may not have a sufficient number of free electrons within . in this case , the first irradiation couples into outer shell electrons initiating ionization . generally , initiating ionization of metal atoms requires a high photon energy corresponding to the wavelengths of visible light ( from 400 nm to 800 nm ) or the wavelengths of ultraviolet radiation ( from 10 nm to 400 nm ). thus , the wavelength of the first laser beam from the first irradiation source 82 can be selected to be from this range . in contrast , the wavelength of the second laser beam is not limited to a wavelength range for coupling with a metallic atom because a preexisting plasma containing free electrons already dissociated from the metallic particles 30 can be amplified , and thus , cause generation of a dense plasma within heavy noble gas cluster 20 by absorbing the photon energy of the incoming radiation by free plasma electrons . thus , the wavelength of the second laser beam from the second irradiation source 84 can be selected at an arbitrary wavelength provided that the second irradiation source 84 can deliver a high intensity laser beam irrespective of the wavelength of the second laser beam . in one embodiment , the second laser beam can have a longer wavelength than the first laser beam . for example , the second laser beam can have a wavelength longer than 800 nm , and the first laser beam can have a wavelength shorter than 800 nm . in one embodiment , the second irradiation source 84 can be a far infrared laser irradiation source such as a co 2 laser operating at the wavelength of about 10 , 600 nm . a co 2 laser is preferred due to its known superior power efficiency and scalability . in one embodiment , the second laser beam is a laser beam from a co 2 laser . in one embodiment , the power output of the first laser beam from the first irradiation source can be in a range from 1 , 000 watt to 20 , 000 watts or from 1 kw to 20 kw , and the power output of the second laser beam from the second irradiation source can be in a range from 10 , 000 watt to 200 , 000 watts or from 10 kw to 200 kw , although lesser and greater power output levels can also be employed for each . in order to achieve these record levels of power output , the lasers are operated in the pulsed mode with a typical repetition rate of from about 10 khz to about 100 khz with the rate of 50 khz being more typical . pulsing of the first irradiation source 82 and the second irradiation source 84 are synchronized with each other and with the passing of pellet 8 through the respective focal planes ( 83 , 86 ). the heavy noble gas atoms in the euv radiation source pellets 8 generate extreme ultraviolet radiation upon irradiation with the second laser beam . the third vacuum chamber 85 can include a filter window 98 on a sidewall so that euv radiation 99 in a desired wavelength range , such as a narrow band of radiation around 13 . 5 nm in wavelength , can pass through the filter window 98 , while electromagnetic radiation outside the desired wavelength range does not pass through the filter window 98 . during the irradiation processes , the pellet 8 expands and eventually explodes . the remaining pellet 8 debris must be pumped out of the vacuum chamber 85 . the noble gas based pellets 8 of the present invention are advantageous over pure metallic droplets because the noble gas can be easily pumped out without much re - deposition onto the sensitive window 98 . the euv radiation source pellet 8 debris can be pumped out of the third vacuum chamber 85 by a vacuum pump 92 in a pumping unit 90 , which can be optionally connected to a recycling unit to separate , and to recycle or reuse , the various components of the euv radiation source pellets 8 . the process of excitation of the euv radiation source pellets 8 is illustrated in fig3 a and 3b . fig3 a schematically illustrates an exemplary euv radiation source pellet 8 after irradiation by a first laser beam from the first irradiation source 82 . the energy in the first laser beam is absorbed by the at least one metallic particle 30 , and generates a plasma of electrons dissociated from the at least one metallic particle 30 . while the plasma generated from the first laser beam is active , the second laser beam is irradiated on the plasma and amplifies and heats the plasma from the at least one metallic particle 30 as illustrated in fig3 b . the amplified plasma from the at least one metallic particle 30 induces generation of another more dense plasma from the electrons within the heavy noble gas cluster 20 . the energy of the second laser beam is further absorbed by the plasma generated within the heavy noble gas cluster 20 , and the excited plasma emits the euv radiation 99 that is filtered and emitted through the filter window 98 . the radiation generation unit 80 thus employs a two pulse plasma excitation scheme to effectively reduce the ionization threshold . specifically , use of the at least one metallic particle 30 within the euv radiation source pellet 8 enables generation of an initial plasma from the at least one metallic particle 30 . the electrons in the plasma generated from the at least one metallic particle 30 lowers the effective ionization threshold energy for the heavy noble gas atoms during the irradiation by the second laser pulse . thus , the plasma from the at least one metallic particle 30 enables absorption of energy from the second laser beam during the irradiation by the second irradiation source 84 even if the wavelength of the second laser beam is not short enough to induce direct excitation of plasma from the heavy noble gas atoms . in other words , by inducing a plasma condition around the heavy noble gas atoms in the heavy noble gas cluster 20 , the electrons in the plasma couple with the second laser beam , and enable generation , amplification , and heating of plasma from the heavy noble gas atoms . the at least one metallic particle 30 functions as a dopant within the euv radiation source pellet 8 , and induces a cascade ionization that would not be possible in the absence of the at least one metallic particle 30 . the excited plasma from the heavy noble gas atoms generates the euv radiation 99 . referring to fig4 , a second exemplary apparatus for generating euv radiation according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure includes an extreme ultraviolet ( euv ) radiation source pellet generator ( 50 , 70 , 60 ) configured to generate euv radiation pellets 8 . each euv radiation source pellet 8 contains at least one metallic particle 30 , a heavy noble gas cluster 20 embedding the at least one metallic particle 30 , and a noble gas shell cluster 10 embedding the heavy noble gas cluster 20 and containing a cluster of a light noble gas selected from he , ne , and ar . the second exemplary apparatus further includes at least one irradiation source ( 82 , 84 ). each of the at least one laser irradiation source ( 82 , 84 ) can be configured to irradiate a laser beam toward a path of the euv radiation source pellets 8 . the second exemplary apparatus can include a vacuum enclosure in which the euv radiation source pellets 8 are generated and irradiated by at least one irradiation source . the euv radiation source pellet generator ( 50 , 60 , 70 ) includes a droplet generator unit 50 configured to emit clusters of a light noble gas selected from he , ne , and ar along a droplet transit path . the droplet generator unit 50 can be the same as in the first embodiment , and can generate the same clusters 4 of the light noble gas as in the first embodiment . the euv radiation source pellet generator ( 50 , 60 , 70 ) further includes a heavy noble gas cluster impregnation unit 70 . the heavy noble gas cluster 20 is an aggregate with more than one heavy noble gas atom . the heavy noble gas cluster impregnation unit 70 includes a heavy noble gas cluster generator 72 configured to emit heavy noble gas clusters 20 along a heavy noble gas beam direction that intersects the droplet transit path at a region , which is herein referred to as a second intersect region . the heavy noble gas cluster impregnation unit 70 further includes a second vacuum chamber 75 , which is a portion of the vacuum enclosure into which the clusters 4 of the light noble gas are emitted from the droplet generator unit 50 . the heavy noble gas cluster generator 72 can be configured to generate heavy noble gas clusters 20 from a heavy noble gas source tank ( not expressly shown ) and to emit the heavy noble gas clusters 20 along a direction that intersects the path of the clusters 4 of the light noble gas . the heavy noble gas cluster impregnation unit 70 generates heavy noble gas cluster impregnated noble gas clusters 6 ′ from combinations of clusters 4 of the light noble gas and the heavy noble gas clusters 20 . at least one heavy noble gas cluster 20 is impregnated into the noble gas cluster 6 impregnated with at least one metallic particle 30 . multiple heavy noble gas clusters 20 impregnated into the noble gas cluster 6 impregnated with at least one metallic particle typically may coagulate at the center of the noble gas cluster 6 after impregnation . a vacuum pump 78 can be attached to the second vacuum chamber 75 on the opposite side of the heavy noble gas cluster generator 72 so that the heavy noble gas clusters 20 that are not incorporated into the heavy noble gas cluster impregnated noble gas clusters 6 ′ are pumped away from the second vacuum chamber 75 . the collection of the noble gas atoms in each euv radiation source pellet 8 constitutes a noble gas cluster 10 that embeds a heavy noble gas cluster 20 . each noble gas cluster 10 can have a configuration of a shell that encases a heavy noble gas cluster 20 therein . the euv radiation source pellet generator ( 50 , 60 , 70 ) includes a metallic particle impregnation unit 60 that is adjoined to the droplet generator unit 50 . the metallic particle impregnation unit 60 includes a metallic particle generator 62 configured to emit metallic particles 5 along a metallic particle beam direction that intersects the droplet transit path at a region , which is herein referred to as a first intersect region . the metallic particle impregnation unit 60 further includes a first vacuum chamber 65 , which is adjoined to the second vacuum chamber 75 through an opening . the first vacuum chamber 65 is a portion of the vacuum enclosure into which the heavy noble gas cluster impregnated noble gas clusters 6 ′ are emitted from the second vacuum chamber 75 . the heavy noble gas cluster impregnated noble gas clusters 6 ′ enter the first vacuum chamber 65 through an opening between the first vacuum chamber 65 and the second vacuum chamber 75 . the metallic particle generator 62 can be any source that can generate a beam of metallic particles 30 , which can have any of the metallic compositions described above . the beam of metallic particles 30 can cause formation of a metallic deposit portion 68 at a wall of the first vacuum chamber 65 . the metallic particle impregnation unit 60 generates euv radiation source pellets 8 from combinations of heavy noble gas cluster impregnated noble gas clusters 6 ′ and the metallic particles 30 . the euv radiation source pellets 8 of the second embodiment can be the same as the euv radiation source pellets 8 of the first embodiment illustrated in fig2 and the euv radiation source pellets 8 illustrated in fig1 a , fig1 b , and fig1 c . the first intersect region at which the metallic particles 30 are incorporated into a heavy noble gas cluster impregnated noble gas cluster 6 ′ is located in the first vacuum chamber 65 , and the second intersect region at which the heavy noble gas clusters 20 are incorporated into a cluster 4 of the light noble gas in the second vacuum chamber 75 . as such , the second intersect region is more proximal to the location at which the clusters 4 of the light noble gas are emitted , i . e ., the opening in the droplet generator unit 50 , than the first intersect region is to the location at which the clusters 4 of the light noble gas are emitted . the second exemplary apparatus can further include a radiation generation unit 80 , which can be the same as in the first embodiment . the radiation generation unit 80 includes a third vacuum chamber 85 , which is a portion of the vacuum enclosure and is connected to the second vacuum chamber 75 via an opening . the euv radiation source pellets 8 can pass from the second vacuum chamber 75 into the third vacuum chamber 85 by a gravitational pull and the linear momentum of the pellets travelling substantially vertically downwards from chamber 75 to chamber 85 . in this case , the path of the euv radiation source pellets 8 within the third vacuum chamber 8 can be is substantially vertical downward path . the radiation generation unit 80 further includes at least one irradiation source ( 82 , 84 ), which can include a first irradiation source 82 configured to excite a plasma from the at least one metallic particle 30 within the euv radiation source pellets 8 and a second irradiation source 84 configured to amplify the plasma of the at least one metallic particle and to generate a plasma of the heavy noble gas cluster 20 . each of the at least one irradiation source ( 82 , 84 ) can be the same as in the first embodiment , and can function in the same manner as in the first embodiment . while the disclosure has been described in terms of specific embodiments , it is evident in view of the foregoing description that numerous alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . each of the embodiments described herein can be implemented individually or in combination with any other embodiment unless expressly stated otherwise or clearly incompatible . accordingly , the disclosure is intended to encompass all such alternatives , modifications and variations which fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure and the following claims . | 7 |
referring to the embodiment of fig1 a typical phase - locked loop ( pll ) system 10 is illustrated that includes a phase comparator 12 , a low - pass filter ( lpf ) 14 , a voltage - controlled oscillator ( vco ) 16 , and an n - divider 18 . as shown , the phase comparator 12 receives a reference signal having a reference frequency f r , and a feedback signal having a frequency f o / n . the comparator 12 compares the reference and feedback signals and outputs a dc signal , indicative of a difference in phase between the reference and feedback signals , to the lpf 14 . the lpf 14 filters the output signal from the comparator 12 and outputs the filtered signal to the vco 16 . the vco 16 uses the signal from the lpf 14 to adjust a frequency f o of an output signal of the vco 16 . the vco &# 39 ; s output signal is output on a line 20 and is also fed back to the n - divider 18 . the n - divider 18 divides the frequency f o of the vco &# 39 ; s output signal by a factor n , and outputs a signal having a frequency f o / n to the phase comparator 12 . the adjustment of the vco &# 39 ; s output signal frequency f o continues so that the output frequency f o locks to a desired frequency that is related to the reference frequency f r by the factor n . referring to the embodiment of fig2 the vco 16 may be implemented using an active device 22 having a negative resistance − r , and an lc tank 24 . the lc tank 24 includes an inductive element 26 , having an inductance l , and a varactor 28 having a variable capacitance c . the varactor &# 39 ; s capacitance c may be varied by a tuning voltage v tune received by an input 30 that is coupled to the varactor 28 . the varactor 28 may be implemented as a reverse - biased diode . the varactor 28 is shown coupled in parallel with the inductive element 26 , although other couplings , such as a serial coupling , may be employed . also , the inductive element 26 is shown as a single inductor , but the element 26 may be a combination of multiple inductive apparatus , e . g ., coupled in serial , or parallel , or combinations of serial and parallel connections . referring to fig3 a vco 40 includes an inductance arrangement 42 for the inductive element 26 of fig2 the varactor 28 , and the active device 22 . in a preferred embodiment , each of the components 22 , 28 , and 42 are formed on a semiconducting die or chip . by forming the varactor 28 on a semiconducting chip , manufacturing tolerances , e . g ., process variations , affect a nominal capacitance c nom of the varactor 28 , resulting in a tolerance range of nominal varactor capacitance c nom due to the manufacturing tolerances . thus , on a given wafer , varactors 28 on different chips may provide different actual nominal capacitances c nom - act when subjected to the same bias and tuning voltages . the same is true for varactors 28 on different wafers , and on wafers in different batches of wafers . to help compensate for the variance in the varactor &# 39 ; s actual nominal capacitance c nom - act relative to a designed / desired nominal varactor capacitance c nom - des , the inductance arrangement 42 provides for different inductances to be selectively coupled to the varactor 28 . in at least this embodiment , the inductance arrangement 42 includes a common bondpad 44 , five selectable bondpads 46 1 - 46 5 , and a bondwire 48 . the bondwire 48 is connected from the common bondpad 44 to one of the selectable bondpads 46 , here bondpad 46 3 . the bondwire 48 has an inductance that is dependent on its length and the selectable bondpads 46 are each disposed at different distances relative to the common bondpad 44 such that the bondwire length , and thus inductance , depends upon to which selectable bondpad 46 the bondwire 48 is connected . the distances from the common bondpad 44 to the selectable bondpads 46 are arranged such that an inductance range of the corresponding bondwires 48 will help to compensate for the tolerance range of the varactor &# 39 ; s nominal capacitance c nom . the inductances providable by the arrangement 42 are much more precise / reliable than the varactor capacitance c . the number of , and distances from the common bondpad to , the selectable bondpads 46 are designed to provide a sufficiently broad range of compensation and sufficiently fine resolution to appropriately compensate for any actual nominal varactor capacitance c nom - act within the expected tolerance range . the range of compensation is broad enough so that an lc product of the inductance l of the inductive element 26 ( fig2 ) and the nominal varactor capacitance c nom at either extreme of the tolerance range can be brought within a desired , or at least acceptable , range of lc product values . the resolution is such that an effective nominal capacitance c nom - eff can be adjusted from any value within the tolerance range to within the acceptable capacitance range such that the lc product is within the acceptable lc product range . thus , a center frequency of oscillation of the tank will be within an acceptable range of frequencies . the following provides a design example for the bondpads 46 . suppose the actual nominal varactor capacitance c nom - act can vary ± 10 % from the designed nominal varactor capacitance c nom - des , and an acceptable range is ± 2 . 5 % of c nom - des . in this case , the inductance arrangement needs to be configured to effectively adjust the nominal varactor capacitance c nom ( i . e ., adjust an effective nominal varactor capacitance c nom - eff ) from either − 10 % or + 10 % of design to between − 2 . 5 % and 2 . 5 % of designed nominal capacitance c nom - des . the location of the selectable bondpad 46 3 ( assuming five bondpads 46 will be used ) may be chosen first . the location of the selectable bondpad 46 3 is chosen such that an inductance l 3 of the bondwire 48 from bondpad 44 to bondpad 46 3 is a desired inductance l des , where the lc product l des c nom - des yields a desired ( and possibly ideal ) lc product ( an lc product within a desired range and possibly equal to an ideal value ). locations of extreme bondpads are designed in accordance with the nominal varactor capacitance tolerance range and acceptable range . bondpad 46 1 is located such that a bondwire inductance l 1 will adjust the effective capacitance c nom - eff from the lower end of the tolerance range c tol - min = 0 . 9c nom - des , to the lower limit of the acceptable range c acc - min = 0 . 975c nom - des . in this case , the inductance l 1 =( c acc - min / c tol - min ) l 3 =( 0 . 975 / 0 . 9 ) l 3 , or approximately 1 . 083l 3 . similarly , bondpad 46 5 is located such that a bondwire inductance l 5 will adjust the effective capacitance c nom - eff from the upper end of the tolerance range c tol - max = 1 . 1c nom - des , to the upper limit of the acceptable range c acc - max = 1 . 025c nom - des . in this case , the inductance l 5 =( c acc - max / c tol - max ) l 3 =( 1 . 025 / 1 . 1 ) l 3 , or approximately 0 . 932l 3 . intermediate bondpad locations , if needed or desired , are chosen to compensate for actual nominal capacitances c nom - act between the extremes of the tolerance range , especially capacitances that cannot be compensated for by the boundary inductances l 1 and l 5 . for example , the effective capacitance c nom - eff will not he within the acceptable range of ± 2 . 5 % of c nom - des if l 1 is used and c nom - act ≧( c acc - max * c tol - min / c acc - min )=( 1 . 025 * 0 . 9 / 0 . 975 ) c nom - des ≈ 0 . 946c nom - des . thus , using a maximum of 0 . 94c nom - des for safety , the bondpad 46 2 can be located such that l 2 =( c acc - min / 0 . 94c nom - des ) l 3 =( 0 . 975 / 0 . 94 ) l 3 ≈ 1 . 037l 3 . the inductance l 2 can compensate actual capacitances c nom - act of 0 . 94c nom - des or greater into effective capacitances c nom - eff that are within the acceptable capacitance range until c nom - des ≧( c acc - max / x )=( 1 . 025 / 1 . 037 ) c nom - des ≈ 0 . 988c nom - des , where x = l 1 / l 3 . as the maximum capacitance for which l 2 can be used is within the acceptable range , no more bondpads with inductances between l 1 and l 3 are needed . similarly , the effective capacitance c nom - eff will not be within the acceptable range of ± 2 . 5 % of c nom - des if l 5 is used and c nom - acc ≧( c acc - min * c tol - max / c acc - max )=( 0 . 975 * 1 . 1 / 1 . 025 ) c nom - des ≈ 1 . 046c nom - des . thus , using a maximum of 1 . 05c nom - des for safety , the bondpad 46 4 can be located such that l 4 =( c acc - max / 1 . 05c non - des ) l 3 =( 1 . 025 / 1 . 05 ) l 3 ≈ 0 . 976l 3 . the inductance l 4 can compensate actual capacitances c nom - act of 1 . 05c nom - des or less into effective capacitances c nom - eff that are within the acceptable capacitance range until c nom - act ≧( c acc - min / y )=( 0 . 975 / 0 . 976 ) c nom - des ≈ 0 . 999c nom - des , where y = l 1 / l 3 . as the minimum capacitance for which l 4 can be used is within the acceptable range , no more bondpads with inductances between l 5 and l 3 are needed . thus , the assumption of five selectable bondpads 46 was correct . other numbers of bondpads 46 could be used to provide finer resolution if desired . predetermined categories of deviations of the actual capacitance c nom - act relative to the desired / designed nominal varactor capacitance c nom - des are associated with the selectable bondpads 46 . the associations are based on knowledge of the inductances designed to be provided by bondwire connections to the various selectable bondpads 46 . for example , continuing the above example , selectable bondpads 46 1 , 46 2 , 46 3 , 46 4 , and 46 5 can be associated with actual capacitances c nom - act in the ranges 0 . 9 - 0 . 94c nom - des , 0 . 94 - 0 . 975c nom - des , 0 . 975 - 1 . 025c nom - des , 1 . 025 - 1 . 05c nom - des , and 1 . 05 - 1 . 1c nom - des , respectively . referring to fig4 a wafer 50 includes many semiconducting dies or chips 52 , including operational chips 54 and test chips 56 . the operational chips 54 may include the pll circuit 10 ( fig1 ) that includes the vco 40 ( fig3 ). the test chips 56 each include test circuitry for use in determining indicia of the actual nominal varactor capacitance c nom - act of the operational chips 54 relative to the designed capacitance c nom - des . the test circuitry includes at least one varactor , preferably with similar design to the vco varactors of the operational chips 54 neighboring each test chip 56 . test pads are coupled to the test chip varactors that can be probed with dc probes attached to test equipment for determining the actual capacitances c nom - act of the varactors on the test chips 56 . these capacitances serve as indications of the manufacturing variance and thus of the actual varactor capacitances c nom - act for operational chips 54 in the area of respective test chips 56 . as the actual capacitance c nom - act can be different for similarly - designed varactors in different areas of the wafer 50 , the test chips 56 are disposed strategically about the wafer 50 to help accurately determine the variance in the actual nominal varactor capacitance c nom - act for each of the operational chips 54 . referring also to fig5 a bondwire machine 60 for determining which selectable bondpad 46 to bond to and for connecting the common bondpad 44 to a selectable bondpad 46 includes a controller 62 , a wiring device 64 , and a prober 66 . the controller 62 is a computer such as a personal computer and includes a central processing unit ( cpu ) 68 and memory 70 . the memory 70 is coupled to the cpu 68 and may include , e . g ., random - access memory ( ram ), read - only memory ( rom ) hard and / or floppy disc drives . stored in the memory 70 are software instructions that when executed by the cpu 68 may cause the cpu 68 to instruct or otherwise cause the wiring device 64 and the prober 66 to perform various operations . for example , the wiring device is configured to , under control of the controller 62 , connect bondpads 44 and 46 with a bondwire . the prober 66 is configured to help determine indicia of actual capacitances of varactors of the test chips 56 of the wafer 50 . in at least one embodiment , to help determine indicia of actual nominal capacitances of varactors on the wafer 50 , the prober 66 includes probes 68 and a dc power supply 72 . the probes are disposed and configured to contact test pads coupled to the varactors of the test chips 56 when the prober 66 ( or a probe card connected to the prober 66 ) is moved , under control of the controller 62 , into contact with the wafer 50 . the power supply 72 can supply dc power to the varactors , and the cpu 68 ( or a processor in the prober 66 ) can use response signals received through the probes 68 to determine the actual capacitances of the varactors of the test chips 56 . the cpu 68 may use a difference between the actual nominal capacitances c nom - act and the designed nominal capacitances c nom - des of the test chip varactors to select a appropriate selectable bondpads 46 and to control the bondwire device 64 to connect the common bondpad 44 to the selected bondpads 46 . the cpu 68 may access a table or database stored in the memory 70 relating the designed / actual capacitance differences with selectable bondpads 46 . the relation can be of indicia other than this capacitance difference . for example , the relations could be of just the actual nominal capacitance c nom - act . the cpu 68 uses the associated bondpad 46 for all chips 54 in a predetermined area of the test chip 56 , which may be different for different test chips 56 and therefore for different operational chips 54 in different areas of the wafer 50 . instructions may be issued by the cpu 68 to cause the bondwire device 64 to wire bond the common bondpad 44 to the appropriate selectable bondpad 46 for each operational chip 54 . referring to 6 , with further reference to fig1 - 5 , a process 80 of manufacturing the pll 10 includes stages 82 , 84 , 86 , and 88 as shown . the stages and order of the stages shown are exemplary only and not meant to be limiting . stages may be added , removed , or rearranged without departing from the scope of the invention . at stage 82 , the wafer 50 is manufactured with the operational chips 54 and the test chips 56 . the operational chips 54 lack at least connections between the common bondpad 44 and the selectable bondpads 46 . at stage 84 , differences between the actual nominal capacitances c nom - act and the designed nominal capacitances c nom - des of the varactors of the test chips 56 are determined . as shown , the difference may be a ratio , although other ways of determining differences / relationships are possible , such as by subtracting . the cpu 68 executes instructions and causes the prober 66 to cause the probes 68 to contact test pads connected to the test chip varactors . under control of the cpu 68 , the prober dc reverse biases the varactors to the nominal value . responses to the nominal biases are used by the cpu 68 to determine indicia of the actual nominal capacitances c nom - act . the actual nominal capacitances c nom - act are compared to the designed nominal capacitance c nom - des and the relationship between the actual capacitances c nom - act and the desired / designed capacitances c nom - des are determined for the test chip varactors . at stage 86 , the cpu 68 associates the differences between actual and designed nominal capacitances to selectable bondpads 46 . the cpu 68 accesses the memory 70 for stored relationships between capacitance differences and selectable bondpads 46 . for each test chip 56 , the cpu 68 determines which selectable bondpad 46 to use for operational clips 54 associated with each test chip 56 . at stage 88 , the cpu 68 controls the bondwire device 64 to wire bond the common bondpad 44 to the selected bondpad 46 for each operational chip 54 . the cpu 68 causes the device 64 to produce the bondwire 48 connecting the common bondpad 44 to the selectable bondpad 46 that is appropriate for that operational chip 54 . the appropriate bondpad 46 is potentially different from chip 54 to chip 54 based on the area of the wafer 50 . other embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the appended claims . for example , bondwire connections can be made to more than one selectable bondpad 46 ( fig2 ). bondwire connections can be made from the common bondpad 44 to multiple selectable bondpads 46 . this can be used , e . g ., to provide finer resolution than connecting to a single selectable bondpad 46 only . referring to fig3 - 5 , the bondwire machine 60 can be programmed directly as to which selectable bondpad 46 to connect to the common bondpad 44 . this could be done by a person that measures the actual capacitances and programs the controller 62 based upon know relationships between actual capacitance and desired selectable bondpads 46 . this technique could be used instead of providing the actual capacitance of a varactor on a test chip 54 through the prober 66 and having the bondwire machine 60 determine which selectable bondpad 46 to use . also , the length of the bondwire between two bondpads could be varied , while ensuring that the bondwire fits inside the chip package , to adjust the inductance . still other embodiments are possible , such as those shown in fig7 and 8 . referring to fig7 a vco 90 includes the active device 22 , the varactor 28 , and an inductance arrangement 92 . the arrangement 92 includes a common bondpad 94 , selectable bondpads 96 1 - 96 5 , a primary inductor 98 , and secondary inductors 100 1 - 100 4 coupled to respective selectable bondpads 96 1 - 96 4 . the primary and secondary inductors 98 and 100 are coil inductors and may be formed at different layers in the wafer 50 . an inductance l p of the primary inductor 98 is designed to , when combined with an inductance of a bondwire 102 connected to the bondpad 96 5 be used with the varactor 28 if the actual nominal varactor capacitance c nom - act is at a lower extreme of the tolerance range relative to the designed capacitance c nom - des ( e . g ., 90 % of c nom - des ). the secondary inductors 100 1 , 100 2 , 100 3 and 100 4 are each designed to , when combined with an inductance of a bondwire 102 connected to the bondpads 96 1 , 96 2 , 96 3 , and 96 4 , respectively , be used with the varactor 28 if the actual nominal varactor capacitance c nom - act differs from the designed capacitance c nom - des by corresponding ranges . the range corresponding to pad 96 1 is at the upper end of the tolerance range . the inductance of the secondary inductor 100 3 coupled to bondpad 96 3 is designed to be used , in combination with the primary inductor 98 and the bondwire inductance , with the varactor 28 if the varactor &# 39 ; s actual capacitance c nom - act is within the acceptable range of actual nominal capacitances . depending on the capacitances and inductances used , the primary inductor 98 may be eliminated . referring to fig8 a system 108 includes an ic chip package 110 , a die or chip 112 that includes a varactor and active device ( not shown ) for a vco , and an inductance arrangement 114 . the package 110 may be a printed circuit board ( pcb ). the inductance arrangement 114 is similar to the inductance arrangement 92 , except that the arrangement 114 does not include a primary inductor ( although a primary inductor could be used ), and the inductances of inductors 116 1 - 116 4 are designed accordingly . as shown , the arrangement is disposed off - chip ( i . e ., off of the chip 112 ). coil inductors may be used for the inductors 116 1 - 116 4 . still further embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the invention and the appended claims . for embodiments with coil inductors ( e . g ., as shown in fig7 and 8 ), the inductors are trimmed or otherwise modified to be precise . also , for such embodiments the selectable bondpads can be disposed equidistant from the common bondpad . also , for arrangements with inductors in addition to the bondwire inductance , the inductances of the primary inductor ( if any ) and the secondary inductors are factored into the determination of which selectable bondpad to use . while various embodiments of the application have been described , it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within the scope of this invention . accordingly , the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the appended claims and their equivalents . | 7 |
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